Reinventing the OneLapCamaro... - Page 22 - Lateral-g Forums

James OLC · #**211** 06-17-2013, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by compos mentis

James,

Congrats again on your teams win.

Not sure if this has been covered already, but now that OLoA is over, what difference do you feel the new front end and the new wing out back made?

Any other changes that you feel merit mentioning?

Thanks - it was a challenging year with Jimi and Carl really upping the level of competition in Vintage. We were fortunate to take the win this year as all of us won, and lost, some competitions by rediculasly small margins.

I'll go in to more detail later but long story short - the front end did what I hoped it would but came with a bit of a weight penalty (compared to what I was hoping). Cooling was phenomenal and suggests we can block more of the grill but overall the front is/was too high and we'll benefit from dropping it down a bit. Jury is still out on the wing - we never had a chance to truly dial it in and tune it before heading out so I think there is room for improvement. All that being said the car the best it's ever been, we easy to drive and performed (mechanically) flawlessly (for the most part) over the week.

The engine is (was) tired when we finished and the transmission wasn't 100% but we're addressing both of those now...

barrrf · #**212** 06-20-2013, 07:27 AM

Love this car. Very forward thinking when it comes to muscle cars and aero. Ive said it before, but the wing is great (dibs youre ever going to remove and sell).

Well done!

Leadfoot1 · #**213** 06-20-2013, 07:44 PM

And all that with a stock (production) sub frame!!!

That's blowing me away and proving that you can do some serious driving with what you get with the purchase of a typical project car!!! Some people don't even drive their car 25% of what you do with yours and Ohhhhh sooo ''NEED'' a DSE or other Big ticket Sub frame to go to the supermarket...lol!!! You sure show its definitively not needed and I love it!!

Love the new look too!!

Lead.

James OLC · #**214** 06-21-2013, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leadfoot1

And all that with a stock (production) sub frame!!!

That's blowing me away and proving that you can do some serious driving with what you get with the purchase of a typical project car!!! Some people don't even drive their car 25% of what you do with yours and Ohhhhh sooo ''NEED'' a DSE or other Big ticket Sub frame to go to the supermarket...lol!!! You sure show its definitively not needed and I love it!!

Love the new look too!!

Lead.

Thanks Lead but I have to respectfully disagree with you to a point. When I built the OLC sub options were limited and my ATS modified (now SpeedTech) sun frame was abut the best option available. It certainly gets the job done - to a point - and has served us well in a variety of different applications. But it's not ideal and if I were to build the car today, and if mu budget allowed it, I would probably go a different route.

In many ways what we have now is about the equivalent of RideTech's True Turn setup although using different bits and pieces - many of which were home made. It works but we are at, or near, it's limits. That said, one had to look no further than Carl Casanova to see that for the majority of people a stock subframe is more than up the the task.

Today there are a ton of great choices for subframes which are available at not much more cost than a fully built (i.e. functioning) stock sub. A couple may actually be cheaper. It gets difficult in so much as subframe choices/options may be dictated by you engine combination... My use of the an LS7 actually limits the number of subs I can use significantly as there are only so many oil pans available.

Aftermarket subs are (can be) slightly lighter and typically have greater torsional rigidity than the stock one and allow for larger tires, better clearance, and easier utilization than the stock ones - provided the budget allows it and the end use, to a certain point, justifies one. I would not hesitate to use a SpeedTech sub (and in fact I have one in the '69) or an AME piece. Likewise Scott Mock makes a great looking subframe and DSE's has obviously proven itself.

The '67 I am building for wife will certainly have a stock subframe in it - either a RideTech based piece or a SpeedTech based piece.

Leadfoot1 · #**215** 06-21-2013, 07:16 PM

Hey James,

I hear ya, and have to respectfully......agree with you lol!!! You said it very well, for your application and what you do, i am in total

with what you wrote.

The point i was trying to make (and i think you got it) is that a lot of people are trying to build their cars and put a lot of focus on the (false) absolute necessity of having to get an aftermarket sub frame to have a good car, that it almost makes it a discouraging venture...yet, they dont really need one to enjoy their project!! (Especially when you consider the percentage of whom of these people are going to race their car to a level where it would warrant going with an aftermarket one) What i was trying to highlight was that you can do A LOT to a stock sub and have a very fun and performing car all while still not sinking 10g's just on one part of the car.

Carl's car is effectively a very nice example (doesnt he run 275 up front on top of things too??)

i like the Speedtech too. Good bang for the buck, the best looking to me is the AME unit, the DSE while proven, is too much like the stock one for me look wise, the performance is there, but i like the Rugged and fabbed look of the AME, it looks all business.

Ah....it always comes down to the same story anyway.....

Lead.

**CarlC** · #**216** 06-21-2013, 10:56 PM

Yup, and 285's are on the menu.

James OLC · #**217** 07-16-2013, 08:30 AM

And so it continues…

After a pretty good One Lap of America this year Mary and I were faced with the reality that the OLC was getting a bit old in places and was starting to show some wear and tear from five years of gentle use. The engine and transmission were starting to show their age and if we were going to run the OLOA for a fifth time with the car - and if we hoped to once again improve our overall finish - some changes were once again in order. As we discussed our strategy for next year we accepted the fact that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced, we knew that the transmission needed a freshening, and we felt that the car itself needed some tweaks to get in to fighting shape for what will most likely be its last One Lap competition. So – after some furious phone calls and emails we formulated a plan and, at this point, we’re well on our way to working our way through it.

Here it is…

The Katech “Street Attack” LS7 has been sold and a new Katech LS7 will be taking its place. The new bullet makes a little bit more power and a little bit more torque and will be getting an updated intake, oiling system, and maybe a trick here or there.

The MEFI4B ECM is gone and will be replaced by a much more powerful and flexible Holley Dominator EFI. The Holley system has loads of options that the MEFI just couldn’t match and will a welcome addition to the OLC’s critical systems. Davis Technologies will be providing Traction Control technology that should help us in just about every event that we encounter in the OLOA.

The Tremec T-56 Magnum is off for a rebuild. We found some issues with the slave cylinder which lead us to examine the somewhat wobbly input shaft. This transmission is also a very early Magnum and will be updated to the CF synchros as part of the rebuild.

Centerforce will be rebuilding the DYAD Dual Disk Clutch as part of some routine freshening. This has been an awesome piece for us – outlasting and outgripping anything that we have tried before – and has proven to be perfect for our power levels and use.

The car is going on a diet… the OLC is – and always has been – a heavy car and if we’re going to get faster we need to shed some weight. Our goal is 250 pounds… which is a lot to hope for but I think that we can get close. Some will be easy, some will be painful, and some will be a challenge but at the end of the day I think that it will be worth it.

And the kicker…

The stock subframe is coming out and an Art Morrison Enterprises custom tweaked front subframe will be taking its place. The AME sub will be made even better thanks to some bits and pieces from LG Motorsports including billet drop spindles, monoball bearings, race hubs, and brake ducts.

This is a huge leap for us and will require a pretty daunting amount of work to get right. With that said, grab some popcorn and follow along as we work though what should be the second to last reinvention of the One Lap Camaro…

**Flash68** · #**218** 07-16-2013, 11:53 AM

You are a pioneer.. and then some.

Quote:

Originally Posted by James OLC

This is a huge leap for us and will require a pretty daunting amount of work to get right. With that said, grab some popcorn and follow along as we work though what should be the second to last reinvention of the One Lap Camaro…

Are you willing to share what the final frontier is for this?

**fleet** · #**219** 07-16-2013, 12:02 PM

James,

Looking forward to watching it unfold.

Obviously a lot of subframe choices. What made you decide on the AME piece?

James OLC · #**220** 07-16-2013, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash68

You are a pioneer.. and then some.

About 15 years ago I was talking to someone at NOS about (something) and they said the same thing... then they reminded me what happened to the pioneers... but thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash68

Are you willing to share what the final frontier is for this?

Realistically - clean up and retirement. There is one more think that I can think of after this that would help but I just don't see it happening so once this is done the next step would be taking it back to it's original form, cleaning it up and... who knows.