79 Camaro build update

[silver63c10]

Let's bring this back from the dead one more time - it's finally time to start hanging corners with this thing!

...



..well, it will be this summer sometime. Hopefully..you know how that goes.

So we made the decision going into winter last year that it was time to do something besides go in a straight line. We originally built the car to drag race, standing mile, and road race/autocross, with as much of the original build equipment as possible.

A few detours have come in along the way, but we're heading toward the autocross stage now (which will conveniently set us up for some mile racing as well).

So, what's on the list of things to do?

Engine refresh (check)
Ditch the TH350 trans (check)
Gear swap from 5.83s/spool to 4.86s/Torsen diff (check)
Brake flush/bleed (check)
Get a new manual trans since we sold the old one (check)
Faattt wheels and tires (partial check - 265/285 RS-3s to start)
Exhaust hangdownectomy to facilitate way lower ride height (soon)
Up the front spring rate
Handling alignment
Install brake bias adjuster
...
..and much more that I'm sure I'm forgetting



We opted to go with an American Powertrain TKO600 Extreme. We put a stock TKO in the car during the initial build, but found after 130 or so passes at the drag strip and a few thousand street miles, it wouldn't stand up to 7k+ shifts (as they said it wouldn't in the first place).

AP claims their upgrades to the TKO facilitate a higher power rating (not of concern to us just yet), and more importantly, much improved high RPM shifting (definitely of concern to us).

After several delays, phone calls, and other mishaps, it's finally in our possession and ready to be bled and tossed in with a new Lakewood bellhousing.



We plan on hitting the local autocrosses that I've been running in my 350Z daily driver, as well as at least the Texas USCA event in 2015. With homebuilt suspension, the high-winding, torque peaky 377 and all that gear, it should be an unholy terror.. and I can't wait to get a taste of it

[WSSix]

Good luck! sounds like a cool plan.

[silver63c10]

Quick update, after several slight roadblocks we are on the way to killing some cones.

Got to do a quick test drive yesterday and everything seems to be functioning normally. Need to do some alignment and corner balance work, get an oil cooler plumbed up, and a few other odds and ends and we'll be ready to disturb the peace.

Here's a quick video from yesterday's fun -

[CamaroMike]

Do you like the RS3's as much as I do? Car looks fun!

[silver63c10]

Thanks, it's an absolute blast to row it through the gears again.

The RS3s work exceptionally well on my 350Z, I love them. Sadly, they only go up to 285 though, so we'll have to switch once we step up to wider wheels on the Camaro.

Looking at the Rivals, Kumho XS, or Falkens, but haven't done much serious research yet.

[WSSix]

Congrats on getting it back on the road again. Have fun dialing it in.

[silver63c10]

Well, 5 years and change after getting it on the road for the first time, we're officially registered for its first autocross this Sunday.

Consequently, last weekend involved a pretty good thrash to get ready. Items on the list included buttoning down the updated shifter boot, toning down the exhaust, and getting it aligned.

Exhaust silencing was pretty simple. I took some 2.5" tubing, split it and offset the pieces, then clearanced the edges to more or less cover the the full inside diameter of the pipe as a sort of whoopity-doo baffle as it exits.

Since the car has an X-pipe, Spintechs, and 3.5" oval dumps in front of the tire, there was plenty of room to improve. This relatively simple solution seems to have toned it down substantially, but the proof will be in us not getting kicked out Sunday. There's no hard decibel limit at this site, but flat-out obnoxious cars are up for a slap on the wrist. No more bleeding ears: success.

Next up, the Racequip shift boot and custom floor panel (because nothing bolts on, of course). This will get a coat of SEM trim black and some nice button head fasteners down the road, but this will do for now. No more hot air blowing in my face on the road: success.



Removing the dust caps to attach our Longacre alignment tool revealed that the drivers side spindle had started to contact the cap ever so slightly, leading to shimmering grease outside the outer bearing. Nothing throwing a few sparks can't cure.



With that out of the way, it was on to the fun part - finally dialing some camber into those fancy control arms we installed way back when. Base setup will be -3 deg camber, just under 4 deg caster, and a 1/16th toe in. Adjustments at the track this time around will be limited to shock adjustments on the single adjustable QA1s and brake bias changes using the newly installed Wilwood magic knob.



And, finally, how she sits (well, this was before the alignment, but you get the gist). The Enkei 18x9.5/10.5 wheels, admittedly, look much more at home on my 350Z, but I can get used to the look if they'll stick and go.



Here goes nothin'..

[WSSix]

Give it hell! Just don't break anything, lol. Good luck!

[silver63c10]

Thanks! I gave it hell, and didn't break anything, so we'll call this trip a success.

All in all, for the first runs this day couldn't have gone any better. Eased through the first run - well, first half of the first run, and picked up from there (see the video below for how quickly things escalated). The car feels great overall. Pretty docile, really, compared to what I was expecting, both in terms of handling and getting the power down.



We had a great turnout of old iron at this event, with 6 entries in the CAM class. It was cool to have several reference points, and we ended up 4th in class. Not bad for a starting point, but there's loads of room for improvement in both the car and my comfort level with it.



Overall, I'm pretty happy with the feel. Naturally, though, there's already a list of changes to be made. Here's a rundown of the issues to be rectified -

- the rear brakes just flat aren't biting. Not sure if it's master cylinder sizing, bias bar adjustment, or other issue, but it's contributing to a ton of front dive and subsequent bottom out under braking, leading us to -

- front spring rate. Specifically, lack thereof right now. We went with 450# springs on the QA1 drop-in coilovers originally, and I pretty much knew they weren't going to be enough. 650s (the highest they have in this configuration) are on the way as of today, with eyes toward replacing them with outboard mounted units tied to the cage downbars this winter

- the rear end is quite skittish. It's controllable, and fairly predictable, but there's just not much grip. The rear sway bar will be disconnected for the next event as a starting point for correcting this

- the 4.86 gears might be a bit too tall, as this course probably could have used a shift to 3rd in a couple of spots. This was a big course, but was pretty standard for the clubs we run with

- stock 9" axle bearings don't like autocross - Strange o-ringed replacements are on the way to correct a bit of leakage on both sides

- oil cooler was already on the list, and proved to be needed. Temps were in the high 240s by the last runs

- MEAT - we'll be investigating how much rubber we can squeeze under the front in the next few weeks (rear is wide open inside and out). The plan right now is for Forgestar F14s, most likely in 10 and 12 inch widths.



The day was pretty much like operating an amusement park ride, with different passengers hopping in for 4 of the 6 runs - all leaving with a big silly grin on their face. By the end we were getting better at explaining the 5-points to the uninitiated.

It might not be the quickest (my Z would have pretty easily been 3+ seconds quicker), but touching 7500 rpm multiple times, and constant wiggle through all the corners makes for a hell of an exciting ride.

Here's video of the second and last runs of the day - turn up the speakers for full effect.



And finally, a quick shot of my (thankfully) helmeted mug on the way to the line. The grin may be covered, but I assure you it's ear to ear

[WSSix]

Glad you had fun. Good luck getting it sorted out. There's plenty of info here and from the site sponsors that can help.