IHI

iTrader: (1)

After all of last years troubles yanking engines/trannies and what not, the amount of cussing involved due to GM's tight packaging of components, today i was under the car fighting to get the center section ripped out of the rear end to get the new gears installed....the S10 takes me 20 minutes to pull the 3rd member...i had 2 hours disassembling everything under this dang thing to get mine out...focking joke...granted wolfe craft kinda screwed me, and i screwed myself since the anti roll bar brackets to suspend the anti rool bar were short and they covered up the bottom bolt and lip of the center section, so i had to cut those brackets and pull the bar off the car, so that was a pita, but then having to reposition jack stands so rear end could drop fully to get the TQ arm brackets off the rearend so i could pull the gears out....man, I will never own another camaro or firbird that will be used for race purposes...packaging is just soo tight it makes life miserable

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

whaaaa????
i love my gta, it is SOOO much easier to work on than my 4th gen. now THOSE cars are a bitch.
with a thirdgen, i can get anywhere on the motor i need to, swap intakes, heads, whatever. no big deal.
the rearend issue, i can sorta see, but how often do you plan on changing gears? i also had the same issue with my wolfe bar and rotated it rearward more so i could get the pumpkin in/out. i had to cut off the shock mount tabs so i could do that. i will still gladly take this suspension setup over a leaf spring car/truck!!
to be honest, for drag racing, i think these cars are VERY good cars.... a mustang might be a bit better, but thats only due to the 4-500# weight advantage they have.

IHI

iTrader: (1)

LOL, i agree, once your done installing the stuff, the package works very well, very well indeed, but man EVERYTHING under these cars is a PITA!!! no place to tuck exhaust unless you do some restrictive stuff following the factory single pipe run, or if you want to retain ground clearance, notching out and then boxing the rear floor pans back in is about the only other option so your not decapitating ants

the wolfe craft bar, i had literally 2 hours to get it installed before i had to be on the road to the track w were running that weekend...in hind sight i shoulda just waited until after the weekend, but i had the new toy and wanted to use it I knew eventually it was going to bite me in the butt, and if i went back to a 28" tire i would'nt need the new gear, but this is my new combo so i had to do the gear change...but at least now i have the time to extend the brackts like i should've done upon inital assembly, but did'nt due to lack of time...from here on out it wont be so bad.....

but come on, i KNOW you've helped wrnech on some 80's style G bodies, malibu's, chevelles, monte carlos, etc....pleeeeeeeenty of room on top and underneath these things....i know after this i'm going with a piperack, just makes more sense at this point of the game

AlkyIROC

The Camaro wasn't my first choice. Back in the spring of 1999 when I was looking for a car to make into a race car, I was first looking for a G-body. When I couldn't find anything suitable, I was offered the Camaro and decided to buy it not knowing what to expect with a unibody car. After spending all this time building a drag car, I admit it's not the best platform to make into a drag car. The body style is popular but even a second gen is a better choice. In all the years I've raced, there has only been a small handful of third gens at the track so mine always gets a little bit of attention being different than all the other cars. Everyone is always amazed at the size of the engine stuffed under the hood.

When driving around on the streets, I'm always looking at other types of vehicles and wonder how well they would be if made into a drag car. Even newer cars if converted to rear wheel drive like a lot of the newer Super Stock cars.

IHI

iTrader: (1)

Same here, my grandfather called me one day and told me to come take a look at this car, i was'nt even looking for one, but it was one of those "price is right" type deals. Looked at it, rust free, ran good, paint faded and such, but the guy only wanted $500 so i jumped on it just cuz LOL!!!

Working atop the engine, no biggie, just like any other car...other than that, PITA!!!! esspecially after helping turn wrenches on buddies cars...the only worse car i helped wrench on was a buddies 74 vega he had tubbed, now THAT was a tight fitting SOB...had to cut a hole in the trans tunnel and make a 3" dipstick for the tranny, headers running THROUGH the fenders LOL!!! PITA..but these platforms are killer for good mph due to the aerodynamic nature...the birds more so than the maro's, the huge back windows are ideal for bracket racing, factory suspension design flat out gets the job done to awesome ET's, a good aftermarket following....but other than that, turning a wrench on'em is a joke. only way their easier is after a full tube chasis and the only thing really left is the skin.

cp87GTA

I just back halfed a 96 bird for my son, and re worked the front end. We have a pontiac 406 in it. Had to go with a lexan windshield cause we had to remove most of the cowl and make a box so we could get the carb some room. A stock floor pan car would be a -itch to work on, I agree. That's why I didn't keep my GTA. I was looking for a 3rd gen bird when I found my Grand Am. I did want a very good body to start with and couldn't find a decent one with out t tops. So I found my GA for 200.00, and I have plenty of room to work. It's a full tube car with home built front end. The car handles great too. Building the frontend pieces was a challenge, I built everything in my garage. At least the frontend on the 3rd gens has some room, if you go with the tubeular stuff. 4th gen sticks out too far, can't even get a set of skinnys on it and make it look rite. Looks like we may be front halfing the car next winter.

1320_Guy

iTrader: (3)

gta, looks like you did a good job. Is the car completed.

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

i also have a '78 cutlass.... might be a SLIGHT bit easier to work on than a 3rd gen, but there is not that much more room, imo. and its a ton less aerodynamic than a 3rd/4th gen f-bod.
i dont like the 1st/2nd gens for a drag car either. leaf springs.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

josh, i hate to work on mine, don't think the chassis has anything to do with it Unless it's a full tube chassis drag car, I doubt there's room in any of the chassis like when I work on my old suburban that I can sit on the fender and reach everything with room to spare all around....

cp87GTA

The car will probably never be done, but it is race able. I've been running it for 2 seasons. Went to a glide this season, and have a 406 in the works for it. It went 6.60s 6.70s last season with a 383 and th350 on the motor. Hope to get the frontend done and get some paint on it this season. It takes a lot of time building 2 cars, and I'm getting up there. Don't move as good as I used to. This car isn't light though, 2820 race weight. I put all steel back in it, except the hood and nose, which I built. One of my long time buddys, runs a 87 camaro. mybe a backhalf car next year, If we're still kicking, we both have bad tickers. We've been buddies for 40 years.

AlkyIROC

2800 race weight is good. I'd love to get mine that low. My race weight is around 3200.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

i choose thirdgen because i couldnt afford a 4th gen or a earlier 1st gen at the time But i hear 4th gens are harder to work on...but atleast they have longtubes that really fit their cars. Oh well i still love the thirdgen camaro

sixpackmtrspts

i chose a 3rd gen simply casue theres alot of em out there and they are cheap. i am in the process of building my car, it is track only so i have pretty much cut everythingout of it. by making it a track only car you can renegineer things to make it easier to work on. an example is the trans, if you make the trans tunnel removable it is alot easier to sercive the trans (you do need proper bracing and support when you build your chassis/cage though). front crossmember, if you have to retain the front k member for class rules (most all allow modifications) cut it, notch it, make the center removable to make room for big pans and to be able to drop the pan if needed at the track. look at purpose built drag cars for ideas, such as warren johnsons car, look at the details of the small things if you walk the pits at the drags.

AlkyIROC

Purpose built drag cars are not made from a production model such as what we've done. A purpose built drag car is fabricated from a tube chassis then a body of preference is hung off the tube chassis. It only looks like a third gen or whatever body is on the chassis. Pro Stock cars have not been made from factory production models since 1972.

I don't have a removable tranny tunnel yet but I have modified to make it larger around the firewall just to allow access to the bellhousing bolts. With the engine pushed back as far as it will go, there isn't much room left.

ezstriper

Sounds like chassis engineering to me....mine not bad at all...Rob

KWIK84

iTrader: (5)

87GTA.....is that at Midstate? How is the track this year? Did they do anything to either it or the pits over the off season? I would like to run there more but the car looks like it has been through a sand storm after...so I'm still pulling to CDP, would like to hit Midstate a bit more this year with gas being what it is, just have to run against Barrett and that d**n orange camaro of his. Hopefully he'll put a box in it so I don't have to try and go through him.

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

thats why im getting rid of my 86 would be drag car and getting a 81 Fbody.... lil better to work with, plus the 8.5 10 bolt is so much better to use till i get a M9

DirtyCanadian

didnt the f body start in 82 ?? i know the change cam for the trans am in 82

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

yeah but 67 up camaros and firebirds are all "FBODYS" im talking about a 81 Second Gen Transam is what im getting....

DirtyCanadian

You know those are about 400lbs heavier right

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

no big deal, lots of fiberglass parts for them, ( i know there are plenty for our cars too) its just an eisier design of a car plus i can put a big block in there easier although im thinking about using a 434 sbc anyways, plus ive owned every other generation of fbody so i need to get a second gen lol....

amerikan_rhino

After all the problems my IROC gave me I sold it (hard thing to do but I did it) and I picked up a 80 Malibu Classic , Alot better move for me in the long run (full frame) easy to do a fuel system in (trunk) and running true duels is no big problems on these things, can remove the inner fender on the front .. and much more! I love F Bodies but .. think I found my new fav. Stock this car weighs less then my IROC did (dont get me wrong people! I love f bodies and cannot stress it anymore but as far as building another race car the Malibu ... in my book ... easier then the IROC) but G bodys are hard to find now days (everyone jumped on the band wagon and I was lucky to find this one as clean as it is)

cp87GTA

Last weekend was opening day TT. It took the track a couple of hours to get some rubber down as they scraped it pretty good. It did come around pretty good. No luck with Barrett, he slowed down the camaro. He is running mufflers and pipes all they way out the back now. I watched him cut a .004, .006 and a .007 light Sunday. Looks like he is going to be tuff again this year. Barrett isn't the only tuff driver here anymore in pro class. Rick dropped to pro last year so he could have more time for his daughter and the jrs. He has his 67 bird running 6.10s, and he's tuff on the tree too. My son is a decent driver, but has been off all of last season building his new car. It'll take him a little while to get it back. Not many changes to the track. Every track has there faults, I'll continue to race there as long as I'm able. I know a lot of guys there and I enjoy talking with most of them.

cp87GTA

2nd Gens are much heavier, and the instant center is bad in my 02. I've built 2 of them in the last 6 years. Don't have either of them now. My son-in-law still has his car, but it is just sitting since we split. Unless you plan on doing a back half, and going to a ladder bar or 4 link setup, the 3rd gen will out perform the 2nd hands down. Very easy to over power the chassis on the 2nd gen cars. We removed everything we could on my son-in-laws 78 T/A and we couldn't get it lighter than 3040 lbs, with a sbc. The only glass parts we had was the hood and scoop. The 8.5 rear is stronger, but it still takes a lot to make one live behind any hp. Then they are very hard to sell, I know because I still have a couple to get rid of. Let me know if you need some parts, I went with f9s

DirtyCanadian

im having a hard time finding out what the 83 trans am with T5 and t-tops weighed, i lost my book and get crooked answers on google, one of you guys know ?

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

find out an acurate weight go to a local truck stop and weigh it, it only costs a couple of dollars and u can see how much it weight with you in it...

DirtyCanadian

i wanna know the factory gvw tho, mines been altered

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

title? or in the door jam, or maybe call the chevy dealer and ask them they might be able to help...

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

why do you care about gvw? are you wanting to know how many bricks you can haul in it? lol....