Please show us your Pro Touring Camaro or Firebird. These are cars equally comfortable on the street, road course, and drag strip. If we can find enough fine examples then I will reserve a Car of The Month contest just for this category. The winner will be displayed on the front page of Thirdgen.org website. Let's show people what we can do with our 3rd gens!

The usual COTM guidelines are in effect. All cars must be of exceptional fit and finish inside and out. No partially completed project cars.

 

I hope to have mine up and on the street by the end of March. When it is, I’ll post pics and info

 

Ya, I figure it is going to take a while to fill out this thread anyway. It's not like everybody has a pro-touring 3rd gen. But it's going to be fun to find them and showcase what people can do with these cars!

 

I'm in the same situation as IROCZman15, although I'm hoping to have mine "complete" in a couple weeks. Just started doing upgrades so I have a long way to go to be competitive.

-Jim

 

The first one that comes to mind is 427seven's Firebird, it's everything described above. I'm sure there are a few that members on this site that are familiar with my build, but it is years away from being worthy of a COTM award. Just my input, I like the idea of the Pro Touring category.

 

Perhaps a typo worth correcting!
​​​​​​(and feel free to delete this...)
​​

 

Oh, that's hilarious. LOL! Thanks for catching that typo.

 

Thought you might think so.

 

Too bad there's not a "was" clause in the requirements. I think for at least one or two seasons mine satisfied the COTM criteria. Since moving out west five years ago I've lost the windshield (famous Alberta highways), dash pad (thanks -30 degrees and 20% relative humidity), the driver's door (WalMart parking lot) and now a suspected engine failure (courtesy of my right foot).
But we fall down so we can get back up again. I shall return.

 

I'll bite the bait.

I Get Around
The Beach Boys
Round round get around, I get around, yeah
(Get around round round I get around, ooh-ooh) I get around
Fom town to town (get around round round I get around)
I'm a real cool head (get around round round I get around)
I'm makin' real good bread (get around round round I get around)
I'm gettin' bugged driving up and down the same old strip
I gotta find a new place where the kids are hip
My buddies and me are getting real well known
Yeah, the bad guys know us and they leave us alone


I bought my car brand new in Aug. '89 in Mpls MN. First road trip was to Road America where Danny Sullivan won the CART race. Then for the month of Dec. '89, I drove out to Santa Barbara to visit my older brother and drive up and down PCH from Oregon to Tijuana (parked at border and walked across).




Around '92, I decided to drive to Cuba, but I didn't quite make it. The return trip from Key West to Mpls took me 35 hours elapsed time - solo! Don't recommend trying this.


In March '94, I drove down to Phoenix to watch my younger brother's AMA team race - he had just imported the first Aprilla "works" bike (250cc) into the US. Along the way, I visited Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon. Mpls --> Bryce in 24 hrs.


In Sept. of '94, I drove my younger brother out to CA. His Aprilla gained an "at-large" bid for the US Grand Prix (FIMA) at Laguna Seca. He (NOT me) watched the race with the President of Aprilla.
In June '96, I took my father out the Glacier NP, Hells Canyon, and Yellowstone.
In Sept '99, I took my mother out to Charleston SC, up the coast to Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, and Washington DC.

In order to drive my car in all the lower 48, I still need MS, LA, and AR - New Orleans cruise, and everything north of Yankee stadium - New England cruise.

And of course, I've been on track:


And the best Pro-Touring pic:

 

My build philosophy was to build the most agile car from a 60 mph roll - that my bank account could afford.
So handling is very important as is acceleration and deceleration. I tried to keep unsprung weight to a minimum, but I wanted creature comforts for long distance touring.

Drivetrain:
The LS2 swap fixed the acceleration concerns while using the aluminum block. Stock LS2 with CAI and 2" SS headers. Stock 4L65e with aluminum driveshaft into a Mark Williams 12 bolt, TrueTrac, with 3.42 gears. BMR trak pak holding it in place.





Brakes:
Front: Wilwood FSL Narrow 6pot, 2pc curved vane rotors, and aluminum hubs. Wilwood floating 4pot in rear.

Mock-up pic





They do fit behind the stock Formula wheels!


Suspension:
Front:
2" Drop Spindles Road Racing version from Racecraft (No longer offered), 1/2" Ext Ball Joint, Spohn adj Tubular A-arms, Wonder Bar, Spohn Strut Towers, Kenny Brown 3pt Strut Tower Bar, Spohn Bump Steer Kit, Turn One Steering Box and pump, AFCO Swivel Cup Weight Jacks, #900 Hypercoil 5.5" X 11" Springs (New, not shown in pics),





Rear:
RideTech Coil-overs #250 Springs, 19mm sway bar, BMR LCA Brackets, Jegster Lower PHB bracket on axle, Kenny Brown adj LCA's