Hey everyone. Just wanted to start a thread to document my Pro-Touring ‘84 Z/28 build/ re-build. I originally bought this car at just 15 years old and spent that winter rebuilding it. A list of some of the mods I did the first time I did the build:

• Full UMI suspension/Viking struts and shocks
• LQ9 block LS3 heads with comp valve train making 470 whp
• T56 magnum transmission
• stock 10 bolt with upgraded internals
• C5 corvette brakes
• Forgeline wheels
• Turn one 10:1 steering box
• 6 point roll bar
• Many other mods

I brought the car out to Goodguy’s Iowa and did decent considering I didn’t have time to setup anything suspension wise, and made the rookie mistake of having my brake calipers mounted upside down leading to a very spongey pedal. Just a few weeks ago the stock 10 bolt finally gave after one too many burnouts. I’ve since decided to tear down the car once again and start the second rebuild. I have a very tight time goal for getting the car done which is about April-May. A list of the planned mods for this winter:

• Lower weight/better distribution

Set motor back all the way
I already purchased a front tube chassis for the car and that will drop about 50ish pounds.
I’m also planning on doing a one piece fiberglass front end for the car along with a fiberglass hood too.
Lexan window in the rear too.

• motor

408 CID LQ4 block with LS7 RHS heads. About 660 hp NA
An accusump will be installed as well to help with oil starvation oils on the road course

• fuel

Fuel cell in the rear of the car and all new braided lines

• Interior

kirkey seats
custom aluminum dash
10 point cage that will tie into strut towers
all new wiring
firewall behind driver/passenger since most of the sheet metal will be cutout in the rear of the car

• rear end setup

Most likely 9 inch rear with stock torque arm geometry

This is just a basic list of many more mods to come. I’m planning on running events like OPTIMA USCA, LS Fest, UMI Motorsports Park, Gridlife, Goodguy’s, Motorstate Challenge, etc. I’ll try to post on here as regularly as I can with every change I make to the car. I’m a 17 year old senior in high school so time and money is valuable for this build. Currently, I’ve gotten some basic things for the build ordered and I’ve just been working on stripping the car back down once again. I’ll leave some pics below of the car in its current state.

 

You have a busy winter ahead!

 

I think the "Pro Touring" thing is really cool. I personally don't have the budget for it...

 

So glad you kept the original look. Rear spoiler still there, tail lights (I'm guessing), hood, ground effects. Gorgeous car.

 

But I guess if you go fiberglass that will not be the stock gfx style anymore. So be it. Beautiful car either way.

 

Sadly, I had to get my wisdom teeth out last week, which was followed by strep throat, so I haven't been able to get much done on the car recently. Currently I've just been working on getting the car stripped down all the way. I made a piece of rectangular tubing that bolts to two of the k member holes in the body so now when the car can't be on the lift, I have an easy way of moving it around on a cart. I also went ahead and cut out the drag style door bars since I'm most likely going to do NASCAR style door bars for more arm clearance. I also drilled out all the rivets in the doors to remove the power windows since I'm going to do a manual conversion for simplicity. I went ahead and removed the windows so I can cut the crash bars out of the doors for weight savings. I've also got the motor stripped down to just the block so that will be going to the machine shop soon. I realized we had a nitrous kit sitting in the back which was purchased for this motor a few years ago so I'm also going to be running a 100-200 shot for road course straights and drag racing like LS Fest. Hopefully this weekend I can get the car leveled out and start cutting off the front end. I bought a tube chassis kit from Rock Solid Motorsports so from the strut towers forward and the sway bar/steering box forward will be tubed. I'm also very excited that I have a one-piece fiberglass front end, and side skirts in the making from Featherlite Composites. This will give the car a lot more aggressive look. Last week I also got my T-56 Magnum sent out to Bowler Performance Transmissions for their carbon edition upgrade. This should help a ton for high RPM smooth shifting. I've also been working on finalizing a rear end setup so that should be ordered sometime next week hopefully. A new tubing bender and notcher just arrived a couple days ago so I'll be able to get started on making the cage very soon too. So far, I've just been doing a ton of research making sure I order all the correct parts and know what I'm doing fabrication wise. If all goes well the car will be race ready by April-May. I'll leave some more progress pics below and be sure to do another post when I get to installing the tubular front end. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

 

Front tube end is now mostly complete. Just need to final weld all the tubes once I get the bumper and radiator fitted. Got the crash bars cut out of the doors as well which came to 22 lbs of weight savings. Also got my T56 Magnum back from Bowler Performance for their carbon edition upgrade. Currently working on getting a fuel cell ordered ordered for the car. Hoping to have the roll cage completely done around New Years. More updates to come.

 

If I remember correctly, my OEM doors with power windows, interior paneling etc, etc unbolted from the car and put on a scale came out to around 105 pounds each. My fiberglass doors are a fraction of that but they wouldn't be streetable. Lexan bolted on windows, no door seals etc.

I think it's very interesting on how you modified the front frame rails.

 

That's brave.

I think I see at least three race cars in the background of your pictures. Guessing this ain't your first rodeo?

 

I’m 17 years old and built the car the first time around when I was 15. My parents are the owners of Viking Performance (shock company) so all the cars you see in the background are company cars. Thankfully, I’m lucky enough to have super nice parents that give me shop space for the car and support my passion. This is my first time doing any sort of fabrication work, and with no help it’s definitely a little worrying jumping into a project this big. I’m hoping to have the car at LS Fest Texas in May as one of the first events. I’m most likely highly underestimating the time it’ll take me to build the car but I’m going to try my best to have it done in April.

 

You've got a heck of a lot more talent than most people your age!

I've got Viking shocks on the back of my car

 

That's like when I did my back half. All the stress of starting a big project. Once the first cut is made, you're then committed to finishing the project or scrapping everything because you screwed up so badly. Personally, I would never want to do another back half again and can easily see why a project like that can easily cost $10,000 for a shop to do it.

I've mentioned it multiple times when someone asks if something can be done. With enough time, resources, fabrication skills and money, anything can be done.

 

this is an awesome thread. I am not sure how I missed it, but I am going to keep checking in to see your progress, and maybe one day see you at the UMI Autocross track ,

 

Are you planning to do a Lexan rear hatch? If so I would be interested to discuss how your going to go about it as I am trying to figure out how to get the one I have on my Camaro race car

 

I’ve been doing some research on this recently. The OpticArmor piece looks really nice, but at $500 for 40 pounds of weight savings in the rear I’m not sure if it’s worth it. Im thinking of making my own by buying a polycarbonate sheet and using lots of clamps and heat to try to get it to form to the stock hatch window. I’m not sure if there’s a way to keep the hinges for it but I think if there was a way you would need some extra fasteners to hold it down to the body on both sides. Something like this.

 

I see that picture as a 4 piece rear window which would be a lot easier to do that a one piece Lexan window. Heating and forming just the side pieces would be much easier.

I don't know about 40 pounds. I also replaced my deck lid with a sheet of aluminum so there is even more saving. My old deck lid and back glass are still leaning against the side of my garage. It's only around 100 pounds or at least feels like that if you try to move it.

My lexan back window is riveted into place. The aluminum deck lid and spoiler are held on with Dzus fasteners in case I need access to the battery.

 

Yeah, I have the optic armor front and rear Lexan pieces but I'm not sure how exactly I want to mount it up. I would really like to do it in a way where I can open the rear hatch the same as stock but not really sure if that is possible to do. My problem is I have the fuel cell and battery back there so no matter what I need entry to the rear.

 

That's why I have a removable deck lid but my fuel cell is now mounted up front.

 

Just got done cutting some of the rear sheet metal out. Im going to be tubing the rear frame rails from the pan hard bar mount back, kind of like the front of the car. This will make fuel cell mounting easier and eventually a rear diffuser. Im not sure yet if I’ll put the bumper back on the car depending on what it looks like with the exposed tubular crash bars/ fuel cell. I’m currently working on making a cross bar out of roll cage tubing that will go across the factory shock mount location.
I’m going to weld some tabs to this cross bar and the shocks will now mount to this since once I tie into the cage it’ll be a lot stiffer than the stock upper shock mounts. Focusing on getting all the fab work done first, then painting, then assembling the rest of the car. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

 

Can't wait to see how you're going to hang the front sheet metal

 

Yea I feel like that may be one of the most difficult things to get right on the car and still look decent.

 

Rear shock mounts are now complete. Since the roll bar was already in the car, and I didn’t want to remove the rear bars, I decided to just put in a cross bar going across to hold the upper shock mounts. Also added in two reinforcement bars to the main hoop. Don’t mind the hideous welds, I definitely need some more practice before welding in any more of the cage. Also got one of my kirkey seats delivered. I’ll be figuring out how to mount that soon.