I've been lurking for a while trying to get ideas for my car. On the car audio board a while back, they had a post to see who could come up with the best stereo system for $500. The rules were that you could use new or used equipment, but used equipment had to be sourced from verifiable places like eBay or internet classifieds. All sources and part numbers had to be listed. Labor was by owner as was any fabrication necessary.

I thought this would be a good thing to try in the suspension forum. Can a performance-oriented suspension be done for $750? You would need to assume the car had no usable suspension parts and include everything: struts, shocks, springs, swaybars, bushings, panhard, LCA's, etc.) + any aftermarket stuff you can fit in the budget (LCARBS, STB's, lowering springs, etc.). The car would be a generic F-body of no particular year and a street car.

If a few people participate, we could vote on who came up with the best setup. I can just see the arguments now.

 

Sure you can...but you have to get good deals. I got a Hotchkis STB for $75 and also a 4th gen alum D/S for the same amount... $75 shipped. That's over $400 worth of parts right there for $150. It can be done but you will have to get lucky.


Ed

 

$750 is a lot. You can get a lot of new stuff. I cheated a little and didn't include shipping costs (or I would've went over):

Struts: NEW KYB GR-2 from eBay (pr) $135.95
Shocks: NEW KYB GR-2 from eBay (pr) 27.00
Springs: NEW DropZone from eBay (set) 85.00
Swaybar-F: USED WS6 34mm from junkyard 20.00
Swaybar-R: USED WS6 22mm from junkyard 20.00
Bushings: NEW PST polygraphite frontend kit 159.00
Panhard: USED Hotchkis adj from TGO classifieds 60.00*
LCARBS: NEW Spohn 65.00
STB: Homemade (cost of steel) 20.00
SFC's: NEW eBay -DSHOP2000 120.00
LCA's: Box stock LCA's with scrap steel 0.00
LCA's: Prothane bushings (eBay) 15.00
Wonderbar: Stock IROC (junkyard) 20.00

TOTAL $ 746.95

*this panhard was listed at $75 and was bought by me this week for $60.

 

Koni Yellows,
A steering box support brace,
and a pack of chewing gum.

 

What kind of chewing gum?

 

You're lacking in the steering parts. The PST frontend kit isn't complete. It doesn't include inner tie rod ends or a centerlink last time I checked. I have that kit too.

Oh any don't forget about an alingment for around $50.

 

Whatever he can find for the $0.89 he'll have leftover after the cost of parts and shipping. This comment was not any attempt to slam him, it was a reality commemnt on what the parts I listed will cost and what will be left over.

 

hehe I know what ya meant. I was just wondering what kinda gum you would recomend..lol.

 

So do I win since no one else participated?

 

I bought a rusty 84 camaro for $1,900 to get the Koni struts, shocks,springs and sway bars out of it, I made an adjustable panhard bar from heim joints and steel tubing and copied a buddies SFC's. I won a wonderbar in a club contest. I sold enough parts off of the old car so that I had $200 left in the suspension. That, the panhard bar and SFC's came to about $350.00
Life is good........
http://www.fl-thirdgen.org/blacksheep-1/camaro.mov