OK guys, what about this package?

http://www.swracecars.com/f-body.html

 

It looks pretty sweat but I don't think you want to go with the bolt in style. Everyone seems to agree that over time those bolt holes will become elongated from the flexing and your car will loose it's stiffness. Plus the price is pretty steep.

 

Thanks for the input grafx. I guess these words had an effect on me..."This kit also clears all stock exhaust components while closely following the floor pan contour assuring you a close fit and maximum ground clearance. This is the only kit on the market which ties the subfames, rockers and floor pan into one assembly!"... although I agree it should be welded in. Also the price IS a little high but if you wanted the whole system it's somewhat close to competitive in price.

 

I don't see how it would work any better than Steves. It looks lighter and more intricate in the way it's made but I think you would get the same results as you would installing one of Steves set-ups. The only real difference I see is the relocation of the torque bar, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that would make. Another set-up I've seen that I liked was Kenny Browns, lighter but still more money than Steves. The only thing that turns me away from a set of SFC's is if they are the bolt in type.

 

I'll have to agree with you grafx, just thinkin' out loud. I think Steve is sort of the measuring stick on this and you can't go wrong with his stuff (I ordered an adj. panard bar from him Tues.). If you got into the "big Spohn SFC debate" , you know how I defended him and what he's done for our cars. But I do wonder about the torque bar mount. Mostly because that's sort of an acceleration related item and S&W is a drag race oriented mfr. Whadda ya think?

 

Yeah I don't know how much it affects the car having the torque bar mounted to the back of the tranny like that but I don't like it. When I broke my tranny mount that was when I really didn't like the set-up. I know that some of the aftermarket ones mount a little further back and claim it improves the performance, but I don't know much about it. You may notice quite a difference just takeing it off the back of the tranny. This is something I would like to upgrade in the future.

 

Yeah man, everything affects everything else. Maybe this is the point were we, as performance enthusiasts, are supposed to go to urethane tranny/motor mounts such as the ES units.
As an older rodder, I've heard many times that when you start changing the fact. engineered pieces, you will end up changing all "related items" to come to some kind of acceptable "symmetry", i.e. "the leg bone's connected to thigh bone and the thigh boe's conn.....". Ya know, you change one thing which puts more pressure on the next thing...where does it end?
It really doesn't until you've fully reengineered the whole car! That's what's so freaky about what we all do here. We change things until we get to that acceptable point for ourselves. So I guess it's all a Zen thing

 

whooaa...flashback!!!
Ok, I'm alright now.

You make a good point grafx, I've seen some other companies try to tie the motor/trans/rear together. Now, albeit, I'm usually lookin' at drag mags but what have you seen on this?

 

Yeah like when I started by upgrading to ES components. Started with the front after that noticed that the rear was a lot more loose so I did the rear. Then I broke my tranny mount the rear end was acting all goofy figured out it was the mount. After I replaced all rubber with poly with the exception of motor mounts my frame seemed to flex a lot more. T's started sqeeking more so now I installed SFC's, and I figured that I was probably putting a lot more stress on the frame mainly what I was concerned with was up torwards the steering box so I installed a wonder bar.

I don't like the torque bar at all too flexable plus the fact that it's mounted inside of a piece of rubber which in turn is mounted to the tranny thats mounted with a piece of rubber which is attached to the motor that's on rubber. Too much flex in their. The torque bar I'm interested in is made by Global West. It's a bolt on system good for any use, street, drag, or road race. Removes the factory attachment point from the rear of the tranny and changes the center and leverage point from stock. They claim it improves sidebite for corner exit acceleration something I feel our flimsy stock units don't provide. I don't know if you've ever tried this but I have I've been under the car grabbed hold of the torque bar and you can accually twist it side to side and see the bar flex, makes me think what it's doing while taking corners. The only thing about the Global West version is the price it's about the most expensive one I've seen for about $550.00