... gen

I was going to do a V8 RX-7 but having since gotten a real job and finding out how rare and rice-taxed they are, I decided to do the time-honored action that is stating "**** it" and moving on. I don't need to build a freaking supercar to drive around Jacksonville's shitty roads and go to autocrosses in ridiculous classes against real race cars and HPDE's. It would be great for open track days, autocross for just being the fastest there, and having a huge weight advantage against most other cars with the same engine and power delivery, but after 8 months I've just lost my freaking patience.

Camaro's on the other hand are hardly rare or expensive. Yeah, not nearly as light or stiff, but considering the car would be for me, not for women or old farts who would bitch, I could fix that myself and tell them to get their own ride.

Needless to say after seeing what these hell-spawned monsters for project cars have done, though, I'm not exactly fit to settle on what a 3rd gen can deliver stock. It's actually pathetic considering what for a few grand I've seen many people do with an engine less RX7 shell and a pullout LS1/2 or LQ4/9 motor.

I've also had a 3rd gen around for ages as a beater (frames probably bent, not gonna use that for a project, but its reliable as hell) and my step dad has an IROC-Z, so I'm hardly not familiar with them, or their big engine bays and head and leg room for someone with long legs, size 14 feet and a big head stuck on a 6' body.

But anyway, I have a few questions along with my general plan...

I'm probably going to go with a LQ4/9 GenIII because of those cheap, insane L92 (not L98...) heads that fit on the 4" bore blocks and make 500 whp with a cam, the corresponding intake and the right tune, and saving myself a bundle on heads and head work down the line. Would getting a 4cyl or 6cyl Camaro be a good idea or is the cradle/ K-member different? I've already seen the LQ swap done with a carb, but I'd like the extra torque and throttle responce of EFI. Plus I might throw a turbo on it later on if I feel like giving some supras ego reduction.

Regarding the chassis, obviously I'm going to get some SFC's welded in. Other than having the car empty and straight and level when welding it in, are there any other considerations I might be missing? Also, would that be enough to get rid of rattles and flex or would I have to get a cage? I'll probably get one eventually so I can go to the same strip twice, but I was just wondering that.

Are there issues with the tranny tunnel if I were to put in a T-56? And is manual converting an auto car hard?

And, uh, because I can't find this specifically answered in search... which of the more popular calipers are fixed calipers with at least two pistons instead of the floating/sliding type? I'm not going to build a powerful car that can't stop and I'd like to get the suspension de-slopped and have a little trail braking fun go to with a nice stiff pedal I can modulate without ABS.

Basically, my general idea is to snag some L92 heads/intake/blahblahblah and cam it, get a T-56 to twist the axle, upgrade that if necessary, get good bushings and springs/shocks/control arms(and phb) where necessary to give me some more feel out of the chassis, some good brakes and rims to fit over them clad in good rubber, and reinforce the crap out of the frame.

Finally, but probably the first thing I'd be doing, is get a race seat to replace the back-killing slabs GM felt like giving us in the 80s and a new wheel with a spacer so I can stretch my legs and clean up and possibly gut the insides.

Comments? Insults? Ideas, critiques? Please lemme know!

 

Seems everyone goes LS1 calipers for the price... sliders but they seem to work well enough. I'll just steal some caliper slide goop from work (oh hi I work at advance auto) and prevent sticking.

And yes they really pressure us to make you buy that **** to drive up the price per transaction. I tried telling everyone it just pisses off car guys but the corporate ****s in charge just want to make budget. Ho hum. I got a job as a driver to get the hell out of working retail and love it, but I still have to fill in for the typical highschool kid working the register between runs.

Anyway, something I think I found out but I'm not SURE about is the max tire size with the right rim width and offset and section width up front is 245, or 255 if you mess with the inner fenders. That correct?

Also, what is the maximum rear tires size with stock fenders, stock width axle, and the right offset on the right width rims? 300 something mm width? I'm planning on this being a street and (circut) track car, so the threads for drag slicks aren't answering all my questions.

Good forum though! I know not to get hard bushings for cornering now.

 

I run 255/60/R15's up front and 275/60/R15's on the back, this is on an 89 bird. Front tires will occasionally run at tight turns, back wheel wells had to be "massaged" to fit the bigger tires. Some people say I'm running too tall of a tire and they can fit 315's. I thought the tire rubbed pretty close inside, but I didn't try a 50 or 40 profile.


BTW I love your avatar, the movie was great