Ford wanted to compete in OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car [Archive]

View Full Version : Ford wanted to compete in OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car

MR. PACO

01-02-2015, 02:30 PM

Schwartz Performance

01-02-2015, 03:59 PM

My thoughts: Sure, go for it. Some guys put an LS in a late-model SN197 Mustang a few years back for Optima..

I think he'd get a lot of hate from others, but sure why not!

-Dale

Rod

01-02-2015, 04:15 PM

MR. PACO

01-02-2015, 05:49 PM

Yeah, my buddy put this out. None of the cars I've looked over can compete fox body till now. Thinking of finding a cheap V6 and doing suspension and rear IRS differential up grades. I have the engine and trans and will be converting it over to Efi.
Let's just say Cheap Z/28 or W28-(Windsor), also do all suspension parts carry over or should I start off with the v8 model.
Thanks.

dontlifttoshift

01-03-2015, 04:46 AM

Wait a few months and buy a gt350 when they come out.

MR. PACO

01-03-2015, 10:38 AM

Quote: Wait a few months and buy a gt350 when they come out.
For what 305's front/rear can the ford do that, I found a v6 Camaro for 11grand. All parts carry over so I can build a W/28 for less than $22,000. SS rear differential is listed for $1100. With the Z/28 Suspension Kit I can upgrade a stock 2010-2015 Camaro suspension to the Z/28 suspension with this complete kit.
Kit includes:
Front and rear complete DSSV struts
Front and rear sway bars and end links
Front control arms
Rear upper and lower arms $3449.00 complete.
A stock Z/28 out lapped the Red Devil try that with a newer model Ford. A Gt350 cost $$$$$$$, add in my engine and trans swap we're well over 45k. Also has any Ford chassis placed in the top 5 of the Optima Challenge, older cars included with complete aftermarket chassis's. Nuff said. I've just took over my buddies profile hope he's not trying to get online at this site.

dontlifttoshift

01-04-2015, 06:31 PM

You got it all figured out bro, have at it.

woodside783

01-05-2015, 12:58 PM

The platform is the same on all 5 gens. They have different suspension set ups and brakes I would look for a v6 and strip it and then build it the way you want

wiedemab

01-05-2015, 01:35 PM

You got it all figured out bro, have at it.

^^^^ Agree.

Save receipts.........not sure your math will end up adding up, but.........your math, your money.

GrabberGT

01-05-2015, 02:08 PM

107253

woodside783

01-15-2015, 12:58 PM

Or get a gt350r

hotrodalex

01-16-2015, 08:54 PM

Or get a gt350r

Or get a new Ford GT.

Go big or go home, right?

James OLC

01-17-2015, 01:56 PM

Also has any Ford chassis placed in the top 5 of the Optima Challenge, older cars included with complete aftermarket chassis's. Nuff said.

Some Ford beater finished in the Top 5 at OUSCI in 2009 or something like that; it might even have finished in the Top 1 IIRRC. Like many Fords of it's day it was heavy and underpowered and it was close but he pulled it off. Last I heard he was thinking about an LS swap and trying it again...

Fair

11-22-2015, 11:32 AM

Friend of mine has looked over quite a few fords and came to the conclusion of putting his 441(891hp) Ford Windsor in a 5th Gen. 2010 camaro. Stateing that after watching 2 Gen 5 camaro's placing in the top five is all he needed to see. He wants to copy the DSE Gen5 camaro with a more powerful Ford. Any thoughts?
Really? Put a Windsor in a 5th gen? this is literally the heaviest F-body ever built.

119888

Even the GEN6 F-body is 250+ pounds lighter. The GEN5 rear suspension needs a lot of tweaks to be competitive on a road course, but it can be done. You should see all of the changes the GRAND AM 5th gens go through to make a pro level road course car.

119890

And yes, the Detroit Speed, Lingenfelter, and Showtime crews have made some serious 5th gen Camaros that have run (and won) the GT class for Optima qualifiers. It took are a handful of people who have poured a lot of time and money to make this happen. There have been some heavy hitter drivers in them (Popp, Matthews, Twaits) as well.

119889

But they can be beaten, even by a Ford. I say this from experience. :D I would wager that it would be easier to make a competitive S197 Mustang than a 5th gen Camaro. My shop works on both and we see very few 5th gens competing in other road course events - Optima is a big anomaly. An S197 Mustang is 200+ pounds lighter and pretty danged competitive against the 5th gen F-body in club Racing (NASA) and Pro Level (GA, PWC). There have been plenty of Windsor swaps in these chassis, too.

119891

If you are going to the trouble of scratch building a car for Optima, just do your homework. Realize that at the end of year OUSCI shoot out ALL four classes are merged together and run head-to-head. GT is one of the slowest classes of the 4, and there hasn't been a "GT" or "GTV" classed car that took the overall win since the classes were added in 2013 - nor one that even got close. :( Having to weigh 3200+ in GT class is a huge handicap when you can run against things like purpose built 2500-2800 pound All Wheel Drive cars from GTS class, which are there in Vegas in spades.

119893

Danny Popp's C5 Z06 Corvette has managed to beat the AWD EVOs the past two years but only by the narrowest of margins - and that boy can DRIVE.

119892

But if you want to build a 5th gen for fun, and don't care about the merged OUSCI event in Vegas, go for it! These cars can be a lot of fun withthe right mods. The GEN6 Camaro is pretty danged amazing, though. They are hitting dealers now and the "dealer premiums" will go away in a few months. The 1SS model stickers for $37K and it is arguable the fastest pony car ever built. As similar as it looks, the 2016 Camaro is a radical departure from the 5th gen chassis.

Have fun and good luck. :)

dontlifttoshift

11-22-2015, 12:20 PM

Bored today? :)

Rod

11-22-2015, 12:33 PM

I found a v6 Camaro for 11grand. All parts carry over so I can build a W/28 for less than $22,000. SS rear differential is listed for $1100. With the Z/28 Suspension Kit I can upgrade a stock 2010-2015 Camaro suspension to the Z/28 suspension.

just so you know...even the pulse width modulation on the brakes between a z/28 and a V6 car are completely different....we ran a 1LE car first season and when we built Z28 white both with the same Lingenfelter engines and the brake modulation was far better on the Z28 and the car could carry deeper into braking zones (that means carrying more speed) so the 1LE car was sold, and Z28white became the car.....and then we did testing on brakes, aero, wheel dia. and vehicle weights...and thats why we have Z28Black now with 680 HP fully caged and 400 lbs lighter than stock....there is more to what we race than a catalog....I even change the lower control arm pivot point locations to create better turn in...

original yellow car
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/11/11054791_446454772185478_580804479611823-1.jpg

Z28 white
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/11/12195123_522017644629190_924982161922534-1.jpg

Z28 Black
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/11/11221931_522304167933871_221786250712474-1.jpg

Fair

11-24-2015, 07:41 AM

Bored today? :)
hehe, yea I guess. Just seemed like such a bad idea that I wanted to hopefully save somebody a LOT of headaches and trouble. I couldn't think of a worse idea for a dedicated Optima build than a V6 5th gen Camaro with a Windsor Ford V8 swap, but hey... what do I know?? :eek:

Rod

11-24-2015, 10:25 AM

I couldn't think of a worse idea for a dedicated Optima build than a V6 5th gen Camaro with a Windsor Ford V8 swap, but hey... what do I know?? :eek:

well it would be an easy beat......