Project Misguided Angel (67 Camaro)

[blitzer454]

I've been working on this car for almost 6 years, so I guess I'm long overdue for a project thread. Most of what I have done is what a lot of other have done so you weren't missing much. This has been a complete garage build with the exception of having it sent out to get sand blasted. There has also been a lot of "first time" moments for me. This has been the first time using a mig welder and first time painting a car and the list goes on.

Here's what I started with: The car was in pretty good shape overall. I patched one hole in the driver's side floor, replaced the rear quarters and rear panel. Ditched the vinyl roof in favor of a solid color throughout.
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And here's what it looks like now: I like the flat black look and figured it would be easier for a beginner like me to paint. However I can't say that I like my paint job, and I plan to re-shoot it again as I don't like some of the tiger stripes that are on the hood. I tried painting the car with a 25 gallon air compressor which happened to blow the air line between the compressor and tank while I was shooting the hood. I didn't realize what happened until it was too late.
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I converted the front end to the RS style as this is what I fell in love with the first time I saw a first gen Camaro. I'm running Ridetech's level 2 air suspension system with a crate LSA engine attached to a Magnum T56 6-speed. DSE mini-tubs out back to accommodate the Forgeline wheels on 315 tires. Up front I'm running 275's. I had to flare out the front fenders about and inch and half to make them fit right. So the car now has a little bit of an hour glass shape to it, but it's subtle enough that most people won't even notice.
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I've driven it around the block a few times. Currently having problems getting the brakes to work properly. The pedal is soft like there's air in the lines but I bled it about a half dozen times and it still feels soft, nor will the tires lock up if I smash the pedal to the floor. I'm also working on the wiring and interior. I found a couple of leather seats at the local junk yard that came out of a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder that fit very nicely after I fabbed up some new seat brackets. The driver's side is power and the passenger is manual. Both seats recline and fold forward to allow easy access to the rear.
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I also installed a double DIN radio in the dash. I did a write-up in the car audio section of how I did this install if anyone is interested.
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Now I'm focusing on completing the center console. I started with a fiberglass console that I brought online. So far I have added the cup holder and power window switches. I plan on creating a fiberglass mount for the Ridetech controls that I will blend in with the rest of the console. This is my first time working with fiberglass so we'll see how that goes. I also want to put a couple of storage places in the console to make up for the space I lost in the glove compartment which now has my engine ECM and one of my BCM's. I'll tell you more about the BCM's in a future post. You're going to like it :)
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[Simon J]

Nice car! What are those mirrors?

[blitzer454]

Thanks Simon. The mirrors are from a Suzuki Hayabusa (99-07). I did have to weld in the original holes and create some new ones.

[blitzer454]

Today I charged the AC system. Not as cold as I hoped it would be. I put the recommended 12oz in the system, but the gauges seem to indicate that I could use a little more as the pressures are a little on the low side given the ambient temperature of the garage. I think maybe some leaked out as the fitting on the AC can was quite tight enough. But for now I think I will leave it as is and see how it feels.
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[blitzer454]

Another project that I started almost a year ago, well actually I started thinking about it all the way back in 2013, but didn't start building until August of 2016, are my own body control modules. These modules operate all the electrical systems in the car except the engine which is using the GM LSA wiring harness. Here are the specs for my BCM.

10 HS-drivers
8 10A outputs
2 30A outputs

4 Motor drivers
4 30A H-bridge outputs

14 inputs that can be either high or low
1 1024 bit ADC input
2Mbit CAN bus

and here are the features:

ESD protected
Reverse battery protection
PWM support
soft start support
battery voltage monitoring
diagnostic LED
low power mode (around 1 to 2 mA)
self recovery (Thermal shut-down with automatic restart allows the device to recover normal operation as soon as fault condition disappears)
current sense capabilities
inputs can be high or low. However if the input is going to be 12V high then an external pull-down resistor is required.
Automotive grade components used throughout
Protection against load dump
Molex MX150L industrial sealed connectors
each BCM can control 4 bi-directional motors at the same time or up to 8 bi-directional motors can be controlled if they are operated individually

I have a brother who is a ME that helped me design the enclosure. We designed it such that it is water resistant so it can be used in the engine bay. The dimensions are about 6"x7"x2".

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The design uses MOSFET's instead a relays and a micro controls everything.

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I realized early on that I was going to need some electronics to deal with the problems that occur when you swap a LS engine into a classic car. I also was going to need a new wiring harness. So I started looking at the options available and I didn't like what I found, so like they say if you don't like the job someone else is doing then do it yourself. Some of the things that I am using the BCM for are:

reverse lockout solenoid control (uses brake switch and speed sensor)
cooling fans controller with temp sensor (not a temp switch) and trinary switch input
automatic windows on all 4 windows (both up and down)
cabin pressure relief (windows will roll down a crack when doors are opened and then roll back up after the door is closed) (This hasn't been implemented yet)
automatic headlights using off the shelf GM light sensor (currently working on this feature)
hideaway headlight door control (doesn't need limit switches)

[blitzer454]

I have 3 of these modules in the car, one in the engine bay one in the glove box and one in the trunk. The engine bay BCM HS-drivers controls the horn, high/low beam, blinkers, parking lights, T56 reverse switch and the motor drivers control the two cooling fans and both hideaway headlight doors. The ADC input is connected to the radiator temperature sensor. I hid the module under the engine fuse/relay distribution box. This keeps the wire length pretty short. I am powering this module from the distribution box which is also my main power source for the vehicle which means the voltage at this point is the highest since this is where the sense wire from the alternator is connected. I need to clean up the wiring some more but that can wait until all the programming is done. I don't have the top of the enclosure installed since I need access to the debug port. Eventually the programming can be done through the CAN bus bootloader but we haven't implemented that yet. I have another brother who is an EE like me, but he has spent most of his career as a software engineer and he has done all the firmware programming. So now you know why it says "Myers Bros" on the enclosure. It has definitely been a family project. I think Tom has spent the most time writing the firmware code so I got to give a shout out for doing such a fantastic job.

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[blitzer454]

Here is the BCM in the glove compartment right next to the engine ECU. This module controls the gauge blinker and gauge high/low beam indicator, dash lights ECU ignition power, accessory power for the Dakota Digital gauges, radio, and vintage air system. The inputs are connected to the blinker switch, hazard switch, horn switch, dome/light switch, brake switch, ignition switch and the T56 reverse lockout solenoid. The motor control is connected to the front two door windows. The ADC input is connected to the light sensor.
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[blitzer454]

The trunk module is connected to the blinkers, tail/license lights, dome light, starter solenoid, brake lights, reverse camera, ignition power for the ridetech air control module and accessory power for the electric drivers seat. The motor drivers control the rear two windows and the two door solenoids. The inputs are window switches, door ajar switches, and the door unlock buttons. This module gets the power directly from the battery through a fuse located just below the BCM. The white box above the module is for remote keyless entry.
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[rickpaw]

Cool car/project.

I have a few questions regarding the BCM.

-Will you make it available to fellow forum members?
-Fan control. You mentioned PWM function. Does the BCM control the fan using PWM control, and GM temp sensors (such as the one in the LSx engine heads). Is the setting adjustable, and how?

I'm interested in using the BCM for power windows (future); low voltage shutdown; auto headlights.

[andrewb70]

How do you program the BCM?

Andrew

[blitzer454]

Yes, that is the plan, but we still have a lot of work to do. I'm thinking about doing a kickstarter project to generate some revenue to do a larger build of boards for people that are interested in the project. But first I want to see how much interest there is out there. I want to make the firmware open source such that others can generate software and come up with new ways to use the hardware. For example it would be possible to control the BCM's using an Android radio with an ELM 327 interface adapter. Then you could make soft switches to control things like turning on the cooling fans or maybe making the user enter a security password before allowing the engine to start. I'll have to figure out a way to offer a discount to developers.

I'm going to post a video of PWM operating the cooling fans as soon as I figure out how to post videos. The temp sensor is located in the radiator. It is a standard delco temp sensor that GM has been using for years. I believe the block temp sensor is also a delco unit which would also work. I didn't use the block sensor since the ECU is already using that sensor and the radiator came with a bung a temp sensor so I decided to use that instead. Right now we are using soft start and PWM on the cooling fans. The soft start prevents the inrush of current when the motors are first started and will help prolong the life of the motors. I have the motors coming on at low speed at 190 degrees and medium speed at 200 and full speed at 220. If I remember correctly we are using 40% PWM for low speed and 70% PWM for medium speed and 100% for full speed. Right now all the firmware has been coded specifically for my car but we are coding it in such a way that the code is modular. We define functions for each output that do certain things. For example there is a function that looks for a "brake switch on" CAN message that tells the output to turn on.

[blitzer454]

Right now we are programming each board individually through a debug port mounted near the LED. In the future we plan on using the CAN boot loader which would allow us to program all the modules with just one connection through the CAN bus.

[andrewb70]

Interesting...BTW, PWM fan control is integrated into the Gen IV ECUs...so your e67 already has this function and can be implemented by using a C6 Corvette (or Ford) fan controller.

http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=40215

Andrew

[blitzer454]

Ok, let's see if this works. This video was taken around the time we were bringing up the boards and writing code. For this test the cooling fans are being controlled directly from the BCM using PWM to control the fan speed and soft start to control the initial inrush current. The choppy fan noise towards the end is just wind blowing over the mic, the fans worked fine. This was also before we implemented CAN messages and the temp sensor.

https://youtu.be/vPvX1VM95bw

[gator68428]

Wow very cool. Clean engine compartment. This things gonna be a luxury vehicle by the time your done with. Impressive electronics stuff.

[blitzer454]

I guess I'm long overdue for an update. My summer goal was to get it street legal and actually be able to drive it on the road and enjoy it. I'm happy to report that I succeeded. Since my last post I put the rest of the glass in and got the front end aligned. Even made it too a car show.
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I also drove it up to my nephew's place in Tulsa for Thanksgiving, which made be realize that I need to add some more sound insulation as the road noise was drowning out the radio. So I ordered some from sounddeadenershowdown.com. It should be getting delivered today.
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I was having a problem with one of the spark plug wires melting against the header even with the heat shield sock so I replaced all the wires with Summit Racing's ceramic plug wires. They have been working great.
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I also upgraded the brake booster from the 7" booster to the 8". I'm still not completely happy with the way it stops but at least now I can get the wheels to lockup, but I still have to apply a good deal of force on the brake pedal, I foresee a hydraulic booster sometime in the future, but for now I'll run it the way it is and see if it improves after the pads have had time to seat more. Or I may actually try a different pad compound.
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One of the bad things about having a car you can drive is that you start to put off things that need to get done in favor of driving. So I still haven't completed the center console or the rear seat but I have made some progress on the console. I was originally going to make a storage box out of fiberglass and then integrate that into the console, but that plan didn't work out so well as I had troubles making the buck for the mold and I really didn't like working with fiberglass. So I abandoned that idea and instead decided to 3d print the pieces I needed. So I taught myself how to use FreeCAD and created the storage box and a mount for the Ridetech controls.
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The storage box has a flip up door that hides the push buttons for the Dakota Digital gauges and the rocker switch for the automatic headlights. You can also see the magnet which keeps the door closed so it doesn't rattle. I still need to finish the glove box under the arm rest and get it covered.
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[blitzer454]

I wasn't liking the useless seat belt guides on my junkyard seats so I 3d printed some replacements. Now I have official Camaro seats. :razz:
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[blitzer454]

Well I made some changes to the car not too long ago. I ditched the air shocks and put on some ridetech coil-overs instead. I did not like how inconsistent the ride height was with the air shocks. Sometimes I would take off for a ride with the ride height set to a certain level and when I got back it would be at a different level. This of course caused the front alignment to be off which in turned caused the front tires to wear on the outside to the point they were showing the cords. The tires were around 15 years old so I was due for a new set anyway, but I didn't want the new set to wear unevenly. I went from Michelin pilot sport to BFGoodrich g-force rival s tires. The car actually hooks up now whereas before the tires would spin all the time because the rubber had gotten so hard. I also got the windows tinted today which should help keep the heat down inside the car not to mention it also makes it look that much meaner.
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[icemanrd19]

I haven't ran into you yet. We meet up in wylie all the time and go to kellers sat night. Come ovee sat mirning. Message me in facebook.

Randy dicken

[blitzer454]

Sounds like fun Randy, I'll see if I can find you on facebook.

[blitzer454]

I finally got the center console done, well almost done. I still need to reprint and smooth out the phone tray in ASA instead of the PLA plastic that is shown in these pictures.151223151224 There's a NFC sticker under the foam pad in the phone tray which allows the phone to immediately connect to the android radio as soon the phone is put into the tray.

[ryeguy2006a]

Very slick mod for the android radio! Beautiful car.

[Gmc427]

hi,what size wheels are you running?regards

[blitzer454]

P335/30ZR18 and P275/35ZR18. I flared out the front fenders about an inch and a half.

[dhutton]

Great build. I can appreciate all the work that went into the BCM design and electronics.

Don

[pittpens24]

Very nice build. I built my own console as well so I understand completely the complexity and time you have into design and build. That is a small feat in itself! The rest of the car is just as worthy. Great job.

[digitalsolo]

Way cool! I've been designing a BCM network for my car as well (Arduino based) so I really dig what you did there. I've been 3D printing pieces too! LOL

Thanks for sharing!

[blitzer454]

Rear seat delete complete. I plan on adding a trunk mounted sub-woofer so I made a couple of sound port holes that have the same honeycomb pattern as the front seats.
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I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
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I also printed some latches for the storage lids
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[Motown 454]

Sweet build! Big difference from when you started. Those 3D printers are amazing.

[blitzer454]

3D printers are amazing, I only wish I brought one sooner as I keep finding more ways that I can use it.

I started focusing on improving the A/C system and decided to add a couple of Spal 6.5" pusher fans in front of the condenser. I printed some brackets to hold the fans in place utilizing the mounting tabs that are designed into the fans. The fans are a perfect fit over the condenser and helped bring my interior vent temp down between 50 and 55 degrees and it has the added benefit of providing more cooling for the supercharger heat exchanger which is just behind the condenser. The fans bolt right to the existing mounting holes on the top and bottom of the condenser. The fans require about 6.5A each so I used two 10A outputs on my BCM. Right now the firmware commands the fans to come on whenever the radiator fans come on and the radiator fans are commanded to come on whenever the A/C trinary switch is active or when the engine temp is above a certain temp. Which now has me wondering what temps I should use to turn the various fans on and off. I can literally control each fan independently and use the inputs from the trinary switch and radiator temp sensor just by changing the firmware. I just need help figuring out what engine temps are normal for this LSA engine and what temp is considered to hot. I guess I will post that question in the cooling forum.
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[zboss86]

Loving this ride, fun build...

[Smitty454]

First off, Im obsessed with your build. If I didnt have a Chevelle, I would have a 67 Camaro just like that.

Second, what model Forgelines are those? I need those for my Chevelle.

[blitzer454]

Thanks guys. The wheels are Forgeline FS3P, I had the rims done in gloss black to match the bumpers and the centers in a matte black. Although I never did finish the front bumper. I'm still contemplating if it looks better without or with it.

I got the hood vents installed as well as the larger radiator fans. I wish I would have just made my own fan shroud instead of ordering one from Entropy. They really screwed me over, they suck at making fan shrouds, it took them 3 tries to get me one that would work and in the end I still had to modify it. I had to cut away a strip of aluminum that would have blocked off the bottom row of the radiator fins and then drill out the mounting holes for the fans. I could have made the same mistakes they did and still had it right in less than half the time it took them. So no more Entropy products for me. The good news is that with the hood vents and bigger fans I no longer have overheating issues. I programmed the fans to come on at 208* at 60% then 216* at 80% and finally 225* at 100% PWM. So far the engine temp has only made it up to 215* then it drops back down to around 210* when the fans switch to medium speed.
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So last Saturday I took if for a nice long cruise on Talimena scenic drive in Oklahoma and made my way back through Arkansas. It's a very pretty area, I'll have to go back when the leaves on the trees start to turn.
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[nicks67camaro]

Awesome! Glad you got the over heating issue solved.

[Smitty454]

Love it. I blacked out all the chrome on my Chevelle as well. I like to say "chrome is overrated" when I see a car without chrome.

Do you work for a performance shop? How did you acquire the skills to build a car like that?

I build my own stuff, but the electronics and other stuff you are doing is another level.

[blitzer454]

I love Chevelle's too. I want to build one with the front end of the 69 with round taillights of the 72.

Nope, I worked as an Engineer for a semiconductor company for the past 20 years, so that helps with the electrical aspect of this build. I think I got most of my mechanical skills from growing up on a farm in Iowa. You quickly learn how to fix things on your own on a farm and it gave me a strong work ethic to keep pushing forward to get it done. But this is the first car I have ever built and I'm proud to say I did everything myself except the sandblasting. I'm going to be working on a 68 Firebird next, but I don't plan on going as crazy with that build, at least I say that now.

Next up for me is adding cruise control. I ordered the DD CRC-2000 today. After Saturday's long drive I realized I need cruise. :drive1:

[blitzer454]

I had the cruise control installed for a while now, but still haven't taken it on a long trip yet as it seems like it never stops raining. I'm pretty pleased with how it works and the install was pretty easy. I only deviated from DD's instructions a couple of times. The instructions say to use a relay for the brakes if running LED taillights, but I used a MOSFET from the spare parts that I from my BCM project. I didn't want to here a relay clicking every time I applied the brakes. I also added a diode on the clutch switch to isolate my BCM from the DD cruise module.

I also added a clutch and neutral safety switch. Actually I've had the clutch safety switch for a while but forgot to document it. As far as I know there was never a clutch switch for a 67 or 68 Camaro. I've seen people adapt the 69 switch to work on the 67 or 68 but I choose to use a simple momentary switch that is situated the same way the brake switch works. I was shopping at Lowes one day and ran across this switch (https://www.lowes.com/pd/SERVALITE-0-75-amp-Black-Momentary-Light-Switch/50107288). It works perfectly after I fabricated a bracket to hold it.
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The neutral switch was a little more difficult to do. I wanted a mechanical switch that doesn't draw any power when the car is off and I wanted it hidden. So after a couple of design changes I settled on this.
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The design is pretty straight forward, when ever the stick is in the neutral position both springs will contact the metal collar that is positioned around the stick. This is like a switch in the ON position. When the stick is in gear only one spring is contacting the collar and the switch is OFF. One spring is tied to ground and the other spring is connected to the same BCM input as the clutch switch. Since each switch goes to ground I am able to use only one BCM input and the switches are effectively logically OR'ed together. The BCM firmware only allows the engine to start if this input is at ground AND the key is in the start position which means you either have to have the car in neutral or have your foot on the clutch in order to start the engine. The shifter boot installs over the switch.

[andrewb70]

Very clever!!!

Andrew

[XLexusTech]

Nice project!... what door panels are those TMI? if yes what ones?

[blitzer454]

Nice project!... what door panels are those TMI? if yes what ones?

Yes, they are TMI Sport XR panels.

[c4racer2]

console looks great! - do you know the vendor or mfg? Looking for something similar for a 1971 Camaro with T56 - that would fit the bill.

Also - did you have to cut the tunnel and expand it? I wonder with a console like that if you could just leave it open underneath if you insulated the inside with dynamat or such.

[blitzer454]

I started with the Rally console from ClassicTruckConsoles (http://www.classictruckconsoles.com/index.html) and I used the transmission tunnel cover from speed tech (http://www.speedtechperformance.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=264/category_id=188/mode=prod/prd264.htm). I don't think I would rely solely on the console to seal off the transmission tunnel as you would lose some of the rigidity that a metal cover provides and I think the metal provides a better heat barrier.

[c4racer2]

OK great thanks. that was the cover I was looking at using, good to know it fits under a console.

[chiva]

One of the baddest first generation Camaros I have ever seen. You did everything first rate on this vehicle. I wish it were mine!

[blitzer454]

I finally got around to installing the oil cooler a few weeks ago. I'm using the Canton 215* thermostat with a Fluidyne DB-30417 Oil Cooler. I'm right at 30 psi at idle and between 40 and 45 psi when the RPM's are from 1000 to 2000 which is pretty much exactly what it was before I installed the oil cooler.
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I had to modify the front nose bracket to get the cooler to fit. I also had to sacrifice one of the horns. I guess I could find another place for it but not motivated enough to do it yet.
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[blitzer454]

Next up is a rear view mirror upgrade. I'm getting tired of having to constantly adjust my mirror because the bolt keeps coming loose. Getting rid of the chrome on the back of the mirror will also be nice. I went down to the local junk yard and scored a couple of Gentex GNTX-453 auto dim, homelink with compass mirrors so I won't be needing my garage door opener anymore either. I got both mirrors for $25 and they both appear to still work. I figure I'll 3d print a part to fill in for the original mirror bracket and this will also hold the mic for the android radio.
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[blitzer454]

I got the mirror installed. It works great, but if I had one thing to complain about it would be the size of the mirror is notably bigger than the original, so I kept it mounted high up on the windshield so as not to take up too much of the windshield real-estate.
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Here's a shot of the original versus the new.
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[JayinMI]

What cars did you pull them from? I've been looking on and off for one of those mirrors.

[blitzer454]

One of them came out of an Infiniti M35 and the other came out of an Infiniti as well but I don't recall what model or year it was. When I went to the junkyard I didn't know what vehicle would have the mirror I was looking for and the guy at the front desk was telling me it would take them hours to find the mirror given the size of their inventory of cars. So I asked him if I could just look on my own and I found an older model within about 15 minutes. I kept looking and found the two I got in under and hour. It really only takes a second to peer inside the car to see what kind of mirror it has and I think most junkyards will let you pick your own parts at no extra cost.

[kcarter13]

quick question. I see you are running a C&R heat exchanger with the vintage air mounted to it. Did you have to modify your hood latch or brace at all in order to get them both to fit?

[blitzer454]

quick question. I see you are running a C&R heat exchanger with the vintage air mounted to it. Did you have to modify your hood latch or brace at all in order to get them both to fit?

Yes I did. The spring for the hood latch was poking the condenser so I had to trim it back. Refer to this thread (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/111811-C-amp-R-heat-exchanger-for-LSA-motor-in-a-1969-Camaro?p=1151610#post1151610) for some pictures.

[thedugan]

Today I charged the AC system. Not as cold as I hoped it would be. I put the recommended 12oz in the system, but the gauges seem to indicate that I could use a little more as the pressures are a little on the low side given the ambient temperature of the garage. I think maybe some leaked out as the fitting on the AC can was quite tight enough. But for now I think I will leave it as is and see how it feels.
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I am putting an LSA in my 68. I like that intake tube. Who makes it? If it is still available.

[blitzer454]

I am putting an LSA in my 68. I like that intake tube. Who makes it? If it is still available.

Nope, it was a custom piece I made myself.

[thedugan]

Well done. Guess I need to just copy the design now…

How about the upper rad hose. What hose is that?

[blitzer454]

Well done. Guess I need to just copy the design now…

How about the upper rad hose. What hose is that?

I went to Autozone and found two hoses that I thought would work. I had to cut each one to fit. The part numbers are Dayco C71695 and Continental D71428.