69 Camaro RS LSA TR6060 and 0 Fab Skills

[joeko23]

Hey Guys,

I want to post this build for all the people like myself who have been lurking on the forums just gathering info and never doing anything about it. I want this thread to be an inspiration for people to fulfill their dreams by getting up and building something with THEIR OWN 2 hands Ever since I can remember I have been in love with cars and fixing things. I grew up and still watch how to shows like 2 guys garage, extreme 4x4, horsepower tv, Detroit muscle, and trucks. I'm 35 right now and to date have only done my own oil and brake changes. The rest of my knowledge all came from the how to shows, books, and internet. That's my into

Onto the car, I bought a 69 Camaro shell from a forum member that supposedly had all fab work done to it already and is ready for body work. I picked a shell instead of buying a complete car mostly because in my opinion buying complete car then tearing it apart is like opening a can of worms. I have heard too many stories of hidden rust, poor body work and patch panels on top of rust. The car came with the following:
-all rusty panels replaced with new
-rear wheel tubs and shaved frame rail
-custom spoiler
-custom tucked in front bumper
-custom tucked in and welded in rear bumper
-shaved drip rails
-front and rear windshield filled in so you don't need ss perimeter trim
-shaved door and trunk locks
-shaved front and rear marker lights
-complete Chassisworks pro touring front suspensions with 14' rotors, wilwood 6 piston wilwood brakes, rack n pinion, tubular control arms etc.

My plan is to not get overwhelmed and take it step by step and day by day. I can only dedicate maybe 2 days a week on the car so hopefully updates won't be too slow. I want the car to be as modern and up to date as possible but still retain 69 Camaro body so here's the parts that will go in:
-15' ZL1 LSA with TR6060
-Heidts IRS (because it's a bolt in system and again most modern rear setup)
-power windows
-power door locks
-hopefully custom interior or TMI
-Marquez dash or custom
-AAW classic update
-PSI engine harness
-WPM fuel system
-ricks restomod tank
-flaming river steering column
-vintage air and heat system
Things I want to do but may not work out:
-android for guages (WPM system will not work with this as no fuel pressure or sending unit info will be displayed via OBD) I welcome suggestions!
-IPad integration into the middle of the dash like in Tesla vehicles

And now onto the pictures, enjoy!

[andrewb70]

Nice start...presumably you mean PWM fuel system...

Andrew

[joeko23]

First update and problem. The car was mocked up with the radiator support in the wrong hole in the chasssiworks frame. I found this out when I had to install the inner wheel tubs and nothing was lining up. I looked at the Chassisworks instructions and sure enough it wa in the wrong hole. When I went to put the bolt into the correct hole it was cross threading. I tried taping the hole but the weldnut just came off inside the frame. An email to Chassisworks did nothing as I had no proof of purchase and senior tech never heard of has seen this so this is a problem I had to fix myself. I bought a $90 welder from harbor freight and would try my hand at welding. With a grinder I cut a hole in the from to access the nut, then I cut the bolt in half. Bought a new nut and bolt. Welded in the nut in the frame. Welded in the hole in the frame. Will post pics of the finished piece. It came out surprisingly well considering this was my first time doing something like this and welding! I'm sorry I didn't take any pics of the access hole I created I was too nervous so I had to just finsih what I started. 142738

- - - Updated - - -

Yes PWM sorry typo

[gator68428]

Sounds awesome! A very nice list of dream goodies and what looks like a great start. Thanks for starting the thread.

[Motown 454]

Good for you! Glad it worked out for you and your back on track.

[icemanrd19]

I noticed you mention you wanted to go with some parts bc they are bolt in. Remember to do it right nothing is exactly bolt in. Sit down and give yourself a budget and what you think you will spend. Add 20% to that bc things happen. Remember whatever you do only do it once. Don't change your mind once you start on something or that's when builds get out of control on cost. I was in the same boat as you. Since my car is done I can now do a ls swap, wire a car, build fuel lines, weld, build panels, and a few other things

[joeko23]

Thanks for the great info. I'm actually going to weld in the Heidts IRS at the frame rail instead of bolting it in mostly because I want it to look like it belongs on there not just a piece I slapped on. I'll post some pics of the IRS brackets that go against the frame rail in a few days. I actually tried doing a plug weld on the bracket to see if it would hold. I grinded down the weld and it looked great and I hit it with a hammer and it didn't budge but I'm really not confident in welding a major structural support bracket so I'm having a local mobile welder come out and weld it in for me professionally. At $300 I think it's cheap insurance that my rear end wont fall out.

[joeko23]

A lot of updates!

I got the Chassisworks front end all assembled and mocked up including 14" wilwood rotors and 6 piston brakes.149353

[joeko23]

I also got the Heidts IRS in place and all mocked up as well. The system fits really well, and everything seems to excellent quality and really strong! I also bought rims and tires.149354

I also got the 3 pedals in. I really couldnt justify spending $500 on pedals. But the stock pedals looks horrible, they are not at all aligned with each other and look like someone just threw random pedals together. So, I modified the clutch pedal cutting off the pad and repositioned to be aligned with the brake pedal then welded it back on. Since I'm going with the whole ZL1 them, I bought ZL1 pedal covers from GM and cut the 69 pedal pads so that I could put the ZL1 pedal covers. I think they came out awesome and the only cost was the actual ZL1 pads which were $40 for both (the ZL1 gas pedal I already had when I bought the LSA). Heres some pics of the process:

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The gas pedal obviously needs some bracket because if you mount it to the firewall it would sit way too far back compared to the brake and clutch, so I decided to fab up my own bracket using 18g steel and my home vise.

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And the final product with everything mounted

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[joeko23]

I also started some work on the interior, I'm really trying to get a modern/euro high end look. I scoured the internet looking for dash and center console assemblies, but everything custom doesnt really look high end. So I really loved the look of the Mercedes CLA dash, and the 17 ZL1 center console, put the 2 together and they fit surprisingly really well! I obviously had to trim the CLA dash because it was pretty deep, took out about 2-3 inches. I am also using the stock ZL1 shifter from a 15' ZL1 Camaro and the position is really well. Everything I was reading online indicated this shifter would be way too far back, but with my dash/center console, it's a perfect fit. I had to raise the transmission tunnel 1 inch to accomodate the shifter, I will post pics of that soon, I just did this recently.

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[nicks67camaro]

wow that dash looks right at home. Nice work.

[joeko23]

Here is a overall what the car looks like as of this moment.

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What's next? I ordered up the driveshaft from the driveshaft shop, that should be coming in early March. I also got the exhaust from Magnaflow with high flow cats, that I will install after the driveshaft is in. After that, everything is getting torn out for powdercoating as I will be done with the whole mock-up stage. While stuff gets powdercoated, I have to redo the firewall, right now it looks like swiss cheese. I ordered up a firewall that's dimpled across the top so that should look cool. I also will need to seamseal and undercoat the underside. Then stuff can start getting reassembled, painted, more assembled. Everything is easier said than done. That's the plan at least.

I welcome any questions anyone may have about the build.

[Motown 454]

The car looks good, nice work.

[64G-lark]

Nice looking dash.

[cbpldc]

Yeah, that dash is legit. Its actually got a nice blend of vintage and modern, with a high class touch. Score!

Chris

[nimblemotorsports]

Inboard brakes!

[wfo guy]

There's an Android app called Torque that might do what you want. I use a bluetooth adapter from BAFX Products. This plugs into the obd2 socket. It could be possible to hardwire a tablet if you are creative and do enough research to see how obd2 signal interfaces with usb. Several of the handheld tuners have usb interfaces so it can't be too difficult. Be patient and keep plugging along. :)

[Dons67]

i am not usually a big fan of putting these 2010+ dashes in a 50 year old car, they never seem to look at home to me but this is really sharp! looks like it belongs, what are your plans for door trim?

[joeko23]

Here is what I did with the tranny tunnel. Since there is plenty of room for the TR6060 in the tunnel the only thing that didn’t have enough clearance was the shifter assembly. So I made this little tunnel for just the shifter. It’s 1” high. I’m really proud of myself for this one case there’s so many bends and again I just used a home vise so I really had to think ahead of the bends. I also left some room on the passenger side so that I can run the power cable from battery in trunk to engine. I figure the tranny tunnel is the best place to run that power cable. What you guys think is this a good idea? 149401

Here is what’s going on behind the dash. This is the stock CLA support beam, fit like a glove with no cutting. Welded in an L bracket that I made then bolted the support beam to it. Also some may notice I had to move the steering column support over about 2 inches to center it in the CLA dash. I also had to lower it slightly as well. For this I just cut off the stock support rod and welded in threaded rod. The change is so minimal that no changes needed to be made in the steering column hole in the firewall. 149402

[Rod]

digging it!!! subscribed!!!!!

[joeko23]

Took another pic of the interior with everything in the exact position. The pics from before I just kinda threw everything in there to see what it would look like. Nothing was bolted down etc.
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As far as door panels and the rest of the interior I’m thinking to go with TMI VXR series door panels and headliner. They look like this:
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I don’t like their front seat and back seat options. Their backseat costs like $2500 for a kit that you have to recover yourself and it looks kinda bulky, I think they could have done a better job especially since they designed their own foam. These at the front seats that are ok, but I’m not in love with them especially since they are like $1500 for the pair and not motorized.
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I really love the look of the recaro style seats like these. So I have to visit some upholstry shops to see how much it would cost to do the backseat how I want and to recover these seats. Hey maybe they can do the whole interior for a similar cost of TMI if I had to buy everything from them. Either way I will need to have the dash and possibly the center console recovered to match the rest of the interior which will be black leather, black suede inserts and red stitching.
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[FormTA]

Wow! Look killer. That interior is awesome! Can't wait to see the progress!

[joeko23]

Thanks for the positive comments. To respond to a previous post and my intention to integrate an iPad as a guage cluster has been unfortunately scrapped only because there will be no way to get a readout of fuel level so if I have to have a fuel guage kinda defeats the whole point. I know you can get like an arduino and convert and analog signal to digital but I have no idea how to do this. My plan was to use an OBD WiFi adapter and use an app like torque along with an app called llama. The torque app is for guages and the llama app launches the torque app when key on (senses charging) and wen key off would lock the screen. It’s seems very easy and cheap to go this puts but again a physical fuel guage would be needed.

My current plan is to use the stock CLA pod and remove its gages put 2 4 1/2” guages for speed and tach and 2 small 2 1/8” guages in the middle for Fuel level and temp

[joeko23]

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[Stealth 69]

Great innovation - I love the use of the CLA dash, very cool - just in the process of closing out (albeit very slowly) my own 69 Camaro LSA/TR6060 build
Keep up the great posts

[Dons67]

Thanks for the positive comments. To respond to a previous post and my intention to integrate an iPad as a guage cluster has been unfortunately scrapped only because there will be no way to get a readout of fuel level so if I have to have a fuel guage kinda defeats the whole point. I know you can get like an arduino and convert and analog signal to digital but I have no idea how to do this. My plan was to use an OBD WiFi adapter and use an app like torque along with an app called llama. The torque app is for guages and the llama app launches the torque app when key on (senses charging) and wen key off would lock the screen. It’s seems very easy and cheap to go this puts but again a physical fuel guage would be needed.

My current plan is to use the stock CLA pod and remove its gages put 2 4 1/2” guages for speed and tach and 2 small 2 1/8” guages in the middle for Fuel level and temp

i picked up speedhut gauges - they have a lot of options - i was able to do a nice 4 1/2' tach and a 4 1/2 gps speedo with fuel level - that would free up the 2 smaller gauges for different options? although i don't have them all installed yet the quality was nice out of the box

[joeko23]

Yup I’m gonna go with speedhut guages too. I saw the guage within a guage, but I like the clean look of just 1 simple gauge. Probably will get red background with white numbers.

[Autobahn-Outlaw]

Very nice work, the dash looks very good !

Where and how did you cut the dash for 2-3" ?

sub´d

[joeko23]

I made a cardboard template of the curvature where dash meets bottom of windshield then started to cut about 1 inch increments in the top of the dash where the defrost vents were. In the end it was about 3 inches I took off just past the defrost vents. The nice thing is that the dash has space in the middle where a center channel speaker goes. Regardless if I install a speaker there or not that area can function as defrost as well because it’s covered by just a screen. I did the cutting with a grinder and cut off wheel. Cut it like butter!

[badwagon]

Killer build, I share your ambition and skill level lol

Keep up the great progress.
What does a '15 LSA and 6060 cost a guy these days? I'm planning a 72 olds build after my wagon is done.

[joeko23]

Ha, 25 Year TV and Internet trained fabricator. I like that! We get trained from the best if they are on TV! Honestly a lot of it is kinda common sense and trial and error. I bought my LSA from eBay for 14,500 shipped to my door. But if I had to do it again I would buy from a forum member here, his name is loyaltyisking. They have a shop countyspeed.com. He has incredible prices on LSA and even LT1 and LT4 packages way cheaper than eBay. I think he offered me 12 or 13k for an LSA TR6060. But I pulled the trigger too early before he messaged me. Thanks for the positive feedback!

[joeko23]

150800150801Finally got the driveshaft took about 3 months. And I mounted the magnaflow x exhaust. Fits super nice except i have no room to put a 90 degree tip because of the Heidts IRS A arm. Any suggestions?

[joeko23]

150802Also got the radiator from entropy. It’s beautiful but has no instructions or port sizes. But it has a lifetime warranty can’t beat that

[ModernMuseum]

Does that Wilwood brake reservoir have the powder coating on the inside as well?

I have the same one. The coating came ovver within a year or so and got all in my brake system. Horrible, horrible design (hopefully they fixed it). If I were you I'd clean off all of the black coating on the inside before commissioning, if applicable.

Great project btw....looks amazing.

[joeko23]

what do you guys think of this? It's hard to create a rear diffuser because the license plate is so close to the edge. This is from a 15 Mustang rear diffuser that I used my VERY crude photoshop skills to impose the diffuser on a random Camaro. The color scheme I'm going to go with is the red from Mazda CX5 with black strips. So the whole car will be red and the diffuser will be black.
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[Rag Top Rob]

Man I love everything so far, but that looks like its being forced, doesn't blend at all to me...

[joeko23]

Hey guys trying to get some input and thinking possibly too far ahead, but I like to have things planned out in my head. So the color scheme for the car will be a Mazda CX-5 red (i'ts kind of like a candy apple red but darker) with gloss black strips (like on my other 67 Camaro see below). My question is, I was planning to have the engine bay be satin black, but would that be weird with the gloss black strips and you open the hood the engine bay will be satin black? Am I overthinking this? Or go with gloss black engine bay? I just love the tuff look of the satin black. I think it's also kind of easier to hide imperfections with satin maybe?

Please help me out guys, if you have any pics of satin or gloss black engine bays that would be great!

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[skylark guy]

That color combo sounds pretty awesome! However, I would go with gloss black on the engine bay. Dirt and scratches show very easily on satin and matte paints/finishes. I know you probably don't plan on dirt and scratches but they will show up eventually unless it became a dedicated show car.

[joeko23]

definitively don't want it to be a show car, that's why I sold my last one because it was too much of a show car, I felt bad every time I got a nick or a scratch and didn't use it because of that. I thought satin was more forgiving with the showing of scratches and such

[slazisme]

My vote is for satin.

[conmax]

i like that you plan ahead. also, your building experience is not that extensive. kinda shows that intelligence, research on line, and good skills can produce better results than many other pro-built efforts.

keep the thread going. it is one of the more interesting going on.

[conmax]

i went with a dark gm red, called baroque red, from Cadillac.

[joeko23]

Thanks for the positive feedback! I love that baroque red! Is that a metallic color and is it one of those colors with a tinted clearcoat?

Unfortunately I haven’t had much time for the car because of the honey do list, kids activities etc. Funny I thought I would get a lot done in the spring and summer due to the better weather but nice weather activities always take priority over the build

[Shatafire]

Wow! That looks awesome! What size wheels and tires are those?

[Motown 454]

Nice!

[joeko23]

Fronts are 275/35/18 and rears 325/35/19 but I can easily fit 345

[joeko23]

Got her on all fours out in the sun for the first time. She sits pretty low at the recommended height settings.

After much research on a power side mirrors with integrated turn signals, I finally found a pair. They are from a 13-18 Lexus ES and they fit the door and the style lines perfectly! Just had to grind the inside bracket a little. I can post exactly what I did if anyone is interested. It has turn signal, puddle light and of course power movement up/down and left/right. Since it’s an OEM part the quality is excellent unlike aftermarket cheap mirrors and they look expensive. But were only $90 each brand new!
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[joeko23]

Also managed to get a few small things done. I bought a rotofab cai for a zl1 Camaro from camaro5.com for a ridiculously cheap price figured if it didn’t fit after mods I scrap it. Unfortunately there are not many choices of prebuilt cai for LSA and 69 Camaro. Anyway with a little trimming it fits really well.

I also had to drop the radiator down about 1/2” because with the radiator cap I couldn’t mount my fesler fender braces.
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Lastly, got the electric parking brake mounted.
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[nicks67camaro]

Good score on the Rotofab. Was the interference in the block off box? did the tube and filter fit with no interference? I've been looking at those thinking they would fit.

[joeko23]

If you just use the tube and filter you will have no interference but then you will need to make some mount so it doesn’t just dangle. The block off box needed to be trimmed to take the contour of the fender and I did a little trimming on the bottom as it was too long. Then I rounded all the corners just so that rubber trim that goes around the perimeter fits better.

[nicks67camaro]

Cool thanks!

[70CougarXr7]

Just wanted to say impressive stuff with the dashboard, looks awesome!

[Hughjazz]

Wow very nice work. Hope my 67 turns out as good. Can you tell me which engine mounts and trans crossmember you used. Doesnt look like you needed to cut the tunnel. Did you have to hammer it to make the tr6060 fit?

I just picked up and 2014 zl1 camaro lsa tr6060 im going to put in mine.

Thanks for any help you can give

[revolutionary]

Lots of great info! working on some redo on a 69 going LSA on that also just using the T56 magnum

[eze_1978]

If you don’t mind me asking what wheels are those? Are you having to run any adapters or spacers? They look like Aodhan wheels.

[joeko23]

You are correct they are Aodahn wheels DS02 fronts are 18x9.5 with 15mm offset and rears are 19x11 with 15 mm offset. My front tires rub the frame at full lock but I have a chassis works frame. I plan to put like a 1/4” spacer

[joeko23]

I had some time to work on the car. The custom spoiler that came with the car was kind of boring so I decided to notch it. Came out great!
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Also mounted the restomod air unit. It’s very far from being a bolt it unit.
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[John McIntire]

I have a question about your parking brake setup up. Have you ran the cables yet to the actuator? I was wondering how you got the cables to it and how you were able to get the actuator to pull both left and right equally? I'm thinking of doing the same thing you are for a parking brake.

Thanks!

[Camarox11]

I have a '69 Camaro and mounted my parking brake in the truck as well. I hope this pic helps!
Stephen

[joeko23]

171519171520171521Credit goes to SlimJim, I too used the Harley pods/housings and 4.5” Harley lights to match the LED headlights I got. I had to do some metal massaging around the pods so that they fit the driver light openings in the Camaro valance. I also had to cut off the stock light bracket in the camaro valance and I welded in nuts in the Harley pods. With some body work I think they will look great. In my opinion this is the cheapest and nicest option since the only other option seems to be anvil pods and they are super expensive.

[avchz]

Are you planning on using the 6th gen console switches? Im interested in how you're going to wire that puppy up. i bought the same console recently and I'm not sure how to wire it up. Obviously, I can't use the traction control for its oem purpose but maybe I can use it for something else or at the least get the switches to light up. thanks

[joeko23]

I tried to play around with the switches, in the 6th gen camaro they work through a canbus system so they are very low voltage and work on transmitting different ohms to the cars brain. I think you can get the hazard switch to work because that’s a simple switch with fairly thick wires so it’s probably 12v. The other switches I tried to wire up I believe the traction control switch on/off to my trunk popper since it was just a contact switch but it fryed the switch after a few times of popping the trunk. So those switches may not be 12v?

I too was hoping to at least use the parking brake switch as I have an electronic parking brake but I haven’t gotten that far yet. Someone suggested that I can use a TR12 module then I can get any canbus switch to do what I want, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.

Here is a link to the post:
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/126973-Mercedes-Headlight-Switch-in-Camaro?p=1248448#post1248448

[CSG]

You could use relays and a DC to DC converter if you really wanted to use those switches. It would add many potential failure points though.

[dhutton]

I would have guessed it was the current and not the voltage that killed those switches.

Don

[CSG]

I did not think that through, I agree with Don. Use the relays still but no converter required.

[joeko23]

Thanks guys. Im not that competent in electronics hence I was going to figure this out later hopefully with someone way more competent than myself. What do you guys think about using the Mercedes headlight switch (from the link)? Is the only way to make that work to use that tr12?

[avchz]

Thanks guys. Im not that competent in electronics hence I was going to figure this out later hopefully with someone way more competent than myself. What do you guys think about using the Mercedes headlight switch (from the link)? Is the only way to make that work to use that tr12?

I'm on the same boat as you man. I don't have that much experience with electrical. Hopefully, as time passes by we can figure it out.

[joeko23]

Big fabrication hurdle for me. I got the smooth firewall installed. I bought the firewall skin from ebay and asked them to put dimples across the top then fill them. I also bought a radiator closeout panel from them and asked them to do the same with the dimples. I used panel bond adhesive to glue it to the stock firewall, put a bunch of screws to hold it while the adhesive dried. Then, I filled the screw holes with weld and I welded the whole perimeter of the skin to the firewall.

I think everyone knows what a first gen firewall looks like (Swiss cheeese). Here is mine. First pic is bare steel, second I put some primer so it doesn’t rust. There is zero body filler!

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[slimjim]

looks good, did you cut out any of the original firewall or leave it as is?

[joeko23]

I bent the lip flat around where the heater box used to go and I cut out a small section where the throttle cable used to go. That section protruded and I needed it flat.

[novakane82]

Man this build is coming along Awesome. Killer job man. I’d like to maybe try get a dash like that in my nova! Where on eBay did you get that firewall. Looks good

[Projus]

I’m very excited about your build. Your ideas will help me to visualize where I’m going with my 69 Camaro Vert

[joeko23]

This is the link where I bought the firewall plate. I sent them a message asking them to put dimples then fill them in. I also bought a matching radiator filler panel from them. When I was buying my stuff they said they were getting a bead roller soon. If you click on their other listings they have a lot of stuff bead rolled so they got the roller. Now anyone can have a truly custom firewall for a fraction of the price. It’s only limited to your imagination!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/67-69-Chevy-Camaro-Pontiac-Firebird-68-74-Nova-Smooth-Firewall-Panel/251918366676?hash=item3aa78137d4:g:zvYAAOSwBahVLBu U

ProJus that looks like a really solid convertible, good luck with it!

[minendrews68]

Did you think to prime the existing firewall and the back of the flat firewall plate before putting it on? I can see a potential for rust.

[joeko23]

Ofcourse I primed it, then I grinded the areas where I put the blobs of panel bond (panel bond only sticks to bare metal), then I put weld through primer around the perimeter because I was going to weld there. I think I covered all my bases to prevent rust.

[minendrews68]

Ofcourse I primed it, then I grinded the areas where I put the blobs of panel bond (panel bond only sticks to bare metal), then I put weld through primer around the perimeter because I was going to weld there. I think I covered all my bases to prevent rust.

Good deal! didn't mean to come off as a butt, it's something that a lot of times gets over looked. But glad you thought a forehand. Your build is really nice, I mean really! nice. Congrats. And panel bond.... some of the best stuff on the planet. I use if for a lot more than just automotive.

[joeko23]

No offense taken. I just installed a fuel access door in the trunk. At this point I’m done with all mock up. My plan at this point is to send the car to a body shop for seam sealer and undercoating. I also want them to paint the interior and the firewall. While at body shop I’m going to get all chassis components powder coated. Once back from body shop I will reassemble the car and get it running and driving. After that it will go back to body shop for paint.

At least that’s the plan, hopefully the body shop I plan to use is still working throughout this outbreak. Otherwise I’m at a stand still.

[nickburns31]

Hey there my friend... Did you get around to making the gauges work? I have been looking at the 4 and 3/8 gauges because I don't think the 4.5 will fit to well. I am not sold yet on a solid set up.... What did you end up with ? Also securing them to the bezel? Car looks awesome so far! Glad to see you posting again...

[joeko23]

Hey Nick, I haven’t revisited the gauge situation. But I remember the 4.5” gauges outside diameter fitting inside the pod with the bezels (I think). I was planning on making a sheet metal or maybe plastic backing to house the guages then attach the sheetmetal or plastic to the pod.

[joeko23]

I haven’t even contacted the body shop to have the car seam sealed, under coated and paint firewall. I doubt they will take my car right now so I have been plugging away at the interior. I found a local wrecking yard that has mostly late model BMWs so I bought a rear seat from an E92 coupe for $150. They also included the rear seatbelts, bolts, seat latches and rear package tray. I mounted the seat latches on top of the package tray along with the seatbelts (just like in the BMW). The seats fit so well and they fold down. I haven’t figured out how to attach/mount the seat bottom yet. I think I’ll let my upholstery guy deal with that.

Another option for Camaro owners is the seat from a BMW 6 series coupe. It has a hump for the transmission tunnel. Anyway here’s my seats

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[andrewb70]

Those fit great!

[joeko23]

I also bought a set of BMW M4 seats from F82. They are super comfortable and have buttons on the back of the seat to tilt the seat forward and move the seat forward/backward for rear passenger convenience. Right now I’m on the hunt to find a way to make all power options of the seat work. So far I was able to make the seat move forward/backward and up/down. I also figured out how to light up the M led logo (my upholsterer said he can make some badge to go there like a bowtie or ZL1 logo) devils in the details! The only issue I ran into is the center console from the 16 Camaro fits very tight with the seats. It’s very difficult to open the storage compartment. I’ll have to have the upholstery shave down the door of the compartment probably.

Enjoy the pics!

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This is the color scheme I plan to go with when I get the leather redone.

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[joeko23]

Sidenote about the front seats. The local wrecking yard where I bought the rear seat, I have visited them at least 3 times already and I’m Russian and so are they so we have something in common. Anyway, I told them I was working on a 69 Camaro and I was going to put front seats from an M4 and they immediately asked me how I was going to make them work without the canbus. I told them I read that you can Hotwire them and the only functionality lost is heated seats. They told me they can order a little box that’s made in Russia that’s like a little Canbus and as long as I get the OEM switches for heated seats (and cars that have cooled) I will have all functionality of the seats. They said the box is like $100-$200 depending on what car/seats it’s for. So that’s something to consider and I’ll follow up with them if I can’t get full functionality of the seats myself.

[slimjim]

great looking seats, they fit well

[Larry Callahan]

Awesome build!

I would really love to learn more about the side view mirrors. I have been on the hunt for something with those features for years.

[Smooth67]

Awesome build!

I would really love to learn more about the side view mirrors. I have been on the hunt for something with those features for years.

X2 on the mirrors. I'd like to see more details on the back seat as well? It looks right at home, and I'm looking for ideas.

[joeko23]

The side mirrors are from 13-18 Lexus ES300-350 models. Here is a link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Drivers-Power-Side-Mirror-Heated-Signal-Puddle-Lamp-for-13-18-Lexus-ES350-ES300h/333441291419?fits=Model%3AES350%7CMake%3ALexus&epid=28007866305&hash=item4da2a6549b:g:pkgAAOSw7t9d7byY

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Passengers-Power-Side-Mirror-Heat-Signal-Puddle-Lamp-for-13-18-ES350-ES300h/333377552976?fits=Model%3AES350%7CMake%3ALexus&epid=13007860242&hash=item4d9ed9c250:g:5rcAAOSwQKlemQ5l

Here is a pic up close on the Camaro, to mount it, I just had to grind the inside of the bracket very easy to do and pretty self explanatory once you get the mirrors. Let me know if anyone has any other questions or needs to know what each wire does. The mirrors have defrost, puddle lamp, turn signal, and power up/down left/right.

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[joeko23]

The rear seats are from an E92 Bmw. So far I only mounted the upper seat. I just simply welded on a piece of heavy angle iron to the wheel tub and welded a nut on the back. The seatbelt bottom is attached there as well. For the top, I used the BMW E92 seat brackets, they have a nice lever that mounts in the trunk to flip the seats down. The BMW brackets are spring loaded so when you pull the lever the seats in the car actually fold down. Another nice feature is that the center armrest comes down and there is a compartment there for 2 cup holder! LOL

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[joeko23]

I didn’t like the look of the E92 package tray because it looked really plain. So I got one from a 2 series BMW I believe it’s F22. There is a mount for 2 4” mids and 2 1” tweeters. I got it for $90. Way cheaper than shop LLC and looks basically same. Oh and I also plan to make the child restraint tabs functional too. I have a daughter who’s 4 so I’ll need a child seat for her to ride along.

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[slimjim]

very innovative, the factory appearance is right up my alley

[Larry Callahan]

The side mirrors are from 13-18 Lexus ES300-350 models. Here is a link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Drivers-Power-Side-Mirror-Heated-Signal-Puddle-Lamp-for-13-18-Lexus-ES350-ES300h/333441291419?fits=Model%3AES350%7CMake%3ALexus&epid=28007866305&hash=item4da2a6549b:g:pkgAAOSw7t9d7byY

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Passengers-Power-Side-Mirror-Heat-Signal-Puddle-Lamp-for-13-18-ES350-ES300h/333377552976?fits=Model%3AES350%7CMake%3ALexus&epid=13007860242&hash=item4d9ed9c250:g:5rcAAOSwQKlemQ5l

Here is a pic up close on the Camaro, to mount it, I just had to grind the inside of the bracket very easy to do and pretty self explanatory once you get the mirrors. Let me know if anyone has any other questions or needs to know what each wire does. The mirrors have defrost, puddle lamp, turn signal, and power up/down left/right.

175984

Thanks! I just ordered a set using your links.

I would love to see what each wire does.

[joeko23]

Here you go Larry:
Side mirror
Pink- Positive turn signal
Black/red- ground turn signal
White- up/down
Red- left/right
Yellow- puddle light
Black- ground
Brown- defroster

[joeko23]

176012Here’s what the lever looks like that flips the seats down. Here is a link to the latches, try to see if they have the mounting hardware:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/04-2004-BMW-325CI-SEAT-RELEASE-LATCH-ASSEMBLY-REAR-RIGHT-TRUNK-OEM/362754837586?epid=1611237723&hash=item5475df8c52:g:9qMAAOSwhEteA27I

[andrewb70]

Those mirrors look huge!

Andrew

[eville]

Those mirrors look huge!

Andrew

I wonder if they fold out for when you tow a 5th wheel trailer?

[joeko23]

176039Hahaha, the mirrors actually fit the car really well in my opinion. Yes they are larger than the factory mirrors that you can’t see anything out of but these mirrors actually come even on Lexus smallest car the IS300/350. Here’s a pic farther away.

[Smooth67]

I didn’t like the look of the E92 package tray because it looked really plain. So I got one from a 2 series BMW I believe it’s F22. There is a mount for 2 4” mids and 2 1” tweeters. I got it for $90. Way cheaper than shop LLC and looks basically same. Oh and I also plan to make the child restraint tabs functional too. I have a daughter who’s 4 so I’ll need a child seat for her to ride along.

175987

Very nice, I like the look. So the factory width with the side fillers fits the back seat space nicely? Could you post a pic of where it meets at the side?

[joeko23]

Fits like a glove! I’m not sure how wide the stock rear door panels are but I’m planning to have custom door panels anyway.

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[Smooth67]

Fits like a glove! I’m not sure how wide the stock rear door panels are but I’m planning to have custom door panels anyway.

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I agree, thanks for the pic! I'm looking at making my own door panels as well. They're just flat so you shouldn't have any issues

[joeko23]

Small update. I really hate how the stock seatbelts mount to the rear roof section so I bought BMW 1 series convertible seatbelts. Here’s what I did. For the mechanism mount, I welded in a piece of 1/8” angle iron to the thick rocker. The other mounting point is in the rear door panel pretty self explanatory and the bottom mount I used the stock location of the Camaro seatbelt. I used the bar the bmw seatbelts came with so the seatbelt can slide for/aft to allow for easy entrance/exit to the rear seats.

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[joeko23]

Adjusted gaps and some nip tuck action on the front bumper. Hopefully next week I will be sending the car for seamseal, undercoat, paint interior, and firewall.

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[Snowcatter]

Looking great! I need to do that with my bumper next

[joeko23]

Something exciting is happening. Anyone care to guess what it is? Obviously besides different door handles. LOL

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[joeko23]

BAM! Tesla Model 3 door handles

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[dhutton]

Looks great.

Don

[srode]

i went with a dark gm red, called baroque red, from Cadillac.Nice to see you can fit that Eforce under a stock hood - is that an LS3? Beautiful colors

[joeko23]

Car went to body shop last week to be seam sealed, undercoated and painted inside. In the mean time I dropped off all suspension to powdercoating. Started painting the rear diff. Came out excellent. It’s a VHT metallic fire red. Paint looks super thick and shinny. Everything under the car will be satin black but the driveline (engine, trans, driveshaft and rear diff) will be metallic red. Since the outside of the car will be like a candy apple red. This is the closest color I found to a candy apple red and I’m really really happy with it!

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[joeko23]

Painted the engine, this was a huge hurdle for me. This is my first time taking apart an engine so I was very nervous about disassembly. So I took off 1 part at a time, labeled and took pics. Hopefully I can reassemble everything as quickly and easily as it all went apart. I’m still in the process of painting the supercharger and the accessory drives.

The VHT system seems very high quality. I normally hate painting because 90% of painting is prep and I just don’t have the patience to prep properly and get pretty poor results. Luckily my engine is fairly new (15’ pullout) so it was fairly clean and obviously unpainted. I prepped with brake cleaner and wire brush. Then scuffed with a pad and then again a very liberal spray of brake clean. Let everything dry then sprayed 3 coats primer. Next day wiped off any dust and sprayed 4-5 coats of color. VHT recommends only 3 but since this is a metallic I had to use really really light coats to prevent runs. It was also hard to get into all the nooks and crannies which is another reason I had to do light coats. Then I put about 4 light coats of clear and the result is amazing! 3 hours later I was scared to touch it because it looks super wet but it was already dry to the touch. I’m really happy with how this turned out and basically needed only minimal prep to get almost a show quality paint job. If I had taken some sand paper and grinder to remove the casting imperfections and smooth everything out it truly would be show quality paint job.

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[joeko23]

I took apart the supercharger snout to replace the isolator with a solid one and to my surprise it was already solid. My engine is from a 15 ZL1 which was the last year of the LSA perhaps GM started putting in solid isolators? I also bought a griptec 2.38” pulley which required a 3 jaw puller to remove the stock pulley. Rented that for free from Advanced Auto, it came out super easy, but the new pulley doesn’t fit the snout and needs to be machined. My dad said I was crazy to do this but it only required 1/16” all the way around so I marked it and started grinding it down with a grinder really slowly. Took me about an hour to do it, then I filed down the grinding marks, then used some sandpaper and it came out awesome! Pulley fits with no rubbing! Now I just need to press on the new hub.

181295

[slimjim]

man that engine came out nice, great work

[joeko23]

She’s all dressed up with nowhere to go. Body is still stuck in bodyshop. They told me a couple of weeks and it’s been a month and they said to give them 2 more weeks. 181766
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181768

[Vimes]

That's a body shop for you. I had my mother's truck in for a paint job, was told 1 month and it took 4. They uncovered a few hidden issues that had to be fixed in order to get it right, which extended the body prep time. Plus, your job isn't the only one they have to work on and being a for-profit shop they have to prioritize each day to make the best use of their time. The wait was worth it though, because it was stunning when complete. No pics though, because I wasn't thinking about posting anything on it at the time.

[joeko23]

Unfortunately, the restoration part of the body shop is only a 1 man show and the owner, the person who promised me couple of weeks has been out for a few weeks because he’s sick. So far they scuffed everything down and seamsealed. Undercoating and painting inside and firewall is next.

181813

[thedugan]

Nice. What accessory drive are you using.

[joeko23]

It’s stock LSA, with the CTS-V steering pump. I’m also running a dirty dingo low mount AC. I painted everything satin black. Shoulda powder coated it but it’s too late now.

[joeko23]

Hand painted those letters to match the metallic red on the engine

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181840

[Motown 454]

Nice job it all looks great!

[joeko23]

Thanks! Can’t wait to start assembly!

[ryeguy2006a]

Excellent attention to detail there! I'm following along as I'm in the middle of an LSA / TR6060 (magnum hybrid) swap myself.

[lwilliams]

cool build!

[joeko23]

Excellent attention to detail there! I'm following along as I'm in the middle of an LSA / TR6060 (magnum hybrid) swap myself.

Thanks! It’s what happens when you watch a lot of Bitchin Rides. LOL. I’m watching your build as well. Your basically rebuilding that engine!

[John McIntire]

Looking good! I like the detail work on the cover.

[67BrewserSS]

Engine and transmission glow up look awesome!

[ryeguy2006a]

Thanks! It’s what happens when you watch a lot of Bitchin Rides. LOL. I’m watching your build as well. Your basically rebuilding that engine!

Well it's paying off because that motor/trans/engine cover look killer! The all black accessories looks really good. I am probably going to steal that idea :bananna2:

And yeah, I'm completely rebuilding it. New bearings, rings, bolts gaskets, etc. What better way to top off a newly rebuilt motor than an overdriven supercharger!

[joeko23]

Got the car back from the body shop. What was supposed to take a couple weeks turned into 7 weeks. Anyway I’ve been busy putting the front subframe together and the rear IRS. Currently working on brake lines.

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[wfo guy]

Looking good. :)

[Motown 454]

That looks nice. Glad you have it back.

[joeko23]

Do you guys think this is ok to connect the hard lines to master like this? Or do you think I need the 360 bends for more flexibility like in the stock Camaro hard lines?

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[andrewb70]

I'd put some spiral loops into the lines.

[joeko23]

Thanks Andrew. That’s what I thought.

[Rodknock]

I'd put some spiral loops into the lines.

I've always been curious about that. I'm guessing it helps with vibrations and keeping the lines from cracking due to stress at the fittings?

- - - Updated - - -


Thanks Andrew. That’s what I thought.

Car is looking awesome!!!

[joeko23]

I messaged Don about the issue and he said that it’s really not needed and I have enough bends in the beginning for some flexibility. He also said that the spirals allowed the factories room for adjustments because they had sloppy tolerances. Could have also been due to different masters, prop valves etc. Factory worker can just manipulate the line over a bit this way or that way.

While trying to figure out the brake line situation I decided to start doing the sound deadening. Went down pretty easy aside for some paper cuts. Wear your gloves! I plan to use MLV next then closed cell foam as suggested on sounddeadenershowdown.com.

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[dhutton]

To be honest I’ve never seen a pro build use the loops in the brake lines. I used to use them but stopped a while ago. Maybe Donny will chime in. He's always got some good advice.

Don

[dhutton]

Here is Mark Stielows latest build. No loops.

Don

[joeko23]

Thanks Don! No spirals it is then!

[joeko23]

183694183695183696Closed cell foam is in

[slimjim]

This thing will be silent! where'd you get the foam from?

[Rodknock]

This thing will be silent! where'd you get the foam from?

X2 :geek:

[John McIntire]

That is awesome! Nice work on the insulation! You will definitely have the quietest interior out of everyone here! Can't wait to hear your feedback on it.

[joeko23]

Thanks guys!

Here’s the link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Neoprene-EPDM-blend-w-PSA-1-8-thick/164458384893?hash=item264a7bcdfd:g:jX4AAOSwCKdfjgO 8

It’s really cheap considering you get over 230sq ft which is way more than enough. The whole roll weighs maybe 30lbs. It’s very easy to work with because it can be stretched in multiple directions and it comes with the glue on one side so you don’t have to deal with any messy glue. This material is 1/8” thick and that’s what’s recommended to use from soundeadenershowdown. They also recommend to double it up on the floor and firewall. This material also acts as a heat barrier according to soundeadenershowdown. At this stage the car feels totally different. The butyl layer that we all use made it sound less hollow when I slam the door. But with this material basically almost everywhere the car feels really solid. When I slam the door, all you hear is the latch closing and that’s it.

I’m currently finishing up the Mass loaded vinyl layer and luckily saved the backing paper from the CCF to use as a template for the MLV this is making the project go much faster as you don’t need templates for the cutouts. MLV is much harder to work with because it’s very dense and bends only in one direction at a time. Also the glue I’m using HH-66 is very messy and smelly (like acetone). I’m probably getting high from it LOL.

[Rodknock]

Thanks guys!

Here’s the link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Neoprene-EPDM-blend-w-PSA-1-8-thick/164458384893?hash=item264a7bcdfd:g:jX4AAOSwCKdfjgO 8

It’s really cheap considering you get over 230sq ft which is way more than enough. The whole roll weighs maybe 30lbs. It’s very easy to work with because it can be stretched in multiple directions and it comes with the glue on one side so you don’t have to deal with any messy glue. This material is 1/8” thick and that’s what’s recommended to use from soundeadenershowdown. They also recommend to double it up on the floor and firewall. This material also acts as a heat barrier according to soundeadenershowdown. At this stage the car feels totally different. The butyl layer that we all use made it sound less hollow when I slam the door. But with this material basically almost everywhere the car feels really solid. When I slam the door, all you hear is the latch closing and that’s it.

I’m currently finishing up the Mass loaded vinyl layer and luckily saved the backing paper from the CCF to use as a template for the MLV this is making the project go much faster as you don’t need templates for the cutouts. MLV is much harder to work with because it’s very dense and bends only in one direction at a time. Also the glue I’m using HH-66 is very messy and smelly (like acetone). I’m probably getting high from it LOL.

So ,you're laying the MLV right over the CCF? Hmmmm, yeah, it will be new car quiet inside I'm sure!! I'll have to check that sound deadener showdown site out and do some reading. Thanks Joe, it's looking awesome

[ryeguy2006a]

Great work on the sound deadener. Also for what it's worth when I was doing my research on the brake line loops, it seems that the consensus was that it was necessary with rubber bushings. I decided not to run any loops in my car, but rather a slight wave if you will to account for any flex. I'm running solid aluminum bushings so I doubt there will be any flex and I haven't had any issues in 3 years with my car.

[joeko23]

Yes, MLV has to go on top of the CCF. The CCF alone isn’t supposed to do much, just like putting in a carpet. The CCF acts as a decoupler basically just a separation between a hard surface. The MLV is really what’s supposed to make everything quiet and absorb/deaden outside sound. Hopefully it’ll be worth it. Check out the site. Has a lot of useful info.

[andrewb70]

Thanks guys!

Here’s the link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Neoprene-EPDM-blend-w-PSA-1-8-thick/164458384893?hash=item264a7bcdfd:g:jX4AAOSwCKdfjgO 8

It’s really cheap considering you get over 230sq ft which is way more than enough. The whole roll weighs maybe 30lbs. It’s very easy to work with because it can be stretched in multiple directions and it comes with the glue on one side so you don’t have to deal with any messy glue. This material is 1/8” thick and that’s what’s recommended to use from soundeadenershowdown. They also recommend to double it up on the floor and firewall. This material also acts as a heat barrier according to soundeadenershowdown. At this stage the car feels totally different. The butyl layer that we all use made it sound less hollow when I slam the door. But with this material basically almost everywhere the car feels really solid. When I slam the door, all you hear is the latch closing and that’s it.

I’m currently finishing up the Mass loaded vinyl layer and luckily saved the backing paper from the CCF to use as a template for the MLV this is making the project go much faster as you don’t need templates for the cutouts. MLV is much harder to work with because it’s very dense and bends only in one direction at a time. Also the glue I’m using HH-66 is very messy and smelly (like acetone). I’m probably getting high from it LOL.

Where did you source the MLV?

Andrew

[joeko23]

Here you go Andrew, I also bought a gallon of the HH-66 glue on Amazon as well. 100 sqft wasn’t enough of the MLV for me. But then again I’m really putting it everywhere. Even inside the rear quarter panels from trunk to where the door striker is. I haven’t measured but I need a large piece for the 2 doors, rear quarters, and a piece for the center of the trunk. I’m thinking maybe another 40sqft. So soundeadenershowdown site recommended 140 sqft which seems pretty accurate.

https://www.amazon.com/Noise-Grabber-Mass-Loaded-Vinyl/dp/B07YSQNY52/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=mlv+1lb&qid=1611458324&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/HH-66-PVC-Vinyl-Cement-Glue/dp/B00LOCKKRQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hh-66+gallon&qid=1611459131&sr=8-3

[joeko23]

183888183889

MLV layer done! I haven’t done the doors yet as they haven’t been painted. I’m also going to put a layer of CCF and MLV on the rear quarter panels to sandwich between the metal and the door/quarter panels.

Also I was able to fit 3 layers of CCF on the roof since I had extra material. Hopefully that’ll insulate the car from from sun more.

[andrewb70]

Nice! I am definitely going to do something like this as part of my GTO update. Any recommendations for what to use for thermal control on the firewall?

[joeko23]

The site recommends the CCF as a thermal layer. I put 2 layers on the firewall, trans tunnel and entire floor front to back.

[andrewb70]

The site recommends the CCF as a thermal layer. I put 2 layers on the firewall, trans tunnel and entire floor front to back.

Do you think any sort of foil lined barrier is desirable or necessary?

Andrew

[joeko23]

According to the site it says you can use a foil lined CCF for firewall and trans tunnel. You can use this, it’s available in different sizes. I don’t think you’ll need that much if you only do firewall, trans tunnel and floor. Then again it’s pretty cheap might as well use it in the roof etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-White-Insulation-Shield-Thermal/dp/B07HHNR9Z6/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=Brand%3A+AES+4.5+out+of+5+stars+12+Review s+Reflective+White+Foam+Insulation+Heat+Shield+The rmal+Insulation+Shield&qid=1611879298&sr=8-9

[andrewb70]

Thanks!

[joeko23]

This was my first time doing brake lines. I tried to order a complete brake line kit from inline tube, but the amount of modifications I would need to make to make it work with the IRS, didn’t make sense. I have never made brake lines before so I picked up a brake flare tool and a bender along with nicopp lines. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Hopefully, no leaks!
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[slimjim]

very few people divide the front right/left. I don't know why. I did mine like you

[joeko23]

Really? My proportioning valve has an output for 2 fronts and 1 rear. That’s why I did it

[slimjim]

Really? My proportioning valve has an output for 2 fronts and 1 rear. That’s why I did it

Correct, same thinking as me. But I see a lot of people just run one to the fronts, to a tee, and then blind one of the ports at the MC.

[ryeguy2006a]

I did the same as you both and have two lines for each front brake caliper. I'm curious if there is any advantage/disadvantage to running them one way or another? When I brake, it will track straight. Not sure if there is a possibility for one to have slightly more pressure than another?

[Rodknock]

I believe that even from the factory they are divided at the distribution block, for two separate lines up front.
Joe, what are you using for the rear flex lines. I've bought some AN fittings, but haven't got around to measuring or looking for the flex lines yet.

[gto406]

Here is Mark Stielows latest build. No loops.

Don

Hi Don, is Mark sharing details of his latest build somewhere?

Thank you in advance!
BR/Brian.

[joeko23]

John,

I was really unsure what to do for the IRS. There isn’t much room there so I just did the simplest I think. I ran a single nicopp line from front to rear. I bought a brass Tee with 3/8-24 inverted flare female all three sides. Top input into the tee is the solid line front to back. Then I bought 3/8-24 inverted flare to an3 adapters. From the an3 I connected flex lines. My IRS kit came with flex lines and an elbow adapter that goes into the caliper.

Here is a link to the 3/8-24 inverted flare to an3.

https://www.amazon.com/Russell-643961-Brake-Adapter-Fitting/dp/B000CPAS50/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=3%2F8-24+to+an3&qid=1612483200&sr=8-3

Brian,
Here is a link to Stielows newest car:

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57667

[Rodknock]

John,

I was really unsure what to do for the IRS. There isn’t much room there so I just did the simplest I think. I ran a single nicopp line from front to rear. I bought a brass Tee with 3/8-24 inverted flare female all three sides. Top input into the tee is the solid line front to back. Then I bought 3/8-24 inverted flare to an3 adapters. From the an3 I connected flex lines. My IRS kit came with flex lines and an elbow adapter that goes into the caliper.

Here is a link to the 3/8-24 inverted flare to an3.

https://www.amazon.com/Russell-643961-Brake-Adapter-Fitting/dp/B000CPAS50/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=3%2F8-24+to+an3&qid=1612483200&sr=8-3

The AN fittings I have. I bought Stainless ones, just wondering about flex lines. I wasn't lucky enough for them to come with my setup :ripped::lol:

[gto406]

(Pruned)...

Brian,
Here is a link to Stielows newest car:

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57667

Thank you Joe! I got carried away w/Mark and forgot to pass along my sincere congratulations and awe on your Camaro build!

It is truly looking awesome! 🤟🏼

BR/Brian.

[joeko23]

John,

Get any flex lines you want. Just don’t get longer than 12”. There’s very little room there. I bought the Heidts IRS kit from eBay. Prior to purchase I contacted the seller who is an authorized distributor for Heidts, I also wanted him to research how or which subframe connectors I need because I have the chassisworks front subframe. He notified me that there were 2 versions (for stock subframes and for Heidts subframe) he then called Heidts tech support with my subframe measurements and needless to say it really worked out. Plus he threw in the stainless braided lines. Super nice guy!

- - - Updated - - -


Thank you Joe! I got carried away w/Mark and forgot to pass along my sincere congratulations and awe on your Camaro build!

It is truly looking awesome! ����

BR/Brian.

Thanks Brian, really appreciate it!

[joeko23]

So first time doing brake lines and I have ZERO leaks! The flare tool I got is really great. There’s no second guessing whether the flare is done correctly. It’s one and done. I also ran fuel lines 3/8” nicopp covered with stainless stone guard. I also got the tank installed with the fuel pump and sending unit, and the driveshaft installed, loctite and torqued. Getting close to firing her up hopefully soon. Really dreading all the wiring! I’m in the process of fabbing up trans cooler lines. My whole driveline engine, trans, driveshaft, third member and housing is red. Which is a great contrast to the whole underneath which will be/is a satin black. I plan to ceramic coat the whole exhaust satin black too

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[Rodknock]

Looks great!!! Did you have your driveshaft built locally? At some point, I'll have to have one made.

[joeko23]

Driveshaft is from driveshaft shop. I called Heidts and that’s what they recommended a CV driveshaft because the third member sits higher than the trans and slightly right so to eliminate any harmonics and weird angles that’s what they recommend.

[andrewb70]

Driveshaft is from driveshaft shop. I called Heidts and that’s what they recommended a CV driveshaft because the third member sits higher than the trans and slightly right so to eliminate any harmonics and weird angles that’s what they recommend.

You chose wisely...

Andrew

[joeko23]

Thanks guys for the positive feedback. I always try to reach out to the manufacturer as they have countless hour of R&D, however, Don and you Andrew are my 2nd source if the manufacturer doesn’t know something.

By the way. I had a little scare this week, I bled the clutch then a few days later I noticed a little drip on the tip of the trans coming from the bell housing. I thought the slave cylinder was leaking which means I’d have to pull the trans or engine and trans back out. This would really suck. But I think it was just some fluid that had leaked out of the nipple when I pulled the bleeder off. I wiped everything off and there hasn’t been any signs of fluid. So hopefully all is well???

[Rodknock]

Driveshaft is from driveshaft shop. I called Heidts and that’s what they recommended a CV driveshaft because the third member sits higher than the trans and slightly right so to eliminate any harmonics and weird angles that’s what they recommend.

Hmmm, interesting about the CV driveshaft. didn't know that. I found it strange, that in Heidts instruction it tells you to adjust the pinion angle at a certain point in the installation. How do you adjust pinion angle on something that is solid mounted?...lol
So the front portion of the shaft you have 2 joints?

[joeko23]

John, also called them on that because I couldn’t adjust pinion angle. They said yeah, it’s not adjustable. Heidts said to get everything bolted loose, once everything is in then tighten all bolts down. But basically pinion angle isn’t adjustable. I have a CV joint at the front with a special adapter for the TR6060, in the rear I just have a regular 1350 u joint. The front that mates to the trans looks like this:

https://www.driveshaftshop.com/featured-products/2018-ford-mustang-gt-v8-3-5-aluminum-1-piece-direct-fit-cv-driveshaft-10-speed-automatic-only

Also something weird in the Heidts instructions it says in step 21 to tighten the axle shafts to specified torque on the axle shaft sticker. My axle shafts didn’t have any stickers so axle shafts have to be torqued to 65lbs with loctite. Heidts instructions definitely need much improvement. Also step 5 and 18 are exactly the same. They are telling you to do the same thing twice! I called them out on it. They said they would make a revision to the instructions.

My front subframe is from chassisworks, their instructions are amazing. Every step has color pictures and detailed description of what must be done. It came in a binder because there’s so many pics and pages. The Heidts instructions are like 3 pages with 2 diagrams.

[Rodknock]

John, also called them on that because I couldn’t adjust pinion angle. They said yeah, it’s not adjustable. Heidts said to get everything bolted loose, once everything is in then tighten all bolts down. But basically pinion angle isn’t adjustable. I have a CV joint at the front with a special adapter for the TR6060, in the rear I just have a regular 1350 u joint. The front that mates to the trans looks like this:

https://www.driveshaftshop.com/featured-products/2018-ford-mustang-gt-v8-3-5-aluminum-1-piece-direct-fit-cv-driveshaft-10-speed-automatic-only

Also something weird in the Heidts instructions it says in step 21 to tighten the axle shafts to specified torque on the axle shaft sticker. My axle shafts didn’t have any stickers so axle shafts have to be torqued to 65lbs with loctite. Heidts instructions definitely need much improvement. Also step 5 and 18 are exactly the same. They are telling you to do the same thing twice! I called them out on it. They said they would make a revision to the instructions.

My front subframe is from chassisworks, their instructions are amazing. Every step has color pictures and detailed description of what must be done. It came in a binder because there’s so many pics and pages. The Heidts instructions are like 3 pages with 2 diagrams.

Yes!!! their instructions definitely need improvement. Heck, I would be willing to rewrite them, for them, if it helped someone out.
I'm probably going to end up getting the new TKX trans, which should have a slip yoke. Haven't decided on that trans or just use the 4L80 I have.
65 ftlb almost seems kinda light on the torque, but with Loctite, I'm sure it's not coming loose.
A person would definitely need to be mechanically inclined to put a Heidts system together. I also notice no bump stop anywhere to limit suspension travel. There's nothing to keep the upper arm on the rear from contacting the frame. I ordered some Jounce Bumpers, to put on the shafts of the coil overs on all four corners, because the Heidt's front is the same way. You can literally bury the wheel, all the way up into the well, because there's nothing to stop the travel.

[joeko23]

Your right, the upper arm does hit the frame before the shock is bottomed out. I’ll have to order those bumpers as well. Do you know what size to get? Or send me a link to what you order.

[Rodknock]

Your right, the upper arm does hit the frame before the shock is bottomed out. I’ll have to order those bumpers as well. Do you know what size to get? Or send me a link to what you order.

I will, but let me make sure they work first, since I was guessing what to get...lol

[Rodknock]

Your right, the upper arm does hit the frame before the shock is bottomed out. I’ll have to order those bumpers as well. Do you know what size to get? Or send me a link to what you order.

Just FYI. These are the ones I ordered. I was just going to cut them to the length I need.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/qa1-bc01

[joeko23]

Thanks John!

[dhutton]

I’d go with a urethane progressive bumpstop instead of a rubber one. AFCO has them in different rates. They cost more but should give a nicer ride.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/afc-223527

Don

[Rodknock]

I’d go with a urethane progressive bumpstop instead of a rubber one. AFCO has them in different rates. They cost more but should give a nicer ride.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/afc-223527

Don

I was looking at those, but couldn't find dimensions on them, as far as hole size, length etc.

[dhutton]

I was looking at those, but couldn't find dimensions on them, as far as hole size, length etc.
They are 5/8 diameter. Roughly a couple of inches long. Because they are progressive the length is not too critical. They can also be trimmed.

Don

[joeko23]

Thanks Don, I’m going to take the spring out and cycle the suspension all the way up and see what happens to the upper arm and shock. I noticed while under the car today that I have a bump stop inside my Qa-1 shock so maybe it will be enough.

[Rodknock]

Thanks Don, I’m going to take the spring out and cycle the suspension all the way up and see what happens to the upper arm and shock. I noticed while under the car today that I have a bump stop inside my Qa-1 shock so maybe it will be enough.

My Vikings, that came with mine also had them, but they are too short. The one's in the rear are close, but the front could easily stand another 2" longer.

[joeko23]

Almost done making trans cooler lines, waiting on 2 more fittings to come in. Came out pretty clean and well hidden if I do say so myself. Also mounted the intercooler pump. Space is definitely becoming a premium.

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[ryeguy2006a]

Looking great! Keep up the good work. What heat exchanger did you go with?

[joeko23]

After much research on heat exchangers, I decided to get one from a 13 mustang GT500, overall size is larger than any Afco aftermarket ones. It’s like 3” deep! I believe it’s a 1 year only so they are hard to find, I found mine locally from Craigslist. Here’s what it looks like:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2013-2014-13-gt500-shelby-mustang-supercharger-ford-racing-afco-heat-exchanger-/324364355730?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

[joeko23]

I don’t have much to show for it, but I’ve been tackling plumbing for the intercooler, HVAC, and started some wiring...By some wiring, I hooked up all the connections of the PSI engine harness and found a sweet place to mount the ECU and the fuse block from PSI. I was pretty happy that the harness fit so tight.

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[joeko23]

Also I was really uncertain as to what to do with the main power cable. I read so many posts, reviews, suggestions etc which just made things more confusing. Marine cable, welding wire, tin coated copper, CCA, CFA, WTF??? Anyway, reached out to Don, and as always had amazing advise. I asked him what the OEMs use and he said he wasn’t sure but he did use the power cable from a 5th gen Camaro he said once. I quickly went to eBay and bam $50 got me a 5th gen power cable with a nice firewall grommet. It also has a built in fuse (forgot the amps). I’m running the power cable from battery to starter. Also when I purchased the engine it came with the alternator harness which routes from alternator to starter then to the engine fuse box. Since my fuse box is inside the car, I’ll use that wire to power fans, headlights, horn, etc.

I also made fresh air covers since my restomod air system didn’t come with them. I ran the power cable through the passenger side fresh air cover with a grommet of course.

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[joeko23]

On the passenger side the fresh air covers are blank. This is another fresh air cover for the kick panel that I made to route the HVAC hoses. Still waiting on hose grommets to come in.

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[BORIStheBLADE1]

New guy here and love your project!
I'm curious how the Tesla handles are coming along? Are you going to try and set them up with the Auto Present feature the Tesla has?

[joeko23]

New guy here and love your project!
I'm curious how the Tesla handles are coming along? Are you going to try and set them up with the Auto Present feature the Tesla has?

Unfortunately, I’m not that electronically savvy. I set the Tesla door handles to work mechanically exactly like stock Camaro door handles work. The door handle pushes a rod that’s connected to the stock Camaro door latch. Really simple.

[BORIStheBLADE1]

Unfortunately, I’m not that electronically savvy. I set the Tesla door handles to work mechanically exactly like stock Camaro door handles work. The door handle pushes a rod that’s connected to the stock Camaro door latch. Really simple.

Still exciting. Looking forward to seeing them after the bodywork is done.

[ryeguy2006a]

That heat exchanger is huge!! You should have no problems cooling off that charge. That catch can looks really close to the position that I put mine. What mount are you using?

[joeko23]

That heat exchanger is huge!! You should have no problems cooling off that charge. That catch can looks really close to the position that I put mine. What mount are you using?

I know it is huge, I had to modify the RS headlight doors because when full open they would contact the intercooler. The catch can/mount is from a 5th gen Camaro. Had to rebend and shorten the mount. I saw you started yours up and drive it a little. So jealous. I’m inching really close to firing mine up. Waiting for the DCC fan controller to come in. That’s the last piece of the puzzle to me firing up the engine.

I also purchased an OBD dongle from Amazon so that I can monitor the engine virtually since I don’t have any gauges set up yet. It really sucks that the torque app isn’t available for iPads because it seems to be the best app for virtual gauges. All the iOS apps that are good arnt free and even once you pay for the app, I may need to purchase a vehicle or manufacturer specific pack so that it can read additional sensors. I’ll keep you guys posted though.

[MCMLXIX]

Just found your build thread. Car looks great!

[joeko23]

Thanks Rich!

[joeko23]

After 3 years it’s ALIVE!!!

Yesterday was the day everything came together, this is my first attempt at building a car basically from scratch. Now that I was in wiring faze, I started reading that starter is grounded to the block, alternator is grounded to the bracket then to the block. Well I painted all that how will it ground now? I tested a few of the mounting bolts and luckily I had .4ohm so miraculously everything is grounded despite the paint.

After that, I filled all the fluids, the coolant I back filled through the upper hose to hopefully get all the air out. I saw a bunch of air bubble come out as the block and radiator got filled. When the level stabilized just below the radiator cap, I filled the power steering reservoir. Turned the wheel back and forth a few times and refilled with fluid until again the level was stabile.

Then with ignition and fuel pump disconnected I gave the trigger wire 12v to rotate the engine to build oil pressure. It cranked for maybe 5 seconds before building pressure.

Next, I took out the VaporWorx instruction sheet, connected a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and turned on the fuel pump manually to get all the air out (that’s why there’s a gas can in the car). The fuel pressure gauge I got has a bypass so I pressed that and mostly air came out at first then steady fuel. Checked for leaks, None! I then reconnected the fuel pump to be controlled by ECM and connected the trigger to 12V and bam just like that the engine fired right up! It was so amazing, so many things could have gone wrong. I read so many stories of no ignition, or it starts for 30 sec then dies etc. EFI is amazing! I could not have done this myself with a carb engine for sure.

As everyone can see I basically hot wired everything for now because I just couldn’t wait anymore. I also don’t have gauges so I bought an OBD adapter and used an app on my phone to monitor all the essentials. The app worked great!

I ran the engine for about 40 mins to 1. Cure the paint and 2. To test the fans. It took a really long time I’d say at least 20 mins for the whole radiator to get hot (only the upper portion was hot at first) the DCC controller is supposed to turn on at 180 but it actually turned on when coolant temp was 205. I turned the screw on the controller to decrease turn on temp but it didn’t seem to do anything. I then noticed my fans were spinning in the wrong direction so I shut everything down. Rewired the fans and put the sensor about mid way on the radiator hoping the fans will turn on sooner.

I didn’t put the whole exhaust on just the headers and cats, it’s pretty loud as expected without mufflers. But the greatest part is that there’s no gas smell!

I know the cars obviously not finished yet but this is a HUGE hurdle, so I really want to thank this forum and especially Don (dhutton) for answering all my questions so promptly I really couldn’t have done this without his input.

That’s all I had time for yesterday. Next week I’m throwing a seat in and driving this bad boy around the block! I can’t wait!


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bMiEuxwu1Xo

[John McIntire]

Awesome! Congrats to you, what a great feeling!

[thedugan]

Congrats, Im not far behind you on the same setup. Hope to fire it up by July. gauges are all on backorder until sept. what app an dongle did you use?

[joeko23]

Thanks guys!!

App depends on if your using an android device or iOS. I have an iPhone and plan to use an iPad in the dash so far the most reliable app for iOS that I’m using is called Car Scanner. If your going to be using an Android Torque app is by far the best.

This is the obd I got:
Veepeak OBDCheck BLE OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner Auto OBD II Diagnostic Scan Tool for iOS & Android, Bluetooth 4.0 Car Check Engine Light Code Reader Supports Torque, OBD Fusion app https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XKQQQW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_FYSGQ1JE9SKCBR2EVXRQ?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[joeko23]

Another fun tidbit, I bought my LSA from eBay, the guy said it had less than 5k miles before the car was totaled. To my surprise because of the OBD app I was able to pull up the miles and they are actually 4,217! The engine is literally brand new, so surprising.

[dhutton]

Congratulations Joe. Awesome job, especially for a first build.

Don

[Rodknock]

Congrats that is awesome!!!!

[dhutton]

Since your fan temp sensor is at the radiator output and your gauge temperature sensor is in the head they will never read the same. The fan sensor should always be cooler since it is after the radiator has dropped the temperature of the coolant, and only after the thermostat has opened.

Also make sure you don’t have air trapped in the cooling system. Did you take any precautions to prevent air getting trapped when you filled the system? There is a recent thread about purging air.

Don

[joeko23]

Don, I tried to prevent air bubbles by filling through the upper radiator hose that way the block gets coolant first and pushes out any air bubbles through radiator as it rises. I will also try your method of raising the front higher than the rear and squeezing the upper and lower hoses.

What coolant temp should I be shooting for? I have the stock 190 deg thermostat. I read that normal operating temps on ZL1s hover between 200-210. That’s basically what I had.

Also after I shut the engine down the fans kept spinning and slowly came to a stop, I know that’s normal but they were making a high pitch sound. Is that normal? Or the high pitched sound is because my fans were running in reverse?

[dhutton]

With a stock thermostat that temperature is fine imho. It sounds like you filled it correctly so there should not be any air in your system. If it starts running hot then you could try purging it.

The whining sound is due to the PWM speed control of the fans. It’s nothing to worry about.

Don

[joeko23]

Thanks Don, can’t wait to rip it around the block. I’m surprised how well it runs on the base tune. I changed supercharger pulley to 2.38” and I have 72lb injectors.

[ryeguy2006a]

Congrats!! What an amazing feeling. That's amazing that someone that sold something online was actually honest!

[joeko23]

Congrats!! What an amazing feeling. That's amazing that someone that sold something online was actually honest!

I know I was super surprised it has such low miles!

[joeko23]

As promised, I bolted in the seat and took it for a drive up/down the block a few times. All I can say is WOW! The car handles sooo good! Everything is so tight. No rattles, no shakes, suspension is tight but not stiff. I set the rear single adjustable shocks at their middle setting. The front double adjustable I set at 4 clicks rebound and compression which is about 1/4? Anyway the ride is supple almost like my wife’s Range Rover Sport. I’m super happy how the car rides/drives so far. Any blip of the throttle smokes the tires fairly easily!

I need to raise the rear about 2 inches I think. Seems a little low to me. What do you guys think?

Also the power steering is VERY intermittent. Even though I turned the wheel back and forth a million times it still probably has air in the system. I ordered a vacuum pressure bleeder for power steering so hopefully that get all the air out.

After the first start video I posted I decided to scan the ECU for trouble codes and of course there was a code for p0206 code for injector malfunction and code for coil C misfire. Luckily, both seem like easy fixes. The injector plug wire came loose, so I took apart the plug, soldered on the wire and cleared that code. For the misfire, I unplugged the coil for cylinder 3 and noticed the plug had a crack in it. So I ordered a new plug/connector, hopefully that will solve that problem.

Enjoy the video!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jgJ675Ql0T0

[Rodknock]

That is so awesome!!! Good to know that Heidts stuff rides nice. OK, now I need to get off here, and go work on mine!!! Oh, wait, it's 103 today, I think I'll stay in the house..hahaha

[joeko23]

That is so awesome!!! Good to know that Heidts stuff rides nice. OK, now I need to get off here, and go work on mine!!! Oh, wait, it's 103 today, I think I'll stay in the house..hahaha

Get’er done John!

[dhutton]

I think the stock LSA power steering pump has too much pressure for the rack. You may need to reduce the pressure if you have not already. I ended up with a pump from Turn One that they set up for me. Did you cycle the steering rack without the car running to purge the air?

Don

[joeko23]

I think the stock LSA power steering pump has too much pressure for the rack. You may need to reduce the pressure if you have not already. I ended up with a pump from Turn One that they set up for me. Did you cycle the steering rack without the car running to purge the air?

Don

I bought this pressure reducing fitting from Turn One, chassisworks recommends 1-1.5 gpm. I bought the fitting that’s 1.3gpm. So I’m assuming all should be well.

Yes, I turned the wheel a million times back and forth with engine off, I also jacked up the front end like you suggested with the radiator. I saw some YouTube videos of tech updates that the new pumps have very small cavities which make it nearly impossible to bleed just by turning the wheel back and forth. Vacuum bleeding several times is what’s recommended so that’s what I’m going to try.

https://turnonesteering.com/product/an-6-flow-restrictor-for-cadillac-cts-v-zf-pump/

[ryeguy2006a]

That sounds really nice and tight! So glad to hear you had it out around the block. Aren't LSA motors great!

[joeko23]

That sounds really nice and tight! So glad to hear you had it out around the block. Aren't LSA motors great!

They sure are Ryan! I had a 13 ZL-1 one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. It was comfortable, fast, reliable, everything I’m hoping my build will be.

[joeko23]

What’s the correct orientation of the inner wheel well supports?

This is drivers side outside:

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This is passenger side outside:

189695

Is the bracket supposed to mount to the outside of the firewall support (facing tire) or the inside firewall support (facing engine)?

[dhutton]

The two sides are different and it looks like you have them correctly installed. At least that is my recollection.

Don

[joeko23]

The two sides are different and it looks like you have them correctly installed. At least that is my recollection.

Don

I took a look at the assembly manuel yesterday, and you’re correct as always! So weird that driver side bolts go from exterior to interior. But on the passenger side they go from interior to exterior. I surely thought I was doing something wrong.

[joeko23]

I’ve been battling with the power steering pump for over a week. It’s been VERY intermittent and seemed like when the fluid heated up, I would lose power. All my research pointed to air in the system. I bought a vacuum bleeder and the same thing would happen. I decided to call chassisworks about the rack because the pictures of their rack on the website looked different than mine so perhaps I wasn’t getting enough assist. After speaking with them they basically said probably still have air in the lines. Then I called turn one who was a tremendous help. I explained what was happening and the tech guy said it sounds like the valve in the pump is sticking so he recommended replacing the pump.

So today I received the pump, vacuum bled the system and took a spin up and down the block and FINALLY all was well. I was really worried that these mustang style racks would feel over assisted or lacked feeling. I am very happy to report that the steering feels tight, accurate and totally not over assisted. In fact it feels very close to a 3 series BMW I had, where you needed a little bit of muscle to turn the wheel.

I also installed the Raingear hidden wiper system, very good, high quality kit. Everything bolted into place easily and the wiring seems pretty simple as well.

My next order of business is installing the AAW harness and getting all the electronics sorted. I also ordered a 12V-5V converter to keep the BMW M4 seats constantly alive as they timeout after about 30 sec. This is the converter:
12V to 5V DC Converter Car Power Voltage, Waterproof DC 6.3-22V 12V Step Down to DC 5V 3A 15W Voltage Regulator Buck Converter Power Supply Step-Down Module Compatible with Vehicle Car Truck Volt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y2V1F8V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NV54YMFJHYCS81BR5PPA

I also ordered a converter for the iPad and phone charger:
JZK Car Power Converter DC 12V to 5V/ 3A Voltage Converter with Dual USB Adapter Connectors for Phone Charging car Audio Radio etc https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XSCCLCD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TCRYXA5V79EPF9SGJX73

[joeko23]

Quick update. I’ve been wiring the whole car with the AAW kit, there’s sooo many wires especially with all the modern electronics I’m incorporating. I decided to take a break and work on my gauge pod because my gauges came in.

So I used the stock Mercedes dash cluster, took all the guts out, made a template, cut it out of metal and here’s the product, it’s not final, I still have to paint the metal insert I made to hold the small gauges in the center. Came out fantastic if I do say so myself lol.

This is how the original cluster looks:
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This is the insert template I made:
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Result!
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[thumper877]

Looks fantastic

[slimjim]

very nice, looks to be speedhut freedom gauges. I plan something similar. I hope they turn out as nice as this setup

[thedugan]

Nice work and looks great.

Where did you put the heat exchanger pump. Im trying to figure out where to mount it on my mine and cant find a good place. I' running the stock pump and bracket so thats part of the issue.

[dhutton]

Gauges look great Joe. You do nice work.

Don

[joeko23]

Thanks guys! I was really worried that the 2 1/16” gauges wouldn’t fit in the space. But they did with zero space left. Crazy how things work out sometimes. Yes they are speedhut gauges. They say on their website it takes 5 weeks, but I received them in less than 3 even with custom printing.

I also used the stock zl1 intercooler pump and bracket. It’s a really well made piece because of the rubber surround, the pump is basically floating in rubber, when the pump is on it transmits zero vibrations. Anyway, I mounted it on the drivers side frame. Here’s some pics for reference. I believe I had to reclock the pump on the bracket so that it could face in the direction I wanted.

[MrBlonde]

Loving the MB interior and the drivetrain choice.

[thedugan]

Thanks guys! I was really worried that the 2 1/16” gauges wouldn’t fit in the space. But they did with zero space left. Crazy how things work out sometimes. Yes they are speedhut gauges. They say on their website it takes 5 weeks, but I received them in less than 3 even with custom printing.

I also used the stock zl1 intercooler pump and bracket. It’s a really well made piece because of the rubber surround, the pump is basically floating in rubber, when the pump is on it transmits zero vibrations. Anyway, I mounted it on the drivers side frame. Here’s some pics for reference. I believe I had to reclock the pump on the bracket so that it could face in the direction I wanted.

Perfect. Thanks for the info

[ryeguy2006a]

Those gauges look killer man! I love your out of the box thinking with that. It looks like a modern interpretation of the 67-68 gauge surround. Can't wait to see more.

[joeko23]

Those gauges look killer man! I love your out of the box thinking with that. It looks like a modern interpretation of the 67-68 gauge surround. Can't wait to see more.

Thanks Ryan! I agree, it’s all coming together and really looks like it all belongs. The new Mercedes interior design is very retro.

[joeko23]

I also ordered some turn signal indicators to go in the cluster:
Alpinetech PLB12MS 12mm 1/2" 12V LED Metal Signal Indicator Pilot Dash Light (Single Arrow (Green)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D8G1VZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AG7S25G7W9YCRA6SZY58

High beams:
Alpinetech PLB12MS 12mm 1/2" 12V LED Metal Signal Indicator Pilot Dash Light (High Beam Indicator) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722Q4Q7H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8YRRAQ2KYCK2C4PGNKPH

And of course a check engine light:
Alpinetech PLB12MS 12mm 1/2" 12V LED Metal Signal Indicator Pilot Dash Light (Check Engine) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D848HV1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2FZ6MEYX64P0E0TPQ7FW

[joeko23]

Not much of an update, but I have been wrapping up all the wiring. I also finished the gauge pod. It came out great. I’m super happy with it. Looks very oem.

I think I’m going to have the interior guy come make door panels, recover the dash and glue in the iPad holder so that they will be all ready after the car gets painted. I also don’t want anything to get scratched. I know most people do interior last so we will see what the interior guys say.

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[ryeguy2006a]

That looks great man! I loved the Speedhut gauges that I had in my 1976 T/A, and they look right at home in that cluster. Do you plan on using those butt crimp terminals or is that for testing? If you were planning on using those butt terminals for good, I'd suggest using non-insulated seamless barrel terminals with a high quality shrink tube instead. Or better yet, do something like a Delphi GT 150 connector so that you can quickly disconnect if needed.

[joeko23]

I was planning to use them for good. They are only in turn signal, high beam and Check engine light. Why do you not recommend them?

[dhutton]

That looks great man! I loved the Speedhut gauges that I had in my 1976 T/A, and they look right at home in that cluster. Do you plan on using those butt crimp terminals or is that for testing? If you were planning on using those butt terminals for good, I'd suggest using non-insulated seamless barrel terminals with a high quality shrink tube instead. Or better yet, do something like a Delphi GT 150 connector so that you can quickly disconnect if needed.
X2 on those butt connectors. They can be unreliable. Non insulated seamless with high quality sealing heat shrink is the way to go as recommended above. Or a quality connector.

Don

[GB68]

Just now zipped through your project and about the same time started on mine, and you definitely went deeper and more creative! Cool!

[joeko23]

192404192405Finally found a painter. She’s all put together, just waiting for my turn.

[John McIntire]

Who did you wind up going with?

[Motown 454]

The gauges look great! Congratulations on finding a painter.

[joeko23]

Thanks guys! Here’s the gauges mounted and the color scheme of the interior I’m going for. I also a ordered the BMW 4 series door panels so the interior guy can utilize the door pulls, door handles, trim, speaker grills, etc.

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[TANKMASTERJ]

What’s the correct orientation of the inner wheel well supports?

This is drivers side outside:

189696


This is passenger side outside:

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Is the bracket supposed to mount to the outside of the firewall support (facing tire) or the inside firewall support (facing engine)?

I thought the same thing when mine return to from paint shop because I didn't know. Los correct and your build is awesome.
Jason

[joeko23]

I thought the same thing when mine return to from paint shop because I didn't know. Los correct and your build is awesome.
Jason

Thanks Jason! The orientation is so weird, once you get the inner fender on, those bolts are inaccessible from the drivers side. Why would they do that?

[ryeguy2006a]

Killer job on the interior man. The custom stuff is so nice.

[joeko23]

As I impatiently wait for my car to be painted, I took a look at the side mirror again, everyone who sees them says the same thing. They are too big for the car. So my hunt continued. I just fit these, they are out of a 18-21 Camry. They are smaller than the Lexus ones I had and seems to look more aggressive as well. I also like that they have little dimples on them, again look more aggressive. What do you guys think?

I also ordered a set from a Corolla and a Chevy Cruze, they should be coming in by the end of the week.

Let me know your thoughts.

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[ryeguy2006a]

I'll be honest I really like the style, but I still think that they look too big. The trouble with all the modern side mirrors that most are very large and to me look out of place on older cars. Have you tried looking at something like a touring motorcycle's mirrors? They would have that style, but proportionally smaller.

BTW, what is the orange car next to yours??

[thumper877]

I agree the style is good but it's just to big in my opinion.

[joeko23]

I’m still waiting for the Cruze mirrors, they should have come today but now they are scheduled for tomorrow. Honestly, I think the old style mirrors are too small, there’s got to be something in between! I also really want the turn signal in the mirror. Also the Camry mirrors have an option for blind spot monitoring which I think I can make work.

The orange car is my Mclaren 720s, good catch Ryan! Let me know if you wanna see more pics of it.

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[thumper877]

Just a option. I got these from a place called yogisinc.com They have a cool catalog with alot of specialty parts. They have the same mirror with turn signals. They have several styles oval square etc. I really like mine. Let me know if u need some better pics.193395

[ryeguy2006a]

The orange car is my Mclaren 720s, good catch Ryan! Let me know if you wanna see more pics of it.


Of course we do! Oh BTW, my other car is a Mclaren 720s. No big deal, haha. You're the man!!

[thumper877]

Of course we do! Oh BTW, my other car is a Mclaren 720s. No big deal, haha. You're the man!!I was thinking the same thing. Lol

[joeko23]

Finally got the Cruze mirror in. It’s going to be closer to the body obviously by about 1/2” maybe.

If you guys had to pick between the 2, which would it be?

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[joeko23]

Of course we do! Oh BTW, my other car is a Mclaren 720s. No big deal, haha. You're the man!!


Never mentioned it, cause it’s not Protouring related. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure:

[Vimes]

I kinda like how the crease in the first mirror mimics the car's existing body lines, and personally always felt that a larger mirror is better than a smaller one seeing as the purpose of a mirror is to help you make sure you aren't driving into someone else. But, you won't go wrong with either of them, both look like they'll fit the looks of the car well.

If either does look too large, a little creative painting can help minimize the size, like perhaps painting the bottom third black and dragging it up the outside or something. Tell a good painter what you want and they can likely paint the mirror in a way that disguises its size.

[joeko23]

I kinda like how the crease in the first mirror mimics the car's existing body lines, and personally always felt that a larger mirror is better than a smaller one seeing as the purpose of a mirror is to help you make sure you aren't driving into someone else. But, you won't go wrong with either of them, both look like they'll fit the looks of the car well.

If either does look too large, a little creative painting can help minimize the size, like perhaps painting the bottom third black and dragging it up the outside or something. Tell a good painter what you want and they can likely paint the mirror in a way that disguises its size.


Yes, agreed, I also think the first mirror mimics the body line. However, the 2nd mirror looks more like the bullet style that most people use on the 1st gen. Decisions