Convert from pro-street to pro-touring???

[Erik Beckett]

My new 67 camaro I just purchased is basically a pro street ladder bar car the pretty much rides like crap. It has ladder bars and cheap coilovers that I am sure came with the backhalf kit. I am sure they are Comp Engineering or something like that. My goal is to get this car to ride better down the road.

The tires are MT Sportsman bias ply tires, size 29x12.50x15's. I know switching to a radial will make an improvement in the ride but by how much? Also I like the idea of meats under the car but I really don't see anything as big, maybe 28" are the tallest I have seen in a radial tire while switching to a 17 x 11 rim. I am afraid by switching to a new rim and tire combo will lower the car to much. MT has the new H1 and H2 rims and matching tires but $2500 for to is out of the question.

Also, I know they make now, polyurethane rod ends for a ladder bar system that should help some as well. I know these questions are kinda random, but I am looking for ideas to keep the big tire look while switching to a radial tire and maybe to 17's to show off the disc brakes.

Any help or suggestions would be great.

Erik

[TonyL]

If you're looking to keep the tire hight you need to consider something bigger than 17 inches as a rim. many pro-street converts have used 20" rims out back to make things look ok. Have the wheel openings been opened up in the back? Most pro-street cars have. If so 17s will look positively dinky in the openings. Steve's Bad Penny is a prime example of a rescued pro-street car.

[TonyL]

here's an example of a huge back wheel to compensate for the loss of the fat meats out back.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Granted, this is an extreme example.

[Erik Beckett]

I love the look of that Nova but the pennies are just there for the back rims. My major concern is the ride quality switching to lower profile tires and riding like crap. I haven't had any experience with a low profile tire yet. The wheel wells are stock openings and the tires fit real nice with room for larger on the inside and outside. I have photos of the car but have never tried to post a picture yet.

Thanks, Erik

[Tiger]

My new 67 camaro I just purchased is basically a pro street ladder bar car the pretty much rides like crap. It has ladder bars and cheap coilovers that I am sure came with the backhalf kit. I am sure they are Comp Engineering or something like that. My goal is to get this car to ride better down the road.

The tires are MT Sportsman bias ply tires, size 29x12.50x15's. I know switching to a radial will make an improvement in the ride but by how much? Also I like the idea of meats under the car but I really don't see anything as big, maybe 28" are the tallest I have seen in a radial tire while switching to a 17 x 11 rim. I am afraid by switching to a new rim and tire combo will lower the car to much. MT has the new H1 and H2 rims and matching tires but $2500 for to is out of the question.

Also, I know they make now, polyurethane rod ends for a ladder bar system that should help some as well. I know these questions are kinda random, but I am looking for ideas to keep the big tire look while switching to a radial tire and maybe to 17's to show off the disc brakes.

Any help or suggestions would be great.

Erik

switching from a 29" to a 28" tall tire will only lower your car 1/2", my guess is that it can be compensated by moving the coilover bracket or tighthening the coilovers a bit.

[TonyL]

To quickly answer your question. The ride *definitely* will be adversely effected as the profile drops. However you'll notice a great improvement in cornering feel. The rear won't "wallow" all over. Does the car have a spool in the rear? If so, put switching to a limited slip on your wish list.

[jknight16]

And also remember, going from bias ply tires to radials is going to make a huge difference in how the car handles. Right now it probably darts left and right and follows everything in the road, but with radials that will be reduced dramatically. I know the difference was HUGE when I went from MT bias ply's to BFG Radials of roughly the same sizes, (this was many years ago and before I had done any suspension upgrades) .

[JayR]

I love the look of that Nova but the pennies are just there for the back rims. My major concern is the ride quality switching to lower profile tires and riding like crap. I haven't had any experience with a low profile tire yet. The wheel wells are stock openings and the tires fit real nice with room for larger on the inside and outside. I have photos of the car but have never tried to post a picture yet.

Thanks, Erik

Are you saying you can only afford to buy rears at this time? Research your options thoroughly and wait to save up some $ because switching out the rears just won't do what you need to do.

Even if you just get a set of 18s and get maximum backspacing in back with a 295/45 and get the ride height leveled out, you'll be $$$ ahead of the Mickey Thompson 20x15 plan and riding in style and comfort!

And don't freak out about sidewalls and ride quality. You'll have a bunch of sidewall with a 28" tall tire and the tire technology has come a long way. If your shocks and springs are set up right, they should be doing most of that work anyways.

And like Tony said, look to Steve Rupp's Bad Penny. He did what you're thinking about and hit a over the wall home run.

You really need to post up a picture of the car so we can see what you're working with and then make friends with Steve and start picking his brain. You will be miles ahead!

Good luck!

[Erik Beckett]

Who is Steve Rupp and where can I read about Bad Penny? The big Mickey Thomspon rims and tires are over $2500 just for the rears. I just can swing that right now for two rims and tires. I figure a nice set of 18 x11's and some taller tires would suffice me.

The guy who is doing my exhaust right now is actually a chassis builder and has some concerns about the ladder bar setup on the car. He said the shocks and springs are junk, he wants me to buy some Varishocks. And when he went to jack the car up, the front lower ball joint popped out of the lower control arm. the car has QA1, coilovers on the front and he doesn't like how they mount in the existing locations. He says the only thing holding the car up is the bottom shock mount since there is no regular coil springs.

Basically the car has some issues that he can fix and make it ride alot better he said.

I would like some info on Bad Penny if any has a link or something?

Thanks, Erik

[JayR]

Here's Steve's F-Quick http://www.fquick.com/steve1968ls2

Your exhaust/chassis guy is on the right track. Listen to him!

[BossaNova]

Dude. Don't just drop a bomb like this & walk away.
Could you please post a link or something to more pic's of this '67?
Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread.
-Mark
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[MarkM66]

Dude. Don't just drop a bomb like this & walk away.
Could you please post a link or something to more pic's of this '67?
Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread.
-Mark
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Right click, properties, copy, paste, ;

http://www.hotrodsbysteve.com/projects/67nova/

[TonyL]

Sorry guys!

Here's the info on that Nova. (http://www.hotrodsbysteve.com/projects/67nova/)

[darth_flavor]

get some shocks waves in the rear and the thin rubbers won't rattle your car apart.



and............what's the gas mileage on a car using the same engine it had when you converted from a pro-stock?

[roadracer55]

hoosier have good size radials, H rated too. This what I'm using.

https://www.hoosiertire.com/strttire.htm