78 Camaro Type PT

[grendel]

Looking good man.

[70rsss396]

Great looking progress! What serpentine drive is that?

Chris, that drive is made by Top Street Performance but I modified one of the bracket to my taste. I also had to modify the lower rear AC mounting bracket as it was 1/4" to thick. Not a big deal but I think the kit was designed for a different compressor that what was supplied?

[70rsss396]

Well there’s nothing like having a bunch of time off work during the holidays to get a project back on track. There is a since of accomplishment when you get your sub-frame assembled for the last time. A lot of work and some engineering has got me to this point……As I stated before I didn’t want to go with the non-adjustable sway bar that came with the SpeedTech front suspension so with their help sway bar rates I converted to an adjustable torsion bar set up. This is common on aftermarket sub-frame with rack & pinion but is a PITA setting up with a factory sub-frame and steering box. Because the tube the bar rides in has to be welded to the front of the steering box the steering arms operate between the lower control are and the sway bar linkage.



Before I installed the JRI shocks I did a quick bump steer adjustment just to get into the pall bark. I will lock in the bump steer after car is built and has a real alignment.

[70rsss396]

The last part of my holiday progress was to get my car back on 4 wheels, even if the front wheels are the same diameter as the rotors I will be running….lol With the help of my bike lift and a floor jack I maneuvered the sub-frame till I got the middle solid bushings aligned and bolts almost fully tightened, I was then able to lift the car and do the rears. Back down and the sub-frame back on the bike lift I was able to push the car back putting all wheel back on the lift.



To top off New Year’s day I installed the motor/trans fully completing the goals I set for myself for my X-Mas & N.Y vacation.

[aps63]

Looks great so far, I'm switching mine over to an LQ9 too.
Keep the updates coming.

[69Goat]

Nice work.

[70rsss396]

Well from the last update I’ve done a bunch of work with little progress. Lost a week thanks to Jegs sending me the wrong flexplate kit to go between my LQ9 & 700r4. Once I got the tranny bolted up I found I had a clearance problem between the left rear coil pack and one of the humps over the tranny tunnel on the firewall. All I needed to do is slide the motor forward ½” but the tranny mount was already at the end of the slot on the tranny X-member. So I had to pull out the X-member and have the mounting plate stretched forward 1”.

After I got X-member back and reinstalled and the motor bolted into the final location I dropped the intake on the motor to have a look how the air cleaner fitment. Looks like it’s going to work like a champ…..yea! Won’t bolt it on for good till I get all the wiring done.



Next I bolted up the master cylinder but to my dismay the mounting brackets have it pointing up at a steep angle and will need to be modified……always something! Lol

[70rsss396]

Over the last couple of weekends I bolted up the core support and fit my Griffin radiator only to find out I have a interference problem with my home made sway-bar frame mount. Had the bottom spigot cut and angled but I still don't fully clear. I'll have to grind a bit on my frame mount but I'll get r done. Had the booster bracket brackets cut down to reduce the angle of the master cylinder and played with the brake pedal some. Waiting on a new Clayton Machine brake pad and throttle to install everything. Also had a bung welded on my new aluminum tranny pan to mount a temp sensor for my digital dash. But the real progress came when I removed the axle and rear suspension. Now I can clean the bottom back half this weekend and weld in the upper shock mounting bar for the SpeedTech torque arm setup. Once that is done I can mock up my 9” and locate and weld the final brackets for the sway bar before powder coating. After Detroit Speed inner fenders and sub-frame connectors or installed I can bed-coat to match the front half.

[Zspoiler]

Nice work Keep on Truckin !!1

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Very cool project, lots of good stuff going on here. It's nice to see this being done to a later Camaro too, something a little out of the norm. Looking forward to seeing more, keep it coming!

[woody80z28]

I like it! Makes me want to get back to my rubber nose. I've got another car stealing all the build time right now.

[70rsss396]

Well it was a productive three day weekend for me. Spent a Friday scrubbing the back side of the undercarriage with multiple cleaners and brushes (nasty Job!) so it is nice and clean now. Saturday morning I hit the bottom again but with a bucket of soapy water and a scotch bright pad.



Since my cool looking Clayton Machine Works brake pad and throttle came in I was able to reinstall the brake pedal assembly. This in turn allowed me to bolt up the booster and master cylinder with the modified brackets I had cut down to reduce the angle of the MC.

Sunday morning I had my buddy Randy Porter come over and burn in my SpeedTech shock mount crossmember. While I have my own welded and do weld I leave the critical welding to a professional especially since he makes house calls! LOL After Randy made short work on the X member I was able to mock up the rear end and get the sway bar mounts in place where I can weld them in this week.



I do need to say something about the Clayton Machine Works throttle pedal assembly. I bought the model made for a 70-81 Camaro. While it bolt to the same hole pattern and location as the factory pedal the factory throttle cable location where it comes through the firewall is nowhere near the cable arm on the Clayton pedal assy. It looks to be 3” off to left of the cable. If the pedal was designed with the adjustable cable arm to the right of the pedal a spacer could be made to move the are in line with the cable but that not how it was designed. I now will have to design a offset adapter.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Sweet! Won't be long till it's back on it's own sneakers! We're excited you chose our torque arm over other options. I own a factory 4-link car and after driving/racing mine and then a customer's torque arm in a Nova I was sold. You'll find it gives you a nice drive and is super smooth and predictable at the track.

Looking forward to further updates!

[70rsss396]

Thanks Ben, unlike the Clayton Machine part that looks great but doesn’t fit as well I have been very impressed with all the SpeedTech components. Not only that but the personal service I have received either from Roger, Blake, Jay or yourself has been outstanding. I wasn’t sure which way to go at first till I talked to Tim at GAP Racing and he convinced me SpeedTech was the way to go. Tim’s dad and uncle are old friends of mine so I know he was shooting me straight and I glad I listen.

[70rsss396]

Over the last couple of weekends I have been doing some prep work for bigger things to come. First after mocking up my rearend housing at the middle of the shock travel I welded in the rear sway bar mounts.



During the week the housing went to powder coating and my mufflers came in.



Next I started marking out the cut lines for the Detroit Speed sub-frame connectors. But before I started cutting I doubled checked my sub-frame alignment based of off DS instructions. Unfortunately it was off more than I thought it was, but after a bunch of plumb bob work and adapting a hole saw to get the center point of the lower ball joints I was able to get it within 1/8” which was in line with the instructions. I was able to get one connector cut in before I had to put an end to my fun for the weekend. Hope to have them in by next weekend.

[rickpaw]

Nice progress. Looking forward to see it completed.

[70rsss396]

Well it’s been a few weeks since I posted an update. I’ve been dealing with some of the unglamorous stuff like welding, priming and seam sealing sub-frame connectors and mini-tubs. The latter is the only chassis work I’ve farmed out. Considering they knocked it out in three days last weekend (Fry, Sat & Sun) and I was sick all weekend it worked out great. I did have to get in the steering shaft and joints so I could turn the wheels while loading. This weekend I need to pull the rear end out one more time so I can finally paint under the back half. I can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel where I can start putting the back of the car together for the last time.

[70rsss396]

I haven’t done an update for a while on the Camaro, but I have been making some progress like finished painting bottom back area. As of this last weekend the rearend is in to stay….I hope! Loaded the new pumpkin then the axlel and finished the floating hubs. Would have been done last week but Speedway sent the wrong size axle seals when I bought my housing. But they took care of me and all is good.





When I purchased my pumpkin I told them I had to have standard Ford clocking on the pinion support. Not all aftermarket pumpkins are made that way. In one ear and out the other I guess. Now my trailing arm support block is off 10° now I have to re-drill and weld on the outside of a few new hole as the mat’l will be too thin after drilling. I wished SpeedTech slotted the hole from the get go then they would fit a host of aftermarket pumpkins.



Also starting to receive the next round of parts. Going to start at the rear and move to the front on plumbing and wiring. Roll bar will get installed when I get one of my buddies small enough to fit in the trunk to help..lol.

New battery and tray....the tray is now splattered painter to match the trunk.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

I checked with Jay and after seeing your pic he suggested usually the rears that have the non Ford clocking aren't that much of an angle difference. Hard to tell in the photo but could you possibly have the billet pinion mount on backwards? Maybe swap it 180* on a vertical plane?

If that doesn't work, I'm not in sales and don't know part numbers but I believe we have the pinion mount with the other clocking too. Let's try those options first before you drill new holes.

[70rsss396]

Ben, thanks for the reply. The pinion block is mounted with the thick side facing to the front per the instructions. Because the five mtg holes are not evenly spread, on the bolt circle, the block can only fit one way. I dropped off the block last night to have the lower block portion EDMed from the OD of the mtg ring. I can then install both parts and mark where they re-clock before welding them back together. Updating to a slotted pinion plate that will cover a wide range of aftermarket pumpkins as a standard part would help customers like me in the future.