Budget '69 Camaro Track Car

[Gitter Dun]

A few of you have sent me PM's and have asked about my car so I decided to start a thread on it. This isn't a high dollar full suspension mod car. It's just like the title describes and the car is built specifically for the road course. I run Time Trials with NASA and Northern California Racing Club as often as I can afford to. Here is what she looks like now after starting modifications in the year 2000. I will add history and build pics as time permits.

She's ran a 2:04 lap time at Thunderhill with the bypass configuration on 100 tread wear tires last season but I didn't get to finish dialing her in due to braking a timing chain in the 4th session. Goal is 2:00 minute lap times on 100 tread wear tires this season and then I will go to slicks.

[Gitter Dun]

This is at Thunder Hill in the early 2000's. Car has come a long way.

[Gitter Dun]

Infineon mid 2000's.

[Gitter Dun]

Buttonwillow 2010






Thunderhill later in the year

[Flash68]

Nice shots buddy... keep em coming!

Oh, and I like the 4x4 look from the early 2000's.

[Twentyover]

Chris-

Are you the same Chris Consentino who posts to the Motorcycle chassis mail list? Just curious

[Gitter Dun]

Nice shots buddy... keep em coming!

Oh, and I like the 4x4 look from the early 2000's.

Thanks Dave. Yeah, sho was pretty high back then.

Chris-

Are you the same Chris Consentino who posts to the Motorcycle chassis mail list? Just curious

Actually my name is Gaetano Cosentino and I gave up motorcycles 26 years ago.

Thanks for the interest though.

[Gitter Dun]

I quit racing the car at the end of 2006 due to other priorities. In 2010 I had a couple of surgeries and was off work for 6 months. With all that free time on my hands I ended up coming across this site and was amazed how far we've come with these cars and how many were starting to enter competitive events with them so Phase II began. First thing I ordered was an aluminum front clip and an aluminum small block 427. Here are some pics of the tear down and a little rattle can clean up.

[Gitter Dun]

Aluminum front clip installed. $2200 shipped.

[Gitter Dun]

I flew out to NYES Automotive in Muncie, Indiana to watch the dyno pull. She pulled 621 hp at 6500 rpm and 560 ft/lbs of torque at 5600 rpm. happy with the numbers but I'm not going recommend buying a motor from these guys. My first track day with the new motor she leaked alot oil from the pan and intake. I sent it back and they fixed and shipped it on their dime but I lost a track day and had to pull and reinstall motor a second time.

[Gitter Dun]

Picked up motor from shipping hub. Motor $9850 shipped.

[Sean Cooke]

Great build, I am also really interested in doing track days, Lets chat sometime!!!

[Gitter Dun]

Great build, I am also really interested in doing track days, Lets chat sometime!!!

Thanks for the interest Sean, that sounds good. I'll keep you posted as I should visit Buttonwillow Raceway this season.

[Gitter Dun]

Back from paint and motor installed. $3500 paint job from Kens Auto Body and Paint in Yuba City.

[Gitter Dun]

Once the motor was installed it was time for exhaust. Went with 3" all the way out the back. $900

[keithq69]

Can't wait to see the details of suspension and wheels and tire size.

[Gitter Dun]

Can't wait to see the details of suspension and wheels and tire size.

When I first started I was running 17x8's up front with 255's and 17x9.5 rears with 275's. One day I was messing around in the garage and decided to try the 275's up front. They fit but when I turned I was hitting wheel well and a bit at upper lip. I cut portions of the fender well out and rounded the lips by rolling a baseball bat in between lip and tire to make a nice round mini flare.
As far as front suspension goes I am still running stock subframe with Global West arms and springs. Steering is controlled through a Speed Direct rack-n-pinion which also has been in there for 13 years now.
I will get into the rear suspension next.

[Gitter Dun]

The rear suspension consists of Global West leaf springs dearched an extra inch. The leaf springs front bucket was raised up into the car another 1 1/2 inches with an extra hole drilled in the cup in case I want to raise the rear another inch. I was told this would give me more bite coming out of the corners. After the exhaust was installed I scheduled a track day. At the track I noticed that the rear tires were heating up prematurely. Come to find out the rear end was shifting laterally when I was driving through the corners and rubbing on my quarter panels so I decided to install a watts link. At the same time I installed the watts link I had the rear custom mini tubbed. I went with a custom mini tub because I didn't want to relocate my rear shocks to the insde of my leaf springs for stability reasons.. I also did not want to relocate my leafs for the same reason. I had to relocate my exhaust to the inside of my leaf springs and narrow my stock fuel tank to make the mini tubs work. Fays 2 watts link $750. Minitub and watts link install $2500.

[TheJDMan]

If you don't mind me asking, what transmission and rear gears are you running?

[XLexusTech]

Any regrets going with the Gen 1 SBC over LS? thinking that motor was pretty steep..

Also what was fixed with the oil problem was it a seal issue or a internal pressure problem... I am seriously considering this engine..