1970 GTO Version 2.0

[andrewb70]

It is time to post a few updates on the car. I haven't really been driving it much this summer because of a lack of time, but I am getting excited for my next event. I just registered for the Holley LS Fest and it is time to get the car ready. Here is a list of things that I plan on doing.

1. I noticed when the car gets hot, while siting in traffic, the steering effort increases. I double checked the fluid level and even though it doesn't seem to be boiling or spilling out, I decided to add a power steering cooler. I realize there are various options for this, but it seems that the easiest and most sanitary install will be to use the 4th gen f-body cooler that mounts in the upper radiator hose. Several people have mentioned that this might not be the best solution, but I have the cooler already and I will give it a try.



2. I changed my rear brakes over to 4th gen f-body "LS1" brakes using Raybestos premium pads. I chose these pads after several conversations with Toby at Kore3. As much as I want to believe that I have a race car, I do not, and thus I need my brakes to work even when they are cold. The Raybestos pads have a similar friction profile to the Hawk HP pads. I will be swapping out the Hawk HP pads, that I have in the front, to the Raybestos premium pads, to match the rears.

3. There is no denying that having bigger front tires is more desirable. My current tire size is 255/40-18. I've been running this size mainly because my front wheels are only 8" wide. During the recent brake upgrades, I've had the opportunity to really examine how much room I have in the front, and it was clear that I can go with a wider tire and wheel in the front. I managed to track down Alan Balis, who used to work for Kinesis wheels, and after getting some measurements, he sent me these:



The beauty of having 3-piece wheels is that they can be altered to suit the needs of the application. These are wider inner hoops that will increase the width of my front tires to 9.5"

4. With the increase in the front wheel size, I now need bigger tires. I struggled long at hard over my tire choice. My current tires are Falken R615s, which are admittedly an older tire technology. Falken does make a new version of that tire, called the 615k, but I was reluctant to use them because of size availability. I currently run a 295/40-18 in the rear. This is a 27" diameter tire. I want to run a 275/35-18 tire in the front, which is 25.5" tall. I felt that from an aesthetic perspective, the front tires would look too small compared to the rear and it would look funny. Again, as much as I want to believe that I have a race car, I don't, and looks are a factor. Ideally, I would run a 295/35-18 in the rear, but Falken doesn't offer that size in the 615K....

So, the choice was pretty clear. BF Goodrich just came out with their new Rival tire, and by all accounts, this tire kicks a$$. So I pulled the trigger on a set of these:



The 275/35 fronts and 295/35 rears are a perfect match. The rear is about 26" tall, which is a hair taller than the fronts. They are designed to be used on 9.5" and 10.5" wide wheels, which is exactly what I will have after widening the fronts. The Rivals are a true street tire, with a tread wear rating of 200, which allows me to use them at events like the Holley LS Fest. Using the Rivals was just a natural choice. I am very excited to get them on the car and see how they work, both on the street and on the autocross track.

I will be doing these upgrades sometime in August, so stay tuned for more pictures of the installation process.

Andrew