Introducing - Project 1/2-TRAK

[Damn True]

Undercoating - gone.

Back - sore.

Neck - sore.

Arms - sore.



Hands - sore.

[WS6]

good man. I've got some rust I need to sand and wire brush away on the underside of my car too. I've got it on a lift but I'm still not looking forward to it.

[1968CamaroSS_Sam]

Undercoating - gone.

Back - sore.

Neck - sore.

Arms - sore.

Hands - sore.

Amazing undercarriage - priceless...

[formula98]

Great progress! I guess I need to make it out to my shop and cut up a 1/4 for you.....

[TA219]

good work, I remember going through that crap too! That stuff is thick but it worked pretty well on my car, my floors didnt really have too much rust after I was done cleaning them up!

[Damn True]

Amazing undercarriage - priceless...

Covering it all back up with lizard skin.....priceless.

[Damn True]

Great progress! I guess I need to make it out to my shop and cut up a 1/4 for you.....

That'd be fantastic. Thanks!!

[72NovaSS]

Undercoating - gone.

Back - sore.

Neck - sore.

Arms - sore.

Hands - sore.

sounds like you need a rub down from the wifey!

[redfire69]

prolly been easier replacing the metal!! J/K- looks good.

Undercoating - gone.

Back - sore.

Neck - sore.

Arms - sore.

Hands - sore.

[Damn True]

Worked a bit on the assembly of the steering system last night.

Started with the idler arm and steering box. Found out from David Pozzi that there can be some bind with the idler if the drag link is not installed with the idler arm/subframe bolts loose. He's right. I didn't loosen the bolts before I put the drag link in and....Yup. Sure enough. Bound up like a colon full of cheddar cheese.

Not to self and anyone else with a Camaro: David Pozzi knows his stuff. Listen to him.





The steering box is an ATS 670 unit. These are built for ATS by Tom Lee. I've had the pleasure of speaking to him on the phone. He struck me as one of those eccentric old wizards. When he isn't building super high-zoot stuff for teams in NASCAR, ALMS and others he works on stuff like this for us mortals.

The ATS/LEE 670 boxes are initially built on an assembly line with normal production tolerances. ATS's spec for the Lee box requires that every brand new unit is completely taken apart, re-honed, blueprinted, re-valved, dyno tested, magna-fluxed, and finished in some kind plating. They used to use a really sexy looking cadmium, but the CA EPA (nazis) rules are such that they are now using zinc. Still a good looking unit, but not as cool as the cad plating. These are race proven precision boxes, built exclusively for ATS. I don't know all the details of what Lee does with the valves, but I've driven a car with one of these in it, and it is by far the best feeling recric-ball steering gear I've ever felt. Better than a lot of rack/pinion setups in terms of feel.

Tyler, feel free to expand on this a bit.

Next up is the tie rod assemblies. The inner is a run of the mill Moog unit. The outer though is kinda neat. Baer brakes makes these things called "Baer Trackers" (a bit silly) but cool. Big honkin high offset rod end connected to a 1-3/16" dia aluminum coupler that threads directly onto the inner tie rod. The Baer Trackers provide the capability to adjust out any remaining bump-steer from the system by swapping the cad-plated shims (see photo) either above or below (or both in differential amounts) the rod end. A bit bulky, but still lighter than the traditional tie rod it replaces.



So with those bits installed I can see about mocking up some of my clearances.



That's a 275x40x17 tire on a borrowed 17x9 vette rim. The offset of the wheel is nothing like what I'm going to run, but it gives me something to calculate from.

....and it looks like I have some "cipherin" to do here.



With the steering arm bolted directly to the spindle, the tie rod assembly set at the OE length and the max offset on the bump steer adjuster the rod end crashes with the inner flange of the wheel.

Spoke with Tyler about it this morning, and the solution is not that big of a deal. I can space the steering arm inboard a bit, shorten the tie rod assembly accordingly, and the wheel spacer I will need to run to clear the Wilwood 6-pot brakes will move the wheel outboard enough to provide the required clearance.

It's always something isn't it?

Not to worry though. With the Speed-Tech control arms adjustable steering stop feature I'll be able to make the above modifications without much negative impact on total available steering angle. SWEET!

[BonzoHansen]

Progress is good.

And yes, new ballyard in the bronx is not.

[MrQuick]

*cough* 19's *cough*

LOL

[venturabeachpup]

Really nice progress True. Looking good.

"bound up like a colon full of cheddar cheese"...LOL that really cracks me up. You should start a post for one liners in the Junkyard and see what we come up with.

[Damn True]

Matt put on a welding class for a bunch of CC.com members over the weekend. Thus emboldened, I began installing the rear suspension yesterday.

It's going ok initially. Trying to be extra careful with the cutting so the crossmember fits as tightly as possible.

Photos of big holes cut in an old car to follow.

[Gonzostyle]

Well, I got the whole thing scraped down and about 1/2 of it wiped down with lacquer thinner.

What kind of gloves will hold up to that stuff? Latex and Nitrile both dissolve in pretty short order. I had to change them every few minutes. Gotta be something that will hold up to that solvent and allow some degree of dexterity.

True, I am a bit late getting to this, but I use Safegrip gloves (by microflex). The gloves even stand up to light use of brake cleaner. The link below is to the Amazon site, but a little shopping around might net you a better price.

-Jeremie

http://www.amazon.com/Microflex-SG37.../dp/B000JFHN38

[Damn True]

Worked on the install for about 4hrs last night, I think I spent 3hrs just removing and installing the x-member, leveling, checking, measuring, and deciding what to cut and less than 1hr actually cutting. Really trying hard to make sure the fit is as tight as possible on that thing.

Took a few photos, but it's really hard to see what's going on in them. Perhaps as I get deeper into it.

[PARKERRS]

That's what happens with the 3-link. Alot of ciphering and fitting for a little cutting. Try doing the center link close out from scratch like on my 72. The prototype for it was a 70 which has a different trunk floor and seat divider than 71 up camaro.

I feel your pain but when the 3-link is in just the look alone is worth it, much less the performance.

[Damn True]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[madmax]

here you go I kinda did this quick

Thought about doing the reverse shot and putting a pink bunny between the tails and adding a 69 to it

hope you dont mind

To tell you the truth, I wasn't so hot on that silver stripe with the blue. I think it breaks up the awesome rich dark of the black and blue color... but call me sick.... I kind of like the pink.........................

it makes the silver pop....

[Motown 454]

Maybe you could write Playboy if you paint it Pink, and see if they could get Heff ( my hero ) to autograph it . Maybe ship him the glove compartment door . You could write the show, Girls Next Door and ask. Maybe you'll get some press from it. Stranger things have happen. Then who else will have one like yours..