1968 Camaro (projekt 1sickT8)

[Rod]

rod,



Why not run the new hotchkis/Fox shocks?

I had a chance to work with Ridetechs guys back in November during the DelMar event and there ridetech fox shocks have been on the market for a while I was using another adjustable shock and the ridetech mono tube was smoother with a larger adjustment range, and I wanted to stay with the adjustment feature still

[Bryce]

I had a chance to work with Ridetechs guys back in November during the DelMar event and there ridetech fox shocks have been on the market for a while I was using another adjustable shock and the ridetech mono tube was smoother with a larger adjustment range, and I wanted to stay with the adjustment feature still

Oh, so the hotckis are non adjustable? Makes sense to me.

[Rod]

the hotckis are non adjustable

correct, and I don't have a lot of adjustments on my suspension, just the adjustable shocks and rear sway bar as far as easy adjustments, then there's rear ride height (to change the roll center) with the blocks

[Bryce]

correct, and I don't have a lot of adjustments on my suspension, just the adjustable shocks and rear sway bar as far as easy adjustments, then there's rear ride height (to change the roll center) with the blocks

Thanks Rod.

[eric1967]

Rod the updates are looking good. I have enjoyed looking at your website. Lots of great info on there. Everyone needs to check it out. Thanks for posting Eric

[Rod]

to be ready for the season, I tested the car and registered in and autocross driving school with a few friends a tune up for me and the car (Plain Jane)



good fun



and silly friends

[Rod]

my season warm up didn't go as well as I wanted, I will just say the tires I had for this event... sucked..... I have run the Falken rt615k for a year and have never had a problem, I won some tires at an event and since they where new (but not Falkens) I figured how bad could they be (since this company was promoting them as a autocross tire just a year ago) the car was so loose and out of control it was scary and I was in 30th spot, so Sunday before the event Big O tires were mounting 2 front different tires for me in an attempt to save my weekend race, and I went back to the track and the car was better but not good but I dropped a second on my time and moved up 10 spots to 20, lesson learn "That Company will not fool me again"

[Rod]

Just a quick update for the weekend!

I upgraded to some cool Hubs i picked up from gnitro! nice and light weight and then I changed the front wheel width from 17x8 to 17x9.5 and now the Camaro runs 275-40-17 all four corners, I will get a little pic up later

[qnitro]

Glad they work for you sir...Car is looking great, the hubs should be worth 40hp

[Rod]

Glad they work for you sir...Car is looking great, the hubs should be worth 40hp

ha ha ha 40HP! I could use it everyone I race with added HP this year, Goodguys is around the corner, you going to have the silver bullet done? if not come out and ride the track with me a few times just to get youre fix, if it is done, I want a ride in it

[qnitro]

I will be there but silver bullet wont.. She is close, we actually bumped the motor, and are just finishing wiring it up.. I will take up on the ride, I will come by and see you..

ha ha ha 40HP! I could use it everyone I race with added HP this year, Goodguys is around the corner, you going to have the silver bullet done? if not come out and ride the track with me a few times just to get youre fix, if it is done, I want a ride in it

[Rod]

Last week at the last minute I decide to run the So Cal Challenge events, so I woke up saturday morning at 2:00am drove 550 miles to the event rolled in at 8:15 am and tech had just started at 8:00, so I was unloading the car during Tech, My girl friend also raced the day, I finished top 4, just beaten by Ridetechs 33, Brett Cambells Fab 53 Roadster Camaro, and Dale's Sunbeam Tiger





great event Thanks to Rob, Black ink media, the sponsors, TCI, comp cams, ridetech and the rest!

it was a good start of the season!

[armourmark]

Love this whole thread Rod! You are making quite the name for yourself in autocross circles. I read in one of the mags (car craft?) that said you were running Sanderson headers? True? I thought this might have been an error from the magazine as I did not see anything in regards to them in the thread. If you are running them, which model? and do you recommend them? Thanks, Mark

[Rod]

Love this whole thread Rod! You are making quite the name for yourself in autocross circles. I read in one of the mags (car craft?) that said you were running Sanderson headers? True? I thought this might have been an error from the magazine as I did not see anything in regards to them in the thread. If you are running them, which model? and do you recommend them? Thanks, Mark

That was not a misprint, I am running Sanderson Headers, One thing that drag racers and road racers have in common, is a need for power, but that is where it ends. Drag racers want peak HP and but for my PT car I need a larger power band range. Most headers are the common long tube 4-1 design that promotes maximum peak horsepower, with the common primary tube diameter of 1 3/4" for quick exhaust scavenging and a collector size of 3" seems to be the most often offered. Both of these measurements are really bigger than needed for a typical SBC or LS engine (even my 6.0 LS is just 363.9 cu in, hardly bigger than a 350) in most uses. In my case, with a 6.0 LQ4 LS engine and a focus on low-end and mid-range (this is an autocross car after all!) - the vast majority of the headers out there just weren't the right fit for me (there desighed for top end), at least not as I see it, here's why:

When I built the car the first time with big headers & big tubes (3") & big mufflers, the car was noisy but not fast-- pipes hanging down dragging on dips, and making it virtually impossible to drive over train tracks.
When I switched to a smaller exhaust pipe (2.5") the car was peppy around the track; next a switch to the cheapest header I could find with small primary tubes (I used a cheapo summit brand exhaust for $79.00) and car was even faster off the line than I could have hoped for, but still hung down below the frame.



So this is what I need:


•Ground clearance. not hanging below the frame. we have bumps and dips while racing.
•Good low-end and mid-range speed. I should have more acceleration at low engine speeds than the competition
•Low weight. Header weight is up on the nose, and top-heavy

I needed a header that *should* meet these requirements. Being lucky enough to have a header manufacturer a mile from my shop helped the process a lot!

I explained my needs to my friends at Sanderson Headers and after 2 weeks and several fittings, I ended with the header design with a Primary Tube Diameter of 1½", a Collector Diameter of 2½", and weighing in at just 13 LBS complete with bolts and collectors in plain steel (no-coating), dropping another 25+lbs off the nose of my Camaro "Plain Jane".
This design is now available from Sanderson Headers as Model # V8RLS1 in plain steel or ceramic coated and fits perfectly in a First Generation Camaro with an LS engine swap.
I have an AGR power steering box and the stock clutch linkage (Z-bar) and this header configuration clears around both.

They have been on the car since febuary 2012 and I havent had one issue

[armourmark]

That was not a misprint, I am running Sanderson Headers, One thing that drag racers and road racers have in common, is a need for power, but that is where it ends. Drag racers want peak HP and but for my PT car I need a larger power band range. Most headers are the common long tube 4-1 design that promotes maximum peak horsepower, with the common primary tube diameter of 1 3/4" for quick exhaust scavenging and a collector size of 3" seems to be the most often offered. Both of these measurements are really bigger than needed for a typical SBC or LS engine (even my 6.0 LS is just 363.9 cu in, hardly bigger than a 350) in most uses. In my case, with a 6.0 LQ4 LS engine and a focus on low-end and mid-range (this is an autocross car after all!) - the vast majority of the headers out there just weren't the right fit for me (there desighed for top end), at least not as I see it, here's why:

When I built the car the first time with big headers & big tubes (3") & big mufflers, the car was noisy but not fast-- pipes hanging down dragging on dips, and making it virtually impossible to drive over train tracks.
When I switched to a smaller exhaust pipe (2.5") the car was peppy around the track; next a switch to the cheapest header I could find with small primary tubes (I used a cheapo summit brand exhaust for $79.00) and car was even faster off the line than I could have hoped for, but still hung down below the frame.



So this is what I need:


•Ground clearance. not hanging below the frame. we have bumps and dips while racing.
•Good low-end and mid-range speed. I should have more acceleration at low engine speeds than the competition
•Low weight. Header weight is up on the nose, and top-heavy

I needed a header that *should* meet these requirements. Being lucky enough to have a header manufacturer a mile from my shop helped the process a lot!

I explained my needs to my friends at Sanderson Headers and after 2 weeks and several fittings, I ended with the header design with a Primary Tube Diameter of 1½", a Collector Diameter of 2½", and weighing in at just 13 LBS complete with bolts and collectors in plain steel (no-coating), dropping another 25+lbs off the nose of my Camaro "Plain Jane".
This design is now available from Sanderson Headers as Model # V8RLS1 in plain steel or ceramic coated and fits perfectly in a First Generation Camaro with an LS engine swap.
I have an AGR power steering box and the stock clutch linkage (Z-bar) and this header configuration clears around both.

They have been on the car since febuary 2012 and I havent had one issue

Thanks for the clarification Rod. I know what you mean about the parts being a "one size fits all" to accomplish peak HP, definitely have to do research on some parts before purchasing.

[Pontiac Chris]

Awesome thread Rod, watched the SoCal Challenge live on Bangshift while working on the Firebird the other weekend, it was so cool felt like I was there! Your car is looking and running great, had a blast yesterday at Goodguys Scottsdale, missed seeing you guys.

Chris.

[Rod]

Here,s the front wheel update.....width change from 17x8 to 17x9.5 and now the Camaro runs 275-40-17 all four corners you can see there still just inside the fenderwells

[Roberts68]

Here,s the front wheel update.....width change from 17x8 to 17x9.5 and now the Camaro runs 275-40-17 all four corners you can see there still just inside the fenderwells

What is the backspace you are running Rod? Is it the exact same wheel/tire combo as the rear?
That looks great!

[Rod]

What is the backspace you are running Rod? Is it the exact same wheel/tire combo as the rear?
That looks great!

yes same front and rear now

Wheel Diameter: 17 in.
Wheel Width (in): 9.500 in.
Backspacing (in): 5.500 in.
Offset: +6.00mm

[Bryce]

Those tires should help!