New Project - 1989 Players Series Z28 - 1LE R7U

[James OLC]

So after running the OLoA last month it was apparent that the weakest link in our program was my driving - I definately need more work if we're going to defend our class win in 2011. So with that the search was on for a street legal track car that I could flog without regret but still have fun on the road and eventually restore and - ultimately - put through it's paces in the OLoA. I looked at a couple of first gens (including the '67 RS I have sitting in the garage) as well as a couple of very cool second gens but couldn't figure out what I was going to build on a real budget that wasn't going to end up getting out of control. A couple of weeks ago I came across a cool third gen that was a little out of the ordinary, had some history, and was ready to hit the track as it was.



It's a Canadian 1989 Camaro Z28 with the 1LE option package as well as the R7U option. The 1LE package is fairly well known at this point and is generally considered to be a stripped down performance package - heater delete, radio delete, armstrong windows, etc. - and is most ofter associated with police packages. The R7U option is slightly less common and not as well known - especially south of the border.



In 1986 GM Motorsports created with Players Challege Series which featured factory modified Camaro's and Firebirds which were raced on road courses and ovals in Canada. The series lasted through 1992 with between 35 and 91 cars built per year - Ron Fellows is probably the most well known race driver to have competed in the series. Unlike the typical 1LE cars, the R7U's featured slightly more aggressive suspensions and were full load cars - power everything with heaters (but ac delete) and other options - because the cars were required to be licensed, insured, and driven to the track.



The car I found was an '89 - one of 111 1LE cars built and one of 74 R7U optioned cars - with only 25,000 miles and currently legal for vintage racing. It's got a couple of class championships under it's belt and is more or less street legal with a couple of adjustments here and there. It's got a carbed 305 with a close ratio Tremec 5-speed and a Currie 9" with an Edelbrock torque arm.



It's got a factory GM Motorsports cage that has been upgraded to meet modern rules and all of the neccessary tweaks for regular track use. Hood is a factory fiberglass peice and the rear hatch is lexan and 'glass (but still heavy as all get out).



Once I have a chance to go over it we'll look at an LS swap and maybe a 6-speed upgrade as well as some (a lot) of clean up. New brakes and wheels and tires are on the list and we'll bring the interior back to something marginally more streetable as time permits.

It should be a lot of fun and best of all it's ready to go right away... heck, If I can remember how to change jets I'll try it out at an autocross next weekend and should have it on the road course at Race City within a month...



I'll post some progress pics as I go but for the most part I'm going to try to keep this one under control...

[Van B]

Nice Canadian touch, a hockey stick hood prop.

[srh3trinity]

I noticed that hockey stick too. I would love to do a third gen. I had two of them and other than the anemic power plants, they are fun cars. I could probably learn a lot from one of them even with the weak power plant and a few suspension tweaks.

[montessaj]

I dig this alot!

[PhillipM]

That thing is awesome!

[LM7_67]

that car's bad ass!

[exwestracer]

I learn something every day. Never knew GM offered factory race cars in that period.

Looks like an awesome start. Personally, I'm not jet hot about the strut front; but there are plenty of them out there working well, I suppose.

[T_Raven]

That thing's pretty sweet.

[John Wright]

I'm diggin it!...Go get em' James.

Get that poor lil motor out of that thing first chance you get....needs mo powah.....LOL...yah, LSX is good.

[Gitter Dun]

Very cool, I'm a long ways from getting my IROC but I am glad someone else has seen the light. Though the first gen's can be built to go fast, it is often nerve racking having them on the track due to fear of wrecking precious metal.

There is a guy at Nor Cal NASA that sells track ready 3rd gens with cage and all other safety equipment for the CMC racing series starting at around $8000 at the low end and depending on options price goes up from there.

[slowcamaro]

I see it has ground control caster/camber inserts. When can we expect to see more detailed suspension pictures. What sort of struts and shocks are on it?

Does it have a stock style spring set up, or weight jacks?

I want pictures of from every angle.

[James OLC]

I learn something every day. Never knew GM offered factory race cars in that period.

Here is a video from '87 of the Players Series running on the F1 course prior to the GP... http://www.streetfire.net/video/1987...eal_192790.htm

One of the reasons that I wanted one of these cars is because I spent some time with them at Race City Speedway in the late '80's when they were running before the ASA races. They would run on the road course and the oval; when they were on the little half mile oval in Calgary they would run up the track to the point of knocking their passenger side mirrors off...

One of the great things about GM cars sold in Canada (if any vintage) is that GM can document them in much the same way that Pontiac Historical Services does. This car was done a couple of years ago:

[James OLC]

I see it has ground control caster/camber inserts. When can we expect to see more detailed suspension pictures. What sort of struts and shocks are on it?

Does it have a stock style spring set up, or weight jacks?

I want pictures of from every angle.

Correct - it has the ground control inserts. The front struts are R7U Koni's which are slightly more aggressive than the 1LE versions. Rears are Koni's as well. The springs are set up with weight jacks.

[MrQuick]

with full documentaion too? sweet catch.

love it.
Vince

[lachowich]

You can claim previously owned by a Celebrity too... "Mr. T".

[CurtiSS 69]

Hello James,

Super Cool car. Will this be a driver development car, or are you going to run it in the OLofA?

Regards

CurtiSS 69

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

your my fuggin hero james..

[slowcamaro]

If this is just going to be a toy there is no reason to stick 8" wide rims, correct? With careful measuring and minor clearancing its rumored you can stuff 11" wide wheels on all corners.

On http://www.frrax.com/rrforum their is at least one guy running 18x10.5's I think his motivation behind that size was the availability of inexpensive grand am cup scuff tires.

Another possible source for further chassis development would be the asedan.net It is pretty restricted ruleset, but a good source of information as far starting points for a stock based race car.

[James OLC]

your my fuggin hero james..

Thanks Mr. V but you would change your mind pretty quickly if you saw how quickly the piddly little 600 double pumper kicked my ass yesterday... twenty years of carb knowledge gone with five years of LS goodness...

If this is just going to be a toy there is no reason to stick 8" wide rims, correct? With careful measuring and minor clearancing its rumored you can stuff 11" wide wheels on all corners.

On http://www.frrax.com/rrforum their is at least one guy running 18x10.5's I think his motivation behind that size was the availability of inexpensive grand am cup scuff tires.

Another possible source for further chassis development would be the asedan.net It is pretty restricted ruleset, but a good source of information as far starting points for a stock based race car.

Yeah... we're looking at wheel and tire combinations now. One of the considerations from running OLoA is trying to square things up and run the same combination front and back. It's fine with the RA1's now and the 305 but an LS is going to need some better traction.

The car is A Sedan legal now and was CASC division champion a couple of years in a row in this configuration. The previous owner was running the car in Vintage (G70) and would have been on the pole last weekend if the car hadn't been in my garage...

[jackfrost]

cool toy!

are you going to keep it class legal?