[Project] #18

[bri2203]

As some of you know about a year ago I decided buy a 3rd gen camaro to make into a street/road course car. Said thread= http://www.mifbody.com/vbulletin/sho...ng-on-a-budget

In December 2013 a member of this forum, Geoff, put his car up for sale and it was calling my name because of the low options. After assessing my 3rd gen project from a completion date/money standpoint, I decided abandon the 3rd gen and buy Geoff's 2001 Camaro.

The plans-
WEIGHT REDUCTION - Goal of 3,100 lbs
Suspension upgrades
Relocated battery to trunk
C5 front brakes
C5 Z06 wheels 17x9.5 on all four corners
Roll bar w/ aftermarket seats and belts


Vehicle as I purchased it-
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[JoeliusZ28]

Good buy for sure, now put your tools down and just run it as it is! You work on cars too much and never drive them! Whats going on with the wipers?

[bri2203]

1-11-14
Darren came by and we did some weight reduction.
The vehicle no longer has emblems, radio, back seat, and we removed a portion of the AC system.
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[bri2203]

Good buy for sure, now put your tools down and just run it as it is! You work on cars too much and never drive them! Whats going on with the wipers?

I agree- It would be neat to get some baseline numbers(lbs & track times) before starting surgery. But I guess I will just have to compare times with you! That is the main reason I abandoned the 3rd gen- I wanted the car to be drivable by April. I plan to keep the wipers and windows at this time as most of the miles will be street miles.

[deeznuts94]

Looks like a pretty nice car!

[mcalus]

What did it weigh in stock?

Should be a fun car/project.

[hoogiesngrinderz]

I'd bet it was right around 3350 or a little under. Fully loaded t-top manual cars were around 3380 with an empty tank, autos were about 100 pounds more.

Should be easy to shed the first 100 lbs or so!

[Superman09]

cool beans! Taking parts off with no intention of putting them back on is always fun!

[bri2203]

AIR pump delete-4lbs 12oz
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Removed aftermarket 17x9.5 wheels that weighed in at 24lbs 5oz
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Wheel were replaced with OEM C5 Z06 17x9.5 that weighed in 18lbs 11oz. I also weighed the 1999 trans am 16x8 wheel and they weighed in at 19lbs 12 oz. The being said the Z06 wheels are 1 lb less while being an inch larger in diameter and 1.5 inches wider!
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[Fox Slaughter]

Get out the torch. Take the front bumper off and hack most of the supports off.

Lots of stuff to torch off.

[landstuhltaylor]

I would suggest throwing the battery in the rear footwell instead of the trunk as well as replacing it with one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-PC680-.../dp/B0002ILK6I

Lithium batteries are only 2.5 lbs or so but they run closer to $300 and require a specific trickle charger.

[JoeliusZ28]

why not the trunk? The back of my car is a tin can, i want to move all the weight there i can.

[landstuhltaylor]

Better to keep it within the wheelbase, less inertia will help the car transition better.

[JoeliusZ28]

I get what youre saying and see how that is beneficial, but dont you also want to target a 50/50 weight balance? I am no where close to that right now. The front of my car dictates everything in turns, the back just hangs on for the ride (or tries). I swear i can 180 my car on command at just about any speed because the rear just doesnt stick. That wasnt the case with stock suspension and seats/stereo in the back.

[landstuhltaylor]

I have yet to see any of the big names relocate it to the trunk. General consensus at FRRAX seems to be that weight in the back isn't necessarily a bad thing, but more weight in the back is worse. Just stick it as far back on the floor as you can get it. It's already moving much further back and lower in the car.