1981 Camaro Z28

[DynoDave]

Uh oh....what did you do?

[TSTONE]

Xmas time is here - I luv presents!!!

[MP81]

Uh oh....what did you do?

Ha! Pypes 2.5" Street-Pro (Stainless) Dual Exhaust system with X-Pipe, Chrome exhaust tips, and 3" to 2.5" header collector adapters (which have some of the most beautiful laser welding I have seen - and they're also polished...for whatever reason).

My other box came yesterday from 1A Auto: Full weatherstripping kit for the T-tops, doors and trunk. Also has a full set of window felts, since mine are basically nonexistent.

Summit had Pypes at 10% off for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday week/weekend, and 1A had 5% off your order...it only made sense.

Xmas time is here - I luv presents!!!

It's the best! I come home to all these gifts I got me. "Why thank you, I totally shouldn't have!" "I know, but I know I wanted it, so I figured, what the hell"

I'm sure my delivery person just loves me ordering all these heavy, inconveniently large boxes.

These are the tips (this is a Pypes system), so it should look similar to this, though I'm thinking I may tuck the tips back further.

[MP81]

Unpacked it all today.

Weatherstripping



Put the exhaust system together to make sure everything was good, which it was. Great quality, stainless, at a great price - can't beat it!





Those laser welds...absolutely gorgeous.

[MP81]

Been thinking that I will need to replace the springs on the car this year - it sounds like the car is scraping the front spoiler when I make low-speed turns in my sub.

I'm pretty sure that the years of the car sitting without shocks that worked (or in the case of the front end, weren't even attached) has caused them to sag. Judging by how the car sits, I would say this theory is likely true.

That said - I absolutely love how the car sits, and I don't have any issues with it scraping making it up my driveway. Thinking that the Hotchkis lowering springs should keep me right around the stance I currently have and stop the car from leaning so hard in a 15 mph turn that it runs into the ground - with the added benefit of working with my Bilsteins to improve handling.

Thoughts?

[bri2203]

Been thinking that I will need to replace the springs on the car this year - it sounds like the car is scraping the front spoiler when I make low-speed turns in my sub.

I'm pretty sure that the years of the car sitting without shocks that worked (or in the case of the front end, weren't even attached) has caused them to sag. Judging by how the car sits, I would say this theory is likely true.

That said - I absolutely love how the car sits, and I don't have any issues with it scraping making it up my driveway. Thinking that the Hotchkis lowering springs should keep me right around the stance I currently have and stop the car from leaning so hard in a 15 mph turn that it runs into the ground - with the added benefit of working with my Bilsteins to improve handling.

Thoughts?

Shocks have nothing to do with ride height.

As you know the hotchkis springs likely have a higher spring rate but the ride height is is a question mark until you install them. I would guess an 1981 is the heaviest of the 2nd gens
crash bars, converter, emissions, AC, power steering
edit http://jalopnik.com/5140813/model-bl...37-model-years
I guess the rubber bumpers helped reduce weight

I think your best bang for your buck is an upgraded sway bar so it will lean less.

[MP81]

Shocks have nothing to do with ride height.

As you know the hotchkis springs likely have a higher spring rate but the ride height is is a question mark until you install them. I would guess an 1981 is the heaviest of the 2nd gens
crash bars, converter, emissions, AC, power steering
edit http://jalopnik.com/5140813/model-bl...37-model-years
I guess the rubber bumpers helped reduce weight

I think your best bang for your buck is an upgraded sway bar so it will lean less.

Yes, but saggy springs can. Dead shocks (I could compress them easily by hand, and they would not expand out on their own) would cause the springs to do all of the work when driving the car (I have to imagine the shocks were like that for quite some time - especially given the fronts were not attached up top), and cause the springs to develop sag much faster.

All the pictures of '81 Z28s I have seen shows an inch or so of wheel gap - whereas my tires sit tucked into the fenders. So it's definitely sitting lower than it's supposed to be with stock springs. After 35 years, it's no surprise they're worn out.

And yeah - definitely going to be the heaviest. I'd guess around 3700 lbs (been meaning to get it on my friend's scales, just out of curiosity).

I'll do some research on how the Hotchkis springs ride - considering my third gen rode like a truck, I'm not too concerned (the Cobalt, despite being lowered, actually rides quite well, so I can't use it as comparison). I think sway bars may be a nice addition to the springs, as well.

[TSTONE]

First thing I did was change out all the bushings, including the cradle on the 77'.

It made a world of difference.

[MP81]

Not a bad idea. The little driving I've done actually hasn't produced too many squeaks, unlike my '86, which sounded like an old truck.

So, if I were to remove EGR (aluminum intakes with EGR previsions are significantly more expensive) - that shouldn't cause any issues with spark knock right? It's only an 8.6:1 compression ratio, so I would imagine not.

[MP81]

Oh hello.

[meissen]

Those headers will be nice!

[TSTONE]

kool

[MP81]

Those headers will be nice!

Yup - I haven't decided if I want to do black or shiny ceramic coat, but they will be coated (since this is just temporary paint for shipping). I'll be able to pull probably 30 lbs of shit out of the car when I put these in, since I'll be ditching all the smog equipment.

[TSTONE]

Not sure if I would do ceramic coat next time? I've had to neverdull them every year.

[MP81]

Not sure if I would do ceramic coat next time? I've had to neverdull them every year.

Are you speaking of the shiny style? I have that on my Cobalt's header and it's definitely a dull gray now (helped in no part by road salt through a couple winters, no doubt).

However the function is still there, the header isn't rusty (I'll take dull silver over rusty), and the underhood temps are far lower. You can grab the header (if you really felt a need to do so) in 15-20 minutes after driving the car and it's cold - it keeps all the heat inside.

How much work is required to use that Nevr-dull? If I went with the black ceramic coating, it may not require that - then again, I'm not too concerned if they're not shiny anyway.