Tweet
I officially decided that I am going a new direction with my car and so I figured I would give you guys a project thread. I am also open to suggestions on everything of course! Basically, I've gotten hooked on road racing and autocross this summer and so that is the direction I will be going with my modifications. I also went through the whole "should I sell my car and get a C5?" question, but after considering the overall value of my car, and how well it already performed on the track as is (Full weight at 3700 lbs, stock worn out suspension, crappy tires, etc) ... I decided I should just stick with what ive got. After a couple track days it was already obvious how good of a fit my cam selection was for this purpose, so why go back to the drawing board?
My basic plan for the car is:
1) Stick with my existing driveline combo for now and focus on making the best use of it.
2) Cut weight. Alot of weight. 500 pounds while staying with a mostly complete interior is the goal.
3) Add road-race modifications such as supsension, brakes, PS coolers, etc.
4) Maintain street-friendliness and cruisability, and also maintain[and/or restore] show quality as well. But not too worried about long-trip comforts and noise levels.
Here is what I am starting with, as if you all didn't know the car already:
IMG_8191.JPG
IMG_8193.JPG
IMG_8192.JPG
My current budget is $0. That will change when I get a job, but there is still plenty I can do towards my goal within that budget
Day 1 working on the car:
Removed subwoofer and amplifier. Never used it much anymore anyway. I can't find our household scale right now but I plan on weighing everything I remove and totalling it all up. For now I am guessing 30-40 pounds was saved here. The subwoofer is for sale too!
IMG_8195.jpg
IMG_8194.jpg
you'll also notice I removed a couple unnecessary pieces from the back of the car, such as the insulation above the fuel pump, carpet where the sub was, and plastic piece on the bottom of the trunk which is never visible anyway.
IMG_8196.JPG
I also removed the spare tire, jack, and whatever was with it. Probably an easy 40 pounds here as well:
IMG_8197.JPG
Next, I spent a good 6-8 hours lightly "restoring" my interior. Several parts were loose or falling apart. I started by removing all the old wiring from my stereo and any old gauge wiring no longer in use. I also corrected no less than 15 interior pieces that afternoon, such as the notorious window switch modules that pop out and knee bolsters that have seen better days. Several missing screws were replaced and another several were tightened up. I also found a terrible speaker install job from the previous owner 7 years ago who had mounted the speaker brackets directly over the MDF screws, which wasn't providing any seal whatsover. This required removal, modification, and replacement of each speaker, and the result is a stereo that sounds 10x better - and i don't feel like I need a subwoofer anymore either!
Overall, my interior is in MUCH better condition now which is very satisfying. TLC that was long overdue, just needed to find the time to do it.
IMG_8198.JPG
IMG_8199.JPG
The last thing I fixed was a vacuum leak ive had since I did my cam swap. I had lost the hose for my fuel pressure regulator during the install. This was tricking my fuel system into thinking that it was always supplying pressure for WOT. Also, it was causing the nearby HVAC vacuum feed to not operate correctly, meaning my vents have been stuck in one place for two years. Well, I finally found this missing vacuum line in the attic and replaced it. HVAC controls are now working again On the downside, it also brought another problem to the surface which is that my AC is no longer working. However, after not being used for 2 years, Im thinking it could be just a lack of pressure in the system preventing the compressor from kicking on. I'd like to figure this out so I can sell my AC system as a complete functioning unit.
Picture of the line that was missing:
More to come! Next project is likely going to be replacing the ABS module with a proportioning valve so i can adjust the balance of my brakes at the track. ABS never kicked on for me at the track, so it didnt prove very useful and the module also has a pretty significant weight to it. I also want to relocate my battery to the trunk for better weight distribution.
My basic plan for the car is:
1) Stick with my existing driveline combo for now and focus on making the best use of it.
2) Cut weight. Alot of weight. 500 pounds while staying with a mostly complete interior is the goal.
3) Add road-race modifications such as supsension, brakes, PS coolers, etc.
4) Maintain street-friendliness and cruisability, and also maintain[and/or restore] show quality as well. But not too worried about long-trip comforts and noise levels.
Here is what I am starting with, as if you all didn't know the car already:
IMG_8191.JPG
IMG_8193.JPG
IMG_8192.JPG
My current budget is $0. That will change when I get a job, but there is still plenty I can do towards my goal within that budget
Day 1 working on the car:
Removed subwoofer and amplifier. Never used it much anymore anyway. I can't find our household scale right now but I plan on weighing everything I remove and totalling it all up. For now I am guessing 30-40 pounds was saved here. The subwoofer is for sale too!
IMG_8195.jpg
IMG_8194.jpg
you'll also notice I removed a couple unnecessary pieces from the back of the car, such as the insulation above the fuel pump, carpet where the sub was, and plastic piece on the bottom of the trunk which is never visible anyway.
IMG_8196.JPG
I also removed the spare tire, jack, and whatever was with it. Probably an easy 40 pounds here as well:
IMG_8197.JPG
Next, I spent a good 6-8 hours lightly "restoring" my interior. Several parts were loose or falling apart. I started by removing all the old wiring from my stereo and any old gauge wiring no longer in use. I also corrected no less than 15 interior pieces that afternoon, such as the notorious window switch modules that pop out and knee bolsters that have seen better days. Several missing screws were replaced and another several were tightened up. I also found a terrible speaker install job from the previous owner 7 years ago who had mounted the speaker brackets directly over the MDF screws, which wasn't providing any seal whatsover. This required removal, modification, and replacement of each speaker, and the result is a stereo that sounds 10x better - and i don't feel like I need a subwoofer anymore either!
Overall, my interior is in MUCH better condition now which is very satisfying. TLC that was long overdue, just needed to find the time to do it.IMG_8198.JPG
IMG_8199.JPG
The last thing I fixed was a vacuum leak ive had since I did my cam swap. I had lost the hose for my fuel pressure regulator during the install. This was tricking my fuel system into thinking that it was always supplying pressure for WOT. Also, it was causing the nearby HVAC vacuum feed to not operate correctly, meaning my vents have been stuck in one place for two years. Well, I finally found this missing vacuum line in the attic and replaced it. HVAC controls are now working again
On the downside, it also brought another problem to the surface which is that my AC is no longer working. However, after not being used for 2 years, Im thinking it could be just a lack of pressure in the system preventing the compressor from kicking on. I'd like to figure this out so I can sell my AC system as a complete functioning unit.Picture of the line that was missing:
More to come! Next project is likely going to be replacing the ABS module with a proportioning valve so i can adjust the balance of my brakes at the track. ABS never kicked on for me at the track, so it didnt prove very useful and the module also has a pretty significant weight to it. I also want to relocate my battery to the trunk for better weight distribution.
If you had a leak or no freon for the compressor, yeah it won't kick on... that's the problem I have with my AC right now - a leak somewhere in the system (those recharge cans that come with gauges show it's leaking down in pressure) and it gets to the point that the compressor won't even turn on anymore.
357ci LT1, cammed, stalled, and driven. 
Comment