Camaro SS and RS Drive at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale – 2017

If you follow this blog you’ve no doubt seen my posts on this past January’s Barrett Jackson event in Scottsdale, Az, you might even had caught my Facebook Live videos.

Of course I have to say it’s well worth the price of admission for all that there is to see and do.

One event is the Ride and Drive where you are allowed to drive some of the new cars.  They also have a few of the more powerful cars that they only allow you to ride along with a driver, cars like the Hell Cat and Viper and some of the Mustangs.  This year I chose to drive the SS and RS Camaro.

The key is to get there early because the line get long and the track gets crowded.  We arrived at the right time and got a more personal touch.  New for this year was the Breathalyzer test conducted by the Sheriff’s department, a smart idea, considering all the adult beverages available.  But it was a bit early for that.

Here’s  quick little slide show of my trip in one of the Camaro’s.

 

 

The auto cross course they had set up was pretty tight and for the novice this would a challenge and I think it was meant to keep the speeds down.  When you attend these you are accompanied by a local drive either supplied by the dealership or by the car company for this event.

I drove the SS V8 LT Camaro first.  I found the seat comfortable and driving position was really good.  The car had quick response and the V8 really pulled great with hitting the gas.  Not as good as my  2007 C6 Corvette but I was impressed.  As an SCCA auto cross driver I found this  course to  be a bit tighter the standard down here at the regional I’ve driven often.  The SS proved to be a bit sloppy in the corners at speed and it felt like a bigger car – of course it’s it a bit larger than my Vette.  Although I made it round the course with out killing any cones, it would be understandable given how it handled.

Immediately after parking the SS, they had an V6 RS ready and I jumped in.  I really appreciated that, having the SS drive still fresh in the never endign, it would make the comparison, a bit more visceral rather than homogenized by the thought process.

These days you know they can get a lot of power out of V6 engine and even 4 cylinders so I was curious to see how the RS’s V6 felt with my foot pressed to the floor.  I didn’t have any specific expectations, but I was hoping to feel “WOW – this is a only a V6?!?!”, but I have to say it felt like V6.  It was clear the power wasn’t there at the start line.  However, it did get up to speed fairly quickly and by the first real corner you could feel it.  The corner? Well, let’s say it was impressive. While driving SS the ride-a-long driver bet that I’d find the RS a much better handling car in the tight corners, due to the fact that the engine was set back a bit that changed up how the car made it though the corners.  I have to say it was correct.

It’s true that in auto cross that horse power isn’t all you need, in fact, too much can make for rough runs.  The key for any auto cross car is being able to handle the corner as the fastest speed possible.  The RS made it through the course with much sharper corners and it felt really good coming out of them with not a lot of body roll, it was surprising.
So the V8 SS felt powerful (relatively speaking) – more what I’m use to with my Corvette.  The RS felt like a V6 when getting off the line, but had the better cornering than the RS, basically verifying what the ride-a-long driver told me I would find.

It’s not often the average blogger, SCCA racer and car restorer, gets to take ride in or drive the newest cars which I think is a huge gap in what you see in the big time blogs and car magaiznes, so it’s always fun to poke them with the Average Guy’s thoughts when a chance for that experience can be documented.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

barrett jackson scottsdale 2017barrett jackson scottsdale 2017

It’s Car Auction Season – Barrett Jackson Car Show – Westworld of Scottsdale‎

I love this time of year here in Arizona.  Not just because you can work on your classic/muscle car in the garage without feeling like a Christmas turkey in the oven.  I love this time of year because it’s Car Auction Season!   For the next 3-4 weeks classic cars …

They Made How Many? Chevy 1975 Part II

Continuing  with Baseball, Hot Dog, Apple Pie, Chevrolet  and 4th of July theme….

Last post we touched on a rare Chevy but they made some great car in 1975…ok….maybe…not ‘great’, but there are some collectibles I think are over looked. (Keep in mind that I think just about any 2 door Chevy can be ‘all that’!!!)

Check these out.

How about the Malibu for ’75?   It came in the S and Landau versions and with a total of 258,909 units built, there a good bet you can find used parts.

1975 Chevelle....the hood wasn't an option!!!

1975 Malibu….the hood wasn’t an option!!!

The Nova was on the decline design-wise, but you could get it in  a V8 and a Super Sport version.  There were 273,014 Nova’s built-in two door and  (hiss…boo) 4 door configurations.  Of that total 138,879 were six cylinders and 134,103 were V8’s.  Within the V8’s 9,087 were Super Sport!!

Nova SS (Hatch backj? Yup!)

Nova SS (Hatch back? Yup!)

There was a the Impala/Bel Air/Caprice platform.  No I am serious!!!!  The two door version are under rated and can be monsters in the right hands (the Bel Air only came in 4dr and wagon sub models).  The Impala had the Landau, Custom Coupe and Sports Coupe with a total production of 176,376.  The Caprice had Custom, Landau and the Convertible with 103,944 units coming off the assembly line.  That totaled included 8,349 Convertibles.

75 Caprice Caprice Convertible

75 Caprice Caprice Convertible

Saving (arguably) the best two platforms for last the Chevelle series (which included the Malibu, the Malibu Classic, the Classic Estate [station wagon] and the Laguna) and the Camaro.  The Camaro was still longish and sleek and the Chevelle etc was….well Monte Carlo like!!!  Both came in 6 and 8 cylinder and had a few two door configurations.  The Malibu and Malibu Classic and the Laguna Type S-3 having two door cars for the Chevelle and of course that’s all there was for the Camaro.   The Malibu units totaled out at 63,530 (21,804 – 6 cylinders/41,726 – V8s) with the Malibu Classic production at 131,455 (3,844 – 6’s and 127,611 – 8’s) and the Laguna Types S-3 (think NASCAR) 6,714.

NASCAR Laguna

NASCAR Laguna

75 Laguna

75 Laguna

The Camaro came in the base model and the LT.  There was the Rally Sport package which sources agree were about 7,000 produced.   There is some issue with the total number of Camaro produced with number ranging from 141,629 to over 145K.    But with other numbers like 145,755 had power steering and 29,359 with 6 cylinders and 116,430 with V-8s (totally 1445,789)   We do know that there were 4,160 car built for exports.

1975 Camaro RS

1975 Camaro RS

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

ChevCamaro

#car4sale #camaro Chevrolet : Camaro Camaro 1975 Chevrolet Camaro Base … http://t.co/GAwXUuCyIf #usedcar #forsale

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S vs. Nissan GT-R Comparison – Motor Trend

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S vs. Nissan GT-R Comparison – Motor Trend.

So let’s see the Camaro got spanked at the drag strip.  I get it.  It wasn’t designed for straight stretch racing, so what’s the point Motor Trend?  Why not take a Prius and run it against the Lotus?  Oh….what?  The Prius isn’t a race car?  Huh…go figure!!

But I will say it wasn’t too shabby on the strip!!  The Z/28 ran 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and the quarter mile in 12.3 seconds at 117.2 mph.   But it couldn’t compete with 2.7 to to 60 and 11 second @ 125 MPH (GTR) nor 2.6/10.9@ 123 MPH (911)

The Z28 and some other cars.

The Z28 and some other cars.

If you read further they complained about “racing’ tire peformance…wait for it….in 290 temps.  Seriously…read it yourself, it’s right there!!

I autocross my C6 here in beautiful…and HOT Arizona and you have to have meat that sticks (tires).  I don’t plan on taking the car up to the mountains and have it hang on to corners in the snow… much less  below freezing temps with the tires meant for track duty.

I agree with the conclusion that the Z/28 is “… a race car for the street. It’s got Recaro buckets, Pankl connecting rods, Mahle pistons, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes (co-developed and shared with the upcoming Z06), and Multimatic dynamic spool valve shocks. But it’s not just a name-brand collection of parts, and the Z/28 is no tuner. It stands as one of absolutely the best track-focused cars in the world.”…..except that last part – I say  it was 2nd best next to the Corvette.

 

While I love the nostalgia that comes to mind when I see this Camaro and the Z/28 badging, I don’t think I’d spend $75K on it.  I just jump up to the  C7 Corvette Sting Ray and be done with it.

What about you?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

z28 camaro

Factory Fast: Dave Bridgewater’s 2012 COPO Camaro – LSXTV

Though Dave Bridgewater already had three big block 1969 Camaros and an LS1 Swapped 1969 Firebird that he and his team maintain and race regularly at drag racing events around the country, he still wanted something more to add to his already awesome collection. That something more would most certainly be a Camaro of some sort, being that Bridgewater seems to have an undying love for the pony cars.

When the factory drag race COPO Camaro was first announced, “I signed up for it right away,” Bridgewater recalls. “But I got a call later on letting me know that they were all sold out.” After seeing videos on the internet of Dave Connelly testing the Cagnazzi COPO Camaro, he knew he needed to have one in his stable. With all of them being spoken for already, Bridgewater wasn’t going to let that get in the way of him owning a 2012 COPO Camaro.

See more:

Factory Fast: Dave Bridgewater’s 2012 COPO Camaro – LSXTV.

r-camaro

COPO Camaro

COPOCamaro

This is what makes the COPO GO!!!

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

First 2014 Camaro Z/28 and COPO Camaro Bring Over $1.3 Million At Auction

Two of the most enthralling auctions witnessed at the recent Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona were those of the very first 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and COPO Camaro. Tgether, they brought in over $1.3 million, and the best part is that all
Veterans Charity Raises $700000 from 2014 COPO Camaro at Barrett-Jackson

To refresh you on the origins and hardware on the COPO Camaro, the original COPO Camaro originated with the Pennsylvania dealer Yekno Chevrolet, founded and owned by Don Yenko. In order to have a unique product not available at other dealers, 

copo camarocopo camaro

 

2014 Camaro Concept Is ALSO Bumblebee In Transformers 4 – LSXTV

If it is reall….I REALLY like it!!!!

2014 Camaro Concept Is ALSO Bumblebee In Transformers 4 – LSXTV.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

2014 camaro

Shadow__2013

@killer_jane3 see *points to my 2014 Camaro SS*

 

 

Camaros and Firebirds

Camaros and Firebirds.

They almost always went hand in hand with GM, at least during my formidable days.   Then came the Trans-Am.   Pontiac was over took the Camaro arguably in performance but uncontested in folklore, I offer up Burt Reynolds & “Smoky and the Bandit” for support (you can count the Rockford Files, the Camaro there was not much more than a prop –cool no doubt but mostly a prop.

Camaro’s back (in case you’ve been living under a discarded intake manifold) with the Z28 soon to return and the SS and LT1 already burning up the streets.  But the when the axe fell on Pontiac it took with it any chance to bring back the Firebird in any kind of configuration.  So we are forced to back in time and watch old super 8 movies of Firebird/Trans-Am in motion.   Or do we?

What if (and it’s a BIG IF) some where, someone started producing that iconic version of the Firebird – not a pre-made body – al-la Dynacores’ Mustang offering, but an up to date platform, like Mother Mopar did with the Challenger.

What if (BIG IF – again), they placed it on a new 2012 Camaro platform and soup-ed it up a bit?   Something like this:

 

Aweseome!

Awesome!

Yes , that is just what those innovative folks did at Lingenfelters.   This is the 455 TA “lightly” (snicker) Camaro.

It sports a the Tran-Am trade mark split grille and honey comb wheels and blue and white paint schema.  But under the hood is a power plant will make the hardest Camaro shake in it’s engine bay.

 

Oh...BTW...comes in drop top...love the wheels

Oh…BTW…comes in drop top…love the wheels

The engine is a custom  RHS Aluminum engine block at displaces 455 cubic inches.  It has a 4.155” bore Diamond 11.5:1 compression ratio pistons, 4.200” stroke, Lunati forged crankshaft, LPE CNC ported and polished LS7 heads. Pair this up with LSX Fast 102 intake and Lingenfelter’s 6 bolt LS9 twin disk fly whee/clutch assembly and you get a 655 horse powered monster that can lay down 610 ft-lbs of torque to the  20×11 rear tires (front are 20×10),

 

MONSTER!!!!

MONSTER!!!!

OK…you can exhale now, but when the 455 TA does it uses a custom Corsa stainless exhaust and it sounds AWESOME!!!!

I caught this version at the Barrett Jackson Auction this past January.

The LPE concept body mods include front air dam and rear Firebird like spoiler and taillights.

You want one, I know you do!!!

Here’s a little more:

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Car of the Week: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 | Old Cars Weekly

Car of the Week: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 | Old Cars Weekly.

 

 

 

 

Ford Shelby GT500 vs Chevrolet Camaro ZL1! – Head 2 Head Episode 11

Here is another compare between the cars.

Breaking seems to be the main issue.

Funny they differ on which car would be better on the street.

Quarter mile was a blow out.


Thanks for reading.

Tim

1991 Camaro

 

What We Drive – Jon’s ’91 Camaro

from:  Prestolite Performance   http://info.prestoliteperformance.com/111-what-we-drive-jon-s-91-camaro.html?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Automotive+Newsletter+7_26_12
Published on Thursday, 26 July 2012 14:55

What We Drive Volume 1, Jon's CamaroMeet Jon, one of our engineers here at Prestolite Performance. He is the focus of our first installment of What We Drive, our series of stories about the cars of Prestolite Performance employees. Jon got into cars when he was about 13 years old. His first car was a 1986 Ford Tempo that he worked on, but never got it to the road. His college car was a 1989 Chevy S10, which he beefed up by replacing the original 4 cylinder with a V8.

How Jon’s Camaro Went From 230 hp to Over 700 hp

Jon had been looking for a ’91 Camaro for some time, finding it difficult to locate one that wasn’t a rust bucket. In 2000, his search paid off and he purchased a nearly bone stock ’91 Camaro with only about 57,000 miles. The only performance upgrade on the car was a Flowmaster exhaust. Originally, the car made about 230 hp and 300 ft. lbs of torque.

The LB9 305 small block Chevy engine that was stock in Jon’s Camaro was removed to make way for a 355 small block. He hand ported aluminum Corvette heads and installed a Holley Stealth Ram intake with Mr. Gasket Ultra-Seal intake gaskets. Jon also made sure his engine was sealed for higher horsepower with Multi-Layered Steel head gaskets from Mr. Gasket. He made the engine even tougher with a forged ZZ4 crank, SRP forged pistons and a Comp camshaft.

Beefing up the drivetrain was also a priority so Jon installed a 4L80E transmission (built to handle 1000hp), Transgo shift kit, Lakewood transmission mount, SPOHN driveshaft, Detroit locker and Lakewood U-joints.

With twin 60mm Garret Turbos and his ACCEL 1000cfm throttle body and ACCEL Gen7 engine management system, Jon needed a hefty fuel delivery. His 5160FI fuel pump (now under Mallory) along with Mallory filters and high performance regulator provides the elite system needed for such a setup. For ignition, Jon used an ACCEL 300+ box with an ACCEL ultra coil and Extreme 9000 ceramic boot wires.

Now that Jon’s Camaro had been beefed up, he needed to harness the power with Lakewood 90/10 drag struts, panhard bar and control arms. He also needed better braking, so he installed 2002 SS Camaro brakes on all 4 corners.

All said and done, Jon’s beefed up ’91 Camaro now makes 700 hp and 800 ft. lbs of torque. That’s quite the improvement from stock.

See more Pictures

Beautiful Car!

Now that’s some plumbing!!!

Complete List of Improvements to Jon’s Camaro

Engine

Drivetrain

Power Adder

  • Twin 60mm Garret Turbos
  • Custom stainless headers

Fuel system

Engine management

Ignition

Exhaust

  • Custom 2-1/2″ down pipes
  • 4″ y-pipe back single exhaust
  • Dynatech muffler
  • Mr. Gasket ultra seal gaskets

Suspension

Brakes

  • 2002 SS Camaro brakes on all 4 corners
 Thanks for reading.
Tim

 

Transitioning to Modern Transmissions Prt 2

Posted By John Katz, June 25, 2012 in E-News, Engine & Drivetrain

From www.hotrodandrestoration.com

Stick Shifting

Meanwhile, manual-shift enthusiasts are upgrading to modern units packing more heavy-duty horsepower capacity—and more gear ratios.

“The generation that is now in their 60s can afford to build the cars that they wanted to build when they were in high school,” said Dick Hill, sales manager for Centerforce Clutches in Prescott, Arizona. And while those folks are not usually looking to build a race car, “they do want a four- or five-speed manual transmission,” he said.

More surprisingly, the trend extends beyond muscle cars and into traditional hot rods as well.

“I have friends who are building Deuce roadsters and they are putting LS motors in them, with a five- or six-speed manual transmission,” Hill said. “There are people who put Cadillac V-8s in 1949–1951 Mercs, and they want a stick. They want a three-pedal car. So that, too, is contributing to the growth of the high-performance clutch market.”

Hot rodders who already own or have owned multiple cars are now looking for something different.

“It’s like the people who buy their first Harley, they want it with every doo-dad they can get, where older bikers are turning back to the Knucklehead or even Flathead motors,” Hill said. “It’s the same with the hot rodder who already has two or three or four toys in the garage. The newest toy is going to be a stick car. And it’s for the same reason that someone will buy a brand-new Camaro, put 1,000 horsepower in it, and drive it on the street while blowing cold air and playing tunes. They want a manual not because they’re going to race it, but because they can have it. That’s what we hear all the time: ‘Because I can.’”

Rating the Ratios

American Powertrain of Cookeville, Tennessee, sells a broad range of high-performance drivetrain components, from complete crate engines to driveshafts and pedals. The company also distributes Tremec transmissions.

“The hot market right now is for the Magnum six-speed in a classic muscle car,” said Gray Frederick. “The Magnum is Tremec’s replacement for the T-56 is the aftermarket version of what you would get in a new Shelby GT500 or Camaro SS.” Frederick added that people are putting them into classic Mustangs Cougars, Camaros Firebirds, Barracudas and Challengers.

“The cars that people spend the most money on are the cars that [are] getting Magnum six-speeds,” Frederick added.

The Magnum is available with two sets of ratios, with the closer-ratio unit being the more popular of the two.

“The wide-ratio box has a 0.5 overdrive, which is very tall; a lot of engines can’t pull that much overdrive,” Frederick said.

But when it comes to overdrive, isn’t more better?

“That’s a myth,” Frederick said. “You can say, ‘Alright, I’m at the ragged edge of my cam, where if I’m on flat ground I can hold 70 mph all day.’ In a perfect world, that would be great. [I]n the real world, at some point you’re going to have to slow down for construction, and then speed up again; or you’re going to hit a rise, or something else that causes your engine to run out of breath. [T]hen you’re going to have to shift and that’s what you’re trying to avoid.

“You want to put it in sixth gear and leave it sixth gear,” he continued. “You don’t want to run down the highway at your cam’s peak performance, which would be 3,000–4,000 rpm. But you do want an rpm where your engine can pull your car up hills, and pass without dropping a gear. If every time you put your foot in the gas the engine lugs and you have to shift, that becomes very inefficient. We’re helping the customer understand that, even on the highway, you want to stay in your powerband. Otherwise the overdrive doesn’t do you any good.”

Frederick recommends the wide-ratio unit mostly for torquey big blocks.

“A Pontiac 455 will pull a stump out of the ground at 800 rpm; it doesn’t have trouble pulling a car at whatever rpm you’re running,” he said. “A Mopar 440 and some other big blocks with a lot of low-end grunt can usually handle the taller overdrive, too. And of course we’re dealing with a lot of electronically fuel-injected (EFI) engines now, and most of them have computers that can cope with low rpm very well.

They can retard the spark, they can meter the fuel differently, they can do all kinds of things.

“We help the customer choose a rearend ratio and a gear set that’s going to give them the best performance, from top to bottom,” Frederick said.

Pedal Pressure Another concern, according to Hill of Centerforce Clutches, is the physical effort once associated with a high-performance clutch.

“Our customers all ask, ‘How stiff is the pedal?’” he said. “That’s why we’ve been very successful, whether it’s a single-disc clutch for mild upgrade vehicle, or dual-disc unit that can hold 1,300 lbs./ft. of torque, we’ve been very successful in making them streetable.”

The average consumer, Hill said, could climb into a car with a Centerforce dual-disc clutch, push the pedal to the floor, and not realize that the car was modified.

“[T]he person who has a $75,000 Camaro or Corvette wants race-car performance without the race-car effort, so this is pretty significant,” he said.

Still, selecting the optimal clutch for any particular application is a complex task best left to experts.

“There are different linings and different friction materials on the pressure plate,” Hill said. “Heat is a factor. The first thing you have to know is how the vehicle is going to be used. Drag racers realize they are going to drive their car until they break it, where hot rodders don’t beat their cars up as bad. They are very proud of their cars and they want to drive them, not break them. And unless the car has been tubbed, a street machine generally runs smaller tires, so you want to tune the clutch for that.”

McLeod Racing of Placentia, California, offers its RST and RXT Street Twin clutches, both double-disc units that hold up to 1,000 horsepower, with the pedal pressure of a stock clutch, said President Paul Lee. Contributing to this low effort—and to easier installation—are McLeod’s hydraulic release bearings, “which fit most applications, replacing worn and/or outdated mechanical linkages,” he said.

“We’re selling more clutches for vehicles from the 1960s and 1970s, and installing a new hydraulic clutch in one of these cars can significantly reduce pedal effort,” said Rich Barsamian, national sales manager for Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT) in Lancaster, California. The company also offers a wide range of clutches for GM, Ford and Mopar applications, each rated for torque at the crankshaft.

When installing an aftermarket clutch, Barsamian suggested, “be sure to use the right amount of lube on the input shaft—it is possible to use too much. Be sure parts are free from dirt and oil, and washed in a non-petroleum-based cleaner such as acetone, alcohol or brake cleaner. Be sure to follow the correct torque and tightening sequence when installing the clutch cover—and do not use impact tools.”

Thanks for reading Part 3 coming up.