[SS Performance]

Hi all, I'm new to this site. I have been involved in racing and the performance world for many years. However I have never built a car for road racing.

I'm not familiar with all the terms used so be patient with my lack of knowledge.

I recently purchased a 02 Camaro Z28 with no drive train or suspension, no K-member, a-arms, struts, rack, rear end, panhard bar, or sway bars.

So I have a blank sheet of paper.

My intent is to build a car for open road racing, Silver State, Big Bend, Sand Hills, etc. And I would love to do Pike's Peak.

I have purchased some parts already, and I have some parts left from other projects.

I Know for SOLO or track days horse power is not always a benefit but for open road it should be helpful (I think not sure).

Anyway here is what I have, 02 Camaro with Chrome moly 8 point cage. Should I take it out and switch to mild steel? I have never been a fan of chrome moly.
The cage is not fully welded yet so removal would be easy.

Moser 9-inch with back brace, 35 spline axels, wave trac dif, 3.90 gears adjustable torque arm.

Wilwood 13inch brakes 6 piston front 4 piston rear.

4L80E trans

Choice of several possible engines LS1, LQ4, LS2 (resleeved to 4.155 bore)

Bilstein race shocks w/ 1000# front and 400# rear springs and rear adjusters (purchased used from a member here)

I'm not a fan of aftermarket K-members so I intend to locate a stock one.

Since I don't have a panhard bar I was thinking about going with a watt's link.

So here are my questions;

Should I go with stock A-arms or aftermarket? If aftermarket who's and why?

What rack and power steering pump?

What sway bars?

What size wheels? I was thinking about the ZO6 18X10.5

What size & type of tires?

I know it's a ton of questions and hope I didn't over whelm or break any site rules.

Thanks
Craig

[trackbird]

The convertible K member has some little angle braces that stiffen it up slightly. If you fall into one, you might use it. Otherwise, I'd just run a regular one.

There are a few ways to build such a car. I've done most of mine "wrong" (they take forever and cost too much). I'd look at "cheap and effective". Meaning, if it works (well/very well/plenty well enough) and gets you driving it....do it.

I'd get a stock K member, come up with a running engine with an aluminum block and sell off the 4L80 for a 6 speed manual (or at least a built 4L60e...it drops in and they have been run in open road racing).

I'd buy a set of 17x9 or 17x9.5" wheels and stuff them with 275/40-17's. Why? Those wheels are cheap. I have 4 sets of C4 "saw blades" in my garage right now (and I have about $300 in all of them, maybe less). Tires are still inexpensive (though some of the race tire sizes are getting harder to find, you can run track days on performance tires and get the car on the road, keep the wheels for rains when you're done with them and move up).

Stock front control arms, a good PHB (they are $125) and stock rear LCA's will do it for quite a while (I won an SCCA championship in my local region using stock LCA's with factory bushings and a completely built suspension).

The 4L80/paddle shifter thing is likely going to take lots of fab time and not make the car any faster. I always felt like autos were harder to drive as well (rev matching on a downshift, etc). I don't know what the budget is for this project, but expect to "double it" and take at least twice as long as you expect (my Corvette has been apart for 1.5 years...for an "engine swap" and basic refresh). One of the guys here has a rather fast 3rd gen and he's a budget racer that's fantastic at scrounging the salvage yards. He's built a really fast, really capable car for pennies on the dollar (compared to my old 3rd gen project). And, he's having just as much fun with it. I'll suggest sourcing as much salvage yard stuff as you can (that you can use, like the K member, a arms, etc) and trying to get the car assembled and moving under its own power. Once it's moving, you can upgrade/tweak things but there's incentive there instead of just throwing money at a lump of metal in the garage. I'm a big believer in "light at the end of the tunnel".

I'm not telling you to cheat or cheap out. Just that you can build an economical car that's very fast without buying $1,500 in wheels and a paddle shifted automatic gearbox. If those things are what you dream of...then build it. But get the car on a path to getting it assembled and running/driving and tune up the rest as you go.

This is just based on my experience doing things the hard/expensive way.


Here's lesson one (look at the dates and times as you go through the thread):

http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=9864

And lesson two:

http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=15636