94 Camaro Racecar Project Gallery, Project Ghettomaro Options

[SuperCricket]

Well as some of you may know, my girlfriend, beloved 99 Camaro SS, and I decided to see what would happen back in June if we drove on treadless 315 race tires in the rain. We ended up backwards in the ditch, totalling the car and debarking a tree.

I bought a 94 5-speed V6 Camaro a month or so ago. It ran great but looked a little rough, as the previous owner decided to do a simliar stunt in Colorado and went backwards through a barbed wire fence in a snow storm.

So the past month we have been working to switch every single part from the 99 over to the 94. It will be a 1994 Camaro that looks like a V6 or LT1, but it will have the ole trusty heads/cam LS1/T56 under the skin.

Obervations so far:
1. Dropping the engines out the bottom of these things is easier than I thought!
2. It's amazing how nice a gutted interior can look with a few .98 cent cans of Home Depot spray paint.
3. It's amazing how nice these crappy 10 bolt rear ends can look with a few .98 cent cans of Home Depot spray paint.
4. Fuel pump access doors and clutch bleeder doors are good.
5. Trying to wire a 99 LS1 into this body is hell.
6. Dropping a passenger side airbag onto the ground is scary.
7. I MIG weld like I write... bad.

The car was stripped down to the body, leaving only the headlights on the car and the windows. So far by the bathroom scales I have removed 362 lbs. of things that will NOT be going back onto the car, so I am hopefull it will be LIGHT! The Competition Engineering 8 point will probably add another 90 pounds back into it, but that shouldn't be too bad.

Anyway, here is the gallery. I will update this with my progress as I go. Tonight we will hopefully start the engine... wish us luck!

http://gallery.teejaded.com/ghettomaro

[trackbird]

I remember that accident. I wondered how you came out in the end (and glad you're ok). Looks like you're on your way.....

[rmackintosh]

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Have FUN!

[jraskell]

Can you transplant the front clip to keep it looking like an LS1 Camaro? I know that can be done with the Firebird, but not sure about the Camaro. I would assume so. Pretty much just swap over the fenders, nose, and hood. I don't believe the doors need to be swapped. Again, I'm not entirely sure though. You pretty much have the cars completely torn down now anyways.

Of course, if you actually prefer the looks of the LT1 Camaro nose, then ignore all this. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of the option.

[tom97ss]

2.  It's amazing how nice a gutted interior can look with a few .98 cent cans of Home Depot spray paint.
3.  It's amazing how nice these crappy 10 bolt rear ends can look with a few .98 cent cans of Home Depot spray paint.

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

[SuperCricket]

I had originally thought about switching the SS hood, fenders, front clip, and headlights over to the 94. My views on these cars changed though. Originally I loved the SS, it stood out, you didn't see them much, and boy did that navy blue metallic look good. I never let anyone else work on the car because I didnt want them leaning on it, scratching it up, etc.

Now I'm perfectly fine with the sleeper/racecar look. The fenders are cracked, scratches everywhere, tons of spots where I have sprayed random primer colored paint in areas. It looks like hell, and I like it like that. It's great to drop wrenches and tools all over the car and not have to care anymore!

Plus I am going to have tons of fun on the streets, auto-x, rr tracks, etc. having people think it's just an ole LT1. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

[94bird]

Plus I am going to have tons of fun on the streets, auto-x, rr tracks, etc. having people think it's just an ole LT1. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

Hey now, LT1s aren't so bad.

[bowtieboy]

Glad to hear everything is working out for you. She looks like she'll be a killer.

Have you already had this car out to an event ? It looks like in one of those pictures that you were at an event......test before the "swap" ?

Looks like next year is going to be a tough one -you (LT1/LS1 gutted), Chuck (LS1 rebuilt monster), Jim (S/C M3 - national winning set up), Kevin (?) (97 LT1 red WS6) and.......me (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[robz71lm7]

So whatever happened to the ole 427? Wasn't it finished right after you totalled the car?

[rmackintosh]

Plus I am going to have tons of fun on the streets, auto-x, rr tracks, etc. having people think it's just an ole LT1.  (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

Hey now, LT1s aren't so bad.

yeah...CAREFULL now!...

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[SuperCricket]

So whatever happened to the ole 427? Wasn't it finished right after you totalled the car?

Actually it was a great string of luck that month.

Right after the wreck I got an email saying the Darton wet-sleeve block was being shipped to my house. The day it arrived was the day insurance told me they wouldn't fix the car, and it was totalled.

A week a and 1/2 later I got laid off from my computer technician job of 3 years. I had all of the money needed for the rotating assembly and the rest of the 427, but I had to live off of it after being laid off.

However someone suggested unemployment. After not being able to find a suitable job I went on it, and somehow scrounged up enough money to buy this old V6 car. Hopefully by next summer I will be back on my feet enough to finish the 427... of course I hear Eagle has their 4.125 cranks out for the same price, so a 440 might be kinda fun too. Anyone ever auto-x or RR with engines that big? Might be a stuipd idea but I'm a big fan of torque.

Anyway, and God bless the LT1! When my friend first got his 1993 Z28 back in 1993, it was the reason I got hooked on the F-body.

And also yes Andrew, a couple days after I bought the car I took it to the Texas Motor Speedway auto-x event. I had pre-paid for the entire year so I figured I could go out and have some fun in the ole V6 with the 5-speed. After waiting all morning, it finally came time for our group to run. I made my way through the line up to the starting line. Just before the starter was about to point me to go, I hear people screaming "STARTER, LOOK UNDER HIS CAR!" Sure enough, the thing overheated, broke and blew the radiator cap off, and poured tons of slippery coolant and water all over the starting line.

I heard people behind me cussing and cursing. I pulled off the starting line in shame, waited for it to cool down, and drove home, never making one run.

Good luck this year. 2005 can't get here soon enough.

[98_1LE]

Looks like you have been busy. Are you going to swap the entire '99 K member into the '94?

[SuperCricket]

Looks like you have been busy. Are you going to swap the entire '99 K member into the '94?

Yes sir, we are rolling that 99 K-member under the car tonight. Hopefully the engine will run after a lot of Budweiser and cursing.

[98_1LE]

How is this coming Kyle?

[SuperCricket]

I'll get back to you in a couple days with some progress. Had some trouble getting another hoist over to the house.

But the wiring... oh the wiring. I think it would be easier to transfer the wiring from the space shuttle. The car may mechanically be done in a couple days, but will it ever run? Probably only if I put a carburetor on top.

P.S. Good job keeping on the heels of that blown/head/cam/etc BMW M3 this year man!

[SuperCricket]

SHE LIVES AGAIN! THE SS REINCARNATED!

We dry fired the motor without the radiator yesterday. It took 3 people to start the thing. One friend holding things out of the way of the belt in the engine bay, one person holding the fuel pump grounds to the shifter on the transmission for a ground, and me holding in the clutch and using a bare wire from the cigarette lighter and sparking it on the starter wire. Had the gauges setting on the floor board to make sure it had oil pressure.

She fired right up after sitting around for so many months, on the first try no less! Idled and sounded mean, even with no MAF sensor, IAC sensor, or O2 sensors. No starting problems at all with the 1/0 welding cable ran from the trunk to the engine bay.

More pics to come soon!

[mitchntx]

Very nice, Kyle.

[bowtieboy]

Good to hear the news Kyle
.....she'll be ready for the '05 season ! !