[cdb95z28]

Hey guys, it's been a while since I last visited, but I've been having fun road racing my 2014 Camaro SS 1LE.

My road racing addiction started here, at frrax. I learned a bunch of stuff here when I had my '95 Z28 (in avatar). So to some of you long time members/administrators, I just wanted to say thanks for pointing me in the right direction. It's been over 10 years since I started open tracking. Still doing it at Pitt Race (BeaveRun), mostly with SCCA's Track Night in America. I also did the Northeast Musclecar Challenge in August at Pitt Race, for which long time member, Sam Strano, took the Late Model Championship. I sold my'95 Z28 in July of '09 and eventually got back into a Camaro in 2014 with my SS 1LE.

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-17%2013.42.14_zpslvew4hfg.jpg)

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-17%2011.47.00_zpsyzszcumd.jpg)

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-18%2011.02.43_zpst9dnlb9j.jpg)

Some pics of this summer:
https://cdb95z282014camaro.shutterfly.com/pictures/65

Here's my build thread at camaro 5.com, lots of pictures.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395103

And youtube page with track videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5KIXN82H7XMHg4eKHtLYkg

-Chad

This post has been edited by cdb95z28: Oct 15 2017, 04:02 AM

[Honda93]

I had the distinct opportunity and privilege to spend the day with (and autocross) a new 2017 SS 1LE.

My Camaro still needs calipers and the fuel pump as we're catching up financially from the summer (I'm an educator and don't get paid in the summers, naturally shit went wrong with the house and cars when my income was negligible), so I put out the call for a codrive at our penultimate event last weekend. A longtime autocrosser offered me his car, I just had to pick it up in the morning and return it at the end of the day.

So, my 13 year old and I picked it up Saturday morning and drove it the 30 miles to the event at MetLife Stadium in NJ. On the NJ Turnpike, I IMMEDIATELY know how good ANY of the new Camaros and Mustangs are with the independent rear suspension. Period. End of discussion.

Potholes, expansion joints, ruts... You name it, the chassis was unfazed. The ride on the highway alone convinced me that the new cars are light years ahead of anything GM built in 2002 or earlier... Frankly, I am convinced they're light years ahead of any Mustang from the 2005-2014 era as well. The inability of a live axle to conform to road irregularities - whether on the road or autocrossing - is too much for the older cars to handle, literally! LOL!

Matter of fact, I am writing a letter to the SEB to move ALL live axle cars to CAM-T as a result of what I experienced. Adjust performance of traction control and better ABS systems through minimum weights. But, anything with a live axle is relegated obsolete, by-and-large... The new independent rear suspension cars are THAT good.

As for the autocross... The SS 1LE is everything you hoped it would be. Conversely, I came away a little disappointed in some aspects.

PROS
* The LT4 is the kind of engine that, if you could get the driverless car developers to go for a ride would cease and destroy any evidence of creating such abominations to the automobile.

* The magnetic ride dampers can go from Monroe SensaTrac compliant to "Holy shi_! It's too stiff for autocross!" at the press of a button.

* The variable steering settings can help speed up the ratio of such a relatively big, heavy car to turn in with the immediacy expected from a Corvette (notice I didn't say Lotus).

* The braking system is mega, even with iron rotors. You can place it anywhere without worrying about ice mode or anything. The EBD does its job perfectly.

CONS
* The PTM setting are hard to find, the guy I codrove with (not the owner) had run the car before, but we couldn't find the PTM menus. So, we ran with all nannies off. The car was a handful, even on RE-71R's.

* The throttle map, even in Touring, was almost video game fast. Too fast for what autocrossing demands... Forget using Track. Very hard to modulate the throttle and get 460 hp and Tq. to the pavement. I ended up running my last run in Snow/Ice throttle to relax its inputs enough so there'd be some semblance of linearity.

* I was expecting magic with the eLSD, especially in the context of the 4th Gen. rear and its LSD options. Turns out, it was just ok. The magic is due to its calibration with the OEM tires. Run something grippier, and it's not as special. Wish I'd known that from the onset. I learned about that before my final run.

Stellar car though. The 2.0T may be a neat ride in DS as that chassis would laugh at just 260hp. It'd be like driving a base MINI all over again... "stand on it and steer" comes to mind. But then one remembers that in Street classes, the average competitive lifespan is 4-5 years. The MINI has been competitive for 15 years. That's unheard of. So, a 6th Gen. Camaro in Street may work if you have $$$ to get the newest thing in "x" years. Or just run it and have fun.

SS 1LE: AS, buried against the C5 and C6 Z06
SS: FS, competitive
2.0T: DS, competitive (for now)
V6/V6 1LE: BS (?), buried against the C5 FRC

[cdb95z28]

I had the distinct opportunity and privilege to spend the day with (and autocross) a new 2017 SS 1LE.

My Camaro still needs calipers and the fuel pump as we're catching up financially from the summer (I'm an educator and don't get paid in the summers, naturally shit went wrong with the house and cars when my income was negligible), so I put out the call for a codrive at our penultimate event last weekend. A longtime autocrosser offered me his car, I just had to pick it up in the morning and return it at the end of the day.

So, my 13 year old and I picked it up Saturday morning and drove it the 30 miles to the event at MetLife Stadium in NJ. On the NJ Turnpike, I IMMEDIATELY know how good ANY of the new Camaros and Mustangs are with the independent rear suspension. Period. End of discussion.

Potholes, expansion joints, ruts... You name it, the chassis was unfazed. The ride on the highway alone convinced me that the new cars are light years ahead of anything GM built in 2002 or earlier... Frankly, I am convinced they're light years ahead of any Mustang from the 2005-2014 era as well. The inability of a live axle to conform to road irregularities - whether on the road or autocrossing - is too much for the older cars to handle, literally! LOL!

Matter of fact, I am writing a letter to the SEB to move ALL live axle cars to CAM-T as a result of what I experienced. Adjust performance of traction control and better ABS systems through minimum weights. But, anything with a live axle is relegated obsolete, by-and-large... The new independent rear suspension cars are THAT good.

As for the autocross... The SS 1LE is everything you hoped it would be. Conversely, I came away a little disappointed in some aspects.

PROS
* The LT4 is the kind of engine that, if you could get the driverless car developers to go for a ride would cease and destroy any evidence of creating such abominations to the automobile.

* The magnetic ride dampers can go from Monroe SensaTrac compliant to "Holy shi_! It's too stiff for autocross!" at the press of a button.

* The variable steering settings can help speed up the ratio of such a relatively big, heavy car to turn in with the immediacy expected from a Corvette (notice I didn't say Lotus).

* The braking system is mega, even with iron rotors. You can place it anywhere without worrying about ice mode or anything. The EBD does its job perfectly.

CONS
* The PTM setting are hard to find, the guy I codrove with (not the owner) had run the car before, but we couldn't find the PTM menus. So, we ran with all nannies off. The car was a handful, even on RE-71R's.

* The throttle map, even in Touring, was almost video game fast. Too fast for what autocrossing demands... Forget using Track. Very hard to modulate the throttle and get 460 hp and Tq. to the pavement. I ended up running my last run in Snow/Ice throttle to relax its inputs enough so there'd be some semblance of linearity.

* I was expecting magic with the eLSD, especially in the context of the 4th Gen. rear and its LSD options. Turns out, it was just ok. The magic is due to its calibration with the OEM tires. Run something grippier, and it's not as special. Wish I'd known that from the onset. I learned about that before my final run.

Stellar car though. The 2.0T may be a neat ride in DS as that chassis would laugh at just 260hp. It'd be like driving a base MINI all over again... "stand on it and steer" comes to mind. But then one remembers that in Street classes, the average competitive lifespan is 4-5 years. The MINI has been competitive for 15 years. That's unheard of. So, a 6th Gen. Camaro in Street may work if you have $$$ to get the newest thing in "x" years. Or just run it and have fun.

SS 1LE: AS, buried against the C5 and C6 Z06
SS: FS, competitive
2.0T: DS, competitive (for now)
V6/V6 1LE: BS (?), buried against the C5 FRC

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