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> CMC Camaro nearly done.....I'm having 2nd thoughts....
Steve91T
post Sep 16 2014, 11:32 PM
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Long story short, I was tracking my 97 SS a lot and decided to turn into a CMC car. I unknowingly picked a really bad time to build a race car, so 3 years later, it's still not done. But, the end is near. All that's left is gut the dash and have a cage made. It's been in this state for several months....this is where I'm having 2nd thoughts.

It appears the series isn't doing well at all, it's been on a decline for a while now. The other issue is I really miss being able to hop in the car and drive it down the street. So heres my next great idea....a street legal time trial car.

Done laughing yet?

So, doors are gutted, junkyard hard top screwed to the T-top frame, Blane fab spoiler in place of stock wing. Interior is gutted, dash hasn't been removed, heat and air removed, all wiring still in place.

Is it possible to build a cage that's safe for street use? I'm thinking X brace on both sides. Not sure about the bar near my head.

How hard is it to r&r the doors? The plan is to buy junkyard doors and use those for the street and my gutted ones for the track.

I have a stock LT1. I'll run that for now. I hate the optispark. I want to someday drop an LQ9. 6.0 iron block. Cam and tune, 400 rwhp.

I have to spend some time in the junk yards finding parts, like the headlight bar, that I threw away. But it shouldn't be too bad.

What do you guys think?
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nape
post Sep 17 2014, 04:17 AM
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I think you should get it together, get some crack back in your system, and get ready for a comp. school. If it took you 3 years to get to this point, are you going to waste another year turning it into a TT car? You can always TT a race car, you can't always race a TT car.

I can understand the draw of a street legal track car, but that just means you have to find a trailer when it's broken at the track instead of driving it on and having a beer. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
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trackbird
post Sep 17 2014, 04:01 PM
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That's why Nape owns my "teal terror" shell. I finished it and decided that I didn't want to spend $400 in entry fees to drive it every weekend. Hence building the Corvette as a street car. I'm having a hard time finding anything I want to buy/drive these days. I don't like the new Camaro that much and I don't think I want a Mustang. Not spending the cash for a new Corvette and I don't know if I trust a used one. Sadly I'm starting to consider a 2016 Miata. Just to have a fun street car that I can drive with the top off.

That's the long winded way to say "I feel your pain".
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PeteL
post Sep 17 2014, 11:53 PM
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Come on in the water's fine. I'm having the time of my life racing in CMC. This season we've had anywhere from 3 to 11 cars start and I had a blast every session regardless of where I started and where I finished even when that was last. Don't get caught up in some of the bitching you hear on the net. It goes on in every class of racing.

Ever since I started racing I have almost no desire to drive on the street except when I have to. Too many Prius drivers texting about how they are saving the world as they wander out of their lane and into mine.

Besides a street legal "racecar" is the "transgender person" of the automotive world. If you're into that kind of thing that's your business but don't expect me to approve. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Seriously, stop overthinking this and finish the damn car, get it on track and never look back.
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StanIROCZ
post Sep 18 2014, 01:35 AM
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Finish it as a CMC car AND drive it on the street. The looks you get will be priceless.
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CrashTestDummy
post Sep 18 2014, 02:17 AM
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^^ask him how he knows!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)
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SS Performance
post Sep 18 2014, 12:54 PM
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Street legal race car is a oxymoron. You end up making compromises that make the car unfit for either endeavor, it wont be competitive on the track or comfortable/reliable on the street.

Build your race car, go out and have some fun.

Craig
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roostmeyer
post Sep 18 2014, 01:28 PM
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QUOTE (SS Performance @ Sep 18 2014, 07:54 AM) *
Street legal race car is a oxymoron. You end up making compromises that make the car unfit for either endeavor, it wont be competitive on the track or comfortable/reliable on the street.

Build your race car, go out and have some fun.

Craig


Really depends on where you live...

Around here the police don't seem to care about my harness, and I doubt they'll care about the lexan windshield once that's in place. No emissions testing to compromise the cam, tune, or exhaust. Sure I've got 5-10lbs of lights/wiring and an overdrive T56 instead of something lighter, but the car should still make minimum weight.

As for the reliability... That's how I know the highway patrol doesn't care. They came by to say "hi" and checked out the car after I was parked on the shoulder of an off ramp for 10 minutes. Comfort is all relative.

The biggest issue I've ran into is insurance. I'm going to try again after the car is painted, but at the moment I'm not covered very well.
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roostmeyer
post Sep 18 2014, 01:32 PM
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I suppose I should also add my opinion on your situation...

Get the car back out there ASAP. If you want to add street legal bits back on later that's fine, but I would go with the path of least resistance. The car has sat plenty long and the last thing you need is for the project to stall out again.
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BryanL
post Sep 18 2014, 02:32 PM
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So it sounds like your real question is do you build a cage that is CMC legal or street legal? I don't know your state laws for inspections if you have a cage/harness in it. If it can't be that brings up the issue of insurance. At least you already realize that if you build a cage for a street car you don't want any bars near your head. I have no idea if that can be accomplished. If it can does it compromise the on track safety?
Don't you already have another street car that you can have some fun on the street? Though since I started racing I don't really care to try and have fun on the street as I see it as too dangerous without much wow factor. Meaning it just doesn't compare to being in a CMC car at the start of a race with 10-20 other CMC cars around you.
I'm in Texas and CMC is very much alive and well-car counts are as good as they ever have been. The complaining on the internet is really the same handful of guys that have been whining for years-though it generally gets replaced every few years by a new crop of guys that want all these changes that they think are necessary for the series. My advice to them is the same I was given when I got in-race a few years and then see what changes really need to be made. The only argument I can agree with you on is that there is always a chance that a series folds at some point as people move to a different class. I'm not too worried about that in Texas-Nationals has never been a good barometer for the class either.
With regards to TT I just don't see how it can compare with wheel to wheel if you want to really race. I don't have anything against it and think its great but I just don't see how it can compare. I think it's a great segway into racing. Though the speeds that the TT cars run without proper safety equipment is scary-though I totaled my CMC car in March. Bought another one from a racer who decided to sell and didn't miss a race.
You can still drop in a 5.3 and run CMC-if you want more power just throw headers/tune and cam and you are over 400 easy.
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Racerdad916
post Sep 18 2014, 05:53 PM
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QUOTE (StanIROCZ @ Sep 17 2014, 09:35 PM) *
Finish it as a CMC car AND drive it on the street. The looks you get will be priceless.

Ditto. My cage and wallet are not approved for AIX, so I get a lot of interesting looks while driving on the street...
Finish it and enjoy it, regardless of what you decide...
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nape
post Sep 19 2014, 01:11 AM
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QUOTE (StanIROCZ @ Sep 17 2014, 08:35 PM) *
Finish it as a CMC car AND drive it on the street. The looks you get will be priceless.


This is my plan if I ever get my stillborn CMC hopes off the ground. The only thing I got with the AI car was a bill of sale. I was almost giddy driving away with Kevin's "Tragically Teal" ((IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif) ) on the trailer because I also had a title in an envelope.

Will it kill my desire for a CTS-V someday? Doubt it, but it'll sure help when I can take the car for a milkshake and car show. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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dailydriver
post Sep 19 2014, 07:53 PM
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QUOTE (BryanL @ Sep 18 2014, 10:32 AM) *
So it sounds like your real question is do you build a cage that is CMC legal or street legal? I don't know your state laws for inspections if you have a cage/harness in it. If it can't be that brings up the issue of insurance. At least you already realize that if you build a cage for a street car you don't want any bars near your head. I have no idea if that can be accomplished. If it can does it compromise the on track safety?
Don't you already have another street car that you can have some fun on the street? Though since I started racing I don't really care to try and have fun on the street as I see it as too dangerous without much wow factor. Meaning it just doesn't compare to being in a CMC car at the start of a race with 10-20 other CMC cars around you.
I'm in Texas and CMC is very much alive and well-car counts are as good as they ever have been. The complaining on the internet is really the same handful of guys that have been whining for years-though it generally gets replaced every few years by a new crop of guys that want all these changes that they think are necessary for the series. My advice to them is the same I was given when I got in-race a few years and then see what changes really need to be made. The only argument I can agree with you on is that there is always a chance that a series folds at some point as people move to a different class. I'm not too worried about that in Texas-Nationals has never been a good barometer for the class either.
With regards to TT I just don't see how it can compare with wheel to wheel if you want to really race. I don't have anything against it and think its great but I just don't see how it can compare. I think it's a great segway into racing. Though the speeds that the TT cars run without proper safety equipment is scary-though I totaled my CMC car in March. Bought another one from a racer who decided to sell and didn't miss a race.
You can still drop in a 5.3 and run CMC-if you want more power just throw headers/tune and cam and you are over 400 easy.


True, but there ARE some regions where, at their NASA track days/races, if you ask about CMC, all you get are blank stares and dumb looks, as they have NO CLUE what this class is, even AFTER you explain it to them. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
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Steve91T
post Sep 21 2014, 03:08 PM
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Man I still have no idea what I want to do.

I'm starting training for work next week, so I'll be in the books and very sleep deprived for the next month. So I've got time to figure out what I want to. I think TT would be fun, for a bit, but I'm sure I'd get bored.

If the cage has NASCAR doors, I'll never be able to have side windows. So maybe what I should do is have a cage built that is CMC legal, yet is still as street friendly as possible?
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dailydriver
post Sep 22 2014, 07:26 PM
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Do the Caroline constables leave you alone with a full cage in the car, even without the crazy NASCAR style side intrusion bars??

I take it you have NO state inspection to worry about like we do here in Pennsyltuckey and Joyzee??
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Steve91T
post Sep 22 2014, 09:30 PM
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QUOTE (dailydriver @ Sep 22 2014, 03:26 PM) *
Do the Caroline constables leave you alone with a full cage in the car, even without the crazy NASCAR style side intrusion bars??

I take it you have NO state inspection to worry about like we do here in Pennsyltuckey and Joyzee??


Good question. I just called a gease monkey and the guy said its fine with a cage. Just had to have the normal mirrors, lights, signals, horn, and emissions. I need a cat, but I think that's it. I've never had an air pump and have always gotten away with it.
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Steve91T
post Oct 13 2014, 06:42 PM
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http://ls1tech.com/forums/eastern-classifi...-ss-roller.html


I'm seriously considering this car. I'm still up in the air if I'm going to convert to the LS1 front end or just sell it.
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Steve91T
post Oct 18 2014, 02:30 AM
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I'm picking up that red 99 SS next week. The plan is to get my car street legal ASAP. The plan right now is to hang the new 99's doors on along with the hood and bumper to update the look of the LT1 car. I'm also going to, at the very least, run apartial interior. Stock cloth seats for the street and the race seat for the track. I'd also like to be able to put the gutted doors on for track days...not sure if it's more effort than it's worth though. Same with the hard top roof. I'm going to run the LT1 until it gives up the ghost then save for a 6.0 with heads and cam.

This winter I'm going to build a make shift paint booth in my garage and learn how to paint.

I'm pretty excited about my new plan for the Camaro. This SS for $1100 is going to be a great starting place and will allow me to make a ton of progress quickly.

I'll stick with the bolt in roll bar for now until I figure out what I want to do with the cage.

I'll post pics next week.

This post has been edited by Steve91T: Oct 18 2014, 02:31 AM
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Doug Phillips
post Oct 18 2014, 06:26 PM
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Friends car. Canadian dollars. Ready to race.

http://www.casc.on.ca/forums/showthread.ph...ighlight=camaro
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Al weyman
post Oct 20 2014, 08:26 PM
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That looks like a good deal, shame I'm in the UK!
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