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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
I must be a sucker for action shots because I think this is the best set of pictures ever in the history of COTM.
We're definitely doing this again, folks!!!
Voting will open in another day to give people a little time to post their stories.
I'll start of by saying that after coming from a drag racing background, this style of car has quickly become my favorite. I also love seeing the cars being used and pushed hard, doing what the owner built them to do. This is a great group of cars! I purchased my 89 iroc in september 2018 as a mostly stock 305/t5 car with plans to build a nice street car that could go anywhere with plenty of power, make turns, and be equally comfortable making the occasional pass down the dragstrip, and most importantly, retain air conditioning!
I've turned every nut and bolt on the car, so I probably remember more details about it then most would ever care to know, but here goes anyhow. The engine a a 383 I built, 4 bolt block, Eagle forged crank/rods/pistons, 10.9:1 compression, afr 195 heads, comp xfi292 cam, miniram intake. It's never been dyno'd, but I expect horsepower to be in the 530-550 range. It is using efi connections 24x system, which allows me to run an LS style ecm and ignition coils. I'm using a fitech ultimate LS ecm. Power is delivered through a ram clutch to a t56 magnum transmission, ptc chromoly driveshaft and burkhardt chassis fabricated 9" rear. I've built multiple center sections for it, but its current street and autocross setup is a strange nodular iron center, eaton tru-trac differential, 3.25 gears and strange 31 spline axles. Its drag setup, which unfortunately I haven't had the chance to utilize due to the shutdown of tracks this spring is a yukon aluminum center, spool, 4.10 gears and Mark Williams 40 spline axles. Driveline is ready to handle anything I could possibly throw at it. Brakes are wilwood 4 piston calipers all the way around, with 12" rotors. I can quickly swap the rear brakes to a wilwood dynalight drag setup to fit the 5/8 studs on the 40 spline axles and a 15" wheel (weld alumastar). When I purchased the car, it had ebay knockoff eibach springs, it now has ground control weight jacking springs and koni adjustable shocks/struts on all 4 corners with a detroit speed front sway bar and chassis engineering subframe connectors. Looking forward to this season of autocross with my new suspension changes and 18x11 wheels that are on order. Interior is pretty simple, some comfortable racing seats, harness bar and 4 point belts. I did change the cluster to a dakota digital vxl. Cliffnotes for those sitting glassy eyed now: car go vroom and is a blast to drive I've put over 10,000 miles on it in the past year.
Well this will be one of the rare months a Pontiac wont bring in the win.
Buncha Camaros! LOL, I was going to Second QwkTrip, but he bowed out. None of my cars are 'pro-touring.' I couldn't find any pro-touring Pontiacs that haven't already won COTM, so I gave up. Looks like a nice set of Camaros to vote on though! It will be a tough decision.
The Pro-Touring theme of this month is just flat-out AWESOME!
These are the kind of cars that I wanted my car to be like all along the 20 years I have owned it. Street and track performers that handle and drive awesome, while looking great.
I have a lot to type, but hopefully it is not too painfully long for people to read.
I am the second owner of this car and have had it since February of 2000 (I bought it when I was 15 years old with the $3,500 of my own money which I had saved up from several years of cutting my neighbors lawns and yardwork). It was totally, completely stock then... had peeling clear coat paint, the original rear window louvers, straight body panels, original IROC wheels etc.. it was a dream come true without a doubt!! I grew up with family who were gearheads and as a kid, the 3rd gen bodystyle just appealed to me. I knew I had to have one one day, and I looked at a handful before finding this car, and I knew right away "this was the one"...and then the alternator froze on the voyage to my parents house and kicked the belt off and we had to limp it home.. just after buying it 30 mins earlier... ! My dad and I fixed this a week later, no problem, but I still was too young to drive the car so I would just wash it, wax it, fiddle with things week after week, just doing my best to learn mechanics and how things worked. All I wanted to do at that age was work on the car and learn. My father and I sanded down the areas of the body that had horrible clear coat peeling and we painted them red base/clear .. still before I was licensed to drive it.
It was my daily driver from 2002-2007 (high school and most of college). I’m talking pure daily driver, rain, snow, ice, 4 or 5 people piled in it, trips to the jersey shore, joyrides with girls, parking lot parties and burnouts. The car certainly lived a busy and exciting life back then, but I had become more keen on getting it to be more of a good looking and better performing car. So, in 2008, after getting a 1995 YJ Jeep for a Daily Driver I was finally able to dig into the car much more! It has gone through many many upgrades over the past 20 years. The list is very long, and I keep detailed records and files of everything (I have 3 notebooks filled with parts, mods, details). The gigantic file folder of "parts receipts" and their $value sometimes is shocking, but what the heck.. it is my hobby and it makes me happy. I enjoy that I do almost everything that I can do mechanically to the car here in my 2 car garage too with the occasional help from my group of gear-head friends.
- PAINT: “DEEP FLAME RED” SPRAYED IN 2007. GLASSTEK 2.5” FIBERGLASS HOOD, SHAVED DOOR MOLDINGS, REMOVED DRIP RAILS, AND DELETED/FILLED ANTENNA HOLE IN FENDER. HAD THE DOOR-JAMBS AND TRUNK JAMBS PAINTED ALSO. CUSTOM VINYL STRIPES ON HOOD AND LOWER DOORS, DESIGNED AND APPLIED BY MYSELF AND MY FATHER. ABOUT 80% OF THE BODYWORK WAS DONE BY MYSELF, YET THE PRIMER/PAINT/CLEAR WAS SPRAYED BY PEOTTER’S AUTO BODY SHOP (SUMMIT N.J.) APRIL OF 2007
- ENGINE:406 CUBIC INCH SMALL BLOCK CHEVY. DART S.H.P. BLOCK, CALLIES CRANKSHAFT AND H-BEAM RODS, FORGED MAHLE PISTONS, COMP-CAMS CAMSHAFT, DART PRO-1 215 HEADS, CRANE ROLLER ROCKERS, ARP BOLTS, ELEDBROCK VICTOR JR INTAKE MANIFOLD, HOLLEY SNIPER EFI, MSD IGNITION.
* 531 HORSEPOWER & 513 FT/LBS OF TORQUE ON ENGINE DYNO AT NYES RACING ENGINES FEB.2020
A 200 HP WET-SHOT OF NITROUS WILL BE COMING SOON. PISTON RINGS ARE GAPPED FOR NITROUS ALREADY. THE NITROUS BOTTLE IS MOUNTED IN THE CAR AND THE ELECTRONICS ARE PARTIALLY WIRED UP.
- TRANSMISSION: 700-R4 “PRO-STREET ELITE” TRANSMISSION BY “PRO-BUILT AUTOMATICS”. CURRENT TRANSMISSION IS RATED TO 775 HP/750 TORQUE. IT IS PURPOSE BUILT FOR NITROUS. HARDENED AND UPGRADED INTERNALS TO EXCESS. CUSTOM BUILT 3,400 RPM “EDGE RACING” CONVERTER WITH ANTI-BALLOONING PLATES. B&M EXTERNAL TRANS COOLER, B&M MEGASHIFTER. TOGGLE SWITCH TO ACTIVE CONVERTER LOCKUP IN 2ND, 3RD, OR 4TH GEAR
- REAR:MOSER ENGINEERING 12 BOLT CUSTOM BUILT TO ORDER. HUGE 33-SPLINE ALLOY AXLE SHAFTS. DETROIT TRUE-TRAC DIFFERENTIAL. 3.55 RATIO WITH PRO-STREET U.S. GEARS, BOLT-IN AXLES WITH SEALED ROLLER BEARINGS. 1350 CHROME-MOLY YOKE. ½” DIAMETER WHEEL STUDS. HOUSING POWDERCOATED BLACK. ALUMINUM COVER WITH MAIN BEARING SUPPORTS. BUILT TO HOLD UP TO APPROX. 900 HORSEPOWER
- DRIVESHAFT: BUILT TO ORDER FROM DENNY’S DRIVESHAFTS. 3” DIAMETER TUBE, BUILT FOR NITROUS HITS. CHROME-MOLY SLIP YOKE. HIGH SPEED BALANCED. CAPABLE OF HOLDING 1,500 HORSEPOWER
- SUSPENSION: FRONT SUSPENSION: LOWERED 2” VIA LOWERING-SPINDLES. MOOG SPRINGS PAIRED WITH ADJUSTABLE KONI YELLOW STRUTS. ALSO A T.D.S. WONDERBAR AND 34MM SWAYBAR WITH POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS. UMI ADJUSTABLE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS. FULLY REBUILT/REPLACED LOWER STEERING SYSTEM WITH MOOG COMPONENTS, AND REBUILT POWER STEERING BOX. UMI TUBULAR A-ARMS & DELRIN BUSHINGS.
REAR SUSPENSION: LOWERED 1-¼” WITH CUT-DOWN MOOG SPRINGS AND ADJUSTABLE KONI SHOCKS. S&W ADJUSTABLE TORQUE-ARM, UMI ADJUSTABLE PANHARD BAR AND FOUNDERS UPPER PANHARD MOUNT. UMI ADJUSTABLE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. 23MM SWAYBAR & POLY BUSHINGS.
- CHASSIS:FULL S&W RACECARS SUB-FRAME CHASSIS KIT UNDERNEATH. INCLUDEDS TWO MAIN FRAME CONNECTORS, SEVERAL BAR-TO-UNIBODY ATTACHMENT POINTS, DRIVESHAFT SAFETY LOOP, AND ARELOCATED TORQUE ARM CONNECTION
- EXHAUST:“DYNO DON’S” 1-3/4” MANDREL BENT, CERAMIC-COATED HEADERS INTO A DYNO-DON’S Y-PIPE. HOOKER 3” EXHAUST WITH AEROCHAMBER SUPER-COMP MUFFLER AND A D.M.H. ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED EXHAUST CUT-OUT. NO CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
- BRAKES:FRONT BRAKE SETUP IS AN ED MILLER MODIFIED C4-HD CORVETTE SETUP USING 13” DRILLED AND SLOTTED RAYBESTOS ROTORS WITH P.B.R. POWDERCOATED CALIPERS. THE REAR BRAKES ARE 12” RAYBESTOS ROTORS AND P.B.R. CALIPERS. WILWOOD IN-LINE ADJUSTABLE PROPORTIONING VALVE. STAINLESS STEEL FLEX LINES AND COPPER-NICKLE HARD LINES BENT AND FLARED BY HAND. SLP LINE-LOCK .
- COOLING:CHAMPION 2 ROW POLISHED ALUMINUM RADIATOR, PROFORM HIGH VOLUME WATER PUMP, MEZIERE 160 DEG THERMOSTAT, ALL NEW HOSES, ALUMINUM OVERFLOW TANK. USING EVANS WATERLESS COOLANT. DUAL ELECTRIC COOLING FANS
- WHEELS:BOZE FORGED. THE BOZE “INJECTED” WHEELS ARE 2-PIECE BILLET ALUMINUM DESIGN FULLY POLISHED AND CLEAR COATED. HIDDEN VALVE-STEMS. FRONT: 18”X8” WITH 5” BACKSPACE AND NITTO-555 245/40/18 TIRES REARS: 18”X10” WITH A 5.85” BACKSPACE AND NITTO-555 285/40/18 TIRES. I ALSO HAVE MICKEY THOMPSON ET STREET S/S DRAG RADIALS FOR THE REAR WHEN THE RACE TRACKS OPEN UP.
-INTERIOR:OFF BRAND “SPORT/BUCKET SEATS” ON SELF-BUILT CUSTOM SLIDERS/BRACKETS. SOUND-DEADENER MATERIAL APPLIED TO FLOOR AND ALL SIDES OF INTERIOR BODY SHELL. A/C AND HEATING SYSTEMS REMOVED. BLACK HEADLINER, BLACK CARPETING, GRANT GT STEERING WHEEL. NEW WEATHERSTRIPPING DOORS AND TRUNK. POWER LOCKS & WINDOWS. ALL GAUGES, LIGHTS, SWITCHES AND HANDLES WORK.
- AUDIO: THE 2,100 WATT SOUND SYSTEM USES A BOSS REV-635 AMPLIFIER POWERING TWO 12” VOLFENHAG DUAL VOICE COIL SUB-WOOFERS. ALSO A PANASONIC CD/MP3 HEADUNIT, PIONEER 6”X9” AND PIONEER 4X6” SPEAKERS INSIDE. USES 4-GAUGE WIRE FOR THE AMP.
- OTHER: SUMMIT RACING MINI-STARTER, 145 AMP POWERMASTER ALTERNATOR, OPTIMA RED TOP BATTERY RELOCATED TO THE TRUNK, LONGACRE BATTERY ON/OFF SAFETY SWITCH, RED REAR TURN SIGNALS, POLYURETHANE ENGINE MOUNTS. UNDERSIDE OF THE CHASSIS WAS ENTIRELY STRIPPED DOWN TO BARE METAL AND COATED WITH BLACK POR-15
STREET CAR – DRAG RACED – AUTO CROSSED – ROAD COURSE – CAR SHOWS – NEVER TRAILERED
FOR ADDITIONAL INFO AND MUCH OLDER PHOTOS PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE IN MY SIGNATURE (although it has not been updated in quite a long time; sorry).. AND SEARCH MY IROC-ZMAN15 USERNAME HERE ON THIRDGEN.ORG FOR THREADS CREATED BY ME, HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC MODS.
Last edited by IROCZman15; 05-16-2020 at 12:18 AM.
This car is an absolute joy to drive. It fires right up and will idle smooth at a light after an hour or so of driving. I have taken it on 4+ hour drives, on voyages in the rain, ran a multitude of AutoCross solo events, competed at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Shootout event twice (in 2016 and 2017 at NJMP), competed at the UMI Performance AutoCross event last year, and of course some quarter mile action locally in NJ. Despite living in NJ where the weather is less than perfect all year round, I do drive this car during the winter if the circumstances allow. It goes to car shows and cruise nights most of the year and it has won 45+ trophies and awards, some at bigger car show events like The Camaro nationals, The GM Nationals in Carlisle, Menards Chevy Show, Super Chevy Shows, and so forth. It was also one of the 10 IROC-Z cars to be invited to the GM Nationals indoor display to celebrate the "30 years of the IROC-Z" back in 2015 along with SEVERAL members on this board as well! It was in Popular HotRodding magazine back in May of 2010 (page 24) and also in Super Chevy Magazine April of 2010 (page 118).
Definitely check out some of my recent threads for more info on the car. I can’t wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to slow down so that the local racetracks and autoX events can start up for the year. I am so jacked up to get this car out there!
high -school:
new engine - and complete engine bay overhaul. bodywork, welding, paint, everything done here by me in the garage.
Thanks in advance to those who express kind words and compliments to me and the car. Win or loose.. I am just happy to be a part of this message board and the thirdgen community. Being a 3rd gen f-body enthusiast and an owner is something I can guarantee will last the remainder of my lifetime! * Also, thank you to QwkTrip for his work in compiling and managing the Car of the Month submissions and the voting each month. It has got to be a lot of work.
* Congratulations to all of the other nominees, you all have killer cars that you should be proud of and enjoy as much as you can.
Last edited by IROCZman15; 05-16-2020 at 12:05 AM.
I guess I'll start this by thanking QwkTrip for dragging me back onto the forum again.
We like to joke that we're the original Pro Touring thirdgen. Our first major event in the genre was in 2010 at El Toro, CA at an event called Run to the Coast. We thought it was a big year for us because we went to 3 out of state events between California and Nevada that year. Looking back and comparing it to 2019, 2010 was nothing. For most of the last 10 years, outside of some rare ventures into SCCA, we didn't see many thirdgens running the events. That changed when the DSE-Z hit the scene and made the cars a lot more popular for this type of driving. 2019 saw the car run events in 13 states across 50 days logging 520 autocross laps, 35 road course sessions, and approximately 1500 track miles in 7 months of continuous travel with the majority of the maintenance being done in track and hotel parking lots during that cycle.
Some of the recent highlights:
Being on display at SEMA 2019 as a participant in the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Invitational.
Spending a couple weeks on display inside Summit Racing in Atlanta between events. I didn't even know this was an option until the manager asked if we wanted to leave it there while we competed the backup car at LSFest West.
Sharing the podium with 3 of the big name drivers and top cars of Pro Touring at the Northeast Musclecar Challenge. Brian in his Camaro, Dustin in the DSE Corvette, Roger in the UMI Camaro, and our GTA.
In between being a display model in various places, we did a little racing. Places like Daytona
And Road America
Also Las Vegas, Fontana, Atlanta Motorspeedway, National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Pikes Peak, Virginia International, Gingerman, Putnam Park, UMI Motorsports Park, Pittsburgh International Raceway, a few NSRA events, some GoodGuys days, and LSFest.
From front to rear:
Paint is the GM torch red. It was shot in 2018 and will need to be done again soon. Track days are fun, but they are rough on the paint. The hood has a custom airbrushed hood bird that blends the decal lines used on the early thirdgens and the artistry of the 2nd gens.
The most noticeable exterior modification is the installation of a carbon fiber Mecham Aerowing (visible in the SEMA photo). It took a few months to produce but it came out better and lighter than expected.
Inside the bumper cover is the oil cooler and Accusump sourced from Improved Racing along with the oil cooler adapter plate to attach it all to the engine.
The engine is a 418 stroker based on a LS3 block running CNC ported heads and featuring some intake art by the same artist who did the hood.
Cooling is provided by a custom unit from Ron Davis Racing running dual Spal high output fans. Cam is a baby 227/239 unit at 600 lift and the setup generates 500 rwhp and 500 lb/ft of torque. The car is complete with steering upgrades from Turn One Steering including a 10:1 ratio gearbox and a custom PS pump tailored to the weight transfer characteristics of the car in 1.8G cornering maneuvers. The car, despite originally being a 700R4 equipped car has been converted to a manual and runs a Centerforce DYAD clutch, a Quicktime bellhousing, and a upgraded T56 Magnum. And we even have working AC on the car.
The exhaust uses the Stainless Works 1 7/8 headers to a full custom y pipe and tail section. The section after the axle uses a 3 bolt flange to allow us to change the muffler package to suit the noise restrictions of various tracks. We switch between a pair of Black Widow Widowmaker 10s when there are no restrictions and a Magnaflow with 2 Dynomax race bullets for tracks that need to be done quietly.
The suspension is all UMI. You can even order an identical setup by calling and asking for the DragonladyGTA kit. Several years ago, we partnered with UMI and became the official test vehicle to punish the products being built for the corner carving thirdgen market. If you're wondering who put the parts through thousands of laps and hundreds of miles of on track testing, this is the car. The front suspension includes, the road race k member, tubular lower control arms, front weight jacks with 1100 lb springs, set #1 of the double adjustable road race valved UMI/AFCO front struts, and the caster camber plates. We retained the 1LE/WS6 swaybars. Front brakes are Wilwood 6 piston units on 14 inch rotors with fluid fed to them via a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve.
Down the center of the car we have the UMI outer SFCs and the Alston inners to beef up the chassis. The tubular torque arm is also a UMI piece. The driveshaft is a 3 inch chromoly unit built to fit by a local driveshaft shop. Additional chassis stiffening is provided by a 6 point cage.
The rear of the car includes a Moser 12 bolt with a TruTrac differential, 3.42 gears, and 33 spline axles. The rear brakes are Wilwood 4 piston on 13 inch rotors. Rear suspension is a UMI Watts link, adjustable LCAs, relocation brackets, and single adjustable UMI/AFCO coilovers with 400 lb springs.
Fuel system is a 4th gen plastic tank with an Aeromotive 340 fuel pump and upgraded wiring from the alternator all the way to the pump.
The wheels are Forgeline GW3Rs in 18x10.5 running 315/30/`8 BFG Rivals on all 4 corners.
Florian the Unicorn is the official team mascot and can be found in the passenger seat at many events. He is usually a gentleman and allows the seat to be used by passengers at many events.
The interior of the car has a protouring style cage with the low door bars for easy entry and exit. The current seats are Corbeau CR1s (soon to be replaced by Recaros) running Crowe Racing 6 pt harnesses. The shifter is Rainbow Dash from My Little Ponies. The gauges are Intellitronix digital units designed to replace the factory analog gauges. The vehicle includes a full stereo setup including a subwoofer box and amp in the hatch well area and satellite radio. That plus the AC comes in handy when the car is on the cruise portions of the larger events.
Last edited by Beater79TA; 05-16-2020 at 01:29 AM.
What the photos and specs don't provide is the "why do we do this to ourselves" answer. And the honest answer to that is, to do it to spend time with friends and try to bring a few more people into the sport. 5 years ago we started participating in the BFG Share the Ride program where spectators were allowed to ride along with a select set of drivers on the autocross. Sign the waiver, join the line, strap in, and scream your way through a lap. About 3000 passengers later, we're still in that row of cars. Most of the time you never see the passenger again. Sometimes you see them a bit later, bringing their own car from the show and shine area to the start line to try it themselves. The other more recent event series is a small invitation only group of drivers being organized to provide some PTSD therapy to veterans. Medical science has determined that motorsports is actually an effective form of therapy for PTSD and a small series has been organized to bring drivers, cars, and veterans together to let them take a few rides and enjoy the day. The only trophy is smiles and a chance to give back.
And, finally, because it's really hard to miss the row of decals along the bottom of the car, a thank you to all the companies who have contributed their expertise to making the car what it is today. Improved Racing, Turn One, UMI, Texas Speed, AFR, Holley, Wilwood, Forgeline, Centerforce, FiTech, SilverSport Transmissions, Hawks Motorsports, and BFG. And a thank you to some of the other companies that make ProTouring events possible, Detroit Speed, Baer Brake, No Limit Engineering, Bowler Transmissions, Summit Racing, and Motorstate Distributing.
A final shot of the car pulling 1.8 G through the corner.
Last edited by Beater79TA; 05-16-2020 at 01:34 AM.
I'd love a ride but doubt I could survive it with the pain in my back. Maybe next time you're in Peoria, IL, I can just get a peak at it!
The ride share is cool until you realize you've worn out the passenger seat in 2 seasons from people getting in and out. LOL
Sadly, I don't believe the schedule has us near Peoria at all. It looks like the closest we'll get is either GoodGuys Des Moines or Road America. If you're at LSFest in Bowling Green, stop by and say hi.
Wow! These are some seriously well built and well appointed 3rd gens. ALL these cars really showcase the potential that lies beneath the stigma of the 3rd gen. Really impressive gents!
IROCman15, I love the fact you left the SBC and what sounds to be a monster of one, 531 HP on a streetable 406 you drive in the snow!! You sure you need that shot of NOS!
The ride share is cool until you realize you've worn out the passenger seat in 2 seasons from people getting in and out. LOL
Sadly, I don't believe the schedule has us near Peoria at all. It looks like the closest we'll get is either GoodGuys Des Moines or Road America. If you're at LSFest in Bowling Green, stop by and say hi.
is the good guys event in Des Moines an autocross event or just a show? I’m only a couple hours away in the QC area and sounds like it would be cool to attend. The Road America sounds neat too where does that take place?
is the good guys event in Des Moines an autocross event or just a show? I’m only a couple hours away in the QC area and sounds like it would be cool to attend. The Road America sounds neat too where does that take place?
We're planning on attending Des Moines for the autocross. I understand there's also a car show but we'll be in grid at the autocross. Road America is the name of the track in Wisconsin just north of Chicago.
We're planning on attending Des Moines for the autocross. I understand there's also a car show but we'll be in grid at the autocross. Road America is the name of the track in Wisconsin just north of Chicago.
That is cool! I’ve always had a silent interest in autocross but never knew where events took place near me. Would be fun to take the wife to one. Her sister lives near Madison too up that way. Are there any links to the events in Des Moines or RA I could check out? Might be cool to attend.
It was also one of the 10 IROC-Z cars to be invited to the GM Nationals indoor display to celebrate the "30 years of the IROC-Z" back in 2015 along with SEVERAL members on this board as well! It was in Popular HotRodding magazine back in May of 2010 (page 24) and also in Super Chevy Magazine April of 2010 (page 118).
WOW! I can't even get a picture of my car on the fridge in my own house!
I'd be really interested to see how that's packaged and part numbers. Pictures more than anything though.
Its the 3 inch Magnaflow replacement muffler for a thirdgen. On each of the tips headed out the back is the Dynomax bullet. The Dynomax bullets are mounted the same way Holley does the mufflers on their swap kit. Everything follows the factory exhaust routing.
WOW! I can't even get a picture of my car on the fridge in my own house!
The problem is owning a Firebird. All the Pontiac magazines have closed up so it's harder to get coverage. We've had articles done in GM-EFI and Lateral-G. Even some coverage in the Chevy High Performance and Super Chevy in the online versions. Hard to do when it isn't a Chevy and it isn't on fire (they make exceptions for cars on fire in event coverage). We've even been in the lead in videos for LSFest the last 3 years and some cameos in the Optima series coverage on TV. About 6 years ago we were part of the TV ads for Street Machine and Muscle Car Nationals in Pomona, CA. It can be just a bit creepy when a complete stranger (and it's usually strange one too) comes up and starts asking questions with "I saw you on TV". It's really cool the first few times. It's still cool later. But sometimes, it's just creepy when you realize you have groupies at some of the repetitive events like NSRA and LSFest and the groupies never live up to the stereotype of hot attractive groupies.
Thanks Qwktrip for putting this together, defiantly a group of some awesome thirdgens. I originally started with my 92 as just an ls swap that i wanted to autocross with it and take it to road courses. As i started i found how bad of shape the car was in so i ended up sourcing another body to start with. I have done almost everything to this car, short of actually spraying the paint, but did everything up to and after. I started with my original 92 z28 hood and added tracspec louvers to it. To save weight i sourced an original 82-84 factory fiberglass hood and modified it myself based off the DSE-Z hood. It took me the better part of 2 years to build. Last year was its maiden voyage, Goodguys Columbus was its 1st autocross, then that following weekend we were at Gingerman for the Motor state challenge. It also saw Lsfest east, and a few more local autocross events. If we get back to racing this year i have more events planned. Goodguys columbus, Motorstate challenge, lsfest east, and possibly a few more. And I just want to say thank you to everyone that has helped in some way with building this car, from answering questions and verifying my sanity on late night wrenching sessions, my wife, Lamper Customs, Detroit Speed, JRI, Queen City Speed, just to name a few.
Engine/Drivetrain: LS3
Factory LS3 Intake Manifold
Custom 4 inch Cold air intake
Lingenfelter Heads
Texas Speed 229/240 cam
Improved Racing oil pan baffle.
Hooker Blackheart 1 3/4 headers
True Dual exhaust with stainless works chambered mufflers
T56 transmission
Monster Stage 3 clutch
Tick Clutch Master Cylinder
Currie ford 9 inch, 31 spline axles, truetrac 4:11 gears.
Front suspension:
Detroit Speed/JRI struts
Detroit Speed Caster/camber plates
Detroit speed A arms
Detroit Speed Sway bar
Detroit Speed wonder bar
Detroit Speed 3 point strut tower brace(1st production one)
Detroit Speed Subframe connectors
Rear Suspension:
Detroit Speed Quadra link
Detroit Speed/JRI Coilovers
Detroit Speed Sway bar
Interior:
Speedhut gauges
Detroit Speed/MPR steering wheel
Corbeau GTSll seats with custom brackets/sliders
Vintage air heater
4 point Bar/cage
Ignition/ECM
Hlley HP EFI
Tuning Eric Evans of Queen City Speed/myself
Scott Perfomance Plug wires
Optima Battery relocated to rear
Fuel system:
Factory LS3 Fuel Rail and injectors
Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator
Custom fuel tank
Racetronix 340 fuel pump and wiring
Cooling:
Frostbite 4 core radiator
Dual electric fans
Wheels and Brakes:
18x11 Weld S71's
315/30/18 BFG Rival S tires
6th gen ss 4pison Brembo Brakes front/rear
Manual master cylinder with adjustable wilwood prop valve
Steering:
Turnone 10:1 Steering Gear box
Detroit Speed Steering Shaft
Body:
Color is Fathom Green Firemist
Modified 82-84 factory fiberglass hood with tracspec louvers
Shaved rear bumper
Hawks 5in rear spoiler
Smoked rear tail lights and side markers
These are the kind of shots that sell. If this were a COTM for 'vote yer heart' it'd be this firebird. But this month's COTM is about which car you think best fits the pro touring category, and for me, you couldn't beat redmaroz with the rest of these cars.
Yea, the photos are a big part of it. The "problem" with action-photos, is... welll.. the driver(me) isn't the one taking the photos! So as much as I would want to be able to take awesome action photos of my car, I can't do that at the same time as I am behind the wheel... So we are all pretty much hoping a track photographer is able to get a cool action photo from a great angle that we are able to find and use. kinda like what GTA matt was mentioning in his post
These are the kind of shots that sell. If this were a COTM for 'vote yer heart' it'd be this firebird. But this month's COTM is about which car you think best fits the pro touring category, and for me, you couldn't beat redmaroz with the rest of these cars.
Thanks 427, and that is a killer picture of the Dragonlady GTA. Defiantly would make an awesome poster.
These are the kind of shots that sell. If this were a COTM for 'vote yer heart' it'd be this firebird. But this month's COTM is about which car you think best fits the pro touring category, and for me, you couldn't beat redmaroz with the rest of these cars.
You don't have to beat him... I already did at Gingerman last year...
Seriously, Jay has a lovely well set up car. Hopefully I'll see more of him out this year of the the season ever gets started.
Im of the firm belief that a true pro-touring car needs climate control and a stereo system. The whole concept is taking an older car that can do everything competitively and still be able to drive coast to coast.
Yea, the photos are a big part of it. The "problem" with action-photos, is... welll.. the driver(me) isn't the one taking the photos! So as much as I would want to be able to take awesome action photos of my car, I can't do that at the same time as I am behind the wheel... So we are all pretty much hoping a track photographer is able to get a cool action photo from a great angle that we are able to find and use. kinda like what GTA matt was mentioning in his post
The bigger events all have official photographers selling photo packages. Most are reasonably priced and very good at what they do. That specific action shot is from MidWestMusclecar Challenge and the photographer working the event. Photo package of digital images runs about $50 for the weekend. The Optima and LSFest events have people that will also do photo packages for you. They tend to advertise to the registered participants.
You don't have to beat him... I already did at Gingerman last year...
Seriously, Jay has a lovely well set up car. Hopefully I'll see more of him out this year of the the season ever gets started.
Im of the firm belief that a true pro-touring car needs climate control and a stereo system. The whole concept is taking an older car that can do everything competitively and still be able to drive coast to coast.
Thanks for the compliments and yep you did, and everyone else that was there last year. It was my 1st time ever on a road course with any vehicle. So it was a huge learning experiance, that i look forward to more of.
Thanks for the compliments and yep you did, and everyone else that was there last year. It was my 1st time ever on a road course with any vehicle. So it was a huge learning experiance, that i look forward to more of.
Both Val and I are hoping to see you at events this year. Assuming the season ever starts. Just remember my advice from last year. You can learn a lot about the course by riding with others and a lot about your car by letting the pros take it for a lap while you ride along. Hopefully Motorstate Challenge happens at Gingerman. That one was fun and I'd like to get another shot at it.
Both Val and I are hoping to see you at events this year. Assuming the season ever starts. Just remember my advice from last year. You can learn a lot about the course by riding with others and a lot about your car by letting the pros take it for a lap while you ride along. Hopefully Motorstate Challenge happens at Gingerman. That one was fun and I'd like to get another shot at it.
Thanks Tom, ill be glad to see you guys and rest of my race car friends lol. And yep, your advice is at the front of my head. And i plan on trying to get some rides in this year along with letting some of the big guns take it out. And i agree i really hope Motorstate happens, Im really looking forward to it. I was hoping to have gotten more time in at the muscle car challenge but that didnt happen. so with any luck ill be able to get another road course in besides gingerman this year. But will have to wait and see how everything plays out.
I took a closer read of your story. Impressive build. Very neat car!
I think Power Tour is going right through Peoria this year. Maybe I should pick out a lunch spot for 3rd gen owners to stop and gather.
Thanks Qwk, i appreciate it. That would be a cool little meet up if you did. The power tour is something i hope to do next year along with all the other stuff when i get my wifes project wrapped up.
Thanks Qwk, i appreciate it. That would be a cool little meet up if you did. The power tour is something i hope to do next year along with all the other stuff when i get my wifes project wrapped up.
Hopefully her project is something equally cool. Ours are side by side in the garage right now. The Camaro hits the road again this week with the updated motor.
I think Power Tour is going right through Peoria this year. Maybe I should pick out a lunch spot for 3rd gen owners to stop and gather.
QwkTrip: If you have some sort of central Illinois get-together during this event, I hope you will post about it here at TGO. My brother and I have been kicking the tires on the idea of going for some stage of it this year, especially with so many other events shut down.
As for COTM...it's going to be just about impossible for me to decide who to vote for here. I really admire each of these builds, and for different reason on each car. Truly a great bunch of machines.
05-15-2020, 12:40 AM
I've put over 10,000 miles on it in the past year.
