LSX TV Forums - Feature Articles http://www.lsxtv.com/forum Interviews, car features, shop tours, and more. en Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:51:53 GMT vBulletin 5 http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg LSX TV Forums - Feature Articles http://www.lsxtv.com/forum LS Swaps into Rare Collectibles: Bad Ass or Bad Idea? http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ls-swaps-into-rare-collectibles-bad-3045.html Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:54:18 GMT Since the late 1990’s, hot-rodders have been swapping LS series engines into everything from ’32 Fords to ‘60s muscle cars to even the occasional import with excellent results. While most gear heads absolutely love the look and performance of seeing an LS engine under the hood of their favorite cars, some purists may not share the same views. But is it arguable that some vehicles are better left alone? Vehicles with unique high-performance powertrains, that were built in limited production, for only a short amount of time, are considered by some to be sacred territory and are better left with their original powertrains under their hood, like their manufacturer intended.



A couple prime examples are the ’84-to-’87 turbo Buick Regals and GMC Syclone and Typhoons, which were built between 1991-1993. Both of these vehicles were equipped with turbocharged V6 engines, with the Buick being able to spin the rear wheels through the first two gears, while the GMC’s were gripping the tarmac with all four hides. Though I won’t bore you by getting too in-depth with the stats and specs on these cars, I will say that these vehicles ran low 13s and low 14s, respectively in the ¼-mile - depending on model year and application; the '87 GNX and '91-'92 Syclones being the fastest of the bunch.



These were of course, very respectable times for factory V6 powered cars for the era, considering V8 powered Mustangs and F-bodies could only muster high 14s or low 15s from the factory at best. To top it off, these “buzzin’ half-dozens” were easily modified and when modified correctly, could pull low 12-second time slips with not much more than an upgrade in the exhaust, chip, extra boost and some sticky tires. Some might even argue that these boosted V6 mills respond even better to mods than the LS engines that people are replacing them with!



Having driven examples of both of these cars, I can personally attest to the fact that NOTHING compares to the thrills that these mills produced from out of the box. The way that the surge in power comes at you as the turbo spools up and the eerie soundtrack of near silence other than a faint whistling of the turbo combined with the "whoo-tshh" of the wastegate blowing off the unused boost as you let off of the throttle will put a smile on ANYBODY'S face.

Truth be told, I currently own an '87 Grand National that's near stock and I get more enjoyment driving it than I do my H/C/I 2002 WS6. The combination of its looks, ride, performance and soundtrack gives it that unexplainable "X-Factor" that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I also get more comments and compliments with this car in the year that I've owned it, than the 8 years that I've owned this T/A. However, if you require a car that doesn't have a high theft rate, handles like it's on rails, stops on a dime and has a "thunderous" noise emitting from its tailpipes, then this isn't the car for you. That's where a car like my WS6 would come in.


Who hasn't seen this classic video of two mildly modified GN's smoking a Viper GTS on the street?

So, the question arises, "Should the Buick turbo Regals and the GMC Sy/Ty’s be left with their original engines intact, be it stock or modified, or are they prime candidates for a turbo LS swap?" One would have the Turbo 6 crowd standing firm with their belief that their engines are more than up to the task of providing their need for speed. And they’re willing to back it up with guys like Kenny Duttweiler - now deep in the 6’s with his GN - and a whole slew of other guys in the 7’s and 8’s while still being streetable!



But on the other side of the fence, you have someone like Buick turbo guru Cal Hartline, who took the turbo V6 out of his already 8-second Grand National, and dropped in a turbocharged LQ9-based motor to partake in the inaugural LSX Shootout of 2007. It ran 8’s in the ¼ with that set up as well. In more recent news, Speed Inc has a LSX-based ’93 GMC Typhoon project car that is dipping into the 9-second zone, while maintaining its AWD system. The featured pictures and videos will no doubt attest to how incredible the set up is. Admittedly, hearing the spooling turbo, screaming LS1, and watching a an S-series SUV smoke all four of its tires for several yards is quite entertaining.



So is it better to leave the boosted V6 in your collector vehicle to maintain its value and collectability, or should you just say, “The hell with it, you only live once?” Not only does this pertain to turbo Buick's and Sy/Tys, but what about other cars, like the '94-'96 LT1 Impala SS, limited edition Corvettes, and other limited edition vehicles of the past? As a Grand National owner and an owner of two LS-powered vehicles myself, I can definitely see both sides of the argument.



]]> Since the late 1990’s, hot-rodders have been swapping LS series engines into everything from ’32 Fords to ‘60s muscle cars to even the occasional import with excellent results. While most gear heads absolutely love the look and performance of seeing an LS engine under the hood of their favorite cars, some purists may not share the same views. But is it arguable that some vehicles are better left alone? Vehicles with unique high-performance powertrains, that were built in limited production, for only a short amount of time, are considered by some to be sacred territory and are better left with their original powertrains under their hood, like their manufacturer intended.







A couple prime examples are the ’84-to-’87 turbo Buick Regals and GMC Syclone and Typhoons, which were built between 1991-1993. Both of these vehicles were equipped with turbocharged V6 engines, with the Buick being able to spin the rear wheels through the first two gears, while the GMC’s were gripping the tarmac with all four hides. Though I won’t bore you by getting too in-depth with the stats and specs on these cars, I will say that these vehicles ran low 13s and low 14s, respectively in the ¼-mile - depending on model year and application; the '87 GNX and '91-'92 Syclones being the fastest of the bunch.







These were of course, very respectable times for factory V6 powered cars for the era, considering V8 powered Mustangs and F-bodies could only muster high 14s or low 15s from the factory at best. To top it off, these “buzzin’ half-dozens” were easily modified and when modified correctly, could pull low 12-second time slips with not much more than an upgrade in the exhaust, chip, extra boost and some sticky tires. Some might even argue that these boosted V6 mills respond even better to mods than the LS engines that people are replacing them with!







Having driven examples of both of these cars, I can personally attest to the fact that NOTHING compares to the thrills that these mills produced from out of the box. The way that the surge in power comes at you as the turbo spools up and the eerie soundtrack of near silence other than a faint whistling of the turbo combined with the "whoo-tshh" of the wastegate blowing off the unused boost as you let off of the throttle will put a smile on ANYBODY'S face.



Truth be told, I currently own an '87 Grand National that's near stock and I get more enjoyment driving it than I do my H/C/I 2002 WS6. The combination of its looks, ride, performance and soundtrack gives it that unexplainable "X-Factor" that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I also get more comments and compliments with this car in the year that I've owned it, than the 8 years that I've owned this T/A. However, if you require a car that doesn't have a high theft rate, handles like it's on rails, stops on a dime and has a "thunderous" noise emitting from its tailpipes, then this isn't the car for you. That's where a car like my WS6 would come in.





Who hasn't seen this classic video of two mildly modified GN's smoking a Viper GTS on the street?



So, the question arises, "Should the Buick turbo Regals and the GMC Sy/Ty’s be left with their original engines intact, be it stock or modified, or are they prime candidates for a turbo LS swap?" One would have the Turbo 6 crowd standing firm with their belief that their engines are more than up to the task of providing their need for speed. And they’re willing to back it up with guys like Kenny Duttweiler - now deep in the 6’s with his GN - and a whole slew of other guys in the 7’s and 8’s while still being streetable!







But on the other side of the fence, you have someone like Buick turbo guru Cal Hartline, who took the turbo V6 out of his already 8-second Grand National, and dropped in a turbocharged LQ9-based motor to partake in the inaugural LSX Shootout of 2007. It ran 8’s in the ¼ with that set up as well. In more recent news, Speed Inc has a LSX-based ’93 GMC Typhoon project car that is dipping into the 9-second zone, while maintaining its AWD system. The featured pictures and videos will no doubt attest to how incredible the set up is. Admittedly, hearing the spooling turbo, screaming LS1, and watching a an S-series SUV smoke all four of its tires for several yards is quite entertaining.







So is it better to leave the boosted V6 in your collector vehicle to maintain its value and collectability, or should you just say, “The hell with it, you only live once?” Not only does this pertain to turbo Buick's and Sy/Tys, but what about other cars, like the '94-'96 LT1 Impala SS, limited edition Corvettes, and other limited edition vehicles of the past? As a Grand National owner and an owner of two LS-powered vehicles myself, I can definitely see both sides of the argument.








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]]> Feature Articles Rick Seitz http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ls-swaps-into-rare-collectibles-bad-3045.html Vitamin C GTO: Just What The Doctor Ordered http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/vitamin-c-gto-just-what-doctor-3038.html Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:54:49 GMT When a lot of people think of a classic GTO that they would love to own, usually a '69 Judge in Carousel Red or a 1970 Judge in Orbit Orange comes to mind. The combination of styling, performance and that loud (but in a good way) shade of orange puts a smile on faces and it makes hearts skip a beat. As we all know, Pontiac has been sent to that big automotive resting place in the sky, but it seems that before they had their plug pulled, they wanted to offer their outgoing performance cars in a shade of orange. The ’01-’02 Trans Am got Sunset Orange, the ’09 G8 GXP Ignition Orange and the ’06 GTO in all of its Brazen Orange glory.



The ironic thing about this particular car's owner, Matt Hudak of Pittsburgh, PA., is that his GTO’s striking color was not his first choice. When he first walked into Jenning’s Pontiac in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in September of 2006, he originally had his heart set on an Impulse Blue GTO. Needless to say, it was love at first sight, as he drove out of the showroom with this “Brazen Beauty” nearly three hours later.



While being content with the citrus-colored goat’s factory-supplied 400hp for the first five months, it didn’t take too long for the “mod bug” to bite, and when it did, it bit hard. Starting out with all of the usual bolt-ons, Matt tackled the exhaust first, by bolting on a set of Kooks long-tubes, followed by a Spintech cat-back. Helping the engine to breathe easier, on went a cold air intake, a ported LS2 intake manifold and ported throttle body. After installing an under-drive pulley and having the car dyno-tuned by Jeremy Formato of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Matt was rewarded with 442hp and 391lb. ft. at the real wheels.



Soon after which, Matt installed a Pedders Track 2 suspension set-up and 19-inch CCW SP505 wheels wrapped in a set of Toyo Tires. This bought Matt another 6 months of contentment, but that was until he got the itch yet again. Scratching that itch with a FAST 92mm intake, a Meziere electric water pump and a set of Trick Flow heads, Matt had Jeremy tune it again and this time the GTO responded with 494hp and 429lb.ft. to the rollers. This set-up kept Matt happy until the fall of 2009.



Over the winter, he decided to yank out the factory LS2 and start from scratch. The low-mileage LS2 was sold, along with all of the acquired engine parts, and in went a newly built 416 LS3 stroker. Assembled by friend Greg Corsello, a Callies Compstar crank and connecting rods laid the foundation for the 416, as a set of Diamond pistons, TSP CNC’d L92 heads, Yella Terra roller rockers, ported and coated LS6 oil pump, a double roller timing set, a Comp bumpstick (with a 235/243 duration and .624 lift) and a 113 LSA completed the long block assembly.



Complimenting the aforementioned CNC’d L92 heads are ARP studs, Trend pushrods and a set of Comp lifters. Helping those high flow heads inhale oxygen efficiently is an OTR cold air intake, a ported FAST 102mm intake and a Nick Williams 102mm TB. Exhaling all of this increased airflow are a set of Kooks 1 7/8-inch long tube headers and 3-inch cat-back exhaust. This 1 of 484 6-speed GTO drinks 93 octane through a high-flow fuel pump and FAST 57lb. injectors, while a Hendrix custom radiator helps the Meziere electric water pump keep things cool. Once the new engine was bolted into the engine bay, Matt had the Goat speed density dyno-tuned by Ed over at Virginia Speed, where he was rewarded with 537rwph and 501rwtq on the dyno sheet.





Delivering this amount of power through the rear wheels safely came in the form of a Monster Stage 3.5 clutch, a lightweight flywheel, a TICK clutch master cylinder, a GF1320 carbon fiber driveshaft, 1-piece stubs, and Level 2 axles, along with a Harrop rear diff cover, and Rocksand Racing rear toe links helps Matt feel more confident in his drivetrain.



Adding more power and reinforcing the drivetrain are only two of the ingredients in making the ultimate modern muscle car; one must be able to stop in a hurry as well, and Matt’s GTO is no exception. So after all of the goodies were installed, Matt made sure he had the stopping power to slow down the increased horsepower of his ride. He quickly added a Wilwood 14-inch Superlite 6-piston Brake Kit and since the old set of CCW wheels no longer cleared his new brakes, he ordered custom offset CCW SP551 high-polished wheels as a replacement, also wrapped in a set of Toyo rubber on all four corners.



Like most hot rodders, Matt wanted his GTO to look as good as it ran, so the engine bay was dressed in billet pieces supplied by Nasty Performance, JamesBiz and Southern Performance. A low-profile JHP V2 rear wing sits atop of the trunk lid for added outside visual appeal, aiding in making the CCW wheels stand out in the crowd. By the time this article is in front of you for your viewing pleasure, a set of Pedders Supercar coil-overs will be installed as well.



Matt is proud to say that all of the work, save for the engine machining, was completed by himself in his own garage. As you can see by his pictures, he takes great pride in his work and goes to extreme measures in keeping his baby fully detailed at all times. Who wouldn’t be proud to own a rare piece of Pontiac history that looked and ran as good as this one?



]]> When a lot of people think of a classic GTO that they would love to own, usually a '69 Judge in Carousel Red or a 1970 Judge in Orbit Orange comes to mind. The combination of styling, performance and that loud (but in a good way) shade of orange puts a smile on faces and it makes hearts skip a beat. As we all know, Pontiac has been sent to that big automotive resting place in the sky, but it seems that before they had their plug pulled, they wanted to offer their outgoing performance cars in a shade of orange. The ’01-’02 Trans Am got Sunset Orange, the ’09 G8 GXP Ignition Orange and the ’06 GTO in all of its Brazen Orange glory.







The ironic thing about this particular car's owner, Matt Hudak of Pittsburgh, PA., is that his GTO’s striking color was not his first choice. When he first walked into Jenning’s Pontiac in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in September of 2006, he originally had his heart set on an Impulse Blue GTO. Needless to say, it was love at first sight, as he drove out of the showroom with this “Brazen Beauty” nearly three hours later.







While being content with the citrus-colored goat’s factory-supplied 400hp for the first five months, it didn’t take too long for the “mod bug” to bite, and when it did, it bit hard. Starting out with all of the usual bolt-ons, Matt tackled the exhaust first, by bolting on a set of Kooks long-tubes, followed by a Spintech cat-back. Helping the engine to breathe easier, on went a cold air intake, a ported LS2 intake manifold and ported throttle body. After installing an under-drive pulley and having the car dyno-tuned by Jeremy Formato of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Matt was rewarded with 442hp and 391lb. ft. at the real wheels.







Soon after which, Matt installed a Pedders Track 2 suspension set-up and 19-inch CCW SP505 wheels wrapped in a set of Toyo Tires. This bought Matt another 6 months of contentment, but that was until he got the itch yet again. Scratching that itch with a FAST 92mm intake, a Meziere electric water pump and a set of Trick Flow heads, Matt had Jeremy tune it again and this time the GTO responded with 494hp and 429lb.ft. to the rollers. This set-up kept Matt happy until the fall of 2009.







Over the winter, he decided to yank out the factory LS2 and start from scratch. The low-mileage LS2 was sold, along with all of the acquired engine parts, and in went a newly built 416 LS3 stroker. Assembled by friend Greg Corsello, a Callies Compstar crank and connecting rods laid the foundation for the 416, as a set of Diamond pistons, TSP CNC’d L92 heads, Yella Terra roller rockers, ported and coated LS6 oil pump, a double roller timing set, a Comp bumpstick (with a 235/243 duration and .624 lift) and a 113 LSA completed the long block assembly.







Complimenting the aforementioned CNC’d L92 heads are ARP studs, Trend pushrods and a set of Comp lifters. Helping those high flow heads inhale oxygen efficiently is an OTR cold air intake, a ported FAST 102mm intake and a Nick Williams 102mm TB. Exhaling all of this increased airflow are a set of Kooks 1 7/8-inch long tube headers and 3-inch cat-back exhaust. This 1 of 484 6-speed GTO drinks 93 octane through a high-flow fuel pump and FAST 57lb. injectors, while a Hendrix custom radiator helps the Meziere electric water pump keep things cool. Once the new engine was bolted into the engine bay, Matt had the Goat speed density dyno-tuned by Ed over at Virginia Speed, where he was rewarded with 537rwph and 501rwtq on the dyno sheet.











Delivering this amount of power through the rear wheels safely came in the form of a Monster Stage 3.5 clutch, a lightweight flywheel, a TICK clutch master cylinder, a GF1320 carbon fiber driveshaft, 1-piece stubs, and Level 2 axles, along with a Harrop rear diff cover, and Rocksand Racing rear toe links helps Matt feel more confident in his drivetrain.







Adding more power and reinforcing the drivetrain are only two of the ingredients in making the ultimate modern muscle car; one must be able to stop in a hurry as well, and Matt’s GTO is no exception. So after all of the goodies were installed, Matt made sure he had the stopping power to slow down the increased horsepower of his ride. He quickly added a Wilwood 14-inch Superlite 6-piston Brake Kit and since the old set of CCW wheels no longer cleared his new brakes, he ordered custom offset CCW SP551 high-polished wheels as a replacement, also wrapped in a set of Toyo rubber on all four corners.







Like most hot rodders, Matt wanted his GTO to look as good as it ran, so the engine bay was dressed in billet pieces supplied by Nasty Performance, JamesBiz and Southern Performance. A low-profile JHP V2 rear wing sits atop of the trunk lid for added outside visual appeal, aiding in making the CCW wheels stand out in the crowd. By the time this article is in front of you for your viewing pleasure, a set of Pedders Supercar coil-overs will be installed as well.







Matt is proud to say that all of the work, save for the engine machining, was completed by himself in his own garage. As you can see by his pictures, he takes great pride in his work and goes to extreme measures in keeping his baby fully detailed at all times. Who wouldn’t be proud to own a rare piece of Pontiac history that looked and ran as good as this one?








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]]> Feature Articles Rick Seitz http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/vitamin-c-gto-just-what-doctor-3038.html <![CDATA[Camaro5's Rick Andrade's Blue Monster '10 SS]]> http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/camaro5s-rick-andrades-blue-monster-10-a-2966.html Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:50:06 GMT On a sweltering July day in 1955, Walt Disney announced at the opening ceremony of world's first "theme park," "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." The very same can be said for Rick Andrade's wickedly cool '10 Camaro Super Sport. Rick is a automotive nut, loving a wide range of cars - classics, trucks, and modern muscle alike - and has spent several fortunes building a decade's worth of unique, never-before-seen customs. Most of which have been photographed countless times for dozens of publications and have graced the show floor at SEMA. So, when LSX TV got the chance to meet Rick and take a spin in his 5th generation Camaro, we were surprised to hear all of Rick's future plans for this already impressive tire-scorching creation.



"Oh, I'm not done with her," Rick laughed. When I meet Rick, he was busily wiping down the big chrome exhaust tips with a microfiber towel. High above his head, the Camaro is up on a lift at Hotchkis sport suspension. Rick is so ingrained into the automotive performance aftermarket that he's proffered up his cars for trial fitting and R&D. In fact, that's why we were at Hotchkis today. Rick's '10 Super Sport was the blank canvas from which the aftermarket suspension company designed their newest 5th Gen. Camaro kit. Newly completed, it now rides on full Hotchkis TVS front and rear springs, increasing the spring rate while lowering the Camaro's center of gravity; front and rear sway bars for less body roll, better cornering; a lightweight chassis brace made from custom extruded aluminum oval tubing and a front engine brace designed to clear the supercharger.


Rick's '10 Camaro SS was the test mule for Hotchkis' new 5th Gen. sport suspension package, which lowers it an inch. Below, a trick extruded aluminum oval tubing subframe connector frame ties the chassis together for less body twist and better response.

Beneath the SEIBON carbon fiber hood, the LS3 has received just as much attention. While Rick's Camaro is quite the beauty, it's no trailer queen. In fact, Rick is notoriously rough on his show cars, driving them, drag racing them, and even taking them out onto the road course! Knowing how many speeding tickets he's was looking forward to racking up, Rick had a Stage 1 camshaft ground specifically for a supercharger setup made. Next, a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger replaced the factory intake, producing a street friendly 8-pounds of boost with custom tune. Feeding the 'charger is a RotoFab cold air intake. A pair of Dynatech stainless steel long tube headers flowing into a set of 3-inch high-flow catalytic converters going into a complete MagnaFlow 3-inch Competition package. What does it all add up to? How about 604 rwhp and 572 ft. lbs. of twist.


This ain't your regular run-of-the-mill LS3. Rick - never one to leave well enough alone - squeezes a whole lot more power out of the stock 430hp plant with a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger, custom-grind camshaft, an equally-custom tune, cold air intake and Dynatech headers.

Backing all that horsepower is a Tremec TR6060 6-speed with a Centerforce twin-disc clutch installed by Chris Johnson at Francisco's Automotive in Huntington Beach, California, with a polished Hurst Racing T-handle shifter. The blue Gen 5 rolls on a set of Axion AX-601 20x9s up front and 20x11s in back, 3-piece, forged custom-finish wheels. Equipped with Axiom's race hardware reinforcement package, the big rollers are wrapped in Pirelli Pzero 275/40/20s and 305/35/20s. Stopping those big dubs is Baer's "Big Brake Kit" installed by Industrial Motoring in Anaheim, California, which includes a quartet of 6-piston calipers, 15-inch two-piece rotors, race pads up front and aggressive street pads in the rear. While driving, Rick laughed, "The race pads squeak like hell, but I knew that going in. They asked me, 'You sure you want those?' I was like, 'Yeah, I know what I'm asking for.' And that was it." He then slammed on the skids, coming to a dead stop within milliseconds. Yeah, the race pads were the right choice.


The rolling stock is just as custom as anything else on Rick's Camaro. The forged Axion AX-601 3-piece, custom-finished rims are formidable at 20x9s up front and 20x11s in back. Riding on Pirelli Pzero rubber, the giant 275/40/20s and 305/35/20s provide the grip needed while massive 6-piston Baer 15-inch, two-piece rotors are clamped by race pads up front and street pads in the rear.

But it where it counts nine-times-out-ten for a show car is the exterior. Rick's a big believer of "It's all in the details" and never leaves out the little stuff, making sure that every inch of his customized cars have slight touches to distinguish them from everyone else. Rick had a Street Scene equipment front splitter, ground effects kit and three-piece rear spoiler installed. Additionally, Rick had all the names badges and Bow Ties shaved off. Robert Dipi from 3D Customs in Corona, California performed all the bodywork and customizing while William Wipperman at Prestige Auto Collision in Mission Viejo coated the Camaro in GM Aqua Blue Metallic with custom-mixed PPG metallic black stripes with blue pearl and several passes clear coat. Even the Axion wheels have the same blue pearl flakes in the black inserts. Cool T-REX phantom upper and lower grilles were installed for the classic RS look while miscellaneous trim bezels, door sills, and exterior trim were provided by Defenderworx. Ultimately, Rick had all the lights custom tinted by URR2SLO Motorsports and the Window tint by We Do Windows.


The devil's in the details with Rick's blue SS. All of the lights were tinted by URR2SLO while all the glass was tinted by We Do Windows. You might have noticed the wild paint job. The GM Aqua Blue Metallic with custom PPG metallic black stripes with blue pearl were applied by William Wipperman at Prestige Auto Collision in Mission Viejo, CA.

When prepping for a show (or a photoshoot like this one), Rick has the Camaro detailed by Pic in Mission Viejo, CA. Inside, the cabin is just as impressive - as to be expected - yet subtly modest. No obnoxious neon lights, drop-down LCD screens or anything of the sort. Rick is a classic Camaro lover at heart and wanted to keep this Camaro - although gorgeous - true to its roots. Rick had all the seats recovered with Katzkin leather and suede seat covers, including the back bench - designed to match the front buckets with custom embroidered headrests and floor mats. All of this work has paid off in spades, as Rick's Camaro has been an All American Muscle Car Challenge participant and graced the floor of SEMA last year and will return this November. Yet, as we said previously, this Camaro is no dainty flower. As of late, the Camaro's best ET is a 11.86-second pass at 119.9mph on street tires at Firebird Raceway. Recently, Rick hinted at a Snow Performance methanol injection kit coming sometime in August. If so, we have to believe that much like the "Happiest Place on Earth," this Camaro will have a bright future.


While Rick spared no expense of money or effort to get this Camaro to look and perform at its best, he did reserve himself when it came to the interior. Wanting to preserve the Camaro's RS/SS heritage, the interior was kept moderately Spartan, choosing recover the seats with Katzkin leather and suede seat covers and the iconic Hurst T-handle shifter.

]]> On a sweltering July day in 1955, Walt Disney announced at the opening ceremony of world's first "theme park," "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." The very same can be said for Rick Andrade's wickedly cool '10 Camaro Super Sport. Rick is a automotive nut, loving a wide range of cars - classics, trucks, and modern muscle alike - and has spent several fortunes building a decade's worth of unique, never-before-seen customs. Most of which have been photographed countless times for dozens of publications and have graced the show floor at SEMA. So, when LSX TV got the chance to meet Rick and take a spin in his 5th generation Camaro, we were surprised to hear all of Rick's future plans for this already impressive tire-scorching creation.







"Oh, I'm not done with her," Rick laughed. When I meet Rick, he was busily wiping down the big chrome exhaust tips with a microfiber towel. High above his head, the Camaro is up on a lift at Hotchkis sport suspension. Rick is so ingrained into the automotive performance aftermarket that he's proffered up his cars for trial fitting and R&D. In fact, that's why we were at Hotchkis today. Rick's '10 Super Sport was the blank canvas from which the aftermarket suspension company designed their newest 5th Gen. Camaro kit. Newly completed, it now rides on full Hotchkis TVS front and rear springs, increasing the spring rate while lowering the Camaro's center of gravity; front and rear sway bars for less body roll, better cornering; a lightweight chassis brace made from custom extruded aluminum oval tubing and a front engine brace designed to clear the supercharger.





Rick's '10 Camaro SS was the test mule for Hotchkis' new 5th Gen. sport suspension package, which lowers it an inch. Below, a trick extruded aluminum oval tubing subframe connector frame ties the chassis together for less body twist and better response.



Beneath the SEIBON carbon fiber hood, the LS3 has received just as much attention. While Rick's Camaro is quite the beauty, it's no trailer queen. In fact, Rick is notoriously rough on his show cars, driving them, drag racing them, and even taking them out onto the road course! Knowing how many speeding tickets he's was looking forward to racking up, Rick had a Stage 1 camshaft ground specifically for a supercharger setup made. Next, a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger replaced the factory intake, producing a street friendly 8-pounds of boost with custom tune. Feeding the 'charger is a RotoFab cold air intake. A pair of Dynatech stainless steel long tube headers flowing into a set of 3-inch high-flow catalytic converters going into a complete MagnaFlow 3-inch Competition package. What does it all add up to? How about 604 rwhp and 572 ft. lbs. of twist.





This ain't your regular run-of-the-mill LS3. Rick - never one to leave well enough alone - squeezes a whole lot more power out of the stock 430hp plant with a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger, custom-grind camshaft, an equally-custom tune, cold air intake and Dynatech headers.



Backing all that horsepower is a Tremec TR6060 6-speed with a Centerforce twin-disc clutch installed by Chris Johnson at Francisco's Automotive in Huntington Beach, California, with a polished Hurst Racing T-handle shifter. The blue Gen 5 rolls on a set of Axion AX-601 20x9s up front and 20x11s in back, 3-piece, forged custom-finish wheels. Equipped with Axiom's race hardware reinforcement package, the big rollers are wrapped in Pirelli Pzero 275/40/20s and 305/35/20s. Stopping those big dubs is Baer's "Big Brake Kit" installed by Industrial Motoring in Anaheim, California, which includes a quartet of 6-piston calipers, 15-inch two-piece rotors, race pads up front and aggressive street pads in the rear. While driving, Rick laughed, "The race pads squeak like hell, but I knew that going in. They asked me, 'You sure you want those?' I was like, 'Yeah, I know what I'm asking for.' And that was it." He then slammed on the skids, coming to a dead stop within milliseconds. Yeah, the race pads were the right choice.





The rolling stock is just as custom as anything else on Rick's Camaro. The forged Axion AX-601 3-piece, custom-finished rims are formidable at 20x9s up front and 20x11s in back. Riding on Pirelli Pzero rubber, the giant 275/40/20s and 305/35/20s provide the grip needed while massive 6-piston Baer 15-inch, two-piece rotors are clamped by race pads up front and street pads in the rear.



But it where it counts nine-times-out-ten for a show car is the exterior. Rick's a big believer of "It's all in the details" and never leaves out the little stuff, making sure that every inch of his customized cars have slight touches to distinguish them from everyone else. Rick had a Street Scene equipment front splitter, ground effects kit and three-piece rear spoiler installed. Additionally, Rick had all the names badges and Bow Ties shaved off. Robert Dipi from 3D Customs in Corona, California performed all the bodywork and customizing while William Wipperman at Prestige Auto Collision in Mission Viejo coated the Camaro in GM Aqua Blue Metallic with custom-mixed PPG metallic black stripes with blue pearl and several passes clear coat. Even the Axion wheels have the same blue pearl flakes in the black inserts. Cool T-REX phantom upper and lower grilles were installed for the classic RS look while miscellaneous trim bezels, door sills, and exterior trim were provided by Defenderworx. Ultimately, Rick had all the lights custom tinted by URR2SLO Motorsports and the Window tint by We Do Windows.





The devil's in the details with Rick's blue SS. All of the lights were tinted by URR2SLO while all the glass was tinted by We Do Windows. You might have noticed the wild paint job. The GM Aqua Blue Metallic with custom PPG metallic black stripes with blue pearl were applied by William Wipperman at Prestige Auto Collision in Mission Viejo, CA.



When prepping for a show (or a photoshoot like this one), Rick has the Camaro detailed by Pic in Mission Viejo, CA. Inside, the cabin is just as impressive - as to be expected - yet subtly modest. No obnoxious neon lights, drop-down LCD screens or anything of the sort. Rick is a classic Camaro lover at heart and wanted to keep this Camaro - although gorgeous - true to its roots. Rick had all the seats recovered with Katzkin leather and suede seat covers, including the back bench - designed to match the front buckets with custom embroidered headrests and floor mats. All of this work has paid off in spades, as Rick's Camaro has been an All American Muscle Car Challenge participant and graced the floor of SEMA last year and will return this November. Yet, as we said previously, this Camaro is no dainty flower. As of late, the Camaro's best ET is a 11.86-second pass at 119.9mph on street tires at Firebird Raceway. Recently, Rick hinted at a Snow Performance methanol injection kit coming sometime in August. If so, we have to believe that much like the "Happiest Place on Earth," this Camaro will have a bright future.





While Rick spared no expense of money or effort to get this Camaro to look and perform at its best, he did reserve himself when it came to the interior. Wanting to preserve the Camaro's RS/SS heritage, the interior was kept moderately Spartan, choosing recover the seats with Katzkin leather and suede seat covers and the iconic Hurst T-handle shifter.




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]]> Feature Articles Kevin Shaw http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/camaro5s-rick-andrades-blue-monster-10-a-2966.html SS vs GT vs R/T - The Pony Car War Rages On http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ss-vs-gt-vs-r-t-2940.html Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:38:08 GMT Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be; today’s reinventions of the classic pony car might owe their styling to their late-60’s ancestors, but they’re better in every measurable way. Subjectively, things are better today than they’ve ever been, too. Owning and driving a 400-horsepower car in 1970 required a level of commitment to a lack of creature comforts and civility that just wouldn’t be acceptable today. The fact is that you really can’t go too far wrong with today's Camaro, Mustang, or Challenger, but that doesn’t mean there’s any end to the debate as to which one is “best.” Log on to any make-specific internet forum and, guaranteed, there will be a long, long thread debating the merits and flaws of these three cars.



Like it or not, the fifth-generation S197 Mustang can lay claim to being the first of the new crop. Debuting in the 2005 model year as a replacement for the ten-year-old SN-95 body style (which itself was a refinement of the Fox chassis, dating all the way back to the end of the 1970’s), the new Mustang is arguably the reason the current Camaro and Challenger even exist. From 2004 until the introduction of the Dodge for the 2009 model year, the Mustang had the segment all to itself, and the meat-and-potatoes GT model made do with a 300-horsepower 3-valve version of the “Modular” V8 architecture which dated back to the early nineties. The 2009 Challenger R/T, though a significantly larger and heavier car, debuted with a 75-horsepower edge with its 5.7L HEMI powerplant, and both the Dodge and Ford were left in the dust in terms of BHP by the 2010 Camaro SS, listed at 426 for the LS3 (400 for the automatic and L99).


The LS3 (and mpg-friendly L99 sibling) rewrote the rulebook for pony car performance.

Quote:
“Without the success by the new Camaro, this new 5.0 Mustang may never have come out. So I thank competition.” – Mustang Fan, stangnet.com

“One of the main reasons I am a Mustang fan is that while they incorporate modern designs, they still have that '60 vibe (especially since '05) and I feel that the Camaro is almost too re-defined and modern. I like throwback things. I listen to Led Zeppelin and CCR in the car, wear aviators, and drive spiritedly.” – Madguitarist78, stangnet.com
On The Drag Strip

Of course, followers of the Bowtie, Blue Oval, and Pentastar will argue the issue endlessly, and it’s made for some great media fodder. When Motor Trend put together a three-way comparison, all it did was make everyone unhappy.



Even in 6.1L, 425hp SRT8 trim, the Challenger was the also-ran of the group, with 4.8 seconds-to-60 and a 13.3 quarter mile at 106.1 compared to the Camaro’s 4.7 and 13.1 at 110.8. But the big controversy out of that test was the Mustang’s 12.7 pass at 111.3mph (and 4.4 seconds-to-sixty, in case you were wondering) – a result that no other magazine has duplicated. Per Motor Trend, “The Mustang enjoys a (diminishing) advantage in all six gears, which enabled the 'Stang to dominate the acceleration tests, storming to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds (three- and four-tenths ahead of the Chevy and Dodge), and on through the quarter in 12.7 seconds at 111.3 mph (four and six tenths ahead of its 251- and 567-pound heavier sedan-based competitors).

Chevy geared the Camaro to avoid a guzzler tax (Dodge pays shareholder Uncle Sam $1751 for each SRT8), making the first three gears 35-39 percent taller than the Mustang's. With equivalent gearing, the race would be a lot closer, but there are no factory options for the Camaro. (It probably isn't feasible for the aftermarket to provide a 4.72:1 ring-and-pinion set, so the tranny internals would probably need changing.)”


Added pounds from "Feature Creep" inevitably offset the increased power available from Detroit V8 powerplants today.

Quote:
“I love all the fanboys, chest beating and crowing over these articles. They all support one logical conclusion: these two cars are evenly matched. On any given day with any given driver one car might squeak out the other. They each have their pros and cons. Which one an enthusiast buys will come down to personal preference and/or brand loyalty. Period.” – ThisBlood147, LS1Tech.com

“You know who I feel the worst for? The Challenger R/T. It's apparently so far behind they stopped comparing it, but hopefully they make some changes to it soon because it could easily be the best, I think.” – DeathChill, Camaro5.com
Edmunds' Inside Line found the SS-vs-GT match to be a dead heat: “On the quarter-mile at Auto Club Speedway in lush, park-like Fontana, California, Inside Line's long-term Camaro SS whomped to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.1 seconds with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with one foot of rollout like on a drag strip).

The full quarter-mile went by in 13.1 seconds at 110.4 mph. Our red Mustang GT (on all-season Pirelli P Zero Nero tires) matched the Camaro SS's blast to 60 mph by hitting that speed in an identical 5.1 seconds from a standstill with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with one foot of rollout). But the quarter-mile took another two-tenths to complete with a slightly lower trap speed, 13.3 seconds at 107.3 mph."



"That's a razor-thin advantage for the Camaro and, just to throw in some additional ambiguity, we also tested another Mustang GT (this one in blue and wearing summer tires), which ripped to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and blitzed the 1,320 feet in 13 seconds at 110.6 mph. That's the kind of razor's edge that can be measured in microns.”



To add fuel to the fire, The Smoking Tire paired up an automatic-equipped 2011 GT with its L99-powered Camaro SS counterpart in an eighth-mile race, prompting more cries of an unfair apples-to-oranges comparison, and questions about 60-foot-times, the fact that it doesn’t appear that either car was brought up on the converter, and what the hell was going on with that plane at the end…





“Clearly, the Mustang slaughters the Camaro in a 1/8-mile drag race on a runway,” says TST. “The drivers were two Ford engineers, and for those of you who think the Camaro driver sandbagged, he was a former pro racer who cut a .001 light. The Mustang driver cut a .008 light.”

Quote:
“Stock for stock, I agree the 2011 automatic Mustang should win the race vs the automatic Camaro, however. Kinda hard to overcome 200+ extra pounds, 12 extra hp, gears and headers already installed. Ford certainly raised the bar with this car. It’s light years better than the previous motor. – GMRULZ, Camaro5.com

“I don't know about the new Mustang, because I haven't watched one in person yet. But the new Camaro is nothing to beat your chest about. I don't put much stock in what magazines say either, but if all of them are saying the new 5.0 is faster, don't cry and whine about it. Take it on the chin like the Ford guys have since the LSX stuff came out. Hell, my stock short block ol' pushrod 5.0 would wear out the new Camaro.” – Project Blue Hatch, YellowBullet.com
A Look at Handling


Unequal-length A-arms in front and a 5-link IRS keep the Challenger planted far better than any vintage Mopar could hope for.

Of course, not everyone lives their life a quarter mile at a time, and for those who do more than just take the turnout at the end of the strip, how a car handles and stops is just as important as how it goes. On paper, the Challenger has the most sophisticated suspension setup of the trio, with an unequal-length dual A-arm setup in front and 5-link independent rear, while both the Camaro and Mustang utilize front struts with a 4.5-link IRS in back for the Camaro and a 3-link-plus-Panhard bar locating a live axle on the Mustang.


Unlike its 4th Gen predecessor (and the Mustang, which soldiers on with a live axle), the Camaro gets an independent rear suspension in its current incarnation.

Two tons put a damper on the fun for the Challenger, though – once again Motor Trend ranked the cars in the same order for handling, with the Mustang stopping quicker and cornering better than the Camaro, and the Dodge trailing the other two. Despite the clear evidence that 30 years’ experience tuning a live axle rear end has allowed Ford to hang with the IRS competition, it’s still fodder for those looking for a reason to doubt. “The most obvious difference between the Camaro's and Mustang's respective chassis is out back where the Chevy has a multilink independent suspension while the Ford retains the same sort of solid rear axle that underpinned the chariots of the Roman Legion,” says Edmunds.

“Ford has never tuned the Mustang's suspension better than on the '11 GT,” Edmunds grudgingly admits. “There's a certain eagerness to how the Mustang reacts to steering inputs, as if the car just can't wait to move. Even with the traction control engaged, the Mustang GT is always dancing, ready to pounce and excited to test the limits of its P245/45R19 Pirelli P Zeroes. It's flat fun. As well tuned as the Mustang's solid axle is, however, it's still not an independent system. The Mustang's rear end takes its time to calm down after knocking against a pothole or bump, and this sort of skittishness can be unnerving. On the rugged freeway surfaces of Southern California, the Mustang's rear end never quite has a chance to settle in completely. It's as if the coil springs are always working back there and they want you to know it.”

Quote:
“The big difference actually is not at the drag strip, but in the twisties. Ford is moving the GT more towards a sportscar category, keeping the weight down and increasing the power and handling limits by a large degree. The Challenger is great because you get sedan type comfort, but also get sedan type handling. So, if you really like the handling of a Subi or M3, you will like the GT and hate the Challenger. Only you can answer that for yourself.” – Roman371, Challengertalk.com
Edmunds is far more enamored of the new Camaro; “Meanwhile the Camaro SS feels as if its summer-spec 245/45R20 Pirelli P Zeroes are sutured to the pavement with steel cables. The independent rear suspension produces a poised, comfortable ride the Mustang can't match, and deals with pavement hiccups almost casually. If the Mustang feels like it's skipping over the road, the Camaro feels like it's a smothering steamroller. The steering doesn't have the same giddy, light feel that you sense in the Mustang, but it's precise and quick enough. It's reassuring where the Mustang is entertaining.”

You can’t measure poise, though, and Motor Trend sums up the cornering contest by saying, “The Mustang ran away from its portlier pursuers in all of our handling tests, circling the Figure-8 course in just 24.7 sec at 0.77 g, fully a half-second ahead of the Camaro and a second quicker than the big Dodge. Lateral grip measured at a legitimate sports car level of 0.97 g. Here the more interesting statistic may be the Dodge's ability to match the lighter, fatter-tired Camaro at 0.92 g each. The Challenger also generated an average of 0.71 g on the skidpad -- just 0.02 g under the Camaro -- while lapping a half-second slower.”



On the topic of style, it’s obviously a matter of personal taste. While the Camaro and Challenger are new-from-scratch in the past two years, the Mustang is a 2010 model year rework of a car we’ve had five years to grow accustomed to. Put the three side by side in the same parking lot, and it’s obvious that the GT is a smaller car than the SS or R/T.



Quote:
“The Challenger's virtues are that it's one of the best looking cars on the road and is quite rare. The Mustang is a great looking car too, but it's no Challenger in the looks department. The Mustang GT is, however, a tremendous bang for the buck, especially compared to the SRT8, but they're nearly as ubiquitous as Accords, Camrys, and 3-Series in my area. That may or may not matter to you.” – justindo, Challengertalk.com

“Purely performance wise, the 5.0 is the best right now of the pony cars. That said, I went with a SRT8 over a GT500 Mustang because of the looks and the pure comfort of the Challenger. The SRT's plenty fast, looks the best, sounds great and is much more comfortable as a driver. Now, if you're looking for a bracket racer, get yourself a Mustang because there's just no way around losing 600 pounds of pudge...” – djpatrick35, Challengertalk.com
Where it Matters Most: The Checkbook

Another source of contention has been price versus performance – the Mustang leads in this area (at least in theory) with a base MSRP of $29,645 compared to $30,860 for the Dodge and $30,945 for the Chevy. Of course, with all three cars still in demand even in a down economy, finding a “stripper” GT, SS, or R/T anywhere but in a newspaper ad with “one at this price” in tiny print is fairly unlikely, as dealers frequently option-up cars they know they can unload.

Quote:
“A loaded to the gills Fox Body GT wasn't exactly a cheap car either. What is missing for the current Mustang is an LX 5.0 version, that is an affordable V-8 Pony car. Adjusted for inflation, a '93 LX 5.0 is roughly $21-22k in today's dollars. Then again, in a few months, you'll be able to get a V-6 Mustang for that kind of money and it'll walk all over that LX 5.0. The only thing missing will be the V-8 rumble, some squeaks and rattles, a tape deck, and manual windows/locks.” – Cbus 06 GT, Stangnet.com

To the pleasure of Blue Oval fans and the chagrin of everyone else, the new Modular 5.0 takes to being modified with the same ease as its push-rod namesake.

Of course, if the S197 Mustang (and the SN-95 and 4th Gen Camaro before it) has taught us anything, it’s that these cars rarely stay bone stock in the hands of enthusiasts. Relatives of the Camaro’s LS powerplant have already become favorites with tuners, and the 5.7 HEMI has a healthy aftermarket, while the 5.0 Modular is quickly catching up (and poised to surpass the competitors). In the see-saw battle for pony car supremacy, it will inevitably come down to which platforms the aftermarket embraces with the most gusto.

Quote:
“Question for the Ford guys: Would any of you actually leave a new Mustang stock if you bought it? I don't understand why stock numbers matter so much to everyone? Anyone that would be buying either car would start bolting on parts the day they bought one, then the stock numbers would be pointless. The fact that either of them run as good as they do is amazing considering they weigh as much as they do.” – ten5nova, YellowBullet.com

“I`m interested to see if a bolt-on only 2011 GT can hang with my bolt-on only auto Camaro. Somehow, I doubt it, especially considering the GT already has headers to get to the 412hp rating, not to mention already has gears with the performance pack. Stock internals, no power adder with full bolt-ons, I think the automatic Camaro will come out on top vs. the auto Mustang. I doubt we will see the 500rwhp N/A mustang with a stock bottom end either. There is just much more potential in the LS motors, at least it appears so at this point.” – GMRULZ, Camaro5.com

“Once you start throwing mods at engines, all bets are off. If you know what you're doing then you should always have the edge where the cubic inches are unless you get into power adders. In this case the Camaro/Challenger guys shouldn't be more than a cam swap away from beating the 5.0, whereas it's gonna take everything we can do to a 5.0 to keep up with an H/C/I/headered/tuned Camaro.” – 85 SS 302 Coupe, Stangnet.com

“It always cracks me up to see people bragging about their choice of car model AFTER they've poured thousands into modifying their car as though the reason they're "walking all over Brand X car" is because of their model car. Once you start boosting, charging, etc. it has nothing to do with the body style or model. At that point it's money and mods versus money and mods.” – Doc, Camaro5.com


]]> Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be; today’s reinventions of the classic pony car might owe their styling to their late-60’s ancestors, but they’re better in every measurable way. Subjectively, things are better today than they’ve ever been, too. Owning and driving a 400-horsepower car in 1970 required a level of commitment to a lack of creature comforts and civility that just wouldn’t be acceptable today. The fact is that you really can’t go too far wrong with today's Camaro, Mustang, or Challenger, but that doesn’t mean there’s any end to the debate as to which one is “best.” Log on to any make-specific internet forum and, guaranteed, there will be a long, long thread debating the merits and flaws of these three cars.







Like it or not, the fifth-generation S197 Mustang can lay claim to being the first of the new crop. Debuting in the 2005 model year as a replacement for the ten-year-old SN-95 body style (which itself was a refinement of the Fox chassis, dating all the way back to the end of the 1970’s), the new Mustang is arguably the reason the current Camaro and Challenger even exist. From 2004 until the introduction of the Dodge for the 2009 model year, the Mustang had the segment all to itself, and the meat-and-potatoes GT model made do with a 300-horsepower 3-valve version of the “Modular” V8 architecture which dated back to the early nineties. The 2009 Challenger R/T, though a significantly larger and heavier car, debuted with a 75-horsepower edge with its 5.7L HEMI powerplant, and both the Dodge and Ford were left in the dust in terms of BHP by the 2010 Camaro SS, listed at 426 for the LS3 (400 for the automatic and L99).





The LS3 (and mpg-friendly L99 sibling) rewrote the rulebook for pony car performance.




Quote:








“Without the success by the new Camaro, this new 5.0 Mustang may never have come out. So I thank competition.” – Mustang Fan, stangnet.com



“One of the main reasons I am a Mustang fan is that while they incorporate modern designs, they still have that '60 vibe (especially since '05) and I feel that the Camaro is almost too re-defined and modern. I like throwback things. I listen to Led Zeppelin and CCR in the car, wear aviators, and drive spiritedly.” – Madguitarist78, stangnet.com

On The Drag Strip



Of course, followers of the Bowtie, Blue Oval, and Pentastar will argue the issue endlessly, and it’s made for some great media fodder. When Motor Trend put together a three-way comparison, all it did was make everyone unhappy.







Even in 6.1L, 425hp SRT8 trim, the Challenger was the also-ran of the group, with 4.8 seconds-to-60 and a 13.3 quarter mile at 106.1 compared to the Camaro’s 4.7 and 13.1 at 110.8. But the big controversy out of that test was the Mustang’s 12.7 pass at 111.3mph (and 4.4 seconds-to-sixty, in case you were wondering) – a result that no other magazine has duplicated. Per Motor Trend, “The Mustang enjoys a (diminishing) advantage in all six gears, which enabled the 'Stang to dominate the acceleration tests, storming to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds (three- and four-tenths ahead of the Chevy and Dodge), and on through the quarter in 12.7 seconds at 111.3 mph (four and six tenths ahead of its 251- and 567-pound heavier sedan-based competitors).



Chevy geared the Camaro to avoid a guzzler tax (Dodge pays shareholder Uncle Sam $1751 for each SRT8), making the first three gears 35-39 percent taller than the Mustang's. With equivalent gearing, the race would be a lot closer, but there are no factory options for the Camaro. (It probably isn't feasible for the aftermarket to provide a 4.72:1 ring-and-pinion set, so the tranny internals would probably need changing.)”





Added pounds from "Feature Creep" inevitably offset the increased power available from Detroit V8 powerplants today.




Quote:








“I love all the fanboys, chest beating and crowing over these articles. They all support one logical conclusion: these two cars are evenly matched. On any given day with any given driver one car might squeak out the other. They each have their pros and cons. Which one an enthusiast buys will come down to personal preference and/or brand loyalty. Period.” – ThisBlood147, LS1Tech.com



“You know who I feel the worst for? The Challenger R/T. It's apparently so far behind they stopped comparing it, but hopefully they make some changes to it soon because it could easily be the best, I think.” – DeathChill, Camaro5.com

Edmunds' Inside Line found the SS-vs-GT match to be a dead heat: “On the quarter-mile at Auto Club Speedway in lush, park-like Fontana, California, Inside Line's long-term Camaro SS whomped to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.1 seconds with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with one foot of rollout like on a drag strip).



The full quarter-mile went by in 13.1 seconds at 110.4 mph. Our red Mustang GT (on all-season Pirelli P Zero Nero tires) matched the Camaro SS's blast to 60 mph by hitting that speed in an identical 5.1 seconds from a standstill with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with one foot of rollout). But the quarter-mile took another two-tenths to complete with a slightly lower trap speed, 13.3 seconds at 107.3 mph."







"That's a razor-thin advantage for the Camaro and, just to throw in some additional ambiguity, we also tested another Mustang GT (this one in blue and wearing summer tires), which ripped to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and blitzed the 1,320 feet in 13 seconds at 110.6 mph. That's the kind of razor's edge that can be measured in microns.”







To add fuel to the fire, The Smoking Tire paired up an automatic-equipped 2011 GT with its L99-powered Camaro SS counterpart in an eighth-mile race, prompting more cries of an unfair apples-to-oranges comparison, and questions about 60-foot-times, the fact that it doesn’t appear that either car was brought up on the converter, and what the hell was going on with that plane at the end…











“Clearly, the Mustang slaughters the Camaro in a 1/8-mile drag race on a runway,” says TST. “The drivers were two Ford engineers, and for those of you who think the Camaro driver sandbagged, he was a former pro racer who cut a .001 light. The Mustang driver cut a .008 light.”




Quote:








“Stock for stock, I agree the 2011 automatic Mustang should win the race vs the automatic Camaro, however. Kinda hard to overcome 200+ extra pounds, 12 extra hp, gears and headers already installed. Ford certainly raised the bar with this car. It’s light years better than the previous motor. – GMRULZ, Camaro5.com



“I don't know about the new Mustang, because I haven't watched one in person yet. But the new Camaro is nothing to beat your chest about. I don't put much stock in what magazines say either, but if all of them are saying the new 5.0 is faster, don't cry and whine about it. Take it on the chin like the Ford guys have since the LSX stuff came out. Hell, my stock short block ol' pushrod 5.0 would wear out the new Camaro.” – Project Blue Hatch, YellowBullet.com

A Look at Handling





Unequal-length A-arms in front and a 5-link IRS keep the Challenger planted far better than any vintage Mopar could hope for.



Of course, not everyone lives their life a quarter mile at a time, and for those who do more than just take the turnout at the end of the strip, how a car handles and stops is just as important as how it goes. On paper, the Challenger has the most sophisticated suspension setup of the trio, with an unequal-length dual A-arm setup in front and 5-link independent rear, while both the Camaro and Mustang utilize front struts with a 4.5-link IRS in back for the Camaro and a 3-link-plus-Panhard bar locating a live axle on the Mustang.





Unlike its 4th Gen predecessor (and the Mustang, which soldiers on with a live axle), the Camaro gets an independent rear suspension in its current incarnation.



Two tons put a damper on the fun for the Challenger, though – once again Motor Trend ranked the cars in the same order for handling, with the Mustang stopping quicker and cornering better than the Camaro, and the Dodge trailing the other two. Despite the clear evidence that 30 years’ experience tuning a live axle rear end has allowed Ford to hang with the IRS competition, it’s still fodder for those looking for a reason to doubt. “The most obvious difference between the Camaro's and Mustang's respective chassis is out back where the Chevy has a multilink independent suspension while the Ford retains the same sort of solid rear axle that underpinned the chariots of the Roman Legion,” says Edmunds.



“Ford has never tuned the Mustang's suspension better than on the '11 GT,” Edmunds grudgingly admits. “There's a certain eagerness to how the Mustang reacts to steering inputs, as if the car just can't wait to move. Even with the traction control engaged, the Mustang GT is always dancing, ready to pounce and excited to test the limits of its P245/45R19 Pirelli P Zeroes. It's flat fun. As well tuned as the Mustang's solid axle is, however, it's still not an independent system. The Mustang's rear end takes its time to calm down after knocking against a pothole or bump, and this sort of skittishness can be unnerving. On the rugged freeway surfaces of Southern California, the Mustang's rear end never quite has a chance to settle in completely. It's as if the coil springs are always working back there and they want you to know it.”




Quote:








“The big difference actually is not at the drag strip, but in the twisties. Ford is moving the GT more towards a sportscar category, keeping the weight down and increasing the power and handling limits by a large degree. The Challenger is great because you get sedan type comfort, but also get sedan type handling. So, if you really like the handling of a Subi or M3, you will like the GT and hate the Challenger. Only you can answer that for yourself.” – Roman371, Challengertalk.com

Edmunds is far more enamored of the new Camaro; “Meanwhile the Camaro SS feels as if its summer-spec 245/45R20 Pirelli P Zeroes are sutured to the pavement with steel cables. The independent rear suspension produces a poised, comfortable ride the Mustang can't match, and deals with pavement hiccups almost casually. If the Mustang feels like it's skipping over the road, the Camaro feels like it's a smothering steamroller. The steering doesn't have the same giddy, light feel that you sense in the Mustang, but it's precise and quick enough. It's reassuring where the Mustang is entertaining.”



You can’t measure poise, though, and Motor Trend sums up the cornering contest by saying, “The Mustang ran away from its portlier pursuers in all of our handling tests, circling the Figure-8 course in just 24.7 sec at 0.77 g, fully a half-second ahead of the Camaro and a second quicker than the big Dodge. Lateral grip measured at a legitimate sports car level of 0.97 g. Here the more interesting statistic may be the Dodge's ability to match the lighter, fatter-tired Camaro at 0.92 g each. The Challenger also generated an average of 0.71 g on the skidpad -- just 0.02 g under the Camaro -- while lapping a half-second slower.”







On the topic of style, it’s obviously a matter of personal taste. While the Camaro and Challenger are new-from-scratch in the past two years, the Mustang is a 2010 model year rework of a car we’ve had five years to grow accustomed to. Put the three side by side in the same parking lot, and it’s obvious that the GT is a smaller car than the SS or R/T.








Quote:








“The Challenger's virtues are that it's one of the best looking cars on the road and is quite rare. The Mustang is a great looking car too, but it's no Challenger in the looks department. The Mustang GT is, however, a tremendous bang for the buck, especially compared to the SRT8, but they're nearly as ubiquitous as Accords, Camrys, and 3-Series in my area. That may or may not matter to you.” – justindo, Challengertalk.com



“Purely performance wise, the 5.0 is the best right now of the pony cars. That said, I went with a SRT8 over a GT500 Mustang because of the looks and the pure comfort of the Challenger. The SRT's plenty fast, looks the best, sounds great and is much more comfortable as a driver. Now, if you're looking for a bracket racer, get yourself a Mustang because there's just no way around losing 600 pounds of pudge...” – djpatrick35, Challengertalk.com

Where it Matters Most: The Checkbook



Another source of contention has been price versus performance – the Mustang leads in this area (at least in theory) with a base MSRP of $29,645 compared to $30,860 for the Dodge and $30,945 for the Chevy. Of course, with all three cars still in demand even in a down economy, finding a “stripper” GT, SS, or R/T anywhere but in a newspaper ad with “one at this price” in tiny print is fairly unlikely, as dealers frequently option-up cars they know they can unload.




Quote:








“A loaded to the gills Fox Body GT wasn't exactly a cheap car either. What is missing for the current Mustang is an LX 5.0 version, that is an affordable V-8 Pony car. Adjusted for inflation, a '93 LX 5.0 is roughly $21-22k in today's dollars. Then again, in a few months, you'll be able to get a V-6 Mustang for that kind of money and it'll walk all over that LX 5.0. The only thing missing will be the V-8 rumble, some squeaks and rattles, a tape deck, and manual windows/locks.” – Cbus 06 GT, Stangnet.com



To the pleasure of Blue Oval fans and the chagrin of everyone else, the new Modular 5.0 takes to being modified with the same ease as its push-rod namesake.



Of course, if the S197 Mustang (and the SN-95 and 4th Gen Camaro before it) has taught us anything, it’s that these cars rarely stay bone stock in the hands of enthusiasts. Relatives of the Camaro’s LS powerplant have already become favorites with tuners, and the 5.7 HEMI has a healthy aftermarket, while the 5.0 Modular is quickly catching up (and poised to surpass the competitors). In the see-saw battle for pony car supremacy, it will inevitably come down to which platforms the aftermarket embraces with the most gusto.




Quote:








“Question for the Ford guys: Would any of you actually leave a new Mustang stock if you bought it? I don't understand why stock numbers matter so much to everyone? Anyone that would be buying either car would start bolting on parts the day they bought one, then the stock numbers would be pointless. The fact that either of them run as good as they do is amazing considering they weigh as much as they do.” – ten5nova, YellowBullet.com



“I`m interested to see if a bolt-on only 2011 GT can hang with my bolt-on only auto Camaro. Somehow, I doubt it, especially considering the GT already has headers to get to the 412hp rating, not to mention already has gears with the performance pack. Stock internals, no power adder with full bolt-ons, I think the automatic Camaro will come out on top vs. the auto Mustang. I doubt we will see the 500rwhp N/A mustang with a stock bottom end either. There is just much more potential in the LS motors, at least it appears so at this point.” – GMRULZ, Camaro5.com



“Once you start throwing mods at engines, all bets are off. If you know what you're doing then you should always have the edge where the cubic inches are unless you get into power adders. In this case the Camaro/Challenger guys shouldn't be more than a cam swap away from beating the 5.0, whereas it's gonna take everything we can do to a 5.0 to keep up with an H/C/I/headered/tuned Camaro.” – 85 SS 302 Coupe, Stangnet.com



“It always cracks me up to see people bragging about their choice of car model AFTER they've poured thousands into modifying their car as though the reason they're "walking all over Brand X car" is because of their model car. Once you start boosting, charging, etc. it has nothing to do with the body style or model. At that point it's money and mods versus money and mods.” – Doc, Camaro5.com






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]]> Feature Articles LSX TV News http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ss-vs-gt-vs-r-t-2940.html 2010 Camaro SS Dares To Be Different http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/2010-camaro-ss-dares-different-2932.html Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:20:08 GMT Some Camaro lovers have no choice but to save their pennies to afford a new 5th generation fresh off the lot. On the other hand, some think the cost of a new 2SS is chump change and buy one up like it’s a matchbox car. The couple we found on CarDomain.com without a doubt fits right into that particular group. Although we may be a little envious at their ability to afford to tear apart a car with under 50 miles on it for a full overhaul, we can’t help but drool over this fine piece of machinery that is clearly one of a kind.



This beautiful '10 SS Camaro can be seen driving the streets of Florida with a young female behind the wheel. Known on CarDomain by the pen name “DSV Chick,” this girl clearly has a passion for cars pumping through her veins.


After gutting this brand-new '10 Camaro with less than 50 miles, "DSV Chick" has built herself a true custom.

DSV Chick and her husband, known as “KandyCorvette2,” purchased a Camaro to compliment their LPE C6 Corvette which already holds a special spot in the garage. Although their purchase was an already beautiful blue and black 2SS/RS '10 Camaro, it was still missing the unique flare that the couple desired. The husband’s serious obsession with modding cars led the couple to a guts-out overhaul with just 46 miles on the odometer.


The couple purchased a Camaro to compliment their LPE C6 Corvette.

With total disregard for the 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, the duo ripped the interior from the car. They removed everything from the dashboard clear back to the rear deck lid, baring no expense. Nearly everything within the two-door coupe was wrapped in leather with blue stitching to match the exterior paint.


They removed everything from the dash board clear back to the rear deck lid.

The front buckets and glove box were outfitted with custom “SS” inlays and the dash and doors featured Alcantara inserts. the leather interior was complimented by real carbon fiber trim, including a custom leather and fiber SS steering wheel. The windows were coated in 20% tint throughout with the front at 50%.




The front buckets were outfitted with custom “SS” inlays.

The stereo upgrade packed a full Hertz Audio High Energy sound system into the new-age pony car. The package consisted of a set of 12-inch HX300D woofers pounding the ground while a pair of HT25 tweeters caught the high tones. The mid ranges were covered by a set of HV165L 6.5-inch speakers and a complimenting set of DCX690 6x9s. The system was topped off with an Audison Lrx 2.9 amp rated at 900watts, an Arc Audio 4-channel 500 watt amp, and a Pioneer 7-inch display 4200DVD deck.


A full Hertz Audio High Energy sound system was packed into the new-age pony car.

As if full interior wasn’t enough, a Carbon Creations rear spoiler was added as well as a hydro fiber fuse box, engine cover, and radiator shroud. The front grille was custom painted to incorporate the blue paint scheme and H&R lowering springs were installed to drop the Vossen 3-piece forged wheels into the wheel wells nice and tight. A set of resonators combined with full Borla exhaust top off the car’s overall appeal with a beautiful exhaust tone.


H&R lowering springs were installed to drop the Vossen 3-piece forged wheels into the wheel wells nice and tight.

Although this car is already clearly one of a kind, the couple still hasn’t finished their modifications. Coming soon will be a body kit and possibly even a turbo upgrade. For some, a stock Camaro just won’t do them justice. In those select people, there is a drive to be unique. Quite often, this desire overpowers the expense factor. However, with a beautiful car like DSV Chick’s 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS, can you criticize them for daring to be different?



]]> Some Camaro lovers have no choice but to save their pennies to afford a new 5th generation fresh off the lot. On the other hand, some think the cost of a new 2SS is chump change and buy one up like it’s a matchbox car. The couple we found on CarDomain.com without a doubt fits right into that particular group. Although we may be a little envious at their ability to afford to tear apart a car with under 50 miles on it for a full overhaul, we can’t help but drool over this fine piece of machinery that is clearly one of a kind.







This beautiful '10 SS Camaro can be seen driving the streets of Florida with a young female behind the wheel. Known on CarDomain by the pen name “DSV Chick,” this girl clearly has a passion for cars pumping through her veins.





After gutting this brand-new '10 Camaro with less than 50 miles, "DSV Chick" has built herself a true custom.



DSV Chick and her husband, known as “KandyCorvette2,” purchased a Camaro to compliment their LPE C6 Corvette which already holds a special spot in the garage. Although their purchase was an already beautiful blue and black 2SS/RS '10 Camaro, it was still missing the unique flare that the couple desired. The husband’s serious obsession with modding cars led the couple to a guts-out overhaul with just 46 miles on the odometer.





The couple purchased a Camaro to compliment their LPE C6 Corvette.



With total disregard for the 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, the duo ripped the interior from the car. They removed everything from the dashboard clear back to the rear deck lid, baring no expense. Nearly everything within the two-door coupe was wrapped in leather with blue stitching to match the exterior paint.





They removed everything from the dash board clear back to the rear deck lid.



The front buckets and glove box were outfitted with custom “SS” inlays and the dash and doors featured Alcantara inserts. the leather interior was complimented by real carbon fiber trim, including a custom leather and fiber SS steering wheel. The windows were coated in 20% tint throughout with the front at 50%.









The front buckets were outfitted with custom “SS” inlays.



The stereo upgrade packed a full Hertz Audio High Energy sound system into the new-age pony car. The package consisted of a set of 12-inch HX300D woofers pounding the ground while a pair of HT25 tweeters caught the high tones. The mid ranges were covered by a set of HV165L 6.5-inch speakers and a complimenting set of DCX690 6x9s. The system was topped off with an Audison Lrx 2.9 amp rated at 900watts, an Arc Audio 4-channel 500 watt amp, and a Pioneer 7-inch display 4200DVD deck.





A full Hertz Audio High Energy sound system was packed into the new-age pony car.



As if full interior wasn’t enough, a Carbon Creations rear spoiler was added as well as a hydro fiber fuse box, engine cover, and radiator shroud. The front grille was custom painted to incorporate the blue paint scheme and H&R lowering springs were installed to drop the Vossen 3-piece forged wheels into the wheel wells nice and tight. A set of resonators combined with full Borla exhaust top off the car’s overall appeal with a beautiful exhaust tone.





H&R lowering springs were installed to drop the Vossen 3-piece forged wheels into the wheel wells nice and tight.



Although this car is already clearly one of a kind, the couple still hasn’t finished their modifications. Coming soon will be a body kit and possibly even a turbo upgrade. For some, a stock Camaro just won’t do them justice. In those select people, there is a drive to be unique. Quite often, this desire overpowers the expense factor. However, with a beautiful car like DSV Chick’s 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS, can you criticize them for daring to be different?








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]]> Feature Articles Ian McBride http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/2010-camaro-ss-dares-different-2932.html Specter Werkes/Lingenfelter Corvette GTR http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/specter-werkes-lingenfelter-corvette-gtr-2835.html Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:00:19 GMT LSXTV.com is always ready, willing and able to cover the latest and greatest in C6 Corvette builds. When we got the invite from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering to visit Specter Werkes for a ride and drive in their latest Corvette GTR joint venture, we were more than happy to make the trip.



At Specter Werkes, we were greeted by owner/designer Jeff Nowicki who is the mastermind behind the GTR project since its inception. Nowicki’s background is a mix of design work for General Motors combined with years of Grand-Am and SCCA Pro Racing experience. This mix of talents is definitely evident in what we call “downforce” design philosophy.

The first thing you notice on the car is the unique GTR wide-body panels, ultra wide tires and BASF Pearl Blue paint. The car started out as a Z06 Corvette but its factory lines are tastefully changed with the aggressive GTR bodywork installed. Nowicki designed all the panels from scratch including the GTR’s unique front fascia, carbon fiber front splitter, heat extractor hood, front fenders, doors, rocker panels, rear fenders, rear fascia and carbon fiber rear diffuser. The carbon fiber pieces were produced in-house in Specter Werkes production facility and finished in the deepest blue paint we’ve ever seen on a car. Tucked into the GTR’s wheel wells are custom made HRE CF40 carbon fiber wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Zero tires measuring 285/30ZR19 in the front and 335/25ZR20 in the rear.



For suspension updates, Specter Werkes made minimal adjustments to the finely tuned factory Z06 set-up. Hotchkis stabilizer bars were added and when combined with the sticky Pilot Sports you have a well-balanced car that can hang with all the power. For brake upgrades, the GTR features a StopTech STR big-brake package, featuring six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Slotted StopTech rotors are also included in the GTR brake package for consistent stops on the street or track.

The real monster that lurks under the hood of this GTR is an 800 horsepower Lingenfelter twin-turbo engine. The engine starts out as a GM built aluminum LS7 but is heavily reworked with heavy-duty parts at LPE’s Decatur, Indiana facility. For the rotating assembly, Lingenfelter specs a Callies 4340 forged steel crankshaft, Manley 4340 forged steel connecting rods and JE Forged aluminum pistons.

To keep up with the increased airflow from the turbos, Lingenfelter performs a CNC port and polish on the cylinder heads and the exhaust valves are updated to hi-temp inconel units. The valvetrain is also strengthened with Ferrea high performance dual valve springs, titanium retainers and valve locks.

With the engine updated for boost, Lingenfelter technicians then install two Garrett true ball bearing turbochargers at the front of the engine. With the turbos mounted they are then plumbed to the headers and intercooler. Lingenfelter engineers designed a complete turbo compressor / exhaust housing with integral waste gate that run to a high efficiency air-to-air charge cooler. To route the all important exhaust gasses to the turbo, Lingenfelter built 304 Stainless steel 4 into 1 custom exhaust manifolds and turbo outlets. A CORSA/Specter Werkes stainless steel exhaust system directs the exhaust to the atmosphere and delivers a light turbo note at low RPMs.



Nowicki took us out for a ride and drive in the GTR so we could experience the power and handling of this one-of-a-kind Corvette. At idle the car feels as docile as a stock Corvette, but when you get the car into boost the car pulls instantly with no turbo lag. A short blast up the interstate felt like the car was ready to take off into the wild blue yonder. I thought I knew a little something about turbo boost as my daily driver is a 4 cylinder turbo, but I really had no idea how a well a tuned twin-turbo V8 would pull on a open stretch of road. While tooling around side streets any slightly aggressive tip-in on the throttle would light the rear tires up with ease. The GTR is also the ultimate head turner especially when it comes up beside you at a full song.

For those looking to drive their own GTR, Specter Werkes and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering offers the GTR package on all C6 Corvette models including the base model and convertible. The package comes in a variety of powertrain, wheel and paint options and each one is built to order.

For more information on the GTR package or Lingenfelter LS series engine updates visit: www.spectergtr.com or www.lingenfelter.com. ]]> LSXTV.com is always ready, willing and able to cover the latest and greatest in C6 Corvette builds. When we got the invite from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering to visit Specter Werkes for a ride and drive in their latest Corvette GTR joint venture, we were more than happy to make the trip.







At Specter Werkes, we were greeted by owner/designer Jeff Nowicki who is the mastermind behind the GTR project since its inception. Nowicki’s background is a mix of design work for General Motors combined with years of Grand-Am and SCCA Pro Racing experience. This mix of talents is definitely evident in what we call “downforce” design philosophy.



The first thing you notice on the car is the unique GTR wide-body panels, ultra wide tires and BASF Pearl Blue paint. The car started out as a Z06 Corvette but its factory lines are tastefully changed with the aggressive GTR bodywork installed. Nowicki designed all the panels from scratch including the GTR’s unique front fascia, carbon fiber front splitter, heat extractor hood, front fenders, doors, rocker panels, rear fenders, rear fascia and carbon fiber rear diffuser. The carbon fiber pieces were produced in-house in Specter Werkes production facility and finished in the deepest blue paint we’ve ever seen on a car. Tucked into the GTR’s wheel wells are custom made HRE CF40 carbon fiber wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Zero tires measuring 285/30ZR19 in the front and 335/25ZR20 in the rear.







For suspension updates, Specter Werkes made minimal adjustments to the finely tuned factory Z06 set-up. Hotchkis stabilizer bars were added and when combined with the sticky Pilot Sports you have a well-balanced car that can hang with all the power. For brake upgrades, the GTR features a StopTech STR big-brake package, featuring six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Slotted StopTech rotors are also included in the GTR brake package for consistent stops on the street or track.



The real monster that lurks under the hood of this GTR is an 800 horsepower Lingenfelter twin-turbo engine. The engine starts out as a GM built aluminum LS7 but is heavily reworked with heavy-duty parts at LPE’s Decatur, Indiana facility. For the rotating assembly, Lingenfelter specs a Callies 4340 forged steel crankshaft, Manley 4340 forged steel connecting rods and JE Forged aluminum pistons.



To keep up with the increased airflow from the turbos, Lingenfelter performs a CNC port and polish on the cylinder heads and the exhaust valves are updated to hi-temp inconel units. The valvetrain is also strengthened with Ferrea high performance dual valve springs, titanium retainers and valve locks.



With the engine updated for boost, Lingenfelter technicians then install two Garrett true ball bearing turbochargers at the front of the engine. With the turbos mounted they are then plumbed to the headers and intercooler. Lingenfelter engineers designed a complete turbo compressor / exhaust housing with integral waste gate that run to a high efficiency air-to-air charge cooler. To route the all important exhaust gasses to the turbo, Lingenfelter built 304 Stainless steel 4 into 1 custom exhaust manifolds and turbo outlets. A CORSA/Specter Werkes stainless steel exhaust system directs the exhaust to the atmosphere and delivers a light turbo note at low RPMs.







Nowicki took us out for a ride and drive in the GTR so we could experience the power and handling of this one-of-a-kind Corvette. At idle the car feels as docile as a stock Corvette, but when you get the car into boost the car pulls instantly with no turbo lag. A short blast up the interstate felt like the car was ready to take off into the wild blue yonder. I thought I knew a little something about turbo boost as my daily driver is a 4 cylinder turbo, but I really had no idea how a well a tuned twin-turbo V8 would pull on a open stretch of road. While tooling around side streets any slightly aggressive tip-in on the throttle would light the rear tires up with ease. The GTR is also the ultimate head turner especially when it comes up beside you at a full song.



For those looking to drive their own GTR, Specter Werkes and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering offers the GTR package on all C6 Corvette models including the base model and convertible. The package comes in a variety of powertrain, wheel and paint options and each one is built to order.



For more information on the GTR package or Lingenfelter LS series engine updates visit: www.spectergtr.com or www.lingenfelter.com.
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]]> Feature Articles Johnny Johns http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/specter-werkes-lingenfelter-corvette-gtr-2835.html Mission: Impossible - GMPP creates a LS9-powered 4th Gen Camaro http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/mission-impossible-gmpp-creates-ls9-powered-2809.html Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:13:25 GMT "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue;" that’s the tradition for a new bride, but it applies just as well to the marriage of a killer GM Performance Parts crate engine and 4th generation Camaro chassis we’re looking at here. The old is, of course, the 1999 Camaro Z/28, which has spent its entire life in the hands of GM’s engineers. The new and the borrowed are one and the same: the world-beating Corvette ZR-1’s LS9 powerplant. The blue is the factory ZR-1 hue the Camaro is shot with, the same color worn by the serial number one 2009 ZR-1 that sold at Barrett-Jackson for a cool million bucks. The end result is a 4th generation Camaro you can’t buy for any price, but with a little fabrication and mechanical skill and enough room on the American Express Black card for the LS9, you can build one for yourself.



For more photos, don't miss the LS9 Camaro gallery page.

This isn’t the first mixed marriage for this particular Camaro, either. You may have seen it before, murdered-out in satin black paint and powered by an LS7 crate engine, the same powerplant that motivates the C6 Z06 Corvette. They say that second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience, and while the first union of Camaro and LS7 went smoothly, the conventional wisdom was that trying to shoehorn in the ZR-1 powerplant was an experiment doomed to fail. “A lot of people had said over and over again that it was impossible to put a LS9 in a fourth-gen because of the height of the supercharger,” says Mike Copeland, the leader of the GM skunkworks that did the swap. “My team and I took it as a challenge and said, ‘I think we can do that.’”


The monster LS9 looks like the factory put it there, because they did, sort of...

Step 1: Finding Wiggle Room

Anybody who’s ever peeked under the hood of a 4th gen F-Body can anticipate where the problem might lie – even the stock engine presents access issues. The LS9 is topped with a twin-screw supercharger and intercooler, right where the base of the windshield wants to be. “The top of
the intake is 47mm through the cowl – basically you need to find a way to lose two inches of height,” Copeland explains.

“There’s really no way to cut the intercooler and change it since it’s already as small as it can get. So what we did is cut an opening in the cowl and see how tall we could get there, and it wasn’t anywhere near enough. Then we took the wiper arms and actually machined the bottom off to raise it and get more clearance. We were able to get about 30mm in the top just by cutting the cowl and modifying the wiper arm. Then we machined the engine mount and lowered it by 5mm. We made 15mm spacers and put them between the cradle mounts and the body to lower it down, and lowered the transmission the same amount to get the driveline angles right.”


Trimming the underside of the cowl, shortening the engine mounts, and shimming down the K-member were all necessary to find the two inches of extra clearance needed for the supercharger.

Step 2: Getting Down to the Wire(s)

Once the hurdle of physically getting the engine into the car was cleared, hooking it up so that it could do useful things was next. Electrical connections were relatively straightforward – thanks to easy access to all the bits and pieces GM has in inventory, a bespoke wiring harness was crafted and a custom ECU programmed. Getting the driveline sorted took a bit of Tony-Stark-in-a-cave ingenuity, though.

Per Copeland, “The clutch was a challenge because the LS9 uses a 9-bolt crankshaft, and it’s the only thing [in the GM lineup] that uses a 9-bolt crankshaft. The LSA uses eight, and all other LS production engines use six. I looked at taking the stock LS9 dual disc and putting it in, but even with the shortest throwout bearing the stack-up is 25.4mm too tall. I actually worked with SPEC, and they built a dual disc and 9-bolt flywheel.”

The clutch transmits those 638 horsepower to a Tremec T-6060 6-speed transmission, and out back a Strange S60 axle with 3.54 gears and a TrueTrac limited slip do their best to get the power to the pavement.


Bowtie-logo Auto Meter gauges fill out the instrument stack.

Step 3: Keeping Our Cool

Of course, anyone spending Corvette crate motor money on a swap like this is going to want little creature comforts like A/C and a working charging system, so Copeland and company had to make that right, too. “The alternator won’t fit in the production location so we moved it – we ended up taking the production alternator and building brackets and idlers to mount it down low on the left side. We used the Corvette AC compressor and made lines to get all that to work.” A second idler pulley aids belt wrap on the supercharger pulley, and the stock ZR-1 intercooler circulating pump, heat exchanger, and coolant tank all found new homes in the nose and fenders. “It actually packaged really well,” Copeland admits. “You wouldn’t think it would go in that easy, but all those parts did, and look ‘production.’”

Step 4: Now, The Easy Stuff

The rest of the car is much as it was in its former incarnation – The Kooks long-tube headers bolt to the LS9 just like they did to the LS7, and a Magnaflow exhaust handles it from there. Suspension is by BMR with a tubular K-member up front and torque arm in back, as well as Bilstein shocks and struts all the way around. The stock radiator was ditched in favor of a Griffin 3 core aluminum unit, and fueling is accomplished by an Aeromotive pump and regulator. Inside the car, a 4-point roll bar helps stiffen the chassis, and Chevy-licensed gauges by Auto Meter fill the dash. Michelin Pilot Sport 285/30ZR19 tires wrap stock ZR-1 19x10 front rims on all four corners. Dr. Jamie Meyer, Product Integration Manager for GMPP, says, “I’ve had a bunch of guys come up and say, ‘oh my God, that bolts right on!”


Stock Corvette ZR1 19x10 fronts hold up all four corners of the LS9 Camaro, and stopping power is upgraded with GMPP drilled and slotted brake rotors.

Meyer’s drove the car on the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour, and knows both sides of this unique Camaro’s bipolar personality. “It’s very raw, very visceral,” he explains. “It wants to eat anything in front of it. It’s an older chassis so you really feel everything. I can feel the headers bounce around underneath me every once in a while. But it’s a very solid car – the bar helps a little bit. It’s scary, scary fast when you hit the boost.”

Speaking of which, you’d think that a car originally engineered for 350 or so horsepower would be, shall we say, ‘squirelly’ with almost double that, but the good doctor says, “I can’t believe how well the car hooks up. It just plants you – I can feel the seat bending around the crossbar on the 4-point – that’s how hard it slams you in the back.” They haven’t had the chance to take the car to the dragstrip and quantify performance yet, but to give you a baseline, with the LS7 (and about 100 fewer horsepower) the car ran 12.43-seconds at 115mph.


Besides the gauges and 4-point roll bar, nothing inside the car hints at anything extraordinary - it's pure fourth-gen factory F-body.

“The way it sits, it’s an easy mid to low 11-second car,” Meyer surmises. “With slicks, and somebody driving it who really knows the car, it should easily run 10’s. Top speed, I’m guessing, will be 180-190 mph. We’ve had it on the military straight at Milford, so these numbers are obviously not on public highways, but on a closed track I’ve seen 145-150 in 4th gear with ease.”

The Camaro suffers a bit compared to the ZR-1 across the scales; “It’s probably around 3500 pounds, perhaps 300 pounds more than the ZR-1,” Meyer admits. Still, it’s got the heart of that King of the Hill Corvette, and it shows. “I got to ride with the development engineer who was developing the launch control on the ZR-1, and I wish I could share that with everyone who’s into cars,” Meyer says. “You know how you accumulate experience on these things – that ZR-1 makes you readjust everything you think about cars. Your perception gets changed.”


The car's previous stealth-black paint has been replaced with factory ZR1 Corvette blue, but besides the LS9 badges, it's still a hell of a sleeper.

The LS9 crate motor will also change your perceptions on what a turnkey engine swap will cost. “It’s obviously not an inexpensive engine,” Copeland admits. “They’re about $24k, which kind of limits the kinds of people who would want to purchase it. It requires a number of exclusive components to make it work – the accessory drive and all the stuff on the front of the motor are specific to that blower and the way that whole package works. By the time you’re done buying the engine and accessory drive, you’re probably somewhere in the $27,000 range. But it comes with a two year/20k warranty.”

So other than the crazy guys at GMPP who have the resources to show a swap like this can be done, who is it that’s out there getting the half-dozen or so LS9 engines a week hand built in Wixom, Michigan that aren’t finding their way into the ZR-1 production line? “The people we’ve seen buying them to this point are people who want the best,” Copeland says. “They want the most exclusive, most technologically sophisticated piece that General Motors builds, whether they want to put it in a ground-up new ’57 Chevy that they’re building, or a ’69 Camaro, or swapping it into an earlier Corvette. Those are the people who want it.”

Mike, we want it too…



]]> "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue;" that’s the tradition for a new bride, but it applies just as well to the marriage of a killer GM Performance Parts crate engine and 4th generation Camaro chassis we’re looking at here. The old is, of course, the 1999 Camaro Z/28, which has spent its entire life in the hands of GM’s engineers. The new and the borrowed are one and the same: the world-beating Corvette ZR-1’s LS9 powerplant. The blue is the factory ZR-1 hue the Camaro is shot with, the same color worn by the serial number one 2009 ZR-1 that sold at Barrett-Jackson for a cool million bucks. The end result is a 4th generation Camaro you can’t buy for any price, but with a little fabrication and mechanical skill and enough room on the American Express Black card for the LS9, you can build one for yourself.







For more photos, don't miss the LS9 Camaro gallery page.



This isn’t the first mixed marriage for this particular Camaro, either. You may have seen it before, murdered-out in satin black paint and powered by an LS7 crate engine, the same powerplant that motivates the C6 Z06 Corvette. They say that second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience, and while the first union of Camaro and LS7 went smoothly, the conventional wisdom was that trying to shoehorn in the ZR-1 powerplant was an experiment doomed to fail. “A lot of people had said over and over again that it was impossible to put a LS9 in a fourth-gen because of the height of the supercharger,” says Mike Copeland, the leader of the GM skunkworks that did the swap. “My team and I took it as a challenge and said, ‘I think we can do that.’”





The monster LS9 looks like the factory put it there, because they did, sort of...



Step 1: Finding Wiggle Room



Anybody who’s ever peeked under the hood of a 4th gen F-Body can anticipate where the problem might lie – even the stock engine presents access issues. The LS9 is topped with a twin-screw supercharger and intercooler, right where the base of the windshield wants to be. “The top of

the intake is 47mm through the cowl – basically you need to find a way to lose two inches of height,” Copeland explains.



“There’s really no way to cut the intercooler and change it since it’s already as small as it can get. So what we did is cut an opening in the cowl and see how tall we could get there, and it wasn’t anywhere near enough. Then we took the wiper arms and actually machined the bottom off to raise it and get more clearance. We were able to get about 30mm in the top just by cutting the cowl and modifying the wiper arm. Then we machined the engine mount and lowered it by 5mm. We made 15mm spacers and put them between the cradle mounts and the body to lower it down, and lowered the transmission the same amount to get the driveline angles right.”





Trimming the underside of the cowl, shortening the engine mounts, and shimming down the K-member were all necessary to find the two inches of extra clearance needed for the supercharger.



Step 2: Getting Down to the Wire(s)



Once the hurdle of physically getting the engine into the car was cleared, hooking it up so that it could do useful things was next. Electrical connections were relatively straightforward – thanks to easy access to all the bits and pieces GM has in inventory, a bespoke wiring harness was crafted and a custom ECU programmed. Getting the driveline sorted took a bit of Tony-Stark-in-a-cave ingenuity, though.



Per Copeland, “The clutch was a challenge because the LS9 uses a 9-bolt crankshaft, and it’s the only thing [in the GM lineup] that uses a 9-bolt crankshaft. The LSA uses eight, and all other LS production engines use six. I looked at taking the stock LS9 dual disc and putting it in, but even with the shortest throwout bearing the stack-up is 25.4mm too tall. I actually worked with SPEC, and they built a dual disc and 9-bolt flywheel.”



The clutch transmits those 638 horsepower to a Tremec T-6060 6-speed transmission, and out back a Strange S60 axle with 3.54 gears and a TrueTrac limited slip do their best to get the power to the pavement.





Bowtie-logo Auto Meter gauges fill out the instrument stack.



Step 3: Keeping Our Cool



Of course, anyone spending Corvette crate motor money on a swap like this is going to want little creature comforts like A/C and a working charging system, so Copeland and company had to make that right, too. “The alternator won’t fit in the production location so we moved it – we ended up taking the production alternator and building brackets and idlers to mount it down low on the left side. We used the Corvette AC compressor and made lines to get all that to work.” A second idler pulley aids belt wrap on the supercharger pulley, and the stock ZR-1 intercooler circulating pump, heat exchanger, and coolant tank all found new homes in the nose and fenders. “It actually packaged really well,” Copeland admits. “You wouldn’t think it would go in that easy, but all those parts did, and look ‘production.’”



Step 4: Now, The Easy Stuff



The rest of the car is much as it was in its former incarnation – The Kooks long-tube headers bolt to the LS9 just like they did to the LS7, and a Magnaflow exhaust handles it from there. Suspension is by BMR with a tubular K-member up front and torque arm in back, as well as Bilstein shocks and struts all the way around. The stock radiator was ditched in favor of a Griffin 3 core aluminum unit, and fueling is accomplished by an Aeromotive pump and regulator. Inside the car, a 4-point roll bar helps stiffen the chassis, and Chevy-licensed gauges by Auto Meter fill the dash. Michelin Pilot Sport 285/30ZR19 tires wrap stock ZR-1 19x10 front rims on all four corners. Dr. Jamie Meyer, Product Integration Manager for GMPP, says, “I’ve had a bunch of guys come up and say, ‘oh my God, that bolts right on!”





Stock Corvette ZR1 19x10 fronts hold up all four corners of the LS9 Camaro, and stopping power is upgraded with GMPP drilled and slotted brake rotors.



Meyer’s drove the car on the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour, and knows both sides of this unique Camaro’s bipolar personality. “It’s very raw, very visceral,” he explains. “It wants to eat anything in front of it. It’s an older chassis so you really feel everything. I can feel the headers bounce around underneath me every once in a while. But it’s a very solid car – the bar helps a little bit. It’s scary, scary fast when you hit the boost.”



Speaking of which, you’d think that a car originally engineered for 350 or so horsepower would be, shall we say, ‘squirelly’ with almost double that, but the good doctor says, “I can’t believe how well the car hooks up. It just plants you – I can feel the seat bending around the crossbar on the 4-point – that’s how hard it slams you in the back.” They haven’t had the chance to take the car to the dragstrip and quantify performance yet, but to give you a baseline, with the LS7 (and about 100 fewer horsepower) the car ran 12.43-seconds at 115mph.





Besides the gauges and 4-point roll bar, nothing inside the car hints at anything extraordinary - it's pure fourth-gen factory F-body.



“The way it sits, it’s an easy mid to low 11-second car,” Meyer surmises. “With slicks, and somebody driving it who really knows the car, it should easily run 10’s. Top speed, I’m guessing, will be 180-190 mph. We’ve had it on the military straight at Milford, so these numbers are obviously not on public highways, but on a closed track I’ve seen 145-150 in 4th gear with ease.”



The Camaro suffers a bit compared to the ZR-1 across the scales; “It’s probably around 3500 pounds, perhaps 300 pounds more than the ZR-1,” Meyer admits. Still, it’s got the heart of that King of the Hill Corvette, and it shows. “I got to ride with the development engineer who was developing the launch control on the ZR-1, and I wish I could share that with everyone who’s into cars,” Meyer says. “You know how you accumulate experience on these things – that ZR-1 makes you readjust everything you think about cars. Your perception gets changed.”





The car's previous stealth-black paint has been replaced with factory ZR1 Corvette blue, but besides the LS9 badges, it's still a hell of a sleeper.



The LS9 crate motor will also change your perceptions on what a turnkey engine swap will cost. “It’s obviously not an inexpensive engine,” Copeland admits. “They’re about $24k, which kind of limits the kinds of people who would want to purchase it. It requires a number of exclusive components to make it work – the accessory drive and all the stuff on the front of the motor are specific to that blower and the way that whole package works. By the time you’re done buying the engine and accessory drive, you’re probably somewhere in the $27,000 range. But it comes with a two year/20k warranty.”



So other than the crazy guys at GMPP who have the resources to show a swap like this can be done, who is it that’s out there getting the half-dozen or so LS9 engines a week hand built in Wixom, Michigan that aren’t finding their way into the ZR-1 production line? “The people we’ve seen buying them to this point are people who want the best,” Copeland says. “They want the most exclusive, most technologically sophisticated piece that General Motors builds, whether they want to put it in a ground-up new ’57 Chevy that they’re building, or a ’69 Camaro, or swapping it into an earlier Corvette. Those are the people who want it.”



Mike, we want it too…








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]]> Feature Articles LSX TV News http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/mission-impossible-gmpp-creates-ls9-powered-2809.html Corvette Racing: An American Revolution 50 Years In The Making http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvette-racing-american-revolution-50-years-2793.html Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:53:16 GMT 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a trademark race throughout the world for over eighty years now with the first race being held in 1923. The goal of the 24-hour endurance is to not only be the fastest, but to have the most dependable car. Chevrolet joined the worldwide competition in the race’s 37th year of existence in 1960. Chevrolet Racing entered a 1960 Corvette with a 7.0 Liter small block with drivers, John Fitch and Bob Grossman behind the wheel. In the team’s first appearance at the France circuit, they took home the gold for the GTS 4,000-5,000cc class and an eighth place overall.



Since Corvette’s circuit debut, Chevrolet has made major changes each year toward the suspension system for better handling, the braking system for better stopping power, and of coarse, engine upgrades for more power. Most recently, General Motors’ Research & Design team has been producing bigger and better versions of their LS series engine packages which have clearly contributed to Corvette Racing’s success.


An illustration of Chevrolet's first participant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to capture the golden anniversary of the ‘Vette at Le Mans. Helping to celebrate the momentous occasion will be the two drivers who started it all, Fitch and Grossman with their restored track winning number ‘3.’ The drivers will be fully dressed in their traditional 60’s American white and blue racing colors. The piece of history will march throughout the streets of France, leading a pack of Corvettes in a ceremonial parade lap to commemorate the occasion.


Above is the original 1960 'Vette that began the Corvette Racing revolution.

"When you look at the Corvettes that raced at Le Mans 50 years ago, it's impossible not to be impressed by the passion, the immense courage, and the physical stamina that was required to race for 24 hours in those vehicles," commented Doug Fehan with Corvette Racing. "It was an astounding feat, and the men who drove them have my respect. Regardless of what Corvette Racing may have accomplished in the past or what we may accomplish in the future, we will always work in the shadow of these racers."


two different generations of Sting Rays are represented from the middle of Corvette's 50-year Le Mans legacy.

Although the pre-race ceremonies will focus upon Corvette’s heritage, Corvette Racing’s main focus is to repeat history by taking the victory home to the United States. Currently, the Corvette Racing team is three-times larger than it’s maiden year with a total of six drivers competing with two different cars. The team has a total of 20 class victories in 66 starts at Le Mans. Johnny O’Connell has made history himself last year by being the first American driver to earn four division wins at Le Mans with the help of his teammates, Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia.


Above are the beginning, middle, and present Le Mans Racing models.

"Le Mans will be the hardest competition we have ever faced with the GT2 Corvette," commented Manussen. "We are well prepared and everything we've done with the new car has been targeted at Le Mans. We'll do what we've done every year: push hard all the time with only one goal - to win!"


This image captures the Corvette Racing legacy in one photograph.

The 24 Hours at Le Mans is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12th and continue through Sunday when the winners will be crowned. SPEED TV will catch the start of the race live at 8:30 a.m. Eastern until 12:30 p.m. SPEED will tune back in at 6:00 p.m. Saturday night and follow the race through ‘till the end at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Sunday. Saturday’s untelivsied coverage can be streamed online from 12:30-6:00 p.m. at www.speed.com.

]]> 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a trademark race throughout the world for over eighty years now with the first race being held in 1923. The goal of the 24-hour endurance is to not only be the fastest, but to have the most dependable car. Chevrolet joined the worldwide competition in the race’s 37th year of existence in 1960. Chevrolet Racing entered a 1960 Corvette with a 7.0 Liter small block with drivers, John Fitch and Bob Grossman behind the wheel. In the team’s first appearance at the France circuit, they took home the gold for the GTS 4,000-5,000cc class and an eighth place overall.







Since Corvette’s circuit debut, Chevrolet has made major changes each year toward the suspension system for better handling, the braking system for better stopping power, and of coarse, engine upgrades for more power. Most recently, General Motors’ Research & Design team has been producing bigger and better versions of their LS series engine packages which have clearly contributed to Corvette Racing’s success.





An illustration of Chevrolet's first participant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.



This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to capture the golden anniversary of the ‘Vette at Le Mans. Helping to celebrate the momentous occasion will be the two drivers who started it all, Fitch and Grossman with their restored track winning number ‘3.’ The drivers will be fully dressed in their traditional 60’s American white and blue racing colors. The piece of history will march throughout the streets of France, leading a pack of Corvettes in a ceremonial parade lap to commemorate the occasion.





Above is the original 1960 'Vette that began the Corvette Racing revolution.



"When you look at the Corvettes that raced at Le Mans 50 years ago, it's impossible not to be impressed by the passion, the immense courage, and the physical stamina that was required to race for 24 hours in those vehicles," commented Doug Fehan with Corvette Racing. "It was an astounding feat, and the men who drove them have my respect. Regardless of what Corvette Racing may have accomplished in the past or what we may accomplish in the future, we will always work in the shadow of these racers."





two different generations of Sting Rays are represented from the middle of Corvette's 50-year Le Mans legacy.



Although the pre-race ceremonies will focus upon Corvette’s heritage, Corvette Racing’s main focus is to repeat history by taking the victory home to the United States. Currently, the Corvette Racing team is three-times larger than it’s maiden year with a total of six drivers competing with two different cars. The team has a total of 20 class victories in 66 starts at Le Mans. Johnny O’Connell has made history himself last year by being the first American driver to earn four division wins at Le Mans with the help of his teammates, Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia.





Above are the beginning, middle, and present Le Mans Racing models.



"Le Mans will be the hardest competition we have ever faced with the GT2 Corvette," commented Manussen. "We are well prepared and everything we've done with the new car has been targeted at Le Mans. We'll do what we've done every year: push hard all the time with only one goal - to win!"





This image captures the Corvette Racing legacy in one photograph.



The 24 Hours at Le Mans is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12th and continue through Sunday when the winners will be crowned. SPEED TV will catch the start of the race live at 8:30 a.m. Eastern until 12:30 p.m. SPEED will tune back in at 6:00 p.m. Saturday night and follow the race through ‘till the end at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Sunday. Saturday’s untelivsied coverage can be streamed online from 12:30-6:00 p.m. at www.speed.com.




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]]> Feature Articles Ian McBride http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvette-racing-american-revolution-50-years-2793.html Behind the Curtain: Moroso Shop Tour http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/behind-curtain-moroso-shop-tour-2739.html Thu, 27 May 2010 23:08:27 GMT For most of us, oil pans are an afterthought, the last piece of our intricate engine puzzle. In reality though, oil is the lifeblood of an engine, and the oiling system is more important than most people realize. Not only does it keep an expensive engine from tearing itself apart, but the right oiling system can actually add horsepower as well as extend the life of your engine.



Few companies know oiling systems as well as Moroso. Founded in 1968 by a successful drag racer by the name of Dick Moroso, the company started as many do, by accident. Noticing Dick’s dominance on the track, other racers came to Dick wanting to buy his custom built parts. When Dick retired from racing, he started selling parts, mostly for Chevy engines, but has since expanded to include just about every major automobile manufacturer, from Ford to Subaru and beyond. Moroso started out just making oil pans, and their deep-sump oil pan designs were among some of the innovative parts that got their name out across the national stage.

But Moroso makes more than just oil pans, and with over 3,000 products spread out across a 300 page catalog, Moroso is one of the most diverse aftermarket parts manufacturers around. They are a company of gearheads and speedfreaks, and many of them have worked at Moroso for a decade or longer, and they even volunteer their own cars to use as testbeds. I was given a chance to tour their manufacturing and distribution center in Guilford, Connecticut. Thor Schroeder, the National Sales and Marketing Manager, took me through the extensive warehouse Moroso calls home.



Research and Development
“Most car manufacturers design the oil pan around the rest of the engine,” Thor says as we stand in the R&D department. “But oil is the lifeblood of an engine. It is the single most important ingredient in a successful race car and can affect everything from engine longevity to horsepower.” Every desk in the development department is cluttered with paperwork and engine parts and every computer screen has a CAD design program on it. “Sometimes it just starts with an idea on a piece of paper before it even makes it to the computer screen,” says Thor. “But we’re always looking to improve and develop our parts further, to stay ahead of the market and respond to the customers.”



To those ends, Moroso is constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to designing new products and improving current ones. One example is their computerized distributors, which 95% of NASCAR teams currently use under the hoods of their cars. But because of heat issues under aforementioned hoods, Moroso had to figure out a way to deliver the equivalent performance without the high-tech computer chip wizardry. NASCAR engine builders are a picky bunch, and they want everything and more, but that just pushes Moroso to further enhance and fine-tune their products.

Test, Test, Test
But making a quality car component is about more than just design. The products need to be tested, early and often. That is why Moroso has its own engine dyno…along with eight or nine different engines just sitting around, waiting for a new component to be tested. While I was there they had an LQ9 engine on the dyno, testing an oil pan and electric waterpump among other bits. “We’ve gone through three or four of these,” Thor says, referring to the engine dyno. “They get used a lot.” One of the ways Moroso tests their products is with a see-through oil pan, so they can learned exactly how the oil reacts to different designs.



After listening to the sweet symphony of the LQ9, Thor led me to the warehouse where all the parts get stamped, welded, built, and shipped. This place just kept going and going and going. Moroso has many cutting edge CNC machines on site to handle much of the precise cutting work, but when it comes to welding, it is all done by hand.



There were at least a dozen different welding stations and even more engine blocks to insure proper fitment. Each worker had a specialty, whether it was welding steel or aluminum, though all were equally capable of building any of the various oil pans and other parts on hand. Moroso also works with customers to build custom one-off pieces, though these sometimes end up being produced en masse as other customers seek them out as well. “We’ll work with a customer to find out what fitments and specifications they need,” says Thor. “We get different feedback from different racers, and this helps us actively improve our product line.”

Moroso In Motion
The extensive testing Moroso puts their parts through can be epitomized with the two cars in the back garage tucked behind all the CNC machines. Right now the garage holds a 2008 Mustang and a 2009 Dodge Challenger. These two cars serve as testing beds for many of Moroso’s products. While the Challenger is currently stripped down, the Mustang is all but finished (is any project car ever really finished though?) The list of parts equipped to what Moroso calls the “GTM” Mustang is too extensive to go into detail, but some of the parts include control arms, an exhaust kit, 8-point roll bar, and valve covers. A RoushCharger supercharger system has also been added to beef up the power output. Thor also hinted that a 2010 Camaro should be coming into the garage soon as well.



With so many parts under one roof, you can almost assemble a whole car from Moroso’s parts bin. Well, not quite. But you can find just about anything you might need, and even if you don’t, just ask. They might be able to make it for you anyway. That’s how Moroso got started, and it is how they will keep on going forward.

Moroso Performance Products
www.moroso.com
80 Carter Drive
Guilford, CT 06437-2116
Phone: (203) 453-6571
Tech Line: (203) 458-0542
Fax: (203) 453-6906

]]> For most of us, oil pans are an afterthought, the last piece of our intricate engine puzzle. In reality though, oil is the lifeblood of an engine, and the oiling system is more important than most people realize. Not only does it keep an expensive engine from tearing itself apart, but the right oiling system can actually add horsepower as well as extend the life of your engine.







Few companies know oiling systems as well as Moroso. Founded in 1968 by a successful drag racer by the name of Dick Moroso, the company started as many do, by accident. Noticing Dick’s dominance on the track, other racers came to Dick wanting to buy his custom built parts. When Dick retired from racing, he started selling parts, mostly for Chevy engines, but has since expanded to include just about every major automobile manufacturer, from Ford to Subaru and beyond. Moroso started out just making oil pans, and their deep-sump oil pan designs were among some of the innovative parts that got their name out across the national stage.



But Moroso makes more than just oil pans, and with over 3,000 products spread out across a 300 page catalog, Moroso is one of the most diverse aftermarket parts manufacturers around. They are a company of gearheads and speedfreaks, and many of them have worked at Moroso for a decade or longer, and they even volunteer their own cars to use as testbeds. I was given a chance to tour their manufacturing and distribution center in Guilford, Connecticut. Thor Schroeder, the National Sales and Marketing Manager, took me through the extensive warehouse Moroso calls home.







Research and Development

“Most car manufacturers design the oil pan around the rest of the engine,” Thor says as we stand in the R&D department. “But oil is the lifeblood of an engine. It is the single most important ingredient in a successful race car and can affect everything from engine longevity to horsepower.” Every desk in the development department is cluttered with paperwork and engine parts and every computer screen has a CAD design program on it. “Sometimes it just starts with an idea on a piece of paper before it even makes it to the computer screen,” says Thor. “But we’re always looking to improve and develop our parts further, to stay ahead of the market and respond to the customers.”







To those ends, Moroso is constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to designing new products and improving current ones. One example is their computerized distributors, which 95% of NASCAR teams currently use under the hoods of their cars. But because of heat issues under aforementioned hoods, Moroso had to figure out a way to deliver the equivalent performance without the high-tech computer chip wizardry. NASCAR engine builders are a picky bunch, and they want everything and more, but that just pushes Moroso to further enhance and fine-tune their products.



Test, Test, Test

But making a quality car component is about more than just design. The products need to be tested, early and often. That is why Moroso has its own engine dyno…along with eight or nine different engines just sitting around, waiting for a new component to be tested. While I was there they had an LQ9 engine on the dyno, testing an oil pan and electric waterpump among other bits. “We’ve gone through three or four of these,” Thor says, referring to the engine dyno. “They get used a lot.” One of the ways Moroso tests their products is with a see-through oil pan, so they can learned exactly how the oil reacts to different designs.







After listening to the sweet symphony of the LQ9, Thor led me to the warehouse where all the parts get stamped, welded, built, and shipped. This place just kept going and going and going. Moroso has many cutting edge CNC machines on site to handle much of the precise cutting work, but when it comes to welding, it is all done by hand.







There were at least a dozen different welding stations and even more engine blocks to insure proper fitment. Each worker had a specialty, whether it was welding steel or aluminum, though all were equally capable of building any of the various oil pans and other parts on hand. Moroso also works with customers to build custom one-off pieces, though these sometimes end up being produced en masse as other customers seek them out as well. “We’ll work with a customer to find out what fitments and specifications they need,” says Thor. “We get different feedback from different racers, and this helps us actively improve our product line.”



Moroso In Motion

The extensive testing Moroso puts their parts through can be epitomized with the two cars in the back garage tucked behind all the CNC machines. Right now the garage holds a 2008 Mustang and a 2009 Dodge Challenger. These two cars serve as testing beds for many of Moroso’s products. While the Challenger is currently stripped down, the Mustang is all but finished (is any project car ever really finished though?) The list of parts equipped to what Moroso calls the “GTM” Mustang is too extensive to go into detail, but some of the parts include control arms, an exhaust kit, 8-point roll bar, and valve covers. A RoushCharger supercharger system has also been added to beef up the power output. Thor also hinted that a 2010 Camaro should be coming into the garage soon as well.







With so many parts under one roof, you can almost assemble a whole car from Moroso’s parts bin. Well, not quite. But you can find just about anything you might need, and even if you don’t, just ask. They might be able to make it for you anyway. That’s how Moroso got started, and it is how they will keep on going forward.



Moroso Performance Products

www.moroso.com

80 Carter Drive

Guilford, CT 06437-2116

Phone: (203) 453-6571

Tech Line: (203) 458-0542

Fax: (203) 453-6906




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]]> Feature Articles Chris DeMorro http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/behind-curtain-moroso-shop-tour-2739.html A Beamer With A Behemoth! http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/beamer-behemoth-2730.html Wed, 26 May 2010 16:41:31 GMT For car enthusiasts everywhere, it appears that Chevrolet’s LS engine series is the latest and greatest. We’ve seen every kind of conversion from first generation Camaro, the mid-year Corvette, and every iteration of Nova to the unusual, like Studebakers, classic Ford coupes, and even some old school pick-ups. Whatever your take on the aforementioned, you have to check out this cool find.



While surfing the usual tech forums, we found a creative circuit racer who threw out his 1987 BMW E30’s S52 inline six-cylinder for a powerful LS1 power plant. Bob Ederer was gracious enough to share the story with many photos and even a couple videos which allow you to immerse yourself in the entire project from start to finish. When we saw this outrageous setup, we knew it would be perfect for our readers. Please enjoy this article and let us know what you think!

When we contacted Bob, he was happy to tell us all about his journey which first began with a $600 ‘parts car.’ Originally, Bob had plans to make his new gem a street legal circuit track car with a partial cage and a turbo charged M20. After discovering his competitive ability by winning his first SCCA SM division championship in 2005, Ederer dropped in an overhauled S50 power plant for more ‘instant’ power. The engine modification allowed him to continue his success throughout 2006 to win his second championship in the SM class.


Here’s what Bob Ederer has to work with... a 1987 BMW E30 built for road coarse racing.

However, the car made a turn for full time track duty in 2007 when the owner built a full cage. Although the beginning of the season went well, a costly engine failure put his racing on the back burner. In 2009, the BMW adopted a powerful S52, providing nearly 300 horses to the rear wheels. upgraded suspension, brakes, and composite panels added to the new additions, and Bob’s hard work paid off with a trouble free year and another championship. However, the demand for more power and better competition lingered in the back of Bob’s mind. He craved to run in the GT1 division, but he knew that the S52 would be obsolete and upgrading to a new BMW would be costly. Bob had the perfect solution to his horsepower woes. He would play ‘Dr. Frankenstein’ and transplant the heart of a Chevrolet Corvette, an LS series V8, into his BMW E30.


Bob’s old engine, a beefed up S52, will be taken out to make room for an improved LS1.


With the old engine out of the way, it was time to begin looking forward to new beginnings.


With the mock-up engine in place, Ederer was able to build his own headers to fit, as well as make the necessary adjustments to the frame and firewall.

Bob sent the new weapon’s bottom end to Jackson Machine for the block work and the heads to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering to be CNC ported and reassembled with new valves and Patriot gold springs. While the bottom end was at Jackson, it received ARP studs and rod bolts, forged rods and pistons, a heavy duty timing chain, and an upgraded cam. After the engine parts were returned from the machine shop, Bob did the final assembly in his garage. The complete build included hardened push rods, Harland Sharp self-adjusting roller rocker arms, an LS6 intake, and a ported throttle body. After some slight oil pan modification, the power plant was ready to mate with the fresh T-56 transmission. However, the engine would not fit without some minor modifications.


Ederer chose to go with a new set of Harland self adjusting roller rockers for his valve train assembly.

Although Bob could have used the original motor mount points, he modified the sub-frame slightly to allow more header clearance. With a little help from a foam mock-up block, Custom motor mounts were made to hold the horsepower to the frame, and a custom transmission mount was made to cradle the T-56. Although most hybrid situations call for a partially fabricated firewall, Bob’s BMW accepted the setup nicely, only requiring slight modification around the transmission hump. Along with a custom built driveshaft, Bob set his ride up with a beautiful exhaust system beginning at the engine with 1 3/4-inch headers which drop into a 3-inch collector before meeting at an X-pipe and continuing to twin Borla XR-1 racing mufflers. With all of the chassis modifications completed and the engine ready to run, Bob began the installation of his new toy.


Ederer fabricated his own motor mounts to allow a resting spot for his power plant.


Ederer’s custom built headers got sent out to get a little makeover, adding a little bling to his project.

Everything went together smoothly, only running into a few minor bumps along the way. Before he knew it, Bob was ready to hear his beast roar. That’s right folks, Bob had finally done it. The evil genius had traveled into the unknown and created a monster! Who in their right mind would strap such a behemoth into a compact coupe and push it to it’s limits?!


The LS1 fits nicely between the frame rails of this sports car and it is bound to make for a fun ride!

Bob Ederer’s genius creation headed to the dyno where he would learn the true power of his diabolical concept. The Frankenstein project produced a whopping 411 horsepower with 384 foot-pounds of torque on standard high octane pump gas! Sure, the car proved powerful on paper, but how would Ederer’s concoction hold up against the 700 horsepower giants in the GT1 class? Bob’s maiden voyage for the LS1 Beamer gave him a fifth qualifying spot and fourth overall in the feature event, being the fastest ‘non tube-frame’ car. Although it appears Bob is the underdog in the GT1 division, he continues to astound competitors and fans by consistently posting impressive finishes.


Although the exterior still looks identical, what's under the hood is FAR from ordinary.

We found some awesome video of the dyno run and the maiden race for you to check out. Hopefully all of you LS "hybrid" fans can get some encouragement out of this to begin (or finish) your own swap!




LS1 e30 Racecar on the dyno from Bob Ederer on Vimeo.




Hallett 042510 - Comma GT Feature Race from Bob Ederer on Vimeo.


The dyno showed that the new motor produced 411hp at 6,000RPM and 384 ft. lbs. of torque.

]]> For car enthusiasts everywhere, it appears that Chevrolet’s LS engine series is the latest and greatest. We’ve seen every kind of conversion from first generation Camaro, the mid-year Corvette, and every iteration of Nova to the unusual, like Studebakers, classic Ford coupes, and even some old school pick-ups. Whatever your take on the aforementioned, you have to check out this cool find.







While surfing the usual tech forums, we found a creative circuit racer who threw out his 1987 BMW E30’s S52 inline six-cylinder for a powerful LS1 power plant. Bob Ederer was gracious enough to share the story with many photos and even a couple videos which allow you to immerse yourself in the entire project from start to finish. When we saw this outrageous setup, we knew it would be perfect for our readers. Please enjoy this article and let us know what you think!



When we contacted Bob, he was happy to tell us all about his journey which first began with a $600 ‘parts car.’ Originally, Bob had plans to make his new gem a street legal circuit track car with a partial cage and a turbo charged M20. After discovering his competitive ability by winning his first SCCA SM division championship in 2005, Ederer dropped in an overhauled S50 power plant for more ‘instant’ power. The engine modification allowed him to continue his success throughout 2006 to win his second championship in the SM class.





Here’s what Bob Ederer has to work with... a 1987 BMW E30 built for road coarse racing.



However, the car made a turn for full time track duty in 2007 when the owner built a full cage. Although the beginning of the season went well, a costly engine failure put his racing on the back burner. In 2009, the BMW adopted a powerful S52, providing nearly 300 horses to the rear wheels. upgraded suspension, brakes, and composite panels added to the new additions, and Bob’s hard work paid off with a trouble free year and another championship. However, the demand for more power and better competition lingered in the back of Bob’s mind. He craved to run in the GT1 division, but he knew that the S52 would be obsolete and upgrading to a new BMW would be costly. Bob had the perfect solution to his horsepower woes. He would play ‘Dr. Frankenstein’ and transplant the heart of a Chevrolet Corvette, an LS series V8, into his BMW E30.





Bob’s old engine, a beefed up S52, will be taken out to make room for an improved LS1.





With the old engine out of the way, it was time to begin looking forward to new beginnings.





With the mock-up engine in place, Ederer was able to build his own headers to fit, as well as make the necessary adjustments to the frame and firewall.



Bob sent the new weapon’s bottom end to Jackson Machine for the block work and the heads to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering to be CNC ported and reassembled with new valves and Patriot gold springs. While the bottom end was at Jackson, it received ARP studs and rod bolts, forged rods and pistons, a heavy duty timing chain, and an upgraded cam. After the engine parts were returned from the machine shop, Bob did the final assembly in his garage. The complete build included hardened push rods, Harland Sharp self-adjusting roller rocker arms, an LS6 intake, and a ported throttle body. After some slight oil pan modification, the power plant was ready to mate with the fresh T-56 transmission. However, the engine would not fit without some minor modifications.





Ederer chose to go with a new set of Harland self adjusting roller rockers for his valve train assembly.



Although Bob could have used the original motor mount points, he modified the sub-frame slightly to allow more header clearance. With a little help from a foam mock-up block, Custom motor mounts were made to hold the horsepower to the frame, and a custom transmission mount was made to cradle the T-56. Although most hybrid situations call for a partially fabricated firewall, Bob’s BMW accepted the setup nicely, only requiring slight modification around the transmission hump. Along with a custom built driveshaft, Bob set his ride up with a beautiful exhaust system beginning at the engine with 1 3/4-inch headers which drop into a 3-inch collector before meeting at an X-pipe and continuing to twin Borla XR-1 racing mufflers. With all of the chassis modifications completed and the engine ready to run, Bob began the installation of his new toy.





Ederer fabricated his own motor mounts to allow a resting spot for his power plant.





Ederer’s custom built headers got sent out to get a little makeover, adding a little bling to his project.



Everything went together smoothly, only running into a few minor bumps along the way. Before he knew it, Bob was ready to hear his beast roar. That’s right folks, Bob had finally done it. The evil genius had traveled into the unknown and created a monster! Who in their right mind would strap such a behemoth into a compact coupe and push it to it’s limits?!





The LS1 fits nicely between the frame rails of this sports car and it is bound to make for a fun ride!



Bob Ederer’s genius creation headed to the dyno where he would learn the true power of his diabolical concept. The Frankenstein project produced a whopping 411 horsepower with 384 foot-pounds of torque on standard high octane pump gas! Sure, the car proved powerful on paper, but how would Ederer’s concoction hold up against the 700 horsepower giants in the GT1 class? Bob’s maiden voyage for the LS1 Beamer gave him a fifth qualifying spot and fourth overall in the feature event, being the fastest ‘non tube-frame’ car. Although it appears Bob is the underdog in the GT1 division, he continues to astound competitors and fans by consistently posting impressive finishes.





Although the exterior still looks identical, what's under the hood is FAR from ordinary.



We found some awesome video of the dyno run and the maiden race for you to check out. Hopefully all of you LS "hybrid" fans can get some encouragement out of this to begin (or finish) your own swap!









LS1 e30 Racecar on the dyno from Bob Ederer on Vimeo.









Hallett 042510 - Comma GT Feature Race from Bob Ederer on Vimeo.





The dyno showed that the new motor produced 411hp at 6,000RPM and 384 ft. lbs. of torque.




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]]> Feature Articles Ian McBride http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/beamer-behemoth-2730.html Corvettes Dominate FIA GT3 Competition Again http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvettes-dominate-fia-gt3-competition-again-2726.html Tue, 25 May 2010 18:58:15 GMT The Corvette Z06R GT3s dominated the both FIA GT3 European Championship races at Brno, in the Czech Republic last week. On a wet track the American cars scored a 1-2-3 finish in the first race of the weekend.



The #16 Graff Racing Corvette Z06R GT3 completed the 25-lap race in 61 minutes. The #101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06RGT3 followed less than 19 seconds later and the third place #18 Corvette, driven by Selier and Lunardi arrived a scant six seconds after. The pole-sitting Lamborghini Gallardo rounded out the top four places. The rest of the pack began a good 30 seconds behind the top group.


Photos: FIA GT3

Conditions at the start of the race were so wet that the safety car lead the pack at the beginning. A number of cars started on slick tires, but headed into the pits as soon as the cars were released. Despite very poor visibility for cars behind the leader, the Corvettes of Callaway Competition and Graff Racing were challenging the leader by lap 4.



Successful pit strategy put the two Corvettes at the top of the order, while a series of circumstances brought Dino Lunardi, in the #18 Toni Seiler Racing Corvette up to third place. Lunardi started from 13th position and already fought his way up to P6.

In the second GT3 race of the weekend, Joakim Lambote and Mike Parisy in the #16 Graff Racing Corvette Z06R GT3 took the win, along with a second podium finish for Christian Hohenadel and Daniel Keilwitz in the #101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06RGT3, who finished in third. A Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 split the pair.



The first few laps were driven with the safety car in front, after a Ford GT and a Porsche failed to negotiate the first turn on start. once clear, the pole-sitting Ferrari 430 Scuderia began to pull away. Bad luck was coming their way, though. During a pit stop, the team was too efficient and let their car go early. They were assessed a stop-n-go penalty for this. A second penalty was incurred after and ruined the Ferrari's hopes of winning.



Keilwitz and Hohnadel had an exciting race in the #101 Callaway Racing car. Having started 2nd on the grid, they fell to P17 by lap 9. After the pit stop, Keilwitz managed to take them back up the grid to finish 3rd on the podium.

The next GT3 race is provisionally scheduled at Jarama, Spain on June 20.

]]> The Corvette Z06R GT3s dominated the both FIA GT3 European Championship races at Brno, in the Czech Republic last week. On a wet track the American cars scored a 1-2-3 finish in the first race of the weekend.







The #16 Graff Racing Corvette Z06R GT3 completed the 25-lap race in 61 minutes. The #101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06RGT3 followed less than 19 seconds later and the third place #18 Corvette, driven by Selier and Lunardi arrived a scant six seconds after. The pole-sitting Lamborghini Gallardo rounded out the top four places. The rest of the pack began a good 30 seconds behind the top group.





Photos: FIA GT3



Conditions at the start of the race were so wet that the safety car lead the pack at the beginning. A number of cars started on slick tires, but headed into the pits as soon as the cars were released. Despite very poor visibility for cars behind the leader, the Corvettes of Callaway Competition and Graff Racing were challenging the leader by lap 4.







Successful pit strategy put the two Corvettes at the top of the order, while a series of circumstances brought Dino Lunardi, in the #18 Toni Seiler Racing Corvette up to third place. Lunardi started from 13th position and already fought his way up to P6.



In the second GT3 race of the weekend, Joakim Lambote and Mike Parisy in the #16 Graff Racing Corvette Z06R GT3 took the win, along with a second podium finish for Christian Hohenadel and Daniel Keilwitz in the #101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06RGT3, who finished in third. A Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 split the pair.







The first few laps were driven with the safety car in front, after a Ford GT and a Porsche failed to negotiate the first turn on start. once clear, the pole-sitting Ferrari 430 Scuderia began to pull away. Bad luck was coming their way, though. During a pit stop, the team was too efficient and let their car go early. They were assessed a stop-n-go penalty for this. A second penalty was incurred after and ruined the Ferrari's hopes of winning.







Keilwitz and Hohnadel had an exciting race in the #101 Callaway Racing car. Having started 2nd on the grid, they fell to P17 by lap 9. After the pit stop, Keilwitz managed to take them back up the grid to finish 3rd on the podium.



The next GT3 race is provisionally scheduled at Jarama, Spain on June 20.




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]]> Feature Articles Gordon McDonald http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvettes-dominate-fia-gt3-competition-again-2726.html Wilden Dominates Trans-Am Weekend at Mosport http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/wilden-dominates-trans-am-weekend-mosport-2721.html Mon, 24 May 2010 22:03:03 GMT Approaching the Trans Am series' second event, at Mosport International Raceway, one could hardly be blamed for wondering whether Tommi Drisi would continue his winning ways. Drissi convincingly won the season opener at New Jersey Motorsports Park, earlier this month.



There were signs, however, that this might not be the case. Driving the #99 Drivewise Canada Chevrolet Corvette, Canadian driver, Kenny Wilden, posted several very fast laps during the promoter test and practice days, including a 1:17.410 on Saturday. Drissi's Jaguar XKR was off by a second and a half during the cool and somewhat windy session.



The signs became a torrent on Sunday, when Wilden posted a record 1:15.72 lap time during qualifying - a full two seconds ahead of the previous Trans Am record. With Wilden firmly on the pole position to start, Tony Ave, of Maiden, NC, earned P2 with a 1:17.178 lap time. Never far out of contention, Drissi would take P3 with a 1:17.272 best lap.



When the green flag fell, the group thundered off into the rolling hills of Mosport. When they returned to complete the first lap, much had changed. Ave's Corvette had taken the lead from Wilden and Drissi was nowhere to be seen. Ave had managed to pass Wilden in Mosport's infamous Moss Corner, when Wilden's Corvette had filled with smoke. Soon enough, Drissi showed up, taking the pit entrance road instead of Mosport's turn 10 to start another lap. The Jag pulled into its pit spot and stayed there for the balance of the 37-lap race.



Daniel Ramoutarsingh, driving the second Jaguar XKR, was never really competitive, so the event turned quickly into a Corvette race. Wilden managed to claw back the lead at the end of lap 7, passing Ave in Turn 10. At the end, Wilden would take the checkers, by 19.324 seconds over RJ Lopez. Hailing from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Lopez now sits second in the series driver standing, five points ahead of Drisi.

Third place went to another local - Blaise Csida of Stouffville, ON, who sincerely appreciated the results. "I've been working towards this for 10 years. As an amateur, we have such limited resources and to be standing beside somebody like Kenny Wilden and RJ, for me as an amateur club racer, it's unbelievable."

From here, the Trans Am series moves on to Miller Motorsport Park in Tooele, Utah, for the first time ever, on June 6, 2010.

]]> Approaching the Trans Am series' second event, at Mosport International Raceway, one could hardly be blamed for wondering whether Tommi Drisi would continue his winning ways. Drissi convincingly won the season opener at New Jersey Motorsports Park, earlier this month.







There were signs, however, that this might not be the case. Driving the #99 Drivewise Canada Chevrolet Corvette, Canadian driver, Kenny Wilden, posted several very fast laps during the promoter test and practice days, including a 1:17.410 on Saturday. Drissi's Jaguar XKR was off by a second and a half during the cool and somewhat windy session.







The signs became a torrent on Sunday, when Wilden posted a record 1:15.72 lap time during qualifying - a full two seconds ahead of the previous Trans Am record. With Wilden firmly on the pole position to start, Tony Ave, of Maiden, NC, earned P2 with a 1:17.178 lap time. Never far out of contention, Drissi would take P3 with a 1:17.272 best lap.







When the green flag fell, the group thundered off into the rolling hills of Mosport. When they returned to complete the first lap, much had changed. Ave's Corvette had taken the lead from Wilden and Drissi was nowhere to be seen. Ave had managed to pass Wilden in Mosport's infamous Moss Corner, when Wilden's Corvette had filled with smoke. Soon enough, Drissi showed up, taking the pit entrance road instead of Mosport's turn 10 to start another lap. The Jag pulled into its pit spot and stayed there for the balance of the 37-lap race.







Daniel Ramoutarsingh, driving the second Jaguar XKR, was never really competitive, so the event turned quickly into a Corvette race. Wilden managed to claw back the lead at the end of lap 7, passing Ave in Turn 10. At the end, Wilden would take the checkers, by 19.324 seconds over RJ Lopez. Hailing from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Lopez now sits second in the series driver standing, five points ahead of Drisi.



Third place went to another local - Blaise Csida of Stouffville, ON, who sincerely appreciated the results. "I've been working towards this for 10 years. As an amateur, we have such limited resources and to be standing beside somebody like Kenny Wilden and RJ, for me as an amateur club racer, it's unbelievable."



From here, the Trans Am series moves on to Miller Motorsport Park in Tooele, Utah, for the first time ever, on June 6, 2010.




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]]> Feature Articles Gordon McDonald http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/wilden-dominates-trans-am-weekend-mosport-2721.html Corvette Racing Places Third, Sixth At Laguna Seca http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvette-racing-places-third-sixth-laguna-2719.html Mon, 24 May 2010 19:31:13 GMT Built in 1957, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit has become a cornerstone for any American racing series, whether on two wheels or four. This weekend, the American Le Mans Series took to Laguna Seca, as Corvette Racing clashed with longtime rivals Porsche, BMW, Ferrari and Ford. The Grand Touring (GT) class was especially brutal, as eight different cars lead the race at one point, including both C6.R Corvettes from Corvette Racing.



Click here for a full gallery of the C6R's from Laguna Seca

Unfortunately, neither Corvette was able to hold on to the lead for long, despite a strong effort from all four drivers. Pit stop penalties, late caution flags, and a punctured tire ultimately forced Corvette Racing into third and sixth place finishes.


Pictures: Mark Gearhart

Corvette Racing started out very strong though, the Number 3 Compuware Corvette qualifying third and the Number 4 car qualifying fourth for the start of the race. The Number 4 car, driven by Oliver Gavin and Oliver Berretta, fell as far back as seventh place on their fourth pit stop during the six-hour race, which is by many considered to be a “warm-up” for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But during his second round of driving, Gavin was able to rocket from seventh place to first, holding on for a few laps before falling back to third. He was within striking distance of eventual first place finisher Flying Lizard Porsche, driven by Jorg Bergmestier and Patrick Long. Unfortunately, two late-race caution flags ended any chance of stealing the race from Porsche, which passed the BMW M3 driven Bill Auberman and Tommy Milner on the last lap.



"I wish that last caution hadn't come because I think we had them," Gavin said. "We had the speed but that last caution just killed any chance. It was great fun racing against the Porsche and the BMW - there was a bit of bumping, but it was all fair. In the back of my mind was always the thought that this car needs to go Le Mans in a few days, and any damage today could have a direct effect on how we perform there. I wanted to make sure that it would be ready to leave for France next Thursday."

The Number 3 Compuware Corvette, driven by Jan Magnussen and Johnny O’ Connell, also briefly held the lead. After the first pit stop, the car stole first place, but was penalized in the pit lane, which dropped the car back to seventh place.



But with Jan Magnussen behind the wheel, the Compuware Corvette again took first place four hours and eighteen minutes into the race before his tire punctured during the last twenty minutes of the race. The Number 3 car finished in sixth place, and is in fifth place overall in the GT class. The Number 4 car is tied for twelfth place overall.

Despite the sixth place finish, the Number 3 Corvette did win the Michelin Green X Challenge, which was discussed last week in the fourth installment of the Corvette Racing web series. The Green X Challenge awards teams and cars based on how far, fast, and efficiently they competed in the race. The Number 4 car was the fastest while using the least amount of fuel.



This weekend’s race was special for another reason though, as GM gets ready to celebrate fifty years of racing the Corvette at Le Mans. Both Corvette Racing cars were joined Corvettes and their drivers from the past fifty years, making for quite the spectacle at Laguna. GM is preparing a special, one-off Corvette for next week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

]]> Built in 1957, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit has become a cornerstone for any American racing series, whether on two wheels or four. This weekend, the American Le Mans Series took to Laguna Seca, as Corvette Racing clashed with longtime rivals Porsche, BMW, Ferrari and Ford. The Grand Touring (GT) class was especially brutal, as eight different cars lead the race at one point, including both C6.R Corvettes from Corvette Racing.







Click here for a full gallery of the C6R's from Laguna Seca



Unfortunately, neither Corvette was able to hold on to the lead for long, despite a strong effort from all four drivers. Pit stop penalties, late caution flags, and a punctured tire ultimately forced Corvette Racing into third and sixth place finishes.





Pictures: Mark Gearhart



Corvette Racing started out very strong though, the Number 3 Compuware Corvette qualifying third and the Number 4 car qualifying fourth for the start of the race. The Number 4 car, driven by Oliver Gavin and Oliver Berretta, fell as far back as seventh place on their fourth pit stop during the six-hour race, which is by many considered to be a “warm-up” for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.



But during his second round of driving, Gavin was able to rocket from seventh place to first, holding on for a few laps before falling back to third. He was within striking distance of eventual first place finisher Flying Lizard Porsche, driven by Jorg Bergmestier and Patrick Long. Unfortunately, two late-race caution flags ended any chance of stealing the race from Porsche, which passed the BMW M3 driven Bill Auberman and Tommy Milner on the last lap.







"I wish that last caution hadn't come because I think we had them," Gavin said. "We had the speed but that last caution just killed any chance. It was great fun racing against the Porsche and the BMW - there was a bit of bumping, but it was all fair. In the back of my mind was always the thought that this car needs to go Le Mans in a few days, and any damage today could have a direct effect on how we perform there. I wanted to make sure that it would be ready to leave for France next Thursday."



The Number 3 Compuware Corvette, driven by Jan Magnussen and Johnny O’ Connell, also briefly held the lead. After the first pit stop, the car stole first place, but was penalized in the pit lane, which dropped the car back to seventh place.







But with Jan Magnussen behind the wheel, the Compuware Corvette again took first place four hours and eighteen minutes into the race before his tire punctured during the last twenty minutes of the race. The Number 3 car finished in sixth place, and is in fifth place overall in the GT class. The Number 4 car is tied for twelfth place overall.



Despite the sixth place finish, the Number 3 Corvette did win the Michelin Green X Challenge, which was discussed last week in the fourth installment of the Corvette Racing web series. The Green X Challenge awards teams and cars based on how far, fast, and efficiently they competed in the race. The Number 4 car was the fastest while using the least amount of fuel.







This weekend’s race was special for another reason though, as GM gets ready to celebrate fifty years of racing the Corvette at Le Mans. Both Corvette Racing cars were joined Corvettes and their drivers from the past fifty years, making for quite the spectacle at Laguna. GM is preparing a special, one-off Corvette for next week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race.




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]]> Feature Articles Chris DeMorro http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/corvette-racing-places-third-sixth-laguna-2719.html Ron Fellows Scores World Challenge GT Win http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ron-fellows-scores-world-challenge-gt-2718.html Mon, 24 May 2010 19:09:32 GMT When Ron Fellows arrived at the registration trailer outside Mosport International Raceway on Sunday morning, we're not sure if he knew what exactly time it was. What he did know was that there was a job to be done, and that is exactly what he set about to do. An hour later, he was flying through Mosport's 10-turn geography like the pro he is. Two hours after that, he had qualified the #2 Carlisle Companies/Cragar Wheel-sponsored Corvette in second place for that afternoon's World Challenge race.



The previous 24 hours had been a whirlwind, seeing Fellows participate in the Corvette Racing celebrations at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in California. He almost missed a flight connection in Calgary, Canada on the return trip, arriving at Mosport with about an hour to spare.



Fellows would line up beside series veteran, Randy Pobst, who had won the World Challenge Saturday race. The #6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 demonstrated the advantage of all-wheel drive at the race start, leaping ahead of the pack. Fellows dropped a spot to third-starting Kuno Wittmer, who jumped to second in in the #13 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Viper competition coupe. Wittmer's advantage was short-lived, though.



Fellows got by Wittmer in Turn 10, completing the first lap of the race. For the next 15 laps, Fellows hunted down Pobst, posting a record 1:23.828 lap in the process. A dramatic pass put Fellows into the lead and he charged to the end from there. Post commented that the heavily-ballasted Volvo didn't perform as well in Sunday's warmer temperatures and once Fellows had made it by, "That was it. I couldn't run with him after that."



Fellows captured his fourth World Challenge win and third at Mosport International Raceway. Randy Pobst finished second and Jason Daskalos, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the final podium spot in his Dodge Viper, after passing Wittmer in the last lap.

World Challenge racing will return July 17-18 to the streets of Toronto, as part of the Honda Indy Toronto event.

]]> When Ron Fellows arrived at the registration trailer outside Mosport International Raceway on Sunday morning, we're not sure if he knew what exactly time it was. What he did know was that there was a job to be done, and that is exactly what he set about to do. An hour later, he was flying through Mosport's 10-turn geography like the pro he is. Two hours after that, he had qualified the #2 Carlisle Companies/Cragar Wheel-sponsored Corvette in second place for that afternoon's World Challenge race.







The previous 24 hours had been a whirlwind, seeing Fellows participate in the Corvette Racing celebrations at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in California. He almost missed a flight connection in Calgary, Canada on the return trip, arriving at Mosport with about an hour to spare.







Fellows would line up beside series veteran, Randy Pobst, who had won the World Challenge Saturday race. The #6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 demonstrated the advantage of all-wheel drive at the race start, leaping ahead of the pack. Fellows dropped a spot to third-starting Kuno Wittmer, who jumped to second in in the #13 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Viper competition coupe. Wittmer's advantage was short-lived, though.







Fellows got by Wittmer in Turn 10, completing the first lap of the race. For the next 15 laps, Fellows hunted down Pobst, posting a record 1:23.828 lap in the process. A dramatic pass put Fellows into the lead and he charged to the end from there. Post commented that the heavily-ballasted Volvo didn't perform as well in Sunday's warmer temperatures and once Fellows had made it by, "That was it. I couldn't run with him after that."







Fellows captured his fourth World Challenge win and third at Mosport International Raceway. Randy Pobst finished second and Jason Daskalos, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the final podium spot in his Dodge Viper, after passing Wittmer in the last lap.



World Challenge racing will return July 17-18 to the streets of Toronto, as part of the Honda Indy Toronto event.




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]]> Feature Articles Gordon McDonald http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/ron-fellows-scores-world-challenge-gt-2718.html <![CDATA[GM's 55-Year Love Affair with the Small Block]]> http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/gms-55-year-love-affair-small-2710.html Sat, 22 May 2010 18:15:05 GMT There's no denying the long, storied history of General Motor's love affair with the fabled push-rod small block V8. While many today will contest that today's stellar LS7 427 is no "small block" by any stretch of the performance-enthusiast's imagination, the story arc of the engine's creation, development and evolution is as interesting and compelling as anything pertaining to our hobby within the last half century.



Although a new engine was on the drawing table when Chief Engineer Ed Cole transferred from Cadillac to Chevrolet, he soon dismissed the original design and challenged his engineers to develop a more compact design that would be easier to manufacture. Cole had previously worked in engineering, rising to co-head a team that had developed the 1949 Cadillac V8.

GENERATION 1
The legacyof Chevrolet small-blocks began with the 1955 Chevrolet 265-cubic inch displacement (cid) V8 offered in the Corvette and Bel Air. It quickly gained popularity among stock car racers, for its light weight and durability. Full flow oil filtration was introduced in 1956. The following year, the small block grew to 283-cid, eventually becoming a stalwart of the GM engine line.



History was in the making, because when equipped with an optional Rochester fuel injection system, it became one of the first production engines ever to make one horsepower per cid. The high-performance 327-cid version followed, delivering as much as 375 hp and increasing the horsepower to displacement ratio even more. These important benchmarks set consumer expectations as the industry continued its unrestrained development.

For most people, it was the 350-cid engines that became best known as the Chevrolet small block. The engine's oversquare 4.00-inch bore and 3.48-inch stroke are virtually identical to the modern, 400+ hp LS3 engine. Some engine design fundamentals do not change over time.

Cole ordered engine compression ratios reduced after 1970 knowing that EPA regulations would tighten. Among many other things, he can be credited with getting American cars away leaded gasoline and preparing for the arrival of catalytic converters. It would take another 28 years before all Gen I engines were no longer used in production. From 1997 to 2003, they were known as Vortec truck engines.

GENERATION 2
The LT1 small block engine broke cover in 1992. The mechanical simplicity and established reliability of the pushrod-driven, 2-valve design was augmented by a reverse flow cooling system. The 5.7-liter V8 cooled the cylinder heads first, then the engine block. This provided lower cylinder temperatures, which opened up the use of higher compression ratios than could be handled with the previous generation.



Additional improvements, including a low-profile, high-flow intake manifold, previewed technology that would be carried forward into future designs. There were several variants on the basic LT1 design. Cast iron blocks, fitted with aluminum heads would find their way into the Y and F bodies. All cast iron versions populated the B and D body lines. Blocks for the Corvette were updated to have four-bolt main bearing caps, while most other blocks used two-bolt mains.

In 1996, a special version was built for the last year of the C4 Corvette. Using a port-matched intake, high flow cylinder heads, valvetrain and camshaft revisions, the LT4 engine delivered 330 hp and 340 ft-lb. of torque. The lT4 would see additional duty the following year in special models of the F-body cars.

Earlier, Chevrolet had released the Corvette ZR-1 with the radical overhead cam engine, designated the LT5. This all-aluminum 5.7 L small-block V8, was thoroughly different from any of the other Chevrolet 350 engines, sharing only the 4.4-inch bore spacing.

The bore and stroke were both different and it used Lotus-designed 32-valve DOHC cylinder heads. Due to its expensive nature, GM canceled the ZR-1 option after six years of production. The LT5 led to a new class of premium V8s, however. The DOHC Northstar V8 and its derivatives, drew heavily from the design and lessons learned from LT5 production.

GENERATION 3
Gen III was introduced as the LS1 5.7-liter engine in the 1997 Corvette, while Vortec versions for trucks appeared in 1999, with displacements ranging from 4.8 liters to 6.0 liters.

Gen II-LT engines disappeared in 1997, while Gen I was completely displaced by 2000. Like the previous two generations, these engines would find widespread application across all GM brands. Aluminium blocks were used for cars and iron for most truck applications. Exceptions include the TrailBlazer SS, the SSR and some Z71 pickup trucks.



The architecture of the LS series made for an extremely strong engine block. The aluminium engines being nearly as strong as previous generation iron block engines. The iron LS engines far exceeded any capabilities of the previous two generations. This version also debuted coil-on-plug ignition, along with a firing order change to 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. The LS series was now consistent with the firing pattern of other modern V8 engines.

The Gen III engine benefited from significant new technology, including replicated cylinder head ports, six-bolt mains, gerotor oil pump and composite intake manifold, but its design drew upon more than 40 years of research and continuous improvement from the Gen I and Gen II small-blocks.

GENERATION 4
In 2005, the Generation IV engines emerged, with provisions for high-displacement ranges (up to 7011 cc, or 427.8 cu in) and power output as high as 638 hp. The new architecture was designed with displacement on demand in mind, a technology that allows 4 cylinders in alternating fashion from side to side and front to back to be deactivated. It can also accommodate variable valve timing, which improves torque, fuel economy and emissions. Fuel economy improvements as high as 12% have been obtained because of this.



The current fourth-generation small block engine powers the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V as well as many other models. Many Gen IV variants can run on gasoline, E85 ethanol or any combination of the two.

The LS2 saw duty as the Corvette's new base engine for the 2005 model year, as well as becoming the standard powerplant for the 2005-2006 GTO. It produces 400 bhp from a slightly larger displacement of 5,967 cc (5.967 L; 364.1 cu in). Similar to the Generation III LS6, the LS2 shows improved torque throughout the rpm range.

GENERATION 5
Modern challenges will continue to require evolution of the GM small block. The coming use of gasoline direct injection will necessitate a significant redesign of the cylinder heads and the higher output may demand a more robust, but lighter block. The newly mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements may not kill off the small block V8 engine, but could drive it back to its roots, at least in terms of displacement.


The 500-horsepower, small block LS7 engine that powered the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was introduced at the North American International Auto Show Monday, January 10, 2005 in Detroit. (General Motors/Tom Pidgeon)

Small Block Milestones
The legacy of the General Motors small-block has left an indelible mark on the global auto industry and American automotive culture. Some of its many noteworthy milestones include:
  • 1955: Small-block V-8 introduced in 1955 Chevrolets.
  • 1957: Larger bore increased displacement to 283 cubic inches; Ramjet mechanical fuel injection was introduced, bringing horsepower to 283 - one horsepower for every cubic inch.
  • 1962: Displacement increased to 327 cubic inches, with Ramjet fuel injected version rated at 360 horsepower.
  • 1964: Cylinder head improvements bump the 327's highest horsepower rating to 375 with fuel injection.
  • 1967: Little-known option Z28 released for the Camaro, which includes a high-revving 302-cubic-inch small-block for competition in SCCA Trans Am road racing
  • 1968: A Camaro Z28 wins the Trans Am championship; a 350-cubic-inch (5.7 liters) version of the small-block debuts and would become the quintessential small-block variant.
  • 1970: 350-cubic-inch LT1 debuts in Camaro and Corvette and is rated at 370 horsepower; 400-cubic-inch small-block is offered - the largest-displacement small-block built.
  • 1975: With fuel economy prevalent in consumers' minds, a more efficient 262-cubic-inch small-block is introduced.
  • 1978: V-6 engine based on small-block design introduced; it would become the Vortec V-6 truck engine more than a decade later.
  • 1980: Last year for the 400 small block.
  • 1982: Fuel injection reintroduced with the Cross-Fire injection system on Corvette and the redesigned Camaro Z28.
  • 1985: Tuned port fuel injection replaces Cross-Fire Injection, ushering in the modern era of electronically controlled, port-injected engines.
  • 1986: Aluminum cylinder heads debut as standard equipment on Corvette; block changed to accept new single-piece rear main seal.
  • 1987: Hydraulic roller lifters introduced.
  • 1989: The H.O. 350 "crate engine" is developed, offering a ready-built performance engine from the factory. It would change the way hot rodders approach engine building in the next decade.
  • 1992: LT1 engine in the Corvette introduces Gen II small block design, which features reverse-flow cooling, revised cylinder head design, and crank-triggered optical distributor.
  • 1996: Vortec V-8 engines introduced in trucks, featuring cylinder heads with swirl-inducing combustion chamber design to increase power and torque.
  • 1997: Gen III 5.7-liter LS1 small-block introduced with all-new Corvette, featuring all-new deep-skirt block casting with six-bolt mains; redesigned cylinder heads with symmetrical ports and combustion chambers; and coil-near-plug ignition system.
  • 1999: Gen III-based Vortec V-8 engines introduced in GM trucks; displacements include 4.8 liters, 5.3 liters and 6.0 liters.
  • 2005: Gen IV small-block introduced 50 years after the original.

]]> There's no denying the long, storied history of General Motor's love affair with the fabled push-rod small block V8. While many today will contest that today's stellar LS7 427 is no "small block" by any stretch of the performance-enthusiast's imagination, the story arc of the engine's creation, development and evolution is as interesting and compelling as anything pertaining to our hobby within the last half century.







Although a new engine was on the drawing table when Chief Engineer Ed Cole transferred from Cadillac to Chevrolet, he soon dismissed the original design and challenged his engineers to develop a more compact design that would be easier to manufacture. Cole had previously worked in engineering, rising to co-head a team that had developed the 1949 Cadillac V8.



GENERATION 1

The legacyof Chevrolet small-blocks began with the 1955 Chevrolet 265-cubic inch displacement (cid) V8 offered in the Corvette and Bel Air. It quickly gained popularity among stock car racers, for its light weight and durability. Full flow oil filtration was introduced in 1956. The following year, the small block grew to 283-cid, eventually becoming a stalwart of the GM engine line.







History was in the making, because when equipped with an optional Rochester fuel injection system, it became one of the first production engines ever to make one horsepower per cid. The high-performance 327-cid version followed, delivering as much as 375 hp and increasing the horsepower to displacement ratio even more. These important benchmarks set consumer expectations as the industry continued its unrestrained development.



For most people, it was the 350-cid engines that became best known as the Chevrolet small block. The engine's oversquare 4.00-inch bore and 3.48-inch stroke are virtually identical to the modern, 400+ hp LS3 engine. Some engine design fundamentals do not change over time.



Cole ordered engine compression ratios reduced after 1970 knowing that EPA regulations would tighten. Among many other things, he can be credited with getting American cars away leaded gasoline and preparing for the arrival of catalytic converters. It would take another 28 years before all Gen I engines were no longer used in production. From 1997 to 2003, they were known as Vortec truck engines.



GENERATION 2

The LT1 small block engine broke cover in 1992. The mechanical simplicity and established reliability of the pushrod-driven, 2-valve design was augmented by a reverse flow cooling system. The 5.7-liter V8 cooled the cylinder heads first, then the engine block. This provided lower cylinder temperatures, which opened up the use of higher compression ratios than could be handled with the previous generation.







Additional improvements, including a low-profile, high-flow intake manifold, previewed technology that would be carried forward into future designs. There were several variants on the basic LT1 design. Cast iron blocks, fitted with aluminum heads would find their way into the Y and F bodies. All cast iron versions populated the B and D body lines. Blocks for the Corvette were updated to have four-bolt main bearing caps, while most other blocks used two-bolt mains.



In 1996, a special version was built for the last year of the C4 Corvette. Using a port-matched intake, high flow cylinder heads, valvetrain and camshaft revisions, the LT4 engine delivered 330 hp and 340 ft-lb. of torque. The lT4 would see additional duty the following year in special models of the F-body cars.



Earlier, Chevrolet had released the Corvette ZR-1 with the radical overhead cam engine, designated the LT5. This all-aluminum 5.7 L small-block V8, was thoroughly different from any of the other Chevrolet 350 engines, sharing only the 4.4-inch bore spacing.



The bore and stroke were both different and it used Lotus-designed 32-valve DOHC cylinder heads. Due to its expensive nature, GM canceled the ZR-1 option after six years of production. The LT5 led to a new class of premium V8s, however. The DOHC Northstar V8 and its derivatives, drew heavily from the design and lessons learned from LT5 production.



GENERATION 3

Gen III was introduced as the LS1 5.7-liter engine in the 1997 Corvette, while Vortec versions for trucks appeared in 1999, with displacements ranging from 4.8 liters to 6.0 liters.



Gen II-LT engines disappeared in 1997, while Gen I was completely displaced by 2000. Like the previous two generations, these engines would find widespread application across all GM brands. Aluminium blocks were used for cars and iron for most truck applications. Exceptions include the TrailBlazer SS, the SSR and some Z71 pickup trucks.







The architecture of the LS series made for an extremely strong engine block. The aluminium engines being nearly as strong as previous generation iron block engines. The iron LS engines far exceeded any capabilities of the previous two generations. This version also debuted coil-on-plug ignition, along with a firing order change to 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. The LS series was now consistent with the firing pattern of other modern V8 engines.



The Gen III engine benefited from significant new technology, including replicated cylinder head ports, six-bolt mains, gerotor oil pump and composite intake manifold, but its design drew upon more than 40 years of research and continuous improvement from the Gen I and Gen II small-blocks.



GENERATION 4

In 2005, the Generation IV engines emerged, with provisions for high-displacement ranges (up to 7011 cc, or 427.8 cu in) and power output as high as 638 hp. The new architecture was designed with displacement on demand in mind, a technology that allows 4 cylinders in alternating fashion from side to side and front to back to be deactivated. It can also accommodate variable valve timing, which improves torque, fuel economy and emissions. Fuel economy improvements as high as 12% have been obtained because of this.







The current fourth-generation small block engine powers the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V as well as many other models. Many Gen IV variants can run on gasoline, E85 ethanol or any combination of the two.



The LS2 saw duty as the Corvette's new base engine for the 2005 model year, as well as becoming the standard powerplant for the 2005-2006 GTO. It produces 400 bhp from a slightly larger displacement of 5,967 cc (5.967 L; 364.1 cu in). Similar to the Generation III LS6, the LS2 shows improved torque throughout the rpm range.



GENERATION 5

Modern challenges will continue to require evolution of the GM small block. The coming use of gasoline direct injection will necessitate a significant redesign of the cylinder heads and the higher output may demand a more robust, but lighter block. The newly mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements may not kill off the small block V8 engine, but could drive it back to its roots, at least in terms of displacement.





The 500-horsepower, small block LS7 engine that powered the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was introduced at the North American International Auto Show Monday, January 10, 2005 in Detroit. (General Motors/Tom Pidgeon)



Small Block Milestones

The legacy of the General Motors small-block has left an indelible mark on the global auto industry and American automotive culture. Some of its many noteworthy milestones include:
  • 1955: Small-block V-8 introduced in 1955 Chevrolets.

  • 1957: Larger bore increased displacement to 283 cubic inches; Ramjet mechanical fuel injection was introduced, bringing horsepower to 283 - one horsepower for every cubic inch.

  • 1962: Displacement increased to 327 cubic inches, with Ramjet fuel injected version rated at 360 horsepower.

  • 1964: Cylinder head improvements bump the 327's highest horsepower rating to 375 with fuel injection.

  • 1967: Little-known option Z28 released for the Camaro, which includes a high-revving 302-cubic-inch small-block for competition in SCCA Trans Am road racing

  • 1968: A Camaro Z28 wins the Trans Am championship; a 350-cubic-inch (5.7 liters) version of the small-block debuts and would become the quintessential small-block variant.

  • 1970: 350-cubic-inch LT1 debuts in Camaro and Corvette and is rated at 370 horsepower; 400-cubic-inch small-block is offered - the largest-displacement small-block built.

  • 1975: With fuel economy prevalent in consumers' minds, a more efficient 262-cubic-inch small-block is introduced.

  • 1978: V-6 engine based on small-block design introduced; it would become the Vortec V-6 truck engine more than a decade later.

  • 1980: Last year for the 400 small block.

  • 1982: Fuel injection reintroduced with the Cross-Fire injection system on Corvette and the redesigned Camaro Z28.

  • 1985: Tuned port fuel injection replaces Cross-Fire Injection, ushering in the modern era of electronically controlled, port-injected engines.

  • 1986: Aluminum cylinder heads debut as standard equipment on Corvette; block changed to accept new single-piece rear main seal.

  • 1987: Hydraulic roller lifters introduced.

  • 1989: The H.O. 350 "crate engine" is developed, offering a ready-built performance engine from the factory. It would change the way hot rodders approach engine building in the next decade.

  • 1992: LT1 engine in the Corvette introduces Gen II small block design, which features reverse-flow cooling, revised cylinder head design, and crank-triggered optical distributor.

  • 1996: Vortec V-8 engines introduced in trucks, featuring cylinder heads with swirl-inducing combustion chamber design to increase power and torque.

  • 1997: Gen III 5.7-liter LS1 small-block introduced with all-new Corvette, featuring all-new deep-skirt block casting with six-bolt mains; redesigned cylinder heads with symmetrical ports and combustion chambers; and coil-near-plug ignition system.

  • 1999: Gen III-based Vortec V-8 engines introduced in GM trucks; displacements include 4.8 liters, 5.3 liters and 6.0 liters.

  • 2005: Gen IV small-block introduced 50 years after the original.




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]]> Feature Articles Gordon McDonald http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/gms-55-year-love-affair-small-2710.html