Thanks. I guess I should've posted this somewhere else, because I was asking the question at face value (was just curious).

 

95Z/28LT1 is on the right track here. Content limited is in no way, stripped. When I look at the Camaro's interior, I see lots of fluff. Those useless and redundant console gauges are are probably 10 pounds, dump them. There is probably another 20 pounds worth of electric switches and motors in those seats, do we really need that? There's probably even another 20 pounds in the interior if I snooped around. So there's 50 right there, theoretically.

Does the "Z/28 motor" really need a beauty cover? Are those 20" SS wheels forged or cast? If they're cast, they must weigh a ton, (well, not a ton, but alot). If I could crawl around the car, I'm sure that there lots of places where you could save 3 pounds here, 7 pounds there - it all adds up. How about something like a magnesium engine cradle, (or cowl brace)? If it saved another 20-30 pounds (guesstimating), I'd pay for that.

And restrict options. No sunroof, no convertible, no auto. Not only will that keep the package focused, it'll save cert and production costs - and as we've seen with the Z06, enhance desirability.

 

No problemo, home slice!

 

Bottom line is.......if you could say that the SC'd LSA engine, along with the added items required to handle the power output added, let's just say $15k premium to the SS's cost....and then said: "IF we could take that money and substitute say $5k for better performance items (brakes, shocks).......then WHAT could be done to save weight for the other $10k? i.e. could aluminum be used for the engine and IRS cradles?



IF they want to sell a limited (5k) number of these (knowing not everyone is looking for a serious race oriented model)...then volume ain't the enemy,........ it's what do we get for our $15k.

 

GM would not need to change much...just make sure the supercharger boost is mild and all will be fine concerning what is on the SS...this is really not rocket science...in fact i will bet some dealers will slap Z/28 badging on the SS soon after the SS is offloaded from the transporter....so you see lots of suckers will soon have a Z/28...

 

I need something answered before I can put my 2 cents in. Has it been discussed anywhere how much it would cost to do the cars unit body in aluminum? And how much does the current steel unit body weigh?

 

Not sure but wouldn't it require some tooling changes to use aluminum in stead of steel??

 

Here joo go man...

http://www.ussautomotive.com/auto/steelvsal/cost.htm



Yes.

And design changes. Freaking cubic metric a$$-tons of them.

You can do things like that, but the prime candidates are things like doors and hoods and decklids and roofs and front fenders in a car already made of steel... stuff that sometimes doesn't have to be welded to other stuff that HAS TO be steel.

-OR-

Stamped steel assemblies that you can turn into machined aluminum castings OR stamped aluminum assemblies.

Here... I'll show you an example on that IRS...






.

 

To the thread starter...

Want to make this a REALLY profitable exercise?

It'd be really cool to have complete car to look at, closely, for a few hours - maybe a day. Maybe take a couple of things apart on...

Here's a freebie right here:



I think maybe you can eliminate that part right there on both sides. Bang two holes in the upper A arm, throw a $.01 grommet on each side, and route the park brake cable THROUGH the A arm.

It captures the cable for you (so it won't get smashed when the suspension moves), routes it for you, elminates the cable clamp and fastener and saves weight AND money.




Now... for some math...

That clamp probably costs $.20 or so a piece, and the fastener for it probably costs $.04. Then you have the labor to install it... we'll call that a wash with the labor required to put in the two grommets on each side... you can push those in by hand and no expensive torque-monitoring tool is required...

We'll say the grommets cost $.02 a piece to be a little conservative...

$.48 per car savings from eliminating the clamps ($.24 * 2)
Minus $.08 for the grommets... ($.02 * 4)

Leaves $.40 per car savings.

$.40 per car * 60,000 cars = $24,000 per year

$24,000 per year * 5 years = $120,000 savings over life, and we might have saved a third to half a pound there.


Prototype costs? Near zero. Gimme a drill and a can of POR and I'll prototype the A arm for ya... I'll dig out my own grommets out of somewhere...

We'll put those holes in the best place we can structurally, and since they're on the downstanding flange, that material isn't doing a whole hell of a lot anyway.



*

 

I thought I'd heard that the hood was already "alloy"...WTF that means....

 

That's what the Brits call:
AL - OOOH - MIN - E - UM




*

 

That's what I thought....so no real savings making it out of CF.....for the cost trade off that it.

 

Also, I want Titanium mufflers...those SOB's are phuqin' HUGE!

 

You pretty much hit on what I was going to say. I was going to assume that there would be no way to go back and redo the unit body itself in aluminum, but I was curious what the cost difference would have been, and what the weight savings would have been had it been done from the begining.

That being the case, I would go w/ your list above, but boy wouldn't it be fun to think about if you could substitute an all aluminum structure for the car .

One thing I did think about was the rear end. If the car picked up a supercharger up front, and a total of a couple hundred lbs in ancilliary weight, would there be any place for a live rear? Less weight, less cost, better traction. I like the IRS, but with this particular setup, I think there could be a place for a live rear, as all of its benefits would be particularly useful in this particular car.

As far as "why" to build it. This would be the halo car. The answer to the GT500 and the SRT8. Unless GM is willing to leave that segment to Ford and Dodge, I don't see how they CAN stay away. Personally, I would go w/ a N/A motor, either a LS7, or a cammed LS3. I think w/ the weight savings of not going w/ the supercharged route, you wouldn't necessarily need the 550hp of the LSA. IF the drivetrain could hold up to a, say...490hp LS7 for example, you would have basically the same weight as the SS, and in all likelyhood a better power to weight ratio than the GT500 and SRT8. Yes I know the LS7 is expensive, but you know what, a halo Camaro w/ a 427 lifted from a Z06....talk about street cred. Throw in Pacer's list above, and that's how I would build it. As far as cost, there seems to be no shortage of Ford fans willing to drop $50,000 on GT500's, so I don't know that the argument of "I'd just buy a vette" really holds up.

Just some thoughts, don't flame.

 

Not to mention SILVER. I see a can of BBQ high temp black in my future!