NickR

Hey my name's Nick, im new so here this goes... i really like the style of the 3rd genreation camaros and was wondering about buying one but needed to do a little research first. i have a few questions... what would be the best way to get the 350 TPI in the best handling 3rd gen camaro possible? what would be the best base model to start with?

thanks guys ive got to run to work but i'll be back later tonight.

NickR

I plan to spend for aftermarket suspension/tranny/engine mods, but just dont really know where to start. From most of what ive read on the web, the 85-87 Iroc-Zs are pretty awesome, but it seems that none of them came with the 350s? I plan to use it to run autocross as well as a weekend driver, so driveability and ride quality are not really important factors. I want to run a strong natrually aspirated 300-350 HP motor with a solid shifting manual trans, and have a sophisticated suspension as well as keep it on the lightweight for track handling. (There are a few good shops in the area, so complicated installs and minor fab work are not a problem.) Are these goals reachable for this type of car?

Thanks a lot for the help.

shoebox

Try giving Sam Strano a call. He is a sponsor here.

teke184

abosolutely possible

there's a picture around someplace of a 3rd gen running a road course and lifing the front inside tire in a turn.

the best vehicle will definatly be a hard top...for rigidity

then i'd suggest a roll cage to stiffen it up.

basically you can got through a place like BMR and order everything in the suspension section.

springs, shocks, k member, control arms, torque arm and mount, sway bars, lower control arms, panhard bar, strut tower bar


as for the engine, you may want to consider keeping the TPI setup, since they make brutal torque down low...good for coming out of the corners

NickR

Is the BMR stuff designed more for racing or just for street driving? It seems to work pretty well on a track, but i'm more concerned about the car being competitive through the corners than anything. Are there any other companies like BMR that offer more race-oriented parts or are thay at the top of the chain?

As far as installing a cage, I planned on installing a good weld in model, but can anybody tell me from experience what works and what dosen't? I know that the baisic idea behind it is chassis stiffening but do they make drag and other track racing-specific applications?

Thanks again, Nick

teke184

BMR is on par with almost all the there suspension manufactures when it comes to quality.

on some stuff they are ahead of the game on cost...very reasonable.

for alot of the stuff they make, they offer the standard units...and then the "heavy duty" options...usually chromoly or just thicker material.

JakeRobb

Sam Strano can definitely help you once you get your car.

I believe you'll also want to talk to Dan Burk (ws6transam here). His 355-powered, ~400rwhp 1984 Trans Am WS6 has pulled something like 1.06 g's in a corner!

Sam Strano

So the answer is to just call someone and throw the book at the car? Probably not the wisest recommendation I've ever read. Sorry..... Not all suspension parts are handling parts. And some that claim to be good for handling can work against you. Throwing a catalog at a car is never a solution unless you like to spend a lot of money for things that are supposed to help.

Understanding the parts, how they work and interact with others is key. And then you also have to have an idea of what you want to change about the car, which helps us pick the parts we can get the most use from.

I tell folks often that we are diagnosing problems and using parts to fix them. You can't tell you doctor "I'm sick", and nothing else and expect them to be able to help you. And they can't give you the correct meds for your illness if you can't help by explaining what's wrong (either on your own or by answering questions). Parts are medicene folks. You could take the whole drug store, but just like pills there are interactions with suspension parts that aren't good.

JakeRobb

Sam, just curious -- what do you think of Unbalanced Engineering's decoupled torque arm that lets you set the instant centers for acceleration and braking separately?

http://www.unbalancedengineering.com/Camaro/

Sam Strano

Well, it's legal for me to use (as is a Herb Adams De-coupled arm which has been around for years and we've tried)..... and I don't.

Axle hop can't be cured that way. I've driven two cars with that particular arm, and both brake-hopped. The answer is given that when I drove them they weren't dialed in. Ok, fine. But it was reported to me not long ago that one of those cars still brake-hops some 2 years later. Solid axle cars can wheel-hop under braking, period. Nextel Cup cars do, and they don't have torque arms at all (basically what you get when you decouple one under braking). Shock valving and brake pads and bias are the critical factors in brake hop. Will a change in arms change brake-hop? Yep, and can to the extent *you* might not get it much at all they way you brake. Apparently the aforementioned car doens't hop on the owner, but does for two others who have driven it.

Further, I don't want the torque loads put into the floor-pan. We've dealt with torn floorpan and it's not fun, or designed for the loads.

And lastly, I don't *WANT* a TA that changes the instant center upon acceleration. Does it give you traction? Yes. But it does so by unloading the front end of the car, and you get a power on push. If we were talking a drag car, I'd WANT a short TA.... not for a car that has to come out of corners.

These are my opinions. I'm sure in short order you will get others. Bottom line as I see it is: I don't use one, and I'm allowed too. I haven't been beaten by cars that do. I've tested them and disliked them for various reasons. I compete to win, I can't leave time on the table. I've won some of my National Championships by as little as .017 seconds, if this was needed, I'd have one regardless of who it comes from or what it costs. That's the price of competition.

JakeRobb

Thanks for the input, Sam. So what's your favorite torque arm for a mostly street-driven car that occasionally sees both the drag strip and the autocross course?

I don't currently have any problems with axle hop under any conditions, but I'm planning on adding a fair bit of power and some stickier tires.

Sam Strano

I don't have a "favorite", as what I use depends greatly on the situation it's being used for. Generally I'll sell one of UMI's TA's, and most commonly the $289 adjustable, trans-mount one. But not always that one.....

JakeRobb

Do you have any problem with a tailshaft mounted torque arm on a 6-speed car with ~450rwhp (my goal)?

Sam Strano

Not generally..... but that's something that should be discussed.

teke184

"So the answer is to just call someone and throw the book at the car? Probably not the wisest recommendation I've ever read. Sorry..... "


no insult taken...

i guess i was assuming the proper research would be done as to what parts work best for what.

obviously you don't want things like lowering springs to help your drag car.

or a drag race anti-roll bar for an autoX car....

but looking through the "catalog" gives you and idea of the parts available...and then you do your research as to what is the best part for your setup.


i realize way to many guys just take recommendations as gospel..and buy accordingly...and are often disappointed.

but you can't argue that things like upgraded panhard bars, lower control arms, torque arms, sway bars and subframe connectors are a benefit to handling