Catfish vert build
03-18-2015, 12:41 AM
#1
Catfish vert build I figured I'd start a build thread, seems to be the thing to do.
Preface- I'm close to being reasonably done with this car, so I'll update this when I get bored or have free time.
2002 Camaro Vert, 147k miles, 6.0 lq9 swap, a4 leather, etc, stockish not the best maintained but fairly clean car. I picked her up on a trade from a friend, she was slow as ***** and in need of some serious detail work.
As delivered last spring....
Preface- I'm close to being reasonably done with this car, so I'll update this when I get bored or have free time.
2002 Camaro Vert, 147k miles, 6.0 lq9 swap, a4 leather, etc, stockish not the best maintained but fairly clean car. I picked her up on a trade from a friend, she was slow as ***** and in need of some serious detail work.
As delivered last spring....
03-18-2015, 12:59 AM
#3
Since this car was a replacement to my race truck and my other daily driver truck I have to keep it somewhat streetable. I suffered a severely disabling motorcycle accident a couple years ago so a vert is really the only option I have for being in the wind again. That said a hood first mod was a rollbar. Bought this Wolfe bar used from R Cowan another tech member.....
Now while my buddy installed the bar I figured it was a great time to install some umi subframe connectors....
I also bought a set of ebay leather seats and sliders to make it a little better seating position for me
Then I figured I'd get some sticky tires and see if I could improve upon the previous owners best time of a 14.0. I bought some used rear weld Rts wheels and fairly used up drag radials from another tech member....
I had it tuned prior to hitting the track, the mods prior to me getting the car were a MTI lid, air delete, pacesetter long tubes and a puny 2 1/2 bullet with a turndown. It ran a best that night of a 13.3.
Now while my buddy installed the bar I figured it was a great time to install some umi subframe connectors....
I also bought a set of ebay leather seats and sliders to make it a little better seating position for me
Then I figured I'd get some sticky tires and see if I could improve upon the previous owners best time of a 14.0. I bought some used rear weld Rts wheels and fairly used up drag radials from another tech member....
I had it tuned prior to hitting the track, the mods prior to me getting the car were a MTI lid, air delete, pacesetter long tubes and a puny 2 1/2 bullet with a turndown. It ran a best that night of a 13.3.
03-18-2015, 01:07 AM
#4
So my next mod was a trip to Houston with a friend, a stop at Circle D later I had a converter ordered. 3c Single disc billet with a suggested stall of around 3700. Once my friends at Volatile installed this and retuned the car it developed a serious traction issue in the street......so it was time for suspension. Prior I also had the local muffler shop do a 3" mandrel bent y into a flowmaster merge, and single 4" dynomax bullet.
I bartered for a Bmr tubular k member, lower control arms, and aerospace pro street brakes. I bought the matching upper control arms from umi. In the rear I purchased a used set of Bmr poly non adjustable lowers, and a ebay torque arm. I also scored a Hotchkis panhard bar here on tech........figured while I was upgrading a 9" was a good idea So I ordered one from quick performance.
I bartered for a Bmr tubular k member, lower control arms, and aerospace pro street brakes. I bought the matching upper control arms from umi. In the rear I purchased a used set of Bmr poly non adjustable lowers, and a ebay torque arm. I also scored a Hotchkis panhard bar here on tech........figured while I was upgrading a 9" was a good idea So I ordered one from quick performance.
Last edited by HISS; 03-18-2015 at 10:42 AM.
03-18-2015, 10:45 AM
#7
So next I figured since the 275/50 radials were bald I'd upgrade to Et pros in 275/60....
Prior to that I went ahead and got rid of the vette replicas and picked up the matching front rts wheels.....
You can also see the front of the sfc in this pic.
Prior to that I went ahead and got rid of the vette replicas and picked up the matching front rts wheels.....
You can also see the front of the sfc in this pic.
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03-18-2015, 11:03 AM
#8
Now that I had all that done, suspension, converter, rearend etc I decided it was time to start making noise. The 6.0 that is in the car had the stock ls1 heads on it and made decent power at least felt like it did. I opted to go budget on this just like most of the rest of the car. A tech member was selling his cnc 241 heads and a tick custom grind for a really decent deal, cam was basically free. I picked this set up up, even though the cam isn't really optimized for my car.
Before......
During....
Before......
During....
03-18-2015, 11:46 AM
#10
After the h/c and tune.....
So I went back to the track and the car ran a best of 12.3 at 111. 60' was 1.83-4 range. The car is just not getting up on the converter like it did with the stock gearing.
So I went on the search for some more power 391/366 wasn't cutting it. I ordered a fast 102 and nw 102 from my friends at Volatile performance.
Getting prepped for install....
Got her installed after grinding the area around the injector bosses to make the fat injectors fit....
So I went back to the track and the car ran a best of 12.3 at 111. 60' was 1.83-4 range. The car is just not getting up on the converter like it did with the stock gearing.
So I went on the search for some more power 391/366 wasn't cutting it. I ordered a fast 102 and nw 102 from my friends at Volatile performance.
Getting prepped for install....
Got her installed after grinding the area around the injector bosses to make the fat injectors fit....
Last edited by HISS; 03-18-2015 at 11:56 AM.
03-18-2015, 12:04 PM
#11
Now it was time to put the hood on and go right.......wrong. I installed the ftp 104 lid......SS hood wouldn't close after even with some clearancing. So I traded the ss hood for a pin on glasstek (previously mounted......never again). During the prep phase....
So I prepped and painted it and was not super happy with the end result, so I had a buddy respray it.....
Uma patiently waiting for her hood
So I had to figure a way to mount the hood now so I contacteded a forum sponsor to make some items that I could finish fit and weld....
Finally got the hood fitted and mounted
So I prepped and painted it and was not super happy with the end result, so I had a buddy respray it.....
Uma patiently waiting for her hood
So I had to figure a way to mount the hood now so I contacteded a forum sponsor to make some items that I could finish fit and weld....
Finally got the hood fitted and mounted
03-18-2015, 12:06 PM
#12
I missed a couple basic things along the way....I removed the sunvisors and installed the Hawks billet mounting plate covers, bought and installed a cheap ebay billet grill and mounted the plate behind it, and put a new set of headlights in.
I backed the car out of the driveway a few days ago and it started leaking fuel so I need to pull the rear crossover hose off the rails and see what happened there.
I backed the car out of the driveway a few days ago and it started leaking fuel so I need to pull the rear crossover hose off the rails and see what happened there.
03-31-2015, 07:52 PM
#14
Also got some good restraints installed
And a huge thanks to Nitrous Express for the awesome kit they sent my way! This will be installed as soon as I aquire the rest of the parts I need.
The quality of the NX stuff is amazing....the last nitrous system I bought was cold fusion and this is at least 10 times nicer!
And a huge thanks to Nitrous Express for the awesome kit they sent my way! This will be installed as soon as I aquire the rest of the parts I need.
The quality of the NX stuff is amazing....the last nitrous system I bought was cold fusion and this is at least 10 times nicer!
04-08-2015, 05:45 PM
#18
Actually it fits just fine. I do have the BMR k member, and poly motor mounts. I think that may lower the engine a little. The map sensor sits real close to the firewall also but doesn't hit. I even have a little room to spare between the tower brace and the intake.
