Finally Pulled The Trigger!
05-23-2007, 02:33 AM
#1
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Finally Pulled The Trigger! I haven't posted here much, but I've been lurking for a while! Here's my story:
Had a 2004 Dodge Ram Hemi with chronic rear end failure. I received notification last week from my lawyer that Dodge agreed to buy back the truck. I do not turn it in for a couple weeks, but I knew I wanted a Camaro.
About a month ago, I came across a 2001 Z28 M6 with 50,000 miles. He was asking $14,100 at the time. I looked it over and it was really clean. I wasn't in a position to buy it, so I crossed my fingers and hoped he would have it in a month. To my benefit, he did.
I picked it up this afternoon for $13,500. I will say this, the previous owner put lowering kit on it and Z06 rims, which make it look nice, but in driving it, provides a lot of obstacles. For example, now I have to think and drive slowly over speed bumps and into driveways. There is no way to avoid it, it is going to scratch the bottom of the front bumper.
These are the mods he had done to it:
1) SLP MAF sensor
2) MSD wires
3) Skip shift eliminator
4) Sway bar
5) Bushings
6) Aftermarket control arms
7) 160 degree thermostat
8) Traction control eliminator
It still has the stock exhaust and radio.
I have a couple questions for you guys:
Should I consider taking the ride height back to stock - or will the difference be minimal? Also, there seems to be a lot of body flex in the car, which to my knowledge can be remedied with a frame bracing kit. Will this eliminate much of the body flex?
Thank you!
Had a 2004 Dodge Ram Hemi with chronic rear end failure. I received notification last week from my lawyer that Dodge agreed to buy back the truck. I do not turn it in for a couple weeks, but I knew I wanted a Camaro.
About a month ago, I came across a 2001 Z28 M6 with 50,000 miles. He was asking $14,100 at the time. I looked it over and it was really clean. I wasn't in a position to buy it, so I crossed my fingers and hoped he would have it in a month. To my benefit, he did.
I picked it up this afternoon for $13,500. I will say this, the previous owner put lowering kit on it and Z06 rims, which make it look nice, but in driving it, provides a lot of obstacles. For example, now I have to think and drive slowly over speed bumps and into driveways. There is no way to avoid it, it is going to scratch the bottom of the front bumper.
These are the mods he had done to it:
1) SLP MAF sensor
2) MSD wires
3) Skip shift eliminator
4) Sway bar
5) Bushings
6) Aftermarket control arms
7) 160 degree thermostat
8) Traction control eliminator
It still has the stock exhaust and radio.
I have a couple questions for you guys:
Should I consider taking the ride height back to stock - or will the difference be minimal? Also, there seems to be a lot of body flex in the car, which to my knowledge can be remedied with a frame bracing kit. Will this eliminate much of the body flex?
Thank you!
05-23-2007, 04:37 AM
#2
Launching!
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: tokyo japan
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
get some weld in subframe connectors and that should solve most of it. keep it lowered you will still have to take it slow with the stock height so might as well keep it low.
05-23-2007, 05:00 AM
#3
Sounds like you don't want the worries of draging the bottom, so, just put it back to the original height ... easy enough to do. Just hold on to the springs in case you change your mind.
Subframe connectors will stiffen it right up and will do a lot for helping with wheel hop. Welcome to the world of modding LS1's ... if you do more mods, do them right the first time around. If you build it at all, build it for 8's ... just what a friend told me when I started modding mine and I wish I had listened ... spent a lot of money unnecessarily.
If you plan to mod, make a plan on paper and stick to it. Start with the rearend and supension ... not the motor. If you start with power adders (which is tempting to do first), you'll start breaking things when you get to a certain power level. These cars were not built to handle much more than stock power.
I'd have me a SBC 427 motor in mine if I had listened to Eric (NEXT on the forums) and few others. Happy motoring brother.
Subframe connectors will stiffen it right up and will do a lot for helping with wheel hop. Welcome to the world of modding LS1's ... if you do more mods, do them right the first time around. If you build it at all, build it for 8's ... just what a friend told me when I started modding mine and I wish I had listened ... spent a lot of money unnecessarily.
If you plan to mod, make a plan on paper and stick to it. Start with the rearend and supension ... not the motor. If you start with power adders (which is tempting to do first), you'll start breaking things when you get to a certain power level. These cars were not built to handle much more than stock power.
I'd have me a SBC 427 motor in mine if I had listened to Eric (NEXT on the forums) and few others. Happy motoring brother.
Last edited by JEB99TA; 05-23-2007 at 05:07 AM.
05-23-2007, 10:26 AM
#4
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the advice guys. I am definitely liking it so far. I was going to start with cosmetic stuff first - window tint, replacing some interior plastic pieces, upgrading the stereo, etc. I'll probably throw a cat-back exhaust on it just for sound.
On a sidenote, after I picked up the car, I had race one of my buddies. We have raced before when I had my truck, and it was never very close. He has an F250 Super Duty diesel with all the add-ons you can think of - programmer adding 100 hp, intercooler, ram air, etc. We only raced twice from 0-60 and he beat me.
I attribute this to my lack of practice and experience launching with a manual lol. What is the best way to do it?
He would beat me off the line (he launched in 4wd high) and I would start to catch up about the time we ran out of pavement. It sucked lol.
On a sidenote, after I picked up the car, I had race one of my buddies. We have raced before when I had my truck, and it was never very close. He has an F250 Super Duty diesel with all the add-ons you can think of - programmer adding 100 hp, intercooler, ram air, etc. We only raced twice from 0-60 and he beat me.
I attribute this to my lack of practice and experience launching with a manual lol. What is the best way to do it?
He would beat me off the line (he launched in 4wd high) and I would start to catch up about the time we ran out of pavement. It sucked lol.
05-23-2007, 06:00 PM
#5
i hope you were racing in a parking lot, 0-60 FEET...
i used to do parking lot races when i drove a mitsubishi mirage. i'd race my friend in his 90 mustang gt, but i'd be half way along by the time he'd get traction.
i used to do parking lot races when i drove a mitsubishi mirage. i'd race my friend in his 90 mustang gt, but i'd be half way along by the time he'd get traction.
05-23-2007, 11:25 PM
#6
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by BobDoLe
i hope you were racing in a parking lot, 0-60 FEET...
i used to do parking lot races when i drove a mitsubishi mirage. i'd race my friend in his 90 mustang gt, but i'd be half way along by the time he'd get traction.
i used to do parking lot races when i drove a mitsubishi mirage. i'd race my friend in his 90 mustang gt, but i'd be half way along by the time he'd get traction.
