Project V6 Firebird
06-01-2016, 12:39 AM
#428
Been a very busy week or so, finally got some time to do a little work in the garage and figuring out the return spring stuff for the parking brake. I'll make sure to include that info in the write-up since that isn't covered explicitly in the conversion instructions from the company. That might be updated now though, so who knows.
The car sounds great, need to clean it up as it got covered in dust and I haven't had a chance to clean it yet, let alone drive it to get it inspected. More progress soon!
The car sounds great, need to clean it up as it got covered in dust and I haven't had a chance to clean it yet, let alone drive it to get it inspected. More progress soon!
06-04-2016, 09:24 PM
#429
So I just finished adjusting the CTS-V brake caliper alignment, getting the parking brake just right, and a few other nagging issues taken care of. Decided to take it for a light throttle, low rpm drive (200 miles left on break in and on a conservative tune) and wanted to test some spots for my gopro while doing a minor shake down. Seems the consensus is the best part is around the 4 minute through 5 minute mark.
Kooks true dual exhaust and longtube headers, large cam, high compression, and a little temperamental on the idle command when you come off the throttle, lol! Gonna fine tune that this week with HPTuners.
Kooks true dual exhaust and longtube headers, large cam, high compression, and a little temperamental on the idle command when you come off the throttle, lol! Gonna fine tune that this week with HPTuners.
06-22-2016, 12:32 PM
#430
Took the car to get an alignment today. Almost got it dialed in but the shop was pretty busy so I'm gonna need to do a few minor things and bring it back. Car feels a lot better already, just need to dial the camber/caster in a little closer to the spec that's needed. Still need to do some fine tuning on the idle control, it wants to die coming down from rpms with the clutch in while coasting to a stop. HPTuners is very limited on what you can do with this PCM, and the last option is to drill a small hole in the throttle blade to calm it down. It's better than it was earlier when I got it, but it still isn't quite there.
06-30-2016, 12:03 AM
#432
Almost done with break-in!
In the mean time, fixing some things now that I've got a little more opportunity. dumTook it to a friend's shop and got a new headunit and a backup camera installed. dumThe camera wasn't a "NEED" but it is helpful in many aspects including in a cramped paddock at the auto-x events when you're trying to back into your spot and your coordination suddenly is trying to escape you.
In the mean time, fixing some things now that I've got a little more opportunity. dumTook it to a friend's shop and got a new headunit and a backup camera installed. dumThe camera wasn't a "NEED" but it is helpful in many aspects including in a cramped paddock at the auto-x events when you're trying to back into your spot and your coordination suddenly is trying to escape you.
06-30-2016, 11:23 AM
#433
Teching In
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Car looks and sounds great.
What are the specs on your cam?
Also, I can never seem to gets decent sound with my GoPro. Either you can't hear anything (when using the rubber gasket "seal") or the wind noise drowns everything else out. Care so share how you set yours up?
What are the specs on your cam?
Also, I can never seem to gets decent sound with my GoPro. Either you can't hear anything (when using the rubber gasket "seal") or the wind noise drowns everything else out. Care so share how you set yours up?
06-30-2016, 12:04 PM
#434
270 duration, .600 lift cam.
I try to place it out of the wind, I use the open back "skeleton" case and will soon have an external mic for better placement.
Also, I can never seem to gets decent sound with my GoPro. Either you can't hear anything (when using the rubber gasket "seal") or the wind noise drowns everything else out. Care so share how you set yours up?
07-11-2016, 04:52 AM
#435
Testing out some new camera locations and an external mic for that ohhh so good exhaust burble and lope from the big NA cam on this car. Learning new things, something I always enjoy!
This is still only part throttle and maybe 4500 rpm max.
This is still only part throttle and maybe 4500 rpm max.
08-10-2016, 08:32 PM
#437
Halfway finished collecting my budget trackday wheels! Just need one more pair of 18x10.5 C5 Z06 Speedlines and then I can get some sacrificial rubber! Probably not hoosiers A6/7's for the first set, gonna need to save up for replacement front hubs so I don't have any catastrophic failures!
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08-24-2016, 11:21 AM
#439
On The Tree
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Loved this build thread. Found a lot of interesting parallels to my '99 Z28 build I've been doing. You've also set my mind at ease that my Kooks True Duals have a chance of fitting over the FAYS2 frame.
I also envy your knowledge of the HPT Suite. I bought mine years back but haven't used it much to this point other than dialing out some minor functional annoyances from the car and the truck. (Skip Shift and EGR codes on the car, and AFM/transmission on the truck).
I also envy your knowledge of the HPT Suite. I bought mine years back but haven't used it much to this point other than dialing out some minor functional annoyances from the car and the truck. (Skip Shift and EGR codes on the car, and AFM/transmission on the truck).
09-25-2016, 03:08 PM
#440
So a month ago, I hit some nasty, nasty debris on the highway. Didn't have anywhere to go (sandwiched in with traffic) and the danger wasn't quite apparent until all hell broke loose.
At first, I thought it was a pair of ratty blue jeans, and then it sounded like everything exploded under me. Lo and behold, that ratty blue jean was a strap, attached to a tie-down hook. It punched through the barrel of my driver's side rear wheel and left me sidelined. New wheel was ordered and a replacement tire had to be ordered (thank goodness for road hazard warranty).
I walked a mile back and picked up the piece of debris so nobody else would run over it. Hitting this damnable piece at 70mph was not the way I wanted to end my day. Crazy thing is a month or so prior, somebody was killed while passing through town when a receiver hitch and ball went through their windshield. This wouldn't have been any exception to the rule, so I was pretty pissed at somebody's negligence.
Everything else is good under the car, I needed a change of pants, that's for certain.
The wheels are a flow-formed set, and I've got a sneaking feeling that if I had gone with cast reproduction Corvette wheels like every f-body owner on the planet, that wheel would have disintegrated. I was able to come to a safe and controlled stop and wasn't in much danger outside of the rear end of the car going airborne. I had to retighten the watts link setup as well.
Because of this turn of events, I didn't get to run the last auto-x event of our season here, so I was a bit saddened since I didn't have track tires yet or the final dynotune completed. Anyway, I figured I'd get my "big boy camera" out and take some pics, I'm super rusty and always pressed for time. It's an older rig with a regular kit lens so it's not super flashy. I feel the pics came out good though.
At first, I thought it was a pair of ratty blue jeans, and then it sounded like everything exploded under me. Lo and behold, that ratty blue jean was a strap, attached to a tie-down hook. It punched through the barrel of my driver's side rear wheel and left me sidelined. New wheel was ordered and a replacement tire had to be ordered (thank goodness for road hazard warranty).
I walked a mile back and picked up the piece of debris so nobody else would run over it. Hitting this damnable piece at 70mph was not the way I wanted to end my day. Crazy thing is a month or so prior, somebody was killed while passing through town when a receiver hitch and ball went through their windshield. This wouldn't have been any exception to the rule, so I was pretty pissed at somebody's negligence.
Everything else is good under the car, I needed a change of pants, that's for certain.
The wheels are a flow-formed set, and I've got a sneaking feeling that if I had gone with cast reproduction Corvette wheels like every f-body owner on the planet, that wheel would have disintegrated. I was able to come to a safe and controlled stop and wasn't in much danger outside of the rear end of the car going airborne. I had to retighten the watts link setup as well.
Because of this turn of events, I didn't get to run the last auto-x event of our season here, so I was a bit saddened since I didn't have track tires yet or the final dynotune completed. Anyway, I figured I'd get my "big boy camera" out and take some pics, I'm super rusty and always pressed for time. It's an older rig with a regular kit lens so it's not super flashy. I feel the pics came out good though.