Daytona Coupe LS1 conversion
06-03-2012, 11:22 PM
#1
Daytona Coupe LS1 conversion I have run my FFR Daytona Coupe for 2 years with a 302, and last year won XP class in the SCCA St Louis region solo. I decided I wanted more power and less weight. That is when I decided to go to a LS1. I have spent the last 7 months getting it installed and the car is almost ready for competition. The engine is not running right yet, but hope to get it on the dyno this week.
Here are some pics:
Here are some pics:
06-04-2012, 08:44 AM
#3
It is fun! The car weighs 2300 lbs and my goal is to be at 2200 lbs and bump the LS up close to 500hp. I have recorded a peak of 1.8 G's lateral during an autocross run on R compounds.
There were many changes. The engine is moved forward 2". I used the Ford TKO 500 I already had with a Fidanza FW, custom 11 3/4" clutch, and a special pilot bearing to mate LS to the TKO. I cut off the Ford motor mounts and welded in some 1/4" plate for the factory corvette moounts to sit on. Because the drive train moved I had to lengthen the driveshaft.
We cut the ford and chevy power steering line and crimped an aeroquip fitting in the middle to adapt the LS PS pump to the Ford rack. I made the custom exhaust from 2.5" mandrel SS with 2 magnaflows. I ran all new coolant hoses. I dieted the LS harness and converted from DBW to DBC. My 2003 vette PCM had the chip for the older throttle body.
The LS oil pressure and Tach output won't work with the Autometer guages. I bought an adapter to use the autometer oil pressure sending unit. The tach is still a problem. When I use the resistor to feed the guage 12v it makes the tach work, but back feeds into the PCM and screws up the idle. I think I will need to add in a diode to stop it from feeding back into the PCM.
There are other minor changes, but too many to list. Here is a video of the car in competition:
There were many changes. The engine is moved forward 2". I used the Ford TKO 500 I already had with a Fidanza FW, custom 11 3/4" clutch, and a special pilot bearing to mate LS to the TKO. I cut off the Ford motor mounts and welded in some 1/4" plate for the factory corvette moounts to sit on. Because the drive train moved I had to lengthen the driveshaft.
We cut the ford and chevy power steering line and crimped an aeroquip fitting in the middle to adapt the LS PS pump to the Ford rack. I made the custom exhaust from 2.5" mandrel SS with 2 magnaflows. I ran all new coolant hoses. I dieted the LS harness and converted from DBW to DBC. My 2003 vette PCM had the chip for the older throttle body.
The LS oil pressure and Tach output won't work with the Autometer guages. I bought an adapter to use the autometer oil pressure sending unit. The tach is still a problem. When I use the resistor to feed the guage 12v it makes the tach work, but back feeds into the PCM and screws up the idle. I think I will need to add in a diode to stop it from feeding back into the PCM.
There are other minor changes, but too many to list. Here is a video of the car in competition:
06-05-2012, 09:46 AM
#6
Very nice. If you have not already seen it, this might interest you:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-roadster.html
It's a street versus competition car, but it is an LS in a FFR.
Pat
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-roadster.html
It's a street versus competition car, but it is an LS in a FFR.
Pat
06-05-2012, 08:06 PM
#7
Pat thanks for the link. While my car is built for the track, I drive it alot on the street also. On my weeks off work I take my daughter to school in it a few days a week. I even have A/C. The roadsters are cool to but after spending so much time inside a full roll cage I feel naked in the roadster. Kind of like riding a crotch rocket with no helmet.
BTW that is a pretty cool Studebaker you have there!
BTW that is a pretty cool Studebaker you have there!
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06-05-2012, 10:33 PM
#10
Sounds good. I love the old classics with the LS motors. Next race is June 24th at the family arena in St Charles. Hopefully it will be done enough to race.
Here is a 1st start video:
Because my car was not done by the last event a friend let me run his 2002 Pontiac TA. Before this event I had never even sat in the car nor had I driven anything with an LS in it. I struggled with the auto trans but managed to win my class. Here is a video of my fastest lap in the TA:
Here is now not to do it compilation:
Here is a 1st start video:
Because my car was not done by the last event a friend let me run his 2002 Pontiac TA. Before this event I had never even sat in the car nor had I driven anything with an LS in it. I struggled with the auto trans but managed to win my class. Here is a video of my fastest lap in the TA:
Here is now not to do it compilation:
08-04-2012, 07:00 PM
#14
I have not updated this thread for a while so thought I would post some new info. I got the car on the dyno and got it tuned. It made 350 rwhp and 360 ft lbs. Pretty amazing for a bone stock motor with tight tuck headers and a 2.5" exhaust.
Here is a before and after dyno run (one different run made the 350/360 numbers):
I have since run a couple of autocross events and the car has won every time. Here is one of the wilder runs:
Here is a before and after dyno run (one different run made the 350/360 numbers):
I have since run a couple of autocross events and the car has won every time. Here is one of the wilder runs:
08-04-2012, 10:32 PM
#16
awesome car, thanks for the link! QQ - why did you choose the daytona vs. the cobra? they make that race version FFR cobra that is pretty dang light already.
BTW- I just talked the wife into a FFR build (in 3 years) but starting to think maybe a car with a roof would be more usable. Mine will be a street car though.
BTW- I just talked the wife into a FFR build (in 3 years) but starting to think maybe a car with a roof would be more usable. Mine will be a street car though.
08-05-2012, 10:54 PM
#18
awesome car, thanks for the link! QQ - why did you choose the daytona vs. the cobra? they make that race version FFR cobra that is pretty dang light already.
BTW- I just talked the wife into a FFR build (in 3 years) but starting to think maybe a car with a roof would be more usable. Mine will be a street car though.
BTW- I just talked the wife into a FFR build (in 3 years) but starting to think maybe a car with a roof would be more usable. Mine will be a street car though.
I chose the Daytona for many reasons:
1. I don't like baking in the sun so a roof is nice on sunny days.
2. I knew I would be racing so I wanted a full cage over me.
3. It has windows, heat, and AC so I can drive it in the rain, cold, and heat.
4. It is one of the rarest cars around. I have owned one for 5 years now and still have yet to see another one on the road anywhere in the country. 1 out of 100 people I meet knows what it is.
5. The hood - Just pull 2 bolts and the hood comes right off for full access. The way it pivots it is very easy to work on even with the hood on.
6. The history of the car! The A/C Cobra is considered one of the badest cars ever made. Well the Daytona was made because the A/C Cobra was too slow to beat Ferrari on the open tracks of Europe.
7. It just looks cool!
I also like the Challenge car that FFR makes. The side impact protection of that car is incredible.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-07-2012 at 01:25 AM.
08-07-2012, 01:24 AM
#19
LS Daytona on the scales I finally found the time to set up our club's Intercomp scales to find out what all my work did for me. I still had my R-comps on from the last race so the numbers are a little skewed as the race tires are 11.5 lbs each lighter than my street tires.
Here are the new numbers vs old:
Total weight: 2260 vs 2427
F/R % 48.9F/51.1R vs 45.8F/54.2R
L/R % 49.6L/50.4R vs 49.7L/50.3R
New numbers were taken with no driver, no gas (trying to ensure I can't bust my minimum weight limit for XP), and race tires. This simulates a worst case senario of rolling into the pits and onto the scales at a national event low on gas. With the 5.7L LS1 my minimum weight limit for XP is 2226 lbs. This means I have a 30 lb buffer as I roll into impound even with no fuel.
It appears my efforts were sucessful in shifting weight towards to 50/50 goal and the weight loss is right on target. I plan to lose a little more weight and use a reasonable fuel load to "make weight". While the 3% weight shift did not totally cure my oversteer issues, the car does feel much better balanced and will be faster once I adapt to the new feel.
Here are the new numbers vs old:
Total weight: 2260 vs 2427
F/R % 48.9F/51.1R vs 45.8F/54.2R
L/R % 49.6L/50.4R vs 49.7L/50.3R
New numbers were taken with no driver, no gas (trying to ensure I can't bust my minimum weight limit for XP), and race tires. This simulates a worst case senario of rolling into the pits and onto the scales at a national event low on gas. With the 5.7L LS1 my minimum weight limit for XP is 2226 lbs. This means I have a 30 lb buffer as I roll into impound even with no fuel.
It appears my efforts were sucessful in shifting weight towards to 50/50 goal and the weight loss is right on target. I plan to lose a little more weight and use a reasonable fuel load to "make weight". While the 3% weight shift did not totally cure my oversteer issues, the car does feel much better balanced and will be faster once I adapt to the new feel.