ryeguy2006a

iTrader: (27)

I'm surprised those floors are as solid as they car considering this is a NY car!

sbauerz28

I followed your Camaro build for years over on Nastyz28. I'll be following this build for sure. Your talking about Mike Thompson and he owns TNT Performance Automotive in Owego.

Woody80z28

Yeah! That's his name. Been a long time. I met him at Skyview dragway.
My Camaro still isn't done. Never ending paint job... But I'm hoping to finish it up this winter. We'll see. It's a lot harder to get stuff done now with a kiddo.

ryeguy2006a

iTrader: (27)

Small world, I live about 20 mins from Owego! Too bad Skyview shut down the drag strip, I wanted to take my Camaro there.

Sbauerz, I remember seeing your car at a car show in Candor this year. My red 1968 was there too.

Woody80z28

I had my Camaro at Skyview a couple times back around 06-07. Never had much success. The starting line wasn't level and you could actually roll out of the beams! Launching a manual with a street clutch is tough enough! And that didn't help... Haha

Woody80z28

Pretty unfortunate that my old man's mega blaster blew a bunch of grit into the rear axle internals. So I had to pull it all apart and clean it up. Kind of a nightmare...

Woody80z28

Ok, I just bought the stuff I need for rear suspension from Barnes4WD and Speedway. Gonna end up doing coilovers instead of messing with the stock style coils, and maybe even a 3link instead of the torque arm I was thinking. The hole for the VSS in the Explorer center section would make a nice spot for the 3rd link. Maybe tap for a heim right there?


Barnes has threaded poly bushings that I'm going to make the LCA and Panhard bar out of. I got the hex tube ends in LH and RH so they will be easily adjustable on the car, and if my bracket placement on the rear axle isn't 100% perfect it can be squared up.


Speedway has AFCO "hot rod" coilovers for relatively lightweight vehicles that are pretty small overall. And there's enough room to nestle them in. It should work pretty well. I went with 200lb springs that should be about right. I bought them in pieces, but it's basically these with yellow springs. That way the ride height and the spring rate are both easily changeable. There's no adjustability in the shock valving, but the Beretta is gonna be a tire burner. The Camaro will be the competitive one.

sbauerz28

If you got the mount they sell for the 8.8 that is used when swapping a 8.8 in a third gen Camaro your torque arm setup could still work. Do you think you can keep the backseat using a 3 link setup?

200lb springs might be a little stiff for a Beretta. This is a total guess on my part, but I started with 100lb springs in my Chevette and it currently has 80lb springs. I think if I was to do it over again I would mount mine angled in at the top instead of straight up and down to help out with travel and spring rate.

Woody80z28

Yup, I saw that torque arm mount available and that was my initial gameplan. I'll know better once I get the axle under the car, but there's a hump in the middle of the back seat where the fuel pump exited that looks like the perfect spot for the 3rd link. I'll only go that route if I can retain the back seat.
Version 1 of this build I want to look as factory as possible. I'll go a little crazier on looks once it's time for a turbo on the 4.8. haha

sbauerz28

I'm with you on keeping it stock looking. The interior in my car is for the most part all stock, but it has a Ford 8.8 with a 4 link and coilovers. I had to trim the bottom seat foam to fit over the 4 link brackets but you'd never know just looking at it.

Woody80z28

I *think* I can basically do the same for my 3rd link and keep the factory back seat. If not I can go torque arm. The offset of the explorer rear gives me a little room in the tunnel.
The coilovers will fit easily without any cutting. Just welding a mount to an existing spot in front of the factory spring perch. I'm lucky I have some room where the fuel tank used to be. Haha

Woody80z28

More progress on the Beretta.

Most of the internet can't agree what the center section of the Ford 8.8 is, but after some testing and one good source (Hiltsy torque arm kit)...I determined it's probably nodular iron. Also found a way to MIG it successfully with stainless wire. That means I can build my torque arm mount and weld it up. I also gotta weld the tubes to the center section. Don't want to end up spinning the tubes like the Camaro (quick 2008 clip of that failure too). haha

Woody80z28

More rear axle progress! Got the lower control arm mounts trimmed, drilled and welded up. I also lathed my tube ends down to match the .120 tube I'm using for the LCAs and torque arm. Cut all the explorer brackets off and tried to see if I could reuse the shock brackets for coilovers, but that wasn't gonna happen. I need the coilovers a fair amount below the axle centerline, so I found an adjustable mount for cheap! $25 straight from China I'm sure, but it looks like they'll work decent. I'm gonna weld them pretty close to the LCA brackets and weld a brace to span the gap. I picked up "shock mounts" for the panhard bar also. I think that will work out nice. Seems to be coming together, and still looking good on the budget. Probably have it driving for 1/3 the sale price of what I sold my old one for. haha

Woody80z28

You know there's video coming soon...but I'm too excited not to post these pics. The axle is done! Ready to install under the car. Mounts for the lower control arms, torque arm, panhard bar and coilovers are all done. They're all adjustable so I can dial them in perfect in the car. The 3.73s and LSD are back in and my Motorsports Tech custom order Explorer 5x4.5 to Beretta 5x100 hubcentric and wheelcentric spacers are on. I also tested my 15" slicks and they clear the Ford brakes by a mile.







Did get the first half of the video done:
Measuring for the the adapters and making them work on the axle. That whole axle was pretty rusty too, so I blasted and rebuilt the calipers for $4 a side. And I picked up some more truck parts for it!



Just finished the lower control arms tonight but forgot to get a pic. Adjustability will be sweet.

Alwhite00

iTrader: (1)

Looking great.

Woody80z28

I actually got my car in my old man's garage finally and did the FWD delete! Got his lift functional a few weeks ago. Heat will be done this week. Sucks working in the cold when I'm used to my heated garage, but that lift is awesome already. I appreciate the room too, cause my garage is pretty full with the Camaro.



Time to start cutting and get all this stuff in there. I'd love to have it done by May 21...that's the day I sold the last one. But Auhust 29 (when I bought the new one) is probably a more realistic goal. haha














Byyeeeeeeee

Woody80z28

Got the rest of the video up.


And a little taste of the next one...

pdxmotorhead

A corvette tranaxle would look pretty cool under there.. IRS ... and no large mods needed to fit the torque tube to the front.

LOL I'm sure it would be easier..

ryeguy2006a

iTrader: (27)

Big step right there! If you could get this running/driving by May, you would be the king of the internet.

Woody80z28

There actually was a guy about 10 years ago who bought a wrecked c5 to underpin his Beretta. Wheelbase was close, but track width was much much wider. He scrapped the project before it got very far.
I think my plan will work pretty well. C5 would have needed the bell housing area cut out of the tunnel too, and that's where foot room will be tight. And my 5spd and Ford 8.8 were both $200ea so that helped too compared to c5 prices. Haha