Pewter B4C Street/Strip Build
01-15-2013, 02:15 PM
#1
Pewter B4C Street/Strip Build This will likely be right up there with the slowest builds posted on this site. 
That said, here's a brief backstory.
I've been around f-bodys all my life, starting when I was 16 with my first hot rod build - a '79 Camaro. Had the rearend built, did a 700R4 for it, and a vortec headed carbed 383 that went mid 12s (back in 2001 12s was fast! lol)
After that I graduated to the 4th gens in 2003. Over the last 10 years I've bought and sold 5 of these cars, and over the last year or so I haven't had one to tinker with. I've had time to think on all of them and what I did and didn't like about em in comparison and I've come up with my recipe for the 'ultimate' LS powered street/strip f-body. Obviously some aspects of this build will be different from what others prefer, but after having 5 other 4th gen cars, I've come up with 'the' car that's perfect for me and what I'll do with it.
I want to build a car I can hop in and drive anywhere (weather permitting - nobody wants to drive a hot rod in the rain!) It had to be a hardtop; I really like the more solid feel of a hardtop car - less creaks/rattles - and the option to have the roof and mirrors painted body color... GMMG cars come to mind. I had a pewter '99 Z28 that was super clean with 50k miles on it back in '05-'06, this one comes to mind when I think clean 4th gen - so it'd have to be pewter. I wanna take it to the track and drag race it - and I've raced automatics at the track for years so it would have to have a 'solid' 4L60E in it (notice the quotes hehe) with a decent converter.
So my search was on, I'd come across a few cars that didn't quite fit the bill til I found this one. An '01 pewter B4C body colored hardtop car with a RPM Level IV trans and Vig 3600 converter. Found 'er!
jrob56 was nice enough to hold the car for me for a couple months while I got the funds and delivery arranged. It showed up safe and sound on Sunday the 6th of this month with no surprises, Josh was honest about everything with the car and I can't wait to dive into it. I got it tagged last Friday, and it's currently at the body shop getting the driver door/front fender aligned by a friend of mine. When I get it back this weekend it's going on jackstands and I'm going to start pulling it apart.
Plan of attack is to get the stock wheels/tires sold, replace em with a set of 17x9.5/11 chrome ZR1s with Nitto 555Rs on the rears. Always loved these - simple and timeless, and 555Rs are a great all around tire. Going to replace the brakes when the car is apart waiting on wheels/tires, the current rotors are pretty worn and the front pass side is dragging.
While the cars down I'm going to pull the following before baselining it this spring at the track (first of weight loss list):
!spare tire (already out)
!back seats/belts
!rear speakers
!front swaybar
!front bumper support
!rear bumper support
!windshield washer tank
!e-brake assembly
sell current exhaust/install 3"-4" flowmaster merge and 4" bullet turned down at axle
I can't deal with a 4x4 stance, so for the time being I'll probably cut the factory springs 1 coil up front and 1-1/4 in the rear.
My goal with this car is for it to never be down for more than 5 months at a time max (Nov-Mar), and preferably less than 3 months at at time. So, I'm going to do things with the car in the extremely cold/hot months. The local track opens in early March and late November, and I probably won't race it much in the heat of the summer from June-August. So, the above I'm shooting to have done by late March.
2nd round of weight loss that I'll concentrate on this summer are:
!Dash/carpet and all sound deadening - replace with Speed Inc lightweight carpet
!HVAC system, install mojave or small heater similar to Studderin's setup
!Stock steering wheel - replace with Momo wheel
Install chromeoly 6 pt weld in cage
!Stock leather seats and install Kirkeys or Jaz aluminum seats
!Abs block and install proportioning valve
It should go deep 12s this spring, it runs pretty hard for what's done to it currently. Goal is to hit mid 11s with stock suspension after this stuff this fall.
Next winter/year I'll get into doing more suspension improvements and dedicated track wheels/tires for the car. If it doesn't cut 1.5 60's with the vig3600 after the stuff listed, it's coming out and a yank ss4000 is going in. I'm sure during all this I'll be updating cosmetic things as well, and I'll just do that stuff when I have the time/means.
Time will tell what direction I go with it drivetrain-wise. I may spend the money to put a cam in this shortblock if it's still running strong, or I may start building a 4" bore motor. I like the idea of the LY6 engine, and may go that route eventually. I for sure wanna have the car as setup and ready as possible before really diving into any real horsepower. The car will end up being a small turbo 10.00 bracket car that can run single digits if I want it to. I want to enjoy the car and I don't want it to be a pain to get in and out of (no jungle gyms) and I want it to be sharp and be able to cruise pretty much anywhere without worry. More pics and updates to come!
That said, here's a brief backstory.I've been around f-bodys all my life, starting when I was 16 with my first hot rod build - a '79 Camaro. Had the rearend built, did a 700R4 for it, and a vortec headed carbed 383 that went mid 12s (back in 2001 12s was fast! lol)
After that I graduated to the 4th gens in 2003. Over the last 10 years I've bought and sold 5 of these cars, and over the last year or so I haven't had one to tinker with. I've had time to think on all of them and what I did and didn't like about em in comparison and I've come up with my recipe for the 'ultimate' LS powered street/strip f-body. Obviously some aspects of this build will be different from what others prefer, but after having 5 other 4th gen cars, I've come up with 'the' car that's perfect for me and what I'll do with it.
I want to build a car I can hop in and drive anywhere (weather permitting - nobody wants to drive a hot rod in the rain!) It had to be a hardtop; I really like the more solid feel of a hardtop car - less creaks/rattles - and the option to have the roof and mirrors painted body color... GMMG cars come to mind. I had a pewter '99 Z28 that was super clean with 50k miles on it back in '05-'06, this one comes to mind when I think clean 4th gen - so it'd have to be pewter. I wanna take it to the track and drag race it - and I've raced automatics at the track for years so it would have to have a 'solid' 4L60E in it (notice the quotes hehe) with a decent converter.
So my search was on, I'd come across a few cars that didn't quite fit the bill til I found this one. An '01 pewter B4C body colored hardtop car with a RPM Level IV trans and Vig 3600 converter. Found 'er!
jrob56 was nice enough to hold the car for me for a couple months while I got the funds and delivery arranged. It showed up safe and sound on Sunday the 6th of this month with no surprises, Josh was honest about everything with the car and I can't wait to dive into it. I got it tagged last Friday, and it's currently at the body shop getting the driver door/front fender aligned by a friend of mine. When I get it back this weekend it's going on jackstands and I'm going to start pulling it apart.
Plan of attack is to get the stock wheels/tires sold, replace em with a set of 17x9.5/11 chrome ZR1s with Nitto 555Rs on the rears. Always loved these - simple and timeless, and 555Rs are a great all around tire. Going to replace the brakes when the car is apart waiting on wheels/tires, the current rotors are pretty worn and the front pass side is dragging.
While the cars down I'm going to pull the following before baselining it this spring at the track (first of weight loss list):
!spare tire (already out)
!back seats/belts
!rear speakers
!front swaybar
!front bumper support
!rear bumper support
!windshield washer tank
!e-brake assembly
sell current exhaust/install 3"-4" flowmaster merge and 4" bullet turned down at axle
I can't deal with a 4x4 stance, so for the time being I'll probably cut the factory springs 1 coil up front and 1-1/4 in the rear.
My goal with this car is for it to never be down for more than 5 months at a time max (Nov-Mar), and preferably less than 3 months at at time. So, I'm going to do things with the car in the extremely cold/hot months. The local track opens in early March and late November, and I probably won't race it much in the heat of the summer from June-August. So, the above I'm shooting to have done by late March.
2nd round of weight loss that I'll concentrate on this summer are:
!Dash/carpet and all sound deadening - replace with Speed Inc lightweight carpet
!HVAC system, install mojave or small heater similar to Studderin's setup
!Stock steering wheel - replace with Momo wheel
Install chromeoly 6 pt weld in cage
!Stock leather seats and install Kirkeys or Jaz aluminum seats
!Abs block and install proportioning valve
It should go deep 12s this spring, it runs pretty hard for what's done to it currently. Goal is to hit mid 11s with stock suspension after this stuff this fall.
Next winter/year I'll get into doing more suspension improvements and dedicated track wheels/tires for the car. If it doesn't cut 1.5 60's with the vig3600 after the stuff listed, it's coming out and a yank ss4000 is going in. I'm sure during all this I'll be updating cosmetic things as well, and I'll just do that stuff when I have the time/means.
Time will tell what direction I go with it drivetrain-wise. I may spend the money to put a cam in this shortblock if it's still running strong, or I may start building a 4" bore motor. I like the idea of the LY6 engine, and may go that route eventually. I for sure wanna have the car as setup and ready as possible before really diving into any real horsepower. The car will end up being a small turbo 10.00 bracket car that can run single digits if I want it to. I want to enjoy the car and I don't want it to be a pain to get in and out of (no jungle gyms) and I want it to be sharp and be able to cruise pretty much anywhere without worry. More pics and updates to come!
02-04-2013, 11:11 AM
#7
Got some things done with/to the car so I thought I'd update. Nothing too major.
The main visual/cosmetic issue with the car upon receiving it was the driver door being misaligned...
I took it over to Joe at OKC Auto Works and let his crew work their magic. Turned out it was the front fender being misaligned - an issue where the fender bolts to the body, some genius hit that fender mount area with a jack and bent it all up. And the previous owner had tried to align the door to a misaligned fender. It's all straightened up now...
Found a good local deal on some chrome 17x11 ZR1s with 315 Nitto DRs on craigslist, so I snagged those up. Hunted around and found a pair of SLP 17x9 fronts. Had an old Goodyear Eagle F1 in the garage collecting dust to use up front, and a guy on the local forum kindly hooked me up with another 275/40/17 he had from his old camaro to use. So my makeshift low power track/street setup is together. Put up the stock wheels and tires for sale and had a local guy pick them up last week. Before he came over to get them I weighed the car as I received it...
Not too bad considering its a full weight car (minus the spare tire/jack and EGR/airpump). The scale used is said to be accurate within 20 lbs. Lots to do to drop the 300 lbs out of it to get it about where I want it but still retain some creature comforts and be streetable.
So the cars in the garage awaiting new front brakes, the wheels/tires, and some suspension tweaking. Just had a little time this weekend and began pulling some stuff out. Got the rear seats and belts out, hatch divider, and rear speakers. Over the next few weeks the plan is to pull the front swaybar, front bumper support, e-brake (doesn't work anyway), and windshield washer tank. I figure if I end up going FI on this car in the future, the washer tank and bumper support will need to come out anyway. When it's driveable again I'm going to cut the catback off and run a flowmaster merge and a small 4" muffler dumped at the axle. Hoping to keep moving along and have the car ready to hit the track by late Feb/early Mar.
The main visual/cosmetic issue with the car upon receiving it was the driver door being misaligned...
I took it over to Joe at OKC Auto Works and let his crew work their magic. Turned out it was the front fender being misaligned - an issue where the fender bolts to the body, some genius hit that fender mount area with a jack and bent it all up. And the previous owner had tried to align the door to a misaligned fender. It's all straightened up now...
Found a good local deal on some chrome 17x11 ZR1s with 315 Nitto DRs on craigslist, so I snagged those up. Hunted around and found a pair of SLP 17x9 fronts. Had an old Goodyear Eagle F1 in the garage collecting dust to use up front, and a guy on the local forum kindly hooked me up with another 275/40/17 he had from his old camaro to use. So my makeshift low power track/street setup is together. Put up the stock wheels and tires for sale and had a local guy pick them up last week. Before he came over to get them I weighed the car as I received it...
Not too bad considering its a full weight car (minus the spare tire/jack and EGR/airpump). The scale used is said to be accurate within 20 lbs. Lots to do to drop the 300 lbs out of it to get it about where I want it but still retain some creature comforts and be streetable.
So the cars in the garage awaiting new front brakes, the wheels/tires, and some suspension tweaking. Just had a little time this weekend and began pulling some stuff out. Got the rear seats and belts out, hatch divider, and rear speakers. Over the next few weeks the plan is to pull the front swaybar, front bumper support, e-brake (doesn't work anyway), and windshield washer tank. I figure if I end up going FI on this car in the future, the washer tank and bumper support will need to come out anyway. When it's driveable again I'm going to cut the catback off and run a flowmaster merge and a small 4" muffler dumped at the axle. Hoping to keep moving along and have the car ready to hit the track by late Feb/early Mar.
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02-07-2013, 10:36 AM
#10
Looking good man, guess I shoulda looked at the fender instead of the door! Body was never my strong suit! Shes a skinny girl. I thought shed be a little heavier. You get 300 more out if it and thatcars gonna haul ***. Should look awesome on ZR1s. I can tell this thread is gonna make me regret selling it lol.
02-07-2013, 10:55 AM
#11
In fairness Josh, the fender and door were both pretty far off the mark. I had a friend that does body work look at it and he figured it out. I probably would've done the same thing you did - I'm not a body guy either! If I can get my lazy butt out in the garage in the next 3 weeks I'm hoping to get a track time baseline on those nittos in early March. I'll keep the thread posted as it comes back together.
02-11-2013, 08:03 AM
#13
Haha, nope! Grills stayin, its only a couple lbs and worth keeping for cosmetic reasons IMO. I ended up trading it for a local guys that needed an SS grill. The one I had was actually the SS oval center grill with the bowtie on it. He had a pewter colored bowtie one so I traded him that.
Had some time yesterday to spend in the garage. Got the nose taken off, front swaybar, and one strut assembly before I ran outta time. The cars gonna get a nose job with some stock chrome housing headlights, clear/chrome corner lenses, and that new grill when its apart. Also going to remove the bumper support and cross bar and windshield washer tank while the nose is outta the way this week. Here she sits in pieces...
Had some time yesterday to spend in the garage. Got the nose taken off, front swaybar, and one strut assembly before I ran outta time. The cars gonna get a nose job with some stock chrome housing headlights, clear/chrome corner lenses, and that new grill when its apart. Also going to remove the bumper support and cross bar and windshield washer tank while the nose is outta the way this week. Here she sits in pieces...
02-11-2013, 09:30 AM
#15
After reading this...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/drag-raci...y-mod-fix.html
and seeing this...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/6936333-post55.html
Thats how I'm going to handle it.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/drag-raci...y-mod-fix.html
and seeing this...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/6936333-post55.html
Thats how I'm going to handle it.
02-14-2013, 11:44 AM
#18
Got a lil more done last night. Front support and windshield washer tank are gone now, all of the shocks/springs are off. Theres a local guy wanting to trade me a set of eibach SLPs for my stock springs, so I may do that. It'll save me having to cut the rears and I'll probably keep them on the car for good. That and the hose mod should get the rearend height where I want it.
Ordered up some pads/slotted only rotors from Brakemotive. Nothing spectacular, but better than the rusted up/worn out stuff that was on the car. At least it'll be able to slow down safely now after going down the track
Ordered up some pads/slotted only rotors from Brakemotive. Nothing spectacular, but better than the rusted up/worn out stuff that was on the car. At least it'll be able to slow down safely now after going down the track
