ronsws6

iTrader: (1)

The SLP bilstiens are revalved differently form the regular HD's to make them optimum for lowered f-bodies. I've had koni's before but wasn't impressed. The only think nice was the adjustability. thus far I am happy with the way they are behaving in the back. I will have to fronts replaced this week, and will decide then if I'm content. One of the things I like about AMG's is how the ride is stiffer than stock, but not harsh. So far the bilsteins seem to fill that order, and I don't condider them cheap shocks like agx, KYB or monroe. They did help with wheel hop, but not that much. The WS6 LCA's are supposedly stiffer than stock TA's but they are still just stamped steel, maybe a thicker steel or something dunno. What shocks do you recommend?
Thanks for the recommendations!

ronsws6

iTrader: (1)

As for brembo's. I seem content with LS1 brakes. Who here has the brembo's, if so which ones and what are your thoughts? I am willing to fork out the money for a significant increase, but refuse to spend alot for 1ft decrease in 60-0. I currently use the stock calipers with slotted rotors and Delco pads. I haven't had fade on sporty daily driving and seem to stop very well, but if I put brembo's on and they make me "goddamn!" then it's worth it. Keeping in mind it's a daily driver and I'm not going to be road racing. Although I did get a chance to take out on Road Atlanta for a few laps a couple of years ago .
Thanx again

ZeroFear

iTrader: (1)

sounds kinda like a waste if you ask me. its like that old saying "you can polish a turd all you want, but in the end you still just have a shiny turd"

Not saying your car is a turd ( I have 2 F-bodys myself ), but its kinda silly to wanna turn it into something completely different. Its like if you had a cat, but wanted it to do dog stuff. In the end you'll end up spending tons and tons of money and it will still be the same thing, just maybe faster and louder. Your not gona get "refined and quality" out of a car that never knew what those words meant in the first place.

I'd say get a CTS-V if you can't afford an AMG or other fast luxury car. Maybe a TB SS?

ronsws6

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like maybe my point has been lost in translation. I am fully aware that an f-body is not going to be a mercedes AMG. However I believe the car to be of a sound design that comprimises were made to make it affordable, that can be overcome to an extent . I want to make the car as comfortable, beautiful, and refined as possible while still being a powerful pavement burner that anyone, reguardless of income could appreciate as being what it is. AMG is the closest thing I have to compare it to. I have driven several mercedes and AMG's and can tell you that an AMG is stiffer, way more powerful, and a little louder than a mercedes but yet has a very solid comfy feel.
FWIW I could afford one if I wanted it badly enough, however I am proud of american muscle, and love surprising people with things they assume are something less.
Her ya go: I am a Chemist/Microbiologist/Medical technologist with two Masters and I currently teach. Many of My colleagues are then suprised when I roll up my sleeves to see that I have full sleeve tattoos, am a musician at night, and work on my own cars and bikes. See, I kinda want my car to kinda be like me. (Funny I never thought of it that way. hehe.

ronsws6

iTrader: (1)

Oh and BTW, I used to have a cat that would kick dog's ASSes! Hehe. I miss that cat!
But I do get what you are saying, just try to understand what I am trying to achieve. ANy any guidance is greatly appreciated.

How about rewording the question like this:
Knowing that comprimises have to be made:
How would you make a TA as luxurious as possible?
How would you make a TA as fast as possible, while still being as comfortable as possible?

ZeroFear

iTrader: (1)

well I'd definitely get Koni's instead of Blistines. I have them on my Z28 and it rides SUPER nice, and the quality can't be matched. I believe AMG would choose them over Blistines any day ( but they are pretty pricey ). Make sure you get some good springs as well, not cheapo drop kit springs.

JD_AMG

I just searched and found that the SLP front bilstiens seem to have slightly different valving than the front HDs, but the rears seem to be the same (and really the "new style" rears are supposedly the main problem with the shocks, and that why Sam Strano sells the "old" style rear HD's, and not the new ones.)

And why don't you have them now? Which rear set did you have (3rd gen or 4th gen), and did you actually try the different adjustments?
I have yet to hear of anyone that doesn't like their konis, and have tried all the adjustments (the 2 or 3 that didn't like them didn't adjust them).
Thats exactly what I like about the koni/strano suspension, its more firm, but not jarring or annoying.
Oh and FYI tire pressure has a lot to do with ride quality. Over inflated tires will ride like bowling *****. Try and stay around 30psi.
Are you sure about that with LS1 4th gens? Im pretty sure the WS.6's only got the wheels/tires, hood, bigger front swaybar, raised intake lid, and a "better" exhaust.

JD_AMG

If you are just talking about the brake rotor, it won't make too much of a difference unless your current rotors are shot.
The biggest difference you will see is with pads, I haven't heard anything about delco pads, but hawk hp pads are common favorite for our cars for street/performance driving. I have them on my car with duralast rotors (when they need to be replaced I'll probably give brembo blanks a try) and they are noticeably better than stock. I have yet to get them to fade, and the stopping power has definitely increased, and seems to only get better with more heat. Also no more brake dust than the stockers had.

67RSCamaroVette

iTrader: (63)

happy with LS1 brakes?

you've never gotten on the brakes hard more than once from 100+, have you?


ZO6 brake conversion

my 67 camaro stops HARD with the 13" rotors, and DOES IT AGAIN!! Brembo blanks (about 60 bucks each) have gotten GLOWING red multiple times and they still are straight.

my T/A steering wheel has had the constant shakes.. from the first week i put new brakes on.

ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

Leather wrapped interior, two toned, better control ***** (lights, AC), leather seats and seat heaters, insulate everything with dynamat or equivalent, use Audi Crash Foam wherever possible... Only real comprimise is weight gain.
There becomes a point where having luxury hampers performance, and that limit is reached a lot sooner on lower-quality cars such as these... Make sure the seats are comfy and the shocks, springs, and tire size suit your ride quality preferences. From there it's just power adders under the hood...
Funny, mine only had shaking problems after the rotors warped. I then took a 3,000 mile roadtrip and about 2,000 miles into it I went to an autocross event, wore the **** out of the factory brakes and pads and even managed to lock up the ABS brakes - after the event I noticed the braking and steering wheel vibrations had stopped. But I do agree that the stock rotors and pads are **** if you do aggressive/hard track driving...

ronsws6

iTrader: (1)

They were on my 94Z28, I didn't dislike them and tried every setting to find what was best for me. I just wasn't wowed by them and the setting I decided on felt a lot like how my buddies firehawk with the SLP bilsteins rode, so I decided on bilsteins for this setup, but I dunno, I may change my mind.

will01

Seems like many people are giving good advice on engine and suspension - so i will make some suggestions on interior.

1). seats need to be replaced - go with a sparco or recaro
2). door panels need to be replaced - could go with an insert but that won't do if you are looking for the feel of an AMG. Find a custom interior shop to help with the rebuild
3). carbon fiber is very cool - center console lid, across the top of the dash where the big vent is located, may be even replace the whole center console and rebuild in carbon fiber. Don’t overlay the carbon on the existing plastic as it can look cheap if it is not done correctly.
4). back seats need to be redone. Interior shop could help with that as well.
5). new steering wheel would be nice

In this economy, I would advise against buying any depreciating assets - such as an AMG (unless it is a collector edition with low miles). Mod your car to the max and avoid paying an high interest rate on a loan (used car rates range from 6% to 10% with good credit - cash deal would save money) and go buy some assets that will grow over time...

Thule

i've owned AMG mercedes, and was offical brabus/carlsson dealer, AMG's are great, no cadillack could ever come close to it, rather then any american mass production car, the cadillack may be faster, but they are realy realy.. bad workmanshift

JD_AMG

You've never seen a CTS...

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

Their workmanship is better than your spelling........

Don't mean to pick on you because English isn't your first language but have you ever seen a CTS-V?

SOM02WS6

The CTS-V is still junk in terms of fit and finish, compared to a high end mercades.....

Thule

yes i have seen the CTS-V,(the old one) it goes like hell, sounds glorius, but its build like crap, nasty plastic, fit and finish is poorer than the normal japanese hatchback,

thats just the case w/american cars, and that is the reason for they almoast dont sell any of them here in europe,

i love the CTS-V, and i've owned alot of american cars,(i have 4 of them rigth now) but i also have owned 8 bmw's (both M cars and alpinas) and 4 mercedes, one of them was a AMG, i worked in a daimler/chrysler dealrship/servide for 3 years, and this year i've worked in a exlusive car sale, so i know what i am talking about when it comes to luxury cars,

no i dont hate the american cars, but they are not well made, thats just a fact, they are cheap, baddly assembled, and made of cheap parts, the best examples of this are lincoln and cadillack, they are not better made than other gm/ford cars, they just have more gadged, and look nicer, thats just not what luxury is about, its about the materials the car is made of, and how its put to gether, and the qualaty of both parts and assembling,

compare a 2004 Escalade to a 2004 range rover,

but i ask you to not take this as a personal attach, i am just talking about cars, and GM/ford/mopar just makes them cheap,

i do still like them, like whe often say here, "when the americans get them rigth,they do an awesome job" i like big rough v8's, and ižmžo some of the american cars just have a charackter,
my DD is a good example of what i am talking about, its beutyfull, sounds glorius, and is big and quet, but its also one of the worst made cars i've ever comed across, the interior is just horrable, and after 4k miles the pladtic leather is getting ugly, the leather on the steering wheel is started to fade, and the cars is just not like an new car anymore, after 4k!

i.m.o american cars usualy are nice, but not an qualaty product,

yes i know my spelling sucks, i am from a tiny island next to the northpole,and i've never ever bin to a country that english is spoken

dont get me wrong, please, i am not fighting, just my opinion

JD_AMG

Apparently you haven't seen a CTS-V either...
I've been in a 2008 CTS, the quality is top notch, enough so to make even BMW and MB nervous.

compare it to the closest MB AMG competitor...

JD_AMG

We are talking about the new one of course, but the 1st generation CTS is far from bad, a "japanese hatchback" of the same year will not rival its quality unless you guys are getting totally different cars...
In the 80s/early 90s.
Thats the problem, most of europe is still stuck in the past thinking these cars are still built like that. On top of that most are extremely badge biased.

Again, that was the issue years ago, no so today.
While there are some cars that fit what you are saying, not all. Take a look again at a CTS (new or old model) compared to the rest of GM's line up (for the same year) and it is definitely higher quality. Or the STS, or XLR (again given the same year).
Probably not the greatest example, every time I hear someone say something about land rover it always has to do with poor quality/reliability.
I wont take it personal, its just your point of view.
What is your dd?
Don't worry about the spelling, its all readable. And again, this is a view point of American cars of the past, new ones are a different ball game.

Thule

well, i own a american cars from 04/06/08 and my camaro from 98, and worked in a chrysler dealership from 04-08, and i have imprted cars from the us to europe, and i stand by what i said,

american cars are getting so much better then they where just few years ago, i do accept that, but they still have a long way to go,
i know about the new cts-v and i've checked every article i find about it, it is so promising, but i still do think that they will not be good enough, but they are gettin better,

maybe whe can never agree abut this, maybe the standarts are just diffirent, i am not talking about old american cars, as i say, my DD is a 2008 charger R/T, i also own a 2004 model. srt/4, and more stuff from the us,

how do you like the interior of the new corvette? new escalade? navigator? and i am talking abut the new models? they are so much better then the previus models, but whe still think its not good enough,

piece