I am in the middle of building my 93 Firehawk, and I have mainly focused on the suspension until now. My next move is to rebuild the engine. Plans are to .030 overbore to a 355ci. and to add in forged rods and pistons. I plan on keeping a compression ratio of 11.5:1 I don't have the funds for any head work at this time (other than rebuilding the stockers) so this is mainly going to be a Cam only car (along with all the normal bolt ons). I am still new to the autox and road racing scene but I would like a cam that responds well for this style of driveing, and I know from my years in motorcycle racing that I need to learn to keep my momentum before getting crazy with power. I have been looking at Advanced Inductions website at their cam packages. They run about $1300 and include basically everything to redo the heads and install the cam. But what should I choose? I would love to pick the biggest on the list, but I'm sure thats a no-no Im Sure I have forgotten many mods but what ever haha

http://www.advancedinduction.com/LTX/AiLTxCamKit.php


Current Suspension Mods:
Strano Springs, Strano Hollow Front Sway Bar, Strano Adjustable Hollow Rear Sway Bar, Jeep Bumpstops, UMI Full Lenght Adjustable Torque Arm, UMI Double Adjustable LCA's w/Roto Joints, UMI Double Adjustable Panhard Bar w/Roto Joints, Koni 4/3 Shocks, Founders STB, Founders LCA Relocation Brackets(set in stock holes), Torque Arm Relocation Kit/transmission Crossmember, Stainless Braided Brake Lines all around, Baer Claw Track front BBK with 13" rotors, SJM ABS Delete/Line Lock with Wilwood Proportioning valve, Granatelli Subframe Connectors, Custom Driveshaft loop/ chassis brace, factory Hurst Shifter, Power steering cooler, Poly Motor Mounts.

Current Motor Mods:
OBX Stainless Longtube 1 3/4 to 1 7/8 Stepped headers w/3.5 inch collectors, Stainless ory, Magnaflow Catback, Factory Ram-Air box, Airfoil , AIR/EGR delete, Madz28.com tune, MSD wires, MSD coil, NGK tr55 plugs, MSD cap and Rotor, 160* Thermostat, ARP stainless header bolts.

Need to buy list:
4-17x11 DD ZR1's from OEWheelsLLC
4-315/35/17 tires
Cam kit
Rebuild lower end
Injectors?
Finish installing gauges and get tuning software
Throttle Body?
Cipher Racing Viper Series Seats
Wolfe 6pt bolt in roll bar
Install my MOMO steering wheel and continue the cars diet
Racetronix fuel pump w/hot wire kit

 

Im not much of an auto X guy but I would think about going with something like a custom grind. Something to give you plenty of torque on the low and mid range to pull through the gears and corners. If you choose a cam that makes all its power in the upper rpms than, you will need to keep the revs high to make the most power. Keepin the motor reved high all around the track will prob give it an early death. Just my opinion.

 

I would consult the guys at frrax.com and see what kind of rpm range you should be looking for for autocross. Most everyone in here is drag only, and is used to pushing the motor as high in the RPM as it is capable of, but I dont know if thats the best for autocross. However, if you think back to the 60s Z28, they spun that 302 to the moon and it was set up for trans am style road racing, not quite autocross. I would do some serious weight reduction, and then put in a cam that pulls hard from 4000 to 7000. With less weight to accelerate, I think a higher reving cam would be more suitable. Its not hard to get down around 3000lbs race weight with these cars, but you will sacrifice some of the luxuries. If I was still 150lbs like last year I would be at 3000lbs now, and I havnt spent a dime on weight reduction. If you drop the $$ for pin on fiberglass hood, road race k member and lower A arms, fiberglass dash, lightweight seats and carpet, and do a little swiss cheesing, you can probably keep your HVAC and radio and still make around 3000lbs.

 

Have you Autocrossed before? Because a cam change will put you in a different class. I autocross a 97 z28 m6 car in the street modified class. I run almost all courses in 2nd gear I run a comp 502. You defiantly need a car that has enough torque to pull out of slower corners a good flat torque curve is good peaky power is not so good.

 

Have you Autocrossed before? Because a cam change will put you in a different class. I autocross a 97 z28 m6 car in the street modified class. I run almost all courses in 2nd gear I run a comp 502. You defiantly need a car that has enough torque to pull out of slower corners a good flat torque curve is good peaky power is not so good.

 

Cool setup....mine's also setup more for autox and road racing than a drag setup...kinda a hybrid LOL. I went with a 383 setup with a small (for a 383) cam for maximum torque and nastiness on the street First thing I think you should do is put some 4.10 gears in it....huge improvement and makes 2nd, 3rd gear pull much harder (1st will be ). Then, I would get a torque grind cam with as much "power under the curve" such as a custom cam with low duration/high lift or a Crane 227 type grind. That would improve low speed acceleration a lot and make good power all over.

 

I agree the crane 227 was one of the two I was trying to decide on. The main reason I didn't choose it was price. This is my first full season with the car it's set up with many of the same parts you have listed on your car, I have a stock lower ends and untouched heads except springs retainers roller rockers 1.6. Power is not a issue it's getting the car turned. If you choose a good smaller fat midrange cam you will be very happy.

 

id get the AI 226/230 cam....

 

Custom grind, along with the springs, retainers and recommended pushrods.

PM me if you want contact info.

 

I don't really care what class the car falls into, I plan on hitting a couple random autox events and going to road America and a couple times a year. I don't have the time to make it to a lot of events anymore like I used to with my bikes. Just want to have a really capable car when I do get to play

 

Your built bottom end with 11.5 CR would accomodate something like that 226/230 cam that was suggested, or their 226/234.
But I'd discuss with AI further to get their recommendation on what would be valvetrain-friendly for extended high rpm use on the roadcourse.

 

This.

 

I was all over their site and saw no real reference to road race engine experience, short of a car that's running a "road race" solid cam. Or maybe I missed something?

Does AI grind and test cams/valvetrain at their facility?

 

Im not too sure really. I know they have great results as far as making an LT1 perform on the drag strip, but I cannot find much road racing info on their website either. I dont know of a company that I could go with other than maybe TPIS or Lloyd Elliott that would put together a complete package and deliver results.

 

just looked at the TPIS website, it seems that they dont have a "cam package" but im sure I could get everything easily from them. Their customer cars seem to have some road racing backgrounds but nothing really stands out on their parts lists that suggest this. Eportworks seems to be more "drag" oriented from what I have read.

 

I have to admit, I kindve liked the thought of buying a complete package instead of piecing one out. I tend to be very busy and that could save me a lot of time. But, one the flip side, I dont want to short myself either.

 

This guy got his start in Indy, does a lot of stuff for Nascar, OEM, Circle Track and has a breadth of experience with endurance race valvetrain in general. You can call and speak to him directly. Ask for Mike Jones.

http://www.jonescams.com/2006catalog_001.htm

 

Who?





Mike Joooonnnnes.

Sorry couldnt resist.

I will have to give that number a call one of these times. Im sure I will need to contact most the vendors personally about this, but I would like to talk to my peers so I can get pointed in the right direction. Thank you.

 

Don't sell them short on that. They're not just dragrace specialists.....lol! They sit right in the middle of a bunch of NASCAR development shops and facilities. For the small operation they are, they pull in a lot of local expertise. Their track record of keeping valvetrains together/under control is better than most. That's why he should talk to them, rather than trying to draw from the very limited knowledge/experience of people on here, and I include myself in that category
They don't grind their own cams, but I'm pretty sure they check every one on their own equipment. They use the other facilities around them for testing. Those places test endless combinations in search of that last 1/2% in hp. AI picks and sells the conservative combos that stay well below the levels that punish the parts.

 

I haven't checked to see if Bullet is still making cams, they are a run off from Lazer Cams, Back in the day when Bill was still alive (Owner and cam maker) he would build us cams for out LT's with LS of 106 & 108 degrees when everyone else, Comp cams and others said narrow Lobes would not work on a fuel injected motor, Bill Metzger was the real pioneer in cam building..I believe it may now even be part of Ultradyne cams..