Camaros Doing Battle With LS Engines

Let's Go Racing

When Jim Ries got the call from Super Chevy magazine asking him to compete in their 2016 Falken Tire Super Chevy Muscle Car Challenge he didn't have to think twice before saying, 'Yes.' Ries, you see, is the head honcho at Classic Performance Products. As most forum members probably know, CPP provides performance kits and parts for steering, braking, and suspension systems; Jim was eager for a chance to show what his wares could do. The tougher question was what vehicle he should bring. He polled the R & D department and they chose was Ries' 1970 survivor Camaro to take racing.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Likely Story, Jim

This is where the story gets iffy. Let's hear Jim tell it: “I purchased this car over 10 years ago from a little old woman in Pasadena. The car was all original and in great shape so I just painted the car and put it in storage. Knowing someday I would build it using all of our parts." Yep, you heard that right, Ries got his Camaro from a little old lady from Pasadena. Dan at Auto B Craft, who found the car for Ries, also shot the Mercedes silver paint on the Camaro, so cosmetically the car was ready to go.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

LS on the Spot

Paint doesn't make a car go and since Ries gave himself and CPP 3 weeks to finish it they needed to finish it. In the interest of time, they did what many in the Pro Touring community and even more Muscle Car Challenge entrants are doing: they sourced a crate engine and late-model transmission from Chevrolet Performance. They chose a 6.2-liter LS3 mated with a 2016 4L75E transmission and dropped them into the Camaro. The LS3 wears CPP's own exhaust manifolds which empty into stainless mufflers and pipes, built down the street from CPP at Muffler Man. The trans is connected to an Inland Empire Driveline driveshaft and shifts via a Shift Works shifter. Going with the crate items really sped up the build and let them concentrate the next phase—handling.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Handling: Part Front

In the handling game since 1991, CPP knew what do to get their Camaro ready for the Challenge. They didn't have the time or desire to hack up Ries' perfectly good Camaro so they ruled out installing a full race tube chassis, instead, they chose their PTK4 Stage IV Pro-Touring Kit to do the job. The kit adds their Totally Tubular upper and lower A-arms and Corvette Conversion spindles in place of the stock units and utilizes CPP 550 lb per inch springs and fully adjustable Viking shocks. CPP's 500-series system tightens up the steering and makes adjustments easier, and their substantial 1&3/8 inch tubular antiroll bars keeps the Camaro planted at all times. The Corvette spindles allow CPP's dual-piston caliper, 13-inch brakes to be fitted up front (the rear gets 12 inches), which works with their adjustable proportioning valve and hydraulic booster to give powerful, adjustable braking capabilities.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Handling: Part Rear

Turning to the rear suspension, CPP bucked the norm by going with their Narrow Offset Dropped Leaf springs rather than a coil set-up. Installing a Currie 9-inch rear end and a 3.89 ratio Eaton Truetrac differential helped move the build along and ensured that sweet LS power would make it safely to the rear tires, as did the addition of CPP subframe connectors. Another set of adjustable Viking shocks and a set of CPP traction bars keeps the rear tires happily in contact with the road under stress. Warning, if you are sensitive cover your eyes for this next part: the original 1970 sheet metal had to be, um ... modified, with tubs to make room for the Falken Azenis RT615K (275/35/18 front, 315/30/18 rear) tires on Foose (18x9 front, 18x11 rear) wheels. Okay, you can open your eyes again.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Where the Camaro Meets the Road

How did a 1970 Camaro with a crate LS3 motor under the hood, and primarily bolt-on suspension mods underneath, do against the competition? Not bad. In the slalom, it averaged 46.2 mph, and on the road course portion of the Challenge, it turned a 1:18.25; a full 7 seconds faster than the benchmark 2010 Camaro SS. Not bad at all. And it accomplished Ries's goal of showing just what you can get a 46-year-old streetcar do without going into hock. Maybe it was worth cutting up the little old lady's car after all.

>>Join the conversation about these Camaros Doing Battle in the LS1 Tech Forum!

For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of LS1Tech.com