Speedster's SST Camaro Build Thread [COTW 9/13/10]
 

Hey Camaro 5 Members -

I have been asked by a few on this site to put together a member journal for about a year now, so here we go. This is a place holder to get it started and I will add some (hopefully) pretty interesting technology from time to time. Pretty much every component in this car has been replaced, modified or upgraded (Engine, Forced Induction, Trans, Diff, Drivetrain, Suspension, Frame, Tubs, Cooling, Fuel, Electric, Gauges, Interior, Cage, Parachute) This build may seem a little extreme for some so please bear with me. :)

Hope you enjoy it.
-Speedster

P.S. Everyone should know that a lot of what has gone into the SST has been a direct result of Camaro 5 vendors. Below is a list of these C5 vendors to date. None of these have in any way sponsored this car so there is no bias. They have been chosen based on superior products and/or services IMO. We have some excellent companies here on this site.

AAC Style
Advanced Composite Specialties (ACS)
Barton Industries
Camaro 5
ECS Motorsports
Emblem Pros
Gary's Customz
GForce Engineering
GM Performance Parts
IPS Motorsports
MPD-1
Mike Norris Motorsports
Pedders USA
Pfadt Race Engineering
Revolution Styling
Showstopper Accessories
Stainless Works
SJM Manufacturing
Tonkin Chevrolet
The Shutter Group
Xtreme Innovations

I'd also like to that Russ (Dangeruss) for making the killer sig for the SST.

Picture References Added for faster browsing - Post #:
Assembled for C5FestII - 2537
At Turbonetics Open House w/Bumblebee 432, 3107
Cooling - 169
Data Logging System - 3832
Differential - 834,1468,1476,1538
Dyno - 2145 , 2146
Emblems - 71,450
Engine - 10,13,91,93,95,265,276,287,291,1336,1342,2059, 2139
Engine in SST - 2310
Exterior - 12,19,20,789, 3107 (@Turbonetics)
Fuel System - 101,511
Hardline - 1143
Intake - 97,695
Ignition - 297
Intercoolers - 179,380,424,1142
Interior - 22,67,68
Lithograph - 11
Mini-Tubs - 54
Parachute - 203
Roll Cage - 28, 63
Studio Shots June 2012 - 5034, 5046, 5049
Suspension - 200,515
Tires/Wheels - 124,445,477
Transmission - 147,201

Windshield Wipers - 1144
Wiring, Aircraft - 128

Videos:
AMS-1000 Tutorial - 4754
Engine Dyno - 2224
SST Video - 18,1035
Drive By Video (slow) - 3336
Drive By Video (Cali_Camaro_SS) - 3579
First set of Road Tuning videos (Sept 2011) - 3775
Low Boost (7-8 psi) Road videos (April 2012) - 4751, 4780
Unloading SST in Florida (June 2012) - 5289
Stomach Flipper in the SST (June 2012) - 5322



Beer - 3850
Boats - 211,551,553,635, 3668, 3723, 4050
Burnouts - 1122 1130
Food - 324,330,336,355,935 936 937 976
Floating Tractor Trailer - 524
GTA Wiring - 924
Jet ****pits - 706 707
Kids - 9,504,826
MANTAS - 3044 3066, 3975

:popcorn:

Well so far it IS extreme; extremely empty but like mercuryman96 above me...

:popcorn:

From what I know it will be a great thread, and I would encourage a lot of members to monitor this thread for your own benefit, there will be loads of good information :)

Regards

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Ha, you're right about the extremely empty - I'll start posting stuff up this weekend. :)
Being a Friday I kinda got stuck having to do that thing called work still...:cry:

S...U...B...S...C...R...I...B...E...D...!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is gonna be good!
Someone is gonna have to make more popcorn for this one :popcorn:

OK. First and foremost here is the reason why this Camaro was bought:
This is a pic of my son with Camaro Concept #1 at the start of the 2006 Hot Rod Power Tour in Orlando. Note the date. Back then I told him that they would probably never make this car so if they did I promised we would get it...and then the Transformers movie came out. There was no chance of turning back then.http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attach...1&d=1239241119

So, we placed the order for a new 1SS/RS Camaro and received an 1100 Event Code on October 13, 2009. This car was purchased with the knowledge that it was going to be used as a dual purpose street and race vehicle so a 1SS/RS was chosen. Black because it was going to be themed around stealth - let's just say there is a familiarity with what makes a B-2 tick. :) Hence, the SST Camaro.

Once the Event Code hit the 3000 series, a new Nelson Racing Engines Twin Turbo 376 based on the LS3 block engine was ordered. Note the date on the invoice. I figured it would be smart to have the motor ready for the car when it would be delivered in April...:facepalm:

Below is a pic of the engine the SST was originally going to get. Notice the word "originally". ;)

So the car received its 3800 Event Code = Produced (Order is built and VIN# shows in the Dealer Order system on 3/27/09...but, this particular Camaro got stuck in the corner of a lot and ended up in QC for 77 days and then was delivered to the dealer after a total of 91 days on June 24, 2009. But it DID make it !!

From the QC Tracking Database on 0617/2009:
Complete VIN No. Model Member Name Order No. Event Code Ship Method
2G1Fxxxxx01597 1SS/RS speedster NDMDXG 42 R
Last Update Date Rail Car
6/11/2009 ETTX909069

But waiting in QC had a happy ending because Mike Judge had heard about the problems of getting this car so he sent me a beautiful Lithograph. Mike is a great guy and it ended up that we used to party and hang out in the same area along the St. Lawrence River, so we corresponded a lot and we got to invite him down to Camaro 5 Fest which was a real treat.

My cousin had just moved down the month before and he is a car nut, so on Thursday, June 25th we went and picked up the SST Camaro from Jerry Hamm Chevrolet in Jacksonville, FL.

Here are a couple of pics from the maiden voyage home. I only pushed it to triple digits once. Had to make sure the computer recorded the proper driving habits. :D

During the long time the SST was in QC hold, Tom (Nelson) and I had bounced a bunch of ideas back and forth so the decision was made to NOT go with a Twin Turbo 376 based on the LS3 block, but to upgrade for a max effort LSX based engine "just in case". The bottom end is referred to as a Pro Mod build since it can handle well over 2,000 hp.

At this time we grabbed a few blocks. All of the goodies were done to the block - align bored, trued, decked, cylinders bored out and the block o-ringed for stainless steel wire, blueprinted stroker clearance, rod bearing clearance,main bearing clearance, piston to wall, piston to pin, ring gaps, deck heights, rod side clearance, cam bearing holes dimensions for proper crush in their respective housings, piston to valve, piston to counterweight, piston to crank trigger etc.etc.etc.. We decided on an optimal high boost capacity bore/stroke relationship and then ordered a top-of-the-line Callies UltraBillet crank, Oliver billet rods and special JE Blower pistons with oversize tool steel pins.

Edit: Updated with clearer pics and explanations on what goes into this type of engine buildup. [References are courtesy of NRE]
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42599
Here is the block getting set up to deck. The block is registered off the main saddles to cut the decks so they are straight with the main saddle. This ensures that all the deck heights are the same side to side and front to back. The final cut is a special surface finish that works really well with the head gaskets used.
http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/l...3-ls-build.jpghttp://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42598

The Oliver Billet Oliver connecting rods are used here. These rods are indestructible and they are ordered in the heavy weight version for this engine - strength over the weight. This rod has run over 2500 hp with no problems in an LSX. Notice the bearing shells - these bearings have a very thin overlay of material which provides more fatigue resistance and prevents the bearing from flaking under big power. It has less imbedibility so it will not handle much dirt in the oil but this type of engine has the oil changed regularly.
http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/l...7-ls-build.jpghttp://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42612

On this engine buildup notice that for both the lower ring land and the top ring there is a pressure relief groove in the piston to help keep excess pressure from unloading the top ring. Notice the top ring is a special ring weave found that is extremely flat. It is 3 to 4 times flatter than most standard rings. This helps ring seal and it will also hold up better under boosted heat. Normal plasma moly rings will not do the job in a boosted application. The moly will end up flaking off under the heat and you will lose ring seal.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42616

Pistons Installed
http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/l...2-ls-build.jpghttp://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42601

This is a close up of the tempered stainless wire put in the o-ring groove cut in the block. It works fantastic and does not lose its positive seal once you torque it. Harder to install but well worth it. Also, the head gaskets themselves have a special aircraft coating added to them which unfortunately cost $100/cylinder head, but this combination ensures no blown head gaskets under high boost.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ictureid=42600
http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/l...6-ls-build.jpg

Famous last words. Oh, and with a look like that on your son, you had NO chance of reneging. lmao

:confused0068:

:bow::bow::bow:

:rolleyes: Wish I woulda.............. lol

Oh, and great color choice. :D

Wow. I'm thinking you will be having fun at C5F 2

It should have been done for C5F1. Now trying to make it to Challenger Fest in August is going to be a tough one. :facepalm:

You should be making a solid 450 or 500 hp to the rear wheels with your setup! :bellyroll:

Well, considering right now it is 0 RWHP your numbers are looking pretty good !! :D

OK. After bringing it home, we had to make sure the SST computer knew to be aggressive, so we checked out traction settings.All were done with TapShift in full manual mode. Also, the camera does not really pick up the difference in sound between the two systems but there was a substantial difference between the factory "cans" and the 3" Stainless Works offroad mufflers.

Stock Exhaust Day 2:


Stainless Works Cat Back Day 3:


A super short clip the day before it was shipped. Just to hear the exhaust. (It's been so long it gives me proof the car is NOT a mirage...) Love manual mode and TapShift. :)

Here is the last pic of the car at the house before going away for modifications. This was July 6th.

Here it is the next day loading up for California. July 7th.We had the car for a whopping 12 days prior to this. 10 days of available drivetime. There were 669 miles on it when it was loaded in the transport so the engine, transmission, differential, cooling, etc. coming out are still brand new so those will be going in to another car. In the last pic you can see the Stainless Works exhaust. We will see how well it really flows...:D

Oooooooooo! This is gonna get good! Subscribed!

DeMoise Trucking took the car out to Nelson Racing Engines in California where is was promptly gutted. :bellyroll: They all laughed and took pictures because they had not seen very many 2010 Camaros, yet this one still had the paper tag on it and was being trashed. :drinking:

They did a first rate job on that cage, but what's that... a passenger hand hold? Like from a roller coaster ride? :laugh:

Keep em coming :popcorn:

wow, your Camaro is looking awesome.

Believe it or not the factory dash has that passenger handhold under it too. Guess it is part of their safety design.

Thank You. You guys will have to tell me if you want more or less detail on stuff since we have a ton of data. Just don't know what is most useful. :)

The tubbing pics you posted awhile back were sure interesting.

Speedster

Looking forward to following your Camaro's journey :thumbup: Hope all is well with you and the family .

Best Regards from Oshawa:canada:

Mike
Super60:thumbsup:

Getting there. You beat me to it... ;)
Thanks Mike !! You must be enjoying some great summer weather up there right now. Will be heading up to 1000 Islands in a few weeks. Now everytime we head over the border to B-Ville it reminds me of my Canadian friend...:)

When originally figuring out what to do with the SST, the first choice was to run with a simple 6 or 8 point rollbar. That was based on the twin turbo 376 build. Since it was now decided to turn it up a notch and the car would likely break into the single digits, it was decided to go with a full cage. So an 8.50 cert cage was designed and built. This cage is also set up to be able to be modified for a 7.50 cage, but that would make the car unstreetable, so that will not be done right now. This is first and foremost a street legal car which means that the cage would have to be as much a part of the Camaro as we could reasonably make it, hence items like the front downtubes go through the dash, not in front of it.

The first pic is the rollcage plates, showing the attention to detail.
The second is how the cage was fit to the A-Pillar.
The third is the fit of the halo bar.
The fourth pic is of the complete rollcage.
The fifth pic is a shot showing the attention to detail of the welds and supports.
The sixth pic is the rear firewall. This is an NHRA rquirement with fuel cells in the back.

I think I want a ride.... ;)

Thanks J... You're in S. Florida. It would be fun to head down to your neck of the wood sometime after it comes back east and go cruizin with you. :thumbsup:

Did you own a Corvette ever? Your user ID looks like I have seen it before. Or, I am just here to much...LOL

I used to live in WPB. But, we live near Orlando now. We head down south once in a while.

I can't tell. But do i see a mini tub in the fourth pic?

Not a new Corvette. Older stuff. Orlando? Cool. That is even closer. Can go cruisin' with a bunch there. :)

Hah, you have good eyes. MisterCamaro69 knew this car has those so he cheated...:laugh:

I'll get those posted up probably tomorrow. Gotta get some sleep tonight...

:popcorn:

I'm soooooo gonna learn something here.

Hi Bruce , Hopefully progress is going well. I would like to go to Kentucky with you and Jason in August, I hope to bring the chevelle .:thumbup:

Now the Chevelle would be awesome... Half track burnouts. :D

And then some!!:w00t:

NICE!!! That's going to be kick@$$!!!

OH HELL YEAH!!!!!

:headbang:

http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/...70146-moar.jpg