MMXI SS build journal
 

A little background first:

I'm another one of those old guys who had a bunch of 60's muscle cars back in the day. The first was a '66 GTO 389 3 deuce 4 speed. The last was a '66 Charger 383. Among the rest were 2 really fast cars. A 1971 V8ga station wagon that ran low 10's and my overall favorite, a 67 SS 396 Camaro I transplanted an L88 427 into.

There have been plenty of times I wish I had kept one of those cars. The only car I did manage to keep is a 79 Monte Carlo that is patiently waiting in my garage for me to finish rebuilding it. I will finish it if I ever stop spending money on the Camaro.

In February 2011, I was about to drop a bunch of money into the Monte when fate caused me to find Camaro5. I already had a case of Camaro fever that I had managed to keep in check. Reading threads about how much fun people were having with these cars and build threads for some absolutely amazing cars pushed me over the edge.

I went to the dealer thinking I would order a vert, but fell in love with a black coupe. Bad news, it's an auto and I want a manual. Sales guy checks and tells me he can have one just like it in a manual there in a couple days. We agree on a price and 3 days later I picked up my new 2011 2SS/RS Camaro.

I've had the car for over a year now and I still love it just as much as I did when I brought it home. I've made a few changes since I got it that I think makes it a better looking and better running car.

I hope you like what I've done with it.


2/14/2011 My valentine present.
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2/28/2011 I am totally fed up with cags in traffic. I ordered an eliminator today.

3/1/2011
Since I live in Florida, tinted windows are a must, so it's off to the window tinter and then to the paint shop for stripes and flames. Three weeks later I have a transformed car.

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I couldn't help myself, so while the car was at the paint shop I ordered a bunch of parts for it. Separation anxiety I guess.

CAI Inc cai
Hurst Short Throw shifter and T handle.
ARH 1 7/8 headers with 3" x pipe and high flow cats
Elite Engineering Tunnel Brace
Old style white SS emblems
ADM Scoop
Rotofab Washer bottle

3/26/2011 Installed the CAI and shifter today.

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4/2/2011
Installed the headers, X-pipe, cats and tunnel brace today. I stayed with the stock mufflers.

4/6/2011
The stock mufflers sound like crap to me. No drone but too raspy for my likings.
Ordered the Borla S-type axleback today and an SCT tuner/tune from Jannety Racing.


4/16/2011
Installed the Borla Mufflers today. What a difference in the sound. The car now sounds perfect. I also pulled the bowtie and SS emblem off the grill and installed the new SS emblems.

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4/22/2011

Less than a week with the new SS emblems and Sparks now has their new SS emblems approved. I'm on the list to get the front and rear ones. I also ordered a set of Showstopper LED side markers.

4/27/2011
Went to Gainesville tonight to run the car for the first time.

I ran 14.41, 14.19 and 13.67 @109.4 with a 2.35 60'.

Not exactly what I was looking for but the car had a bad case of wheel hop off the line and hitting 2nd. I also learned that the car now has a bad case of drone in 5th and 6th.


6/7/2011
Installed the new sidemarkers today.

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6/20/2011

I finally got my Sparks Restorations emblems and got them installed. I LOVE these.

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I also put the 2 leftover small SS emblems on the fenders

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7/11/2011

The mailman brought my new tag today.

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8/24/2011

Installed PFADT springs, sway bars and trailing arms today.


9/7/2011
Went back to Gainesville to run the car again. Still on the stock tune
Good news, Wheel hop is gone.
Bad news, It just spins the tires now. Serious lack of traction.

Best run was 13.96 @101.68 with a 2.30 60'

10/9/2011

Pony Wars at SGMP.
I blew off the stock tune and loaded the Jannety Mail order tune .

Best run was 13.49 @111.03 2.41 60'

It's getting pretty obvious that my 60' times stink.

12/4/2011

Back to SGMP for test n tune.

Best run this time was 13.36 @ 111.46 2.39 60'

Getting better but I still can't get off the line.


2/20/2012
Birthday present for the car, a dyno tune and some bling.

I took the car to Doc at EFI Alchemy today.

We did a run with the Mail order tune first, 398rwhp 399 rwtq
Backed it off to the stock tune 390/391
Doc did his magic and the final pull was 403/401.

I also added the Retro USA gills

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4/13/2012
Ordered Nitto 305-45 05R Drag radials with 18's, BMR subframe and differential bushings, Braided stainless brake lines, Driveshaft loop, GTO clutch reservoir, PFADT toe arms and a line lock today.

I also picked up a used set of DSS 1400HP axles from a Camaro 5 member for a great price.

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4/28/2012

Installed the line lock today. I built the relay circuit I found on Camaro 5 to allow the use of the cruise control cancel button as a momentary switch for it and wired it in but I couldn't get it to work. I did it the old fashioned way with a button on the shifter handle.

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5/2/2012

All my new parts are on and I'm off to Gainesville again.

Track was bad and it was a hot muggy night.

Best run was 13.36 @110.23 2.270 60'

My 60' times were a little better but I still need feel like the car is faster than me.

Many thanks to Jhart711 at Hartley Automotive for installing all this stuff for me. I really didn't want to drop the rear subframe in my driveway. The 18" I got with the drag radials actually look pretty good on the car.

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5/12/2012

Pony wars at SGMP again. I sure would like to see a timeslip with a 12 on it. 12.99 would be enough to make me happy.
I won an RX catch can at the Friday night pre party and bought a Vmax ported throttle body Saturday at the race track. Both were installed at the track.

Best run

13.07 @114.2 2.19 60'

I heard the announcer on the radio say 13.07 and was sure I heard wrong until I got the timeslip.



5/15/12

I can't stand the drone anymore and I'm tired of driving around it.
Ordered a set of Solo's J pipes today. Hope to have them installed before I leave for Atlanta and the F-body Gathering next week.

That's all for now. Future plans still include gears and a cam. I really want the car to run somewhere between 12.00 and 12.5. That's plenty fast enough for me.

I know I'm not going to beat cars with blowers and turbos... but it's the car I have and I'm very happy with it.

Thanks to those who take the time to read all of this.

Very nice build and great looking car! It's really neat to see the progress you're making at the strip.

Keep updating this thread as you move along!

I got my Solo J-pipes installed today.

The drone isn't completely gone so I need to adjust the length some. It is greatly reduced and way easier to deal with. I can use 6th gear under 85 now. Should help my gas mileage too.

For those who have headers or are planning on headers/aftermarket exhaust, if you have drone these are the answer.

I have to work tonight and then tomorrow when I get up, it's off to Atlanta for the F-body Gathering. Three days of hanging out with Camaro crazies. This is gonna be a lot of fun.

I went to Indy for Camaro5fest3 and had a total blast. The vendors were out in force and of course I felt it was only right to support them.

I've always had to keep the hood down at shows and cruise-ins so the flames wouldn't be hidden but not any more. Now I have to start dressing up the engine bay.

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Love that hood man looks awesome.

Your car is looking good bro

Nice build it's lookin good so far :)

I dig the flames. Looks good.

+1 stripes look awesome.:thumbsup:

Added a convertible strut brace today.

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Strut brace looks really good, perhaps .02 cents input, would be cool to see it painted to match awesome paint job on hood!

That's coming as soon as I get a few dollars in hand to pay the painter. Putting the same flames on the interior door panels, the strut brace and abound the rear SS emblem.

I bought a ZL1 rear diffuser too. I hope to get it installed next week.

Great build thread! Looking forward to more posts.

This is a great build diary, man! I swore I was gonna keep my 2010 2SSRS stock (well, the way I bought it)...but since I seem to be a charter member of the "Can't Keep Nothin Stock" club...well, this sent me to Summit's web site where I'm in the middle of ordering stuff.

I'm also in the middle of making arrangements for some serious pinstriping at the Rat Fink Reunion at the end of May. I guess I'm already down the road to ruin, so to speak.

Question for ya, dcarlo. I'm a salt flats racer and not a drag racer (I'll be running the Camaro in the 130 mph class and my Monte Carlo in the 150 mph class in September.) What do you think is the most effective/worthwhile modification you've made. I guess I otta add that it already had an SLP CAI and Catback and I'm real happy with those and I'm ordering a short throw shifter today.

So if ya got any suggestions, I'd sure appreciate it.