SouthEast Camaro5Fest III Caravan Wednesday signup.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by CamaroKid300

Would all that work trying to make it more aerodynamic really make enough of a difference to justify the cost?

my parts cost is low and my labor cost is free cus I'm doing all the work myself. and there's only one way to find out.
remember, I'm an ME specializing in aeronautical engineering... and I love to make/invent/etc things

not to mention, if it can help get an 8XXXlbs diesel truck to hit 180+mph on the salt flats, it should help me with a few mpg on the highway. looks be damned.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur.../photo_01.html

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur.../photo_04.html

and yes... I do have some wheel covers to minimize drag as well.

The tires on the truck are already a commercial grade, high mileage tire rated for hauling heaving loads long distances for 100's of thousands of miles. The big killer for me is the gear ratio in the rear of the truck and the transmission.

4.10 gears in the rear and a 4L80e combined with a low C/R gas engine = shitty fuel economy.

and rather than changing the gears out in the truck, I've found a much more viable option to swap the entire axle out instead. I can get a new set of gears for around $3-500.00 then spend another $3-500.00 getting them installed (cus I don't trust myself to do it correctly) and now I'm out $1000 which would take a good while to recoup the costs.

Then depending on the ratio I went with, it would move the power around and I would lose a lot of the low-end that I love when towing, but I'd barely be turning the engine over on the highway.

now, if I found the right axle from GM with 3.55's, I could pick that up for $2-400.00 and do the swap in my driveway and retain all factory components and if I "need" the taller gears for a heavy load, then it would be an afternoon to swap the rear back to the stock one and I could go back and forth whenever I needed without needing a specialty shop to pull apart my rear end. and considering that GM made a 14 bolt, 10 lug, 3.55 axle for their2500HD and 3500HD cargo vans, I'm sure I can find one relatively easy. Right now, its just getting the time to go looking is the hard part. that and I would have to retune the truck for the different gears (which would also let me update my speedo as well...lol)

the axle swap would pay for itself in a few months (given the amount of miles I drive). doing a gear swap would take over a year to recoup and I would be stuck with whatever gear I picked and I like having the option to change things up for cheap.

But, smoothing out the fog light ports on the lower bumper, opening one on either side to run brake ducting, then adding the 6" lower valence, and sealing off the open areas between the underside of the cab and the frame should help minimize some drag on the truck. Not to mention, I'm custom fabbing up a tonnau cover for the rear to work with my toolbox as well to aid in minimizing drag.

[CamaroKid300]

Sounds like you got a lot of work on your hands, but if you enjoy doing that sort of stuff then its no work at all!

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by CamaroKid300

Sounds like you got a lot of work on your hands, but if you enjoy doing that sort of stuff then its no work at all!

Got a lot planned for the truck, still need to finish fabbing up the rotisserie for the 78 camaro in the garage and make a trip to either Aiken, SC or up to WV to get a new subframe for the car as well.

the biggest thing is finding time to do it all. With a new house and a wife and kid at home and work being as busy as it is, time is a virtue. the good thing is, I'm patient.

[CamaroKid300]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

Got a lot planned for the truck, still need to finish fabbing up the rotisserie for the 78 camaro in the garage and make a trip to either Aiken, SC or up to WV to get a new subframe for the car as well.

the biggest thing is finding time to do it all. With a new house and a wife and kid at home and work being as busy as it is, time is a virtue. the good thing is, I'm patient.

Yeah for sure man.

I know I'd like to be doing things with my car inside and out but the free time I do have I want to just be so lazy with school kicking my ass.

[avellanet.jr]

Bump, same plan for fest 4?

[Tysen]

I'll be in the Wednesday group this Fest. I'm assuming you guys will be taking the same route?

[CamaroKid300]

Originally Posted by Tysen

I'll be in the Wednesday group this Fest. I'm assuming you guys will be taking the same route?

I'm sure everything will be the same.

[Lgndryhr]

Just curious what the plan is for Fest 4. This is my first fest. I will be leaving early Wednesday.

[MackMan]

Probably the same plan as last year. I believe I will be leaving Wednesday this year as well. We will probably start planning everything soon and getting a count on how many people are going each day up.

[CamaroKid300]

ATL group is keeping most of the stuff the same. Wednesday group will be doing the exact same unless the meetup time changes in Knoxville.