Thinking about turning my Gen 5 Camaro into a race only car

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

Originally Posted by Wizard1183

A brain. Sell the car and buy an 1980s car. Has ever you need and reliable

[SDevil]

Originally Posted by econ

Not seeking a comprehensive list of specific how-to information here. Too much for one thread.

But I do have some general questions.

My general plans are.....

---To keep the power train as is, stock. Stock injectors.

---Dump the CAN network, all factory control modules

---Use a stand-alone ECU to run the engine

---Throttle cable conversion (maybe, looks like a better way to go)


I will gladly and willingly loose headlights, brake lights, turn signals, radio, instrument cluster, heater, AC, power steering.....all that stuff. This is a direction I am thinking about going.

Now, my question is this?

What do I do about the fuel pump? Cooling fans? Starting the engine? What happens to anti lock brakes? How do I open the trunk?

The car....

2013 Camaro 2SS, LS3, 6 speed manual

Thanks!

Only ever done this with a carb'd engine and OBD1 engine. Never CAN.....

So I own a 2014 SS 1le thats had an engine swap done on it. It now has a LSX 7.0L with a procharger on it. Pushes about 750whp. Now when I first bought the car, I had questions, I found the old owner and asked them. Question number 1: Why? His response . Why not?
He loved the car, he wanted to boost it. He knew how much stress it would have put on the LS3 that was in it. So instead he bought a whole new engine for it. He knew damn well that he could have paid for a new one that pushed that much horsepower but he simply didnt want too. The car had 20,000 miles on it when he put the new engine in it. That was back in 2019 ish. Its now at 23 000 miles and year 2025. Car still sits as it did and I love the car. I did a ton of research on it after I bought it. I was extremely worried about the transmission, drive shaft, rear axles and so forth with that kind of power. The transmission will be fine its the same transmission as the Z28 just a different gear ratio, the drive shaft I will probably replace because I want to take it on the road course ( I have a nova i drag race and always wanted to get into road course also). But the point is everything is doable. The 1le was the perfect trim and package to do this on. It has so many similar components to the Z28 and the Zl1. But something to consider depending on what trim and package yours has. 1. How much horsepower do you want to realistically add to the car? Upgrading power means you will have to upgrade other components also. Even if you add boost to it, depending on how much you will have to overhaul the whole powertrain. The brakes will have to be upgraded, the fuel delivery system will have to be upgraded, so much will have to be done. When you increase horsepower in a stock car you have to be ready to replace stuff, Brakes and driveshaft would be a huge one for me. The transmission can be overhauled to account for the change. The transmission in the 1LE just happened to not need to be overhauled in mine but the driveshaft probably should be and the rear axles. It has different tires on it also to help grip better but the wheel base was already what it needed to be. It all depends on what the car already has and where your goal is. Regardless be prepared for stuff to break. I didnt buy the car thinking it wouldnt break. Lol thats for sure. First month and I replaced the crankshaft position sensor and spark plug wires. Before I track the car its going to get a new driveshaft. Now consider whether you want to dump money into, keep dumping money into, and keep dumping money into it. Eventually you will probably want to go faster. You are limited in what you can do with that engine. Aka why mine had the lsx put in. Mine was built to handle more power then the LS7 even was. Everything can be reprogrammed. Find a performance shop near you that can help you. My engine was built at CNC motorsports, another place was named " The shop Inc". If you are gonna build something like that you will need a shop that has the tools. The ECU will have to be reprogrammed in it more then likely which not just and shop can do.

[econ]

Originally Posted by Wizard1183

A brain. Sell the car and buy an 1980s car. Has ever you need and reliable

Why couldn't I get all this out of the 2013 Camaro I already have?

[econ]

Originally Posted by bsn

Smart move

If you could explain from a technical standpoint why I am better off with the car as is (stock modules) rather than going stand alone (Holley), beyond pointing out that is a smart move, I would be appreciative.

I genuinely seek friendly debate.

The fact that I currently don't know to bypass certain modules is moot as that is quickly changing as I study this.

Also, the time and money that would go into it are non-issues.

So, no reason to bring this stuff up.

From a technical standpoint only please.

[econ]

Originally Posted by SDevil

So I own a 2014 SS 1le thats had an engine swap done on it. It now has a LSX 7.0L with a procharger on it. Pushes about 750whp. Now when I first bought the car, I had questions, I found the old owner and asked them. Question number 1: Why? His response . Why not?
He loved the car, he wanted to boost it. He knew how much stress it would have put on the LS3 that was in it. So instead he bought a whole new engine for it. He knew damn well that he could have paid for a new one that pushed that much horsepower but he simply didnt want too. The car had 20,000 miles on it when he put the new engine in it. That was back in 2019 ish. Its now at 23 000 miles and year 2025. Car still sits as it did and I love the car. I did a ton of research on it after I bought it. I was extremely worried about the transmission, drive shaft, rear axles and so forth with that kind of power. The transmission will be fine its the same transmission as the Z28 just a different gear ratio, the drive shaft I will probably replace because I want to take it on the road course ( I have a nova i drag race and always wanted to get into road course also). But the point is everything is doable. The 1le was the perfect trim and package to do this on. It has so many similar components to the Z28 and the Zl1. But something to consider depending on what trim and package yours has. 1. How much horsepower do you want to realistically add to the car? Upgrading power means you will have to upgrade other components also. Even if you add boost to it, depending on how much you will have to overhaul the whole powertrain. The brakes will have to be upgraded, the fuel delivery system will have to be upgraded, so much will have to be done. When you increase horsepower in a stock car you have to be ready to replace stuff, Brakes and driveshaft would be a huge one for me. The transmission can be overhauled to account for the change. The transmission in the 1LE just happened to not need to be overhauled in mine but the driveshaft probably should be and the rear axles. It has different tires on it also to help grip better but the wheel base was already what it needed to be. It all depends on what the car already has and where your goal is. Regardless be prepared for stuff to break. I didnt buy the car thinking it wouldnt break. Lol thats for sure. First month and I replaced the crankshaft position sensor and spark plug wires. Before I track the car its going to get a new driveshaft. Now consider whether you want to dump money into, keep dumping money into, and keep dumping money into it. Eventually you will probably want to go faster. You are limited in what you can do with that engine. Aka why mine had the lsx put in. Mine was built to handle more power then the LS7 even was. Everything can be reprogrammed. Find a performance shop near you that can help you. My engine was built at CNC motorsports, another place was named " The shop Inc". If you are gonna build something like that you will need a shop that has the tools. The ECU will have to be reprogrammed in it more then likely which not just and shop can do.

Not looking to make a ton of power, not now anyways. The stock engine is enough, for now. Although I would love to have an engine management system in place that can easily be tuned as needed when I do decide to make significantly more power.

[gtstorey]

There have been a lot of reports that Holley ecu's are not very reliable. I understand the desire to strip it down to bare essentials, but that is very hard to do on anything like a streetable vehicle. Everything is module controlled, even something as simple as window regulators. And the stock ecm is the thing to cause you the least issue of all of the modules. They do fail but the rate is fairly small.

I would look at an older C5 vette maybe as a starting point.

[econ]

Originally Posted by gtstorey

There have been a lot of reports that Holley ecu's are not very reliable. I understand the desire to strip it down to bare essentials, but that is very hard to do on anything like a streetable vehicle. Everything is module controlled, even something as simple as window regulators. And the stock ecm is the thing to cause you the least issue of all of the modules. They do fail but the rate is fairly small.

I would look at an older C5 vette maybe as a starting point.

I did state that this does not need to be streetable.

At the end of the day, it would be one Holley "module" vs many OEM "modules."

One DIY friendly module vs many modules that require subscription-based dealer software to work on.

Is the Holley ECM really going to be much worse than all the OEM modules put together?

[gtstorey]

Do you want to roll the windows up and down? Open the doors? Is this an actual racecar with no tags/registration type of thing? Or still something that is drivable on the street?

You can make the stock ecm operate as a stand alone without the rest of the can network. But if this needs to semi function as s regular car, there are a lot of details to work out. Not saying it can't be done, or that you shouldn't. But you may be treading your own path if this is somewhere between 100% race (welded doors, no side glass, etc.) and mostly stock.

100 racecar is easy, not cheap, but straight forward. Brakes will still function as brakes, although needs to have new lines to bypass the Anti-lock stuff, or go aftermarket brake system. Fuel pump can be rewired with aftermarket fuel regulator. Fans can be controlled directly from a thermoswitch in the cooling system or with the ECM.

etc....

[Trawz]

I get wanting to turn your camaro into a dedicated track car and there are a few guys here in PDX that have, but they took the straightforward route.
They did weight reductions, cooling mods, suspension reworks, power mods/built engines, chassis reinforcing/roll cages, upgraded brakes, wheels and tires.
Their cars are still running factory wiring and computers with some necessary work-arounds (airbag delete resistors) and tunes.
Plus they are all street legal and drivable.

Sounds like you are trying to dive straight into the deep end with a full factory "show room" car and not a beat up, stripped out, salvage title example.

What makes a dedicated track car fast? SEAT TIME.
Before you go down the path of completely gutting your camaro, get a good amount of track time in at track days and club events.
We got a lot of great tracks here in the PNW: PIR, ORP, The Ridge, Pacific Raceway...
Invest in good brakes and tires and modify the car based off your skill level growing. Not jumping straight into tearing the car apart just to go race.

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by SDevil

So I own a 2014 SS 1le thats had an engine swap done on it. It now has a LSX 7.0L with a procharger on it. Pushes about 750whp. Now when I first bought the car, I had questions, I found the old owner and asked them. Question number 1: Why? His response . Why not?
He loved the car, he wanted to boost it. He knew how much stress it would have put on the LS3 that was in it. So instead he bought a whole new engine for it. He knew damn well that he could have paid for a new one that pushed that much horsepower but he simply didnt want too. The car had 20,000 miles on it when he put the new engine in it. That was back in 2019 ish. Its now at 23 000 miles and year 2025. Car still sits as it did and I love the car. I did a ton of research on it after I bought it. I was extremely worried about the transmission, drive shaft, rear axles and so forth with that kind of power. The transmission will be fine its the same transmission as the Z28 just a different gear ratio, the drive shaft I will probably replace because I want to take it on the road course ( I have a nova i drag race and always wanted to get into road course also). But the point is everything is doable. The 1le was the perfect trim and package to do this on. It has so many similar components to the Z28 and the Zl1. But something to consider depending on what trim and package yours has. 1. How much horsepower do you want to realistically add to the car? Upgrading power means you will have to upgrade other components also. Even if you add boost to it, depending on how much you will have to overhaul the whole powertrain. The brakes will have to be upgraded, the fuel delivery system will have to be upgraded, so much will have to be done. When you increase horsepower in a stock car you have to be ready to replace stuff, Brakes and driveshaft would be a huge one for me. The transmission can be overhauled to account for the change. The transmission in the 1LE just happened to not need to be overhauled in mine but the driveshaft probably should be and the rear axles. It has different tires on it also to help grip better but the wheel base was already what it needed to be. It all depends on what the car already has and where your goal is. Regardless be prepared for stuff to break. I didnt buy the car thinking it wouldnt break. Lol thats for sure. First month and I replaced the crankshaft position sensor and spark plug wires. Before I track the car its going to get a new driveshaft. Now consider whether you want to dump money into, keep dumping money into, and keep dumping money into it. Eventually you will probably want to go faster. You are limited in what you can do with that engine. Aka why mine had the lsx put in. Mine was built to handle more power then the LS7 even was. Everything can be reprogrammed. Find a performance shop near you that can help you. My engine was built at CNC motorsports, another place was named " The shop Inc". If you are gonna build something like that you will need a shop that has the tools. The ECU will have to be reprogrammed in it more then likely which not just and shop can do.

OP is wanting to keep it at the stock power level..

[econ]

Originally Posted by gtstorey

Do you want to roll the windows up and down? Open the doors? Is this an actual racecar with no tags/registration type of thing? Or still something that is drivable on the street?

You can make the stock ecm operate as a stand alone without the rest of the can network. But if this needs to semi function as s regular car, there are a lot of details to work out. Not saying it can't be done, or that you shouldn't. But you may be treading your own path if this is somewhere between 100% race (welded doors, no side glass, etc.) and mostly stock.

100 racecar is easy, not cheap, but straight forward. Brakes will still function as brakes, although needs to have new lines to bypass the Anti-lock stuff, or go aftermarket brake system. Fuel pump can be rewired with aftermarket fuel regulator. Fans can be controlled directly from a thermoswitch in the cooling system or with the ECM.

etc....

Don't care about rolling windows up and down.

I need to be able to open doors, but isn't that mechanical anyways? As long as the doors are in a permanently unlocked state, they would open and close fine, right?

No tags and registration and yes it is streetable, technically. Not legally though since there are no tags. I never drive on the street though. Last time was years ago.

Is there a diagram out there for the fuel pump wiring to an aftermarket regulator? Still have not figured this one out.

[gtstorey]

I think you need to take a step back and evaluate your skill level for something like this.

I think the door handles are just switches and aren't mechanical, but I've never been into these doors or looked at the service manual to see. I've posted to you before that you need full wiring diagrams at the very least to study this stuff for your answers

But your question about fuel pump wiring diagram for aftermarket regulator tells me there are some big holes in your knowledge if you are seriously thinking about taking this on. The aftermarket regulator would typically be a mechanical device that regulates the pressure and the pump is wired to run without the FPCM.

[econ]

Originally Posted by Trawz

Sounds like you are trying to dive straight into the deep end with a full factory "show room" car and not a beat up, stripped out, salvage title example.

My car is in nice shape, and I would rather have a nice car that is stripped down than a beat-up car that is stripped down.

[econ]

Originally Posted by gtstorey

I think you need to take a step back and evaluate your skill level for something like this.

I think the door handles are just switches and aren't mechanical, but I've never been into these doors or looked at the service manual to see. I've posted to you before that you need full wiring diagrams at the very least to study this stuff for your answers

But your question about fuel pump wiring diagram for aftermarket regulator tells me there are some big holes in your knowledge if you are seriously thinking about taking this on. The aftermarket regulator would typically be a mechanical device that regulates the pressure and the pump is wired to run without the FPCM.

We both have big holes in our knowledge if neither of us know how the door handles work.

When I don't know something that I want to know, I ask questions, look it up etc. etc. Pretty normal to do I think, and it is this kind of thing that internet forums exist for, right? And this is an internet forum, right?

You did post saying that wire diagrams are a starting point and I responded by telling you that they are on the way.

I understand what a fuel pressure regulator does. I was specifically asking for a diagram because it appeared that he had done this. Part number, schematic showing said part wired to OE pump and plumbed in etc.