Long Overdue Build Progress [Main Thread]

[BatmaroBeauty]

Just kidding about getting my car back, guess I was right to keep my expectations low. Last Thursday morning (8/12/21) the shop was testing functionality of the water/meth system using just water and the low level sensor came out of the tank causing a rather large wet mess in my trunk. Addressing this issue prolonged the final dyno tune that was scheduled to happen. They reinstalled the sensor with some black RTV on the seal to hopefully prevent it from popping back out again. They let it dry overnight and picked back up on Friday where they left off testing the system.

Today (Mon 8/16/21) I got an update that the harness from the AEM Fuel Pressure Gauge P/N 017-30-4401 which I purchased is not long enough to reach the engine bay, as well as it will require additional fittings to tap into the fuel system. Because the sensor is an 1/8” NPT male fitting, my OEM fuel lines have no provision to accept that sensor. Thus requiring a fuel pressure take off fitting, which is not provided by AEM. Typically they can screw them into an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator where the gauge would go since that is also 1/8” NPT thread. I purchased the part needed Nitrous Outlet 00-01812 Fuel Line Adapter Fitting from Summit. The harness can be extended and the fittings can be installed. The O2 sensor will also need a bung welded into the exhaust for the sensor.

So back to an unknown date of when the build will be completed..

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Wow Beauty, that just sucks!!!! I know the last time we chatted you were having some final work done and was really looking to your Camaro back. Nothing like getting excited and have the floor fall out from under you!! Damn... Hang in there, it will all be worth it in the end. Good luck..

[morepowerjoe]

Yeah that does suck. I was really hoping that you would get it back as I'm sure you were too. But I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end like JEWLDSSRS said hang in there.

[BatmaroBeauty]

Well, the day I was dreading finally came and EFX Tuning formally announced on 09/01/2021 that they would be ceasing operations indefinitely until further notice to restructure and to make arrangements to pick-up the car. So we took the 8 hour round trip drive yesterday (Sat 09/18) to southern NJ where the shop is and loaded her up. The car is driveable as it sits but I can’t get on it and since I don’t trust myself to resist flooring it and the drive is so rough, I thought it best to reduce all risks by trailering it home. I’m also having issues with the air suspension currently and didn’t want something to happen during travel to then be stranded. Getting loaded into the trailer was TIGHT but we managed to squeeze in, snug like a glove. We stopped at the rest areas along the way to make sure there were no major issues since traffic was pretty terrible and didn’t want any shifting to cause damage since clearance was only a hairline. Made it safe and sound.



On a positive note, everything that was pending completion got done minus the final tune after troubleshooting the meth system install mishap. It proved impossible to coordinate with Will Overkill who was operating on reduced hours during the weeks of Aug 9-13 and 23-27. Then he had a family emergency/bereavement leave from Sept 1-13. EFX tried to find another location to utilize a dyno but ran out of time without any luck. They could no longer use the dyno within the shop because the business is no longer insured due to closure.

I had to purchase a fuel line adaptor fitting from Nitrous Outlet with a 3/8in female and male quick connect to a 1/8in NPT port which resolved the issue of installing the fuel pressure line for the AEM gauge. Triple pod pillar is all set now and I’m super happy with it. Just need to adjust the gauges to be less crooked whenever I get the chance. Here’s a before and after shot:

For some reason the low level light of the ProMeth tank stays illuminated. EFX said they followed the install instructions provided but it still isn’t working properly.

Only have the car for today and it’s going to TNA Motorsports tomorrow to have the air suspension issues addressed before it becomes so low it’s undriveable. I changed the cabin air filter, replaced the ignition lockout solenoid with a new one, and installed a Y-cable splitter for my OBD2 port to retain both the Aeroforce Interceptor gauge and my CarLock device simultaneously.

In other good news, Shirokai announced the release of preorders for their 5th Gen Camaro Widebody kit which I pulled the trigger on! Expected ship date is approx Dec of this year and I’m very excited about joining their team!

[morepowerjoe]

At least you got it back so work can continue. Love the gauges.

[BatmaroBeauty]

Took my car to TNA Motorsports on (Mon 9/20/21) where my guys Allen and Thorston took care of me as always! Among other things, the two major stuff they handled for me was fixing my air suspension compressor issue and installing my new steering wheel and shift lights.

The airlift was throwing faults (compressor freeze, tank too low) and causing a battery drainage issue where it was continuously trying to activate the compressor, which wouldn’t turn on, to refill the tank. PSI was zero and the car was lowered drastically so my concern was eventually becoming undriveable. Thorston explained that the AccuAir Endo CT 3-gal Compressor/Tank systems were failing and unfortunately because AccuAir went out of business during Covid there was no warranty I could claim for replacement. What they were doing for customers was keeping the tank and bypassing the internal compressor that was fried to an external Viair single compressor that would operate in its place. They modified my existing trunk set-up to fit with the new water meth tank and everything still looks as tidy as it did before. No issues with battery or compressor since I picked it up on 9/22.

Then they swapped my OEM steering wheel with the custom one I had made from Control Customs UK. It uses the B2 Option 10-11 Camaro paddles from Street 2 Track Performance Products that I had custom hydrodipped to match. Thorston also installed the Ecliptech Shift P2+ lights on the steering column. Altogether it looks stunning. Here’s a before/after photo of stock vs current.


Build is nearing “completion” theres just a few odds and ends that are pending. The most daunting thing is a final tune. I initially thought EFX Tuning would only be temporarily closed but it appears to be permanent. They handed over the building keys to the owner of the property and just said they were done with it. The building owner was selling off all the equipment left inside like lifts and tools. Still no response from Will Overkill. The car is driveable I just have to stay in vacuum and not get into the pedal which is suuuuper challenging because every part of me wants to so badly, but it was never retuned on the meth and I don’t want to harm the engine after all the hard work, time, and money that’s been done. Everyone says they got a guy that can tune but my trust is very limited in that area after fully understanding the complexity of this LLT/Bosch platform and how knowledgeable/experienced specifically with it that person needs to be.

Next major things besides that to get done are:

1. retinting my windshield correctly since the first time they did it that shop placed the tint over my reg/insp stickers and I can’t change them without cutting the tint off,
2. repowdercoating the wheels correctly since the lines taped on the spokes are very jagged/uneven and the paint was flaking and chipping off the day I picked them up,
3. getting the 6-pt harness bar custom fabricated and welded,
4. sending my headlights back to RGVShelby to fix a moisture issue and upgrade the control unit.

In the meantime I’m just enjoying the car locally and very happy to have it back!

[BatmaroBeauty]

Here’s an interior photo I took the other day and thought I would share! Still can’t get over that gorgeous steering wheel, might just be my favorite part..

[BatmaroBeauty]

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you all enjoyed the holidays! Due to the frigid temps we’ve gotten in NYC, the Camaro got put in the garage mid December and I got myself a Christmas present to daily drive instead. With all the work that’s gone into the car, I just can’t reason with the risks associated for using it as a grocery getter anymore especially with the horribly maintained roads of the city coupled with the maniacs behind the wheel who have no regard for others. I purchased a used 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 with Altitude Package from a private seller. Reasonably priced considering the out of normal margins for the current market. Single owner, no accidents, routine maintenance records provided, up-to-date inspection, very clean interior, 41.7k original miles. Now some of you are like ugh ANOTHER 3.6L, whyyyy!?!? Haha and yes while I thought the same thing when purchasing, there was a myriad of reasons why I decided on this car for a daily. I was very tempted to get an SRT but the purpose of this daily was just to have a car that can do what the Camaro can’t WITHOUT having the urge to mod anything beyond minor aesthetics. I have the show and shine garage queen and now I need something I don’t mind getting a little dirty or beat up, with two big dogs to transport around and now I have the ability to tow myself. Ultimately, I just didn’t want another money pit. I purchased and installed all the upgrades that I will ever be doing to the Jeep at the time of purchase so I never have to spend on it again. Nothing wild. Just aftermarket headlights with upgraded diode dynamics LED bulbs, Weathertech floor mats and mud guards, AVS window guards, red synthetic leather seat covers, mopar tow hitch and GoRhino step, ProClip phone mount, black locking lugs, ceramic tinted the 6" visor, taillights, third brake light, reflectors and windows all around. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.





Since the Camaro was garaged, I noted that in Vortech’s owners manual it states on the first page that the precise tolerances of minimal internal clearances are not conducive for cold start-up in conditions under 25° without some sort of external warming source applied to prevent supercharger failure. I got an electric 3'x4' Powerblanket Engine Heater to air on the side of caution and take measures to preserve my investment if/when I needed to start it.



Slowly chipping away at things previously mentioned on my to-do list:

1. I got the windshield tint redone (15%) so it isn’t covering over the inspection/registration stickers anymore.
2. Just dropped off the wheels on Friday (02/11/2022) to have the powdercoat job corrected. This was a headache of a task since the shop that originally did the work ended up letting go the employee who commissioned the job because he was doing side work for personal profit using the shops resources. After a lengthy discussion, they said their reputation is most important and they would honor it by making it right. More on that to follow when I eventually get around to writing a thread on shop experiences.
3. FINALLY scheduled an appointment slot with the frame fabricator. He has been having difficulty getting tubing due to the supply chain shortage making materials more scarce. We are set to drop off the beginning of June for the 6pt harness bar with hoop and swing outs to be welded in along with installation of my 5pt belts.
4. I sent the headlights back out to RGVShelby in Texas to have the LED boards replaced since they were all malfunctioning due to being exposed to a moisture issue and extreme weather conditions the entire year I was deployed overseas. Always have my headlight work done by James @thediodedoctor ..He removed them so I can ship and then reinstalled them upon return with a BlueGhozt controller module so I have more customizable settings accessible.

I’ve also made some headway working towards getting a NYS inspection since mine currently won’t pass emissions because I’m catless and unfortunately the monitors cannot be tuned out and extenders don’t fix the CEL codes. I tried going to 5+ shops and just buying a sticker but nobody would take me up on the offer. While it would get me to appear in compliance just parked on the street, it wouldn’t do me any good when it comes time to renew my registration in April 2022. So I thought to reach out to ARH since I’m running their exhaust system to see if there’s any possibility I can just purchase the high flow cats that they offer as an option. Nick and Lou were more than willing to help out and after some discussion we found the most reasonable choice would be to purchase just the elbow with cats and temporarily swap them out with the straight pipe using the connecting bands for the purpose of getting rid of the codes to pass inspection and then swapping back afterwards. Sounds like a great solution to me and it didn’t cost me as much as I thought it would for the elbow piping with HFC.


I was nervous that the air fuel gauge sensor was welded into the area of pipe that I needed to swap. But thankfully for once with this build, someone finally did something that actually worked out for the better! When I looked it was welded right after the collector before the bands which makes this pipe swap MUCH LESS COMPLICATED!


I checked what codes are occurring and they are mostly all related to the cats:

• P2099-Post Catalyst Fuel Trim System High Limit Bank 2
• P0102-Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit Low Frequency
• P0420-Catalyst System Low Efficiency Bank 1
• P0430-Catalyst System Low Efficiency Bank 2
• P2097-Post Catalyst Fuel Trim System High Limit Bank 1

Hopefully, doing this temporary swap will resolve my CEL and I can get a passing inspection before I need to renew my registration.

No progress has been made in the tuning of the car. Will Overkill hasn’t responded to any of my emails. I’ve sent out messages to several tune shops and my messages have also gone unreplied. Trifecta offers remote tuning services for this platform but I’m hesitant to go down that route. Has anyone had experience with using Trifecta and can give me an honest opinion?

[BatmaroBeauty]

I was waiting to receive final confirmation before posting about it and I just received notice that……
MY BUILD WILL BE FEATURED AT A BOOTH IN THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW!!!!!!!
It’s at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street, Manhattan, NY 10014) from Fri April 15-Sun Apr 24, 2022. Tickets are available now online at the website below and I will be be in Booth 1207 on the lower level. See the attached diagram to view where the booth is located in the convention center.
https://www.autoshowny.com/

This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so honored!!! All the hard work and headaches finally paid off and I get to show my beauty to the world! I will personally be there during the weekends and if any of you plan on going stop by and say hello I’d love to meet you!

[Ashen 6.2]

That's awesome! congrats!

[BatmaroBeauty]

Super delayed but I wanted to share with you all some great photos and videos of my build from the show. I had a blast and I wish I could've spent more time at the booth talking to everyone but what an amazing experience it was! Thank you to everyone who came out and saw Batmaro irl and again huge thanks to Cisco for making this a dream come true. I made a photo album for the pictures and the embedded youtube videos are posted below, ENJOY!

[mlee]

Great showing of an Awesome BatCamaro!!!

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Holy cow!! What an AWESOME themed Camaro!! Well done and it looks amazing!! Glad you got it done and enjoyed the show. Thanks for sharing. Has to be one of the coolest Camaro's I've seen to date!!

[Vicster]

That is so cool! Great job getting there!
Post more pics from the show! Love the car!

Great job! Video is awesome!