TheMossMan's 2010 2SS/RS - Page 3 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

themossman · 10-03-2009, 03:35 PM

Installed Pfadt Sport sway bars...

http://www.pfadtracing.com/catalog/p...roducts_id/176

Did not take any before/after pictures...there's plenty out there and there's not much to see.

Installation observations: The old bars can be removed and new ones installed without removing muffles/raising engine/etc. It's a bit like one of those frustrating puzzles...they have to be twisted and turned just so to get them out...and the Pfadts go in a bit easier than the stock comes out. I would HIGHLY recommend leaving the plastic wrapping on the bars so you minimize any marring of the finish on the bars while you're working them into place.

Set rear bar to stiffest setting and I'm pleased with the effect it had on body roll and overall handling. Roads are pretty straight and flat around here, so my impressions are limited to long sweepers for now.

themossman · 10-10-2009, 12:41 PM

I decided to begin the process of ridding myself of all the chrome on the car...step one was the tail lights trim rings.

I needed a couple of bits of material....

600 and 800 grit sandpaper
Dupli-color Adhesion Promoter
Dupli-color DA 1605 Flat Black

I pulled the trim rings (pain in the rear, but did not have to remove bumper).
Used 600 grit paper to sand the trim rings...was satisfied when they began to look like brushed aluminum.
Cleaned thoroughly, let dry. Masked off tabs.
Applied 2 light coats of adhesion promoter...10 minutes between coats and 30 minutes before color.
Applied 2 lights coats of flat black, followed by a medium coat (10 minutes between coats)

Let dry and there were some bad spots...I had the spray can too far away and the paint was 'drying' before it even hit the trim ring.

So....waited for 24 hours and wet sanded the rough spots out with 800 grit.
Satisfied, I applied two more coats of flat black. I then followed with clear coat...which gave a glossy appearance I didn't like. I then went over the clear coat with a final coat of flat black.

I'm satisfied with the results...

SILVER BULLITT · 10-10-2009, 04:55 PM

looks great bro , and thanks for the info on the cam .... once again looking great

Kyle2k · 10-10-2009, 06:20 PM

@ your new taillight rings! Awesome!

VegasRich · 10-20-2009, 06:29 PM

It was great meeting you today! Feel free stop by my cube anytime you are at our shop. The car looks awesome. Your teams did a great job and nice work on your detector too. I'll have to remember this link when I get mine. Take care!

PERRIN_ADAM · 10-21-2009, 10:12 AM

Taillamp rings look awesome! So kool that something so simple makes such a huge visual improvement on the car!

Great project! Can't wait to see more about it soon!

nuptualnemesis · 10-23-2009, 02:51 PM

After removing the water bottle either bend back or cut the plastic blocking the lower radiator grill on that side. It is harder but you can also cut a hole in the plastic next to the radiator on the upper grill or remove it completely.

themossman · 01-09-2010, 09:56 PM

First- Thanks to Jordan at JDP Motorsports for a GREAT price, outstanding service, and super fast delivery.

It goes downhill from here.

I called a local 'muffler' shop to see if they could install as call to Ron @ Vengeance clued me into the fact that since I already had the ARH 3" system back to the axle, this wasn't going to 'plug right in' with just a few clamps and the pieces MagnaFlow supplied in the box. I like welds anyway...so off I went. What a mess...the poor guys in this shop were not equipped with the pipe of tools to get done what I needed done. They tried to borrow some pipe from the stock mufflers, so I couldn't have them just rebolt the OEM mufflers back up and head out to find a proper shop.

After getting them reasonably attached, they fired it up on the rack to check for leaks. The good new is that there were no leaks on the connections they made (which were secured with the supplied clamps). BUT, there were leaks on one of the Magnaflow mufflers...you ready for the pic??? I was SHOCKED. Once the car was started, it apparently blew through the little bit of metal that was covering a hole due to a REALLY bad weld job.

On the front side of the driver side exhaust hanger...

On the rear side of the driver side exhaust hanger...

On that same muffler, the weld for the polished tip on the pipe looks like this...

For reference, this is what a weld point looks like on the other muffler...

I guess I was a victim of a 'training day' for a new welder...but there's no excuse for such poor quality on an exhaust that retails for over $800.

Here's a few pics of the needed pipes being welded in properly....

And the finished product...which I personally think is outstanding...

OK...now that it's all welded up...how does it sound???? (That's why we buy these mufflers right?!?!?!)

To my shock and amazement, the car is now significantly quieter than with the stock mufflers! I have seen the cut apart stock exhaust which reveals its essentially straight through and I have read other magnaflow threads, so I was expecting it to be a bit more tame...but it's MUCH more tame than I anticipated. Keep in mind I have a fairly aggressive cam and headers w/ high flow cats...so before it was LOUD. My wife really didn't like how loud it was even at idle and if I stomped the gas things really got out of control.

With the MagnaFlows on it brings the car into a bit more of a 'refined' state..not quite so wild and raucous. The idle is very nice and throaty and smashing the gas peddle yields a nice deep roar and decel under load no longer produces much backfiring. I was concerned about exhaust drone and lo and behold I now have some. It's not terrible, but it's there...a deep baritone hum at just about any sustained RPM level. Bummer...but not a deal killer. Overall I'm fairly satisfied, but I have a feeling if Corsa can get an exhaust on the market that's just axle back, I might have the MagaFlows up for sale (with the crappy welds fixed of course

) Pssst...here that Corsa...want a direct comparo and convert story??? My father has Kooks/Corsa on his C5 Vette and the sound is intoxicating...and after my magnaflow change his car is now louder than mine. :(

In short...if you have ARH(or any system) back to the axle and you're adding the MagnaFlows, find a really, really good shop that can fab you pipes. OR....and I hope he doesn't mind me saying so...but a very, very slight comment was found on the board yesterday by the guys at ARH and they already reached out to me saying they had the connectors I would need. Funny how it's ARH that comes to the table with a fix and not MagnaFlow... There's competition for the pieces between the headers and the mufflers...and I now know for certain that I'll look to ARH before I look to anyone else...their parts are top notch and they CLEARLY stand behind their work and are focused on customer service.

*GTAHVIT* · 01-09-2010, 10:04 PM

Nicely done Mossman!

speedster · 01-09-2010, 10:26 PM

Glad you got it fixed. Looks very nice.

Now mash the pedal and GO...

fast34me · 01-29-2010, 06:53 PM

Thanks for the posts. Your detailed posts, pics, and suggestions knock down the learning curve in a major way. The radar det. install was on my list, so I'm way happy to find you've done my homework for me.

themossman · 04-21-2010, 06:23 PM

Well....the first 'no go fast' mods are done. I don't think there's any chrome left on the exterior of the car.

tgdtown · 04-24-2010, 09:35 AM

Nice job...

thespymaster · 09-05-2010, 10:46 AM

Silver / Black combos are perfect for your beast!

10-03-2009, 03:35 PM	#29
themossman Apprehensive Optimist Drives: '10 SS/RS SIM Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: JAX Posts: 1,383	Installed Pfadt Sport sway bars... http://www.pfadtracing.com/catalog/p...roducts_id/176 Did not take any before/after pictures...there's plenty out there and there's not much to see. Installation observations: The old bars can be removed and new ones installed without removing muffles/raising engine/etc. It's a bit like one of those frustrating puzzles...they have to be twisted and turned just so to get them out...and the Pfadts go in a bit easier than the stock comes out. I would HIGHLY recommend leaving the plastic wrapping on the bars so you minimize any marring of the finish on the bars while you're working them into place. Set rear bar to stiffest setting and I'm pleased with the effect it had on body roll and overall handling. Roads are pretty straight and flat around here, so my impressions are limited to long sweepers for now. __________________ Car is for sale --->http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158486 Current Summary: Engine:Phase One-(All work by Vengeance Racing): Custom Cam, AR Headers, ported throttle body, ported intake, custom tune, dual valve springs, hardened push rods, under drive pulley, thermostat, Vararam CAI, C5R timing chain, Melling oil pump catch can, breather, MagnaFlow Sport Axle Back Suspension: Pfadt Sport Sway Bars, Pfadt drop springs Other: MGW Shifter, Custom Paint my build journal ---->http://camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30057

10-10-2009, 12:41 PM	#30
themossman Apprehensive Optimist Drives: '10 SS/RS SIM Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: JAX Posts: 1,383	tail light trim rings I decided to begin the process of ridding myself of all the chrome on the car...step one was the tail lights trim rings. I needed a couple of bits of material.... 600 and 800 grit sandpaper Dupli-color Adhesion Promoter Dupli-color DA 1605 Flat Black I pulled the trim rings (pain in the rear, but did not have to remove bumper). Used 600 grit paper to sand the trim rings...was satisfied when they began to look like brushed aluminum. Cleaned thoroughly, let dry. Masked off tabs. Applied 2 light coats of adhesion promoter...10 minutes between coats and 30 minutes before color. Applied 2 lights coats of flat black, followed by a medium coat (10 minutes between coats) Let dry and there were some bad spots...I had the spray can too far away and the paint was 'drying' before it even hit the trim ring. So....waited for 24 hours and wet sanded the rough spots out with 800 grit. Satisfied, I applied two more coats of flat black. I then followed with clear coat...which gave a glossy appearance I didn't like. I then went over the clear coat with a final coat of flat black. I'm satisfied with the results... __________________ Car is for sale --->http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158486 Current Summary: Engine:Phase One-(All work by Vengeance Racing): Custom Cam, AR Headers, ported throttle body, ported intake, custom tune, dual valve springs, hardened push rods, under drive pulley, thermostat, Vararam CAI, C5R timing chain, Melling oil pump catch can, breather, MagnaFlow Sport Axle Back Suspension: Pfadt Sport Sway Bars, Pfadt drop springs Other: MGW Shifter, Custom Paint my build journal ---->http://camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30057

10-10-2009, 06:20 PM	#32
Kyle2k LVL 50 Troll Stomper Drives: 2010 Camaro Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 3,463	@ your new taillight rings! Awesome! __________________

10-21-2009, 10:12 AM	#34
PERRIN_ADAM Drives: 2010 CAMARO TRIPLE BLACK 2SS Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 53	Taillamp rings look awesome! So kool that something so simple makes such a huge visual improvement on the car! Great project! Can't wait to see more about it soon! __________________ Adam Taft Camaro Enthusiast and Performance Parts Specialist Adam.Taft@PERRINPerformance.com www.PERRINPerformance.com H&R Springs Lowest Prices and in Stock Follow us on TWITTER Find me on FaceBook

10-23-2009, 02:51 PM	#35
nuptualnemesis NuptualNemesis Drives: Silver 1SS M6 - 480hp 11.57/120.79 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Baton Rouge, LA www.Divorcefor399.com Posts: 310 View My Garage	Looking for more air flow After removing the water bottle either bend back or cut the plastic blocking the lower radiator grill on that side. It is harder but you can also cut a hole in the plastic next to the radiator on the upper grill or remove it completely.

10-10-2009, 04:55 PM	#31
SILVER BULLITT Drives: 2010 SIM 2SS/RS MONSTER Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: LOS ANGELES Posts: 1,506 View My Garage	looks great bro , and thanks for the info on the cam .... once again looking great

10-20-2009, 06:29 PM	#33
VegasRich Drives: '96 Coupe Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 10	It was great meeting you today! Feel free stop by my cube anytime you are at our shop. The car looks awesome. Your teams did a great job and nice work on your detector too. I'll have to remember this link when I get mine. Take care!

01-09-2010, 09:56 PM	#36
themossman Apprehensive Optimist Drives: '10 SS/RS SIM Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: JAX Posts: 1,383	MagnaFlow axle back- 2.5" Street Series - Part No: 16581 First- Thanks to Jordan at JDP Motorsports for a GREAT price, outstanding service, and super fast delivery. It goes downhill from here. I called a local 'muffler' shop to see if they could install as call to Ron @ Vengeance clued me into the fact that since I already had the ARH 3" system back to the axle, this wasn't going to 'plug right in' with just a few clamps and the pieces MagnaFlow supplied in the box. I like welds anyway...so off I went. What a mess...the poor guys in this shop were not equipped with the pipe of tools to get done what I needed done. They tried to borrow some pipe from the stock mufflers, so I couldn't have them just rebolt the OEM mufflers back up and head out to find a proper shop. After getting them reasonably attached, they fired it up on the rack to check for leaks. The good new is that there were no leaks on the connections they made (which were secured with the supplied clamps). BUT, there were leaks on one of the Magnaflow mufflers...you ready for the pic??? I was SHOCKED. Once the car was started, it apparently blew through the little bit of metal that was covering a hole due to a REALLY bad weld job. On the front side of the driver side exhaust hanger... On the rear side of the driver side exhaust hanger... On that same muffler, the weld for the polished tip on the pipe looks like this... For reference, this is what a weld point looks like on the other muffler... I guess I was a victim of a 'training day' for a new welder...but there's no excuse for such poor quality on an exhaust that retails for over $800. Here's a few pics of the needed pipes being welded in properly.... And the finished product...which I personally think is outstanding... OK...now that it's all welded up...how does it sound???? (That's why we buy these mufflers right?!?!?!) To my shock and amazement, the car is now significantly quieter than with the stock mufflers! I have seen the cut apart stock exhaust which reveals its essentially straight through and I have read other magnaflow threads, so I was expecting it to be a bit more tame...but it's MUCH more tame than I anticipated. Keep in mind I have a fairly aggressive cam and headers w/ high flow cats...so before it was LOUD. My wife really didn't like how loud it was even at idle and if I stomped the gas things really got out of control. With the MagnaFlows on it brings the car into a bit more of a 'refined' state..not quite so wild and raucous. The idle is very nice and throaty and smashing the gas peddle yields a nice deep roar and decel under load no longer produces much backfiring. I was concerned about exhaust drone and lo and behold I now have some. It's not terrible, but it's there...a deep baritone hum at just about any sustained RPM level. Bummer...but not a deal killer. Overall I'm fairly satisfied, but I have a feeling if Corsa can get an exhaust on the market that's just axle back, I might have the MagaFlows up for sale (with the crappy welds fixed of course ) Pssst...here that Corsa...want a direct comparo and convert story??? My father has Kooks/Corsa on his C5 Vette and the sound is intoxicating...and after my magnaflow change his car is now louder than mine. :( In short...if you have ARH(or any system) back to the axle and you're adding the MagnaFlows, find a really, really good shop that can fab you pipes. OR....and I hope he doesn't mind me saying so...but a very, very slight comment was found on the board yesterday by the guys at ARH and they already reached out to me saying they had the connectors I would need. Funny how it's ARH that comes to the table with a fix and not MagnaFlow... There's competition for the pieces between the headers and the mufflers...and I now know for certain that I'll look to ARH before I look to anyone else...their parts are top notch and they CLEARLY stand behind their work and are focused on customer service. __________________ Car is for sale --->http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158486 Current Summary: Engine:Phase One-(All work by Vengeance Racing): Custom Cam, AR Headers, ported throttle body, ported intake, custom tune, dual valve springs, hardened push rods, under drive pulley, thermostat, Vararam CAI, C5R timing chain, Melling oil pump catch can, breather, MagnaFlow Sport Axle Back Suspension: Pfadt Sport Sway Bars, Pfadt drop springs Other: MGW Shifter, Custom Paint my build journal ---->http://camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30057 Last edited by themossman; 01-09-2010 at 10:07 PM.

01-09-2010, 10:04 PM	#37
GTAHVIT Blessed Drives: 2013 Sonic RS MT Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Saint Augustine FL Posts: 28,444 View My Garage	Nicely done Mossman! __________________ Click image to see build thread. PQ - "the love of cars. It's a boys first step toward manhood and a mans last hold on boyhood." Fbodfather - "We do not want to use the Z28 moniker on a car that does not deserve this hallowed name." The_Blur - "Let's not confuse competitors with equals."

01-09-2010, 10:26 PM	#38
speedster SST... Drives: SST Camaro 2010 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: East Coast of Florida Posts: 5,927 View My Garage	Glad you got it fixed. Looks very nice. Now mash the pedal and *GO.*.. __________________

01-29-2010, 06:53 PM	#39
fast34me Drives: 2010 CGM 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Race City U.S.A Posts: 90	Thanks for the posts. Your detailed posts, pics, and suggestions knock down the learning curve in a major way. The radar det. install was on my list, so I'm way happy to find you've done my homework for me.

04-21-2010, 06:23 PM	#40
themossman Apprehensive Optimist Drives: '10 SS/RS SIM Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: JAX Posts: 1,383	Well....the first 'no go fast' mods are done. I don't think there's any chrome left on the exterior of the car. __________________ Car is for sale --->http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158486 Current Summary: Engine:Phase One-(All work by Vengeance Racing): Custom Cam, AR Headers, ported throttle body, ported intake, custom tune, dual valve springs, hardened push rods, under drive pulley, thermostat, Vararam CAI, C5R timing chain, Melling oil pump catch can, breather, MagnaFlow Sport Axle Back Suspension: Pfadt Sport Sway Bars, Pfadt drop springs Other: MGW Shifter, Custom Paint my build journal ---->http://camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30057

04-24-2010, 09:35 AM	#41
tgdtown Drives: Cyber Gray 2SS -RS Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dallas Posts: 176	Nice job...

09-05-2010, 10:46 AM	#42
thespymaster Drives: C7 / ZL1 / SS / trucsk Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: G4 CLASSIFIED Posts: 4,533 View My Garage	Silver / Black combos are perfect for your beast! __________________ 2014 C7 Stingray 3LT/Z51 2013 Camaro SS 2012 Camaro ZL1 - 850 HP 2015 GMC Denali 3500HD 4x4 2012 GMC Sierra 3500HD 4x4

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
CAMARO WIKI	Tran	Wiki	66	04-22-2024 11:41 AM
2010 sim for sale 2ss/rs	jimmyallgm	Autos For Sale / Wanted	3	06-28-2009 08:46 AM
2010 2SS/RS Camaro @ my driveway...	Mayhem	5th Gen Camaro SS LS LT General Discussions	7	06-01-2009 04:09 PM
Edmunds: 2010 Ford Mustang First Look	Scotsman	General Automotive + Other Cars Discussion	32	11-23-2008 09:55 PM
2010 2SS/RS Question	seventy7camaro	5th Gen Camaro SS LS LT General Discussions	5	10-26-2008 11:33 AM