Speedster's SST Camaro Build Thread [COTW 9/13/10]

[speedster]

Hey Camaro 5 Members -

I have been asked by a few on this site to put together a member journal for about a year now, so here we go. This is a place holder to get it started and I will add some (hopefully) pretty interesting technology from time to time. Pretty much every component in this car has been replaced, modified or upgraded (Engine, Forced Induction, Trans, Diff, Drivetrain, Suspension, Frame, Tubs, Cooling, Fuel, Electric, Gauges, Interior, Cage, Parachute) This build may seem a little extreme for some so please bear with me.

Hope you enjoy it.
-Speedster

P.S. Everyone should know that a lot of what has gone into the SST has been a direct result of Camaro 5 vendors. Below is a list of these C5 vendors to date. None of these have in any way sponsored this car so there is no bias. They have been chosen based on superior products and/or services IMO. We have some excellent companies here on this site.

AAC Style
Advanced Composite Specialties (ACS)
Barton Industries
Camaro 5
ECS Motorsports
Emblem Pros
Gary's Customz
GForce Engineering
GM Performance Parts
IPS Motorsports
MPD-1
Mike Norris Motorsports
Pedders USA
Pfadt Race Engineering
Revolution Styling
Showstopper Accessories
Stainless Works
SJM Manufacturing
Tonkin Chevrolet
The Shutter Group
Xtreme Innovations

I'd also like to that Russ (Dangeruss) for making the killer sig for the SST.

Picture References Added for faster browsing - Post #:
Assembled for C5FestII - 2537
At Turbonetics Open House w/Bumblebee 432, 3107
Cooling - 169
Data Logging System - 3832
Differential - 834,1468,1476,1538
Dyno - 2145 , 2146
Emblems - 71,450
Engine - 10,13,91,93,95,265,276,287,291,1336,1342,2059, 2139
Engine in SST - 2310
Exterior - 12,19,20,789, 3107 (@Turbonetics)
Fuel System - 101,511
Hardline - 1143
Intake - 97,695
Ignition - 297
Intercoolers - 179,380,424,1142
Interior - 22,67,68
Lithograph - 11
Mini-Tubs - 54
Parachute - 203
Roll Cage - 28, 63
Studio Shots June 2012 - 5034, 5046, 5049
Suspension - 200,515
Tires/Wheels - 124,445,477
Transmission - 147,201

Windshield Wipers - 1144
Wiring, Aircraft - 128

Videos:
AMS-1000 Tutorial - 4754
Engine Dyno - 2224
SST Video - 18,1035
Drive By Video (slow) - 3336
Drive By Video (Cali_Camaro_SS) - 3579
First set of Road Tuning videos (Sept 2011) - 3775
Low Boost (7-8 psi) Road videos (April 2012) - 4751, 4780
Unloading SST in Florida (June 2012) - 5289
Stomach Flipper in the SST (June 2012) - 5322



Beer - 3850
Boats - 211,551,553,635, 3668, 3723, 4050
Burnouts - 1122 1130
Food - 324,330,336,355,935 936 937 976
Floating Tractor Trailer - 524
GTA Wiring - 924
Jet ****pits - 706 707
Kids - 9,504,826
MANTAS - 3044 3066, 3975

[Merc]

[Doc]

Well so far it IS extreme; extremely empty but like mercuryman96 above me...

[IPS Brandon]

From what I know it will be a great thread, and I would encourage a lot of members to monitor this thread for your own benefit, there will be loads of good information

Regards

[68 Z/28]

[speedster]

Ha, you're right about the extremely empty - I'll start posting stuff up this weekend.
Being a Friday I kinda got stuck having to do that thing called work still...

[PQ]

S...U...B...S...C...R...I...B...E...D...!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr Twisty]

This is gonna be good!
Someone is gonna have to make more popcorn for this one

[speedster]

OK. First and foremost here is the reason why this Camaro was bought:
This is a pic of my son with Camaro Concept #1 at the start of the 2006 Hot Rod Power Tour in Orlando. Note the date. Back then I told him that they would probably never make this car so if they did I promised we would get it...and then the Transformers movie came out. There was no chance of turning back then.

[speedster]

So, we placed the order for a new 1SS/RS Camaro and received an 1100 Event Code on October 13, 2009. This car was purchased with the knowledge that it was going to be used as a dual purpose street and race vehicle so a 1SS/RS was chosen. Black because it was going to be themed around stealth - let's just say there is a familiarity with what makes a B-2 tick. Hence, the SST Camaro.

Once the Event Code hit the 3000 series, a new Nelson Racing Engines Twin Turbo 376 based on the LS3 block engine was ordered. Note the date on the invoice. I figured it would be smart to have the motor ready for the car when it would be delivered in April...

Below is a pic of the engine the SST was originally going to get. Notice the word "originally".

[speedster]

So the car received its 3800 Event Code = Produced (Order is built and VIN# shows in the Dealer Order system on 3/27/09...but, this particular Camaro got stuck in the corner of a lot and ended up in QC for 77 days and then was delivered to the dealer after a total of 91 days on June 24, 2009. But it DID make it !!

From the QC Tracking Database on 0617/2009:
Complete VIN No. Model Member Name Order No. Event Code Ship Method
2G1Fxxxxx01597 1SS/RS speedster NDMDXG 42 R
Last Update Date Rail Car
6/11/2009 ETTX909069

But waiting in QC had a happy ending because Mike Judge had heard about the problems of getting this car so he sent me a beautiful Lithograph. Mike is a great guy and it ended up that we used to party and hang out in the same area along the St. Lawrence River, so we corresponded a lot and we got to invite him down to Camaro 5 Fest which was a real treat.

[speedster]

My cousin had just moved down the month before and he is a car nut, so on Thursday, June 25th we went and picked up the SST Camaro from Jerry Hamm Chevrolet in Jacksonville, FL.

Here are a couple of pics from the maiden voyage home. I only pushed it to triple digits once. Had to make sure the computer recorded the proper driving habits.

[speedster]

During the long time the SST was in QC hold, Tom (Nelson) and I had bounced a bunch of ideas back and forth so the decision was made to NOT go with a Twin Turbo 376 based on the LS3 block, but to upgrade for a max effort LSX based engine "just in case". The bottom end is referred to as a Pro Mod build since it can handle well over 2,000 hp.

At this time we grabbed a few blocks. All of the goodies were done to the block - align bored, trued, decked, cylinders bored out and the block o-ringed for stainless steel wire, blueprinted stroker clearance, rod bearing clearance,main bearing clearance, piston to wall, piston to pin, ring gaps, deck heights, rod side clearance, cam bearing holes dimensions for proper crush in their respective housings, piston to valve, piston to counterweight, piston to crank trigger etc.etc.etc.. We decided on an optimal high boost capacity bore/stroke relationship and then ordered a top-of-the-line Callies UltraBillet crank, Oliver billet rods and special JE Blower pistons with oversize tool steel pins.

Edit: Updated with clearer pics and explanations on what goes into this type of engine buildup. [References are courtesy of NRE]

Here is the block getting set up to deck. The block is registered off the main saddles to cut the decks so they are straight with the main saddle. This ensures that all the deck heights are the same side to side and front to back. The final cut is a special surface finish that works really well with the head gaskets used.


The Oliver Billet Oliver connecting rods are used here. These rods are indestructible and they are ordered in the heavy weight version for this engine - strength over the weight. This rod has run over 2500 hp with no problems in an LSX. Notice the bearing shells - these bearings have a very thin overlay of material which provides more fatigue resistance and prevents the bearing from flaking under big power. It has less imbedibility so it will not handle much dirt in the oil but this type of engine has the oil changed regularly.


On this engine buildup notice that for both the lower ring land and the top ring there is a pressure relief groove in the piston to help keep excess pressure from unloading the top ring. Notice the top ring is a special ring weave found that is extremely flat. It is 3 to 4 times flatter than most standard rings. This helps ring seal and it will also hold up better under boosted heat. Normal plasma moly rings will not do the job in a boosted application. The moly will end up flaking off under the heat and you will lose ring seal.


Pistons Installed


This is a close up of the tempered stainless wire put in the o-ring groove cut in the block. It works fantastic and does not lose its positive seal once you torque it. Harder to install but well worth it. Also, the head gaskets themselves have a special aircraft coating added to them which unfortunately cost $100/cylinder head, but this combination ensures no blown head gaskets under high boost.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by speedster

OK. First and foremost here is the reason why this Camaro was bought:
This is a pic of my son with Camaro Concept #1 at the start of the 2006 Hot Rod Power Tour in Orlando. Note the date. Back then I told him that they would probably never make this car so if they did I promised we would get it...and then the Transformers movie came out. There was no chance of turning back then.

Famous last words. Oh, and with a look like that on your son, you had NO chance of reneging. lmao

Originally Posted by speedster

So, we placed the order for a new 1SS/RS Camaro and received an 1100 Event Code on October 13, 2009. This car was purchased with the knowledge that it was going to be used as a dual purpose street and race vehicle so a 1SS/RS was chosen. Black because it was going to be themed around stealth - let's just say there is a familiarity with what makes a B-2 tick.

Once the Event Code hit the 3000 series, the new engine was ordered.
Note the date on the invoice. I figured it would be smart and have the motor ready for the car when it would be delivered in April...

Originally Posted by speedster

My cousin had just moved down the month before and he is a car nut, so on Thursday, June 25th we went and picked up the SST Camaro from Jerry Hamm Chevrolet in Jacksonville, FL.

Here are a couple of pics from the maiden voyage home. I only pushed it to triple digits once. Had to make sure the computer recorded the proper driving habits.

Wish I woulda.............. lol

Oh, and great color choice.

Originally Posted by speedster

During the time the SST was in QC hold, Tom (Nelson) and I had bounced a bunch of ideas back and forth so the decision was made to not go with at Twin Turbo 376 based on the LS3 block, but to upgrade for a max effort bottom end "just in case"

At this time we grabbed a few blocks (a couple of friends wanted LSX blocks so we got 3). All of the goodies were done to the block - align bored, trued, decked, cylinders bored out and the block o-ringed for stainless steel wire. We decided on an optimal high boost capacity bore/stroke relationship and then ordered a top-of-the-line Callies crank, Oliver billet rods and special JE Blower pistons with oversize tool steel pins.

Sorry the pictures are crappy. They were taken last year on the cell phone.

Wow. I'm thinking you will be having fun at C5F 2