2001 Chevrolet Camaro - STREET CAR, TRACK CAR: PART II - Tech
Editor's note: While the following F-body modifications will make a huge difference on the road course, this story is aimed at the street driver who might want to attend an HPDE or the like. This Z28 is lacking the mandatory safety upgrades needed for competition, like a rollcage and a five- to seven-point harness system. If you are serious about getting into a certain type of racing, check with the sanctioning body for its safety requirements. Anytime you get out on the track, always have the proper safety equipment for yourself: GMHTP recommends a firesuit, fire-resistant racing shoes, an SA2000 helmet, and a HANS device or similar restraint system.
Last time around I equipped 1SC-YA, my hardtop stripper LS1 Z28, with a host of intelligent handling and braking mods ("Street Car, Track Car: Part I," Nov. '07). They were chosen to make a huge difference in the way the Camaro performed on a road course, but to also keep the ride comfortable for daily driving. Track testing took place on Raceway Park's new 1.35-mile road course, and against a baseline time of 1:33.4, I was able to turn several 1:30.0 laps, for a solid 3.4-second gain. A street/strip rotor and pad upgrade dropped 100-0 braking distances 25 feet, and 60-0 distances 20 feet.
I had created a great street car that could take a couple of laps with ease. But there are several improvements that have to be made to allow for reliable road course use. During testing I found myself sliding around in the stock seats, fumbling in my attempts to heel-and-toe downshift, and fighting overheating power steering fluid after only a couple of laps. Additionally, I would never reach the Z's full potential on street tires-it was time for some sticky race rubber. Check out the installs, the track testing, and my review of this entire suspension and braking upgrade.
ROAD COURSE IMPRESSIONS
Regarding the street tire test from the last issue, 3.4 seconds is a huge improvement on any road course, especially a shorter, technical track like Raceway Park's. It is also important to note that I hadn't been back to this course since the baseline was established, and the 555 and NT01 testing happened on the same day, so my experience level stayed exactly the same.
The car was infinitely more stable with the Strano/UMI suspension and performance alignment specs; the 555s provided great grip for a street tire, but they had their limits when pushed to the edge. This setup needed a sticky tire.
With the NT01s on, everything came together. These tires gave me the confidence to really work the corners hard, and to carry way more speed into fast turns than I ever could with street tires. They were stable and predictable; I was able to find the sweet spot, and correct when I lost grip, much easier with the NT01s than with the 555s. Taking hot laps on sticky tires is an intense experience, and my neck was killing me for the next several days!
I found the Corbeau seats to be exactly what I needed around the course; the bolsters would hold me in place and allow me to concentrate on the line, instead of holding myself up! They were comfortable too, both on the track and on the street.
As we become more-experienced hot rodders, we start to understand that the right combination is paramount. When we're talking drivetrain upgrades for straight-line performance, incorrectly matched parts can cause low power readings, and even expensive engine damage-but chances are you won't wreck your ride because of it. But when you're 100-plus mph on a road course, with a hard left-hand turn and a concrete wall coming up, you'd better pray like hell that you've chosen the right parts for the job. I believe I have, and I have a 6.9-second road course improvement to show for it.
STREET DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
It is important that you know the environment in which these components were street tested. I live in New York City, which has by far the worst roads in the U.S. One- to three-foot-deep potholes, ruts several inches deep, road hazards galore, and expansion joints that'll shock a suspension like a land mine. I travel through Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and New Jersey daily. (Statewide, New Jersey was recently voted as having the worst overall road system for the eighth year straight.) So, if this suspension has any weakness, I'd find it.
Right after the hard parts went in, I jumped in the Z and followed Sam Strano's SCCA champ '01 Camaro through the twisty roads outside Brookville, Pennsylvania. Immediately, I noticed that the floatiness was gone, and heavy steering input didn't mean eventual understeer, it meant that the car was going where you pointed it. It was already a night-and-day difference. However, it wasn't until the alignment was done that everything came together.
I am, quite simply, blown away by the Z28's new suspension. If I could distill everything I feel in one sentence, it would go like this: Everything dull and soft is now sharp and firm. Strano has balanced his spring rates and bar sizes to provide sick handling on the track, and verylivable manners on the road. The single-adjustable Konis are so spectacular I don't know where to start. Though Strano's shock settings, the larger 17-inch rims, and thinner sidewall made my NYC commute a touch rough with the terrible roads, this combo was perfect during a road trip on Pennsylvania's interstates.
I took on- and off-ramps at ridiculous speeds, and I found myself carrying big speed into and out of 180-degree on-ramps, easily pulling away from high-dollar imports that were trying to keep up but couldn't. Two adjustments have been made. One was a clunk in the back that revealed itself as a loose nut on a rear shock mount; that was a quick fix. When I told Strano that the ride was a bit rough, he recommended that I drop the street tire pressure from the 34 front/32 rear from track testing to 30 all the way around.
I did, and it softened up NYC's bumps for me. So trust me-if it's OK for New York, it will be fine for your driver. All in all, I couldn't be happier with the mods we made to this Camaro. There are more changes that could be made for better road course use, including race brake pads or a big brake upgrade, brake cooling ducts, etc., but I think it's time to throw some horsepower at this stripper Z28 first-more ponies coming right up!

Photo Gallery: 2001 Chevrolet Camaro - STREET CAR, TRACK CAR: PART II - Tech - GM High Tech Performance Magazine



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