A real Fix-'er up-'er!!

[Cap'n Pete]

6 weeks to go ('til the school) and the work has now officially begun!!

I plan to make this:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6493/p1000834dp2.jpg

...look a little more like this again:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5562/p1000517ix0.jpg

Finally began working on it today. Here's where I'm at so far:

Before:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7756/img0882af0.jpg
After:
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3520/img0896cg6.jpg

As well, while I'm at it, the car will be getting a new set of springs, shocks, sway bars, front lower A-arms, and an aftermarket K-member to replace the one that got damaged in the crash. Hopefully all of this fun stuff should have the car handling a little better than it has been the last ~couple of years :).

Wish me luck!!

[gaspeddle]

Wow Pete... hadn't seen pictures... you took a good lick in addition to being airbourne!

Good luck with the project... if you need anything, give me a shout!

[RRRex]

Good luck with it. You can also give Raj a call at Discovery if you get stuck. He's done a frame off resto of his trans am recently and I'm sure he'll have some good insights into repairing racecars since he has a frame bender and has much experience getting racecars back onto the track quickly. :D

[Cap'n Pete]

Actually, I got really, really lucky ... all things considered! ;)

The physical "damage" is almost entirely limited to just the things you SEE (ie: the white paint from the tire wall that's rubbed into the nose/fender). All that actually needs to be "fixed" or replaced is one metal bracket at the corner that supports the nose cone and fender where they meet, and one of the headlight mounts snapped, but could be epoxy'd back together if I want. Then underneath, it's the K-member, which is a "simple" un-bolt, remove, replace, bolt-in, and I have to get the oil pan welded, because it obviously has a small crack in it and seeps out oil (it has scuff marks on it from hitting the ground! :o). Oh, and I guess I forgot about the exhaust ... I've already got a new set of headers on order!

So really, it's just the surface appearance of the body (nose cone, fender, and driver's door) that I need to worry about.

Not too bad for going off the track at ~200 km/h!!!! :rolleyes:

BTW, I can't believe the nooks and crannies where I've found stones wedged into from ploughing through the gravel trap!!! :eek:

[Doug P]

Actually, I got really, really lucky ... all things considered! ;)

The physical "damage" is almost entirely limited to just the things you SEE (ie: the white paint from the tire wall that's rubbed into the nose/fender). All that actually needs to be "fixed" or replaced is one metal bracket at the corner that supports the nose cone and fender where they meet, and one of the headlight mounts snapped, but could be epoxy'd back together if I want. Then underneath, it's the K-member, which is a "simple" un-bolt, remove, replace, bolt-in, and I have to get the oil pan welded, because it obviously has a small crack in it and seeps out oil (it has scuff marks on it from hitting the ground! :o). Oh, and I guess I forgot about the exhaust ... I've already got a new set of headers on order!

So really, it's just the surface appearance of the body (nose cone, fender, and driver's door) that I need to worry about.

Not too bad for going off the track at ~200 km/h!!!! :rolleyes:

BTW, I can't believe the nooks and crannies where I've found stones wedged into from ploughing through the gravel trap!!! :eek:

Instead of repairing your pan put in a Canton race pan.

Headers? Looks like you snuck some stuff past the wife!

Well hopefully you have not yet purchased the big parts.

If you are a member of the www.tfbm.org club your card gets your GM parts at 10% on cost that works out to be around 40% off list. For the body panels the cost for new parts ready to paint is lower than a wreckers used parts that needs repair and primer. Unless you have access to other deals, your saving will be HUGE.

Cal lAddison at 905 238 2886 with some part numbers. They will give you pricing over the phone but make sure you ask for TFbM discount pricing. They will give you both. You must show your card for the discount.

[CDNMadeHondaGuy]

Coming along! Call me when yo need the buffer and let's see if we can save what's left of the paint. If not, we can always smear the other side and just call it a new graphic package........................

Not to put pressure on you, but you only have six weeks to go to the Solo school......................:p

[Dave Barker]

Pete, how are your front hubs after the impact?

Actually the car looks pretty good. Yes I am jealous of the K member.

[shawn cormier]

I just started to replace my suspension also,I had blown out control arm bushing, it was metal on metal.

[Cap'n Pete]

I just started to replace my suspension also,I had blown out control arm bushing, it was metal on metal.
Metal on metal always does wonders for moving parts!!! :D Especially engines! ;)

[shawn cormier]

I also found out that last season.

[CDNMadeHondaGuy]

Need anythign Pete, call me. I may be a Honda guy but I have had a few Camaro's and Chicken's (sorry shawn...) in the past! Plus the trailer is available.:D

[Cap'n Pete]

I have a few "essential" parts coming in tomorrow (Friday) ;). I'll hopefully get a lot of work done this weekend.

Thus far, I have the whole front suspension, including engine/tranny pulled and on the floor. I've got the new K-member, springs and shocks assembled and ready to go in. The oil pan is fixed and ready for pick up, so I can bolt it back on, and drop the engine into the frame. Then the headers can go on, I have a minor clutch issue to resolve, and then everything can go back UP into the car :).

I'll post a couple pictures later on to show the progress. At least mechanically, things are moving along pretty well :cool:. The body work?? Not yet :o.

[shawn cormier]

Pete, I put my new suspension in today,huge job,I installed my K member with the engine in,its gonna take a year for my knuckles to heal.Have you thought about who s gonna align your car yet.:confused:

[Dave Barker]

You guys with your "Fancy Schmancy" new fangled (2pip) K members !!

Back in my day, no one knew what a K member was and if someone made one , it was just for drag racing. Now you guys have just up and raised the ante.

I just put all the race stuff back on my Camaro yesterday.

By far and away the the PITA is the upper bolt on the front torque arm mount. Springs and shocks were a breeze. Torque really requires 2 people and a hoist. Did manage to get it in though.

[Cap'n Pete]

Oh you buncha whiners ;). Try dropping the whole motor w/the K-member (with about ~1000 damn sensor & ground wires attached to the BACK of the block!? :mad: ) and then talk to me about the "hard" jobs :p.

Yes, that TQ arm bolt can be a real PITA sometimes though ;). It either goes real easy, or it ruins your whole day!!

More updates to follow ..... :cool:

[Cap'n Pete]

Well, I realize I haven't posted any more pictures (although maybe one day night this week I'll try to get to that :rolleyes: ) but I've been busier working on the car than taking pictures of it! ;)

Everything's coming along really well. I got the whole front suspension buttoned up, and the front fenders & nose-cone are reinstalled. It's barely noticeable where the plastic was pushed in at the corner. At this point, I'm hoping a high-speed buffer w/good compound can remove a lot of the scuffing in the paint (a bit of laquer thinner already took care of the white paint from the tire wall that was transferred to the car!). The front ground-effects took a little abuse, but a quick sanding and black enamal paint already took care of that :).

Now all that's left is to swap out/in the rear suspension parts (springs/shocks, bars, etc.). That'll be happening between now and Thursday, so hopefully by the end of Thursday, the car will be back on its feet and ready to go in for the alignment! :D I'll probably be taking the car into Stephenson Steering in Oshawa. They've been around for years, and the guys there seem to know their stuff :cool:.

Less than 3 weeks now until track time!!! I'm pretty confident now that I'll make the dead-line with no glitches!!!

[shawn cormier]

Oh you buncha whiners ;). Try dropping the whole motor w/the K-member (with about ~1000 damn sensor & ground wires attached to the BACK of the block!? :mad: ) and then talk to me about the "hard" jobs :p.

Yes, that TQ arm bolt can be a real PITA sometimes though ;). It either goes real easy, or it ruins your whole day!!

More updates to follow ..... :cool:

Did that 3 times last season.

[shawn cormier]

''2002 Z28 - goes, turns, stops, and even flies.'' If it had turned, ya would nt known about the flying part.:p

[Slowpoke]

Oh you buncha whiners ;). Try dropping the whole motor w/the K-member (with about ~1000 damn sensor & ground wires attached to the BACK of the block!? :mad: ) and then talk to me about the "hard" jobs :p

I guess if GM knew how to build an engine, they wouldn't need so many sensors inside it for everything that goes wrong with them.

:D



(... ah, the silly season is almost over and the trash talk can turn to real driving. Good job on the repair, BTW.)

[Cap'n Pete]

I guess if GM knew how to build an engine, they wouldn't need so many sensors inside it for everything that goes wrong with them.

:D
Oh, 'dems fightin' words!!!! :p

It's actually because the LS1 is such a fine-tuned instrument, that kind of performance doesn't just "happen" by accident ;).

Ding! Ding! Ding! ... Round 2! :D

[Cap'n Pete]

''2002 Z28 - goes, turns, stops, and even flies.'' If it had turned, ya would nt known about the flying part.:p
ACTUALLY ..... if it had turned, I would have known what ROLLING was about! :o (keeping it "straight" was the only way to save it ..... going 2-wheels-off didn't help :rolleyes: ..... I almost had it! :().

[Slowpoke]

It's actually because the LS1 is such a fine-tuned instrument, that kind of performance doesn't just "happen" by accident ;)

Hmmm. Not exactly Shawn's experience, is it? That's why there's such a large aftermarket for LS1 engines... fixing everything that GM got wrong. ;)



(... this silly season has gone on long enough. We need the trash talk to end and the lapping to begin!! Good work on the repair BTW, you're much braver than I.)

[Cap'n Pete]

Hmmm. Not exactly Shawn's experience, is it? That's why there's such a large aftermarket for LS1 engines... fixing everything that GM got wrong. ;)
Shawn has the LT1 ... my car has the LS1 ;). Also the same motor as Dr. Dave's car (and Jim's Firehawk, Rick's 'Vette, and Brad's Vette).

Actually, I'm quite surprised about what happened to Shawn's crank last year ..... it's still essentially the same crank as the original "350 Chevy", which has been around for how many DECADES now?! :rolleyes: I haven't heard of many crank failures like that?! :confused: (although anything can happen in racing, obviously).

Yup, good ol' bench racing and trash talk!!! :p

[Cap'n Pete]

Good work on the repair BTW, you're much braver than I.
Thanks! :) I mean, I could either pick myself up and get back on the horse, or tuck my tail between my legs and never show my face again :rolleyes:. I'm sure some would pick the (smarter? cheaper?) latter option, but what fun would that be? ;)

I'm looking forward to a full, competitive, SAFE, fun-filled season this year! :cool:

[Cap'n Pete]

Finally, a few pictures!!

Nope, that's not a dead body under the car ... it's really me, actually doing WORK!!
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4346/img0909cl3.jpg
Big, empty hole:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4230/img0941yr9.jpg
Old, bent K-member. This pic definitely belongs on the wall of shame!! :o
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/1640/img0942it3.jpg
This is the new K-member / suspension setup, ready for installation:
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1652/img0940mm4.jpg

[Cap'n Pete]

New K-member, etc., finally installed:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5377/img0955sd1.jpg
Repaired (cracked) oil pan:
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/2870/img0956rr6.jpg
Front end back together ... the damage is MUCH less noticable!!
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2382/img0958lp7.jpg
One of the worst remaining signs:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7760/img0961nx1.jpg
Back to sqare one ... it's finally coming together!
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7200/img0963ku8.jpg

Today I'm working on the rear suspension. Hopefully between today/tomorrow, the car will be back on the ground and mobile again! Then it's off to the exhaust shop and alignment shop. Then off to the races!!

[Dave Barker]

Congrats Pete !! Looks great.

I remember the sad look on your face as the car got towed in and now you haven't just rebuilt it but improved it big time. That's the sign of a true competitor. I expect your steering response will be improved huge. You won't even think it is a Camaro.:)

Glad you won't be in my class. :D

My GAWD that Stano sway bar is BIG :eek:

[Cap'n Pete]

Thanks Dave! I don't know if I'd say it's a sign of being a true competitor, or a complete nut though!! :D

Cruised around a little bit today with the car ..... need a proper alignment BIG TIME, but otherwise, it seems to be working great!

I still have a couple body pieces (side skirts) to put back on, and little odds & ends, but just about everything is done now, EXCEPT doing something about the PAINT!! (first step? try polishing it with a high-speed buffer). Anyway, here's how she sits (much lower than before ... actually, WAY lower in the front than I was expecting!! :eek: )

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9769/img0964do5.jpg
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1826/img0965vw5.jpg

[nissannx]

Well done! I have enjoyed following your build process. Thanks for keeping us updated and showing us all how to have a positive attitude!:)
Frank

[shawn cormier]

Damn, You had thee times the job I had and you re done before me.:eek:

[Cap'n Pete]

Damn, You had thee times the job I had and you re done before me.:eek:
Motivation, buddy!!! :D

[gaspeddle]

Looks good Pete!
Appears you've gotten agressive with your camber but I don't think your front end is low enough!!! :D

[camaroguy]

i've finally got to see the pics! sorry i couldn't help. makes me miss mine.

[shawn cormier]

I got ''MOTIVATED'' today and finished my suspension,make some room Pete SGT2 here I come.:p

[Cap'n Pete]

Good stuff, Shawn!! Given that your car is already light-weight, it's going to handle amazing with the new suspension setup in it! BTW, did you end up going with the double-adjustables, or the singles?? :cool:

........ ugh, this is definitely an up-hill battle, isn't it?! :o

:D

Ah well, we're all just in it for fun, right? ;)

[CDNMadeHondaGuy]

Whiners, all of ya:p . Must be 'cause you'all Camaro Owner! :rolleyes: Makes me hankering for the days when I had a couple of 'em, NOT! Kidding folks, we all have our trials and tribulations just before the season starts in oh, two weeks?? I dropped the Civic off today and will be back tomorrow to get the clutch in, change all the fluids, new t-belt and tune up time.

Sam just mentioned that if you owned Honda's, you wouldn't have the skinned knucles. but if we all had Honda's, what a boring world perfection would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

This going to be a fun season and we are both looking forward to seeing how well you guys run. Espcially you Pete, you started out with an automatic, perfect Car, then changed the tranny to manual, and then the rear end, and the discovered r compounds, and then the crash, and now the new everything, improving every year, you should do well this year. best of luck!;)

[shawn cormier]

Sam just mentioned that if you owned Honda's, you wouldn't have the skinned knucles. but if we all had Honda's, what a boring world perfection would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D



Not to mention SLOW.

[shawn cormier]

I have a feeling........ I opened a big can of worms.:o

[shawn cormier]

Although, worms are slow also........LOLOLOLOLOLLOLLLOOOLL

[Cap'n Pete]

I have a feeling........ I opened a big can of Hondas.
Fixed ;).

Thanks Bruce! :p You know, if you wanted reliability, we could just park all the cars and WALK the race track all day long :rolleyes:. But if you wanna go fast?? ;)











.................... don't ride with me!! :D
(maybe try a BMW?!)

[Slowpoke]

Well... look at that: http://www.casc.on.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=14023

You were you on the outside, right?

[Cap'n Pete]

Wow, that's interesting! :eek:

Yup, I went through the old gravel trap, standing on the brakes for all they were worth :rolleyes:. I wonder if pavement would have saved me from making it to the wall or not? :confused: It wouldn't have made a difference at the entrance to the corner, where the back end kicked out and pointed me around the corner more than I intended to be, forcing my two-wheels-off on the inside and the resulting LAUNCH off the curbing ...

... but more paved run-off might have helped the aftermath? :o

Oh well, I really don't intend to go try it again!!! :p

[shawn cormier]

Hey Pete did you get your car aligned yet,I can t castor on the right side.

[shawn cormier]

Looks like my right lower control arm is longer and wont fit.

[Cap'n Pete]

Hey Pete did you get your car aligned yet,I can t castor on the right side.

Looks like my right lower control arm is longer and wont fit.
Are you running adjustable arms? If so, which ones?? I'm actually still on factory arms now.

I got the car aligned last Friday, and had no problem getting as much camber as I wanted to, and plenty of caster (actually, I thought I would have been able to get MORE caster, but nonetheless, more than "enough") ..... on both sides. No problems.

The car rides great, and tracks well. Contrary to what many F-body guys seem to run (maybe it's more of an Auto-X thing?) I went with a little bit of toe-in. Not much ... less than 1/16". But I didn't like the "darty" feeling of toe-out.

[shawn cormier]

Got it all back together, alignment tomorrow morning,fingers and toes are crossed.:confused:

[shawn cormier]

The right control arm is 1/4 of an inch longer and 1/4 of an inch wider rod end to rod end which makes it difficult to install and adjust ,Now UMI notice that ALL their RT control arms might be this way:eek: ,so Gerry at UMI said they are gonna redesign these arms and send me the first new set.Hoping hes not bullcrapping me, Im gonna stay quiet about this for now,I can understand sometimes crap happens its how they fix it that counts......now.

[Cap'n Pete]

Weird!? :confused:

At least my arms seemed straight/equal/symmetrical ;) .....

..... that is, before they broke!! :mad:

I did finally receive the replacement parts I asked for in lieu of the A-arms, although not ONCE was I ever able to speak directly with Ryan. I didn't really get the "warm, fuzzy feeling" dealing with them over my issue ... and yet people on the Camaro boards swear up and down about how great they are, and in particular their customer service!! :rolleyes:

..... I guess it's good as long as you're a paying customer. Try telling them their product is a life-threatening P.O.S. and you want your money back, they seem to become less customer friendly? :rolleyes:

Well, hopefully they get you a GOOD new set ASAP Shawn.

[shawn cormier]

At first Gerry in tech support said if you dont like them send them back for a refund less shipping and taxes, he could not and would not believe that they may have made a mistake. So I called back told the lady that answers phone the problem ,she must have talked to someone higher up, two hours later Gerry phone me back being super nice and willing to help.