Modifications

(as of 4/1/06, 33,335 miles)

Purchased 3/24/01, Owned 11/1/02, Tracked 5/10/03 

GGoal - Performance on Roadcourse (nothing added for looks, must have function)

***Link to 2003 Track Dates I attended***

Brakes

• Baer GT+ Rotors, Calipers, and SS Brake Lines (3/23/02)

• 

• 

• The stock brakes have a problem with warping and fade.  I hate when brakes warp and fade, and since I would like to drive the car hard, they had to go.  These brakes consists of 13.15" rotors which have thicker cheeks, curved vanes, and slots.  They are also two-piece with a billet aluminum hat.  The calipers are stronger, pressure cast, reducing flex which helps apply the pressure more evenly, preventing premature lockup and uneven pad wear.  The whole system eliminates fade and actually improves braking distance after 5 stops from 100-0mph.  After installing these with the SS Teflon brake lines, I seasoned and bedded them over a 2 week period.  Part of the bedding process was 8 back to back stops from 65mph.  The braking actually improved, as the temperature reached 900-1,100 degrees!  These brakes feel better, firmer, and smoother all the time.

• Track Brackets (aka Bishop Brackets)

• 

• I replaced my old Baer GT+ brackets with the stronger/stiffer Track Brackets in order to reduce pad taper due to bracket flex and to reduce the cost and ease of rotor replacements by going to standard Corvette C5 rotors.  C5 rotors are about 10% of the cost of the Baer replacements and will also shave about 5lbs. per side.

• Hawk HP Plus Brake Pads (5/3/03)

• I will be trying these out for 3 days at Summit Point this weekend.  They squeak like crazy when stopping at traffic light or stop sign.  I will probably take them off when I get back from the track because they also wear the rotors faster.

• Brake Ducts (5/31/03)

• I added the brake ducts after the brakes faded a few times at the Jefferson Circuit which is a tight 1.1 mile track.  I will try them out on June 24th at Pocono and see how they do.

• 

• Severn Motorsports Spindle Mounted Brake Ducts (Winter 2005)

• These were added in order to have a more solid and stable mount near the rotor for the existing brake ducts.

• 

Computer

         LS1Edit (4/23/03)

• This is a high-powered program used to edit the car's computer via a PC.  I want to use this to adjust the fuel and  timing of the engine for the cam.  After a run with my friend Steve logging the data, I realized that my Ltrim values are a bit high, and also the engine is running really rich under wide open throttle.  The good thing was there was only one instance of knock retard and it was only .1 degrees.  Although my cam did not set any engine codes, it can gain ~15hp from a tune along with a getting a better idle.  While waiting for a laptop in order to use Autotap to record the data I need to edit the computer, I did change a few things on the computer using my desktop.  I only changed absolute parameters: 

•   

• Fan 1, On/Off:    205/196deg    (Was 229/222deg)

• Fan 2, On/Off:    215/205deg    (Was 237/230deg)

• Speed Limiter:     255mph        (Was 162mph)

• Rev Limiter:        6,600rpm      (Was 6,200rpm)

• Disable CAGS Light  

• More to follow!  

• 

• Update (1/18/04)  Many months ago, I logged data to and from work, making small changes, little by little to the MAF curve in order to get the S-trims, and L-trims in order.  Along with some other tweaks to the timing table, and fan setting until I got the car running smoothly, with the L-trims dialed in, in order to make the car have the best power, with no knock retard in multiple different types of weather conditions.  I also did other things that I can't remember at this time.  The only thing I would still like to do, is to hook the car up to some wide-band 02 sensors while on the dyno to get the WOT A/F mixture dialed in perfectly.  It is pretty close now, based on the car's 02 sensors.  Not too lean, not too rich.

•  

• EFILive and Flashscan

• 

• After all the engine work I did over the winter I needed to re-tune the motor.  My buddy Steve's autotap cable hasn't been working (and the sampling rate is slow) and LS1Edit is such a dinosaur these days.  So, I decided to go with EFILive which was recommended by many, especially Marcin....Thanks!  I'm combining this with the wideband oxygen sensor to really dial in the tune.  It came with the Flashscan black box data logger which is convenient for storing about 25 minutes worth of data while at the track without the laptop in the car.

•        

• Innovative Motorsports LC-1 Wideband Oxygen Sensor and Module

• 

• I installed this to help with the tuning and to keep an eye on things while at the track.  It is MUCH more accurate than the factory narrowband 02 sensor and will allow me to dial the car in much quicker.  It features two programmable outputs.  I used one for the Dynotune Nitrous gauge and the other outputs to the EFI Flashscan datalogger.

•  

• Dynotune Nitrous Wideband 02 Digital Display

• 

Engine

• Flowmaster American Thunder Cat-back Exhaust (5/23/01)

• 

• Original Exhaust   

• 

• This was installed about a week after I had put the MTI Airlid on.  This made a noticeably deeper and louder sound to the exhaust.  By this time, I could feel a slight difference, but I was still not being too hard on the car yet, and LS-1's do not fully loosen up for 5,000-10,000 miles.  Most owners say they can feel the difference, and the dyno usually shows 8-14 hp.

• Hooker Cat-back Exhaust

• 

• I was never too satisfied with the install of the Flowmaster catback.  It was too far back and it is also known for being rather restrictive.  Most say you can gain 10-14 hp by going to most of the newer catback systems out now.  I went with the Hooker setup because it is supposed to be one of the quieter ones which I hope helps calm the longtube headers and no cats for tracks like Limerock.  It also is somewhat modular as it has flanges from the over the axle pipe to the muffler.

• QTP 1-3/4" Race Longtube Headers with High Velocity Merge Collectors (HVMC)

• 

• MTI Carbon Look Airlid (4/24/01)

•  

• Original Lid

•  

• Comparison

• 

• When I put this on, the car only had about 1,500 miles on it, so I was still taking it kind of easy.  So, it is hard to say the performance gain since I don't have a lot of feel before installing.  From what I see though, it is said to be worth 8-18 hp, along with the K&N filter.--I would believe it.

• SLP Y-Pipe (8/6/01)

• 

• The picture shows a comparison of the flattened stock one vs. the new round 2-1/2" one.  Only one side on the stock one is flattened, for ground clearance.  This mod is rumored to gain 3-10hp.  I think 3-5hp is more like it.  It added a bit more sound to the exhaust too--I like it.  Since I don't plan on doing headers, any extra flow I can get behind them is better.

• Mufflex Y-Pipe

• I wanted to have Mufflex make up a custom ovalized y-pipe to help with ground clearanc, but after bringing it to them, they decided round pipe would work ok.  Some parts under the body were massaged to allow clearance for the pipes.  Denny set it up with a 3" & 3" from the header collectors into a 4" Flowmaster y-merge collector.  Then it necks down from 4" to 3.5" for the intermediate pipe to the muffler.

• Custom Oil Cooler with Remote Mount Oil Filter (12/02)

• Below are the pictures from my installation.  I will have more of the remote mount and filter on the car in the future.

• 

• 

• This was a very long project due to lots of parts being required from multiple different manufacturers, custom fitting, and machining of parts out of aluminum.  The parts used on this consisted of a Mocal/Aeroquip cooler, Mocal thermostat, Canton oil filter adapter, Perma-cool remote filter mount, Aeroquip stainless steel braided hoses, Aeroquip -10AN full flow aluminum fittings, and a K&N Performance Gold oil filter.  The oil filter adapter was then custom ported for optimal flow along with porting of all straight aluminum fittings, and the remote oil filter mount.  One of the aluminum fittings going into the remote filter mount also had a few of the unused threads cut off to enhance flow in/out of the filter.  Aluminum spacers were TIG welded onto the remote filter adapter.  I bracket to mount the thermostat was also cut and welded out of aluminum.  The thermostat opens completely at 180F, but always allows 10% flow through the cooler.  In the summer/fall before the cooler install, the normal operating temp of the oil was 180F to 210F, but when pushing the car for a minute or so, it could easily see 220F to 240F.  I have heard that track use will take LS1 cars oil up to 290F to 310F.  The hoses, larger filter, and cooler now bump the oil capacity from 5.5qts to 7qts.  So far, although the weather is cold, the temp gauge usually shows about 170F which is the oil which is returning to the engine.  A minute or two at highway speed brings the temp to 140F(20F weather).  So most likely the oil entering the cooler is 20-30F+ higher.  Obviously 140F is too cold, but the weather is extreme right now.  I think that with warmer weather, the oil will stay around 180F and at the track hopefully will stay around 220F.  Regarding pressure drop, I have not seen any noticeable loss in oil pressure.  It still idles at ~55psi cold.  When warm and at higher rpm's, I am still seeing 60-80psi.  Another tip from Doug Rippie Motorsports was to plug the stock filter bypass hole with the supplied plug, allowing full flow to the filter and cooler at all times.   You must keep up with the oil filter, as I do, or it will begin to get plugged, and the oil pressure will then start to drop.  Many Saturdays and Sunday were dedicated to this project, and time was taken.  The results seem to be worth it, and there were no oil leaks.  All of the parts were of the highest quality, as this is not a part of the car to cut corners on.  Contrary to what my friend Nate thinks, that MOCAL/Aeroquip oil cooler is very high quality and is the same kind used on NASCAR Winston Cup cars and high end Porsche and other exotics...from the factory.  This was no doubt the hardest and most expensive project on the whole car (before cam install).  I would like to give many thanks to these two websites.  

• Craig's site has a lot of great ideas and modifications for LS1 f-bodies and was what gave me the idea and baseline guidance for the cooler.  http://www.xse.com/leres/ss/oilcooler.html  

• This other site is very similar install, only on an Acura Integra.  http://www.sportauto.cc/Oil-Cooler/acura_integra_type_r_oil_cooler_text.htm

• The below schematic is from the Acura website and is basically what mine looks like too.

• 

•  

• Total Engine Airflow Stage 1 5.7L Heads

• 

• While I had the heads off to do the rest of the work, I figured I might as well  upgrade the heads.  After an Ebay deal went bad on a set of LS6 heads, I decided to send mine off to TEA to have them ported.  They don't make super-high peak lift flow numbers, but they have real strong mid-lift flow numbers which I was more concerned about.  I also had them milled .030" to bump the compression up.  Unfortunately between the milling and the cam timing, this resulted in me having to flycut the intake side of the pistons in order have sufficient clearance.

• LS6 Valves

• These were added to lighten up the valvetrain, thus resulting in better durability at high rpm.  These valves are hollow stem, sodium filled, resulting in about 25% less mass.  They are also .6mm longer than standard LS1 valves which needs to be taken into account when adjusting the valvetrain geometry.

• Ford Racing/Bosch SVO 42# Flow matched injectors

• 

• I put these in by recommendation of Marcin to keep from having 30# injectors maxed out and to have some reserve down the road for future HP.  I went flow matched to keep tuning easy and to prevent from having an overly rich or lean cyliner.  They came with sheet showing the values which were very close (42.231# to 42.236#).

• KaTech Heavy Duty Timing Chain

• This is the same timing chain used in the Corvette C5R that is raced at the 24hrs of Daytona and LeMans, and also the 12hrs. of Sebring.  I figured it would be plenty for 400HP.  It is made in Switzerland and should keep the timing of the cam tight and accurate along with durable.

• Comp Cams Extreme Energy 216/220, .525"/.532"114LSA Cam

• I guess it took a while to pick a cam.  I had a few things in mind--durability, mild tuning, and no losses in the low-mid range.  In other words, since I am going to be using the car on the street and for hard 30 minute sessions on various roadcourses, I didn't want to have to scream it 6,600 rpm every shift to get useable power.  I also didn't want a high lift cam that was going to be hard on the valvetrain.  I am not running it 12 seconds down the strip.  I am running in the 4,000-6,500 rpm range for up to 2-1/2 hours per day at an event!  From what I read about this cam, it makes about 20-30rwhp without heads across most of the rpm range 1,600-6,600.  I didn't want a peaky HP gain or a loss of torque down low.  So far, the extra power is very noticeable.  The car is louder all around, and really starts to pull around 3,500+...noticeably.  Combined city/gas mileage has remained around 18-21mpg.  Not bad, because you know I don't baby the car.

• Comp Cams Extreme Energy 224/224, .568"/.568" 110LSA+4 Cam

• This cam should compliment the new heads and headers much better than the previous cam.  I felt comfortable with the higher lift and bigger duration since I am running the lightweight LS6 valves.  The lower LSA will bring the power range down into the lower rpm's a bit.

• Comp Cams Hardened Chromoly 7.400" Pushrods

• These were added strictly for durability.

• Comp Cams Hardened Chromoly 7.375" Pushrods

• I switched to these shorter ones due to the milled heads and .6mm longer LS6 valves.

• Comp Cams 918 Springs

• I also added these for durability, actually a must for a cam above about .510" lift.  Stock lift was .478"/.478".  These springs have a great reputation for lifts up to .620".  Since I am on the lower end of the scale, I am hoping to only have to change them every 25,000-30,000 miles, maybe longer.  They make a lot more noise!!

• Comp Cams Titanium Retainers

• These were added to make the stress and abuse on the valvetrain easier.  They weigh 40% less than the stock retainers (which aren't more than a few ounces), but think about what how much stress they put on a valvetrain spinning at 6,600rpm.  The weight loss will be greatly appreciated by your valvetrain.  They also reduce valve float and allow higher rpm running along with the upgraded springs.

• 

• GMPP Timing Chain Damper

• 

• This chain damper comes standard on 05+ LS2 motors and also on the new Z06 LS7 motor.  My 2001 block was not pre-drilled from the factory, so I had to make a template in order to drill the block and install the damper (this was not an easy task while the motor was in the car).

• Ported Oil Pump

• My friend Karl went to town on porting the oil pump in critical areas in order to increase volume (not pressure).  The visual difference before and after was big!

• LS6 Valley Cover & PCV

• It's well known that LS1 motors in F-bodies have a slight PCV problem.  I upgraded to the LS6 valley cover in order to minimize the amount of oil that gets bled in from the PCV into the throttle body/intake manifold.

• LS2 Lifter Trays

• Since a poorly cast lifter tray is what caused my whole engine failure in the first place, I decided to upgrade to the LS2 trays and drill 1/4" oil relief holes in them to allow oil to drain out at high rpm.

• KaTech Billet Belt Tensioner (1/10/04)

• This was simply installed in order to replace the stock tensioner that was wobbling a lot front to back.  This is a much more precise piece that will not wear out, and was based off the one on the Corvette C5R to eliminate the belt from jumping off at certain times above 5,200rpm.

• 

        TurnOne ASA Power Steering Pump (1/10/04)

        I thought in order to really eliminate the problem of the power steering rack making groaning sounds due to the        

        extremely hot power steering fluid temps (even using Redline fluid) I would install the TurnOne ASA pump.  This    

        pump is used on ASA stock cars which spin 6,000 - 6,800 rpm lap after lap with a Lingenfelter prepped LS1 engine.  I

        believe they say the stock one blew seals out after only a few laps, and that the reworked internals of this pump

        brought temps down from 300+ F down to a more reasonable ~220F.  The stock pump puts out ~15gpm around 6,000

        rpm, and at least 3gpm at idle for slow speed maneuvers.  The TurnOne pump is reworked internally in order to pump

        only 7gpm at 6,000 rpm thus lowering the kinetic energy an keeping the fluid much cooler.  The side effect is that it

        does not put out the 3gpm until 1,200rpm which will make the steering not fully power assisted until you pass this. 

        This is why GM does not do this from the factory.  I have not felt a difference to be honest.  It supposedly frees up a

        few HP too (2-3hp).

• Removal of A/C System (1/10/04)

• I guess the car is slightly less streetable and more track friendly.  I did this simply to remove some weight off the car, especially the front, free up some horsepower, and to allow the radiator to get a lot more cooling for those 85F+ days.  Well, it removed 34 lbs., a condenser, compressor, belt, three pulleys, belt tensioner, and a lot of room in the front of the car.  I did a few other small things this day, like the free ram air mod, KaTech serpentine belt tensioner, and ASA PS pump, but I think the removal of the A/C was what made me feel like I picked up 15+hp.  Even when the A/C isn't turned on, you are still spinning the belt, with a tensioner pushing, and the pulleys.

• 

• Harland Sharp Roller Tip Aluminum Rocker Arms (Winter 2005)

• These were added in order to increase valvetrain durability, while keeping oil temps a little bit cooler, and adding some, if little, HP!  They installed rather easily.  I cranked the motor without the fuel pump fuse, and there were no clearance issues with the heads or the valve covers.  The #1 cylinder rocker was close to the head in it's furthest position (.023").  I will probably drive the car a few miles, and then take the cover off and take a peek just to double check it.

• 

• NGK Iridium Spark Plugs (TR6IX)

• I installed these since I had two seasons and about 15k miles on my Delco platinums.  These are supposed to be very good for performance applications.  I also went down one heat range per recommendations from a few people due to track application and the extra ~75hp.

• 

• GM Performance Parts Plug Wires

• I needed new wires, and these were similar or better than stock, and a lot cheaper.  Enough said!

• TB Bypass

• My buddy and I made up the aluminum adapter on his lathe rather than buying the kit.  The following is from BMR's site:  "GM cars circulate hot coolant through the throttle body to prevent throttle blade icing in cold climate conditions. While this works great for it's intended purpose, not many of us drive our F-Bodies in the snow much! The cooler and denser the incoming air, the more power the engine can create. This kit allows you to bypass your throttle body coolant passage to keep your incoming air as cool as possible."

• 

• Ported Throttle Body

• Evans Cooling Hi-flow 160^o T-stat

• I installed this to try and keep the temps of the coolant as cool as possible.  I know that whether it is a 160, 180, or 195 thermostat, they will all be open at the track once up to speed, but the 160F thermostat will keep things cooler while on pit road waiting to go out, and will cool the car down a bit more after the cool-down lap.  According to Evans Cooling, this thermostat which was designed to work with their high output water pump, will flow upto 55% more than other thermostats.  I can only see that being beneficial to the coolant system.

Fluids

        Engine- Mobil 1 5W/30, Every 3,000 Miles with K&N Hi-Performance Gold Filter.

        Tranny- Redline D4 ATF (noticeably smoother shifts, especially when cold)

        Rear-end- Mobil 1 75W/90 Gear Lube with 1 Bottle of GM Limited Slip Additive

          Cooling- GM Dexcool with 1 Bottle of Redline Water Wetter (needle shows 5-10 degrees cooler)

         Brakes- ATE Super Blue

        Power Steering- Redline Power Steering Fluid

Miscellaneous

        Valentine One Radar (3/10/02)

        This radar was given to me by my friend Dante.  I mounted this above the rear view mirror so that it cannot be  

        seen at all from outside the car (light tint at top of windshield).  I have it hardwired into the radio, all wires 

        are concealed along pillar, headliner, and dash.  This radar detector tells you how many signals and in what 

         directions.  I have found it useful in places during my commute where it always indicates (2) signals.....then one 

        morning, in the same spot, it indicates (3), for sure there is a cop.  It seems to pick up cops very far in advance at 

        times.  It is an additional tool, not the only go by.  I have recently used little speaker wire clips with adhesive to 

        keep the wire from sliding out of the headliner.

        Autometer Ultra-Lite Water and Oil Temperature Gauges (5/11/02)

        I installed these gauges because the stock water temp gauge shows 210 degrees from about 175-225 degrees, due 

        to customers worrying about the engine in traffic on 98 models.  I wanted to accurately know what temperature I 

         was at all the time.  The oil gauge is installed because it didn't have one stock, and I hear these cars oil gets hot 

        when driving hard or at the track.  One of my Future mods is going to be an oil cooler, so this should solve that 

        problem.

        Harlan Shift Light (5/11/02)

        This was installed because the car revs so fast in 1st and 2nd gear that the tach does not keep up.  I have it set at 

        5800rpm, running off of the computer engine speed wire, and the stock tach shows about 5400rpm when the     

        computer says 5800rpm.  Also, when driving the car hard it is hard to tell the difference between 5000rpm and 

        6000rpm when you are watching the road.  The red flash is impossible to miss when looking ahead.  I installed 

        mine in the defroster vent of the a-pillar.

        Toolbox

        This holds my tools and helps me get some of the smaller jobs done.  When something bigger is going on, I go 

        over to my friend Karl's, and I help him, or he helps me depending on the job.  This guy has taught me more about 

        cars than I had ever hoped for.  I like to go over their to talk, watch, and help work on cars.  His lift really comes 

        in handy.  He knows more about cars than anybody I personally know.  He is not just a mechanic, but a 

        mechanical engineer, and a long time modified and sprint-car racer.  Stop by his place, Three Bridges Automotive 

        if you need something done to your car.

        Power Steering Cooler (11/30/02)

        I hear it is common for an LS1 f-body to overheat, boil over, and blow out the seal on the power steering when 

        driving at sustained high rpm's at the roadcourse.  The faster the engine spins, the more the power steering pump 

        spins, thus creating heat.  I installed a simple Perma-Cool 4-pass cooler, and mounted it behind the hole for the 

        foglights so that it will get ample flow.  It is 5" x 7" and should hopefully do the trick.  The reservoir is was barely 

        hot the other day after some hard, hard driving.  Usually the plastic reservoir would be very hot to touch(like 

        metal), but the other day it was barely warm. I recently moved the cooler in front of the radiator as it got really hot

       while at Summit Point and Jefferson Circuit.  I think it just needed more airflow.

        Autopower Video Camera Mount (1/30/03)

        I put this in for mounting the video camera for taking videos at the track.  It has a mount that absorbs vibration, 

        and the mount is SCCA and BMWCCA approved.

       VFN Fiberglass Hood (Winter 2005)
       This modification was strictly to take weight out of the car, and more importantly off of the front end to enhance the
       handling of the car by getting the front/rear weight distribution closer to 50/50.

       Hawker Genesis Battery

       I installed this for the same reason as the hood.--Weight and weight distribution.  I thought it would be better to put a

       small battery under the hood (13.5 lbs) rather than mounting a larger battery and heavy cable towards the middle or

       back of the car.  This battery is only about $65, compared to the Dyna-Battery version which is ~$150 and is just a re-

       badged Hawker from what I've seen on the net (seen/heard).

       Lexan - Coming Soon

       Spohn Solid Motor Mounts

       These were installed to take roughly another 10 lbs. off the front end, provide more clearance near the headers and oil

       cooler lines, and to remove some slop and twist of the motor.

       Weight Removal

       I ended up removing the interior, radio, a/c, hvac ducting, airbags, AIR pump, parking brake, etc., etc., etc.  I drilled out

       the spot-welded brackets inside, and removed just about anything I could while keeping it borderline street-legal.

       LG G2 ZR28 Spoiler

       This spoiler was used on Lou Gilotti's championship winning Camaro in the days of Speed World Challenge!  It should

       really help keep the rear planted in high speed (80+mph) sweepers. 

       Momo Steering Wheel w/QD

       I put this in for a few reasons, clean up the interior, lighten it, and make it easier to get in and out of the car.  The size is

       a bit smaller than stock which will make the steering quicker.

Safety

         OMP Racing Gloves - 918 Professional (Blue)

        Long gauntlet, 2-layer Nomex, padded palm, padded knuckles, reinforced forefinger, grey suede palm, 

        velcro adjusting back.

        Recaro Sport Seats (8/30/02)

        Well, in order to get these nice seats, I traded my front and rear leather seats and seatbelts for these nice Recaro's 

        with Sabelt Harnesses (They came out of a 00 SS with 8k miles).  In my eyes it was definitely worth it, since I had 

        already removed the rear seats to save weight.  The only downside was I paid extra money when I bought the car 

        for leather, but if they were cloth the trade may not have happened.  Even without the belts on, these seats hold 

        you!  You don't have to brace yourself or worry about your back twisting as you take a turn.  They make it a little 

        bit harder to get in and out of the car (some of this is because I sit so close to the wheel) but it is well worth it.  

        They are actually a lot more comfortable than I thought.  They weigh about the same as the stock front seats which 

        is the only downfall.  I originally wanted light-weight non-adjustable, but I am happy I have these.

       Kirkey Aluminum Deluxe Road Race Seats (Winter 2005)

       I removed the Recaros and put these in for two reasons; safety and weight removal.  They shave about 20-25 lbs. per

       seat, and are purpose built race seats.  They aren't the lightest or cheapest seats out there, but I like their construction. 

       They required some fancy work with aluminum and welding to mount up.--Thanks Karl!

       IO Port Rear Seat Mount/Stabilizer (Winter 2005)

         This was installed in order to really support the back of the seat in case of a hard impact.  Some people say the seat

       should give, others say the seat should be solid.  I've read both arguments and I took the side of the solid/stiff being

       safer.  It keeps the belts from slacking up as you are jerked back and forth.

        Sabelt 5 Point Racing Harnesses (8/30/02)

        All I can say about these is that they really hold you in the seat.  The camlock makes it easy to get in and out, jus 

        one spin of the release, and all 5 belts are loose.  I ordered stock belts so that I have the option of using either or.  

        I prefer the stock belts at most times especially on the highway when you need to be able to lean forward to check 

        your blind spots.  They are best used on single lane back roads.

       Wolfecraft 6 Point Rollcage (9/21/02)

        Wow!  This cage really firmed up the handling of the car.  The car now acts as on piece.  If I jack up on one side 

        of the car, the car actually starts to lift a bit on the other side.  3 wheels can be lifted of the ground with a single 

        jacking point.  The car feels a whole lot better now, although a lot firmer.  This addition was a must just in case 

        something happens when I am going 80mph on the downhill at Limerock, or 150mph down the straight at Watkins 

        Glen.  Most likely nothing will happen, but it is always better to be too safe.  Again this made it harder to get in and 

        out of the car, but not too bad, again, this is because I sit so close to the wheel.  I am not to concerned about the 

        passenger's ease of entry/exit, I just hope that some future girl getting in and out will be very understanding.--I have 

        a little bit of safety, and a whole lot of crazy!

        Bell M2 Helmet (12/18/02)

        The M2 is one of Bell's most popular helmets. It has a larger eye port that is perfect for those who wear glasses, or 

        those that just want a more open helmet. Snell SA2000 and SFI 31.2 certified.

        OMP Terry Labonte (Speedweeks 2002) Racing Suit (Winter 2005)

        This is a 2-layer Nomex suit that was worn by the front tire changer Murray Timm during Speedweeks at Daytona in

        2002.  It turned out it wasn't the right cut since they switched to OMP in the off-season.  Their loss is my gain!

          HANS Device

        This is kind of a no-brainer.  After all the recent deaths in motorsports, it seems quite obvious that the HANS device IS

        a MUST to have ultimate protection in the event of a crash.  Just look at the data and you will understand why.

        Schroth NASCAR Formula III 7 Point HANS Harness

        I got these as I've heard so many negative things about 5 point harnesses.  The shoulder harnesses go from 3" to 2" for

        the HANS device.  I also opted for the non-adjustable lap belts as I hate adjusting them up after I get in the car.  I set

        them up tight, so I have to suck my stomach in when latching them.

Suspension

• BMR Swaybars (6/17/01)

• 

• Original Swaybars

• The original swaybars are hollow 30mm/19mm F/R, and the BMR ones are solid 32mm/21mm F/R.  These swaybars come with polyurethane bushings which help firm up the feel as compared to the stock rubber bushings.  After putting these on, I felt an immediate reduction in body roll.  I will have more when to say when it is dry out and I get a really good feel for them.  Well, they did make a big difference.

• Comparison:

• 

• Strano 35mm Front Swaybar (Winter 2005)

• It became apparent that I could benefit from a bigger/stiffer front swaybar.  The original 30mm to 32mm was not enoough, and now I've gone to a 35mm bar.  The stiffness goes up about 43% by going from the 32mm to 35mm.  This bar is also hollow, thus taking about 13 lbs. more off the front end, helping to improve the F/R balance.

• 

        SLP Heavy Duty Swaybar Brackets (Winter 2005)
        I decided to replace the stock mounts while I was performing all of the other suspension upgrades.  I had heard of a
        few people on frrax.com who had broken their stock ones when using stiff front swaybars and running at the track. 
        I'm into preventative maintenance, and for $50, it was worth it along with all the other upgrades.
       

• BMR Strut Tower Brace (6/17/01)

• 

• This bar connects the mount for the right and left front strut mounts, which strengthens up the body/frame structure.  Now, this mod. supposedly is hard to feel unless you are pushing the car to the limits on a track, but it is said to help cure creaks and rattles, or prevent them from appearing.  When I put this on, I felt it after pulling out of my driveway on to the street.  It made the car feel more solid up front, with much crisper turn-in, and improved steering response.

• BMR Boxed Weld-In Subframe Connectors (11/18/01)

• 

• These connect the front subframe with the rear subframe.  They were welded to the frame in the back, sandwiching the frame, and tied in with a bolt through the SFC, frame, and lower control arm.  The front was then welded to the frame in the front.  This made a very noticeable difference in the stiffness and handling of the car.  I felt as much of a difference with this mod as I did when putting the sway bars on.  Now I turn the wheel, and the car instantly reacts without delay.  The car is really starting to handle now.    I can't wait to go from my 50 series tires to 40 series.  I would say that since a stock Z-28 with 245/50/16's can pull .86g's around the skidpad, that after I put the tires on, the car should be at .90+ g's.

        BMR Rear Lower Control Arms (6/7/02)

        Well, the lower control arms were put onto reduce the wheel hop that was occurring under hard acceleration. 

        Between these and the torque arm, it seems that the wheel hop is gone.  Before this the rear end would bounce off 

        the ground in 1st gear as the tires were spinning and fighting for traction.  I opted for the polyurethane bushings 

        and grease fittings.

       LG Rear Aluminum Lower Control Arms (Winter 2005)

         These replaced the BMR LCA's in order to remove the poly bushings and replace with rod ends.  This keeps the LCA's

       from binding, thus improving bite in the turns.  These are also made out of aluminum which helps shave some weight

       too.

       Spohn Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets (Winter 2005)

       These were installed to keep the lower control arms near level after lowering the car.  This as explained above will also

       help keep traction maximized.

        BMR Panhard Bar (6/7/02), **Updated (2/21/03)**

        The adjustable panhard bar was put on to firm up the handling of the car in a fast sweeper style turn where the 

        stamped rod would flex under hard loading.  Since putting this on, the car feels much more stable and predictable 

        when taking high-speed exit ramps.  This also reduced the amount of fishtailing of the car under hard acceleration 

        in 1st and 2nd gears on dry pavement.  I bought the adjustable one in case I decide to lower the car, I can 

        re-center the rear end with this.  I opted for the polyurethane bushings and grease fittings, which turned out to be a bad

       choice, as they blew out (ripped, cracked, fell out).  I have since used QA1 rod ends which will not break and will

       provide even better handling at the track, but will be a bit harsher and noisier on the street.  Next will be to change the

       lower control arms to rod ends!

       Unbalanced Engineering Panhard Relocation Brackets (Winter 2005)

         This was added mainly to try and level the panhard rod, and lower it about 4-5", thus lowering the rear roll center
       dramatically, improving mid-corner handling.  (picture shows bar still in stock location)

        BMR Torque Arm (6/15/02)

        After already having the lower control arms installed, I put this on, and I definitely have not had any wheel hop 

        since then.  The stock torque arm was stamped, and is known to absorb a lot of the power and torque of the 

        motor and has also been known to break from twisting by the torque generated by even the stock LS1 motor.  

        Under acceleration the car now feels PLANTED to the ground.  It included a polyurethane mount to the tranny.  I 

        did notice that the shifter now moves more when cruising due to the firmer mount, but it is not annoying, and I 

        was used to it the next day.

        Bilstein Shocks (5/3/03)

        All I can say is it took months for these to arrive, but they were definitely worth the wait.  Will be tested extensively 

        at the track this weekend.  The pictures below are of the rear shocks.

         Revalved Bilstein Shocks (Winter 2005)

         I got my Bilsteins revalved to work correctly with the new LG springs, swaybars, etc.  I worked with Jon Aadland's

       setup as a baseline and let Jack at Bilstein take care of the rest based on his experience.  I also had the front shock body

       machined down to make it a 1/2" shorter and increase the front suspension travel.

       LG G2 Springs (Winter 2005)

         These were added in combination with all of the other suspension mods.  I'd been using stock springs for the first two

       years at the track.  Some of my instructors thought that they were really holding me back, along with killing my tires. 

       Raising the spring rate in the front from 260 lb/in to 548 lb/in, rear from 115 lb/in to 180-230 lb/in, and lowering the car

       1.5" to 2.0" should dramatically improve the handling of the car.

       LG Front Lower Control Arms (Winter 2005)

         These were added to allow more negative camber, remove bushing deflection, and reduce unsprung weight.

       LG Front Upper Control Arms (Winter 2005)

       These were added to allow for more negative camber, suspension adjustability, and to remove bushing deflection.

Transmission/Drivetrain

• CAGS (3/31/01)

• This handy device connects to the solenoid underneath the transmission and eliminates the annoying 1-4 upshift which occurs when starting from a stop under less than 25% throttle, between 15-20mph, and when the coolant temperature has reached at least 180degrees.  This mod. is a must.  Sometimes I would be forced to shift into 4th when not expecting it.  It is pretty amazing how the car can pull 4th at these speeds and RPM's, but I prefer to pick when and which gear, and enjoy a 1-3-5 shift more than a 1-4-5.

• Hurst Billet Plus Shifter (5/01)

• 

• This shifter is 10 times better than the stock shifter.  It reduces the sloppy feel, while shortening and firming up the shifts.  I have no problems on the 2-3 shift at all so far.  I still have a hard time sometimes finding 3rd when coming from 5th or 6th, but it is better than the stock shifter was.  Picking the Hurst was a tough decision as there is also the B&M and the PRO 5.0, but I trusted the Hurst name and had heard good results from others.  Note, that this is not the same Hurst shifter that is offered as an option from the dealer.  I understand that there is a BIG difference between the two.  Also note that this shifter will make a little more noise than the stock one, but all the aftermarket shifters do.

• Hurst Shift Knob (3/24/01)

• 

• Just looks cool, to go along with the Billet Plus.  I put this on the day I picked the car up.

• TA Performance Rear-end Girdle Cover (2/9/02)

• 

• I installed this in hopes of my rear-end holding up better than others that I have heard of.  This cover is about 3/4" thick at the mounting flange, and is ribbed to reinforce the rear end, not just hold the oil in.  It also has studs that preload the whole spider/diff assembly bearing caps, in order to keep it from shifting under load.  It also holds more oil, and has a handy fill and drain plug.  I hear that the stock rear only grenades after many clutch drops(50-100) with sticky tires.  I plan on roadcourse, so I am not too worried.  I know of somebody with stock rear, who drove has 10,500 miles at the track with 400+ RWHP and torque, and rear was fine.

        Polyurethane Transmission Mount (Winter 2005)
        I put this in to continue to firm up the feel of the car and eliminate some more slop in the drivetrain.  After replacing
        the torque arm bolts with Grade 8 ones with stover nuts, I noticed the stock mount wasn't in the best shape.  So I
        upgraded it and replaced the included hardware with a Grade 8 stud also.
       

• Moser Rear Axles

• 

• I replaced the stock axles with these much beefier Moser axles after I discovered the driver side axle was really worn out at the bearing surface.  Notice how much thicker the axle flange is.

• ARP Wheel Studs

• After snapping 3 wheel studs at my last track outing at Watkins Glen, I decided to replace all the studs with ARP ones.  They are longer (nice for 315 tires and spacers) and much stronger.  I think I should make these a bi-yearly maintenance item.

Wheels/Tires

• 17" SLP ZR-1 Style Wheels (3/16/02)

• 

• I picked these up about a month after I got the car.  I got a good deal from SLP at a swap meet in Englishtown, NJ.  I am in no rush to put them on as I need tires for them(275/40/17).  I would like to wait until I wear out the stock 16" tires.  My main reason for these wheels is so that I can fit the Baer GT+ calipers and rotors.

•  

• BF Goodrich G-Force KDW Tires, 275/40/ZR17 (3/16/02)

• 

• After looking around quite a bit, these seemed to be the best tire for the money.  Tirerack.com has it rated much better than stock tires, I think a 9 out of 10 for dry, and they also liked it much better than the OEM Vette tires, Goodyear F1's.  Between adding about an 1-1/2" in width and a stiffer, lower profile sidewall, the handling of the car has greatly improved.

•  

• Kumho Victoracer Track Tires, 275/40/ZR17 (Mid-season 2004)
  These seem to be the most economical track tire to use for fun open tracking, non-competition.  I wore my 1st set out rather quickly due to improper inflation the 1st time out.  My camber settings were also not helping, as were the stock springs.  2005 should me much better with the new control arms, springs, weigh reduction/balance, increase in camber, and reduction in bushing deflection.

• 

Tow Vehicle/Trailer

        1997 GMC Sierra 2500 LB 4WD (10/03)

        I got this in order to pull the car on a trailer, eliminating my worries of getting home from a far away track if I brake or

        crash.  A brake could be the slightest, or cheapest of parts, but when you are in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday    

        with a BMW club, it is unlikely you will be able to find a part.  It is also easier then loading the car up to the brim. 

        Now I can put the track tires on and put it on the trailer.  The truck is the 8,800 lb GVWR which gives it the heavy

        duty suspension, oil cooler, tranny cooler, beefy 4L80E tranny, 8-lugs, 3.73, etc.  I like driving the truck now, but the  

        mileage stinks....10-15mpg.  Since I bought it I've added a few items; Husky mudflaps, and Extang RT smooth - rollup

        bed cover to improve mileage.

        2004 Bri-Mar CH18 Trailer (1/04)

        Being that the car is 16.2ft long, I figured it would be good to have an 18' deck which will allow room for toolboxes,    

        tire racks and possibly a different car in the future.  Some of the nice features of this trailer are dual axle brakes, 5' long 

        diamond plated ramps, and removable fenders.

        96" Delta "Jobox" Aluminum Toolbox (2/04)
        I installed one of these for extra storage.  It has come in handy for the toolbox, jack, spare parts, air tank, etc.  I opted

        for a black one to match the trailer.  It is made of aluminum which keeps its weight (most of which is on the tongue of

        the truck) to 78 lbs. compared with 158 lbs. for the steel version.  Everybody at the track thinks I bought it the trailer

        with the box....it matches nicely.  I also added two amber parking lights to sides of the box to help see the trailer while

        towing.