[Nicks67GTO]

I decided to drive up to St. Paul this weekend for the Street Machine Nationals and was not disappointed. It was a great event with a huge turnout, even with the big showdown with Car Craft just a few hundred miles away. The Auto X was huge and pretty fast. We were all well into 2nd gear through a lot of the course. Although I didn't lay down any barn burner times, I had a blast. I took a video of a run and got a few pics on a couple of websites that covered the event. I also did pretty well at the speed stop competition besting some newer Mustangs and putting up a pretty competitive time so that was kind of cool. Anyhow I ended up putting about 700 miles on the old girl, got around 15 runs at the Auto X, 10+ runs at the speed stop and rolled 16.8MPG on the way home! I had one electrical gremlin strike and I think I have it narrowed down to an ignition switch.

I did learn that the higher speed showed a clear weakness in my tire selection {Nitto555} and my driving ability, so both will clearly need to be corrected....haha

Packed the car...



Encountered a ton of rain....




Got up really early...



Beat on the old girl pretty good...


{click for video}





Headed home!...

[HWYSTR455]

Sweet! You did good!

What are some of the limitations you found with the 555s?

.

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Sweet! You did good!

What are some of the limitations you found with the 555s?

.

Well to be honest they felt like they were on the edge of breaking loose all the time. The higher speeds really showed that. The fronts would break loose and push in tight corners under what I considered moderate speed, under hard acceleration they were semi-unstable on the long sweeps, in the early zig zag I lost the ass end of the car once out of nowhere, and I had to feather the clutch to get any off line traction. The few times I pushed it a bit farther I ended up instantly losing grip just like I expected. I got beat badly by a car with the exact same SC&C stage II chassis, similar weight and a lot less power than I have. The major difference was tires and I will admit, driver. He was able to push a lot harder where I was busting loose and he won on Sunday.

I rode with the overall winner on the weekend in his 63 Chevy II for a few laps and it was night and day in most of these turns. From my understanding, tires are like 40% of this game and mine are great if you want to street drive, not so great for the auto x stuff.

[Bob with the 66]

Very well done, if I tried running my car like that I would still be pulling orange cones from underneith it. (lol...)

[HWYSTR455]

Ah, so you don't have the 'S' or sticky ones. You have to make compromises depending on the amount of street duty you see, there's no way around that. If the wheels are inexpensive enough, you could always buy another set, run stickies on those, but not many go that extra step. (or have the cash to do so)

They're not 3 years or more old are they? Tires do get harder over time. I've run the regular 555s before, and same as you noticed push/plow, but was always fairly predictable IMO.

You can look at what others run for tires, see what works for them. Vehicle weight is a big factor, don't always go by the tires lighter cars are running.

.

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by Bob with the 66

Very well done, if I tried running my car like that I would still be pulling orange cones from underneith it. (lol...)

Thanks Bob. I saw a 64 Tempest running this weekend. 100% bone stock. It looked like he was going to drag his door handles on the ground going around the corners!

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Ah, so you don't have the 'S' or sticky ones. You have to make compromises depending on the amount of street duty you see, there's no way around that. If the wheels are inexpensive enough, you could always buy another set, run stickies on those, but not many go that extra step. (or have the cash to do so)

They're not 3 years or more old are they? Tires do get harder over time. I've run the regular 555s before, and same as you noticed push/plow, but was always fairly predictable IMO.

You can look at what others run for tires, see what works for them. Vehicle weight is a big factor, don't always go by the tires lighter cars are running.

.

The tires were new in December. I figure I will end up with about 5-6K miles on this car per year so if I need new tires every season.... I guess it's part of having fun. Unfortunately im probably going to have to go to a 40 series tire too. The only 45 series tire I can find in 245 and 275 in a Pirelli Pzero

[HWYSTR455]

You should be running 40s anyway, and considering how you have it lowered, it will still look proportionate.

In general, I need rear tires every year, front tires every 1.5 - 2 years. Not sure why, but the rears don't seem to quite last as long! And that's with regular, non-sticky tires. Sticky tires last about a summer for me, and I do about 10k+ a year miles. (as a reference)

Could always pull a trailer with an extra set of wheels & tires, do a receiver hitch, they aren't too unsightly. I contemplated cutting a hole in the valance and put some trim around it to make it look nice. Can throw a cap on it when there's no hitch, dress it up some. I was going to pull a pop-up camper, paint it like the car, but the kids grew out of that kind of camping so I bailed. Someone was going to give me a trailer and 2 jet skis, thought about it again, but then I bought a pickup.

.

[Nicks67GTO]

A few weeks back I took a trip to St Paul for the Street Machine Nationals to Auto X. While at the track, I encountered a guy with a g-body that had a SC&C chassis like mine. He had pony'd up for the SC&C HD Chassis brace. This is a very common upgrade for G body guys. It triangulates the front frame rails and apparently even GM recognized there was an issue because they used a stamped version on the performance G body cars.

I had kind of scoffed at it a bit at first but then talking to this guy about his, he was very impressed and he said the difference was instant and very noticeable, even over his stock ones he had removed. Marc had talked about how the front frame rails on these cars move under load and that the steering box takes all the abuse under steering conditions. This brace triangulates everything, ties it all together and distributes the load and A body cars really could have used these and really benefit from them...

So I bought one. $217 shipped. It looks like about maybe $30 bucks worth of material if you wanted to hack one together yourself. This one is nice though and has bends where they need to be and it has a nice coating so ok.... Ill be the guinea pig.

I will say I'm impressed with how much of a difference this made. My G body guy was right, it made the car much more snappy and athletic feeling. I had about 3 hrs installing it and the difference was pretty noticeable from the first corner I turned even at slow speed. I'm not sure how the frame rails move that much under load? You would think that they would wreck body panels with that much movement but they must, because the steering feels much more responsive.

Here it is





The instructions say you have to center the piece, drill 2 3/8" Holes in the frame rails and 2 5/16" holes and tap for 3/8x16 in the engine cradle. That didn't go well for me. I ended up stripping the tapped holes in the cradle upon final TQ....so I got a 1.5" hole saw out and made a little room to get some nylocks and washers on the back of the bolts that go in the cradle. Oh well, at least its not some numbers matching frame and there was a hole there anyways so....



I also ended up having to use .195" washers to space it down a bit to miss the swaybar. It says in the instructions this might happen so I was prepared. Inside the frame I had a buttlap weld right in the middle of the hole I drilled leaving a very uneven surface. This was leaving my bolt angled. I tried to get away with just tightening it down but I snapped a bolt off upon final TQ inside the frame rail. I used on of the thick washers to take up the difference inside the framerail and leave a flat surface for the nut to snug up against. Just a bench grinder and file was all that was needed...



So I got that all done, TQ'd it down to 35 ft lbs all the way around, checked for interference and took it for a drive....this gentlemen is a great picture as to why you don't buy hooker super comp headers...

[1966geeto]

Was told the same thing by my alignment guy really old school he told me they used to have to re spec the frames when they came off the delivery trucks after being chained down the front frame rails would tweak. He had some tools from that GM sent the dealers to strap the frames down and re measure everything. He re impressiond my cross member to correct a camber problem. The kit looks like t would do the trick in stabilizing the front end.

[rohrt]

That's pretty cool. Good testimonial on the product.

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by 1966geeto

Was told the same thing by my alignment guy really old school he told me they used to have to re spec the frames when they came off the delivery trucks after being chained down the front frame rails would tweak. He had some tools from that GM sent the dealers to strap the frames down and re measure everything. He re impressiond my cross member to correct a camber problem. The kit looks like t would do the trick in stabilizing the front end.

I wonder if that would explain so many with the left front corner being low?

[imposter]

i was the original guinea pig for the a body piece as chuck (aka mark's) dad made it to fit my car a few years ago as a prototype its a great piece not sure if i felt the difference but it made me feel good look into this piece as well not the coil over set just the brace that sits on across the shock mounts
http://www.abcperformance.net/Coil-o...structions.pdf

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

I wonder if that would explain so many with the left front corner being low?

I had the frame that's under my car straightened before I boxed/coated it and checked by the same shop after it went under the car. The front lower ball joints were within 2mm of each other. That's way closer that the factory ever dreamed of having them according to my frame guy. With that said mine has that driver side front lean to it. I had to mess with shimming and i'm now at just under a 1/2" difference side to side and i'm done messing with it. I don't know what it is but these cars just have a damn lean.

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by imposter

i was the original guinea pig for the a body piece as chuck (aka mark's) dad made it to fit my car a few years ago as a prototype its a great piece not sure if i felt the difference but it made me feel good look into this piece as well not the coil over set just the brace that sits on across the shock mounts
http://www.abcperformance.net/Coil-o...structions.pdf

Interesting that you didn't feel a difference. I thought it was pretty noticeable. Regardless any time you tie stuff together and triangulate its a huge strength benefit.

Now about that ABC brace. Do you have one? What did you pay for it? What does it do for you as opposed to not having it? Was the difference noticeable? It seems like it would need triangulation to make it really tough?

[GT182]

Pirelli tires are known for not lasting very long. Compound is too soft for the tread. Give BFG TAs a try Nick, if you can get the right sizes you need. They do hold the road.

I just added a set of 225/60-15s to the front of my GTO last Friday, and what a difference in ride and handling they've made. New 15" Cragars SS rims too with the 3 bar center caps.

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by Nicks67GTO

I had the frame that's under my car straightened before I boxed/coated it and checked by the same shop after it went under the car. The front lower ball joints were within 2mm of each other. That's way closer that the factory ever dreamed of having them according to my frame guy. With that said mine has that driver side front lean to it. I had to mess with shimming and i'm now at just under a 1/2" difference side to side and i'm done messing with it. I don't know what it is but these cars just have a damn lean.

The frames twist along the length, that's where the lean comes from on some. And that is what the brace is supposed to combat, that longitudal twist. Once the body takes a set, on a 'leaned' frame, you have to straighten both. If not, once you bolt the body back up to the frame the body will just pull the frame back to where it was.

Jack up the car on the frame on the front side of the side that leans and leave it for a couple weeks. Do that a couple times and the lean will be gone. You could even loosen the body bushings while it's jacked up, then tighten after the couple weeks when you let it down. Could help hold it from tweaking again.

Careful though, you could impact panel alignment, have to watch as you jack it up.

.

[Nicks67GTO]

Nothing too cool to report other than I weighed the car now that its in its first finished form. There will be plenty of refinements, i'm just logging this here. I'm not really seeing anything too obvious that I could trim out to kill some weight other than maybe an aluminum center section and some forged wheels and aluminum heads. Oh well priority #1 is streetcar...

-3800 +/-20lbs with no driver. Weighed at the landfill

-All steel GM sheet metal 1967 GTO
-Stock frame, fully boxed with 1/8" steel and powdercoated
-1/3 tank of gas, stock tank
-PS, PB, PA, AC, stock glass, tilt column
-Iron headed 455 with an aluminum intake and Qjet and headers
-3" exhaust/dynomax ultraflo's dumped at the axle
-Aluminum radiator
-Kore3 Z51 13.4" front brakes w/ aluminum hubs and 02' F body rears with 9" DD power booster and 1" 2002 S10 RHD master cylinder
-SPC upper and lower A arms and springs
-Ridetech HQ shocks
-Currectrac RCA's
-Hellwig swaybars front and chassis mounted rear
-Stock spindles/tall ball joints
-Front HD chassis brace
-Richmond 5 speed, steel flywheel, lakewood scatter shield
-Moser 9" Housing/axles, Iron Yukon 3rd member
-Cast 18" Billet specialties Mag G's and Nitto555's
-06' GTO 8 way power leather seats and a full interior 1/3 covered in dynamat
-Radio and 4 speakers
-Vintage Air

[imposter]

pretty light i weighed my 66 convertible
it came in at 4300 no driver full tank of gas
all iron 455/th350/12 bolt chevy same suspension as you except stock spindles summit slotted rotors 11" rear drum brakes full 3" exhaust GTA wheels and no A/C

[AdamIsAdam]

Originally Posted by Nicks67GTO

I got the 06' GTO seats in today. I'm extremely happy I did this. My maiden voyage with them was fantastic. Im honestly pissed at myself that I spent the $ trying to restore the stock seats with the Legendary Rallye setup at this point. I'm trying to decide if i'm going to sell them. I might let someone else have them at a good price instead of storing them for 20 years....

Anyhow the 06' GTO seats are awesome. They sit great, have 8 way power mobility and are about the same weight as stock seats. Anyone that says they "sit up too high" must have been 6'9" and had stock buckets with broken springs in the lower seat before. I'm 6'1" + a touch and I sit in them great. They are a touch lower than my newly stuffed stockers.

I did reuse my 3" seat relocation brackets I made for the stock buckets. I figured it would allow me to run the seats forward to fit me correctly and hide the bracketry I made. I used a couple pieces of 1/8" x 1.5" wide x 3.25" long steel for the front. I used 3/16" x 1.5" angle iron for the rears. I shaved the rear angle iron down to 1" so it would clear the floor and give max headroom. Then its 12v on the red wire and a ground on the black. The install is pretty easy and straight forward. I'm going to make a thread detailing what is needed to get it done and ill link it here. If you have tools and and know what to do it's probably like a 4-5 hour job.

Well here's a few pics from the day....

Nick,
Did you ever do a thread on the 06 GTO seat install?