[Gator67]

Trying to sort out some ride height and back space issues with my pro touring Formula and it would be helpful to know how much higher the rear wheel opening is on a Firebird as compared to a Camaro? I know the body line crease is higher and the wheel opening is flatter on a Camaro, but how much higher is the lip at a point directly above the center of the wheel?

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by Gator67

Trying to sort out some ride height and back space issues with my pro touring Formula and it would be helpful to know how much higher the rear wheel opening is on a Firebird as compared to a Camaro? I know the body line crease is higher and the wheel opening is flatter on a Camaro, but how much higher is the lip at a point directly above the center of the wheel?

Its the same due to the fact that the outer wheel house Fisher body panel is the same. In 1970 stamped FB numbers were same on Camaro and Firebird. I did this research 20 years ago, but I can get the FB #'s easily again.

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

Its the same due to the fact that the outer wheel house Fisher body panel is the same. In 1970 stamped FB numbers were same on Camaro and Firebird. I did this research 20 years ago, but I can get the FB #'s easily again.

FB opening sure looks higher. Are the door locks positioned in the same location for FB and Camaros? If so, using that as a reference point seems to indicate a difference in the hight of the wheel opening of at least a couple inches.

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by Gator67

FB opening sure looks higher. Are the door locks positioned in the same location for FB and Camaros? If so, using that as a reference point seems to indicate a difference in the hight of the wheel opening of at least a couple inches.

The striker? Yes, because you can put a Camaro door on a firebird, the outter skin is different, near the bottom and the the very inner door card area has some different holes. You really want to get a measurement from a fixed place same for both cars. The corner bottom of the rear window would be my suggestion. Maybe frame rail at the rear bumper mount to the lip with straight edge or level on the frame..

[71HOT/A]

The outer wheelhouse for 2nd gen f bodies is definitely not the same. Camaro is flat at top, Firebird is round. I've replaced plenty of both and know them well. Firebirds will clear a bit more tire than Camaros. Don't believe it, check out some of the Camaro forums where people tried Year One's 17in aluminum Z28 wheels.

[Norwood]

No way the 2nd gen outer wheel houses for Camaro and Firebird are the same. The inners yes the outers no

[sd7369]

^^^^ This is for sure. When I was working with Goodmark on the rear 1/4's 6 years ago, they were trying to attempt to get away with using Camaro wheel houses but told then flat out they will not fit as the Camaro is much wider than the FB.

[Gator67]

I’ve been using early 2nd gen Camaros as a reference for my build and was confused at first because the rear tires did not tuck in under the quarter lips the way they do on Camaros with the exact same components (rear end width, wheel/tire size and back space, coilover length, etc.). Every Camaro guy I talked to running the same set-up had to trim and role the quarter lips quite a bit because the tires (335 30 18) tuck into the wheel well a little at ride height, and obviously even more so when the suspension articulates. Even with my coilovers bottomed out and springs removed, I still have about .5” between the tire and the lip, and the tires appear be closer to the edge of the lip vertically as well. So this would mean a normal ride height leaving 2-3” or so inches between the lips and tires, which I thought was too much.

To get my tires to tuck in like on a Camaro, I would need to narrow the rear end by .375” on both sides (or order rear wheels with that much more backspace), trim and roll the lips radically, and order shocks that are about 1.5 to 1.75” shorter. When I mocked-up how things would look, it became crystal clear the car would sit way too low if I set it up this way (and much lower than a Camaro with the same amount of rear tire tucked into the wheel well). It would also leave me with too small a margin on the inside.

I spoke with Detroit Speed about this issue. They told me that the tires won't tuck in on a Firebird they way they do on a Camaro otherwise the car will sit way too low. Also, they now sell separate Quadralink kits for Camaro and Firebird, with the difference being that the Firebird kit comes with coil overs that are about 1” shorter. This way, can set up normal ride height with less space between the tire and lip.

So there definitely is a difference in the wheel opening shape and size between Camaros and Firebirds, and in the context of pro-touring, it would seem that the difference is a big advantage for Firebirds (can fit larger tires, lower set up, less trimming of the lips).