Showing posts with label Camaro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camaro. Show all posts
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
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chevy camaro z28
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chevy camaro z28 photo
chevy camaro z28
chevy camaro z28 wallpapers
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Power of Camaro Drag Racer
When making modifications to cars, especially muscle cars that are oriented to straight line acceleration and speed, most people will add power first. With what I call my stage one modifications to my camaro drag racer project car, I added power, and that is basically it. There are some negatives to doing it this way. First and foremost, and also requiring a lot of effort and money to correct, is that the stock drivetrain really isn't that strong. It just isn't built to handle the 470 horsepower and torque that my engine is making. Secondly, there are handling issues related to suspension and braking.
What does all of this mean for my project camaro drag racer? Basically it means that I have a bunch of power that I can't use. The weak drivetrain is likely the more pressing issue. The suspension leads to body roll, and costs me some traction on launches. However, these aren't new issues, in fact thanks to the sub frame connector I had welded in when I got the power upgrades, the car handles better now than before. The drivetrain issues can possibly leave you stranded on the side of the road. There are plenty of people who've blown their rear ends with less power than I have in these cars.
Right now, the clutch is the weak point of my drivetrain. With the tires headed up, the clutch will slip if I try a hard launch. When shifting into second under hard acceleration, the clutch slips occarionally. With more than 65,000 miles on it, and never having been built to handle this level of power to being with, this is to be expected from the original factory clutch.
Keeping the slipping clutch in there is a decision I made with the idea to protect the rear differential, which as I've said before isn't strong enough to handle the power running through it. These rears have been known to break under basically stock power when launched with drag radials on the car. I'd certainly prefer a slipping clutch than a broken differential. I can still drive the car with a slipping clutch; I can't with a broken ring gear.
The fix to these is upgrading to a Moser or Strange 12 bolt rear, which also lets me put in steeper gears. The choice for me would be to move from my stock 3.42 ratio to 4.10, which will give the car even better acceleration. This will certainly necessitate a new clutch. There are many brands out there, and each has their people who either like or dislike them.
Choosing to upgrade the power of my camaro drag racer was, I believe the right choice, and I would make it again. The car is certainly more enjoyable to drive; and the compliments I get on the sound are nice too. Plus, under normal driving circumstances on the street, the drivetrain issues aren't particularly problematic.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The 1967 Camaro
The mid 1960’s were an exciting in the world of American automotive production. The emergence of the muscle car was in full swing. With the introduction of the Ford Mustang in late 1964 the country was ripe for the muscle and Chevy was right there hitting the mark with the brand new Camaro. There are few cars from this period in history that have as much wide spread recognition and fame as the 1967 Camaro. From casual observers to hard core gear heads on to professional car collectors the first generation Camaro instantly captured the hearts and minds of the American public.
Like many automotive model launches of the day Chevrolet really poured on the media and marketing. Perhaps taking a tip from it’s biggest competitor the 1967 Camaro was the official pace car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500, very much like the Mustang was just a few years earlier. The Indy 500 promotion was a big one including dozens of special "Pace" cars specially made for race officials and celebrities to drive to promotions and events in the months leading up to the race. There was also a "Pacesetter" package that Chevy dealerships were able to create if they chose to.
Another big moment in the promotion of the 1967 Camaro turned out to be a first for the news media as well. For the first time ever, in the final days of June, 1966, a news conference was held live in 14 cites. This feat was accomplished by hooking up these cities together by telephone lines and had never been done before. Looking back this seems like child’s play from today’s standards but back in the 60’s this was quite a marvel! In addition to this there was a six minute television promotion, on top of newspaper and radio ads, that let the American public know they were in for something special.
The name Camaro was figured to be a good choice by the folks at Chevy because nobody had any idea what the heck it meant! When the press asked some of the project managers what the name stood for they replied, "It’s a small, vicious animal that east Mustangs." It was statements like that that really helped fuel the Mustang vs. Camaro rivalry which, arguably, worked out to more sales for both Ford and Chevy.
Like most brand new car models the 1967 Camaro has several features and quirks that are only seen on the first model year. These tell tale signs often quickly disappear as they are replaced with better or upgraded items in the second year of production. These are the tips that car enthusiasts and collectors live for. The first day the 1967 model was up for sale to the general public was September 29th, 1966.
Here are just a three things to remember at your next car auction or show that were unique to the 1967 Camaro…
- The 1967 model had both rear shocks mounted in front of the rear axle. This was changed to the more familiar staged set up (one in front and one behind) in 1968.
- Side vent windows only appeared on the ’67 model.
- The VIN plate on the first year model was located on the door pillar and was later moved to the more standard dashboard location in ’68.
It’s at least arguable that the Camaro has seen more unofficial promotion than many of its competitors. There have been dozens of popular songs written about this car, not the least of which is everyone’s’ favorite "Bitchin Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen. Various years and models of the car have appeared in movies for decades although the most memorable is the 1967 Camaro featured in the 1985 John Cusack movie "Better Off Dead" which introduced a whole new generation to the fascination of the early years of this iconic car.
As the 2000’s roll on the Camaro is seeing yet another resurgence in popular culture and a whole new look. Chevy, and many other car makers, has decided to look back at their popular models of the past for inspiration on their new models and with some great results. The 2010 Camaro burrows heavily from its first generation ancestors and with great results. With the feature of a 1968 Camaro and a concept 2010 model in the blockbuster hit movie "Transformers" yet another generation of young folks have been exposed to the mania and excitement that is the Chevy Camaro. Thanks!
Bill runs OldCarRaffle.com and HarleyDavidsonRaffles.com where he posts Charity vehicle raffles free of charge. Feel free to stop by and say hello!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=BP_Kelly
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