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Camaro Radial Racer - Into The AbyssBuilding a drag radial racer from a Chevrolet Performance Body-In-White fifth-gen Camaro From the August, 2012 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin Cesler Photography by Mike Meeks
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To get PN 19243374 rolling... To get PN 19243374 rolling (and off of the crate) Mike Meeks had to bring a plethora of parts, as the initial purchase of the Body-In-White literally only gets you the shell. Here, you can see a front and rear subframe installed using bolts borrowed from Mike’s street going 2010 Camaro, along with wheels and tires from the same street Camaro. "Been working on the car a lot. I am bloody, and burnt, but I did it." Think your last project took a lot of work and came together quickly? What you're about to read about is a full build on an NMCA-legal LSX Drag Radial Camaro built in just 90-days. That's right, 90-days from a shell on a pallet to a full-on racecar. The man behind the insanity? Mike Meeks, the 2011 Drag Radial Champion. The car? Well, it's a Chevrolet Performance Body-In-White Fifth-Gen Camaro (BIW) and it could be your next project if you're willing to put in the work. How much work? Well, let's step back a little and learn more about exactly what we started with; PN 19243374. Billed as a package for "racers who would completely strip a production car, including its powertrain and interior components" the Body-In-White Camaro can be "a faster and more cost effective way to build a race car. You'll spend more time fine-tuning the suspension than scraping sound deadener out of the interior." For the paltry sum of 8,800-dollars (cheaper bodies can be had if you shop around, check out Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center for a great deal) you get a "basic package that includes an assembled body structure (front fenders, hood, roof, doors, rear quarters and trunk lid), and complete floor pans and chassis rails..."  Depending on your goals, the...  Depending on your goals, the BIW Camaro may look stripped down and ready to rock, or it may just be a starting point from which you will cut. Since you can’t ever drive one of these on the street (legally, at least) you won’t have to worry about much in here, and Mike was excited to cut most of the interior metal away, even as barren as this looks.  Step one, wheel tubs. Mike’s...  Step one, wheel tubs. Mike’s a drag radial kind of guy, so the BIW has to fit a set of 315/60/15 drag radial tires to be competitive in the LSX Challenge Drag Radial class. Bet you didn’t think we could say drag radial four times in one caption… did you? Either way, those little wheel tubs weren’t going to work, so it was time to break out the cutting wheel and get ‘em gone.  As always, building a car...  As always, building a car of this caliber means you’ve got to measure twice, cut once! Mike’s due diligence paid off, as you can see here from the clean cut and tucked Mickey Thompson Drag Radial. Pro tip: Try a couple different sized tires now (Mike had M/Ts and Hoosiers on hand), so that you can confirm fitment before it’s too late. That's it. And that said, it honestly doesn't get you very much of an actual fifth-gen Camaro and you don't even get to pick the color (fun fact: most Body-In-White Camaros don't actually come in white), but for the right project, it's essentially the perfect racecar starter kit and one part number gets you exactly what you need to begin. This is, in fact, an almost perfect foundation for an all-out racecar project but you must be warned, it's no easy task. If you're not comfortable building a car from almost nothing - and we mean nothing - then you may be better off starting somewhere else. But if you happen to be the reigning LSX Challenge Series Drag Radial Champion and the first and only man to win that class using a nitrous combination that "couldn't ever win" well then, this just happens to be the perfect jumping off point. "I have nothing but good things to say about this. The Body-In-White is perfect for this. Doors are heavy 57.8-lbs., but just like you build a house you got to have a good foundation. We got one here." If you haven't ever had the pleasure of meeting Mike Meeks at an event, let's just say that Mike's an excitable guy, but ask anyone around if he knows his stuff and you'll hear the same thing... Mike tells it like it is, no matter what, which is exactly why we have chosen to follow him throughout the build process of this Body-In-White turned 7-second Drag Radial contender.  Getting scared yet? We told...  Getting scared yet? We told you this wasn’t a job for the faint of heart. Mad Mike doesn’t mind though, as you can see by his willingness to cut the frame rails of the BIW to make room for a narrow rear end and a big tire. This could – potentially – destroy the entire chassis if you don’t know what you’re doing, so please keep that in mind.  Shock towers, check. Everything...  Shock towers, check. Everything else in the engine bay besides the frame rails? Gone. Again, it’s a lot of work, but imagine if you chose to start with a “real” Camaro, one that had all of the wiring, accessories, clips, screws, linings, and parts in place… It would be a real nightmare, as compared to a couple days with your cutting tool of choice.  “I’ve removed 278-lbs not...  “I’ve removed 278-lbs not counting the 114-lb doors. All the cutting is done.” For the weight weenies, that’s an incredible weight loss, and for anyone who thinks a fifth-gen Camaro is “too heavy” we present you the Weight Watchers fifth-gen program. Thirty days to a slimmer, trimmer Camaro! Additionally, Mike already campaigned a successful LSX Challenge Series entry and was more than willing to tear it apart piece by piece to convert it over to the new body. That means everything in the driveline was already proven, including the nitrous huffing engine, killer transmission, beefy solid axle rear end and torque arm suspension, which would make for an interesting conversion (torque arm solid axle fifth-gen Camaro in less than three months?!) and an awesome final product. Truth be told, we even thought about attempting to build this BIW ourselves, but the task was simply too large to be done in between writing a magazine (plus, let's be honest, we're not half the wrenches that most of you guys are) and since "The bodies do not have vehicle identification numbers, so they may be used only as racing vehicles that will never be licensed for street driving," starting a dedicated fifth-gen project from a BIW was just too much. Now, you may be thinking it's too big a project for you too, but we're going to guarantee, whether you're planning to build one or not, it's going to be an awesome journey to watch Mike's go together. And, who knows, maybe you'll take the plunge too; we know Chevrolet Performance has 'em in stock, which means it's possible that you too could be out racing with us soon!  Not even the floor was safe...  Not even the floor was safe from Mike’s cutting tools. These cuts are key to major weight reduction and allow room for the custom transmission tunnel to be mounted in the Camaro. Building a road racer or drift car out of a BIW? Well, you probably don’t need to go this far, but if 7-second elapsed times are in your future, keep cutting!  Along with the wheel tubs...  Along with the wheel tubs and the floor, Mike chose to remove almost the entire back panel of the Camaro, cutting the package tray, rear seat divider and the majority of the inner B-pillar out of the chassis. Compared to where we started (left) it may look like Mike is going backwards, but all of this metal is just weight to a competitive racer.  Out with the old, in with...  Out with the old, in with the old. That’s right, Mike chose to convert his fifth-gen BIW into a fourth-gen style torque arm rear suspension, which will keep him legal for the class and on his tight time schedule. Not interested in a torque arm setup? No problem, racers can also choose to keep the factory style IRS or switch to a 4-link setup, like those built by Strange and featured in the upcoming COPO Camaro racecars  Thanks to careful planning...  Thanks to careful planning and proper preparation, Mike’s existing rear end slid right up underneath the fifth-gen BIW and fit almost perfectly. Check out how the lower control arms slide through the modified frame rail and maintain a straight, even line. The spring pockets are close, but obviously still needs some work to be complete.  From inside the Camaro, it’s...  From inside the Camaro, it’s easy to see why Mike was so quick to cut the center of the BIW out, as it makes just enough room for the fourth-gen style torque arm and Strange rear end to sit in place.  Well hello new tunnel, how...  Well hello new tunnel, how are you doing? Lightweight, easy to build, and perfect for the job of covering the transmission, torque arm, driveshaft, and rear end. On the left, make note of the firewall plates Mike built, which make sure nothing from the engine bay (fire) could enter the driver’s compartment in the event of an emergency.  Along with the new, easily...  Along with the new, easily removable tunnel, Mike installed a new VFN fiberglass dash in the BIW, which will make mounting gauges a breeze. Styled after a factory piece, the VFN dash is substantially lighter and will allow Mike to pass for a “stock appearing” interior.  Wheel tub time! The slick...  Wheel tub time! The slick curves and quality design make these easy to install (well, relatively) and they will offer plenty of room for the largest of drag radials.  Fast forward a few weeks and...  Fast forward a few weeks and Joey Martin completed the new cage, which is integrated with the fourth-gen style torque arm rear suspension and narrowed rear. The cage is certified to keep Mike safe, even if the Camaro ends up running well into the 7-second zone.  Of course, you can’t race...  Of course, you can’t race a car with no floor, so Mike and Joey Martin had to build one out of sheetmetal and carbon fiber. It may look a bit extreme, but this design allows for maximum clearance, safety, and serviceability at the track. Need to get to the transmission or rear end? Remove a couple of Dzus fasteners and get to work.  Joey Martin built a full 25.1...  Joey Martin built a full 25.1 cage for the Camaro, keeping with the rules and attempting to keep the weight down as much as possible. Think a Fifth-Gen Camaro can’t be light? Mike’s project weighs 2,810-pounds with him in it compared to his old Firebird, which weighed in at 2,825 with a 10-point!  You know a project is getting...  You know a project is getting close when you can start on the wiring. That said, wiring a racecar from scratch is always a tedious task and on a competitive nitrous-fed entry, there is a lot of serious wiring involved. Here you can see the main Speedwire Systems relay board, along with a Nitrous Pro Flow DigiSet timer and nitrous specific relay board.  A Body-In-White doesn’t come...  A Body-In-White doesn’t come with a gas tank and Mike wouldn’t use the stock fill if it did, so it was up to the body shop to remove the factory gas door and smooth everything out.  As you’ve probably noticed,...  As you’ve probably noticed, Mike’s Body-In-White was actually a body-in-yellow, and he planned to fix that with a proper paint job. This isn’t exactly the largest or most futuristic paint booth we’ve ever seen, but from humble beginnings come great things.  With the jams done and the...  With the jams done and the first couple of coats laid out, the Camaro was really starting to come around. We’ve found that the white really helps show off the bodylines and it helps “slim down” the Camaro’s appearance, which can be nice depending on your style.  Back outside, it’s clear to...  Back outside, it’s clear to see that Mike’s project is nearing the end of the road. For most people, it would take 90-days just to get something into a body shop, not 90-days to build the entire car and paint it!  At 150 mph, it’s important...  At 150 mph, it’s important to have enough down force to keep the rear tires planted. To accomplish this the Camaro wears wing from Jerry Bickel Race Cars that Mike and Joey had to modify slightly to work on the fifth-gen body. Notice how it stays installed with or without the trunk lid, which helps Mike prep the car in between rounds and keep the angle of the wing set.  Unlike its older brother,...  Unlike its older brother, the fifth-gen Camaro has a real trunk and back glass area, which makes replacing it with lightweight Lexan and a stripped lid much easier than buying an aftermarket hatch and gigantic molded Lexan rear piece. The door glass is also Lexan to help drop weight and all of it came from Five Star Bodies in a bolt-in “trim to fit” configuration.  With the removable nose in...  With the removable nose in place, you can really see the bodylines of Mike’s Drag Radial Body-In-White project. The front end is from VFN Fiberglass, with custom work by Mike and Joey. Obviously the Camaro still needs a windshield, but it is getting dangerously close in this shot.  So close, in fact, that just...  So close, in fact, that just a couple of days later we met up with the crew in Bradenton, Florida for the season opener of the LSX Challenge Series. In the very first outing with the new car, Mike laid down a couple of low 8-second passes, qualifying for the race with an 8.15-second pass at 168.7 miles an hour.  White not your thing? That’s...  White not your thing? That’s okay, here’s Mike’s Camaro in Atlanta with a full carbon fiber wrap, which he also did himself using material sourced from the interwebs. Notice the new front fenders too, which really help the overall look of the car. For now, Mike’s still got some testing to do, but you’re just going to have to attend the LSX Shootout if you want to see more!
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1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - Street Heat
Almost no other GM model pulls off the aggressive look quite like the fourth-gen Trans Am, and when you modify one like Nathan Turjillo from Las Vegas has, well; you end up with a real showstopper....
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