Real-World Ramjet

The building housing GM Performance Parts Headquarters in Grand Blanc, Michigan looks like a prison. We wondered aloud if we were in the right place as we drove up the parkway towards the building. We half-expected to be greeted by guys in black jumpsuits with mirrored sunglasses, automatic weapons and German Shepherds informing us that we would have to leave. Instead, just as we turned in to the lot, we saw the sign: GM Service Parts Operations. This had to be it.

Our host and tour guide for this visit was to be none other than fellow motorhead and all-around good guy Gary Penn. While giving us the grand tour, Penn regaled us with tales from his days as a GNX validation engineer. This guy eats, sleeps and breathes performance cars. As for GM Performance Parts' digs: We swear it is nothing like a prison inside, and the people housed within were quite friendly. There was nary a canine or weapon to be seen. Our tour concluded with Penn leading us out the doors to the parking lot. Our eyes were at once drawn to the car sitting alone in the back row. The retina-scorching yellow '92 Camaro RS is GM Performance Part's latest project car, and it is one tough ride to miss.

Penn tells us that third-gen F-cars have long been a favorite at GM Performance Parts for development and product testing. The ease with which engine/drivetrain ingress and egress can be accomplished is a big factor. "We actually have an 'All Points Bulletin' posted at the Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, AZ. We are always looking for third-generation F-bodies, C4s, B-bodies, and C-series trucks to use for calibration and development purposes. We have found that in addition to being easy to work with, these are the vehicles our customers are modifying." And why not? They're cheap, plentiful, and good looking.

"When we found this particular Camaro," Penn recounts, "it was just another ratty, used-up F-car on its way to the crusher. Chevy had used it as a long-term durability test vehicle and generally beat the hell out of it. In the end, we were able to save it from the crusher, and we purchased the car from Chevrolet for the princely sum of one dollar." Another gem: "Though it's impossible to be absolutely certain, I'm pretty sure this Camaro was one of the original Heritage Edition cars."

Heritage Edition, for those of you who don't remember, was to be a 25th anniversary tribute to the Camaro that would also coincide with the last year of third-generation production. The cars were to start life as regular-production B4C police package RS cars, then be converted to Heritage Editions by way of a breathed-on 300-hp TPI engine, a 6-speed ZF transmission from the Corvette, 3.42 rear gearing, 1LE suspension, GTA-style wheels, and twin stem-to-stern Z28 stripes reminiscent of their first-gen namesake. All in all, it was to be the double-throw-down, kick-ass Camaro of the generation.

It never happened. As is so often the case, GM trotted the Heritage cars out to public frenzy, prattled on about producing 602 of them, and then unceremoniously pulled the plug. The few pilot cars produced for publicity and testing were either banished to the crusher or reassigned to test-mule status in other programs. Not exactly a fitting end for a car with such auspicious origins. (For more info on the Heritage Edition Camaro, check out Jim Campisano's story "American Heritage" on page 52.)

While this Camaro is definitely cool, the real star of the show is the RamJet 350 crate engine nestled underhood. Sporting a distinctive cast aluminum intake plenum, the look is definitely reminiscent of the old Rochester mechanical fuel injection system. Very retro, very cool. But there is much more than just good looks to this engine. Sporting Vortec cylinder heads with 1.94/1.50-inch valves, a lumpy hydraulic roller cam, aluminum roller rockers, and a pump-gas friendly compression ratio, this is the quintessential crate engine for the future.

There is no denying that an EFI engine swap can be a daunting project. But GM has got it covered. If you're reading this, chances are pretty good that you own a fuel-injected General Motors vehicle. And if you own one, you know that no one makes them more driveable than the General. Cold-start, hot-start, throttle transitions, all are handled with great aplomb. The truth is, more than anyone else, GM has got their EFI calibrations spot-on. It is no different with their crate engines. Of course the RamJet crate engines come fully assembled, but they also include a self-contained MEFI 3 controller. Engine swaps just don't get any more plug-and-play than this: the end user must simply supply fuel and electrical power, hit the key and stand back and enjoy the rumble. Absolutely no calibration or additional electrical work is required. There is no erratic idle or missing, and throttle response is crisp and sharp.

Installation of a late-model six-speed manual transmission into a third-generation F-body has become a popular mod, and rightly so. Usually, though, it is a T-56 that finds its way into the tunnel. The GMPP Camaro was the lucky recipient of a Corvette-spec ZF gearbox and clutch (these presumably were left over from its days as a Heritage Edition mule and then found their way back home). Silky smooth clutch engagement and precise, ultra-short gear throws are the reward for the extra effort. Surprisingly, the original rear still resides beneath this car, though it now holds a 4.10 ring and pinion gear. Trust us when we tell you that this rear end won't be around for long if someone gets the urge to bolt up a pair of slicks.

This car was re-assembled entirely within the confines of GM's Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, Arizona. "When we got it from Chevy, it was basically a rolling chassis. It had no engine or transmission in it at all," recounts Penn. "The guys in Mesa put in the ZF six-speed, and hung lLE brakes and driveshaft on it. After we dropped the RamJet in it, they custom built the headers and sprayed it this less-than-subtle shade of yellow." We were somewhat surprised to find that the RS still sports a full compliment of comfort niceties including cruise control and all of the standard power accessories. Everything a late-model hot rodder has come to expect. Even the air conditioning still works. "After all, this car was built in the desert," Penn reminded us. Hmm, good point.

Most people will agree that few things are as cool or as attention grabbing as a yellow Camaro. Even a quick spin in this beastie was all it took to further drive that point home. This car pulls and sounds like a warmed-over LT1. Bottom end torque is sensational: at just 2,000 rpm, it is already over 375 lbs.-ft. And it is that abundant low-end torque that makes this car a great stoplight-to-stoplight brawler. Perhaps it is the 4.10 gears or the ZF six-speed transmission, but this car felt substantially stronger than its rated 350 gross flywheel horsepower, and it cetainly felt better than it's original incarnation as a 300-hp Heritage Edition (which we sampled years ago).

A few impromptu acceleration contests between editor Hunkins in this car and your author in a 2001 Corvette Z06 provided surprising results. The RamJet car would consistently jump out ahead of the Vette, but would slowly lose ground as we hit the rev-limiter and madly rowed our way through the gears. The near-400 lbs.-ft. of torque was immediately apparent, but the lighter and more aerodynamic Z06's top end charge was just too much, as it always managed to reel in the Camaro. No doubt about it, the RamJet 350 is a stout little mill. We can definitely see this car running high twelves with the simple addition of some sticky hides (assuming, of course, the rear-end doesn't scatter at the starting line).

The RamJet 350 makes for an ideal engine swap for your weak-in-the-knees V6 or TBI 305 third gen. Set it up similar to this car, and you will have a car that is fully capable of surprising many a fourth-generation owner. One thing that could make it even better is to swap out the RamJet 350 for the even nastier RamJet 502. Hmm, that might make an interesting project car. Imagine the same great driveability and reliability of the EFI small-block, but with the additional brute torque of a big block. Sounds plenty good to us. Any takers?

On the other hand, we have heard rumors of an aluminum-head RamJet 430 in the future of this Camaro. It promises all the driveability and ease of fitment that the current Mouse possesses but with even more power (an additional 80 horsepower!) and none of the packaging headaches of the big Rat. Sounds like things at GM Performance Parts are about to get even more interesting.