I have a 67 camaro convertible that is completely stock. It's time to upgrade the suspension, brakes, steering, and put in a fuel injection setup. It's only a Sunday driver, but I would like it to handle like a modern day car. I've done a lot of searching on different products such as the Detroit Speed Suspension kits and some of the hotchkis suspension kits as well. I'm also looking for a set of disk brakes the work well and a solid rack and pinion setup. My biggest worry is getting a couple of kits and finding they aren't compatable with eachother. Im mostly looking at kits that will pretty much bolt on, with little to no body modifications. If anyone could give me suggestions on what products work best with eachother, and suggestions on which products to get, I would greatly appreciate it.

John

 

Bad news, There is no product that is going to help that much unless you alter the structure of the car. You can improve the suspention of your car but the body is a real weak point. Much of the slop you feel going around corners is the car flexing. You put a real stiff suspention and try to use it in its stock form you will damage the body.

The marketing department pressure GM engineers to design a big block Convertible. They did not want to but they gave in. When the marketing deparment wanted a Convertible Z28the engineers said no. When marketing pressed the matter the engineers said the car may not make it out of the 12 month warranty with out major issues. Managment backed the engineers.

By all means upgrade you brakes and you can upgrade your suspention for looks but unless you add a roll cage or like do not try to keep up with a hard top around a corners.

 

I have a TCI, and it worked as a bolt on, , just 6 holes to drill, and you are on, with beakes, and steering......got some pics on the gallery. Just waiting for my LSX 454 to arrive.

Also trying to get some brakets for the LSX, that gives me a headache !!!!

 

Wouldn't tying the frame, strut bars, and some sway bars help the rigidity? I know I could go all out and get clip on subframes and stuff, but I'm trying to avoid that route.

 

well, actually it will work putting the bars under it, connecting front to rear clips and sending the stress to the bars, instead of the body.

You are planing pro-touring ur ride, or just a safe daily driver......so much options out there to chose from.....

I´m not intending to race my car in any course, but time-headache saving I chose a whole clip cause in the long run, I might spend same on just upgrading parts.

And defenetly I would love to be side by side or on top in the street with some subbie-evo wanna be fast....just a little burst, to show, I can, but dont waste my time

 

Open up your doors, Now imagine there is not seats what do you see? This older design does not use the doors enforce the sturcture like modern cars. The Frame connector work great on hard tops. But a hard top forms a tube. You can connect the frame rails and it will help with the twist caused my motor torque but that will not stop twisting caused but cornering. To improve that flex you will need to strenghen the Rocker pannels. The rocker pannels of a rag top are nothing like the hard top. They are a sturctual members. Instead of a tube it forms a box type fame more like a newer Vet have. Its just not a very good one. There was a company here in PA that made a complete chassie that went under the the car and they tied it into a roll bar. It made for a very ridge setup. Don't think for a second your going to take a car you can damage if you jack it up wrong and turn it into a corning machine with two braces running 30" apart.

 

Sunday driver, complete stock, just handle and breaking better....IMO I think he can get away with the frame connectors......thinking he will like some more modern behavior in terms of steering accuracy, straight braking and so on....not seem like performance related !

But then again, no experience in Convertibles, and for that, never seen one in my life.

 

I have had my 67 for a long time. I have done a ton of research. I have also owned several other Rag tops. My Camaro if sloppy compaired to most car I have dirven. You can connect the frame and buy a better center cross brace. The car will still be sloppy. I have read dozens of threads from other websites of guy who spent a lot of money trying to make their 1st gen rag top in to some kind of touring ride. Away it ends with a disapointed owner. The upgrades look nice and "show" well but once you get to some type autocross event even a stock 69 Z28 will hold the corners better then a built Rag Top. Unless you install a roll cage. If the Cage is designed right it will be as ridge as any hard top.

New front clips, hvy swaybars, stronger springs all do the same thing they stiffen the suspension. Your suspension is not your weak point the body is. By making the suspension stiffer you risk twisting the body. This will require a frame machine to fix. Once you twist the car the first time it will be more likely to twist a second time.

I am not trying to rain on your day I am trying to help you. If you want to do these upgrade to have the Pro touring look then by all means go for it. But if you think your going to have some "G-machine" with out major mods it aint going to happen. G-machine is a car that will go around a corner at greater then one G of side force. It used to be the goal back in the day now a days 1.5 G's is more the standard to shoot for.

If you want to see what I am talking about just go out to your car and with a floor jack under the front control are jack up one wheel. Look how high you can get that wheel before another wheel leaves the ground. Then compair that it another car, any car thats not completely worn out. Warning: if your center cross brace is not install just jacking the car up like this can twist the body and require repair just to get it to align correclty.

 

Yes I understand, and I greatly appreciate all of the help. I must have mis-lead my intentions, but what I mean by "modern day car" is only the fact of taking out so much of the 67 slop. I'm not going to race or anything, or try to set G records, I'm just trying to take some of that "boat" feeling away. From what I now understand, if I really want this baby to handle well, I'm going to need a rollcage, so it will give the rigidity it is losing from being a convertible. Okay now that's straightened out, one more question. The stock 327 either needs to go, or needs a fuel injection setup bolted to it. Any good fuel injection setups for the 327? The only thing done to it are 202 heads, and a little more radical cam.

 

I also have a 67 rag/327 and I upgraded my entire suspension in 2008:

Hotchkiss sub frame connectors
Detroit Speed 600 gear box/steering hose kit
Detroit Speed sway bar
Detroit Speed upper control arms
New rear leaf springs
New shocks and springs
New tie rods
Misc. parts
Total labor and parts...$4.500.00

I've owned this car since 1988, and along with the front disc brakes that I had installed in 1990 ($900.00), this was huge improvement in the driving experience. It really feels more like a "slot car" than it did before; tight and firm. It seemed like before this upgrade I was always replacing, repairing, and realigning the front end. This was a daily driver, maybe 3-5k miles/year, but I don't drive it that much anymore.
I'm really satisfied with the investment.