Newest update:
So i installed my new carpet from Stock Interiors (decided not to go without carpet) and it looks decents but i cant fogure out how to get the creases and stuff out? I also have my new seats in finally.

Heres a pic:


And then here is a pic from the passenger side. You can kinda see around the foot area that i messed up over here trimmed too much and idk what to do... Any ideas?


Here is what im talking about with fixing creases and stuff. It just doesnt look right.


View from behind:


They recline down pretty far chicka chicka yaaaaa


Heres what im talking about where i messed up. Any ideas on fixes?




Let me know what you guys think!

 

You can sew on the piece of carpet you cut out, from the back side. You'll need to use a thick needle made for upholstery, and thicker thread. Using the same piece of carpet that you cut out will keep the same pattern and fit, and make the seam pretty much invisible.
After unboxing new carpet, it helps to lay it out on the driveway for a while, when you have a good hot sunny day. That can help to iron out some wrinkles. Yours should lay flat eventually, but heating it up with a hair dryer, and massaging the wrinkles with your hand may speed it up.

 

You really need to take a hard look at your project. What do you want out of the car and what is your time frame. I have been watching young guys doing these projects for the last 30 years. They normally start with the car being torn apart and parts being bought because of really good deals. But in the end the projects never get finished because of a lack of a plan. The most important part of any, I mean any car build is the plan and a budget. Even large well financed builds need a plan and a budget or things get out of hand.
To build a Plan you need to answer a few questions.

What do I want from the car?
Example: I want my Camaro to drive every day, It will need to pass state safety inspection. I want it to run 12 seconds in the ¼ mile but I am not concerned about creature comforts or style. Paint is optional.

Budget?
Example: I plan on spending $5,000 in the next 6 month and I have about 12 hour per weekend to do the job.

Resources?
Example: I have a garage and all hand tools to complete all but machine shop work myself. I have a V6 camaro shell.

Based on those answers you add in about 100 hours of research and you build your plan.
You should have detailed information about Engine, transmission, rear, any custom wiring, Fuel control system, ignition systems. It’s the blue print for your car without pictures. The only questions that should come up during the project are that of fit and sizes. Things like the gage of wire needed to the coil should already be done but you’re going to have to figure out which connector and the best way to crimp it as you go.

The two biggest mistakes I see in larger projects is a lack of a Plan and a failure to define what you really want. Even old guys are quick to say I want it as fast as possible. Do you? Do you really want a 500hp car that ONLY runs well from 5200-7500 RPMs? That engine is easy to build and can be done on a budget. But in most cases guys want a car with street manners that can cruised and shown off on the weekend without looking like a tool because the car will not idle under 1800 RPMs and is hard to control and they want 500hp,
That is a tuff build without a Turbo or supercharger even for a pro and you better be bringing a lot of bank. I have a good friend who spent 18K building his dream 500HP 396 then a years later he spent 6K scaling it back to about 420 street able HP and is MUCH happier with it. I think I have said “told you so” at least 6 times he would have smacked be by now but I am twice his size There is no such thing as the best engine. At one end engine of the scale you have an all out race engine and at the other end you have a bone stock super reliable factory engine. The question is where you want to be between those two extremes.

You really need that plan if you let a “Good Deals” on parts define what you are doing it can really mess you up. Let’s say you get a great deal on a set of race car heads. Now you can hit 500 HP and all you need is an EFI system that will work with it. Then you find out you need a special intake to work with those heads and high end injectors and a standalone fuel management system that is going to cost 6K. With a plan there is no surprises if you want to vary from the plan then you need to address everything that effects before you make the purchase. If you buy a great deal you can always resell it if you cannot make it fit into your Plan.

Just about everything you have posted to date has shown a lack of a plan. If you are shooting for 500 street able HP you better have about 15K in your budget, anything less than that you’re not being realistic. Fuel lines, pump and engine mounts should all be part of the plan and nothing should be bought or installed before the detailed plan is complete. Build as you go does NOT work.

 

You're right, I dont really have a plan, just a vision. I want to get as close to 500hp. I want to get a leather interior from redlinegoods.com and have been talking to them and they are going to be making me a dashboard. My interior will be blak with red stitch and my doors and armrest say "camaro".

My budget... I have probably around 6k wrapped up into the whole thing right now and i can see how stuff adds up fast. I am looking to spend around 4k more to have it finished, and maybe after a month or so, another grand on paint.

I have almost everything. I just need to buy a k member and get my engine built up. I gonna get a balanced scat 900 crank forged rotation assembly, pro comp aliminum heads, a weider dual plane intake, and whatever carb is best for my money. Then i need the following:

-electric water pump
-electric ps pump
-an6 tranny hoses
-radiator/tranny cooler
-oil cooler
-hvac blockoff plate from bmr
-braided steel hose covers

And that should be about it.

I have almost all the wiring done and i'm not even gonna worry about that anymore.

What do you think??

-Austin

 

rearend and trans will not handle 500 hp for very long. i think 400 is more realistic. have a look here http://www.elliottsportworks.com/ one of the best lt1 port masters in the country and can match a cam quite well.

 

Even at 400HP the stock rear and tranny will not be dependable. Course I am not sure what tranny you are talking about. What tranny are you using? It will be tuff to get a reliable 400hp rear for less than 2K and 2-3K for the trans.

When you say you have all the wiring do you have all the new gages? How about the exhaust system? The tranny you have will need to address the torque arm. New shifter? Drive shaft? Do you have a hood that will fit the carb. Normally with these car guy use low profile intakes any idea how high you dual plane is going to sit?


I think it is great your doing all this but you should understand the when you are done the car will be worth about $3000 and will take a long time to sell. Most guys that build cars like this end up selling the parts and scaping the body when they are done with it. For around 10K you could buy a LS1 camaro that is built well and runs 11 second and is near 450 hp and you can drive it all day long.

Another mistake I see young guys make is they put evey penny they have into an engine. Then it blows 4 weeks later. When a high performace engine blows at 6000RPMs it can destroy every single part in the engine. It can even wipe out the trans. Even the best engine builders/machine shop make mistakes.

 

I chose to start with a 700r4 since it has the same dimensions and would be easiest to put in, also i could keep my driveshaft. It has been rebuilt with alto red frictions and a transgo shift kit, a 11 vain (i think?) pump, beast sunshell, and idk what else lol but im putting that in next time im at the shop, ill take pics. Im not changing the shifters or nothin, same linkage, etc. Itll be all manual shift (due to the shift kit install profile).

The new tranny will bolt up perfectly to the torque arm, and the only thing i have to figure out regarding the tranny is wiring up the torque comverter lock up. The weakest part will for sure be the 10 bolt rear end but i am not going to bother changing it until that one goes out, then ill pickup a 10 bolt rear with disc brakes and get it rebuilt.

I am aware of the problem with hood clearance, and i think i know how i can get it to fit with the stock hood:
1) the lt1 k members motor mounts will sit around 1in lower
2) a low profile dual plane intake will be invaluable and probably will save me like 4in
3) spectre makes a low profile plenum that attached to carbs and will let me tube my air filters down by the front holes in my body kit, saving me around 4 inches with a conventional air cleaner and also giving me much colder air


Now i know the tranny doesnt make the most sense, believe me i would have LOVED a th400 or th350, but i think my choices will be most economical and as long as i keep the tranny cool and take care of it, i think it should hold up. What do you think about it all?

Basically, its down to this: i need 3-4k to finish the engine, radiator, steering pump, and small things

 

@craby i dont have an lt1 though? Would he do sbc cams/heads?

Also, what do you guys think about this cam???

The big ***** thumpr:
COMP Cams: Big ***** Thumpr™, 299THR7 <BR> Very Rough Idle, Street/Strip

Or would i be better off with a less extreme grind?
Like the ***** thumpr:
08-601-8 - Thumpr

Or do you guys have a completely different recommendation? I want something with tons of torque around the low to mid end. What kind of numbers do you guys think i would produce with those two cams if i had a 383 forged bottom end, a good dual plan intake, cheap 64cc aluminum heads with like 200cc intake runners?

 

Just checked out some vids of 383 strokers with the big ***** thumpr cam.... Pretty conviced that cam is made for me! Sounds sick! And ive seen people idle them around 1k perfectly! And they sound amazing at like 700rpm. Plus that should be a ton of bottom end torque which would be desirable for take offs and cruising. Right? I appreciate everyones input!

-Austin

 

When picking a cam you need to know what HP ranger you are shooting for at what RPMs. This would also be based on what heads you are using and how they flow not what it sounds like. You need to design the engine to be something NOT put parts together to see what it will be.

Your 700R4 is out of a Camaro? I a, pretty sure they are on only cases that can handle the torque arm/ Most people that go over 400HP convert the torque arm mount to a body mount because it will break the trans case. That would not be a problem for you because with just one tire spinning your not going hurt anything or really go anywhere.

So with a stock rear and a motor that has almost no power until about 4000 RPMs how in the world are you going to get that thing moving? Cause if you go with a 3500 RPM stall converter your not going to be able to keep the tire from spinning. If you don't use a 3500 stall converter you be lucky to break 13 second 1/4 mile even with near 500hp. I still do not think you have done anywhere near enough research or a plan. The plan would include the motor design RPM range you plan on using, a way to get to thise RPMs and how the car will hook up. Getting a car to Launch right is one of the most important parts of drag racings.

You do know that at 500 HP you should really be looking at a ford 9 inch or GM 12 bolt The 10 bolt will not hold up and that the stock rear suspension system will all need replaced. IF you could get 500 HP to hook up and you had the stock rear suspension and tranny mount you would wrap that rear, trashing the rear and the transmission all in about 3 seconds. Not to mention some serious frame and floor damage.