BaylorCamaro's Automotive Blog

Hail to the new King, the 2013 Camaro 1LE

2012-08-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well this is an interesting turn of events that I do not think many people expected and I think deep down inside Chevrolet might be a little be surprised too. What I am in fact talking about is the overall performance of the Camaro 1LE along with a journalist review of the new Camaro over at Jalopnik.

When Ford’s new Boss 302 Mustang Laguna Seca came out a year ago, most of the automotive enthusiast world stood in awe of the car and what it was capable of achieving. However has Chevrolet been able to achieve the impossible with their porkier car? Perhaps.

Anyone that knows anything about the 5^th generation Camaro that was first made available as a 2010 model knows that it suffers from being a bit of a porker at almost two tons. However things look a little better when you compare it the obese Challenger. Chevrolet decided to tackle many of the handling complaints when they introduced the 2012 Camaro ZL1, the super charged beast rides on electromagnetic suspension that allows the car to have amazing handling and cutting a sub 7 minute 50 second Nurburgring time. However many of the ZL1 developments were initially developed to be put onto the Camaro 1LE test mule.

Chevrolet is making the 1LE an option for any manual Camaro SS, and the package will cost an additional $3,500. This three and a half grand goes a long way including 20-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle G:2 tires (what the ZL1 has) and are 285/35/20 all around to further increase balance. The package also includes monotube rear shocks, larger stabilizer bars (27 mm up front and 28 mm at the rear), 3.91 gear ratio, short throw shifter, among other cosmetic additions. It is no surprise that Chevrolet has the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca in its cross hairs. However can the heavier 426 hp even compete with the lighter 444 hp Boss? Well Chevrolet is claiming that not only can it compete but it can surpass the Boss.

One thing is for certain, the 1LE completely blows the Boss out of the water when it comes to the price. You can snag the 1LE for as cheap as $37,035 but you’re going to have to reach a little deeper into your wallet if you want the Boss, with a price tag at around $49,000.

Now what does this all me? The 1LE has got a bunch of bells and whistles, but can it deliver? Well it is faster at Virginia International Raceway than a 2009 Audi R8 with the amazing V10 engine and can even take its Cadillac cousin the CTS-V. What about Fords 2013 200 mph Mustang GT500? The 1LE is only 0.3 seconds behind the 662 hp monster. So that’s probably leaving you wondering, what can it do against its primary competition the Boss 302. GM claims that the 1LE is 4.5 seconds faster than the Boss.

All of this sounds good and the claims are nice. However I’d like to see the 1LE independently tested against the Boss 302 Laguna Seca to see if these numbers and claims hold true. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone picks one up.

Camaro 1LE

Jalopnik's Article

Update on Super Charger

2012-07-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well after going to the drag strip two weeks ago, I took some data logs and e-mailed them to Vince at Trifecta. He reviewed the logs and at around 7 psi of boost my fuel system cannot keep up. Smoke1lt from Camaro5.com sent his car back down to Tracy to get the over drive pulley (that I have currently) and to figure out what is need to make the fuel system keep up. We currently have two options, the first is using a meth kit, which should work no problem since another member is making 450 rwhp with twin turbos. The second option is an after market high pressure fuel pump. However after talking to Vince, he feels that the fuel pump is not 100% compatible with the bosh ecu. I'm going to hold off on making a decesion on what to do until we hear from Tracy and what they did to Smoke1lt's car. I should hear something by the end of this week, or early next week at the latest.

This past Friday Camaro5.com member V6owner down here in Texas made a few runs at the drag strip with the stock super charger pulley and he was able to run 13.12 @ 109 mph with a 60 foot of 1.9x. Apparently that run was his last and he was running on fumes. He believes that he could have broken into the 12's, but unfortunatel that had to be his last run for the night.

If I decide to settle on the stock pulley I think I will be more than happy, being able to run stock SS times is pretty darn good! Check back for news on the super charger over drive pulley fuel system and what I ultimately decide to do!

My Car Supercharged by RX Performance

2012-06-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've had my 2010 2LT/RS since September of 2009. Originally I was going to only do minor mods to the car. However, once I started I could not stop.

Performance mods before the Supercharger were:

VMax Ported Throttle Body

Ported and Polished Intake Manifold

MRT V1 Mufflers

SS Mid Pipes

ARH LT Headers and High Flow Cats

Injen cold air intake

PFADT Lowering Springs, Sway Bars, Endlinks

However, I was pretty much at the end of the naturally aspirated route. Once I graduated college I debated trading my car in for a 2012 Camaro SS. However after thinking about it, there is absolutely no way I could bring myself to do that. I learned everything I know about cars on my 2010, from oil changes to changing the brakes, headers, etc. My 2010 simply had way too much sentimental value to me. It was then that I started to think about going into the forced induction route. After looking at the different companies I quickly decided that I would go with one of the RX Performance builds. Tracy at RX Performance has invested a ton of money into R&D for products for the 5th gen V6's while most other performance companies have not. However that wasn't the sole reason, Tracy has been supercharging vehicles since the 70's and has vast knowledge about forced induction.

Once I decided that I would go with an RX system, I then had to decide about going with a twin turbo build or a supercharger build. I looked into both systems, however I have always been a fan of superchargers and decided that's what I would do. Along with getting the supercharger system (which uses a Vortech V3 supercharger), I also got RX's super chiller (air-to-water intercooler) which cools air temps down to 55-60 degrees, which is amazing in this Texas heat (90-100 degrees outside). Finally I had my rear diff replaced with the rear end from an SS, the added power would likely play havoc with the automatic V6 rear end that didn't have limited slip.

The system is absolutely amazing and I am very impressed with it. However it seems that the Achilles heel of the entire build is the stock mass air flow sensor. I had issues with it coming back from Florida, I'm not sure whether all the extra boost (8 psi) blew out the MAF or if it was possibly damaged from condensation that I found on the MAF from the super chiller. I will be monitoring this over the next few days to weeks, to try and come to a conclusion on what the issue is.

Video of my car after the install

New badge

Intake Tube (RX Supercharged)

Picture of the blow off valve

Picture of supercharger (Vortech V3)

2012 ZL1 vs. 2013 Shelby GT500

2012-06-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

It started off with Chevrolet saying that they were bringing back the ZL1. Chevrolet released the ZL1's numbers as 580 horsepower and 556 torque, but just a day later Ford shoots back claiming their new Shelby GT500 will have over 650 horsepower and 630 torque and will be able to achieve 200 mph. These claims more than took the wind out of Chevrolet's sails, they once again one upped Chevrolet.

The ZL1 is under powered and overweight, which is why I was surprised to read this excerpt from Edmunds review - "Nothing is more humbling than watching a car with 100 fewer horses and the extra weight of an NFL running back disappear into the distance on a back road. But that's exactly what happened when we brought the two cars together to establish which is the best-driving pony car ever. The answer, as improbable as it seemed, was as obvious as the Camaro's shrinking taillights." However it is no surprise that the Camaro won the handling competition, given that it has an independent rear suspension and state-of-the-art magnetic ride control. What is surprising to me, is after all of this hype about the GT500, it fails to deliver as the best all around car. The GT500 seems to be a one hit wonder, it's all go and that's it. It seems that the GT500 is stuck in the old pony wars while the ZL1 is adapting to the times.

It should be noted that Edmunds recorded some of the best lateral acceleration that they ever have with the 2012 ZL1. The ZL1 produced 1.03g which is more than the last ZR1 tested and the same as a McLaren MP4-12C and a Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Click to read Edmunds review

Ferrari Enzo Replacement

2012-06-10T09:38:00.002-07:00

Thanks to Car and Driver, there has been some information about the Ferrari Enzo's replacement. Code named F70, this new beast will sport a hybrid V12 engine producing an estimated 920 hp. Additionally the body will benefit largely from carbon fiber and weight is set to be around 2,650lbs. Think about that for a minute... a 2,650 pound 920 hp Ferrari. Amazing.

F70

New Ford Mustang Leaks

2012-06-10T09:26:00.003-07:00

Car and Driver was able to get some information on Ford's new Mustang. The update will come in mid to late 2014 as a 2015 model. However some are speculating it might come mid year, to celebrate the Mustang's 50th birthday. Either way it is just around the corner and it appears that this isn't just going to be a cosmetic update. While the V6 and V8 engines will remain the same (although they may get direct injection), Ford is planning on adding a 4 cylinder with ecoboost to the line up. This is the first time since the '80's that a Mustang will appear with a turbocharged 4 cylinder. Perhaps the biggest change will come in the rear end of the Mustang. Rumors are Ford will be releasing the Mustang with an independent rear suspension. This would mark the first time a Mustang would have IRS, with the exception of the SVT Cobra's that were produced from 1999-2004. While this may not be confirmed yet, Car and Driver was able to snap some pictures (see below) of the IRS on one of the test mules. Finally it looks like Ford is planning on shaving some weight from the Mustang. This may not sound like much, but it really is. Since the Camaro and the Challenger weigh 3,700-4,200lbs (V6's & V8's) which is anywhere from 200-700lbs heavier than the current Mustang, these weight savings can create a huge gap between the competition. However, the Camaro will see a decrease in its weight as well in 2014 when the Camaro switches over from its current Zeta platform to the newer, lighter Alpha platform.

2015 model Mustang

A look at the test mules independent rear suspension

Car and Drivers article can be read here

Ford Focus doing some serious record settings

2012-06-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ford's 1.0-litre ecoboost Focus set 16 world speed records recently, an amazing accomplishment by the American auto maker. However the help of Ford's world rally championship super start Jari-Matti may have helped attain this records a little easier. The records were set at CREAM test circuit, located in France.

The little 1.0-litre Ford hits 0-62 mph in 11.3 seconds and has a top speed of 120mph, it does all of this while attaining 56.5mpg and having a C02 emission of 114g/km.

List below are the records Ford's Focus set:

RECORD	AVERAGE SPEED
Standing start 1 kilometre	113.522 km/h
Standing start 1 mile	79.402 mph
Flying start 1 kilometre	176.168 km/h
Flying start 1 mile	108.548 mph
Highest average speed over 10 km	172.053 km/h
Highest average speed over 100 km	187.579 km/h
Highest average speed over 500 km	186.793 km/h
Highest average speed over 10 miles	110.237 mph
Highest average speed over 100 miles	118.412 mph
Highest average speed over 1 hour	191.056 km/h (118.716 mph)
Highest average speed over 1000 km	164.361 km/h
Highest average speed over 500 miles	102.656 mph
Highest average speed over 1000 miles	103.357 mph
Highest average speed over 6 hours	165.555 km/h (102.871 mph)
Highest average speed over 12 hours	166.784 km/h (103.634 mph)
Highest average speed over 24 hours	171.029 km/h (106.272 mph)

Ford's Focus' used to set the records
sources taken from 3D Car Show

Police chase in Russa ends better than you may think

2012-06-07T12:39:00.003-07:00

I have a hard time believing that all of the police in Russia are this nice, even the police in the U.S. wouldn't end a chase this way. There are some rumored thoughts of what just might be going on here. The first is that this guy is an undercover cop, I mean the the license plate T-KILLAH it really makes you wonder the legitimacy. Second maybe this guy bribes the police, I mean it is Russia isn't it? Finally, perhaps this guy is taking advantage of wonderful diplomatic immunity. Whatever the case maybe, it must sure be nice to drive like this and get off so easy.

Chevrolet Supporting Gay Marriage?

2012-06-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Some may have never thought that they would live to see the day that an auto maker would take a stance on gay marriage. However Chevrolet's latest ads seem that it supports gay marriage through its silly yet very straight forward ad, as seen below. Controversial? Perhaps. Good marketing? Definitely. This is the first time that any auto manufacturer has taken a stance on gay marriage and whether or not this was specifically intended to target LGBT groups or not it will definitely have a lasting effect. Sure there will be some individuals that may not agree with Chevrolet and GM with their stance, I do believe that this has the potential to be a real advantage. People are already starting to comment on this around the internet, some of the posts I have seen are "I hate Chevys, but after seeing this I want to buy one now." Only time will tell how this will all play out.

Chevrolet's new add targeting LGBT groups by supporting gay marriage

Camaro going under the knife!

2012-06-02T19:19:00.002-07:00

It's official, my Camaro's overhaul has begun yesterday. Tracy over at RX performance had just moved to a new facility and the electricity hadn't been hooked up and thus the lights, lifts, and just about everything couldn't be used. Luckily all that has been taken care of and they have started work on my car. Stay tuned for more updates about my car!

First step towards force induction

Supercharged in Florida

2012-05-27T13:02:00.002-07:00

Originally I was looking into trading my 2010 2LT/RS in for a 2012 2SS/RS. However it was a difficult decision to make since I have put so much blood, sweat and tears into my car. After toying with the idea I have decided to go the force induction route. I have looked at several different companies, the choice was pretty easy, I decided to go with Tracy at RX performance in Florida. He is the ONLY performance company that has put in a lot of R&D money into the LLT engine. I have bought a few products from him in the past (RX Catch can and CNC ported throttle body), the products are of great quality. Tracy is also VERY active on forums, both Camaro5.com and BowtieV6 which is a plus in my book.

I then needed to decided on if I was going to go with a single turbo build, twin turbo build or a supercharger. I quickly discarded the single turbo due to the fact that I absolutely hate turbo lag, and I honestly cannot see a Camaro having a turbocharger over a supercharger. After looking at the twin turbo build I decided I did not not all that power (close to 500 rwhp) since this would be my daily driver, so that left me with the supercharger. I've always been a fan of a supercharger build over a turbo build so it was somewhat of an easy decision.

The build is costing $9,400 - this includes all labor, tune, supercharger, RX super chiller (air to water intercooler), and a new rear diff that is from an SS Camaro. Additionally there will be a before and after dyno pull to see the net gain.

I decided to get my car shipped to Florida and I'll go down and pick it up on June 11th. I was a bit worried about my car getting shipped, however everything went well and according to Tracy the car looks great. However I'm not very surprised considering the cars that were in the trailer were a Shelby HPE 650, Ferrari F430 and a McLaren MP4.

Shelby HPE 650

McLaren MP4

(left to right)
Shelby HPE 650, McLaren MP4, Ferrari F430

McLaren MP4

My Camaro

GM Stock Prices Soar, Once Again Worlds Largest Auto Maker

2012-02-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

GM reported an 11% (18% if adjusted for EBIT) increase in revenue in 2011 to $150.3 billion, which is an impressive increase over the $135.6 billion in 2010. Stock prices went from just shy of $26 to nearly $28 in the course of a day and a half, it has been nearly a week now and stocks have dropped a bit, but still well above where they were prior to GM's financial announcement. This has allowed GM to reclaim the title of worlds largest auto manufacturer, something it hasn't been able to do since 2007 when the Japanese giant Toyota took the number one spot.

Lucky 777

2011-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

So I just hit 777 page views and would like to thank everyone who checks out my blog. If anyone has any questions, comments, or anything they'd like to see or read about shoot me an email at crimsinmarine@hotmail.com

Lotus Exige GT3 Threading A Needle At 152 MPH

2011-12-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

I tell you what, the Australians are pretty crazy. A Lotus Exige GT3 passed between a Mazda Miata and Porsche Boxster with hardly any room to spare. All of this took place at Australia's Island Magic Enduro 2011 race, so thankfully this crazy stunt was pulled on a race track and not on a public road. In any case, there was no crash, no injuries and good video footage. The video below is taken from the Miata.

If you would like to watch the video taken in the Lotus it can be found here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqyFbUj3cYM&feature=channel_video_title

Japan Exotic Car Crash

2011-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend there was a car crash in Japan that included eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and a Toyota Prius. Yes, that's right a Toyota Prius. Apparently these exotic cars, minus the Prius (shocking, I know) were driving somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-110 mph when they crashed. All of the owners were car enthusiasts travailing to car show in Hiroshima. Amazingly no one was killed in the accident, except for $3.85 million in exotic cars.

Picture from Jalopnik.com

Chevrolet Volt Catch On Fire, Still Top Rated From Consumer Reports

2011-12-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting world that we live in right now, on one end you have people complaining that the Chevy Volt catches on fire and on the other you have Consumer Report's newest issue with the Chevrolet Volt having the highest in customer satisfaction. Seems like the two would contradict them self doesn't it? Well here's the break down, back in May during a side impact test performed by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) the battery on the Volt was damaged, however it wasn't until several months later that it caught fire in their testing facility. The news has hyped this up much more than what it really is and Chevrolet is offering a loner vehicle to any Volt owners that are concerned about the situation. So far only 33 people have taken Chevrolet on that offer.

2012 Chevy Camaro, First With 5 Star Crash Rating

2011-12-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro is the first car to pass ALL of the NHTSA crash tests with five starts. Normally when you think of a Camaro you think horse power, torque, quarter mile times and its Mustang rivalry. However this may give consumers something else to think about.

Picture from autoblog

Ford and Chevy shootout, what we have to be thankful for

2011-11-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

For anyone that is even remotely interested in the automotive industry and the pony car shoot out that has been going on in the past couple of years, I'm sure you have heard all the news of ZL1 and GT500 from last week. Lets rewind a little bit and look what has happened in this pony car war and why we should be thankful of the situation. Between 2003-2010 the Camaro was dead and the top spot was uncontested by the Mustang. Dodge came out with the Challenger and its retro look was very appealing. However, its hefty price tag much like its weight was a clear deterrent for sales.

2010 rolled around and the Camaro hit the market becoming an instant success, in fact in the last 30 months the Camaro has outsold the Mustang all but four months. Since the Mustang was uncontested in the market, there was no real urge for Ford to increase the power. With the Camaro (and Challenger) out now, Ford was forced to upgrade to stay competitive. The 2010 Camaro SS (V8) was rated at 426 hp (manual) or 400 hp (automatic). While the Challenger (SRT8) was rated at 425 hp and the Mustang at 315 hp. The V6 Camaro blew the competition out of the water at an uncertified 304 hp. The Mustang V6 had around 210 hp and the Challenger V6 was at 250 hp. Chevy set the bar and Ford wouldn't sit long before updating their engines.

Ford Motor Co. clearly had to address what the Camaro was offering. 2011 came around and Ford had new motors, the Mustang GT (V8) offered 412 hp, however its lighter weight allowed it to be marginally faster than the Camaro SS (V8). More interesting was Ford's V6, which was rated at 305 hp, just one horse power more than the 2010 Camaro V6. However, in 2011 Chevy had their V6 engine (the LLT) SAE certified at 312 hp, once again beating the V6 Mustang.

2012 marks yet another large leap for Chevrolet. The Camaro ZL1 will hit markets Spring of 2012 as a 2012 model year. The ZL1 is rated at 580 hp and 556 tq. The power is produced from a super charged 6.2 liter V8 engine, similar to that from the Cadillac CTS-V. However, in my opinion that is not the best feature of the car. The ZL1 comes standard with the third generation of magnetic ride control, similar to that of the CTS-V. The magnetic ride control, along with other suspension upgrades allowed the Camaro ZL1 to achieve an amazing time around Germany's Nuremberg Ring in just 7:41, putting it in super car territory. Thus making its main competition (Ford's GT500) just another dot in its rear view mirror or so everyone thought.

However, Ford Motor Co. would not let Chevrolet take the gold medal so soon. Just one day after Chevrolet released pricing for the Camaro ZL1 (just shy of $55,000) Ford released that the 2013 GT500 will have an amazing 650 hp and 600 tq, which is 70 more hp and 44 more tq than the ZL1. This blew up internet automotive websites instantly. There were a lot of people saying the Camaro has been beaten even before it hit show rooms.

Last week at the LA auto show, only a few days after Ford's announcement of the 2013 GT500, Chevrolet's marketing team issued a challenge to Ford Motor Co. Both Ford and Chevy would take their respective cars, pick a driver and see who's car was faster around Germany's famous Nuremberg Ring. Unfortunately Ford declined the offer, whether it was because of fear that the GT500's power would only show itself in a straight line, rather than a road course or not we may never know.

I think everyone needs to take a step back for a moment and look at what's going on here. This is an amazing time in the American automotive industry. We have not seen muscle car rivalries like this since the late 1960's and early 1970's. Competition breeds improvement, and when this happens the consumer is the ultimate winner, gaining better cars for the price. I think every automotive enthusiast whether you're a Chevy, Ford or Dodge guy (or girl) needs to be thankful of what's going on right now, especially during a time when the economy is suffering and the American automotive industry was all but dead a few years ago.

2013/2014 C7 Corvette design art leaked from GM

2011-11-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

Jalopnik was able to get their hands on confirmed designs of the next generation Corvette. If you'd like to read more here's the link http://jalopnik.com/5859302/2014-corvette-first-photos/gallery/2

This is not as much of a radical change as the concept Corvette that was seen in the second Transformers movie. However, I think most Corvette fan boys are going to find the changes unorthodox for a Corvette. This is the first time that there is a window behind the door windows. Also, the tail light design is much different than any other Corvette before it. The Corvette has always had circular tail lights, but the C7 does not. If the tail light design still looks familiar to you, that's because it is. The design looks very similar to the tail lights found on the 2010-2012 Camaro.

TOP STORIES

Picture provide from Jalopnik.com

Automotive News

2011-11-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Chevrolet celebrates their 100th birthday today. Shortly after the original founder of GM (William Durant) was forced to leave General Motors, Durant teamed up with the Swiss born American race car driver Louis Chevrolet to form Chevrolet Motor Car Company. Fast forward 100 years and Chevrolet has become GM's most successful branch, creating some amazing cars such as the Camaro, Corvette and Volt.

Ford Motor Co. reported a 2% drop in earnings to $1.65 billion most of which is due to uncertainty in Europe, volatile prices for steel and other resources. Ford is also hurting due to moving into China much later than their rival, General Motors. Costs for developing vehicles for Asian markets and building plants are putting the hurt in Ford Motor Co. wallet.

Honda and Toyota are seeing their smallest market share since 2004. Much of this is associated with a strong Japanese yen, two natural disasters and various other internal mishaps.

Rear Seat Delete

2011-10-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

After taking my back seat out, which I might add is really simple to do, only five bolts. I was left with a big gap where the seats used to be. One of my friends suggest a rear seat delete, I checked online and the only one for the Camaro cost $250 before shipping! There was no way I was going to pay that much. So after about a week of trying to figure out what I was going to do, my buddy suggested we make a rear seat delete our self. I was very hesitant at first, especially since our only cutting tool at my house was dremel! However, being a college student with a lot of time on my hands I figured why not, so with that my friend and I set out for materials.

We took VERY rough measurements for the bottom and back part of the rear seat delete. 21x47 and 20.5x46, with these dimensions we set out for Home Depot and bought a large sheet of wood about a quarter inch thick. Once we got back we traced out the design onto the wood and cut it out. After several test fittings, cutting and sanding we finally were able to get the sizes right. For the back panel we made one hole on each side near the bottom and used similar bolts (same diameter but longer) as the ones used to hold the OEM seat into the car. For the bottom part of the seat we used four bolts I had laying around to clip into the bottom of the car. I called a local fabric / foam store and they had told me they had carpet that a lot of automotive companies use. I made my trip down and found a color that was nearly exact to my carpet / floor mats. Once I got home my friend and I traced out the carpet to a size we liked and used an industrial strength spray adhesive that the fabric shop had to attach the carpet to the board. The finished product, in my opinion looks amazing. I am still surprised how closely I was able to match the OEM carpet. One thing to note is the U shape inlet we had to make on the bottom portion because the battery cable the comes from the trunk to the front of the car is fed right under the seat. If you don't make the cut for this the bottom will not lay flat.

Anyone that doesn't use their rear seats (and who really does?) and is looking for a unique look, I suggest trying this. It is easy to make and I only spent about $75 on the entire project, which is much cheaper than the "professional" version. However, let me warn you and make sure for the bottom part you attach the carpet to the correct side. Since the U cut is off centered it won't work if you mess up and we know because we messed up and had to re-do the bottom....

The Back board cut out

Fitting the carpet. We originally spray painted the board, but as you can see it looks terrible. Carpet is the way to go!

Spraying the adhesive on the carpet. NOTE you must spray it on both surfaces not just the carpet.

Cutting triangles is necessary to be able to glue the carpet around the curve of the board.

Gluing down the carpet on the curve of the board.

The back portion complete.

All down and installed in the back.

Notice the bolts on the bottom that clip the bottom board into place and the U inlet cut for the battery cable.

Note the bolt at the bottom corner that holds the back board into place.

Be sure to check out my YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/BaylorCamaro?feature=mhee

Special Centennial Corvette as Chevrolet turns 100

2011-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Chevrolet turns 100 years old this year, and to celebrate they are making a special edition Corvette. The Centennial Corvette looks really good with Carbon Flash Metallic paint and satin-black graphics and red trim. You'll be pleased to hear the package will be available on all Corvette models, not just the expensive Z06 or ZR1. However if your pockets do run deep, you can try and pick up the 100th Centennial Corvette at the Barret-Jackson event in West Palm beach, Florida on April 9. The Corvette looks great no doubt, but also has a slight performance advantage to its non Centennial brothers. The special edition Corvette sits on light weight satin black wheels and magnetic selective ride control comes standard.

Camaro ZL1 laps the Nurburgring in lightning speed

2011-10-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of hype building up over the past couple of months on how Chevrolet's monster Camaro would perform. For as far back as anyone can remember the Camaro has always been about going as fast as you can in the shortest amount of time in 1320 feet, and everything past that didn't matter. However Ford has really set the bar with their Mustang. Despite still using an ancient rear axle set up, some how Ford manages to make the Mustang handle incredibly well for what it is. The result? A 580hp 556tq supercharged LSA motor which is borrowed from the CTS-V. Maybe if it was the 70's this would suffice and GM would be done. However it isn't, and now handling is a must have. The ZL1 has not only borrowed the CTS-V's engine but it also took the magnetic ride control, and that sure has payed off. The combination of monster horsepower and a suspension that can adjust a dozen times in a blink of an eye has resulted in the Camaro ZL1 delivering an unbelievable time around the Nurburgring at 7:41.27

Photo of Mark Reuss, talking in LA. ZL1 in the background

Click For ZL1 Lap Video

For referance here is the current lap times:

Pos Make / Model Time Speed (km/h) Year Power (hp) / Weight (kg) Driven by
1. Radical SR8LM 6:48.00 182 0 455 / 650 Radical
2. Radical SR8 6:55.00 179 '05 363 / 650 Radical
3. Gumpert Apollo Speed 7:11.57 172 '09 700 / 1200 Gumpert
4. Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR 7:12.13 172 '08 600 / 1536 Dominik Farnbacher
5. Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package 7:14.64 171 '12 570 / 1509 Lexus
6. Donkervoort D8 RS 7:14.89 171 '05 350 / 600 Michael Duechting
7. Porsche 911 GT2 RS 7:18.00 169 '10 620 / 1370 Porsche
8. Radical SR3 Turbo 7:19.00 169 '03 320 / 500 Phil Bennett
9. Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 7:19.63 169 '08 647 / 1530 General Motors
10. Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR 7:22.10 168 '08 600 / 1536 Motor Trend
11. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Z07 Package 7:22.68 168 '11 512 / 1394 General Motors
12. Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package 7:22.85 167 '12 570 / 1509 Lexus
13. Gumpert Apollo Sport 7:24.00 167 '07 700 / 1200 Sport Auto
14. Nissan GT-R 7:24.22 167 '11 530 / 1736 Nissan
15. Maserati MC12 7:24.29 167 '04 632 / 1335 Marc Basseng
16. Pagani Zonda F Clubsport 7:24.65 167 '05 650 / 1230 Marc Basseng
17. Ferrari Enzo 7:25.21 167 '02 660 / 1365 Marc Basseng
18. Nissan GT-R 7:26.70 166 '08 479 / 1740 Toshio Suzuki
19. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 7:27.00 166 '11 500 / 1360 Porsche
20. Ferrari 458 Italia 7:28.00 166 '09 570 / 1485 Scuderia Autoropa
21. Porsche Carrera GT 7:28.71 165 '03 612 / 1380 Marc Basseng
22. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 7:30.00 165 '11 500 / 1360 Sport Auto
23. Porsche 911 GT2 7:31.00 164 '07 530 / 1440 Auto Motor und Sport
24. Porsche 911 Turbo S 7:32.00 164 '10 530 / 1585 Porsche
25. Pagani Zonda F 7:33.00 164 '05 602 / 1371 Sport Auto
26. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:33.00 164 '10 450 / 1400 Sport Auto
27. Koenigsegg CCX 7:33.55 164 '06 806 / 1456 Marc Basseng
28. Koenigsegg CCR 7:34.00 163 '04 806 / 1418 Sport Auto
29. Audi R8 GT 7:34.00 163 '10 560 / 1520 Sport Auto
30. Nissan GT-R Spec-V 7:34.46 163 '09 492 / 1680 Best Motoring
31. RUF RT12 7:35.00 163 '05 650 / 1573 Sport Auto
32. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:38.00 162 '06 480 / 1585 Porsche
33. Lexus LF-A 7:38.00 162 '10 560 / 1609 Sport Auto
34. Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera 7:38.00 162 '10 570 / 1430 Sport Auto
35. Ferrari 430 Scuderia 7:39.00 162 '07 510 / 1402 Sport Auto
36. Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 7:40.00 161 '06 640 / 1805 Auto Bild Sportscars
37. McLaren Mercedes SLR 7:40.00 161 '03 626 / 1693 Auto Bild
38. Porsche 911 GT3 7:40.00 161 '09 435 / 1376 Walter Rohrl
39. Porsche 911 Carrera S 7:40.00 161 '11 400 / 1415 Porsche
40. Porsche 911 GT3 7:42.00 161 '06 415 / 1395 Walter Rohrl
2012 Camaro ZL1 7:41.27
41. Radical SR3 7:42.00 161 '02 205 / 495
42. Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce 7:42.00 161 '09 670 / 1664 Sport Auto
43. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 7:42.90 160 '05 513 / 1437 Jan Magnussen
44. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:43.00 160 '03 381 / 1360 Motor
45. Pagani Zonda C12 S 7:44.00 160 '02 555 / 1250 Sport Auto
46. Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI 7:44.00 160 '09 525 / 1620 Sport Auto
47. Mercedes CLK 63 Black Series 7:45.00 159 '07 507 / 1745 Berndt Schneider
48. Gardner Douglas GD T70 Spyder 7:45.00 159 '10 710 / 900 Dario Margutti
49. Porsche 911 GT2 7:46.00 159 '00 460 / 1430 Sport Auto
50. Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 7:46.00 159 '07 530 / 1520 Auto
51. Jaguar XJ220 7:46.37 159 '92 549 / 1470 John Nielsen
52. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 7:47.00 159 '06 620 / 1748 Sport Auto
53. Wiesmann GT MF5 7:47.00 159 '08 507 / 1380 Sport Auto
54. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:47.00 159 '09 500 / 1570 Sport Auto
55. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:48.00 158 '06 415 / 1375 Sport Auto
56. BMW M3 GTS 7:48.00 158 '10 450 / 1543 Sport Auto
57. Lamborghini Murcielago 7:50.00 158 '02 580 / 1800 Sport Auto
58. BMW M3 CSL 7:50.00 158 '03 360 / 1385 Sport Auto
59. Porsche 911 Carrera S 7:50.00 158 '08 385 / 1425
60. Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series 7:51.00 157 '09 670 / 1870 Sport Auto
61. Lamborghini Gallardo 7:52.00 157 '03 500 / 1613 Sport Auto
62. Ford GT 7:52.00 157 '04 550 / 1538 Sport Auto
63. Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 7:52.00 157 '08 560 / 1530 Sport Auto
64. Mercedes CLK DTM 7:54.00 156 '04 582 / 1678 Sport Auto
65. Porsche 911 GT3 7:54.00 156 '03 380 / 1380 Sport Auto
66. Ferrari F430 7:55.00 156 '05 489 / 1450 Sport Auto
67. Caterham R500 1.8L K Series 7:55.00 156 '99 233 / 450 EVO
68. BMW M5 7:55.00 156 '11 560 / 1870 BMW
69. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:56.00 156 '00 420 / 1540 Sport Auto
70. Ferrari 360 CS 7:56.00 156 '03 425 / 1280 Sport Auto
71. Ferrari California GT 7:56.00 156 '09 460 / 1787
72. Porsche Panamera Sport Chrono Turbo 7:56.00 156 '09 500 / 1974 Auto Bild
73. Porsche Panamera Turbo 7:56.00 156 '09 500 / 1870 Walter Rohrl
74. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 7:56.00 156 '02 411 / 1414 General Motors
75. Porsche 911 GT3 7:56.33 156 '99 360 / 1350 Walter Rohrl

Trifecta Tune Step-By-Step How to

2011-10-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

I've been using Trifecta for about a year and a half right now. When I first bought Trifecta my tuning options were limited. They were so limited in fact that only Trifecta offered a tune for the 2010 V6 Camaro. First off I'd like to premise by saying this tune won't do too much for you if you're a stock six banger. GM tuned these cars really well from the factory, so I'd advise against this being your first mod, or second mod for that matter. However a couple months ago Vince at Trifecta was able to dyno tune a stock V6 and was able to muster 13rwhp out of it. So it is possible that you can get some power if you're completely stock. Now before I convince you that the Trifecta tune is worthless let me tell you why you need it down the road.

If you're looking into a tune odds are you aren't going to just lightly mod your car and call it a day. I'm assuming (yes I know that's dangerous to do!) that if you're going to buy a tune that you are planning on or already have done some heavy moding. There are a number of reasons why Trifecta is a great deal:

1) One of the best things about the tune is the tuner. Vince is amazing at what he does, I've never received customer service as good as I have from Trifecta and Vince. Emails are replied to almost immediately and if you have a problem Vince is willing to help after hours. I'm so impressed with the customer service that this, IMO makes the tune worth twice as much as it is.

2) If you buy the OBD II cord that connects your lap top to the car's ECU you can take unlimited number of data logs (within reason of course!) and email them to Vince (Trifecta) and he will check over the logs. If for some reason you're running lean or rich he will adjust for it and send you back an up-to-date tune. This is all at no extra cost. Almost all tunes you pay for three pulls on a dyno and that's it. The flexibility with Trifecta is amazing!

3) Like I explained above, you can get the tune on your car update multiple times without paying extra. However, if it is going to be a major tune like E85 or you're getting a turbo installed you will have to pay extra.

4) NO dyno needed! Most other tunes require you to go to a performance shop, strap your car down and get it dyno'ed to be able to tune it. This is all fine and dandy if you have a local performance shop. Also if you're tuning your car to specifically be a drag car it's better to dyno tune. However since most people use their V6 as a daily driver, being able to take data logs while driving on the road provides the benefit that Vince can tun your car more for daily driving than only for Wide Open Throttle (WOT).

5) If you ever plan on getting long tube headers and high flow cats you WILL get a check engine light. The only way around this is to get your car tuned for it.

6) E85, E85, E85!!!! Did I mention our cars can be tuned to run on corn? Besides supporting American farmers, E85 gives the added benefit of burning cooler and eliminating knock retard thus making more power for your car. It is equivalent to using about 110 octane. This is a great option and as a few members have shown on Camaro5.com our V6's can easily be mid 13 second cars, possibly even low 13 second cars.

The only down side I see with using Trifecta is that you aren't getting tuned for true Air/Fuel ratio, like you would on a dyno tune. Rather Vince is adjusting your commanded Air/Fuel ratio.

So that was my long winded summary of Trifecta for those of you who didn't know what it was, or weren't sure about the details. I see some people post on the forums asking how hard is it to use Trifecta? Do I need to know a lot about cars to be able to do this? etc etc. I asked the same questions when I was first looking at the Trifecta tune, and let me tell you it couldn't be easier! There is hardly required "car knowledge" to be able to use the Trifecta tune so the good news is anyone can use it successfully!

So once you order the Trifecta tune from their website (http://trifectaperformance.com/order.aspx) you have to download their tuning program which will be emailed to you. Once you do that you will get emailed a generic tune that you will load into your car and then you data log your car by driving around, going to the drag strip or on the dyno it's really up to you. Once you email Vince your data log he'll look it over and if changes need to be made he'll adjust for it and email you back the updated tune. Below is a step-by-step guide how to load a tune into your car.

When you click the Trifecta program this is the first box that comes up. It is your typical terms and conditions that you must agree to. This comes up each time you run the program. Click "I Accept" to continue.

This is the next screen you get. Here you are given the option to Program your vehicle (install a tune), take a data log (under vehicle info tab) and many more things. Click the Program tab at the top and then in the drop down bar click "Program Vehicle"

After you click "Program Vehicle" you are taken to this screen where you need to select the file (tune) that you want to load into your car. As you can see here I have four different "tunes" I can install. The stock ECU tune the stock Trans tune, an E85 tune (ECU tune) and the gas tune (ECU tune). For this example I'm going to load in my gas tune. (To make things simple make a folder to place all of your tunes in).

Once you select the file (tune) that you want to load into your car your will be brought to this screen. Once you get to this screen you need to make sure your computer is connected to the OBD II port under your steering wheel. After you've made sure that it is plugged in, turn your ignition to the ON position but DO NOT start the engine. Click OK to continue.

Once you have clicked OK you will be brought to this screen. Here you need to select what it is you're loading into your car. I.E. is it a stock (factory) engine or transmission tune, or is it a custom (aftermarket) engine or transmission tune. Almost always you will select custom tune. At the bottom you can have the transmission auto programmed, I usually leave this unchecked since I have my own custom transmission tune. Once you've selected the correct tune that you're loading in, click "Accept"

This next screen is just telling you some info about your car (I.E. your VIN #), click "ACCEPT" to continue

Once you click "ACCEPT" on the previous screen, the Trifecta program will connect to your cars ECU and install the tune and then you're all done! This last step can be as fast as 10 seconds or as long as 20-30 minutes, it depends how much software the tune is rewriting.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

Pictures of removed DRL

2011-10-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

So in my previous post I discussed how I removed the DRL and other than my non scientific method of the butt dyno, my Ultra-Gauge readings did show it made a difference, Granted what I did isn't something you would want to do if you get a lot of rain in your area, but since we haven't had serious rain in central Texas in God knows how long I think it's OK. The other issue you might run into is that you might have objects directly hitting the filter such as rocks or large bugs. Over the next couple of weeks I plan on making some sort of protective barrier to protect the filter yet allow direct air flow. Currently I'm thinking about some sort of wire mesh set up. Someone on Camaro5.com did something similar, and it looks like it works well.