# 1978 Camaro Z28



## Judge (Jun 1, 2005)

I thought I would brag on my car.  It's strictly drag strip.  My best 1/8 mile time with 4.88 gears was 7.06 at 96 MPH.  I put in 3:55 gears and ran it out the 1/4 mile at 11.46  at 116 MPH.  Not bad for a carburated Small Block Chevy.  Hopefully the pic will come through


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## Jim Thompson (Jun 1, 2005)

Sounds like this beast will flat out run!

Jim


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## ramblinrack (Jun 1, 2005)

very nice! a lot of us on here had (have) muscle cars and do enjoy the pics! thanks for posting.


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## Meriwether Mike (Jun 1, 2005)

Looks like fun to me. Its nice to just stand on it and let them horses gallop.


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## rayjay (Jun 1, 2005)

If you are really serious I can tell you how to take a lot of weight out of a 2nd generation Camaro. I had a 77 with a 78 front clip that weighed 2600 lbs without driver. The only lightweight components were the fiberglass hood and spun allum wheels. All stock glass, windows rolled up and down, etc. 6 point bar, custom subframe connectors, etc.  I'll try and scan in a pic.

rj


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## Judge (Jun 1, 2005)

*Weight Reduction*



			
				rayjay said:
			
		

> If you are really serious I can tell you how to take a lot of weight out of a 2nd generation Camaro. I had a 77 with a 78 front clip that weighed 2600 lbs without driver. The only lightweight components were the fiberglass hood and spun allum wheels. All stock glass, windows rolled up and down, etc. 6 point bar, custom subframe connectors, etc.  I'll try and scan in a pic.
> 
> rj



Right now, mine weighes 3100 by itself.  I have stripped the interior, one racing seat, aluminum door panels, and an 8 point roll bar.  I have a fuel cell, fiberglass trunk lid and Fiberglass hood.  I still need to take stock dash out and put in an aluminum dash.  Any ideas would be appreciated.  After my next points race (June 18), I am adding moser racing axles, moser spool, and 4.10 gears to my 12 bolt.  My goal in to run below 7.0 consistently with the small block.  Thanks


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## Judge (Jun 1, 2005)

*2600 ponds?*



			
				rayjay said:
			
		

> If you are really serious I can tell you how to take a lot of weight out of a 2nd generation Camaro. I had a 77 with a 78 front clip that weighed 2600 lbs without driver. The only lightweight components were the fiberglass hood and spun allum wheels. All stock glass, windows rolled up and down, etc. 6 point bar, custom subframe connectors, etc.  I'll try and scan in a pic.
> 
> rj



I would love to get down to 2600 pounds  

Then I could run with my uncle's 70 Big Block Nova   
He runs 6.64 in 1/8 mile


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## rayjay (Jun 1, 2005)

You should stick with the 4.88's for the 1/8 mile.

Vega manual steering box bolts to the frame. You have to heat and straighten the vega steering arm and ream out the hole to fit the camaro center link. I have the reamer if you can find a box. You will have to adapt the steering column or make a custom one [ which is what I did . I moved the driver's seat waaaayy back. ]

Take out the headliner. You will then see that there is another piece of metal inside the roof. With all the glass taped up for protection you can cut out this panel with ziz wheels. Cut it as close to the edge as you can. 35 lbs.

In each door there is a door guard beam. If you look at the front and rear of the door you will see the spot welds that hold the beam in. With the ziz wheel cut out the front and rear of the door to cut the beam free. You can then slide it out the opening you just made in the rear of the door. The weight is either 25 or 35 a side. 

On the front fenders there is a panel that runs the length of the inside of the upper edge. At the rear of this panel is where the hood hinges bolt on. Cut this entire panel off if you have a pin on hood. 

Fenders again. On the wheel opening lip there is excess metal used to mount the inner fenders [ the plastic bits ]. Cut away all but about 3/8 to 1/2" of metal and then carefully flatten this metal against the inside of the fender to avoid cutting your self.

Remove the front fascia [ the urethane nose piece ].  Remove all the metal bumper reinforcement and mounts from the frame and throw it away. At the bottom of the fascia there is a steel piece that the airdam bolts too. Weld or bolt some pieces of strap steel from this to the core support. There are some U-nuts on the lower part of the core support that are perfect for bolting the upper edge of the new strap metal to. 

Get rid of the spoilers. All they do is add weight and drag. Your car will probably be a couple of MPH faster without them.

You may be able to cut some weight off the rear bumper reinforcement. I wouldn't totally get rid of it because you might be needing to be pushed one day. Plus these cars are bad about being nose heavy which is why I stayed with the very heavy stock deck lid.

I see you are or were online so I will post this now while thinking about what else I did 15 yrs ago


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## rayjay (Jun 1, 2005)

Get rid of all the headlights and mounting bits. I used the centers out of Dodge van hubcaps.  Looks a lot better than flat sheet metal.

Cut out the entire steel rear package shelf and seatback mounting panel.  Replace with alum.

 Spun alum wheels take weight off the car and are also easier to get turning. Look for used ones.

The oval track guys have exact replacement calipers in alum. Check out Speedwaymotors.com I think it is. Lightweight rotors would be nice but are pricey and not as stone reliable as the stock stuff.

That's the easy stuff, the rest is just attention to detail.  If a bracket no longer serves a purpose then ziz it off. 

With lexan windows and fiberglass doors you could probably get the thing down to 2200 to 2300. 

Have fun.


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## Judge (Jun 1, 2005)

*Sounds Good*

Thanks Rayjay, I can hopefully get lots of this done before summer is up.


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## rayjay (Jun 2, 2005)

If my neck wasn't messed up it would be fun to try and find my old car and turn it into a LSR machine for running the Monster Mile up at Maxton NC. Do a www search on ecta   . Me and an old drag racing bud were just talking about how cool it would be to go 200 mph.


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## firebiker (Jun 2, 2005)

nice ride and very fast, I had a 79 Z28 at one time. pretty much stock w/ just a couple of mods best it ever ran was a 14 flat at 1/4 mile with street tires. I have a 86 Monte Carlo SS that I am restoring now


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## Judge (Jun 2, 2005)

*Monte Carlo*



			
				firebiker said:
			
		

> nice ride and very fast, I had a 79 Z28 at one time. pretty much stock w/ just a couple of mods best it ever ran was a 14 flat at 1/4 mile with street tires. I have a 86 Monte Carlo SS that I am restoring now



My dad has an 84  SS Monte Carlo he bought new.  He also has a 87 which he restored.  He drives the 87 and his 84 sits in the garage.  I think his 84 has around 50,000 miles.  They are nice cars.


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## rayjay (Jun 2, 2005)

Here is the best pic I have of my car. Staging lanes at Commerce.  It is a scanned image and not as sharp as it could be.


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## Judge (Jun 2, 2005)

*Nice Car Rayjay*

Good looking car.  I really love the 2d gen Camaro.  I just wish it was lighter.


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## the HEED! (Jun 3, 2005)

*Put A fogger kit on it if you aint skeered that is...*

Slap the NOS fogger kit to it and youll be in the tens with the right kit, that is if a chevy can handle passing gas!


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## Holton (Jun 3, 2005)

You tried out that new racing complex down there? 

http://www.sgmpracing.com/

I got to make a  trip down there.


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## Judge (Jun 3, 2005)

*South Georgia Motorsports Park*



			
				Holton said:
			
		

> You tried out that new racing complex down there?
> 
> http://www.sgmpracing.com/
> 
> I got to make a  trip down there.



Yes, I race in the points there.  Last year I wound up 9th and this year I am in 11th place.  It is really a nice facility.  They are having some big NHRA Division 2 Race this weekend.  It for all the big guys from the SE US.  When they have that track right (traction wise), it is  awesome.


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