98 CAMARO SS (From clean to totaled to better than new!)

[9t8z28]

June 13th through the 14th I buffed my entire car for 2 days. The car was so smooth and perfect. The following week (June 18th through the 19th I installed vinyl MANTA STRIPES. A month before this, I rebuilt my T56 to LEVEL II Specs, (should hold 700 ft.lbs.), installed a 12 Centerforece DFX clutch and Qiuck Time scatter shield (to hold the 486rwhp), andpainted the whole undercarriage and dynomatted the entire interior while I waited for tranny parts to show up.















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[9t8z28]

July 17 I was headed home from a friends house at 11AM. It hadn’t rained in many many weeks. So when I left it just started raining (you know, when all that oil starts to come out of the blacktop). I hydro planed at 50 m.p.h., did 2 360's in the air and took out 5 sections of split rail fence. I was F**KIN PISSED! Every panel on the car was dented, broken or scratched.
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The following pics show some of the damage. What isn't shown is the cracked front right fender, the ripped bumpers front and back, damage to the intercoolers, front inner fenders, 2 wheels, right and left rocker panel and the exhaust and some other stuff.





The insurance guy showed up and immediately said it was totaled. I had a long talk with him, showed him some of my other cars (69 Chevelle) and I guess he got to like me. He went back to his car and figured the car at 79% and saved the car. I got enough money to paint the whole car (IF) I did all of the body work myself.

The following pics are of the work that my dad and I did all by ourselves. This was my first time doing a 1/4 panel! I got the quarter panel and rocker from my totaled 97 SS. The last good parts left on the stripped car!





Here is the 1/4 panel and rocker I cut off of my 97SS.


Here is a creative way to remove the rook panel without replacing it. Use a thin piece of steel and sharpen the end of it and hammer it through to cut the glue.


Here is the 1/4 panel and rocker installation

[9t8z28]

Here she is! All painted! The car is 90% complete. I still have a bunch of small parts to put back on. Notice the body colored mirrors!!

[9t8z28]

Sorry, the dead grass really doesn't help!

[Y2KPewterSS]

Looks great again

[9t8z28]

Here is a list of the MODS

1998 LS1 Camaro
3,600 lb. race weight
486 rwhp / 450 rwtq
BEST ¼ MILE 11.9 @119mph 9/18/2010

Engine Modifications

- Stock bottom end
- LS6 intake
- 42# Green Top injectors (Racetronix pump w/ Hot Wire kit)
- Trick Flow 215 cylinder heads
- Harland Sharp 1.7 ratio rockers
- LS7 lifters
- Hardened pushrods
- NGK TR6 plugs gapped @ .035
- P1SC Procharger @ 7-8# (6-rib) ((upgrading to 8 rib))
- Pro-Flo bypass valve
- 16” and 9” Spal fans
- LT1 radiator
- Jones Racing power steering and tensioner pulley
Exhaust
- QTP Longtube headers
- 2.5” 304 stainless true duals w/ X-pipe (over the axle) 3” dual E-cutouts
-

Suspension

- Koni shocks (DA front / SA rear
- SLP/Eibach springs (97SS optional springs)
- SLP front sway bar
- Boxed Stock LCA
- HPM short tunnel mounted T/A w/ driveshaft safety loop
- Strange 12 bolt w/ 31 spline C-clip eliminator axles/POSI / w/ 4:10’s
- Strange driveshaft with Spicer ends
- LCA relocation brackets
- 3 point UMI subframe connectors
- Edelbrock adjustable panhard bar
- JEGS panhard bar relocation bracket
- Poly engine and trans mounts

Transmission
- $$Level II rebuild & MANY, MANY EXTRA$$
- Pro 5.0 shifter
- Centerforce dual friction 12” clutch
- Quick Time scatter shield
- McLeod adjustable master cylinder
- Skip shift eliminator
-

Other mods
- ABS/Traction Control delete
- 17 x 11 ZR1’s (rears)
- Mickey Thompson 315/35/17 drag radials

INTERIOR MODS

- led turn signals in mirrors
- Trans Am seats w/ lumbar supports
- Trans Am door panels
- Dual Seat heaters
- New headlinder
- New sun visors
- 9 speaker / 1800 watt stereo
- 99 + steering wheel w/ radio controls to power aftermarket radio (Kenwood)
- Sirius Satellite Radio
- Dyno matted complete interior
- All electronic gauges (wideband A/F, fuel pressure, boost)

EXTERIOR MODS
- clear front markers
- halo headlights
- EXPORT taillights
- BILLIT rear CAMARO letters
- New custom Camaro emblem on nose (front bumper)
- Entire undercarriage painted gloss black

Many, many mods are not listed. To much to remember! Will update later. But as you can see, I have put a lot of time and money in this car. I wasn’t going to let it get totaled NO MATTER WHAT.

The car has ran a best of 11.9 @ 119 mph in the ¼ mile as of last week. Yesterday I just found (2) supercharger hoses with holes in them! This could have contributed to a loss of probably over a # of boost. I am going to go back to the drag strip again and I think I should be able to run a mid 11 second pass under 120 mph.

[naperws6]

Nice work and don't put on the stripes maybe it as bad luck.

[9t8z28]

Nice work and don't put on the stripes maybe it as bad luck.

Haha, maybe !

[98maro]

To bad bout the accident. But looks great now. Headlights and tail lights look good.

[Zapper2003]

Keep it together for the next Spazpalooza!

[2001camaroSS]

looks great man. glad you brought her back to life. sweet set up in the motor.

[tatertot91]

Sorry, the dead grass really doesn't help!

Too much time rebuilding and not enough time watering your grass i see

Car looks great, personally i like it without the stripe
Good to see you had the care to rebuild it
Keep up the good work

[2001camaroSS]

Too much time rebuilding and not enough time watering your grass i see

Car looks great, personally i like it without the stripe
Good to see you had the care to rebuild it
Keep up the good work

agreed

[pajeff02]

Looks damn good! Glad to see you resurrected her. I would have probably done the same had it been our car.

[camaross1]

Sorry, the dead grass really doesn't help!

damn man, you and your dad get a BIG THUMBS UP, alot of work, most people would excepted it as a total loss, or had a bodyshop fix it, now thats a REAL camaro lover, great job before and after, please stay out of the rain ha!

[Spaz]

good to see it's back on the road again!!!

[Zapper2003]

What I think is coolest is how quickly it all came BACK together considering where it came from post-accident.

[9t8z28]

What I think is coolest is how quickly it all came BACK together considering where it came from post-accident.

What do you mean?

[Zapper2003]

It usually takes a bit of time to source the parts and whatnot to repair a car, esp. when they're out of production. You just seemed to have everything fall into place for the rebuild, probably not the case, but that's how it seemed on my end.

[TempleU_WS6]

Speechless man! You sure did tons of work and it definitely looks like it payed off. Cant wait to see your car again. Hopefully mine will be up to standards by then!