Gents,
So I started a HDPE / Track only / Maybe CMC Build. I’ve been searching on the forums and read multiple build threads and took some notes.

I know it’s probably cheaper to buy a car already done but I do not want the upfront cost and I enjoy going out to my garage and having a beer and tinkering on one of my car.

What I’m starting with is a 1995 LT1 M6 Hard top. It’s a little beat up but it has sub frame connecters, Tubular K-Member, Tubular A-arms, 12 bolt and old Bilstiens and lowering springs, “old needs replaced” ls1 front brakes. I was told the motor has head and cam but needs a lot of work. Has new clutch. Has Canton Oil pan. Be cool radiator. EGR Delete.

My end goal is have a track only car that has all the weight reduction possible without a cage. I would like to build everything under the CMC rules just in case I want to move to the next level later down the road. If that’s the case I’ll then add a cage and other miscellaneous parts to make the car more competitive. First and foremost I want a safe car. I would like to leave the side crash bars for now.

So the car is in a few different stages right now.
Interior is gutted. Most of the brackets are gone, the HVAC is gone, dash and wiring harness is out of the car. Motor and associated front chassis and suspension is out of the car.

I will be building a new wiring harness. (Questions to follow) I’ll post my diagram when I make it to get suggestions.

I’m rebuilding an old LT1 I already owned to put into the car along with a stock K- member and A-arms. I have the block stripped and honed ready for me to put back together in the next few weeks. Rebuilding because I always wanted to rebuild a motor myself. FYI New bearing, rings, pistons and gaskets are already bought. I will be rebuilding my own heads also.

I’ve been compounding a list of items for the car. I won’t be doing all of them right off the bat but as the year goes on I’ll do little things here and there.
front Shocks and Springs
Rear Shocks and springs
Sway bars
front brakes
Rear Brakes
Seats
Belts
dyno tune
Paint car
hood pins
deck pins
Cage
accusump
Heater block off plate
fire system
spherical bearings for front LCA Global west
tow hooks
oil cooler
radiator closeouts
Power steering reservoir
Power steering cooler
catch can
rear-end seals and bearings
steering wheel disconnect
steering wheel
solid motor mounts Moroso MOR-62635
Trans mount Prothane PTP-7-1604-BL
fire suit
Gloves
Shoes
Wheels
Tires
Muffler
Window nets
rollcage padding
Headlight turn signals block off
Brake ducts
interior paint
Line lock
Brake Bias valve
Chin deflector
ARP wheel studs
Transponder
ignition control module
oil filter module Canton 22-570:
Spoiler
Cut off Switch
Battery Box
Battery Relocation Kit
Fuse box
Wiring

Questions
What do you guys recommend to take out of the engine bay while the motor is out?

Steering wheel and quick disconnect. What are you guys using? The part numbers I have found on here so far have been discontinued. I do not want to weld on my column if I don’t have to. I just question the material integrity after I put that much heat on it.

I’m trying to compound a list of electrical accessories that I may need to run. Brake lights, PCM, Gauges, Wipers, Defrost blower of some sort, fans, Line lock, Camera, Datalogger, Transponder, Fuel pump and injectors. Am I missing anything?

What fuse block are do you guys recommend? I thought about reusing the stock ones but I think it will look hillbilly.

What must have am I missing off the list? Also what would you do first to achieve my goal and make a fun HDPE car? (That would get me on the track the soonest.) I know the mechanical. But things I may have missed.

HDPE question. I could contact the great lakes region first but I figured since I’m asking. I know I’ll need an instructor riding with me for HDPE 1. I read somewhere that the safety equipment has to be the same driver and passenger. So should I leave the stock seats and belts for now until I can level up and lose the instructor?

I been thinking about putting C5 brakes on it with Willwood calipers. Ya or nah? This won’t be done at this time.

If I keep stock LS1 front brakes what pads do you recommend? (Track only)

What stock camshaft are you guys running? The only one I seem to find is sealed power # CS1660

If any of you want to add part numbers into the above list that you found works well please feel free.

I am on a budget so I I’m trying to maintain about 2500 to get me on the track initially for this season. Then another 10K next winter if I choose to go to the next level.

While I know 2500 probably will be short.

It won't allow me to upload pics from Photo bucket??

Stock LS1 front brakes kinda suck for track work and especially racing. I hear about people being all "WOOT!" when they put LS1 front brakes on 3rd gens and I'm thinking why bother? It's what you have now, but even if you take a couple hundred pounds out of the car they are meh. Trackbird will be able to give you some good ideas about braking that won't "brake" the bank!

I've bolded the "critical ones". I'd concentrate on that stuff and getting the car track worthy. Replace any bad bushings and balljoints, etc. Make the car safe. There are a few project threads around here of things I've built and all of them are grossly over budget. I'm a guy who likes to do the "while I'm in there" upgrades. The problem is, you wind up with $20k in a car and it's not even running. My third gen build was a pretty awesome car, and I had a "million dollars" in it. If you have a $2500 budget, buy springs and shocks (Koni shocks) and swaybars, put brakes on it, get it aligned, fresh tires (street tires) and fix the engine. That's going to wipe the whole budget as it is. If the AC works, leave it all in there for now. It helps to defrost the windows and you can drive the car to get ice cream on a Friday night. I'm bad about "it's a track car, I have to gut it so I can be faster". Just drive it. Right now the car is likely going to be faster than you are. The other best advice I received on this forum (Thanks Mitchntx) is "you can't win practice". Some of the guys on this board got into CMC because the local HDPE events had become the "Super Unlimited" class. All of them were out there going for the fastest lap times in 450 RWHP LSx powered cars, etc. There are no "rules" for "racing" in HDPE. So, build a car and get on track. Leave the crap under the hood, leave the interior in it (it's nice when you don't go deaf driving it and you can actually hear the car doing stuff). Make it run, make it safe, make it handle reasonably well.



The engine. See above. (I say that as a joke, but chasing wiring and rewiring a car because you chopped up the harness and now the dash doesn't work turns into "new gauges and a fabricated dash and gutting the car, etc). Drive it.



The 3rd gen quick disconnects work on 4th gens. Once the cars got airbags, they quit listing the quick disconnects as fitting that year. But you can still buy a 3rd gen bolt on quick disconnect and run it.



I'd get it track worthy. Worst case, you can buy a car amplifier installation kit and run a (fused) 8 gauge cable to a fuse block in the car and hook up the dataloggers and such to it when you get to that point. Honestly, I'd drive it as a "street car" for a while. If your goal is to get on track on a budget, get on track. Also, the $10k budget for this winter...that will buy you a nice used track car. Drive this as it is, buy a prepped car and sell this one (or keep it as a street car since you listened to me and didn't gut it....right? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ).



35mm front bar
Koni shocks (or UMI coil overs, but that's most of your $2,500 budget)
UMI performance lowering springs (600/150 in lb rates)
19mm (stock) rear bar (for now)
Freshen the LS1 brakes (centric rotors, good entry level track pads)
Freshen rear brakes (centric rotors and track pads)
Brake hoses (fresh name brand rubber lines from the local parts store)
Fresh fluid

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/gr_driving3.gif)



That's just what I'd do. Look at a "CG Lock" to lock the lap belt for some extra ability to stay planted in the seat. I used one for autocross and on my street car for years.



If you're running street tires (and you may as well), I'd stick to Hawk HP+ or an entry level carbotech pad. You won't be hard enough on the brakes to need full race pads for a while. Stick to an entry level street/track pad or one step above until you get faster.




The third gen brakes are 10.5" rotors (unless you have a 1LE, then they are 12"). The LS1 brakes are 12" and a thicker rotor (than even the 1LE as I remember). Baer racing got a start in the brake business by adapting better brakes off of Corvettes and other things to fit cars that didn't get such good brakes from the factory. The Corvette C4HE brakes were one of the early upgrades they used to get 13" brakes on "normal" cars. The LS1 brakes are quite capable (to a point) and aren't likely the limiting factor for a newer driver on street tires. And they are a HUGE upgrade over the stock 3rd gen brakes. I'd run a quality pad and good rotors on it and they should get you through a season or two. Take spare rotors with you and spare pads. Some guys have issues cracking rotors at the track, but running a proper cool down lap will help (slow down, use the brakes as little as possible and let them cool down, don't count the cool off lap as another hot lap).

Just my thoughts.

Thank you both for your reply's. The reason why I gutted it and making it a track only car is that I already have another built LT1 camaro that I drive to get ice cream and I typically autocross it once or twice a month. I want a car that I do not care about that I can put on the trailer rag on it and if it gets a little beat up that's okay.

I'm far past not keeping the HVAC and stuff in the car. I'll post my wiring diagram this evening and reply back to all of your key points. Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

See if this link works:
http://s346.photobucket.com/user/cfitzpa17...rt=3&page=1

I guess that ship has sailed. lol. Just be careful with the harness. I started trimming out stuff I didn't need in my 3rd gen and I found out there were some common grounds and such that I may have cut. So, I pulled the entire harness out of the car and bought a Techrods wiring harness and wired the engine and put new Autometer gauges in it. Then I had no headlights, wipers, etc. Now, the car was completely gutted and had no HVAC anyway, but I considered keeping lights for a while longer. Just in case it went to the store and it got dark, etc.

I still say that $10k (or $12.5k) will buy you a decent track car. They pop up for sale randomly, but they are out there. Sell this one off in pieces and you may up that figure a bit. It's sooooo much cheaper to start with a "finished" car. It really is.

However, if you're determined to do this the hard way (my way?).... I'd fabricate a block off panel for the HVAC stuff for the firewall and seal it up and rivet it in place. Get the engine sorted out, basic suspension freshening (anything that's bad, bushings, etc) and basic suspension tuning. Or, put good shocks and a front sway bar on it and drive it. Add a new PHB to that list and you should be ready to go once the brakes are done. I've spent far too much time working on cars that I should have been driving. So, lets get it back together so you can drive it. Spend the money on seat time and keeping the car reliable.