Hey guys, it's been a while since I last visited, but I've been having fun road racing my 2014 Camaro SS 1LE.

My road racing addiction started here, at frrax. I learned a bunch of stuff here when I had my '95 Z28 (in avatar). So to some of you long time members/administrators, I just wanted to say thanks for pointing me in the right direction. It's been over 10 years since I started open tracking. Still doing it at Pitt Race (BeaveRun), mostly with SCCA's Track Night in America. I also did the Northeast Musclecar Challenge in August at Pitt Race, for which long time member, Sam Strano, took the Late Model Championship. I sold my'95 Z28 in July of '09 and eventually got back into a Camaro in 2014 with my SS 1LE.

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-17%2013.42.14_zpslvew4hfg.jpg)

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-17%2011.47.00_zpsyzszcumd.jpg)

(IMG:http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/orangeconeracing1/2017%20Northeast%20Musclecar%20Challenge/2017-08-18%2011.02.43_zpst9dnlb9j.jpg)

Some pics of this summer:
https://cdb95z282014camaro.shutterfly.com/pictures/65

Here's my build thread at camaro 5.com, lots of pictures.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395103

And youtube page with track videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5KIXN82H7XMHg4eKHtLYkg

-Chad

This post has been edited by cdb95z28: Oct 15 2017, 04:02 AM

Looks like a sweet toy. I'm glad we could "help". lol.

I wish someone would start doing build threads here for the new cars. Most of us never made the jump to the newer chassis and we are lacking on tech here for those cars. Though I'm formulating a plan to buy a new one after I get my truck paid off (depending if I find a house with some garage space or not).

Thanks for posting the links...just read thru all 11pages... nice build

That's because we are poor! Of course it's our own faults for throwing all this money at our cars when we should just buy something with a modern chassis!

Indeed. The rest of that thread will be my bedtime story. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

A friend had one of those SS 1LEs, and recently replaced it with a new ZL1-1LE, and is really enjoying the new car. As soon as the break-in miles are done, he's going to make a few laps (if he hasn't already done so) at MSR-H. His only complaint is you can't see a damned thing out the back of the car.

It's beautiful, though, even if it's not a color I'd have, and he says it's 'stupid-fast'. That coming from a former 5th Gen SS-1LE owner.

It's funny. Most of the crew here didn't like the 5th gen when it came out. Lack of head room and being weary of retro styling were the two big reasons that kept many here from buying them (and at the time they came out, this board was full of CMC and AI/AIX racers and the new cars weren't legal). So we never adopted them here. I meant for us to, I even figured we would. But it just never happened.

As far as retro styling goes, I figure they will make 9th Gens that look like 3rd gens in about 20 years. And that means New Foxes around the same time and new 4th Gens and SN95s for 2045.

Indeed. That, and you can't see out of the things!! Oh, and a new SS is lighter than the 5th Gen Camaro. But they do run like stink, and if I had no time or space to work on a car, just drive it, I might have one, but I'm also enjoying 'nearly' the same performance with 4-doors that our Caprice gives us.

Cool. What caused me to think about this site again was a buddy bought a 2000 Camaro SS, and he is asking questions about suspension, I told him about this site. A Gen 6 SS 1LE would be a great "new one" to get!

Thanks!

Awesome. GM keeps raising the bar on the Camaro performance, If a new Z/28 comes out, how does one describe beyond stupid fast? lol What color is your buddy's ZL1-1LE? I'm still partial to silver, but I really like The Garnet Red Metallic. And yes, they kinda suck to back up, I did not get the back up camera on mine, but the next one will! I really dig the uplevel performance of the Gen 6 SS 1LE, but I don't want to trade in my 2014 for it. Why can't I have both? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

This post has been edited by cdb95z28: Oct 19 2017, 02:30 AM

I was one of the guys who didn't like the Gen 5's when they came out, the overall design I liked, but there were little things added together that turned me off. And they did not handle all that well, at first. In 2012, the ZL1 fixed alot of those small things, but out of my price range. And the ZL1 handled great! Then 2013 1LE came out, and I thought, getting better. Again, awesome chassis dynamics! Still didn't like the the mail slot and seats. Then the '14 refresh came out and and the optional Recaros were great, and I really like the new nose.

I definitely prefer the late Gen 5s. It's not as much "HEY! I'm a '69!" and over time they added the parts necessary to make a car of that weight handle. Though I bet my car is within a few hundred pounds of a really light 5th Gen. I bet I have one of the heaviest 3rd gen Camaros out there that's not loaded down with things like massive stereo equipment, underhood mirrors and custom upholstery.

It's red, and has the rear wing. I think you just about have to have backup cameras with those now, or a spotter on the radio to talk you through the maneuver. I think the only limits now are the amount of tire you can put on the ground. With rubber on the Tarmac, they could be insanely-fast!!

Nice! I would love a newer one myself. Wish I could afford the Z28 or the ZL1 1LE or just the 1LE lol. I will upgrade one day just not sure when

You don't need a brand new Gen 6, lol.
A Gen 5 SS 1LE, a Gen 5 ZL1 (if you like bigtime power) or a Gen 5 Z/28 are amazing even with their weight. They do not feel heavy.

The ZL1 is by far the heaviest and most powerful but does everything very well, road racing, cruising or drags.
The SS 1LE (what I have) is much lighter, easier to buy, and some say is the better track car than the ZL1. It's more pure, no MRC dampers like the ZL1, and manual trans only.
The Z/28 is the track monster, CC brakes, LS7, trick dampers (Multimatic DSSV), manual only, the most pure road racing model.

The used prices on all three of the above have come down alot with the new Gen 6's, especially the Z/28.

I had the distinct opportunity and privilege to spend the day with (and autocross) a new 2017 SS 1LE.

My Camaro still needs calipers and the fuel pump as we're catching up financially from the summer (I'm an educator and don't get paid in the summers, naturally shit went wrong with the house and cars when my income was negligible), so I put out the call for a codrive at our penultimate event last weekend. A longtime autocrosser offered me his car, I just had to pick it up in the morning and return it at the end of the day.

So, my 13 year old and I picked it up Saturday morning and drove it the 30 miles to the event at MetLife Stadium in NJ. On the NJ Turnpike, I IMMEDIATELY know how good ANY of the new Camaros and Mustangs are with the independent rear suspension. Period. End of discussion.

Potholes, expansion joints, ruts... You name it, the chassis was unfazed. The ride on the highway alone convinced me that the new cars are light years ahead of anything GM built in 2002 or earlier... Frankly, I am convinced they're light years ahead of any Mustang from the 2005-2014 era as well. The inability of a live axle to conform to road irregularities - whether on the road or autocrossing - is too much for the older cars to handle, literally! LOL!

Matter of fact, I am writing a letter to the SEB to move ALL live axle cars to CAM-T as a result of what I experienced. Adjust performance of traction control and better ABS systems through minimum weights. But, anything with a live axle is relegated obsolete, by-and-large... The new independent rear suspension cars are THAT good.

As for the autocross... The SS 1LE is everything you hoped it would be. Conversely, I came away a little disappointed in some aspects.

PROS
* The LT4 is the kind of engine that, if you could get the driverless car developers to go for a ride would cease and destroy any evidence of creating such abominations to the automobile.

* The magnetic ride dampers can go from Monroe SensaTrac compliant to "Holy shi_! It's too stiff for autocross!" at the press of a button.

* The variable steering settings can help speed up the ratio of such a relatively big, heavy car to turn in with the immediacy expected from a Corvette (notice I didn't say Lotus).

* The braking system is mega, even with iron rotors. You can place it anywhere without worrying about ice mode or anything. The EBD does its job perfectly.

CONS
* The PTM setting are hard to find, the guy I codrove with (not the owner) had run the car before, but we couldn't find the PTM menus. So, we ran with all nannies off. The car was a handful, even on RE-71R's.

* The throttle map, even in Touring, was almost video game fast. Too fast for what autocrossing demands... Forget using Track. Very hard to modulate the throttle and get 460 hp and Tq. to the pavement. I ended up running my last run in Snow/Ice throttle to relax its inputs enough so there'd be some semblance of linearity.

* I was expecting magic with the eLSD, especially in the context of the 4th Gen. rear and its LSD options. Turns out, it was just ok. The magic is due to its calibration with the OEM tires. Run something grippier, and it's not as special. Wish I'd known that from the onset. I learned about that before my final run.

Stellar car though. The 2.0T may be a neat ride in DS as that chassis would laugh at just 260hp. It'd be like driving a base MINI all over again... "stand on it and steer" comes to mind. But then one remembers that in Street classes, the average competitive lifespan is 4-5 years. The MINI has been competitive for 15 years. That's unheard of. So, a 6th Gen. Camaro in Street may work if you have $$$ to get the newest thing in "x" years. Or just run it and have fun.

SS 1LE: AS, buried against the C5 and C6 Z06
SS: FS, competitive
2.0T: DS, competitive (for now)
V6/V6 1LE: BS (?), buried against the C5 FRC

6th gens can fit 335s square with no fenders mods. Also worried about the future of CAM if they try to mix in IRS cars. They really are that much better and the weight advantage really doesn't exist with a properly developed 6th gen.

There is also an eLSD cal floating around for the RE71Rs. Good luck getting it though

This post has been edited by landstuhltaylor: Oct 27 2017, 01:14 AM

Since reading this thread I have to admit.... I been looking at 2014 SS 1LE ... ha

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