Suspension for a 1969 Camaro?

Question

I recently took up a project helping to restore a 1969 Camaro. The car will actually be participating in a racing circuit, but not some silly drag strip: real racing, with real tight corners and both left and right turns. I know, *gasp*, more than one turn.

Enough with the jokes though. Anyone know of a good place to find parts for this car that would give it a suspension setup worthy of real track car? We've already aquired a LS2 small block that will be mated with a STS Turbo system and a six speed automatic transmission. No retro engine or tranny here, we need fuel economy and oodles of power.

We don't want to put this car to the track and only be able to take the sparse and short straight-aways. I was thinking that maybe we could use the 2007 Corvette Z06 suspension, but how would that work? Are there any shops you all could recommend?

Answer 1

Well, stock is stock. Even though a Corvette is a flatter turning car compared to the family truckster, it isn't really a racecar. Maybe you haven't see the annual Corvette festival footage where these guys are on a race track in "stock" Corvettes and driving only around 100-120 MPH. They don't handle banked curves too well even at this low speed and more than a few times a pile up or a car into the railing (wall) occurs.

A pro shop, guys that build race cars from the ground up, would best advise you on what is bare minimum at the speeds and tracks you plan on driving on. You might be able to start with a Corvette front and rear end as far as the metal suspension parts or brackets but you'll likely need to use a specific spring and shock and brake caliper and hoses to make it safe and more racecar like and less Corvette/Camaro like. I imagine that you have a set of rules and guidelines you have to follow as well.

Moroso sells a lot of race only parts and pieces but you'll need to pick a few brains to find the right brain to tell you what you need to make it happen.

There are lots of pro shops in the Indianapolis area but there's also NASCAR country in other states. You need more NASCAR knowledge than open wheel or drag racing knowledge.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Love the car, but I don't think you are going to get what you want from this type of a car. The whole framing on this car is not set up to have high stress in corners. Look underneath as there is only a half frame up front and it goes kind of unibody at the rear. You need a full and strong frame for this kind of a racing set up. Love to take the car off your hands, though.

Answer 3

As one person pointed out your going to have to tie the two frames together with frame connectors and a good roll cage. There are a lot of parts out there to make this car handle,remember they used to race them in Trams Am racing.Jegs and Summit sell lots of parts that you need to go around turns.If they don't have what your looking for they will steer you in the correct direction I seem to remember reading that somebody has a complete frame that is a bolt in for the Camaro that takes all different kinds of aftermarket suspension parts.