What would be minimum needed to make a 96 z/29 into a competitive footbrake car?

Lil back story. I have a fella wanting to buy my 96 z/28 and make it into footbrake car and wants me to help. I have almost zero experiance with footbrake or setup. I figure to put backhalf with cage and mild 9" in it maybe mini tubs. Motor will be very mild sbc. As for weight will be as low as can get w/o removing glass.Since half of car is already plastic will be no fiberglass parts. Basically gut interior and let her rock.

Main question is on suspension changes needed. Will the LT-t thats in it work its already fairly hopped up to roughly 425 conservative HP. Was bad lil street toy in its day and mine.LMOAO.

few more question to add.
Can subframe connectors be built leave rear section as is. Remove sway bar(its a heavy SOB lot bigger than factory) build a set of ladder bars. Or would just better off in long run to totally back half with four link setup?

As for motr can always sell lLT-1 and build decent SBC,would just mean the dude has to come up with more money and he is on very tight budget,then aren't we all.

Chris I have a 96 ss no motor or trans nice body and interior. $700 I was going to make a race car out of it but too many projects.

quote:

Originally posted by wideopen231:
What would be minimum needed to make a 96 z/29 into a competitive footbrake car?

Lil back story. I have a fella wanting to buy my 96 z/28 and make it into footbrake car and wants me to help. I have almost zero experiance with footbrake or setup. I figure to put backhalf with cage and mild 9" in it maybe mini tubs. Motor will be very mild sbc. As for weight will be as low as can get w/o removing glass.Since half of car is already plastic will be no fiberglass parts. Basically gut interior and let her rock.

Main question is on suspension changes needed. Will the LT-t thats in it work its already fairly hopped up to roughly 425 conservative HP. Was bad lil street toy in its day and mine.LMOAO.

The minimum? A full tank of gas.

There are only two requirements for a competitive bracket car: Can you cut a decent RT with it on a regular basis and can you predict what it will run, from one round to the next. The rest is baloney. I am assuming it will run quicker than 9.99 in the 1/8 mile. Because if it will not, unfortunately, some places will no longer let you run. Take care. Tom Worthington

I have friends running that style F body with minimal changes. Have ECM reprogrammed, drag radials and go racing. I can tell you that you don't want to pair up with either of them.

well one thing is almost a must or I would think so.Thats the 6 spd trans. Great fun on road.Pulling 160 in 5th and having another gear left is a blast,in more ways than one. Had more fun than the law would allow and lawyer bills to prove it.LMAO

Godd thing is transmission is worth more than the car with it running.

Emann making my day and Davids. I can help him w/o breaking his piggy bank. I can get some much need cash flow into my deal and even more once trans is sold.If I sale it. I had stupid idea of it in my 1969 panel truck,but thinking that much top end speed with me.Nope its bad idea.

How about rearend? Its take pretty good beating and hung in,just not sure about it with a tire that hooks instead of smoking around the block,down the street and from most every stop light in Greensboro at one time or another.

Every decision is going to be dependent on another. With a decent limited slip unit and a tight (even stock?) converter, I don't see an issue with the stock differential. Of course, if you go with a lot of converter and a bunch of added power, that differential will not last more than a few passes, with traction. I know they have made it into the mid 7s (1/8 mile) with that stock differential. However, your results may vary.

Is there any chance of keeping this a street driven car? If so, are there any emission inspection considerations in your area? Nash County (where I live) just recently dropped all emission requirements and only has annual safety inspections now. If you have the emissions inspection with the Diagnostic Link plugged in, it might be tough to pass just after going from a manual to automatic transmission. If the tags are going to be coming off, disregard this paragraph.

You know, if you get this thing going with mostly mild upgrades, you could then sell it when/if the guy wants to go faster. At that point, you could probably get a pretty decent roller with the money recovered from it. Take care. Tom Worthington

right now with 6spd the tranny swap to auto should have no effect on computer or emissions.

He may wish to keep it streetable. I know if me I would not because I know my limitations.Behave myself is beyond them. A car with power and not playing is like owning ***** house and going without.Just don't make sense.LOL

He is still on fence as to which route he wants to go for build this or older car. SO will see.

quote:

Originally posted by wideopen231:
right now with 6spd the tranny swap to auto should have no effect on computer or emissions.

He may wish to keep it streetable. I know if me I would not because I know my limitations.Behave myself is beyond them. A car with power and not playing is like owning ***** house and going without.Just don't make sense.LOL

He is still on fence as to which route he wants to go for build this or older car. SO will see.

I don't know about that. Anything that will set a fault code will cause it not to pass emissions (check engine light on). Even the incorrect speed sensor input from the transmission could potentially do that. I'm not sure though. Take care. Tom Worthington

I have a 2002 camaro that I built for footbreak or sportsman class. I used a third gen Camaro rear end that Mike Lynch give to me free. I set it up with a G.M 4.10 gear out of a 4 cylinder early S-10. It has a soild pinion bearing spacer and moser axles. SET IT UP WITH .006 BACKLASH and a T.A. performance rear end cover girdle. Turbo 350 with a shift kit and a Hughes 4000 converter.
Engine is a 1999 350 out of a 99 Escalade, ported vortec heads, flattop pistons and a comp mother thumper cam, 235,249 at.050 .522 ,.505 lift 107 lobe separation. In at 101 intake centerline. Edelbrock 2116 intake. Pacesetter 1 3/4 LT1 headers. Jet performance quadrajet . It's been 7.50s at 88. Its been a fun car. Full interior with bose stero .

I also used a B.M.R front tubular crossmember to ease the old school smallblock and a tubular 350 turbo crossmember from B.M.R. tourqe arm is from Spoon fabrication. It is a mid mount. The short one with built in drive shaft loop.

Also, that cam works with the factory power brakes minus the A.B.S module. It was missing when I bought the car. Made new brake lines and installed a summit line lock.

If you guys have any more questions, fill free to ask .

Being as it is a 2002 model, I'm guessing it is no longer street legal? Take care. Tom Worthington

revisit to this now potential my project. Kid quit on it said too much workj for him. Hey I tried,but I am not building it and handing it to him to go out and tear up.

Thinking about making it a door car for me. Similar ideas on build.Except want to build it versatile . Box,no box and footbrake. Dad is getting older but still would like to play.Figure build it so he could run if like and I can make cpl changes and run it.

Build plan.
Rear half with with 6 point cage and some suspenion work
either keep LT-1 or swap in ls-___ .Probably bad because ease of building more power and my lack of personal control.LMAO

Trans option open,trans bake capable a must.

Rear.Leave if low power or build 9" using my spare stuff laying here if going to bump up much.Best bet is 9" will be going in.

Street legal except imissions testing and have way around that.Never mind.

SO questions.

How much tire if going to around 500 hp higher stall and 4.10 to 4.80 or so gear. 4.56 mid range.Never been scared to turn a motor rpm wise.Hell I ran TA/D and we brake tachs on regular bases. LMAO

My thoughts are 10 to 12" tire. Slicks more forgiving than radials( i HEAR) so probably have to go 9".

Shock for rear and front to make deadly. Suspension stuff is new or 35 years old depending on point of veiw.

while we are on subject.

Realistic weight expectations? Going to back half.
Remove any not have to haves a/c ,lexan t-tops,no back seat or passenger(easy replacement),no computer or wiring unless keeping lt-1 or going ls(which case changing) no street exhaust(maybe header and muffler).Remove carpet and [padding and replace with lite weight carpet. Back half and replace all with molly.Liter wheel combos. smaller tank. Relocate battery(no weight savings just better use).Removing 6 spd and clutch but replace with 3 spd(?) and converter. hen what to do with 6 spd sell or install in 69 panel truck(yea with 160 pls top end not best plan).

Factory around 3300 to 3450 depending