My LS-Coupe Turbo Build

[Z06killinsbf]

Looks good

[Wish4svts]

Looks soooo much better painted.

[TTls1coupe]

U will still have a chance I'm still on a stock motor and I'm staying at 1000 or a little under 950-1000. But when I get all the bugs worked out of the rebuild I'll put in my big motor.

[dville_gt]

put about 150 miles on the car today, wanted to have a little mexican fun but no co2 meant only 5ish psi. but did get a cool pic of it shooting some flames

[dville_gt]

Decided it was time to update/upgrade the car a little. It's been essentially the same for the past 5 years. Was running in the 5.5-5.6 range on pump/meth. Few things have been upgraded here and there, but mostly the same build.

I went with John and Chris on Hot Rod Drag Week last year and decided I wanted to take the coupe. So of course I wait to the last minute and decide I want to change...well...pretty much everything. Not 100% sure it'll be ready for Drag Week which is Sept. 13, but I've got some really talented folks helping out so I've got my fingers crossed.

The plan was initially to upgrade rods....then came the "might as well" attitude and I think it went something like this...if i'm doing good rods i might as well ditch the stock cast crank and put a forged lsa crank in, then since the motor would be stronger upgrade the turbo and of course have a cam ground for the new combo, if i push this hard i'll need to go e85 so i'll need a bigger fuel system, and since i plan to actually drive it might as well go to a standalone ecm with flex fuel capability so i can run pump while driving and ethanol while racing, and if i'm going to run 1/4 i'll need to have the converter gone through, and i'll need more gear in the rear, so time to upgrade everything in the rear, and if i'm doing all this i will need to upgrade the suspension, and if i'm doing that might as well mini-tub and go coilover, oh and lets add a bunch of additional safety equipment at the same time and the random stuff you can't plan for and I'd say it's gotten out of hand.

Anyway since a lot of stuff is going to have to get done very quickly I figured I'd chronicle it and keep the thread updated.

So as it sits the motor should be back from machine shop this week. Converter will be back from PTC hopefully early next week, turbo is at ForcedInductions for their new ETR-HO V3 85mm unit should be back next week, chassis is at Anything Automotive with Jason Doisher and John Dodson and they are killing it on the mini-tub, parachute mount, front/rear suspension, etc. They do incredible work and it's looking like it should hopefully be finished next week. The one and only Brooks Lopez is narrowing the rear end and welding some new goodies this weekend! John Gilliland is doing the AEM Infinity harness which obviously wont be done until the car is back from chassis.

As you can see I've got a great team of guys that are helping out and the car will be nicer then it's ever been. I'm really excited to see it back together, going to leave the A/C on the car, staying A2A intercooler for now, and going to run flex fuel through the AEM with methanol injection as well. With the 3.27 gears I'm putting in for the 1/4 I am hoping it's not only going to go way faster but also be an even better street car (driver).

Here are some pictures so far (mostly of the chassis):

New AEM Infinity, very cool ecm and one of my favorites to tune, doesn't hurt that it has built in traction control, flex fuel capability, and a ton of other cool stuff.


FI's new 85mm billet turbo, very excited to get this back:


Tubs cut out and wheel sitting where it is going to ride, 275's look tiny in there now:


Tubs getting welded in:


Parachute getting mounted:


New stance:




And tonight I was ripping the rear down for narrowing and found my vibration I've been fighting for a while. Guess the car is making too much for the 31 spline axles, time for some 35. Both sides were twisted like crazy.

[Wish4svts]

Great stuff man, that's a looong list to complete between now and September but seems that it's well underway.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Looking good james!

[KBScobravert]

Awesome James. Welcome to "since I am doing X, I might as well do Y and Z".

You gonna be over at Brooks' this weekend?

[Matt]

Awesome James. Welcome to "since I am doing X, I might as well do Y and Z".

You gonna be over at Brooks' this weekend?

oh yes, the good ole snowball effect as i like to call it

[cobrajet69]

Nice.

And GAWT damned @ those axels.


David

[Blue88Coupe]

Damn this is a long ass thread.

[BMCSean]

Damn this is a long ass thread.

Well, in this case, it is actually rocket surgery.

[R3_82GT]

Looking good James. Hope you get it done by Drag Week.

[dville_gt]

Jason and John at Anything Automotive killing it, tomorrow they plan to knock out the shock bar and the front end. I just wish all of my other parts were getting this kind of loving.

[dville_gt]

New stance, Jason narrowed the a-arms today and it is going to look sick.