Hi from victory_red_SS

[victory_red_SS]

Thanks. I know some people have wondered what ever happened to the project, whether it got finished or did I just give up. I'm happy to share here that I the project is still alive and I will keep posting to this thread as I move forward. I look forward to the day I can post up video of this finally running.

Rod

 

[victory_red_SS]

I was talking with the engine builder yesterday and he made the call to scrap the plans to use the SCAT crank that I have. He's going to use the SCAT in a different motor that's making less HP. He has chosen instead to go with a Callies Compstar XL which has just been released very recently. The LS7 version allows for a longer snout which works better with my Vortech/drysump setup. The Callies crankshaft is also internally counter balanced and is designed for high boost and high rpms. The crankshaft will also be paired with Callies Compstar connecting rods. Here is a link if anyone wants to read up on the crankshaft. Callies Compstar CrankshaftOne of the best things about my talk with Jim from Richmond engines was the commitment to having this project at the race track this summer. He said while it would be later in the summer we will be at the track. The fabricator is a good friend of Jim's so they will co-ordinate both of their parts of the project. Next I will have to find someone locally who does wiring so I can get that finished up. I am not interested in towing my car from shop to shop so I will need someone willing to do the job in my garage on a weekend as that's about all the time it's going to take to button up the wiring/soldering.

I was just online and I was able to buy both OEM front fenders and a OEM base front bumper facia for $265.00 delivered to my door. These are donor parts that will be cut up to change the openings for the front tires. Because my wheel base was lengthened from 103" to 104.5" this body modification needs to be done to allow the tires to turn properly at the front as well as remove the extra 1.5" gap from behind the tires. The fabricator has a body shop that can do the non-steel welding at the front of the wheels while he will adjust the back part of the fenders. Getting this done was one of the big things on my list and I should have this done in time to put the whole car into a primer coat by the end of May.

The next few months are going to be fun but I have to finish painting the house first (for my wife, I'm a painter by trade) and we have 16 days in Maui at months end. When we get back it is project time all the way as my wife will be big time happy by then.

 

[victory_red_SS]

My spare fenders and the front bumper surround have come in.
I have an appointment to drop them off on Monday so that everything can be reworked to move the wheel openings ahead by 1.5" to compensate for the stretched wheel base.
I am hoping they will be ready, after my Hawaiian vacation, at the middle of May. Once these are done I will be doing a full coat of primer and getting the car ready to send to the fabricator.
Considering the price I paid for these parts the quality is sufficient to do what I need as once they are cut up the remaining sections head to the recyclers.
And yes I know that isn't a SS front bumper surround but I only need the section that lines up to the fenders.

 

[victory_red_SS]

While it was 2 months later than expected, the car is in primer and after a short haul the car is now at the shop of Kremyr racing . The deposit at Kremyr' wasn't cheap but I keep hearing that he's awesome at doing his job. This shop is the real deal when it comes to building race cars. Check out their website and for the locals, if you want something done right, call Dwain Kremyr. I was recommended to use Kremyr Racing by Jim at Richmond Racing Engines. These two companies work together and have done so for over 3 decades.

When the car is finished at the fabricators everything short of the engine will be completed. The roll cage (including the funny car bars), the aluminum fuel cell, the steering issues with regards to the alternator in the way of the lower steering knuckle, all of the wiring, the placement of the drysump tank, finishing the headers off and reworking the engine motor mount.


This next stage is going to cost $$$ but it needs to be done and my pain needs to finally be finished so the smile can be realized when I do my first smoke show in front of my house.

There is still a little reworking to be done on the front fenders but that is a 15 minute fix accordingly to the body shop.

When the car comes home I will still need to put back in the complete interior or as much as goes into a tubbed/tube chassis car.

That day was a good day.



[/URL
]

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/on%20the%20move%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/on%20the%20move%203.jpg.html][/URL
]


















The next pictures are from a recent visit to Kreymr Racing.

I was expecting when I got to the shop that I was going to be asked for more money first thing. That didn't happen. In fact, I was shown the work that did happen.

I have to say, Kreymr Racing does awesome work. For anyone local Dwain is the man to do your work.

Dwain has finished the roll cage inside the car which includes the funny car bars around my head. Dwain also did the modification to the cage bar under the hood to accommodate the S/C unit.

Dwain also mounted the radiator, air 2 air intercooler and re-clocked the S/C unit to a better position. This allows me to keep everything under the stock hood.

We also talked abut some venting to help the air 2 air dissipate heat. Pictures of that as we move forward.

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/cage%20mod%20for%20%20supercharger.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/funny%20car%20cage%201.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/funny%20car%20cage%20mod%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/funny%20car%20cage%20mod%203.jpg.html][/URL
]

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/cage%20mod%201.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/cage%20mod%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/radiator%20intercooler%20mounted%201.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/radiator%20intercooler%20mounted%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/charge%20piping%201.jpg.html][/URL
][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[victory_red_SS]

These are the most recent pictures taken while I was at Kremyr Racing. Dwain asked me to drop off some parts and while I was there I took some pictures of what they has done in the past week.



They have been working on the steering rack.

They had to change the geometry/alignment to make way for the alternator which I need as a bolting spot for the Vortech S/C. Because I am only running the alternator off of the serpentine belt, Dwain re-positioned the alternator and we will get the different sized belt. All of the extra pulleys/tensioners are then added to my list of parts I need to sell.



[/URL
]



If you look at the bare steel parts you will see the modification needed to allow for my drysump to mount where the A/C unit would be.

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/motor%20mount%20modification.jpg.html][/URL
]



They have also been working on the charge piping for the S/C'er

The Vortech kit doesn't fit under my hood the same as it does under a stock '13 Camaro SS hood. However, Kremyr made easy work of making the needed piping that the kit didn't provide. Once I have powder coated the new pipe it will look like this kit was designed for this Cobalt SS.



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/charge%20piping%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/charge%20piping%203.jpg.html][/URL
]

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/charge%20piping%204.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/intercooler%20venting.jpg.html]



This last picture shows how Dwain decided to provide more venting for the intercooler. Once it’s done it will look almost normal. My goal has always been to keep the body as stock as possible. Kremyr Racing also re-clocked the S/C so that everything sits under the stock hood.























I have been talking to a race transmission expert and while my 2 speed Powerglide is race prepped with after market components it is still the stock housings. He doesn’t believe the stock housing can hold the type of pressure that my project needs for the expected HP level.




After checking in to the various transmission I had talked with another expert. The higher the gear ratio the weaker the transmission. The 180° gear ratio is rated to somewhere between 600-800 HP. That's not enough for me. I did find a Rossler Terminator 6 on RacingJunk.com. This transmission exceeds what my upper limits are and is a top-notch product.



I will also order the Mark Williams coated billet yoke for this transmission. The transmission is ready for pickup and soon off it goes to the fabricators. The transmission details are what follows:



ROSSLER Terminator 6 - Powerglide:

- ROSS-LOCK Pro Tree transbrake

- Oversized billet steel clutch hub

- 10 clutch Promod drum

- Max surface HD band

- Front pump low friction bearing kit

- Sonnax Super Hold Servo

- Billet aluminum dual ring servo

- Modified front pump converter charge system

- Pump gear lube system

- 1.69 Promod straight cut gears - cryo treated option

- Vasco billet output shaft

- REID RACING 2-piece SFI case

- REID RACING SFI GM/Chevy bellhousing

- REID RACING XHD tail housing with roller output bearing

- Rollerized entire case

- Deep finned cast aluminum pan, +2 quarts

- TH400 style oversized bolt-on stator tube

- "NASA" A

BONUSES and upgrades that come with the transmission:

- 1.69 Promod straight cut gears

- Cryogenic gear treatment option

- LOKAR locking dipstick - fluid level set by Rossler

- Temperature sensor bung welded to the oil pan

- Energy Suspension polyurethane transmission mount

- 6AN in/out trans cooler fittings



Next up for the project is the mounting of the drysump 2 gal US tank which Dwain believes they will manage to mount under the hood to the frame rail.



The project is finally making good headway. I stop in at Richmond Engines this week to see where we are with the motor.[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[victory_red_SS]

Another piece of the puzzle has arrived into my hands, in fact 2 pieces of that puzzle. I have to say that the Reid case on the Rossler transmission is really nice. While it is strong enough to be SF! 4.1 and 30.1 certified it is light enough for me to pickup off the ground. I ordered a Mark Williams yoke and the u-joints today and once I have those they and the transmission go to Kremyr Racing and Dwain measures up the driveshaft length.It is obvious that this transmission as never been used before. With that said I did realize today that it will need to be re-certified sooner than a new one as it was built 09/16.The next part is needed to help me get in and out of the car easier. I was not originally going to use a quick release hub on my steering wheel but the funny cage bars changed that plan.

 

[victory_red_SS]

I have been in touch with the editor of LSX Magazine and he has asked to do a feature story on my project when we are done. I had told him that Holley LS Fest West was something I wanted to attend. He offered to do a full photo shoot if I make it to Vegas this coming April!
I have talked to Kreymr Racing and I have talked to Richmond Racing Engines. They are both on board to make this happen.
I have talked with my wife and she is on board with changing our 2020 vacation plans so we can be in Vegas for the LS Fest West.
Besides the photo shoot there will also be drag racing and I have every intention of participating. I am going there fully tuned and ready for balls to the wall racing.
I have never made a deadline before.
I have never been this close to finishing before.
I have never had these shops working on the project before.
Now the shops also have something riding on me getting to Vegas, their names will be prominently be featured in the feature story covering all most 14 years of the cars life.
I expect updates to be very regular for the next few weeks.
There will be plenty of odds and ends to be done once the car comes home so time for me will pass quickly.
If any of the members want to see the car up close, finished and racing LS Fest West is the place to be in April.
It would be really awesome to be able to race some Corvettes and Camaros while I am there.

A couple of other wrinkles that I must iron out in short order.
Because the car chassis and most RWD components were originally planned out with the intention of using a turbo LSJ we weren't worried about all of the torque at launch. Now that we have the boosted V8 I investigated my drag strip Ford 9" and checked out it's capabilities.
The 35 spline axels are good, the spool is good, but the Strange case and the gears aren't going to work. Not at 1200+ HP. Dwain Kremyr is ordering up a new rear end next week which will have a 4.11 gear ratio and be able to more than meet my needs. He also believes he has a buyer for my strange rear case with 4.30 gears.
The other issue I have is that my MagnaFuel 750 EFI fuel pump is not designed for continuous use which will severely limit any kind of street driving. I am choosing to swap out that unit for a Holley 12-1800-2 which will satisfy both street and dragstrip needs.

One other piece of the puzzle arrived a couple of days ago.
They are supposed to hold way more HP than I am going to throw at them which I'm pleased about.
Diamond piston specs;
Diamond Chevrolet LSX 12°, 4.125 Bore, 4.000 Stroke, 6.125 Rod, 1.15 comp height, -4.8cc, .927 x 2.250 pin

LSX RACE 12°FLAT TOP SERIES

· 3D milling on piston crowns for ready to install finish
· Inboard forging design with fully machined under crown for maximum strength
· Valve pockets designed to work with most aftermarket 12° cylinder heads
· Side gas ports for better ring seal
· Moly skirt coating for friction loss and skirt wear protection
· Top ring down dimension: .280" (1.115cd) .250" (1.053cd)
· Ratios figured for .053 head gasket
· Premium 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 3.0mm ring package included
· Premium H-13 .250W wrist pins included chamfered for round wire locks
· Valve pocket depth: 0.220" intake and .162" exhaust
· 2618 material for High HP-NOS-Boost applications - rated for 2000HP
· 10.7 compression ratio on 72cc combustion chambers

 

[victory_red_SS]

I am happy to share that one of the stumbling blocks for building the motor has been removed. The LSX block has been drilled for the 1/2" head studs. Because the high nickel content LSX blocks are harder than others and because these are not common blocks the info on how to drill and tap them for the 1/2" head studs is less than standard.


Having said that, Kyle, at Richmond engines, has now gotten these holes drilled and tapped and I couldn't be happier. Kyle has also bored out the cylinders to 4.125", drilled out and installed the lifter bushings and drilled out the oiling holes in the valley of the block. For some reason GM only had one drilled out while the others weren't but they are now.


The Callies Compstar crankshaft arrived and it was finished at the factory after Jim sent over the bob weight. The quality is what is needed for this amount of HP.


















[/URL
]

 

[victory_red_SS]

Next, over to Kreymr Racing to talk with Dwain and hand over more $$$ and that's ok because everything they do is top quality. I can't really afford them, but I also can't afford to not have them do what they do best.


The wiring has started and should be completed in short order. The plan with the wiring guy is to keep working with minimal days off between now and New Years. In the pictures the black box in the center of the dash is the Holley Dominator ECU. The fuse panel is also installed as is a second panel for relays.


One thing that I probably couldn't afford to do or do without is a center console. Dwain really came through on this part. The pictures don't give the complete look because the dash is off for wiring. I like where the rocker switches are mounted, and I really like the look of this console. The whole interior is going to be either victory red or black, so I need to choose a color for the console. Because the carpet will be black, I am favoring red for the console. The roll cage, which is red, is going to be painted black and the silver parts on the dash are also going to painted red. I have the same color scheme in the engine bay except for a few components which will be silver (including the super charger). I am up for feedback on the color of the console.


Another item almost done is the wing for drag racing. This wing is mounted to a trunk lid specifically for the track. I still have the original trunk lid and wing which will be swapped out for street driving.


Dwain has also redone the mounting points for the parachute as well as the parachute deployment lever. I like the positioning and the functionality of it, requiring only a forward motion to deploy.


Under the hood, Dwain has mounted the dry sump's oil tank. It is going to take some adjustments to the radiator and the water pump to allow for the routing of the hoses but the quality of workmanship that Dwain and Scott do, means that it will look like everything was always designed to be there.

Another item that needed some thought was were to mount the relocation brackets for the smart coils. Those are likely done now and will be mounted to the underside of the cowling. We have changed the plan for the required windshield wiper (we’re using a single blade) so the wiper assemble is gone making the room we needed for the brackets.


I also took a picture of the Vortech racing bypass valve sitting in its proper place. This bypass valve is almost twice the size as the one that comes with the kit. Again, it looks like it was always supposed to be there.


The last thing is another big milestone to me which I already shared but this time I have the picture to share, my NHRA 7.50 chassis certification. :thumbsup:

[/URL

 

[victory_red_SS]

I had to make a trip back to Kreymr Racing because Steve, the wiring guy, discovered that the Holley fuel pump isn’t big enough. The reason is because of my using E85. That puts the Holley pump right on the edge of capacity and I’m not a believer of being on the edge of anything. Over build so there is reliability, which as we know means pay more $$$ and in this case the pump required is 400% more $$$.


While I was talking with Dwain, I snapped a couple of more pictures of the progress. One of the items was done to make it easier/quicker to pull the motor. While this modification seemed like a wish list item, Dwain and Scott made quick work of it. Considering a Cobalt was never designed to have a V8 under it’s hood let alone with a Vortech S/C attached. Once I have all of this painted it will look like it came from the factory this way and it’s only 4 bolts to disconnect/reconnect. In the second picture is also the ARE drysump oil filter mount mounted.


The picture shows the smart coil relocation bracket mounted. These brackets have two pins for quick removal/re-install. This is another item that Dwain and Scott made short work of. They also made and installed a heat shield for the brakes master cylinder which wasn’t on my do list but there is no arguing that it was an important thing to do.


There were a few things talked about that are worth mentioning. Steve will be ready to test the electrical system on Tuesday except for the couple of items such as the pump and injectors. Also, Dwain has dealt with the steering column, the steering rack and the header pipes. Another issue put to rest.


The other item discussed with Dwain was that he believes they will be finished this week. The word finished :surprised :surprised has never been used by a shop, regarding this project, ever before. I know well enough that a couple of tweaks here and there are going to be needed but to be so close, to have the bleeding stop, is monumental to me.


My wife really isn’t going to be happy with the latest bill but at least the end is finally in site.

 

[victory_red_SS]

I talked to the fabricator Thursday and the wiring is finished. The car just needs to have the fuel tank and pumps installed and then the car is finished as far as fabrication goes. Then he sets up the suspension and then we arrange for the car come home next weekend so that I can start with the remaining bodywork, paint and re-installing the interior and glass.

The remaining balance owing is way more than we expected but there is no argument that the workmanship for that money is top quality. Never before has this project been almost finished.

This is getting real now and the light is truly shining at the end of a long, dark, tunnel.



Yesterday I dropped into the engine builder’s shop and I am very happy that I did.

The engine block has finally gotten a spot in the room where the engines are assembled! This room is where the magic happens people. Kyle, the guy who builds the engines is as stoked about this milestone as we all are. He wants to see this engine run just like we do, and Kyle wants to see the epic burnout once the engine is tuned.

The Carrillo -Bullet series connecting rods are in and they support 2,000 hp. The cam bushing had to be changed out for different ones and the new ones are now there and ready to be installed.

The camshaft is at the border and will be picked up the same time as the rockers. Pushrods are the last thing to be ordered once everything else is assembled.

The engine will be ready to run 2 weeks from today and I am almost in disbelief that after almost 14 years, this project is rounding the final curve. Part of me wondered if this point was ever going to get here.

Ok, now for some pictures.



[/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/engine%20building%20room%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/LSX%20block%20machined.jpg.html][/URL
]

[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Callies%20crankshaft%20balanaced%201.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Callies%20crankshaft%20balanaced%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Carrillo%20Bullet%20connecting%20rods%201.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Carrillo%20Bullet%20connecting%20rods%202.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Carrillo%20Bullet%20connecting%20rods%203.jpg.html][/URL
]



[URL=http://s186.photobucket.com/user/victory_red_SS/media/RWD%20Cobalt%20Project/Carrillo%20Bullet%20connecting%20rods%204.jpg.html][/URL
][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[victory_red_SS]

There are many updates to my project but those will have to wait until I have a bit more time to get those updates posted.

How ever, I am thinking this update is worth jumping the que for.

Finally, after over 14 years my race engine breathed for the first time today. It was an awesome moment.

We need to adjust a few things away from then N/A setup to EFI. We made close to 750 hp naturally aspirated on the first pull. Oil pressure was an issue, so we didn’t push past 7500 rpms. My heads are built to withstand 8200 rpm’s and keep on smiling.

I need a System 1 oil filter for the pressure we are running. We also need a bigger pulley for the drysump pump because ARE wants us to spin less tan our current pulley spins. We have a few more tweaks to make to get all of the lines for the drysump to fit the custom motor mount. I have a LS steam line kit arriving this week and I now need to order a torque converter. Finally, the patient has a heartbeat.

victory_red_SS' heart beat

There were 2 pulls done and this the second one as I was in the control room for the first pull.

victory_red_SS' dyno pull