DirtyDaveW

I saw the guy join the street behind me as I wound thru downtown. I turned left, he turned left. I turned right, so did he. A smile curled on my face...
I headed out to the two lane highway and patiently drove thru the double yellow lined lanes as I approached the many turns that prefix the long straight away I knew was ahead. My eyes would dart quickly to and from my rear view mirror, making sure the Challenger was in tow and I could tell from his proximity, he was anxious to beat down the 'old' 4th Gen LT1. As we curled around the last curve before the double yellow line dissipated and left the lone yellow stripe to oncoming traffic, the Challenger felt I was ripe for the picking, downshifting and heading around my rear bumper in 2nd gear. Aha... Not so fast Mr. Mopar! I downshifted to 2nd as well and stomped the turbo out of her slumber and, taking ever deeper breaths, I quickly paralleled the Challengers head start, then pulled more and more deliberately ahead in third, then I caught fourth, twisting the blade between his ribs, hearing a satisfactory cracking noise in the process. Lol...

At the next gas station, we both pulled in and he came over to me, asking what the Hell I had in my car. I laughed, then we talked for about 20 minutes. This was about the best morning I've had here on the roads of Upstate New York

mudbone

Wo hoo. Great story. A nice car too (I checked out your page).

DirtyDaveW

Thanks! I didn't know much about these 6.1 Hemis so I looked them up. Nice specs! He didn't mention any mods but he did tell me he has a built 1999 Cobra that he sent off to a speed shop in Canada(why there, I have no Idea) so the guy isn't afraid to mod a car. I'll have to ask him if I see him again.

John M

I've now bookmarked your page because I hope to one day build a turbo LT1 Cadillac. Crazy, yes, but it's going to be fun and unique!

BTW, would you recommend going with OBD1 or 2? They offered both in the caddy and I'd like to do all I can on a stock ECU rather than going full standalone.

DirtyDaveW

Either one works fine. I have both computers for mine with the Turbo Tune from Bryan. With the OBDI, I can tweak the tune myself with either LT1 Edit or Tunercat. The downsides are that;

a. At inspection time, I have to put in the OBDII computer since my car came with OBDII.

b. Most of the scanners (Harbor Freight has one for like $39) are OBDII. If an SES (check engine) light comes on, it takes a few seconds to hook it up, display the codes and find out what's going on. I haven't found a similar inexpensive code reader for the OBDI's.


On the OBDII computer, I have to send it to Bryan if/when I need any tweaks since the OBDII reprogramming software is quite expensive ($4xx If I recall correctly). The OBDII computer does have an edge if you have an automatic transmission since that's one (at least) of the improvements introduced with the OBDII protocol.

The Caddy sounds like a fun project. I like cars that look rather unflashy, unintimidating, yet run hard and surprise the other guy. What's the fun in looking like you're in John Forces car and no one challenges you as a result?

mudbone

And your's sure fits that bill! Quite nicely.

BTW, do you know if the Harbor Freight scanner works on the bastardized OBD of a '95 (OBD1 codes with an OBD2 connection)? Thanks.

DirtyDaveW

It will plug in because the connector housings fit but it will not read the PCM.

Wild Willy

Where in upstate are you near? I work in Schenectady, and have been to Redline a couple times- He tuned my car after I put in the Z06 cam-

I will have to watch out for that Red Devil-

DirtyDaveW

Hey chief

... Fortunately for me, my car looks like every other plain jane Red/Black Z28 w/o mods. I live south of Albany, near Valatie(who comes up with these names here? Lol). I went over to Redline once to look at the shop. Do you like working with Howard at Redline?

Are there any other shops in the related area that have a chassis dyno? I know Howard won't dyno cars just to dyno them, at least not LT1's.

Do you ever make it over to New Lebanon Raceway?

OVA1

LOL... Excellent kill...

But your site's post regarding the USNY speedshop owner was hysterical.

I can't WAIT to hear the kill report you lay on us when you head that monster over to the track and take down his work with that LT-1.

We've a Mustang shop around here which had similar 'tude prior to the track runs... much better now...

Enjoyed reading your testimony Brother Turbo... My faith is bolstered through this humble fellowship.

DirtyDaveW

Thanks! I like your setup. Sounds like a fun yet civil car. I had one of the Performabuilt Level 2 trannys in my 94 Z28. Excellent tranny. How do you like yours, especially with that Torque Converter? Great 60 foot on that pass on your sig!

OVA1

Hey! 'preciate the props... Yeah she's a gas...

By all objective measures the guys at Performabuilt are serious about their trannies. I love mine... She shifts clean and quick... especially significant is the 2-3.... where the old tranny kinda lumbered through... the PB gets right to it.

The Yank is a monster... She doesn't seem to hit quite as hard as the Vig I had previously, but she doesn't slip nearly as much up top.

We were trappin' over 94 in the measured 1/8th last time out, which is a personal best for us. The track was really wet from a massive late afternoon downpour; they did a good job gettin' the lanes dried off... but even takin' the Mickeys down <15lbs she still wouldn't grab... we averaged low 1.8x 60s with one 1.78 that produced a 7.43 ET... But... we still had a blast... until the mesquitos showed. (imagine millions of blood suckin' turkeys...)

IF... we could have managed that 1.58-60... we'd have been deep IN the 7.2s; POSSIBLY... high 7.1xs...

And just imagine how much fun the 'Basically Stock' thing would be if we'd pulled that off...

DirtyDaveW

In what part of the country do you live?
I'd been in Houston from 1986 till 2005. Since then, upstate NY.

OVA1

I'm in Naples, FL... SW FL...

DirtyDaveW

Ah.. so you probably get quite a bit of racing action!
Keep us posted on your kills ...