Old Project Revitalized - 56 Track Car

mfain

mfain

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
492
Location
Las Vegas/Phoenix
I've been missing in action for a couple of years tracking an ACR and a Focus - got that out of my system. I'm not getting any younger so I decided I better get serious about finishing my old 56 Corvette track car that I have been "modifying" since 1975. I sold a couple of my old Corvettes for operating capital and I am devoting it all to finish the 56. So here's where I am. The car is caged, widened, and with a completed high travel/low roll front suspension. The rear suspension was a much modified C4-based system, but I was afraid it wouldn't be strong enough, so I just purchased a complete DecaLink from DSE with a hammerhead differential and 1200 HP axles. I am adapting the DecaLink to the C1 rear frame rails - should be fun. A couple of months ago I commissioned Larry's Engine and Marine (Tuscon AZ - renowned for their BBC offshore race boat motors) to build an all aluminum (Brodix) 515 CI big bore/short stroke (4.6 bore/3.875 stroke) motor with Calles crank/rods, 13:1 JE pistons, Comp Cams solid roller, TD shaft rockers, Dailey signature dry sump system, Hogan fabricated sequential injection intake system, and a Motec ECU. I just received my new Tilton bellhousing, rear mounted starter, and triple disk 7.25 inch carbon clutch. The transmission is a TKO 600 extreme built by American Powertrain that I have had for a while. I will post photos as things progress.

Pappy

56 and 62.jpg

Corvette LCA 2.jpg56 and 62.jpgCorvette LCA 2.jpg
 
Didn't you have a watts link trailing link on your rear suspension? Always thought that was interesting.
 
Great to have you back and looking forward to your updates. :-)
 
Is that Tilton piece considered a scattershield? Or do you run a blanket around it? Whats the front suspension consist of?
 
vette427sbc said:
Is that Tilton piece considered a scattershield? Or do you run a blanket around it? Whats the front suspension consist of?
Click to expand...

The Tilton bell housing is legal for NASA and SCCA road racing with the carbon clutch. It is the same set-up that was used on the NASCAR COT - not sure about the drag racing sanctioning bodies. It also serves as the mid-plate with a Competition Engineering motor plate up front. The front suspension is a custom fabricated, high-travel/low-roll design with long fabricated chrome-moly control arms, JRI triple adjustable shocks/coilovers, and a Speedway Engineering sway bar. All pick-up points are on slugs for adjustability and it uses a Sweet front steer power rack with a Woodward steering column. The uprights are ATS with ZR1 hubs, Howe NASCAR-spec zero friction ball joints, and big StopTech brakes.
 
mfain said:
vette427sbc said:
Is that Tilton piece considered a scattershield? Or do you run a blanket around it? Whats the front suspension consist of?
Click to expand...

The Tilton bell housing is legal for NASA and SCCA road racing with the carbon clutch. It is the same set-up that was used on the NASCAR COT - not sure about the drag racing sanctioning bodies. It also serves as the mid-plate with a Competition Engineering motor plate up front. The front suspension is a custom fabricated, high-travel/low-roll design with long fabricated chrome-moly control arms, JRI triple adjustable shocks/coilovers, and a Speedway Engineering sway bar. All pick-up points are on slugs for adjustability and it uses a Sweet front steer power rack with a Woodward steering column. The uprights are ATS with ZR1 hubs, Howe NASCAR-spec zero friction ball joints, and big StopTech brakes.
Click to expand...

Very cool... wasnt aware that there are different specs for bellhousing/scattershields. Post some pictures of the front when you get a chance... Correct me if Im wrong but with that partsllist it sounds like youre drinking some of the Ron Sutton Kool-Aid too?
 
vette427sbc said:
mfain said:
vette427sbc said:
Is that Tilton piece considered a scattershield? Or do you run a blanket around it? Whats the front suspension consist of?
Click to expand...

The Tilton bell housing is legal for NASA and SCCA road racing with the carbon clutch. It is the same set-up that was used on the NASCAR COT - not sure about the drag racing sanctioning bodies. It also serves as the mid-plate with a Competition Engineering motor plate up front. The front suspension is a custom fabricated, high-travel/low-roll design with long fabricated chrome-moly control arms, JRI triple adjustable shocks/coilovers, and a Speedway Engineering sway bar. All pick-up points are on slugs for adjustability and it uses a Sweet front steer power rack with a Woodward steering column. The uprights are ATS with ZR1 hubs, Howe NASCAR-spec zero friction ball joints, and big StopTech brakes.
Click to expand...

Very cool... wasnt aware that there are different specs for bellhousing/scattershields. Post some pictures of the front when you get a chance... Correct me if Im wrong but with that partsllist it sounds like youre drinking some of the Ron Sutton Kool-Aid too?
Click to expand...

Yeah, Ron is a friend of mine and we have had many discussions about suspension design philosophy. We agree on most things, except perhaps the IRS. He prefers an offset three link. I buy parts from him, and I was going to use one of his Race Warrior LS motors, but I built the car for a BBC a long time ago and I had collected a ton of good big block parts - plus I just like the brute power of a BBC - so that's what I stuck with.

I have a couple of earlier threads here (56 Corvette and Adjustable Front Suspension) where I uploaded photos of the front suspension under construction. I tried, but was unable to reload those photos - guess that's not allowed.

PappyCorvette 56 control arms 1.jpg
 
mfain said:
Yeah, Ron is a friend of mine and we have had many discussions about suspension design philosophy. We agree on most things, except perhaps the IRS. He prefers an offset three link. I buy parts from him, and I was going to use one of his Race Warrior LS motors, but I built the car for a BBC a long time ago and I had collected a ton of good big block parts - plus I just like the brute power of a BBC - so that's what I stuck with.

I have a couple of earlier threads here (56 Corvette and Adjustable Front Suspension) where I uploaded photos of the front suspension under construction. I tried, but was unable to reload those photos - guess that's not allowed.

Pappy
Click to expand...

Ill have to check out your earlier threads... Everytime I talk with Ron I learn something new. Hes been a great resource for info and parts as well. Keep us posted with your project!
 
Wow, some nice pieces. Looking forward to hearing it run.

Hey, didn’t you post a teaser picture a while ago of some carbon fiber air ducting for this car? How did they turn out? I might be confusing it with someone else’s project. If so, sorry.
 
rtj said:
Wow, some nice pieces. Looking forward to hearing it run.

Hey, didn’t you post a teaser picture a while ago of some carbon fiber air ducting for this car? How did they turn out? I might be confusing it with someone else’s project. If so, sorry.
Click to expand...

Yes, I built carbon fiber ductwork for the front brakes. It worked out quite well. I will post some photos. In the meantime, here are some rather poor cell phone photos of the new motor in its current state. Hogan is doing some modes to the intake and the harness for the Motec ECU is in work. should have it on the dyno in the next month.

Pappy

Motor 2.jpg

Motor 1.jpg

Motor 6.jpgMotor 2.jpgMotor 1.jpgMotor 6.jpg
 
Last edited:
Just got my Forgeline GA3Rs - 18X12 front and 18X`12.5 rear. I trial fit the fronts and the barrel cleared the control arms, tie rod, and sway bar up to 30 degrees of wheel turn throughout full suspension travel. I will mount the tires next week (335 front/345 rear) and verify the tire clearances. I don't expect any problems.

Pappy

56 Corvette Forgelines (002).jpg56 Corvette Forgelines (002).jpg
 
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