[Lugnutty]

Originally Posted by Badgerbimmer

Just bought a ZL1 A10, need the auto otherwise would have gone 1LE. Having come from 20 years of tracking BMW M3s I am surprised at the seemingly limited number of Camaro track hounds to seek car set up advice from. Is this because until the SS 1LE and ZL1 and ZL1 1LE Camaro's generally weren't tracked? Admittedly in all the years of tracking I don't recall a lot of Camaro's out there. Are there other forums that the Camaro track hounds frequent? Not being disrespectful of those that post here just observation and asking honest questions.

This is what the 1LE is for! I run a bunch of days with the PCA and toward the end of the year, did pretty much all of my DEs in the Camaro rather than the 997. I mostly run Blackhawk, Road America, Gingerman, Autobahn. Although for 2017 I only managed to get the Camaro out to Blackhawk.

There's plenty of us track hounds on here. Check any of the "what brake pads should I get?" threads and you'll see most of us weigh in!

The thing with these cars is that, especially coming from BMW where we have to patch a bunch of factory flaws, they just don't need very much other than an alignment in order to really kick ass and be reliable on the track.

I did over 100 DEs in my old E46 M3 and I had to worry about camber plates, rear subframe bushings, rod bearings, craptastic factory oil recommendations, weaksauce brakes, and a dodgy cooling system. And it devoured tires and brake pads.

Now, granted, I've only done about 10 or 12 DEs in the Camaro and I've only had it since this summer, but aside from brake pads and oil changes, I haven't had to do a damn thing to it. It has more than adequate cooling (for everything except the brakes). Chevy has recommended track alignment settings, which you can get to without additional hardware. Track time doesn't void your warranty. I am one of the harder-pushing, faster guys, and I can say that really there isn't anything on the car that I found to be a shortcoming or need immediate attention. It really is a car that you can drive off the lot and right to the track. (Well, okay, break it in and change the oil. Otherwise, you don't need to do anything to it!)

My 1LE basically has a bunch of hand-me-downs from your ZL1. You're mostly good to go right now in that car!

[Sleeks]

Originally Posted by Lugnutty

This is what the 1LE is for! I run a bunch of days with the PCA and toward the end of the year, did pretty much all of my DEs in the Camaro rather than the 997. I mostly run Blackhawk, Road America, Gingerman, Autobahn. Although for 2017 I only managed to get the Camaro out to Blackhawk.

There's plenty of us track hounds on here. Check any of the "what brake pads should I get?" threads and you'll see most of us weigh in!

The thing with these cars is that, especially coming from BMW where we have to patch a bunch of factory flaws, they just don't need very much other than an alignment in order to really kick ass and be reliable on the track.

I did over 100 DEs in my old E46 M3 and I had to worry about camber plates, rear subframe bushings, rod bearings, craptastic factory oil recommendations, weaksauce brakes, and a dodgy cooling system. And it devoured tires and brake pads.

Now, granted, I've only done about 10 or 12 DEs in the Camaro and I've only had it since this summer, but aside from brake pads and oil changes, I haven't had to do a damn thing to it. It has more than adequate cooling (for everything except the brakes). Chevy has recommended track alignment settings, which you can get to without additional hardware. Track time doesn't void your warranty. I am one of the harder-pushing, faster guys, and I can say that really there isn't anything on the car that I found to be a shortcoming or need immediate attention. It really is a car that you can drive off the lot and right to the track. (Well, okay, break it in and change the oil. Otherwise, you don't need to do anything to it!)

My 1LE basically has a bunch of hand-me-downs from your ZL1. You're mostly good to go right now in that car!

I came from an E46 M3 too (basically three of them) and never got it to the track as I was constantly fixing crap (subframe, rod bearings, oil leaks). I have a bunch of friends with track-prepped E46s and I was giving them crap last year at Road America. They all missed at least one session trying to fix something that went wrong (bad sensor, brakes, whatever). I did every session, was within 8 seconds of their lap times (and I am a noob, I'm sure others will beat my time at RA) and drove my car to the track and daily drive it work - oh and I have a warranty. And all I had to do in my 1LE was swap brake fluid, put the better oil in and go.

GM did a fantastic job with these cars.

Hope to meet you guys at the track this year. I mostly do Road America and Autobahn.

[Lugnutty]

Yeah, that sounds about right. And I'm at well faster in the Camaro than I was in the M3.

[2010REDSS]

Originally Posted by Lugnutty

Yeah, that sounds about right. And I'm at well faster in the Camaro than I was in the M3.

Originally Posted by Sleeks

I came from an E46 M3 too (basically three of them) and never got it to the track as I was constantly fixing crap (subframe, rod bearings, oil leaks). I have a bunch of friends with track-prepped E46s and I was giving them crap last year at Road America. They all missed at least one session trying to fix something that went wrong (bad sensor, brakes, whatever). I did every session, was within 8 seconds of their lap times (and I am a noob, I'm sure others will beat my time at RA) and drove my car to the track and daily drive it work - oh and I have a warranty. And all I had to do in my 1LE was swap brake fluid, put the better oil in and go.

GM did a fantastic job with these cars.

Hope to meet you guys at the track this year. I mostly do Road America and Autobahn.

Great to have you guys join the Bowtie fun on the track!

Sleeks - replied to your PM, I'll email you my schedule.

Lugnutty - would like to meet you at a track event in 2018! PM me your email if you would like to see my track schedule and when we might be at the same events.

These Camaro's are fantastic track cars....right out of the box!

[Badgerbimmer]

Originally Posted by Lugnutty

Yeah, that sounds about right. And I'm at well faster in the Camaro than I was in the M3.

It will be very interesting in seeing how the lap times compare once I get the feel of how to drive the ZL1 with pace.

Your right, to make the E46 M3 fun I had to do a lot to it - Full TC Kline Koni DBL adj suspension, control arms, ground control sway bars, camber plates, spherical ball joints, engine & tranny hard mounted, Stoptech front/Brembo rear brakes. 4.10 mechanical ltd slip rear diff. Intake, euro headers, race radiator, oil cooler, bimmerworld exhaust, Moreso expansion taken, EPIC tune, Kirk rollbar, Cobra kevlar track seats, Schroth 6 pt harnesses, rear subframe reinforcement and more.......

I will have to say though other than the 3/4 synchos going once, and now going again, the car was very reliable and quick. With my non-race car driver skills I can run it in the upper 2:30s (38,39) at RA. Good drivers with gutted and caged M3s are running consistent low 2:30s. When Randy Probst drove the car he was faster! (that was a fun session!!)

The 360hp to 650hp ought to be fun even with the extra 600lbs.!

[Lugnutty]

We really should have a meetup or beer night or some such thing for all of us track junkies in the area. I could be convinced to set that up if people would come. I don't know how far north you are, Badger, but I'm in the north 'burbs. I'd come up near the state line

[Badgerbimmer]

Originally Posted by Lugnutty

We really should have a meetup or beer night or some such thing for all of us track junkies in the area. I could be convinced to set that up if people would come. I don't know how far north you are, Badger, but I'm in the north 'burbs. I'd come up near the state line

That sounds like a plan. I likely won’t pick the car up until the middle of May any time after that. I am 30 miles north of Milwaukee a little over an hour from the border