COPO Camaro

[Domestic Disturbance]

Chevy is finally getting a track ready car out to compete. COPO Concept car, 327 with a 2.9L whipple, solid rear axle, and a powerglide. Might have a n/a 427 option too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGoeYq0pE6s

http://2475-lsxtv.voxcdn.com/files/2011/10/IMG_08071.jpg

[snickerlicker]

Will be a nice snack for a Cobra Jet it looks like...

[AutoMods]

makes me want to get that solid rear put in my car

[Domestic Disturbance]

I want to see some testings damnit. Thing has a pretty sick idle

[snickerlicker]

Doubt it does this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CxhzWhXc3U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Scott]

whoever installed that panhard bar must not understand suspension at all.. Thats about as much angle as we run on a dirt modified!! yikes I guarentee it handles like shit and turns left way different than it does right LOL

[snickerlicker]

I would think Tasca Ford would know what they're doing, they've been racing since the 60's....But who knows.

[Scott]

I was talking about the camaro, cant see the panhard bar on the mustang. But the factory location of the panhard on a mustang is pretty good if I remember right, arent the new style mustangs 3 link with panhard bar?

[snickerlicker]

Oh I see. Yes your are correct on the new Mustang set-up.

[Domestic Disturbance]

I dont think its supposed to handle. I would assume its adjust to counter act it leaning to one side, especially because I don't see any sway bar on there.

[APPLES355]

The purpose of a panhard bar or watts linkage is to keep the rear end center under the car. the difference between the watts linkage and the panhard bar is that the panhard bar no matter what you do travels in an arc which translates into some side to side motion of the rearend. This can be minimized by making the panhard bar longer. that is why some people try to mount the panhard bar as close to the wheel as possible and in some cases inside the wheel. There is another school of thought that would say if your car only has a few degrees of roll you wont even notice the rearend moving because the movement would be so small. As for the angle the panhard bar is on that camaro i would have to model it to see what movement it would have, but i think the more angle the panhard bar has the more the rear will move side to side which would induce either understeer or oversteer. maybe this is why circle track guys use panhard bars on their cars. i could be wrong!

By design the watts linkage takes away the characteristic the panhard bar has by traveling in an arc and keeps the rearend centered at all times. the big arguement with a watts linkage is what mounting is better. you could either mount the propeller (seems to be the popular name) on the frame or the rearend. if you mount the propeller on the rearend you have the roll center of the car changing as the car is turning while the frame mounted propeller would have the roll center height fixed while cornering.

Its hard to tell, but it looks like the COPO camaro has an anti-roll bar on it.

Later

[AutoMods]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J4xkHuP7QY

[AutoMods]

here is a better video . my solid axle conversion will has a watts link


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_mH1euXrk&feature=related

[sparkles]

Fayes2 FTW :)

[black88gt]

2nd video is really cool

[APPLES355]

If you are looking for a watts linkage that has the propeller mounted on the frame of the car fays2 makes a quality product. they were nice enough to send the gbody kit without the brackets that bolt to the frame so i could mount it higher up in the frame on the monte!

[AutoMods]

was planning on going with this kit http://grannys.tripod.com/solidaxle.htm

[Scott]

I dont think its supposed to handle. I would assume its adjust to counter act it leaning to one side, especially because I don't see any sway bar on there.

yeah Im sure you right about the handling, I would think they could make a custom mount to get it right though. The panhard bar should not effect the twisting of the car at all without any lateral force, with the exception of the lateral movement of the housing during suspension travel will effect the weight distribution slightly.. Either way its just something I noticed and is probably not noticable at all for a drag car.

[Scott]

If you are looking for a watts linkage that has the propeller mounted on the frame of the car fays2 makes a quality product. they were nice enough to send the gbody kit without the brackets that bolt to the frame so i could mount it higher up in the frame on the monte!

Josh you should build in a good amount of adjustment for roll center, Fab up some nice custom mounts or something so you find the sweet spot. For a car thats driven on the street alot Im not a huge fan of the watts link just because of the fact theres so many parts to it and usually solid rod ends, I've seen too many things loosen up on race cars and scares me to see this stuff on street cars because you never know when its gonna happen. roll center makes a HUGE difference when turning corners i found out

[sparkles]

Lol. Or when you're panhard bolt is gonna come out on the freeway going 65mph. Yeah, ask me how I know.

[DustinsDuster]

The purpose of a panhard bar or watts linkage is to keep the rear end center under the car. the difference between the watts linkage and the panhard bar is that the panhard bar no matter what you do travels in an arc which translates into some side to side motion of the rearend. This can be minimized by making the panhard bar longer. that is why some people try to mount the panhard bar as close to the wheel as possible and in some cases inside the wheel. There is another school of thought that would say if your car only has a few degrees of roll you wont even notice the rearend moving because the movement would be so small. As for the angle the panhard bar is on that camaro i would have to model it to see what movement it would have, but i think the more angle the panhard bar has the more the rear will move side to side which would induce either understeer or oversteer. maybe this is why circle track guys use panhard bars on their cars. i could be wrong!

By design the watts linkage takes away the characteristic the panhard bar has by traveling in an arc and keeps the rearend centered at all times. the big arguement with a watts linkage is what mounting is better. you could either mount the propeller (seems to be the popular name) on the frame or the rearend. if you mount the propeller on the rearend you have the roll center of the car changing as the car is turning while the frame mounted propeller would have the roll center height fixed while cornering.

Its hard to tell, but it looks like the COPO camaro has an anti-roll bar on it.

Later


i was reading this and thought, "man, this sounds right up Apples' alley". then i realized it was you who posted it. hahahahahaha.

so i'm assuming you have this setup all on the Monte now? i havent seen that car in quite a while now.

[APPLES355]

I have had the watts linkage under the car for three years now. here is a picture of what my rear suspension looks like. the only thing that will probably change in the future is going to a three link setup. right now it is still the triangulated 4-link, but with the use of soft upper control arm bushings the watts linkage dictates what the new roll center will be. since school is now over i am looking forward to doing some fun track days at MAM next year!

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o112/montec632/misc046.jpg

[APPLES355]

Sorry here is a larger picture

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o112/montec632/misc046-1.jpg

[Drifte]

Moisture star burst on the from the exhaust is neat.