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I have my car in line for the LFX swap, and during our initial conversation Andrew mentioned that he left the Getrag DCT experiment behind for the Ford/GM 10 speed. The 10L60 is an option for the LGX camaros that apparently also bolts right up to the LFX. He's working on a prototype car for it and anticipates a fairly easy conversion overall.
That's fascinating - I know US Shift claimed that they'd be beta testing their 10R80 controller in "early 2021" but I haven't seen them post anything since then. I had a rented Camaro SS that I drove down to Oklahoma - I liked the 10 speed.
@apexglide I got the same feedback from Andrew and decided to hold on my LFX swap until the auto 10-speed solution is engineered and tested. I just dropped a JDM renesis into my rolling chassis this weekend to be able to have some fun with the car while I wait for the LFX+10L60.... I hear that Andrew has the trans bolted to LFX in RX-8 body as of yesterday ;-)
For those curious, the 10 speed's TCM wasn't able to communicate with the LFX Camaro ECU, so Andrew is now going to try out an LGX engine. This will require a different custom oil pan and different engine mounts, but the wiring will be simpler. Hoping to hear some more news from him in a couple weeks.
Depending on the variant, the LGX can make ~ 20hp more than the LFX stock-for-stock but they aren't flex fuel compatible.
For those curious, the 10 speed's TCM wasn't able to communicate with the LFX Camaro ECU, so Andrew is now going to try out an LGX engine. This will require a different custom oil pan and different engine mounts, but the wiring will be simpler. Hoping to hear some more news from him in a couple weeks.
Depending on the variant, the LGX can make ~ 20hp more than the LFX stock-for-stock but they aren't flex fuel compatible.
Thanks for the update. I think the LGX and 10 speed combo would make it a more "elegant" solution with just one ECU. I hope this gets worked out pretty soon.
Been a while since I posted an update. Cars still kicking and I’m still pleased as punch with it.
I’m now running fz101 soft compound slicks. I like them a lot . They have a taller sidewalk than my previous choice and provide much much better feedback when at the limit. I haven’t run them in 90+ weather yet so will find out soon how fast they get greasy fairly soon. Below 90 I can run em full out for 30 min without issue.
The only mechanical problem so far has been I had an idler pulley bolt snap, accessory belt came off and took out my crank trigger sensor bracket, which causes the engine to die. I was pretty sure I blew it so after a hit toe to the pits I was quite relieved.
Just to share how awesome Andrew is, he corresponded with me on a track day weekend, let me know the size/thread pitch bolt is and also took care of my sensor bracket that got trashed. Andrew exceeds my expectations with every interaction still.
upcoming plans
I have the panspeed kinda wide body kit
splitter/****
aim pdm32
still need to upgrade oil cooler
maybe ditch stock dash for something easier to work around
was a bit disappointed in the rear flares myself; don’t really add much over flattening or removing the factory wheel lip and then seemed fragile imo too, or at least too fragile for my cone smashing ways …
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The rear flares I have are fairly well made, however as you noted, they are not what is seen on the yellow panspeed Rx8. At a maximum they are .5” wider per side, maybe closer to .25”.
they need to make the car be like 2-3 inches wider overall imho.
the Front bumper and fenders are nice. Fenders are quite a bit wider than oem. Makes no sense why they half assed the rears.
I bought the Rocket Vanya V3 kit that came out last year but never installed it, only test-fit. It's quite a bit wider than the Panspeed kit and was sufficient to cover 335s at both ends of my car. I ended up deciding not to run it (and will list it for sale once I overcome the inertia to unpack it and take photos) but it's a reasonable option. It's super light and fit well out of the box.
I was on the fence over it for a long time, but it always comes down to fiberglass being fragile and easily damaged. I can’t see them holding up well in certain situations.
So I always come back to the flexible, injection molded “hoop” flares … actually ordered a set that then shipped from Russia. Then they never made it out of the NYC customs facility. I got my money back and somebody up there got a 5-finger discount. 🤨
Hey that's an interesting kit. Is this a social media only company? I've never heard of or seen that brand before. Very reminiscent of 'Rocket Bunny' kits imo.
And I've never heard of 'myjapndirect' before. Some nice parts listed for sure. Quick glance and this particular kit caught my attention. Looks pretty sweet to me except for the rear bumper but imo can be sorted out to taste. Unfortunately no specs listed but I think it's worthy of a possible consideration.
car now has an aim pdm and dash with very little factory wiring. I got to tig weld my clutch pedal as it was quite flexy. Seems like a pretty shitty design for longevity but does have a decent free.
Trashed my first aisin ay6, the Camaro transmission.
after a bunch of research I found out GM spec’s a heavier fluid than recommended by aisin. The heavier fluid causes the synchros to work harder and burn up. I have a spare that I’ll try running gm synchromesh in and see how long it lives, though I’m not expecting much to be honest. Will be prepping for a real racing trans to go in while this one eats itself.
Oh! I also had an abs failure while on track. I lucked out. It was cold out and I was on my second warmup lap passing a slow car.
While the car is apart I started putting the panspeed kit on. As team has noted it’s all frp and fragile. All fenders/flares less than 1” wider. I like the look but not sure the cost of the kit plus paint is worth the effort.
Also while I’m at it, I have a question.
the car feels great, I’ve even had some pro drivers take it out and they like it as well. I say this to illustrate the car is setup pretty good.
on throttle lift or trail brake the car rotated nicely into a turn. Never snaps out. Mid corner is neutral-ish
Mid speed exits however the rear always washes out before the front. Everyone that has driven or ridden in the car has noticed. I’m not quite sure how to get more exit grip in the rear without messing up corner phases that are working ok now.
you know how things go. Broke an axel and it turned into 10 other projects.
Aero in progress. Working with Zebulon on a wing
I have pics of the whole kit on, looks good. Thinking I’m going to plasti dip the car. Seems to be the cheapest way to get the car looking decent paint wise.
Notched the passenger side trans tunnel and welded up a nice frame/bracket so that seat could be mounted properly.
been cracking rotors like a champ and knock back issues. Looking for a solution there.
new trans and clutch/flywheel
3.73 rem polished ring and pinion gear about to go in
i came up with axel solution for the camaro diff using lightened 40 spline 930 cv’s hundred axels. No need to swap to the ford solution being used now. Can be done on the cheap with non drilled axels and non lighted cvs.
posting from phone, seems like all the photos are in hec format and can be used here. I’ll edit and update later from the laptop.
01-20-2022, 10:28 AM
