Eckler's Camaro World

Most of you are aware that Worldwide Camaro magazines include "How To", Tech Articles each month. We are always interested in ongoing projects on 67-02 Camaros by individuals that have the technical knowledge and skills to explain step by step written install procedures. We also require high resolution digital photos during the installation. In return we are offering compensation for your submitted tech articles. If you think you’re interested in becoming one of our technical writers for World Wide Camaro please contact Thomas at 321-385-1578 during normal business hours for additional information.

Yesterday I attended a national drag racing event in Bradenton Florida and while I was walking around the pits I saw several people selling used parts. Now normally I don’t buy used racing parts because they’re pretty used up by the time the owner decides to sell them. As I passed a pick up truck I saw a complete Ford 9 inch center section with posi and gears for $80.00. I decided to take a closer look at the unit and I determined that the unit was not really abused, the gears looked great and it would be worth at least $150.00. I then spoke with the owner who informed me that he just received a $20.00 deposit to hold the unit until he came back with the remaining amount. Feeling that this was a deal too good to pass up, I offered him $100.00, but he said no! I then decided to raise the bar in the bidding war and I said 105, 110, and the owner told me to take the rear end. I was more determine than ever to add this unit to my collection of spare parts should I ever need another center section. Now some may say “that’s not right”, since the guy already put a deposit on the part, but I live by the rule “a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush”. Either buy the part, or walk away, and the seller felt the same way, because he was unsure that his guy could get $60.00 from his buddies. He had a guy standing in front of him with money in hand offering him $35.00 more than the asking price and he would be stupid to turn down more money. I visited swap meets that had a fair amount of used car parts, and many times I’ve passed a part that I thought I would like to have and returned a short time later only to discover the part was sold. So a word from the wise, if you find a part you want, be determine, and make the purchase you’ll be glad you did.

During the course of the business day I also answer Eckler’s Product Information Line, otherwise known as the Tech Line. The original intent of this phone line was to provide information for customers who purchase products from us and have product installation questions. A few installation questions are still asked but for the most part we receive calls requesting opinions on various subjects such as; what are the benefits of a high rise manifold vice a low rise manifold or how much horsepower will the HEI distributor give me? The ones I really like are questions about wiring, and what color wire goes where. After looking at a wiring diagram for a few moments and asking further questions, I determine that the customer is not using a wiring kit sold by us nor is it a factory style wiring harness. Working on cars can be complicated if you are a first timer, and I would rather assist the first timer since he will admit that he doesn’t know very much. The mechanic at a local garage is the most difficult because he’s convinced that he does know it all any never reads our instructions. One such mechanic called me to inform me that our headers were poorly designed and would not fit the big block Chevy that he was trying to install on a customers motor. After asking several questions such as; did you purchase a complete big block installation kit from us? I determined that he was using another company’s motor mounts which located the motor too far forward causing steering box interference problems. Another customer called and was trying to install floor pans in his 55 Chevy for the first time, and did not have a clue where to begin cutting out the old floor pans. A Job like this is better left to a professional shop since you could easily get the entire body out of alignment causing major door alignment problems. Most guys start projects with an ideal of what jobs they can do and what work they should farm out, but nothing kills a project quicker than frustration. Once again this is a good reason to join a local car club where help is readily available. I’ve been around cars as long as I can remember, but I’ve never mastered painting and buffing cars, so I leave jobs like this to a professional and I’m glad to pay for the service.
So enjoy your project, take your time, and follow instructions and you will have few if any installation problems.

I spent the last few days reflecting back to the Barrett Jackson auction held this past weekend and the crazy money that was spent purchasing cars that once sold for a few thousand dollars. I remember going to the local Chevy dealer and walking through rows and rows of Camaros, Chevelles and Impalas trying to decide which color vehicle I wanted to put my hard earned dollars down for. After driving the Chevelle, my mind was made up this was the car for me, a big block 396, 375 horsepower four speed car was in my immediate future. Once I took delivery of my new car, the modifications started with headers, 4:10 gears, and a big Sun tachometer. This car brought me instant status among the car cruising crowd, where there were Hemi Cudas, 429 Mustangs, Oldsmobile 442’s and other muscle cars in the parking lots. The ownership of my real first hot rod started a relationship with people I’ve known for more than 30 years. I always managed to find more power by installing a bigger cam, bigger valves in the heads, bigger carburetor and the list goes on. I removed my factory wood grain steering wheel and replaced it with a smaller after market on and now I’ve learned that that wooden steering wheel is worth more than $900.00. My Chevelle really got too fast for the street and was burning a gallon of fuel eight miles at a time. The decision was made to race it in NHRA and the old AHRA stock classes, and the car was fairly successful, winning the 1975 Summer Nationals. After years of spending money and being broke, a decision was made to send the car to a new home. Inside the glove box was the original Protect-O-Plate which provided all the information necessary for the new owner. The car was not cut up, still had the original vinyl top, 12 bolt rear end and all interior except for the addition of a NHRA roll cage. I sold this car for $5,000 and after watching the auction and the crazy money that was thrown around I couldn’t help but say….If I only knew!

Yesterday I read an article written by a Michael La Fave a Canadian Online Automotive Magazine reporter stating that the 4th generation Camaro was a piece of junk. He admits that the car was fast but unrewarding to drive. He stated that it was big, ponderous, made from plastic and was ugly too. Well comments like these didn’t take long to receive a response to. Mr. Scott Settlemire from GM provided many facts, first that the Chevrolet Camaro has a huge Enthusiast following from all walks of life. That calling the 4th generation Camaro a piece of junk without mentioning that the 2002 Camaro won the J.D. Power Apeal award was another fact Mr. La Fave neglected. Another fact provided by Mr. Settlemire is the Camaro Z28 and Camaro SS are great performers, not only on the road, but also on a road course or autocross track where they smartly defeated sports cars costing two to three times as much. And the last statement of fact was the fuel economy numbers (28 mpg on the highway) while being classified as “Low Emissions Vehicles.” I’m very glad that we Camaro enthusiast have Mr. Settlemire in our corner able to provide “The Facts” whenever these automotive reporters go off half cocked making statements that cannot be supported with fact! CAMAROS FOREVER!

Saturday I visited the club meeting held by Classic Camaros of Central Florida and I honestly enjoyed myself. I’ve recently written about the importance of joining Camaro local chapters to have fun, plan trips, and to offer your services during special events. Classic Camaros of Central Florida is hosting the Winter Nationals in Kissimmee Florida and they provide coffee and donuts, assists with tech and classification of vehicles and offer information to attendees. During the business meeting, a sign up sheet was passed around the room, and I didn’t see one person decline to volunteer for upcoming tasks. I feel that monthly Camaro meetings such as this do so much not only for the individual Camaro owners but the local community.
Camaro clubs often have fund raisers for various charity events which improve the overall image of car clubs in general. So if you want to be a part of something that both fun and positive, join your local Camaro club you won’t regret it.

Well we have 16 more days until the Winter Nationals and I’m sure everyone that plans to attend the show is putting in long hours cleaning and polishing their vehicles. What do the judges look for? Here’s a brief list;

BODY EXTERIOR:
Body Work, Paint Finish, Paint Detail, Body Alignment, Chrome Plating, Bumper Alignment, Weatherstrip & Seals, Glass Condition, Lamps, Lens & Emblems, Cleanliness.

INTERIOR:
Seat material, Door Panels, Carpet, Headliner, Kick Panels, Dash Paint, Garnish Molding, Console Area, Inside Stainless & Chrome, Cleanliness.

ENGINE COMPARTMENT:
Intake Manifold, Valve Covers, Exhaust Manifolds, Engine Paint, Water Pump & Fan, Generator or Alternator, Distributor, Wiring, Fuel Pump, Firewall, Master Cylinder, Wiper Motor, Inner Fenders, Correct Cad Plating or Black Oxide Paint. Cleanliness.

DRIVELINE & SUSPENSION
Front Suspension, Transmission, Driveshaft, Shocks, Rear End Housing, Rear Springs, Cleanliness.

UNDERCARRIAGE
Frame Paint, Floor Pans, Front & Rear Fender Wells, Mufflers, Hangers & Pipes, Fuel & Brake Lines, Cleanliness

TRUNK & CARGO AREA
Paint, Carpet, Spare Tire, Jack, Latches & Hinges, Cleanliness

WHEELS & TIRES
Wheels, Tires, Covers or Caps, Cleanliness

As you review this list you will notice that cleanliness is always listed, and this is a main judging point on the judging sheet. So get those shop towels and baby diapers out and get to work, your competition has already started cleaning their vehicles. Good Luck!

It’s always sad when I hear the news that two Camaro enthusiast were involved in a traffic accident resulting in the death of one and serious injury to the other. The traffic accident occurred in the state of Texas and Aaron Degrand was killed upon impact and David Korben was transported to the hospital with massive head injuries. I will not speculate as to the cause of the accident, since that’s not important at this moment. What is important is two very young men were involved in a serious traffic accident at the beginning of 2006 which not a good way to start the New Year. I remember when I was young and I felt that nothing could happen to me. I just lived for the moment, which was reinforced after I returned from Vietnam. As a parent nothing can prepare you for such tragic news as the loss of a child. We always feel that we are supposed to leave this world before our children and they will be passed “the torch of life”. Over the years, I’ve raced cars and witnessed numerous racing accidents some which resulted in death and I always continued racing. During years of racing I always try to maintain my vehicle(s) safety standards for that “just in case” moment. Well I’m now much older and I still continue to race my Camaro at the drag strip, and I keep these same safety standards in mind. Driving my street vehicle really puts stress on me because I know other drivers are simply not as capable of handing a panic situation as I. I continually see drivers of foreign vehicles with the big mufflers hanging out the back of them, darting in and out of traffic like they’re on a race course. Most of these drivers don’t use their turn signals and those that do, feel that using turn signals clears them to change lanes without checking their distance from other vehicles. Living in a tourist area and driving on the roads is extremely hazardous for me and local residents because of the large number of foreign drivers on our streets. The rules are different in foreign countries with few police officers dedicated to traffic enforcement it becomes a free for all in most countries. I know first hand because I’ve driven in Italy, Japan and other countries and drivers as a matter of routine drive fail to stop for red lights. On occasions when I drive my Camaro on the street, I feel twice as safe as I do in my 04 Tahoe, because I have so much safety equipment. This is not to say something serious cannot happen to me, but at least I have a much better chance to survive in a vehicle outfitted for the race track. Safety can never be over stated. My prayers go out to the family; this is such a tragic loss.

Well the 35th-annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction kicked off six days of high-dollar auctioneering on Tuesday, January 17th. The auction is reported to have 1,100 cars for sale in a 1,700 foot tent. More that 30,000 people crowded through the gates of Scottsdale’s West World Tuesday to view the high-dollar auction. Most car guys know about the Barrett-Jackson Auction from broadcast on Speed Channel, a cable TV automotive station. This show will air approximately 33 hours of live auction coverage up from last years 24 hours of coverage. As I watch this auction I can’t help wonder why these people with money buy these vehicles and never have the pleasure of enjoying them. I guess I don’t understand the whole car collector deal, but I do like the fact that Jay Leno, who is also a car collector, drives all of his cars. I like everyone else will just sit back watch the show, and wish I had a few million just laying around so I could purchase the vehicle of my dreams!

The next three months are the best time of the year for me personally because I’m both a fan of drag racing as well as a participant in the local racing events. The weather is great and this weekend was no exception, and of course the place for me to be is at the races. I visited Bradenton Florida the home of Desoto Raceway, and as most racers both professionals and sportsman know this track has the best drag racing surface in Florida. The crew at Desoto Raceway takes every step to properly prepare the surface making fast times a reality for every racer. Yesterday several professional teams as well as Super Stock teams were out testing suspension components and the track surface was excellent causing outrageous wheel stands. One racer tried to overpower the track causing his parachute to deploy due to massive tire shake. There were many six second runs and even the local Camaro guys that I spoke to reported faster times due to the excellent weather. Now I know that some people would rather go golfing or fishing and that’s there thing, but true drag racing enthusiast like me would rather be smelling rubber and watching or driving fast cars. There’s not better way to spend the day, than to try something new on your car to determine if it works. A new air box is reportedly good for 6 to 8 horsepower but it would be better if you could determine just how much of an improvement it makes in terms of actual performance. This is called the ABA method of testing. A run your car without making a change, B make the change and determine if the change helped or hurt performance, A if it hurt performance return to the original setting. So many guys make the mistake of making so many changes at once they don’t know which change helped or hurt their performance. Another thing that I’ve notice at the local drag strip is pushing cars in the staging lanes; why? I just don’t understand why you need to push a car that has a perfectly good starter. Some answers I received were “it helps keep my car cool before I race it” Every true racer knows that water temperature is directly related to horsepower. Warm engines make better horsepower since the fluids are thinner and I’ve determined that my engine runs much better at 180 degrees than at 160. Most of the guys are pushing street that have great cooling systems. You don’t see Super Stock racers pushing there cars in the staging lanes, I wonder why? Many young guys refuse to take clues from the old racers, but would rather emulate their buddies who struggle to make their cars faster. I see these same guys placing bags of ice on the intake manifold, leaving water on the race surface causing dangerous conditions for others. Of course I could go on and on but I have one last item that I feel is a major concern, working under cars at the drag strip with a floor jack and no safety stands under the car. This is not only stupid it’s deadly since floor jacks have been proven to loose hydraulic pressure and you can imagine the consequences. This is a good way to get kicked out of the drag strip, because most drag strips pay extremely high insurance rates and a death at their facility will probably raise these rates even higher. So a word to the wise, if you’re planning to visit the drag strip for the first time go with someone with experience. This is a good reason to join a Camaro club and go as a group to help one another.

It’s simply amazing the number of people chatting on the internet about the new Concept Camaro. This has been the best automotive news in a very long time for those of us who grew up with a Camaro as a part of our lives.



Some of the comments are not as positive as others because many feel that GM is simply teasing us and that the Camaro is still years away from getting into the hands of enthusiasts. In fact this is true, since most automotive enthusiasts are aware that it takes at least 18 to 24 months to assemble all the parts necessary to put a car into production. Most people forget that the word “Concept” is used throughout conversations with GM employees and the true fact is that GM really is interested in our opinion prior to giving the “green light” to build the car.



However, I personally feel that now is not the time for concepts. Now is the time to build new and exciting cars and get them on the road. I’m sick of seeing the new Mustangs on the road while waiting for GM to decide if they should build a Camaro. Four years of waiting is long enough and it’s clear that Chrysler is fast approaching with its new Challenger that will be in the public’s hands within two years.



The Challenger is no concept; it will be a reality according to the Chrysler folks I spoke to at the Detroit show. When something looks good regardless of the brand name, I say “it looks good” and the new Challenger looks good. Chrysler is not wasting time building these cars for runs to the grocery store, they are building these cars for the performance minded folks who can’t afford or simply don’t like the Viper. These cars will have the Hemi engine with 435 horsepower and I’m sure they will have the same problems as Ford; they won’t be able to build them fast enough.



I’m sure that a lot of effort went into the design of the new Camaro and I for one am very appreciative that the name has resurfaced once again, however, I along with others are not content with another long waiting period. If public perception was an indicator, with some refining of the frontal area this car is a “hit”.

Well I just returned from the Detroit Auto Show where I witnessed the unveiling of the new concept 5th generation Camaro. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, so I will start from the beginning.



Sunday evening GM held a reception at the Heritage Center for all invited guests and they really rolled out the red carpet. Once in the Heritage Center I observed approximately 80 cars; concepts, race cars, pre-production vehicles and a complete engine section. During the reception Scott Settlemire introduced the Camaro Concept design team and several of them said a few words regarding work on the concept car. Once all of the speeches were over, we were able to ask questions about the concept Camaro and of course the number one question is when will it be built?

This question was dodged better than a running back carrying a football and no one wanted to commit to a timeframe. We were given a quick peek at the new concept Camaro via a video and this left us with even more excitement than we had when we arrived.



After the festivities were over we went back to the hotel and everyone was ready for tomorrows unveiling. Monday morning the buses arrived to take us to COBO Hall, the site of the Detroit Auto Show and after we checked our coats we were allowed to view all the new vehicles while waiting for the 10:30 unveiling. One of the cars I checked out was the new 2006 Tahoe. I wanted to write a check for my first payment because that truck was beautiful!



As time drew near for the Camaro unveiling I got my spot near the display area just in time for the start of the event. First a high school marching band came out then several race cars rolled down the center lane of the hall. After the race cars there were several original ‘69 Camaros parading down the center lane and then came the big event. The unveiled Camaro was driven down the center lane by Mr. Bob Lutz, Chairman of GM. One look at this new vehicle got my heart pumping; it was a design that has something for everyone. The interior is nothing short of amazing and the body lines clearly indicate that this vehicle is a Camaro. From the crowd reaction, this Camaro is a resounding success. Since I’m old school, I have to reserve my final opinion, but I liked what I saw and I hope that the wait is shorter than three years. Check the web site www.worldwidecamaro.com for photos.

The long awaited unveiling of the 5th Generation Camaro is drawing closer and I can hardly wait to see what our future Camaro will look like. I’m sure that Camaro enthusiasts everywhere are as excited as I am that there will be a Camaro in our future.



Chevrolet has always given us horsepower, now, hopefully, the rest of the vehicle will be designed to handle this power. Since I like to modify vehicles, I’m really concerned about the placement of the engine. The current design of placing the engine under the windshield makes working on the vehicle difficult at best. Just as soon as I’m able to release photos, everyone will have the same views of the new Camaro as I.



Speaking of Camaros, while watching “Fear Factor” last night on TV, I saw a local Camaro and member of Central Florida Camaro Club on the show. I was thrilled that he got a chance to win $5,000 and although he failed in his attempt to remove all the squid with his mouth, his wife came through to win the money. I’ve said it in the past, what a small world it is when you know Camaro enthusiasts throughout the country and you realize it’s possible to see them anywhere.



Changing the subject a little, we are really getting ready for our first show of the New Year, the Winter Nationals held at Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida. This show promises to be larger than any of the previous shows we’ve held, and it is always my favorite show. The fun starts at the Welcome BBQ on Thursday evening and continues to Sunday at the Awards Ceremony. During Friday and Saturday evenings you can join the parade of cars driving down the main street of old town, and believe me people really get excited when they see all the beautiful Camaros. Last year while driving in the parade, one of the show officials handed me a checkered flag indicating that I was selected as one of the favorite vehicles. Not knowing this at the time, I threw the flag in the rear of my Camaro and did not know I won dinner tickets and other goodies until the next day. Ah...the story of my life, “A day late and a dollar short!”



Recently I’ve thought about selling my Camaro. As much as I hate to sell this car, I’ve always said that if someone offers me some crazy money, I will bid the car farewell. I’ve had offers in the past, but I’ve always priced it very high to ensure that it remains in the family. This year may be the year the car goes to a new adult owner. Since this is a real fast street machine I would hate to hear that some kid got killed in it going too fast. There will be a very small note on the dash saying “Yes, It’s For Sale” Serious Offers Only! Don’t worry there will always be a Camaro in my household.