5. Configuration

I ordered the “full” kit less a few small items from Race Car Replicas (RCR). Details of the kit can be found here: SLC Apart from the base kit, all you need is an engine and a transaxle; the kit supplies you with everything else you need for a fully functional race car.

I did make a few small tweaks to the order knowing I was not going to use these parts; I deleted

seats [one of the most popular mods is to use the Tillett B5 seat, I’m doing likewise]
tail lights [I dislike the factory look]
steering wheel quick disconnect [I had planned to upgrade to a MOMO steering wheel with a horn button at the center of the wheel, the factory disconnect does not have the ability to accommodate this feature]

Factory options as part of base kit:

Race tail
Orange gel coat
Door mounted side mirrors
One-piece side windows
CF10 wheels in gunmetal gray (19″F/20″R)
Dropped floor pan
KOSO dash display [this was the least ugly of the dash options but I won’t be using this]

Additional options:

Carbon fiber rear wing
Carbon fiber rear window louvers/vents
Carbon fiber interior tub
Carbon fiber front fender vents [I opted not to use these and sold them to another builder. The height of the vents wasn’t enough to make me feel comfortable that I could cut holes into them without totally destroying the vents.]
A-pillar covers (fiberglass)
Front lift kit
Street splitter w/optional tunnels
Inner fender panel kit
Adjustable pedal assembly [These are not a good match for the pedal assembly, I would not recommend purchasing this option.]
Graziano transaxle accessory kit (clutch, flywheel, starter, etc) [This system provides an oem-like clutching experience – and it should, it’s oem on an R8! If you’re not making serious power or planning to abuse your clutch, this is a great route if you want oem drivability – at least as far as the clutch is concerned.]
GM LS engine front dress kit
Graziano transaxle (V8) [This is used in both the Audi R8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo. These cars use high-revving engines and the internal gears are configured for high RPM operation. However, I believe the gear ratios are inappropriate for a light street car using a lower revving American V8 so I sourced a set of drop gears to re-gear the transaxle. Originally I was told this was an easy mod; now that I’ve seen a transaxle updated with these gears I now know this is not true! This is a significant R&R of the trans internals and requires clearancing of the case internals. Contact JBurer on the GT40s site for details on gearing and where to update your transaxle.]

I’ll continue to update this list as I acquire more components and the build unfolds.

Powertrain:

GM LS376/525hp crate motor [I sourced this from Pace Performance, they start with a GM LS3 430hp motor and update the cam to the 525hp version. It’s identical to the GM 525hp crate motor and ~$1k cheaper. Warranty is 1 year instead of 2.]
GM Performance engine controller kit/ECU.
Improved Racing LS3 C6 oil pan w/scraper & baffle kit [The GM crate motors ship with the Camaro style oil pan which is too deep for the SLC and exceeds the lower envelope of the chassis, sacrificing ground clearance. The C6 version is less tall and the scraper/baffle kit will help combat oil starvation/pressure issues these engines are notorious for. I plan to run it in this configuration but may opt to add an Accusump at a later time if needed.]
Earl’s 25-row stacked plate cooler [1 for engine oil.]

Interior/Electronics:

Tillett B5 carbon fiber seats [I originally ordered the pre-2016 seats which feature CF on both the front and rear shells but I received the 2016 seats which have a fiberglass rear half-shell. This apparently makes the seat lighter and stiffer but I wanted the all-carbon option. After seeing the carbon interior tub I think this may have inadvertently been better as there may have been TOO much carbon fiber (is there such a thing? Maybe.)]
AIM MXS Strada dash [Aesthetically much nicer and better laid out than the KOSO or Digidash options offered by the factory. The Strada version is a slightly stripped down version of the MXS/MXG except does not have data recording capability and non-AMP connectors. Not a big deal for my intended application.]
Alpine ILX-107 radio [I’ve gotten heat from some folks for putting a radio into the SLC, bite me :). Going with the Alpine unit as it’s slim and has Apple Car Play compatibility. I’ve waited a year and Alpine came out with the ILX-107 which has wireless Carplay – sweet!]
Blackvue 650s 2ch (truck) dash cam [Due to a recent fender bender I’ve got PTSD about getting into accidents with people and not having evidence of what actually occurred. Every vehicle I own from now on will have a dash cam. The truck option has a rear camera which is water/weather resistant and meant to be secured to an exposed location. ~~I plan to install this in the engine compartment which may get wet during a car wash or if I get caught out in the rain.~~ The rear camera can’t be installed in the engine compartment due to white balance issues. I ended up installing it in an even more exposed location.]
Dakota Digital GPS-50-2 [The GM crate motor states a Vehicle Speed Signal (VSS) isn’t required for operation. It seems without a VSS the engine has stumbling issues when coming off throttle. ~~I’ll be trying to pull this GPS signal to use for my speedometer. The AIM MXS otherwise requires a $300 GPS unit for speed.~~ I had issues with using the DD GPS signal generator so I purchased the Aim GPS08 sensor. This sensor provides a faster update to vehicle speed. I also don’t believe (in my case) feeding a signal to the VSS did anything for engine stumbling issues – ~~I believe whatever issues the GM factory tune may have had were addressed when I had my engine tuned.~~ As air temps came down my idling issues returned. I relocated my MAF sensor so it was located ~6″ from the throttle body and that appears to have made a significant improvement to off-throttle idling.]
Audi R8 shifter mechanism [This is starting to become the defacto standard for a Graziano equipped SLC. Do it. The stock shifter is practically unusable. Alternatively the factory now offers their own version of a gated shifter which is WAY better than the previous offering. It’s free if you purchase the transaxle and completion kit through them – quite the bargain!]
Auto Vox X2 rear view mirror system [a bit complex to install due to the rear camera mounting requirements, but it has a great form factor and provides a clear picture of what’s behind you.]
Digital Guard Dawg iKey security system [I hate any product iSomething if it’s not made by Apple Inc but the DGD security system had what I was looking for in a security system. It uses an RFID key for keyless entry and ignition immobilizing. Get it for half off during their Black Friday sale.]

Other stuff:

Second Skin Damplifier Pro CLD (constrained layer damper) [I’ll be using patches of these on chassis and body panels to dampen vibrations which may cause noise. This is step 1 of the noise suppression plan.]
Second Skin Luxury Liner Pro [I’ll be using sheets of these to absorb and block any noise not knocked out by the Damplifier Pro. This is step 2 of the noise suppression plan.]
Carpeting [Areas of the interior not covered by the CF tub will get carpeting or some other fabric cover to help suppress sound. This is step 3 of the noise suppression plan.]
Second Skin Thermal Block [Many builders use Lava Mat for heat deflection/barrier purposes. This stuff is relatively thin but has a gold reflective surface. This helps with radiant heating but the convective and conduction properties of this option don’t really seem to be ideal for the application. The Thermal Block is a thicker mat and has a silver reflective surface. I believe this will be a more effective thermal barrier, but I do lose the bling factor. I’ve seen gold foil available on Ebay which I may use as a top layer to get that bling factor back ;)] Black Friday deals at Second Skin were really good!
Second Skin Heat Wave Pro [In interior areas where I want to add heat shielding. The Thermal Block is supposed to go on the exterior, toward the heat source.]
Second Skin Mega’Zorbe [I used this in the ceiling, between the interior and exterior panels. It’s primarily for noise reduction though it has heat blocking capabilities as well. HWP is the superior heat blocker, however.]
IPCW LEDT-404CB taillights [These are also just about the defacto standard rear taillights folks go to when they want the look of LED. These fit into the factory cutouts and are identical in size/shape to the RCR supplied taillights.]
E-stopp electronic parking brake [I’ve had issues with getting this to provide enough clamping force to keep the car from rolling while on a grade. ~~I’m trying out a few things to make it more effective, but~~ I would not recommend this parking brake. After bedding in my brakes and messing around with the E-Stopp, I’ve come to the conclusion that the E-stopp simply does not provide enough cable tension to adequately compress the parking brake. The E-stopp provides a maximum of 600 #s of cable tension. I’ve measured and verified that my actuator is not hitting its maximum pull length, but that it’s stopping because it has met the 600# pull force criteria. With this much cable tension my parking brakes cannot adequately hold my car, even on a slight incline and certainly not enough to give me enough confidence it will hold. Stick with the manual parking brake or some other electronic system that provides more than 600 #s of cable tension.]