New here, few questions about the SLC

Kyle

Supporter
Hello all, somehow I stumbled across the RCR-SLC many weeks ago and have since been obsessed. Many of the threads and posts I’ve read are quite old and it’s seems as though these cars have been improved quite a bit since even 5yrs ago. I’ve tried to read through the wiki and Cams blog. I have extensive house remodeling experience, and from what I gather this is similar; you can throw a ton of money at it and get top tier or get the basics. I plan to keep this build relatively cheap as possible initially and upgrade in the future.

Just a little background, I’m based out of Fort Lauderdale. I do anesthesia for outpatient and plastic surgery. I don’t have extensive background with owning super cars nor do I have a big shop. My most recent comparable car was a 16’ C7 Z51. I loved the car and miss it but I needed a new truck for my remodeling work.

Right now I’m at the stage of even seeing if this build is a possibility. I would have to build it out of a one car garage. About 11 x 18ft. Looking at a liftout LS2/3 from a corvette. Mating with a G56? Seems that these transaxles can be sourced for $2500ish and the engine I can get for around 3-4K and rebuild as needed.

This would be a street car.

A few questions tho...

  1. Is the kit still taking extremely long to ship? Some posts show many months of waiting. I’m talking base kit, biggest options would be the interior tub and engine bay cutouts.
  2. What has to be done to the G56 or other Porsche transmission than flip and rotate? Do internals have to be modified? Can this be done DIY?
  3. From what I’m reading the car comes with literally everything needed to run and drive, this includes hooking up the supplied harness with the LS? Everything else I’m seeing is customizations people are doing?
  4. My essential goal is to be able to complete the car and then customize it from there.
I see so many of these builds customizing every detail before they even get close to enjoying the car. While I will do some customizing here and there my ultimate goal is to build as quickly and efficiently as possible.
 

Joel K

Supporter
Kyle,

I am happy to speak about the kit. A few more really good resources.

Bill Philips documented his build and installed a Porsche G50 transaxle. You can buy his build documentary on Amazon as a kindle book. It is worth reading.

Title is Car Builder Journal RCR Superlite Coupe.

Also, Allan who is a primary builder for Superlite cars has a video series which shows most subsystems going together. His videos will give you a very good appreciation for what it takes to put one together. I used his videos as guide to determine if this was a job I could handle. About 90 videos in all and worth watching.


And yes, most builders love modifying their SLCs, much more than most other kit/component cars. Not sure why, but since you can put almost any engine in it, make it a race car, track day car, or street car and the fact it is not a replica, everyone has their vision of what their Prototype Car will be.
 
Kyle,

A budget build is possible. I expect to have under $70k in mine by the time I am finished. I am using a Porsche G96 transaxle, a takeout 5.3L LS that I built up to LS3 power output levels, and will be doing the bodywork, paint, and leather upholstery myself. These two big ticket items are a huge cost saver if you have the means, tools, and skills.

My G96 was easy to prep for inversion. No internal work is required. Remove the vent on top, tap the hole, and plug it. I then took the drain plug out of the bottom, tapped a hole in it, and added a breather fitting. Aside from changing the fluid (add an extra quart) and checking everything over that was all it took. It bolts right to the RCR engine mounting plate. Be sure to also purchase the flywheel from them and Fran can supply you with the part number for a clutch that you can source from Rock Auto or elsewhere.

Delivery is going to be based on RCRs workload. It will take at least four months from the time you place your order. The factory may be very busy at this time following the Ford vs Ferrari movie.

The kit is very complete but you will still need to buy a lot of smaller items (bolts, fuel plumbing, fuel pumps and filters, coolant plumbing, etc.) as well as all the finishing touches (paint, interior finishes, etc.)

I won’t say that you cannot build the car in a single car garage but it will be a challenge. You will either need storage for the body or you will need to suspend it from the ceiling as some have done. I have a three stall shop and while my other two toys are in storage in there for this winter it has been cramped working on the SLC. I currently have the body and many other parts store in my enclosed car hauler to leave room in the shop.
 

Kyle

Supporter
Kyle,

I am happy to speak about the kit. A few more really good resources.

Bill Philips documented his build and installed a Porsche G50 transaxle. You can buy his build documentary on Amazon as a kindle book. It is worth reading.

Title is Car Builder Journal RCR Superlite Coupe.

Also, Allan who is a primary builder for Superlite cars has a video series which shows most subsystems going together. His videos will give you a very good appreciation for what it takes to put one together. I used his videos as guide to determine if this was a job I could handle. About 90 videos in all and worth watching.


And yes, most builders love modifying their SLCs, much more than most other kit/component cars. Not sure why, but since you can put almost any engine in it, make it a race car, track day car, or street car and the fact it is not a replica, everyone has their vision of what their Prototype Car will be.
Thank you for the info! I have watched many of your videos and Allan's already. One important note that you mentioned, you said in your steering rack video that lots of work would have been done from the factory if one would order today. Does this mean that RCR now sends much of the car complete? I’m assuming now they predrill holes, install the rack and other components bow



Kyle,

A budget build is possible. I expect to have under $70k in mine by the time I am finished. I am using a Porsche G96 transaxle, a takeout 5.3L LS that I built up to LS3 power output levels, and will be doing the bodywork, paint, and leather upholstery myself. These two big ticket items are a huge cost saver if you have the means, tools, and skills.

My G96 was easy to prep for inversion. No internal work is required. Remove the vent on top, tap the hole, and plug it. I then took the drain plug out of the bottom, tapped a hole in it, and added a breather fitting. Aside from changing the fluid (add an extra quart) and checking everything over that was all it took. It bolts right to the RCR engine mounting plate. Be sure to also purchase the flywheel from them and Fran can supply you with the part number for a clutch that you can source from Rock Auto or elsewhere.

Delivery is going to be based on RCRs workload. It will take at least four months from the time you place your order. The factory may be very busy at this time following the Ford vs Ferrari movie.

The kit is very complete but you will still need to buy a lot of smaller items (bolts, fuel plumbing, fuel pumps and filters, coolant plumbing, etc.) as well as all the finishing touches (paint, interior finishes, etc.)

I won’t say that you cannot build the car in a single car garage but it will be a challenge. You will either need storage for the body or you will need to suspend it from the ceiling as some have done. I have a three stall shop and while my other two toys are in storage in there for this winter it has been cramped working on the SLC. I currently have the body and many other parts store in my enclosed car hauler to leave room in the shop.
Thank you for the information. Great news about the transmission, that definitely saves money by not having to send it out to anyone. I’m used to working in small spaces so I suppose I could manage. I also have covered room in the backyard I could store the body for now.
 

Joel K

Supporter
Kyle,

A little history on how RCR ships or delivers their kits. Prior to 2018, RCR delivered the car as a roller. That is how Cam and Kurt’s cars were delivered. Starting in 2018 RCR changed their policy and cars were to be delivered in a crate or customer pickup of parts/components. There was a crate fee added to the bill.

To my knowledge, I was the first and last customer to get the car delivered this way. Before delivery, RCR gave me the option of having it packaged up as a roller but since I already liked the idea of assembling the whole car from scratch I just stuck with the original plan. I don’t regret doing it this way, but it has added many hours to the build. Keep in mind this is my first kit car build.

In 2019 RCR now again ships all kits as a roller. I think Kurt summed up things extremely well. You can see the pace he is working at. If you go LS3, with a roller, and do not get sided tracked with many mods this car can go together much more quickly.

I planned up front there were a number of custom items I wanted on my build and my guess is that has added at least 12 months or more to the build time. Anything custom soaks up the hours between, planning, mocking things up, and building the final version.
 
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My advice is that if you want something custom you should do it as part of the initial build. I took your approach on my first project, get it running and then go back and do upgrades. It took 3x as long as cost twice as much. If you want quick and stock go that route, but if you want customization just do it the first time and save yourself the money and headache.
 
You will need to put the body in storage while you work on the chassis. Unless your garage is tall enough to hang it. I hung the spider and put the rest in storage even though I have a bigger garage. For some reason, my wife seems to think one car spot is hers. And I almost always have another race car in the garage....
 
It is hard to show in a picture but I brought the GTO and Camaro out of storage today to get all the SL-C parts in my 3 car shop that is out back behind my house. I have the front and rear clam stored on one buck that I built and the spider on another. This will allow me to do bodywork on all three pieces while the are fully supported on the bucks. If you plan to paint you will be sanding, priming, block sanding, and sanding some more. The body is in really good shape straight out of the mold but not good enough for the level of paint work I am going for.

As Frank stated, you will need to put the body as well as a lot of other items in storage to work on the chassis in a one car shop.
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Kyle

Supporter
So to get this ball rolling I've sourced a decent LS1. Price seems kind of steep but has good compression in all cylinders, MSD plugs and packs, all wiring harness etc. For $2500 might be able to get them lower. Eventually put on an LS6 intake, port throttle body, and cam/springs.


I also sourced a porsche 996 transaxle, number is G9600100XXXX. So I assume thats a 96.00 model. It's the 2WD 6sp so should fit just fine.

I know the kit comes with a engine/trans plate. Clutch and flywheel from stuttgart muscle can be had for $1700. With their adaptor plate they say a stock LS starter will work, not sure if it's the same with the RCR plate.
 
Kyle,

The adapter plate comes with the kit from RCR to mate the G96 to a LS1. The flywheel from RCR costs $495 extra. It uses a stock LS flexplate and the stock LS starter (my engine came from an automatic transmission vehicle so I was all set to go). You will also need a Sachs clutch part number K70246-01 that can be purchased from Rock Auto for $350 (or another source). Here are some pictures of my installation for reference.

Stock GM LS auto transmission flexplate and RCR adapter plate

IMG_7253.JPG


RCR flywheel installed

2019-02-11 19.04.06.jpg


clutch installed

2019-02-12 16.56.32.jpg


transaxle bolted into place

2019-02-12 17.35.29.jpg
 

Kyle

Supporter
Kyle,

The adapter plate comes with the kit from RCR to mate the G96 to a LS1. The flywheel from RCR costs $495 extra. It uses a stock LS flexplate and the stock LS starter (my engine came from an automatic transmission vehicle so I was all set to go). You will also need a Sachs clutch part number K70246-01 that can be purchased from Rock Auto for $350 (or another source). Here are some pictures of my installation for reference.

Stock GM LS auto transmission flexplate and RCR adapter plate

Fantastic, thank you so much. Should have word on the engine and trans this week. Hopefully I can eventually get the bracket and flywheel from RCR then they can just deduct that from overall price.
 

Kyle

Supporter
Ended up picking up a nice LQ4, a few manifold bolts broken and a little dingy. However I heard it run and watched them pull it out. The inside is really clean as far as I can tell. Now I need to figure out this engine harness situation, I have the full computer and throttle. I assume I need a stand-alone. I also need to switch over to a car intake and shallow pan. Went with the LQ4 for cost, more versatility, I can throw more power at it. Car intake, cam, and tune and I should be pushing the G96 trans.
 
Kyle,

You will also need to change out the water pump and harmonic balancer for a LS7 or LS3 version. The truck water pump is too tall to fit into the chassis. I used a Gates #5513420 water pump and a Dayco #PB1117N harmonic balancer. The alternator will also need relocated down low. I fabricated my own brackets for this.

An LQ4 is a cast iron block 6.0L. Good, durable, motor, but you have added a few hundred pounds to the cars overall weight by going with an iron block. During your build you will want to locate the battery and anything else that you can under the front clam to try and restore some of the front to rear weight balance.

As far as a harness, I went with a complete Holley Terminator X system on my build (harness, CPU, etc.) It was under $1,000 and very simple to connect. I am also familiar with the Holley products and tuning software so that is a plus. If you can find a schematic and are wiring savy you can depin/repin the stock harness to run standalone.
 

Kyle

Supporter
Kyle,

You will also need to change out the water pump and harmonic balancer for a LS7 or LS3 version. The truck water pump is too tall to fit into the chassis. I used a Gates #5513420 water pump and a Dayco #PB1117N harmonic balancer. The alternator will also need relocated down low. I fabricated my own brackets for this.

An LQ4 is a cast iron block 6.0L. Good, durable, motor, but you have added a few hundred pounds to the cars overall weight by going with an iron block. During your build you will want to locate the battery and anything else that you can under the front clam to try and restore some of the front to rear weight balance.

As far as a harness, I went with a complete Holley Terminator X system on my build (harness, CPU, etc.) It was under $1,000 and very simple to connect. I am also familiar with the Holley products and tuning software so that is a plus. If you can find a schematic and are wiring savy you can depin/repin the stock harness to run standalone.

Ive been reading a lot on the LS forums, the block is exactly 100lbs heavier. After going through these builds I see people adding a ton of weight to these cars, sound deadening, oil coolers, surge tanks, radiators in back. I should offset some of that weight by not having any of these things.

Ive watched a few videos on the harness and I think I can tackle making a stand-alone harness, I can then send off my PCM to get reflashed.
 
Kyle, your trans selection is also a lot lighter than the Graz. Given the Graz weight is hanging off the back, I think you are in good shape.
 

Kyle

Supporter
Kyle, your trans selection is also a lot lighter than the Graz. Given the Graz weight is hanging off the back, I think you are in good shape.
I didn’t even consider that, good point. I didn’t realize they were much diff weights. I got my G96, was able to pick it up myself, has to be between 80-100.
Whatever you do don't use a stock LS1 or LS2 intake manifold. The Dorman LS2 manifold is a good candidate.
Ya I’m on the hunt for something decent. Unfortunate the premiums on these Ls6s.

It doesn’t look like much but I’ve been hacking away at the grease, gunk spray and then brake cleaner does most of the work. Just want to get it mostly clean before I take off the heads and pan.

Started the wiring harness as well, it should be fairly simply to get it standalone. As far as mating it with whatever system the SLC is supplied with I have no idea. Maybe someone can chime in.
 

Ken Roberts

Supporter
Making the wiring harness standalone is much more difficult than you think. It would be best to purchase a factory service manual for decoding of all the pins at the various bulk connectors. The engine harness will not have a fuse panel so you'll need to learn which wires to gang together for fuses and what those fuse values are supposed to be. If you aren't too knowledgeable about a cars electrical system than you might be in over your head.

You'll need either a LS1 Camaro oil pan or LS2/LS3 Corvette oil pan. Stay away from LS crate motor oil pan takeoffs because they have been coming with Gen5 Camaro oil pans the last few years.
 
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Kyle

Supporter
LS1swap . com has a great write up about de-pinning the PCM etc. I haven't gotten to the fuse phase but there are a few how to's with buying the necessary relays and fuses. I'll have to figure out whether to keep a few things like cruise control. This may sound like a stupid question and I've tried to search briefly. How are you guys measuring your fuel level, I've seen no mention in the wiki or some of the build threads I've seen.
 
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