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Summer's coming - time to get the car out of the garage and polish it up, stow the T-tops and hit the road. That big V8 burbling away and the wind in your face make you feel on top of the world, King of the hill - until you come to the first roundabout, bend in the road, junction or even a bumpy bit of road!.
Then the creaks, groans, rattles and other irritating but unfathomable noises that infest almost every T-topped car arise from their slumber to annoy you for the season. Not for me this year however, as I decided that I was going to do something about it.
The late model Camaro (and Firebird I'm reliably informed) are perhaps two of the worst offenders especially as the mileage gets higher and the body loosens up. My particular car now creaks at almost every bend, the doors rattle at every stretch of tarmac that has a deflection of more than 3mm over a kilometre and God only knows what causes the rattles from under the seats. I spent hours last year with spanners and WD40 trying to find the culprits but no sooner do you think "Aha" than another noise chimes in.
After yet more hours trawling around the Internet speaking to other F body owners I decided that a pair of sub frame connectors would be the next purchase.
There are many manufacturers of sub frame connectors in the US; BMR, Lakewood, Kenny Brown Perfromance and of course SLP to name a few. SLP or Street Legal Performance Ltd to give them their full title have been making aftermarkets parts for Chevrolet vehicles for a long time and have also recently added Mustang parts to their lineup and have a reputation for quality albeit sometimes a little more pricey that their competitiors. I chose SLPs bolt in sub frame connectors as opposed to the weld ins' for 3 very good reasons
- 1. They are quick and easy to fit
- 2. They come ready finished
- 3. I can't weld!!
 They arrived in huge cardboard box, well wrapped against movement and padded with foam packers, along with all the bolts, washers and spacers you'll need and the obligatory SLP sticker. The typed instructions are idiot proof, comprehensive and are common to most American aftermarket parts suppliers. On inspection they are well made out of 6mm steel plate box tubing and finished with a black powder coat finish so no painting!! There is a neat little embossed plaque bearing the SLP logo. They are about 3ft long and 18-20 inches wide in the centre and conveniently marked "P" and "D" to indicate which sides they should be fitted to.
 First job was to raise the car up onto 4 secure axle stands. With 3400lbs of steel pushing down on them the car is going nowhere. Next job was to loosen the bolts holding the central tunnel brace and remove it. Then loosen and remove the bolt holding the rear lower control arm to the chassis.
I fitted the passenger side first for reasons that will become apparent. Offering the first connector up is a bit of a struggle on your own so I utilised a jack to support the weight until it was in the right position. The units aren't heavy but they are a difficult shape to manage while lying on your back with a socket in one hand and a bolt in the other!!
 Fitting the original bolt through the end of the connector and then back into the rear control arm bracket supports one end while the centre section lines up with the two bolt holes for the tunnel brace. The holes in the front connection plate lines up with the front chassis. Using one of the long drilled and threaded plates to slide into the opening on the chassis tubing itself gives you a fixing point for the supplied bolts and washers. There is a similar single threaded plate for the rear of the connector to add strength to the existing lca connection. I found that the front two holes didn't quite marry up with the holes in the existing chassis but the use of a clamp pulled the connector over enough to thread the bolts through.
Once all the bolts are in they can be pinched up and the jack supporting the weight removed.
 The drivers side is just a repeat of the passenger side with one small but very important difference. Where the front of the connector joins the front chassis it binds on the fuel lines and their protective shield. SLP give clear instructions on how to get over this issue. Basically it is important to offer up the drivers side unit as before in its correct position but mark the fuel line shield with a pencil where the connectors comes up against it. This then needs to be removed and the marked section cut away before refitting, it cuts very easily with tin snips but is a bit flimsy for a hacksaw. Getting to mark the shield correctly is a bit of a pain and you may need two or three attempts before cutting away the correct amount to get a good fit.
 Once all the bolts are pinched up you can go around tightening them up. SLP don't give any torque specifications so I just tightened them as I thought fit. Once fitted they sit quite flush but beware if your car is lowered as they will reduce your ground clearance by an inch or so at the sides. You have been warned.
The cost of the sub frame connectors was $259.99, for good measure I also fitted an SLP tower brace, $99.95, to the engine bay and ordered some header bolts at $29.99 so $389.93 in total plus shipping. I ordered everything through LS1speed.com in Chicago who have given me superb service whenever I have ordered through them. Cost in real money by time I've paid shipping and duty? £391 delivered to my door just 6 days later, a saving of over £40 and over 4 weeks in delivery time on the nearest UK quote.
But how does it drive? On the road it was like driving a different car. Yes, there are still a couple of little creaks and rattles but nothing like before. The car feels much tighter and the steering feels more responsive as the chassis has been stiffened up considerably. Now, where are my keys...
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Check out past articles in our Auto Surgery archives:
Time to get connected
Phil's shift knob swap
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