So my car needs new seats.  Anyone who has ever sat in much less driven a 4th gen Camaro knows, while the seats might be ok for cruising down the interstate, they are terrible for any roads with turns.  Since this wont just be a daily driver, but a car that will (hopefully) see track action, it has to have more than adequate lateral support, and head/neck support that will accommodate wearing a helmet.  Adjustability is not a major issue, but wear, seat quality, quality of the mount/slide, and looks will factor into a decision.  I also have major budget restraints because we are currently remodeling our house.  So when looking at the types of seats most Pro-touring guys are going with big names Recaro, Sparco, Kirkey,MOMO etc.  Other brands that are more budget oriented would be procar, corbeau, APC...but their was one company that caught my attention a little known company called Cipher.  A member on Pro-Touring.com is celling Cipher seats for a very reasonable cost along with brackets/slides for the seats.  You could purchase a pair of seats, with suede inserts for about the same as 1 Corbeau seat.  They got decent feedback from members who have purchased these seats on the site, and they look pretty sweet.  The reviews on other budget companies seats especially the mounts/slides have NOT be very good (Corbeau), although I thought the Corbeau's I had in my 94 Trans Am were OK. 

So I am pretty sure that I will drop the dime on the purchase of the Cipher SP1013 with the suede insert.  I hope to add a harness bar and harnesses at some point, but for now all I can swing is the seats. 

Here are a couple Photo's:

Here is a link to their website:  Cipher Seats

Follow along through the coming weeks as we buy and install these new seats in the car...hopefully it will go smooth...but with my typical luck it will NOT.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done." (Matthew 21:21 NIV)  

Blog Intro

This is my first foray into both blogging and Pro-touring, so forgive me if this doesn't seem natural at first (because it won't be).  I have alot to learn about my car....the suspension, driving lines, braking systems etc.  The challenge will be getting a "decent" turner, to really handle and turn.  While this may not be a true Pro-touring car (being that it is so new), in another 20 years it will be a classic to might as well get started early.  I selected this car, because my first official new car was a Camaro Z28 back in 1993/1994.  I had the car 3 days.  I traded my GMC Typhoon in on that car...little did we know the Typhoon had a salvage title (I was a senior in high school).  So the dealer calls my dad back on a Monday morning (I had picked it up on Friday), and says we won't be able to do this deal because your SUV isn't worth anything. It was a hot little ride though...turbo 4.3 v6, AWD, 0-60 was insane. I wish I would have held onto it now...man with the right suspension and HP mods, even keeping the turbo 6, it would be a sick little ride.  Any way...I digress, the Z28 lasted 3 glorious days and thus my first new car came to an end.  Gravitating however, back to the 4th Gen Fbody, as a natural for me, since I have such fond memories of my 2nd new car, which was a 1994 Pontiac Trans Am.  While the SS I have now isn't quite the same obviously, it shares every important piece of drivetrain and suspension part. 


I agree very much with the founders of the Pro-Touring movement, the car shows and cruise-ins are (no offense to anyone, as I still frequently attend also)...but they are filled with an older demographic, with largely big heavy muscle cars, with varying modifications, paint colors and personal touches...and everyone sits around and just looks at each other.  The young crowd will attend to some degree...but there isn't enough action, and as even I can attest, alot of the older folks don't seem to want to talk to or share much with alot of the younger folks at these meets.  They look at you like you are a trouble maker, infringing on their turf.  While Pro-touring started as a way for these folks who wanted to stop looking at their cars, and start driving them...upgrading many of the old suspension, steering, braking, and amenities to what most new cars have...I also see it as a way to get another generation of "CAR GUYS" involved running at legitimate events, and to stop racing on the street.  While most real car guys will have had at least a few encounters on the street at one point or another, this provides a structured, safe and competitive venue to actually learn how to drive your car...heck you can still sit and look at it in-between runs if you want to.




The Dexter Racing 2002 Camaro SS



I will detail aspects of the car, parts used, upcoming events, and how the car came together over the coming days/weeks.  At this point, there aren't alot of 4th Gen Fbodies involved in this form of racing...while this sport is really still in its infancy, I know you will begin to see more of these cars at these events in the future.

As I will try to do at the end of each blog I will end with a piece of scripture...as in all things, whether you enjoy cars, sports, hunting, family it doesn't really matter, our focus and emphasis in life should be on living for Jesus, and ensuring that all those friends, family and acquaintances that we know, does also.

"remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (James 5:20)