Video: Talking TCI Suspension Upgrades With A Race-Winning Driver

When it comes to talking about the quality of a product, there is no better place to get the right information about that product than the manufacturer — or is there. Personally, if we can talk to people who use the products we are interested in, that seems like a great way to get some unbiased information. So, when we had the chance to hear from customers that actually use Total Cost Involved (TCI) suspension products, I jumped on the chance.

Efrain Diaz has been cutting corners on the asphalt with his ’69 Camaro for many years. He’s a staple in a lot of the west coast competitions and that makes him a great resource for anyone looking to learn about what a car needs in order to be competitive.

Efrain purchased his ’69 Camaro RS at the Pomona Swap Meet a little more than 20 years ago. Back then, the car was, in his words, “a big, old, rolling turd.” It was a true RS-optioned car, but it was in seriously rough condition.

Originally, he planned to restore it. However, those ideas took a neck-snapping U-turn when he attended a Goodguys’ meet and saw Mary Pozzi wheel her Camaro around the autocross course. He quickly decided that having a car that handles would be much more fun than a restored one that sits in the garage.

TCI suspension

Efrain Diaz’s car might look like a thoroughbred race car, but with the A/C turned on, it’s a cool cruiser as well.

“I’ve owned it for about 20 years now, and it’s gone through many changes,” Efrain stated in an earlier interview. “In fact, probably the only things that haven’t changed are the paint color and that it’s an RS.” But the initial building of his cornering star did not come easy — or overnight.

According to Efrain, “I’ve had at least four different suspensions under this car. I started with the typical bolt-on stuff, but it wasn’t until I got the bug to do autocross and road racing that things got serious. Before installing the TCI suspension upgrades, the underpinnings were something I cobbled together from other people’s cast-off parts. I found some success with the car, but it wasn’t until I caught the attention of TCI’s owner, Sal, that things really got serious.

We talked about my plans for the car and evaluated my options. Then I pulled the trigger on a complete system that was light, well-engineered, and proven. In my first year of running the TCI Pro Touring suspension (with a torque arm), I won the vintage-class trophy at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Vegas.”

Having a car that can handle corners is one thing, but most of us like to install our upgrades ourselves. So, I thought it prudent to hear what Efrain thought about the task of doing his suspension upgrades. “Installing the suspension was surprisingly straightforward as it is a true bolt-in system. All major mounting points that retain the original subframe and rear axle are incorporated into the design. The most difficult part was getting the car high enough to pull the old stuff out. This was all done in my garage.

In my first year of running the TCI Pro Touring suspension (with a torque arm), I won the vintage class trophy at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Vegas – Efrain Diaz

“Having a friend over helps a ton. I really encountered no real hiccups while doing the swap. Just changes to things I previously modified for my old suspension. If I had the opportunity to do this all over, I would not have wasted time trying to cobble things up myself and just gone with a matched front and rear suspension. But it’s all part of hot rodding: learn, adapt, improve, and go faster.”

Some feel that suspension upgrades like this will affect the street manners/ride quality of the car. That’s what it is designed to do. But, the rumors about the ride being rough and uncivilized were perpetuated by enthusiasts who, unfortunately, did not get parts designed for the actual use they are encountering. In other words, they probably bought a full-boogey race-oriented setup for their driver hot rod.

TCI suspension

When building a hot rod, we all want to have the baddest, and best on our cars. Unfortunately, that is sometimes not the best option. That’s why being honest about what you really want to do with your car when you are researching a new suspension is paramount. In fact, since Efrain does drive his first-gen on the street, I asked about the ride quality.

“The car has great street manners,” Efrain affirms. “The ride can be adjusted to be stiff or Cadillac smooth simply by adjusting the coilovers. The suspension provides modern geometry, which gives it the ability to handle as good or better than most modern sports cars. It’s driven to work a couple of times a week and driven to events within a four-hour drive. The car even has A/C.”

But don’t take our word for it, check out the video above and learn more about what Efrain has to say about his Camaro and Total Cost Involved.

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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