Thus the Dragon Series II is ready to make its debut with a blistering amount of updates that truly dedicated designers worked long and hard at to create. The intent of the Dragon Motor Cars crew was to allow Series II Dragon homebuilders to purchase a complete donor car to serve as the basis from which their new car would rise. Being that they are great fans of General Motors products, the crew settled on the Camaro/Firebird platform to serve as the main contributor for the project, due to a number of strong performance-related issues as well as the ease of locating a suitable donor.
First and foremost at issue was cost. A 1993 to 1997 complete donor could be had for as little as $2,000 and, with the performance available from the original car, which weighed close to 3,600 lbs, you can only imagine the acceleration, cornering, and braking that would become available to the new car that should weigh in around 2,100 lbs!
Without even mentioning the many available aftermarket performance items possible for the Camaro/Firebird, focus for a moment on just what becomes available as you begin to pick your donor clean. Starting with a 350ci V-8, rated at between 275 and 305 hp with available torque in the vicinity of 325 lbs, you will also have a complete fuel injection setup and an engine rated as emissions-legal. You have the choice of a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission, a Posi-traction rearend with a performance rated 3:42 to 1 final drive, a quick-reacting power rack-and-pinion system, and an aluminum radiator with twin electric cooling fans.
To add to the mix, you can also "borrow" the steering column, complete fuel system, pedal assembly, spindles, front and rear disc brakes with five-lug rotors, and gauge cluster, and you are well on your way to having almost everything to plug into your new chassis. The Dragon chassis includes custom-fabricated, tubular upper A-arms, which not only look racy, they also allow full adjustability of the front suspension.
For those customers who want more performance, a C4 Corvette suspension option is also available for no additional charge, allowing the homebuilder to utilize aluminum suspension components as well as a fully independent rearend from a donor 1988 to 1996 C4 Corvette. The all-new perimeter space frame of the Dragon Series II roadster is built to SCCA GT1 specs (therefore both rigid and strong) and weighs in at only 297 lbs. For occupant safety, front and rear crush zones have been incorporated along with proper fuel cell/tank mounts, a driveshaft safety loop, and seat-belt mounting points. T6-6061 aluminum panels are pre-cut and pre-formed for use on all interior panels.
As with the original Dragon, the driver and passenger sit low within the chassis for both safety and the desired low center of gravity. With a large cockpit and expansive foot boxes, even the tallest driver can be made to feel as if he is sitting in the ultimate comfort zone. Finishing touches for the completely new interior are unique to the Series II, with seats that are custom molded to fit the interior. Being that they are seamless and covered in a quilted black vinyl, they bring a rich look and great comfort to passengers. A complete carpet kit is included as well as polished diamond plate inserts, which cover the tops of the floorboards.
Customers also have a choice of two very different dash designs: one that uses the original donor car's design with a new facing (provided with the kit), or a dash similar to a Ferrari 250 for customers who want round-faced gauges. And, since the transmission tunnel is completely removable, the car owner is able to service the clutch arm, shifter, speedometer cable, driveshaft, or transmission from inside the car (sometimes it's the little innovations that speak the greatest volume to true performance-minded individuals).