Project Evie: Tweaks on GM Alpha Platform

The GM Alpha platform serves as the foundation for several performance-oriented vehicles, including the third-generation Cadillac ATS and CTS, as well as the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. One of the things I like about this platform is that it strikes a good balance between performance, practicality, and serviceability. The chassis is well engineered from the factory, the powertrain options are solid, and there is a surprising amount of parts compatibility across different GM vehicles built on the same generation of components.

While these cars are already very capable in stock form, there is still room for carefully selected upgrades that improve safety, reliability, and overall driving experience. This becomes especially important for vehicles that see track days, autocross events, or driving on a regular basis. The projects in this series focus on those types of modifications, with an emphasis on OEM+ solutions that integrate cleanly with the vehicle and remain easy to maintain in the long term.

By the way, Evie is my 6th gen Camaro, hense I named this article series as Project Evie. Working in front of computer screens most of the time, I like to spend my free time building something mechanical and staying engaged with hands-on, functional and engineering projects. In this series, I document a set of practical modifications I’ve incoperated to Evie (my Camaro6). Most of these changes are focusing on functional improvements rather than aesthetic or cosmetic changes. Each addition is driven by a specific limitation or enhancement opportunity observed during real-world use.

• LTG electric vacuum pump conversion (OEM+) (Coming soon)
• Fire extinguisher mount
• Adding Homelink to 2019 and up models (Coming soon)

I used several open-source tools during this project. For 3D CAD modeling, I used FreeCAD, and for designing controller units and PCBs, I used KiCad.

I want to highlight that this is not a DIY guide. I mainly want to document these components and modifications for a couple of reasons. The first is that for anyone who would like to track their car (eventually) and maintain it themselves, this serves as a reference and documentation. Another reason is that there are many excellent write-ups related to the Alpha platform on forums such as Camaro6, which I am also a part of. However, sharing source files and design artifacts can sometimes be challenging on traditional car forums.

The final, and perhaps most important, reason for this documentation is repairability. Whenever I design an addition or modification, I try to retain an OEM+ level of quality and appearance. For example, I prefer using GM parts from vehicles of a similar era whenever possible. This means that if a repair is needed later, replacement parts can often be purchased from a nearby auto parts store, and the car can be back on the road quickly. This repository serves as the documentation for such projects, and I attach QR codes that point back to the relevant pages in this series.