whats up guys. my dad is in the market for a used camaro, late 90s or early 2000s. definately an SS or at least a Z. we are both pretty new to the F body business so i was hoping to get some pointers as to what to look for when buying and what years to go with or stay away from. i know the LS motors have good potential as a powerplant, hes looking to mod a bit, nothing huge. probably just exhaust and chip. give it a decent rumble and a little nuts to it. it is not going to be a daily driver, it will be a summer and weekend driver only. like i said hes not looking to go too crazy with the mods, but hes a fan of the looks of it and the LS motor. so like i said we all know some cars have certain years to stay away from so let me know. also to previous owners is it worth it to sport the extra dough for the SS package over the Z. any differences engine wise other than the mass air?? thanks in advance guys.

 

No guru here but the z28s and ss dyno very close to eachother. I would go to the 01-02 model years since they dyno the highest usually. If you find a low mileage one that is slightly older, get it if your going to mod anyways. T-tops ftw.

 

yeah through a little reasearch i found that 01-02 has the ls6 manifold thus opening it up a little. other than that it seems the SS is only about 10-15HP above the z on dyno. thanks and keep em coming.

 

damn i guess ill just sign up on one of their forums.

 

good call^^^^

 

I'd get the Z28 if you don't care about the SS wheels/hood or plan on buying aftermarket wheels. A Z28 is usually about 3-4k cheaper with the same mileage. The SS and Z28 dyno almost exactly the same and the LS6 ('01/'02) intake is worth about 10hp.

I wouldn't mess with a chip. If you do some internal work - then you would get a tune.

The best cheap mods are a lid ($90) and cutout ($30). Those two things will give about 20hp (340-350hp stock). A cam swap and longtube headers are the ticket - that can put you at around 440-450hp on pump gas with wicked sound effects. Add heads and 480hp+.

 

Why not try to yalk him into a early c5 vette. You can find them VERY cheap and they actually handle 1/2 way decent.

 

The fbodys handle well stock (especially the SS and WS6), but with a few mods (shocks/springs/swaybars), they can handle VERY well. Regardless, it sounds like pops is just wanting a weekend cruiser.

 

I have never been overly impressed with the fbody in modest form(springs, shocks, tires) but maybe I have just had bad luck.

 

Don't go with a pre-2001 model. The 2001+ have LS6 intakes, plus the cylinder walls are thicker. They also dyno higher than previous years.

 

Totally a non-issue and the power difference is only ~10hp (6-7rwhp). If you're pushing the block (550+rwhp), you'll probably upgrade to a forged shortblock.

 

Im not sure what year it is, possibly 01 or 02, but I know there was a special anniversary edition in one of those years for the Z28 that is faster than the SS model, and less expensive. If you could find one of those what would be the way to go. I had a friend that did that, and found a nice pair of chrome corvette wheels to go on it. Meanest car from a 60mph i have ever seen. Could make the front wheels hop up and down on the interstate. Dont know why but he sold it and bought a Dodge truck ? I think you can find one of them for around 12-15k, way better than 17-19k for an SS.

 

yeah he just want a nice weekend cruiser with a little nuts to it. hes had a classic truck that he has restored and has been his baby for the past few years. its a great runner but only a 305 and he wants something a little quicker. im sure an 01 and up Z with some exhaust and tune would be good enough for him. he just wants something with a little power and rumble to it. plus if he gets it then ill have something to mess around with in the evo. thanks for the advice. sounds like an 01 and up Z is gonna be it. there are a lot in the papers/online right now.

 

may i suggest www.ls1tech.com

 

the ss has better sway bars, different rear ends and a few other goodies to spice up the car. not to mention if its black that hood looks sinister. I like the ss but the trans am ws6 ram air are the best looking f-body out there.