F-Body Europe

I just need the hood, and I'll be a clone myself! :p

That's funny, at Pirmasens, (1/8 mile) my car stock, (as-is, no mods yet) was winning against modded Z28s. (air intake, programing, and cat-back) Could be the automatic, seems no magazine wants to test anything other than a 6 speed.

Here I go again.... Sorry Daddy about your original thread but....If you want to see guys driving F-Bodies check out the TFBM (Toronto F-Body Motorsports) Site. You guys are blowing smoke, all this talk about stock Zed's and SS's. I work at the engine plant that built the LS1's and now builds the LM4, LS6, LS2 and LH6. With these cars, you got a lot of bang for the buck. As an owner of a couple of first gen cars and a forth gen, the first gen are great in straight line performance without handling mods which of course would make them better (like the Zed's were originally intended for trans am) but the 4th gen has handling and performance. If you want to go to the extreme, then yes, you have to spend the bucks and perform specific mods for the improvements or go out and spend 100 G's on a Porche. I have always said that the F-bodies were the poor man's Corvette. Of course,GM is not going to have cars that are in direct competition with their flagship model, so it is detuned a little, but for what it costs I think it give more than enough oomph! and if you want more, then you have to pay for it. Thanks for letting me vent..

SSZ28, you really don't have to defend your SS. We all know it's a nice car. Heck, I for one wish I would have ordered one, but instead I picked up the first Z that I test drove. You might have beat Z28s, but that doesn't mean that the SS is a faster car. It's all up to the driver really, and some people get lucky enough to have factory freaks. Maybe yours is a freak.

Just because you spent a little extra to have the SS package doesn't make it a better or faster car though.

Jack, isn't that the reason you spend more for a SS package?

I think the difficulty here is one unique to the LS1.

the fact is that the factory lied about the LS1 output in the Camaro from day one and the press soon proved the F-bodies produced as much or more bhp than the C5. Accordingly, the power gains allegedly gained from the SS were largely fictional as the car produced nearer 340bhp than any of the power outputs advertised.

Fact is people will always pay more for a car that is marketed as being more sporty. It's the way of the world.

If I would have known better, I would have "built" one for less and have money for mods left over. I think that my car is one of those "freaks".
What RPM does everyone's rev limiter kick in at on a stock LT1?

I cant remember too well, but I think it was around 6.1-6.2k

Lusi, it's not particular to the LS1 only. The LT1s had the same issue, with the SS only being more aesthetically pleasing, and every owner wanting to believe that because they spent that extra $3-$4k, they have a faster car!

Surely the LT1's always had a genuine 275bhp and the LT1 SS had a genuine 305bhp?

Wasn't the point about the LS1 that they claimed it produced 305 when the reality was it produced nearer 340bhp therefore the claims made for a more powerful SS were academic as the engines already produced more to begin with in all variants?

Show me a stock LS1 Camaro or Firebird that has produced 340, and I'll show you a video of a stock Civic Si producing 300 HP.

The myth of the SS making that much more power over the Z was just that- a myth!

Only if you believe a catback is worth 30hp. Besides that it has a ram air hood, that besides being dead sexy IMHO is a failed attempt at ram air. Pontiac had it figured out, but chevy never took the hint.

The SS buyer isnt a sucker, and didnt buy poorly, they bought a well thought out factory package, with a factory warranty, for a factory price.

The SS regardless of LT1 or LS1 has the "IDENTICAL" longblock.

It would be nice if the SS or WS.6 had the performance bump of say a Cobra over a GT, but then there would be a dramatic increase of price.

GM wanted to offer a cool car that alot of people would desire. Goal achieved. If you wanted the fastest stock Z, you should have search out a 1LE, if you wanted the big dawg on the order list, the SS. If you wanted(or could only afford) a cookie cutter pony, bought a Z28 and made it whatever you wanted it to be as you could afford it.

that has to be like my $1.38 since I've thrown my .02 on this so many times

I can't speak for all of the LS1 SS's, but at least in 2002, they offered a intake and exhaust option for the SS that was worth 20 additional horsepower. Yes, you could have gotten the same thing yourself and added it to a Z for less money. I don't know whether or not the SS hood works as well as the WS6, but you can definitely feel the difference from about 65-70 and up. Just my .02 cents worth.

mine was 330 hapees when I picked it up with a LS1 intake and stock style air box Jerry got his air box simular to what you have from the factory and for 02 it came with the LS6 style intake so I am sure advertised is @ the flywheel with accesories not RWHP that is the proplem. IE 00 Sirehawk rated 330 net HP = 300 RWHP which in theory is underated considering there should be a 15%-20% loss from the flywheel to the rear wheels that is why we skull drag Mustang cobras!!! 305 Ford Hapees (Cobra) = 235-240 RWHP. just my .02 cents

Never really looked into the firehawk because it was made by the P company, but I was lead to believe that it is higher on the food chain than a SS or a WS.6 (dunno)

The exhaust I understand is worth power. The intake I would debate with you unless you concede the stock ls1 was a restriction.

Go look at pontiacs ram air. You should notice that except for a little lip that can be ground down, it is a straight shot to the t body = ram air. Chevy decided that it would be a better idea to run it through a maze before it gets to the t body = cool hood. Its kinda like the MACH 1's fake ram air.

And as far as the Cobra (you knew this was coming ) My bone stock 01 dynoed 266rwhp, get it straight . Still not enough that is for sure. And for the new underating method. 03-04 Cobras dyno 360-370rwhp from advertised 390. Kinda silly really, they could advertise it only had 2hp but it would still run the same.

Advertising Smadvertising!

As Rob would say, "what what ya brung", and shuddupaboutit!

Nice quote genius!

so hows rthe car running Rob?

The car is running okay except for some timing thing I cant chase down. It wants to pull 5-9deg everytime I get in the throttle. I'm not real sure why, but I think it is either false knock or maybe "burst knock" (??? I've been told its a safety thing GM put in to keep it detonation free under throttle tip in). Either way I dont like it.

I havent had a chance to run 100 octane thru it to see if its false knock, and I just got knock sensor, knock module and O2's in yesterday, so I havent had a chance to put that stuff in to see if maybe its a part failure. I have never heard of a knock sensor going bad, they either work or they dont, but... besides putting a dvom on it and rapping the block to see if it sends a voltage signal is all i can think of.

Last week I had a chance to hook up on a lab scope out at the vo tech I'm taking. I only wanted to see the voltage traces of the primary and secondary ignition, but for kicks had it hooked up to a 3 gas analyzer . I'm running right at 15:1, and the computer is going crazy trying to lean it down. For everyones info, its true. The MSD fires the plugs 4 times under 2k, then incrementally decreases with rpms up until 5k where its one pulse. My car was so rich that it only took 5kv to fire the mixture. The instructor thought I had a ignition problem until he zoomed in and saw the multiple identicle pulses and I pointed out the ignition box.

I've already been to wordy, but long story short. I'm still a work in progress, not all the pieces are on or arrived due to back order and what not. I have a ways to go, but all and all running well. I read where you are thinking about a differant cam? Sounds like your ready to turn it up.

(sorry about this on "Daddy's" post, but any thread in a storm )

Intraxx & T-Tops!

Don´t do it.

I had the 2" drop Intraxx on stock shocks and T-Tops.

After about 2-3 months of regular (!) driving and almost no abuse, the left top started rattling. When you hit cobblestone it felt like a Whisky shaker with ice... drrrrrrrr drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr drdrdrd etc.

Can not recommend. Either upgrade the shocks FIRST or live with massive rattling and a lotta scratches on the car floor...