imho it all depends on what style you like. its really not that much different between a 96-97 and a 98-02. the ls1 is a good motor the lt1 is a good motor. lt1 is stronger, ls1 has a bit more hp. opti is not that hard to change, time consuming but not that hard. cost is dependent on quality and brand name of opti. cheap opti will usually not last as long, 1 to 60k miles. good opti will last 60k to 100k miles. most importantly the lt1 is so much better looking.

 

I can also vouch for the somewhat harsh ride in the LS cars. It doesn't bother me most times, but on a long trip it's kind of irritating. And yes the window motors are garbage but they aren't hard to change. If you get the LT, try and find a 97, they have the nicer interior (IMO).

 

I guess I should test drive a few and see the difference, which one I the feel of better. sounds like both are good solid cars in their own right. time to start trying to locate a few of these. thanks for all the info

 

Vented\NonVented is sort of irrelevant. If enough coolant leaks it will penetrate the seal, get in the unit, corrode the bearing area, and damage the electronics in the unit.

 

I was lucky enough to find a 99 formula with 22k and picked it up for 10500, so there are some good deals out there you just gota search, I love my car and as for the harsh ride its a sports car thats how it should be haha. The best ls1 cars are the 01,02 they got the ls6 intake, but I believe 00 had the bigest cam.

 

thanks for the detailed info, so Lt1 go with 97, LS go with 01,02. I also have been searching the late 90's early 2000 fire birds do these cars share the same eng and drive train as the equivalent year camaro?

 

Yep the firebirds have the same drive train just look cooler

 

well you can go for any of the lt-1 the 97 though is kinda a hybrid year or crossover in stle because they still run the basic shell of the 93-96's but they have the taillights from the 98-02. then the dash and interior are in the style of the 98-02. the 93-96 have a complete different layout. you can get very good deals on great running lt-1 camaros. i bought my 97 z28 for $5000 which is also a 30th anniversary edition. it had 100,000 miles on it but i knew the history of the car since it was new and that the car was babied its whole life. the intior is perfect but its a pain to keep clean since the anniversary cars have white leather. the only issues i had with the car is a little oil leak ( but all small blocks do that) also ive had to flush my water system because the last shop it went into before i bought it they mixed anti-freezes yellow with dex-cool. other than that i would trade it for anything (maybe a 35th anniversary ss)

 

I absolutely love my 94 Z28. A common problem I've had with both of my 94's is the dash cracking. And the opti isn't all that hard to change, if you have patience. And it's really not even that expensive of a fix. Depending on your price range, of course go with the newer 4th gens because, well they're newer. But don't think the earlier models aren't as strong. All I have is an after market muffler and air intake and you can hear me coming from a few blocks away. She's basically bone stock and is as powerful as my dad's 2004 truck.

 

sounds good guys thanks for all the detailed info coming my way. I have been keeping my eyes pealed for something I can go look at atleast. Nothing so far but I am sure something will pop up. really getting excited about finding something but not in a huge rush so I will be patient. I want it for a daily driver and my current daily driver is still a good vehicle, and I have my 72 to play with when I get an itch to scratch.