My name is Zak and I am the proud owner of a 95 Camaro 3.4L A4. Its my daily driver and I have taken it to a lot of places. I depend upon it and love it and think it is an amazing car. Now, I am planning on getting a newer 4th gen and a V8, but I don't know which to choose. I have been reading about this topic for months now and I have read all of the pros and cons of the LT1 and the LS1. Here is one example of the threads I have been reading:

https://camaroforums.com/forum/showth...t=18130&page=5

However, my goal is as follows: I want a vehicle that will be reliable and easy to work on. I have Alldata on my laptop and I use it to help me maintain my 3.4. I have pushed that car really hard (35k HARD miles in 10 months) and have not had one serious issue with it. If I do get a V8 I will supercharge it (Vortech headquarters and plant is 25 miles away from where I live), but that is it. I am not looking for the fastest car on the road, but I will be driving it A LOT (my first trip with it will be cross country), so I want to know which one maintenance will be cheaper on and take more abuse on the road. I like to rev my engine and I love that guttural sound of a V8. Which one is faster does not really matter, so long as I can stomp Rustangs (and with SC I figure I can do that to 99% of the ones out there.) Please let me know where I can go to get more info and I want to hear your opinions about both.
I know this is a long first post, but I have a passion. When you choose gas, an oil change and brake pads over food for yourself, you know you have a passion. Thank you in advance for your responses and I look forward to being a member of these forums!!!!!

x01660

P.S. I live in CA so I need to make sure it will pass smog. Also, which is easier to tune? I heard that a 94-95 LT1 can be done without having to program the tuner to the VIN or something like that. Anyway I hope to hear the responses!!!

 

If your gonna S/C it your gonna have to do all the supporting mods as well (fuel pump, injectors, exaust, etc.) just something to keep in mind. Also make sure you get a super low mileage car or one with a new motor. Forced induction has killed many of high milage motors. Persnaly I think you sould just buy a Z and do a few basic mods. and see how you like it. The Z-28 is a helluva diffrent car than a sixor in every aspect specially handling and power. I think you will be suprised by the power of a stock v-8. I have a 1999 ls-1 with nothing more than a slowmaster muffler and a SLP lid and have no problem smoking a pony

 

i kind of agree with machine here...you're going from a v6 to an lt1 or ls1...either one you choose is going to be a vast improvement in power over what you have now.

that said...i also agree that you're going to want something low mileage with how much driving you will be doing, which will probably steer you towards and LS1 since its not as old as the LT1 cars. both of them have their advantages and disadvantages and their own personal common issues. you're going to pay a little more for the LS1 as well...but its probably going to have lower miles.

keep in mind, i'm an LT1 guy, lol

 

Ok, so I am seeing that for my purposes, either will be fine. I was looking at Vortech's website for their S/C kits, and they say that they are designed to go on a 100% stock motor. But I also see that you guys say I should improve the internals. What's the case? I am not looking for more than 375 rwhp (400 tops. Really.) I want something that, like my 3.4, I can drive really hard, take it to all sorts of different places (I LOVE the desert) and not have to worry about much other than oil, spark plugs and wires, and ATF (Yes I want an auto with a shift kit). I also want it to sound BAD!!! I heard the LT1 sounds better. Anyway, thanks for your responses.

x01660

 

You can get 400 RELIABLE hp for way less than a S/C will cost. The ls-1 is published at 310-320 hp stock although most say it's more like 350hp. Just buy a low mileage stock z-28 and install a few bolt-on mods. You'll do fine

 

you want to go from a 3.4 liter and have not experienced the LT or LS with bolt ons, and want to dump more money in to get to some magical HP figure? Why?

Step 1- buy the new car and stop talking about all the HP that you "need"

Step 2- drive it and see if you like it after a couple weeks

Step 3- CAI, LT headers and free flowing exhaust, see if that is now enough

Since you state that you want to go cross country, I would not suggest a gear change unless you wan to spin the engine a little higher at highway speeds. If it's just a 1-time trip, then change the gear ratio- now see if that's enough.

I believe you will be surprised at the torque of these cars compared to the sixer, because in around town driving, that's the number upon which you really need to focus, not HP.

 

I agree with Torque_is_good, you need to find someone who has an LT1 or LS1 and drive it. Mine is stock and is pretty peppy with a tune, no cat and a Magnaflow only. Going to a CAI and Headers later just for sound, but thats probably it for me. These car can get out of control Quickly. The difference between a stock LT1 and a high HP LS1 might be described as 1000cc vs a 1400cc Crotch Rockets, both can get to 180 mph quickly but the 1400cc is alot Faster. HP can become addictive but you better be able to handle it.

 

There is NO question that you are getting some good advice here. As you already know, an F Body is not the most sophisticated thing on the street. When you plan on racking up a large amount of miles, the power of a stock LS1 or LT1 is plenty for the street, and for the suspension, certainly with mild upgrades as already suggested. This car can in no way handle 400rwhp in the same way that a new Camaro, Corvette or even Mustang can for real world driving. Even if you upgrage everything in the suspension and braking system, it is still a fairly primitive layout, and there's just no way around that. Go drive a new BMW M3 or M5 or some AMG if you want to get the feel of a car that actually CAN handle that amount of power on the street.

Also, Vortechs are known for chewing belts, and even a modest amount of boost will greatly accelerate the demise of your motor and the rest of your drivetrain to boot. So you will definately hurt reliablity in a big way, which is NOT a good thing for a 35k mile / yr DD. Do you really want to be buying new motors every 2-3 years? If you stay stock, you can perhaps double that.

If you really want a 400rwhp car and plan on driving it more than just to the strip or a car show, go buy a ZR1, or Z06. Or something else that is really designed around that level of power.

 

quoted for the truth and I believe the missing words are "400WHP daily driver"

 

These guys are right,forget the SC if you want a reliable long distance driver.
I'd also think twice about long haul touring and running you car hard a long way from home,do one or the other not both IMHO because they can all break no mater how well built.
You can have a lot of fun with a lightly modded Z28,I'd go LS1 with as low a mileage and as well cared for as you can find and afford and keep the mods to a minimum for reliability.