Hi guys!

Great forum, finally found a good Camaro forum.

I´m buying my first LS powered car, a Corvette guy in heart but need a back seat this time. This is probably a very strange question but I would like some input from people who´s owned or tested both the year 2000 Camaro SS and the new 2010 model SS. Manual transmission in both.

If we forget the looks, can we even compare these cars if we talk suspension, tranny strength, tuning tools and other performance related things?
Will at some point turbo charge the car, build engine, clutch upgrade, wheels/tires and mount coilovers like all my other cars but will afford it sooner on the 4:th Gen.

I want one of them but will have more cash left for fun on the 4:th Gen, at least 25.000 USD difference in price over here. If you say the old one is total junk as base it´s always better to spend more cash from start and buy the 5:th Gen.

I hope you understand my thoughts.

 

The 4th gen is a more "raw" car, while the 5the gen is very comfortable. Both perform almost the same*in astraight line*, because the 4th gen has a weight advantage. I wont buy a 5th brcause i love the 70's muscle car feel my 02 ss gives me. Just my .02c

 

Great point! Any clue about the rear end? I bet the old live axle will have problem around corners but how about strength, is the 5:th Gen diff stronger? Read that you have to upgrade the 4:th Gen pretty fast when adding power and that´s sad, pretty expensive mod.

 

I have driven both and personally the 4th gen feels more nimble and to me can hold a corner better. The IRS in the 5th gen has a weakness and that is the CVs cannot handle the power the SS is capable of putting out. New to New the 4th Gen is only 2 tenths of a second slower in the 1/4 mile. Mods that can make a 4th gen out drive and out handle the 5th gen are easy and can be found here on the forum or from a mag like Camaro Performers. To get the most out of the handling of a 4th gen is to upgrade the rear suspension with tubular arms, better shocks and an adjustable panhard bar is a must if you plan on lowering the car but optional if you are leaving it stock. Also with the way the Camaro suspension is designed you will be better off using rubber bushings over poly. One last main improvement to the rear suspension is to get the torque arm off the trans and get one that has a dedicated mount. The mount replaces one of the minor cross members in the trans tunnel and that becomes the mounting for the torque arm. This stops the lifting of the trans under accelleration and increases the life of the trans mount and provides a more predictable handling.

As for the engine. Drop the LS1 and put an LS3 in. A few mods are needed to get the LS1 computer to accept the LS3 but it makes your engine the same as the 5th gen.

Massey

P.s. The 5th Gens are nice as a driver but the 4th gens make a better performance car.

 

Thanks a lot Mr, great info! Do you ever use watt links on US cars? Pretty common on live axles over here in both rally and track. Read about the Strange axle as an upgrade, is this the best bolt on option for let´s say 700bhp?

About the engine, I´m a true turbo fan and will turbo charge the car, would you still swap to the LS3? My thought is to swap in the LM7 iron block if the LS1 give me problems.

 

The LM7 adds about 75LBS to the cost of the LS3 or LS1. The aluminum block can more than handle over 1000 HP with the stock internals and a few more with upgrades. The LS3 if built with the right stuffs inside (as any engine) will handle a turbo just fine. The LS engines are happy with turbos or superchargers.

The older Chevy Small Blocks were happier with superchargers but GM did this engine right and made a good starting point for either.

As with any forced induction, if you think you can just bolt it on and gain super HP numbers you are mistaken. The internals of the engine are set up for natural aspiration and will do OK but not great with forced induction. To get the most out of any engine you need to plan the build around what you want it to do and how you plan on making it do it. Things like the CFM of the charger, will help determine what your static compression should be and then your cam profile needs to be set ot maximize exhaust velocity to get the most out of the turbo. Other things will come into play such as fuel delivery and the rest of the drivetrain.

Massey

 

Yes sir, know the work around FI, been doing it for 15 years now. Will start with forged internals and pretty stock heads, the best builds are often the ones with many OEM parts involved.

Would you swap the OEM LS1 for a LS3 even if you went turbo? Really worth the extra money? If the block can handle it I would like to buy internals and stuff instead, sounds like a better idea.

 

With my Z28 we are going to put a LS3 when the time comes to replace the LS1. There are more LS3 engines out in the field than LS1s they are a slight update as far as electronics go but they are almost identical as far as the rotating mass. Slightly more displacement as well. IMHO even going stock it is a 100+ HP upgrade and that is before any hot stuff gets added.

Massey

 

True, true, will respond better to every lbs of boost as well. Big difference between the LS1 and LS3 heads?

 

I dont know for sure what the differences are with the heads. Some one here may know more. I do know the CKS sprocket and the CMS sprocket are different and the placement of a couple of the sensors as well.

Massey