Greetings! Im a new member and a recent proud owner of a beautiful 1996 camaro. I start this thread asking for advice/help! I want to know what you would do if you were in my shoes. Heres the deal, I want a street sleeper, high horsepower - high torque street beast. I dont care about amenities such as keeping the cruise control, heater or air conditioner so chopping or taking things out of the engine bay including the computers does not bother me. Here is what I have though of as of now: 383 stroker or go real crazy and a 454 big block, turbo 400 trans, build moser 9" rear end, and a couple doo-dads like new tires, paint touch up and maybe some furry dice . My budget, excluding car ( which I stole for $1,000 ) is about 8k. Yup 8k to just turn this v6 baby into a v8 monster. SO let me hear it....what would you do with a stock v6 1996 camaro if you had 8k to put into it????

 

i also have a 96 with similar plans. personally i think a big block would take too many mods and would be a pain in the *** to get into the engine bay. it really depends on the level of power you are wanting. I am going to take the LT1 out of my car and make it into a high performance LT4 (which only came in certain 96 and 97 camaros and earlier corvettes...very rare engine.) the factory LT4 only has about 330hp and 380ft/lbs, but with a lt4 hot came and valvetrain you can easily get much more power.

 

Okay....where to start.

The easiest route here would be to fix up the V6 you have now and then sell it and buy a V8 and start from that point. This is the easiest and honestly usually the most budget friendly way to start.

There is also the case of doing a swap. If you want a 454 BB in that, sell it and find a 2nd or 3rd gen Camaro as the work needed to do it in a 4th gen will far exceed your budget. Now, if you plan on doing a LTx or LSx swap into it, that is a bit easier, but still requires you to buy the engine, trans, k member, computer and possibly other suspension mods in which case you're best off with buying a complete donor car.

Now, if you asked if it were me, what I'd do? I'd buy a V8 to start with. Next, I'd save up for the build. A 383 will cost near 2 grand not counting machine work. A 9in costs any where from 1800-2800 dollars. I'd get a hold of Llyod Elliot and talk to him and get a package top end package from him. He's one of the best around for the LT/LS engines. Had in all bolts on's and a TH400 (I'd stick with the 4L60E) and you're near if not above 8k.

Z28tallcan mentioned the LT4 Hot cam. Personally, in my opinion, this cam is only good if that's all you plan on doing to the engine (not counting bolt ons). There are much better cams out there. Also, the LT4 was only rare in the F bodies. Y bodies it was in the Grand Sports.

 

Sell the v6 and buy a v8. Build the v8. Cheaper and simpler.

 

Gas prices they way they are, u might be able to trade that v6 to a v8 + a little cash depending on shape of car.

Other then that i would use MKCoconuts suggestion and fix it up and sell it off. Then use that cash to buy a v8=post a wanted ad on craigslist and let them come to you lol.