|
Just bought my first CAMARO project car/ weekend driver
i bout a 96 Camaro RS with 185000 on it. I t has a paint job in its near future. Up also planning on new wheels and tires and I’m currently in the process of replacing the rear coil springs with Moog Variable Rate springs and new shocks, a new Panhard bar and control arms. I’ve already replaced the front hub assemblies and sway bar links. Just kinda looking for ideas on this car. I’d like to be able to take it to a car show or two a year with my son. I like the sound of headers and a cam in the v6 but idk if that’s a wise move on an older car with high miles. I’ve worked on farm equipment and big trucks but really don’t know a lot about the smaller gas engines. I’m not really looking to race anybody I’m just looking to turn heads. Just curious as to what other guys have don’t to these cars recently or even in the past. Thanks, Jim |
Welcome from the left coast,I'm sure some of the V-6 experienced guys will chime in soon.
|
Is it a real RS? it Has the RS on the fenders and the rest of the RS package? I ask because a lot of people incorrectly assume if its not a Z28 or a SS then its a RS. Or because the title says Coupe/RS. The 96 RS/Y87 would be the top V6 that year.
The cam in the V6 will only gain HP at high RPMs You will loose torque at your normal driving ranges. So you take the car from 200 to 240 ish HP at 5800 RPM but the car will have less power at 3500 RPM, which I call normal passing RPM. Headers on your 96 is a good call, The cast manifolds are restrictive, your butt dyno will like a nice set of mid to long headers. Also a nice cat back system. Flow master cat back sounds awesome at idle but get Very raspy at 2500 RPM. Magna flow is no where near as raspy but does not sound as good at idle. I had stainless OBX headers. I loved them but there was some minor issues installing them. Shock IMO there are 3 to look at. KYB gas charged: (this should be the cheapest ones that are going to last and they are better then stock) Bilstein: The mid range if you want to cut the corners noticeable better then stock (this is what was on the SS cars) Koni : Race ready 32 MM hollow front sway bar or better. (32mm hollow is what was on the SS car.) Brake upgrade. You can get the brakes off of any 98 or newer camaro and they will give you disks in the back and larger rotors in the front along with twin pistons aluminum calipers. Rear. Turning heads in a V6 4th gen? The 4th gens are not well liked in the car community, The LS1 Camaros are tolerated because of the LS1, In fact one of the cheapest ways to get a all aluminum LS with a 6 speed behind it is to buy a 4th gen camaro and part it out. I am a camaro owner and I love 4th gens but even when I was driving my 2000 SS with 50,000 miles on it I got very few comments. I have own 3 4th gens and they where my daily drives from 2009 until 3 months ago. I have owned my 2004 GTO since December and I have gotten more "Nice car" comments in 3 months then I did in 9 years of driving 4th gens every day. I am not slamming 4th gens but they are the car that lost the 45 year old competition with the mustang even though the 4th gen killed it at the track every year. It was the looks the general public hated. My 2000 https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/...psdm6vyowb.jpg |
Originally Posted by Gorn
(Post 730649)
Turning heads in a V6 4th gen? The 4th gens are not well liked in the car community...
Maybe you need a vert. My V6 gets "nice car" all the time. |
Thanks for the info Gorn! You got a really nice looking 4th gen car! Idk what part of the country you live in but I’m from po-dunk KY. Unless you are loaded and build muscle cars or something of that nature, about anything around here with that loping cam sound turns heads. I always wanted a 4th gen CAMARO and now that I finally got one I just wanna fix it up nice. I don’t have a lot of money but this car ain’t my daily driver either so I can fix it up with time. |
[QUOTE=BigJim0989;730658] Thanks for the info Gorn! You got a really nice looking 4th gen car! Idk what part of the country you live in but I’m from po-dunk KY. Unless you are loaded and build muscle cars or something of that nature, about anything around here with that loping cam sound turns heads. I always wanted a 4th gen CAMARO and now that I finally got one I just wanna fix it up nice. I don’t have a lot of money but this car ain’t my daily driver either so I can fix it up with time. |
Originally Posted by Gorn
(Post 730649)
Is it a real RS? it Has the RS on the fenders and the rest of the RS package? I ask because a lot of people incorrectly assume if its not a Z28 or a SS then its a RS. Or because the title says Coupe/RS. The 96 RS/Y87 would be the top V6 that year.
The cam in the V6 will only gain HP at high RPMs You will loose torque at your normal driving ranges. So you take the car from 200 to 240 ish HP at 5800 RPM but the car will have less power at 3500 RPM, which I call normal passing RPM. Headers on your 96 is a good call, The cast manifolds are restrictive, your butt dyno will like a nice set of mid to long headers. Also a nice cat back system. Flow master cat back sounds awesome at idle but get Very raspy at 2500 RPM. Magna flow is no where near as raspy but does not sound as good at idle. I had stainless OBX headers. I loved them but there was some minor issues installing them. Shock IMO there are 3 to look at. KYB gas charged: (this should be the cheapest ones that are going to last and they are better then stock) Bilstein: The mid range if you want to cut the corners noticeable better then stock (this is what was on the SS cars) Koni : Race ready 32 MM hollow front sway bar or better. (32mm hollow is what was on the SS car.) Brake upgrade. You can get the brakes off of any 98 or newer camaro and they will give you disks in the back and larger rotors in the front along with twin pistons aluminum calipers. Rear. Turning heads in a V6 4th gen? The 4th gens are not well liked in the car community, The LS1 Camaros are tolerated because of the LS1, In fact one of the cheapest ways to get a all aluminum LS with a 6 speed behind it is to buy a 4th gen camaro and part it out. I am a camaro owner and I love 4th gens but even when I was driving my 2000 SS with 50,000 miles on it I got very few comments. I have own 3 4th gens and they where my daily drives from 2009 until 3 months ago. I have owned my 2004 GTO since December and I have gotten more "Nice car" comments in 3 months then I did in 9 years of driving 4th gens every day. I am not slamming 4th gens but they are the car that lost the 45 year old competition with the mustang even though the 4th gen killed it at the track every year. It was the looks the general public hated. My 2000 https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/...psdm6vyowb.jpg |
[QUOTE=BigJim0989;730659]
Originally Posted by BigJim0989
(Post 730658)
Thanks for the info Gorn! You got a really nice looking 4th gen car! Idk what part of the country you live in but I’m from po-dunk KY. Unless you are loaded and build muscle cars or something of that nature, about anything around here with that loping cam sound turns heads. I always wanted a 4th gen CAMARO and now that I finally got one I just wanna fix it up nice. I don’t have a lot of money but this car ain’t my daily driver either so I can fix it up with time. I like when I go to a Camaro rally and have the only 4th gen in a sea of 5th and 6th gens,it stands out and I do get a lot of complements on my car. It's got a lot of mods and is lowered with fat 315's on the back,also long tube headers no cats a big cam and chambered exhaust so it's pretty loud and lumpy. All that probably gets it a little more attention than it might otherwise but it does stand out in the crowd and I think it holds it's own. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...467a2d8c6c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...9a1722c391.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...253a0568ef.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...53ee1ae06e.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...58ce01a4d8.jpg |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...720e18817.jpeg This was taken right after I took it down off the jack stands when I put the new coils and shocks under it! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...f7767b01f.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...659a7738a.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...4d0d62285.jpeg [QUOTE=Y2Keglide;730664]
Originally Posted by BigJim0989
(Post 730659)
I wasn't a big fan of the 4th gens when they came out but they have grown on me and I am on my second one now having owned a '93 Z28 and now a 2001 SS. I like when I go to a Camaro rally and have the only 4th gen in a sea of 5th and 6th gens,it stands out and I do get a lot of complements on my car. It's got a lot of mods and is lowered with fat 315's on the back,also long tube headers no cats a big cam and chambered exhaust so it's pretty loud and lumpy. All that probably gets it a little more attention than it might otherwise but it does stand out in the crowd and I think it holds it's own. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...467a2d8c6c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...9a1722c391.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...253a0568ef.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...53ee1ae06e.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/camarof...58ce01a4d8.jpg dude that is a really nice 4th gen car! Mine is a 96 RS with a 3800 series 2 3.8 in it. I’m looking at a set of torq thrust wheels for it. Think I’m gonna go with a set of wheels factory size! |
Thanks,I like the torque thrusts a lot but I think these cars look better with a little wider tires on the rear and the V-6 cars have pretty small tires on both ends.
My SS came with 17" 275's all around, I have 18' wheels in place of the stock 17" now with 275's on the front and 315's on the back. I had to use spacers with longer lug studs because the car is lowered ,went with high quality hub concentric spacers and ARP studs. My car makes 400 hp at the wheels and I didn't want anything breaking. That's a decent looking car you have there, has some potential to be real sharp IMO. |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:42 AM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands