JJJ93z

well i have 25k to spend on a new ride , I was just looking for some opinions. I either want a 97-98 corvette convertible or a LS1 camaro and then i would supercharge or procharge it. I kinda am leaning toward the Z or SS because i can hold 4 people and it would be deadly fast and a nice sleeper (besides the whistle) but doesnt forced induction put a lot of strain on the car in general? If i had a vette i would just do full intake/exhaust and leave it N/A. If anyone has an opinion i would love to hear it! thanks

97WS6SCharged

I'd vote for a heads and cam Vette myself. That's what I want to replace my blown/soon to be turbo charged Trans AM. Hurry up C6, I need a cheap, low mileage C5.

JJJ93z

what kind of numbers do u think youd be looking at with say,, loyd elliot heads and a comlimenting cam and full intake (ls6 manifold , k&n dual cone) and exhaust (hooker supercomp LTs, B&B triflow) i know i want those vette owners to hurry up and buy the c6 so they can get rid of those c5s!

97WS6SCharged

Well, LT1 heads from Lloyd are flowing 270-280 on the intake, and a well prepped LS1 head can flow in the 320 range, so a good heads/cam package with exhaust and all the other goodies should be capable of around 420 RWHP I would guess. And it should be alot more reliable than a supercharged motor.

As soon as I find a nice C5 for about $20K, I'm all over it. I want a blue vert myself, nothing like cruising home with the top down after a hard day at the office.

Jay-Roll

I know Lloyd can get 420 at the wheels out of an LT1 but I thought he could, or atleast would be able to get more out of an LS1. That would be with all complimenting mods of course. I've seen some very nice 97 and 98 vettes going for 18-25k with under 50k on the clock. Get that and a good heads and cam package and you have a very very strong running,nice,well handling,reliable,good resale value car. Unfortunately F-bodies don't hold their value well and I've heard forced induction is detrimental to our engines. Those two things alone vs all the pro's and con's of a vette and in my opinion the vette wins hands down. There are very many plus's leaning on the F-body side, don't get the wrong impression. It's just that those two major con's really weigh that kind of car down. Good luck. Basically whatever you choose is going to be an awesome ride and something you'll be happy with. Just think of the future a little. Look at mid to low 80's vettes still selling for 10k or more sometimes....hard to find f-bodies from the same era doing the same thing.

94formulabz

I hate to say it, but i'd go for the vette. Unless the fbody has a low compression proper blower motor, then thats another story.

AFAIK LE doesn't do LS heads, but i could be wrong on that. I haven't heard of any though.

-brent

JJJ93z

you cant beat that!

jay-roll you are sure right about fbodys not holding value like a vette would, and i also figure that a high output n/a motor will for sure last longer than a forced induciton motor.

94formulabz what does this mean "low compression proper blower motor"

Jay-Roll

He just means a motor set up to handle a blower. Not that our stock motors can't handle it...but it's only low boost and it's a crap shoot on top of that. Basically a good heads/cam car will run just as reliable as a stock car if set up right. Then you'd have tons of NA power on tap at all times, like a SC has...just more reliable in my opinion. FYI I know someone is going to say if you just get an LS1 F-body cheaper and do the same mods you'll get the same power for a much lower price. I agree with this 100%....BUT....resale value isn't going to be there and you'll be screwed if you want...or god forbid NEED/HAVE to sell the toy. Don't forget the pro's of a vette(besides the lack of back seat) that are over an F-body stock for stock. Anything you add will just make the ride that much better. How many people would you carry in your back seat anywayz. All my friends are around 6ft tall like me....it's like packing sardeens in a half size can. So we don't take my car. Same thing would happen with a vette. If I did have a 3rd person or something....although I don't condone it. If it's necessary...they can ride on the flat spot(lack of better wording) for a short time. I'm seriously thinking of selling my 95' Z to buy an LS1 vette for almost every single reason I described. The Z is paid off too. I'm just cautioning starting a project with a 10 year old car vs a 5 yr old car that's already better from the start. Even though I'd have a payment... it's already probably faster than what I have and oh so much newer. This is all just my opinion though.

JJJ93z

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jay-Roll
[B]FYI I know someone is going to say if you just get an LS1 F-body cheaper and do the same mods you'll get the same power for a much lower price.

Right, but once again the resale on a vette is a lot better than it ever will be on a f-body youre right about that. also the vettes look a lot nicer.

THE ONLY con i can think of is the lack of the backs seat.

How many people would you carry in your back seat anywayz.
>>lol your right about that , i have my back seats folded down almost all the time, but just if somebody is in a bind and needs a ride. but RARELY do i go crusing or for a long trip with 4 people. if we do need to go somewhere we take my maxima too.

I'm just cautioning starting a project with a 10 year old car vs a 5 yr old car that's already better from the start.
>> thats exactly why i shyed away from the 383 stroker/blower combo. plus the vette is prolly a lot faster than my car is now


I also dislike the front end of the ls1 camaros , it looks like a large mouth bass (sorry dont want to start a disagreement on which front end looks better that thread was getting old )

thanks for everyones opinions, need more !

JJJ93z

anyone else with opinions? thanks

97WS6SCharged

Hey Jay-roll, I was kinda throwing out a number on the 420 RWHP. I know LE heads/cam packages have made the same power, but those were matched setups with a really good tune. And LS1 Vette with the same basic package, headers, CAI, exhaust, yadda yadda yadda should be able to put those numbers down really easily.

And there's nothing like the sound of a cam'd LS1 when you're driving around with the top down.

Oh, check out the LT1 Vettes, they seem to be holding their value really well, IMO. I've seen 95/96 cars going for $18K with 60-70K miles on them. All the C5's I see are $25K + with around 30-40K. Sometimes less. Gotta hurry up and pay off all my debt so I can get a nice one and retire the TA to occasional street brawler.

JJJ93z

yeah ive noticed the lt1 vettes hold their value real well but i really dislike the styling of them, i think lt1 fbodys look so much more sleek and mean than lt1 vettes. Plus i want to get away from the lt1 and all of its components that i have had bad luck with. and just like you said you cant beat the sound of a cammed ls1 with the top down

JJJ93z

What is the most hp/tq you can get out of a SS if you spent say 5k-6k and keep it N/A? without stroking it. how about pros and cons about forced induction. ? thanks .

Spinner

He's done a few sets I've seen for sale somewhat recently. Nothing spectacular though. I think he's trying to get into those heads and is just starting to port them/learn about their tricks and quirks

Eliminator

I would get the Vette.