Could use some help picking out a cam. My camaro is a DD/weekend racer. I want it to have good power/response but I don't want ****ty as gas milage either. If it helps I'm getting pacesetter headers and off-road Y-pipe w/ LMII exhaust.

 

I'd suggest anything from a 224/228 cam to the TSP Torquer v.2 (232/234). Most cams in those ranges will do well with a few bolt-ons and put you in the 380-400rwhp range.

 

my torquer 2 drinks gas like crazy...then again, i'm in the throttle a whole lot and don't ever use 6th gear

my advice to you is to get a stall and gears first...you will have major driveability problems if you just toss a cam in there. I personally wouldn't go any bigger than the torquer 2 for driveability's sake.

 

True...if it is an auto, you'll need to get a stall as the normal rpm operating range will be increased with an aftermarket cam. After the stall though, driveability is all in the tune. Find someone who knows what they're doing and they can make even a Torquer v.2 daily driver capable and still pull in 24~25mpg on the highway.

 

i was assuming it was an auto because it has the b4c package and the car is otherwise stock...don't think those came with M6's unless one was swapped in

 

Yeah it is the A4 tranny

 

with a poor part throttle tune, on several highway trips...i've gotten 25-26mpg with my Torquer cam (with a 6spd).

keep the gears mild and you should still get decent mileage.

but for a good DD i would suggest the 224 cam...you can always do some budget heads down the line and be making 400rwhp with near stock driveability

 

Would it be harmful or stupid to get a cam and not gears. Or at least not now. I'm still learning all this sh*t and damned if there aint alot to learn lol. And how about a torque converter, does that (in stupid terms) basically wait till a certain RPM to kick in the power for better take offs????

 

i would think with the police package your car would come equipped with the better 3.23 gears. so it is much less "neccessary" to get gears right away. if you do a mild cam like the 224 you probably won't need them at all.

a converter is a much better idea...

some guys see .5sec decreases in 1/4mi times with a converter alone

 

There is more than a 'performance results' requirement when we say you'll need a converter. The bigger the aftermarket cam is (generally speaking), the less it likes to operate at lower RPMs. With the aftermarket stalls being loose down low and their flash stall speeds higher than stock, it makes an aftermarket cam more streetable. With a stock stall in a cam'd car, the side effects usually are:

Park to Reverse or Park to Drive becomes harsh due to the higher RPM idle requirements (800rpm vs. 550rpm).
Engine will bog down more often because you're out of the power band for the cam.
Surging will become more noticeable due to the 'tighter' drivetrain.

Granted, some of these things can be reduced/eliminated if your tuner knows what he's doing. But, the slam you'll feel from Park to Drive isn't something that you can tune out (and it'll get old quick). Basically, you should talk to one of the sponsors and get their opinion on a good cam and stall combo. Then, fork up the cash for new stuff or cruise the forums and wait for some used parts to come up. Just my $0.02.

 

I'll agree w/ SSpd and make it $.04.

 

Thanks everyone, I've been looking and think I'm goin to go with the 222/224 but I have a couple weeks so I still have time to research. Thanks for everything, and by the way anyone ever race @ Jackson (Carolina Dragway)?

 

I put a LS1 hot cam in my 99 TA, that is a 218/224 cam I believe. I don't have a stall, and I have the 3.23 gears.

I don't have any issues right now w/ the car bogging or surging. When it's cold outside though, it is necessary for it to warm up a minute or two before I start driving b/c it will shut off when I put it in drive. But after it's warmed up, I don't have any issues.

I think you could do a mild cam w/ no convertor for now, but make plans down the road for one. I also had a great tuner as well, Jeff @ Carolina Auto Masters took care of the annoying issues for me. If you do get a cam, plan on getting a tune.

 

Where is a good place to get a torque converter? I looked at speed-eng.com wich is where I am getting most all of my other stuff but didn't see any.

 

Take a look through all the vendors here. If you don't see them on Speed Eng. site, just send them a PM. You can also check TByrne.com or Thunderracing.com

And then there is always eBay.

I would say go with a Vigilante. You only want to make this purchase once.
I know when I bought mine, they had a deal on the stall. You could send it back within a year of purchase and get the stall changed for free.