besides the air induction what are the diffrences in 1996 as far as engine and exhaust?

I did a search and didn't come up with anything and I am new to LT1s. I have a LS1 camaro, but this is my first LT1.

 

the people who wrote the catalogues made it have more because why would you pay extra for an SS when they go down the drag strip at the same rate? the ram air is worth a few HP at highway speeds

 

if I recall the only ""real" difference was the shocks. Maybe someone else knows.

 

The extra 20hp or so they advertised was from a better exhaust (just a muffler) and induction. Other than that they are they same in regards of power.

 

http://www.ws6.com/faq/index.htm

 

Do 96 Z28s have two cat converters?

Do they both have the same cam?

 

Yes, and yes.

 

Thanks for all the info.

 

Shoebox's post has pretty much everything you need to know.

 

i see this is older thread but just in case it helps other to list this, the 96 z28 ss is the exact same lt1 engine internally. Cam heads all the same. The biggest difference was the forced air hood scoop. The SS package also came with a optional racing suspension with belstien shocks, catback exhaust system, hurst shifter, torsen rear axle and 275/40r17 tires. Combine all that and you get a much more capable car. The Z28 SS is like a race car version of the z28. People keep saying they are the same specs on paper or close, but they dont understand the real difference in these 2 cars. If you were racing the 1996 Z28 against the 1996 Z28 SS, the SS would win every time. The specs only tell so much and they dont justify the differences between these cars. Some may disagree with me but i believe the 1996 z28 doesnt compare to the 1996 Z28 SS. Im just saying from my personal experience the SS feels like a race version of the z28. It sounded stronger, handles better on the road and track, and it felt like a much faster and much better handling car. Thats just my 2 cents. The differences cannot be seen on the spec sheets to justify the SS over the Z28, but i do believe the 1996 z28 SS will out run the 1996 Z28 every single time.I know this is a old thread but i wanted to give my opinion so that others understand. The spec sheets have people thinking that the cars are near equals, but in reality they are completely different. The little differences on paper make big differences on the road and track. You may not agree but to me on this. To me the z28 would float and bounce down the road but the SS felt glued to the road. I believe it would take thousands of dollars to make the z28 keep up with the SS on the track. Im not knocking on the z28, i dont mean to offend anyone but from the factory the SS is a much different car than the z28 and it deserved the SS badge in 1996.

 

Yeah, don't agree and would certainly not call it a "race" version. They had some upgrades, but are way more similar than different.

 

Completely agree with Shoebox. There is no dramatic difference. It is not a “race version” (that would be a 1LE). It would not take “thousands of dollars to make the Z28 keep up with the SS on the track”. What “track” are you even talking about- drag strip, auto-X, road racing, Silver State Classic…….?

 

I am not saying its a race car, im saying compared to the 96z28 that 96SS felt like a race car, or say the z28 felt like a big Cadillac floating down the road. Either way you look at it, the 2 cars i owned felt completely different. It was not a slight difference, It was night and day. But thats between my 2 cars. The suspension options were not available on the SS convertibles like mine has, and it did not come on every SS coupe. Not sure about the torsion rear axle or how many cars have that. My SS did come with every option available from SLP. I have never driven another 96ss so i cant speak for any other than what i got. Its possible the base SS package car is possibly the same as a z28. I really would like to know My SS would beat my z28 in a race every time, off the line, and in every corner. Im not trying to knock what you are saying, i just would like to know whats not the same. Mine had a performance catback exhaust system, belstein racing suspension with stiffer springs, torsen torque sensing rear axle, and of coarse all of the ss had wider tires. That all adds up to a big difference on the road or track and is why the SS is better. Just wanted to know what you are comparing or what options the ss had? Do you not agree that it will be very hard for the z28 to keep up with the ss considering the differences? It makes a big difference. Im not sure what yall think is similar or if you agree with me or not, but you not comparing my SS to the z28 without saying its a big difference. Turns or handling, drag racing, off the line, down the straight away, the SS beats it everywhere. What makes yall think its the same, im just curious?

 

To suggest the Z28 feels like a “Cadillac floating down the road” is ridiculous. If your Z28 felt that way, there was something wrong with it. Your “better” differences are minimal.

The “air induction through the hood scoop” does very little. At 100 MPH, using the concept of velocity head the possible gain in intake manifold pressure is about 1%. And the scoop is located too far back on the hood to pick up the air layer as is separates from the surface of the hood. The concept only works when the scoop is on the forward part of the hood, before the separation occurs. Look at the WS6 “Ram Air” hood. Located at the leading edge of the hood. Then consider the primary gain from either setup at lower speeds - cooler air. The SS U-shaped duct sits right on top of the engine = heat gain. And it involves a longer duct with a 180° bend = pressure loss.

I'll give the SS 3/10ths in the 1/4-mile. That what you see with an efficient CAI and a 3” mandrel bent catback on a Z28. Road handling…. the deCarbon shocks used on non-SS models were considered top-rated. Not Bilsteins, but the average driver is not going feel the difference.

Don't get me wrong - I think the SS is a great car. My best friend was lucky enough to buy (new) a 30th Anniversary SS convertible with the T56…. fairly rare. Yes it was faster than my lowly Formula. But not an order of magnitude difference. And he decided the SS needed more power, and took it to a record (at the time - 2001) 9.04 @ 155 MPH.

 

Yall are taking what im saying about the differences in driving these cars to literally. The SS feels like a race car compared to the z28. Im not saying its a race car 5 point harness with a helmat and han device, but compared to the z28, the ss with the performace suspension option is much tighter and feels glued to the road. Sure the z28 is not a cadillac floating down the road, but after driving this SS you would say the same thing, the z28 feels like driving a licoln town car down compared to my SS. Not literally of coarse but it is a very noticable difference and is not similar. The SS did have a performance exhaust, as an option, not part of the SS package. My exhaust is different from other SS i have seen, and it sounds much stronger too. The air induction on the hood may not make but 3 tenths like you said, but you put it on a circle track, road coarse drag strip or any other track you wish to put it on, the SS package with the available options you can get such as the torsion rear axle which handles turns much better, the wider tires that grip much better all around from off the line to a road coarse, the OPTIONAL performance exhaust, THE OPTIONAL level 2 belstein suspension package with stiffer springs, and the additional 25 to 35 horsepower, you still think that z28 is the same car and will ride and drive almost the same? Because it doesnt. Its a major difference. And take the additional horsepower alone may not be much, maybe 2 tenths on a quarter mile, but you add that package then you will be very disappointed if you bring the factory z28 out against that SS. They are not the same. Take the spec sheet said the SS may win by 2 tenths a second in a quater mile, but you dont think that torsion axle will make a difference, or the exhaust system which adds more, and the wider tires with even more grip. Yall are crazy. That SS will beat the z28 on any track, you can pick, and if you dont think so, take your z28, invest 3000 dollars on the suspension and new rims and tires. Then come tell me your old z28 is the same. Yall dont understand that the spec sheet give you an idea of the difference if you add the SS package only but the spec sheet doesnt tell you what you get from a car with all the performace bells and whistles. Maybe the z28 and ss is similar, not in the case of my SS. Spec sheets dont tell you what it does with the options added, any of them making a big difference in the car. Your factory z28 suspensions are not on the same level as thelevel 2 performace set up, the SS sounds much stronger than the z28 exhaust and im sure adds more power too, the tires grip better all around, the torsion rear axle allows you to carry your speed through the corners without have the tires slip from turning different speeds. Yall are crazy if you think they are the same or similar. So im going to disagree, yall are looking at a spec sheet. If thats where you getting your info then thats why you dont get it and you wont understand until you drive the same cars but with different setups. Every little thing makes big differences.