ok so i just moved up from an 87 ws6 transam to a 94 camaro z28. previous owner put on headers and a flowmaster. Im planning on owning this car for a while and i was wondering how important are sfc's if im not that hard on the car. Im not that aggresive of a driver. Ive heard that it helps keep the body from flexing. How important is this over time? The car is a t-top model but doesnt have many squeeks yet and it has 85,000 miles. Additionaly is there anything i should know about 4th gens? And i was wondering how does the handling of a 4th gen compare to a 3rd gen. Someone told me that while 4th gens are a lot smoother, the third gens have more aggresive handling.

thanks

 

Personally, I think my 97 bird handles much better than my 87 GTA ever did. Rack and pinion steering, better shocks, wider wheels w/lower profile tires. I've heard it go either way. If your car has ttops, I would definately invest in a good set of weld in sub frame connectors to help keep them from leaking.

 

thanks for the info

 

Well I've owned both and have extensive experience with both...my 95 is much more driveable for a daily driver, it doesn't compress your spine hitting a bump the size of a dime, but it doens't handle nearly as well and the steering leaves me feeling disconnected from the road. I've got 275/45/17s all around and even after going to the wider tire the steering feel cant even come close to that of the IROC I had. Also the rear end in highs speed corners or when autocrossing feels a bit loose but the car has more of a tendancy to understeer then my IROC its a very strange feeling...the brakes felt better on my IROC as well. But all that being said I'm happier with my TA then my IROC its a billion times more reliable, I have not had a single issue this past almost a year with the TA and it shows no signs of any future or impending problems other then a clutch replacement. Beware of the opti yours is unvented if its stock, that can cause some issues, but I Think you'll beh appy overall.

 

If you are going to get S/F connecters, go with the weld-ons. I had some bolt-ons on my car for about 2 days...they sucked so bad I took them off and sold them. Also, take a look under your car where the trans meets the motor and see if there is any residual oil there. If so, you may have the dreaded intake manifold oil leak. Or maybe the previous owner already had it fixed if youre lucky. One more thing...my friend used to own an 86 Trans Am WS6, and that thing used to take corners with Godlike precision...way better than most 4th gens IMO.

 

Congrads on your 94.

 

Intake manifold leak mentioned above is pretty common, but it doesn't really cause much of a problem unless it gets bad...I loost less than 1/4 of a quart in 3000 mile intervals.

 

I've got a 94' Z28 Also. I'm the 2nd owner. When I bought it originally (6 years ago) it had 28,000 miles on it; it now has 95,000. The car is very reliable, and personally, I wouldn't have any other (my Father owns a 99 Z28 (LS1)). Anyway as far as your suspension question goes, here's what I've done to mine (keep in mind, my personal goal is to keep the exterior of my car looking as stock as possible, so it's not lowered, and has the original wheels, and no body kits).

Suspension (all BMR)

- subframe connectors (weld in)
- shock tower brace
- solid panhard rod
- lower control arms
- front and rear anti-swaybar upgrade kit
- all polyurethane bushings
- stock, but new springs
- stock, but new shocks

the above modifications made a night and day difference in handling and I would HIGHLY recommend it!

Intake

- SLP CAI (powdercoated to match engine bay)
- Vortech intake elbow
- That little flow booster "thingy" that goes in the throttle body (hey, what the heck)

Brakes

Front:
- LS1 upgrade with KVR Cadmium plated, cross-drilled rotors

Rear:
- LT1, but with KVR Cadmium plated, cross-drilled rotors

Thats about it. I'm just pretty meticulous about preventive maintainence, and clean it often. I honestly love it, and wouldn't concider trading or selling it.

Here's a link to mine, just for comparison:

http://community.webshots.com/album/30114053CkHbmJWGDx


Conggrats on your purchase!

 

thanks for all the info everyone. fuzzy i looked at ur z, that is one nice loookin car. I think im goin to go ahead and get the bmr sfc's, how much will a shop charge to install? thanks

 

I did everything myself except the welding.

I can't remember exactly, but I think I paid them around $70 to weld in my sub frame connectors.