I have a beautiful 1995 V6 3.4 that I honestly love to drive. However, it is only a 3.4 and is still stock on its options (short of a K & N Air Filter). I am not looking to turn this car into a speed demon or a racing car. I am planning on saving up to buy myself a 1999 V8 Trans AM which will be my power car in about a year. The car I am driving now is my daily driver car and is expected to stay that way for some time, but I would like it to have just a little more power. Stock, the 3.4 comes with 160 HP, and I was hoping to get that up to around 200 or so if I could. However, I don't want to invest a lot of money into this car, since my overall goal is to save for that 1999 Trans AM.

So my question is, if I was to dedicate $1000 to upgrading my car, how should I spend it?

I know that intake, exhaust, and headers are all important, but with limited cash, some upgrades may be more difficult than others and I was just wondering if you guys had $1000 to invest in a car like mine, what would you buy to get the most out of it. (Feel free to give me direct links if there are any specific items you'd recommend)

 

save another $1000-1500, and spend a few weekends swapping in an LT1

 

save it

 

Use it to put a down payment on a 1999 V8 Trans AM

 

$1000 won't get you close to 200hp unless you go the nitrous route, but you'd want to do intake/exhaust first and that would eat into your budget.

Since you plan on getting your power with a Trans-Am, I'd spend your $1k on some new shocks (your '95 shocks are done, if still stock), maybe some wider tires and a tune-up. Won't make it a powerhouse, but it will make it more enjoyable to drive.

New Bilsteins = best money I've ever spent on my car.

 

3.42 Posi.

 

seems like there was a 3.4 on here with heads/cam/full exhaust running around 220 RWHP.

 

Buy tools and save some $ for gas next summer. $3.50/gal gas will make you glad you have a V6. I do wish mine was running.
With tools you could have ported intake and heads for well under $100.
$120 will get you a zexel torsen LSD form SLP. And if you had tools you could put it on for less then $100.
I would save that $1000 to buy 1/3 of a TIG welder.

 

If I had a grand to spend, the very first things I would do is a cold air intake kit and exhaust upgrades. As mentioned above, the idea of a 3.42 posi rearend is also a good idea. Heads/cam has also been done on those motors, but that will exceed your planned budget. If you plan on getting an LS1 soon, I would just save it for that. Are you going to keep this car if you get the LS1? If so, you might as well keep it stock and use it as a reliable daily driver. Just my two cents worth.

 

Save a little more...and do the 3400 top end swap.

Done.

 

I do plan to keep this car as my daily driver, so even if I get the Trans Am, the Camaro isnt going anywhere.

A couple of people have mentioned a "3.42 Posi". I am new to the car scene, so I'm not familiar with that term or what it would provide me with. I just recently got interested in FBody cars starting with this Camaro. Could someone please explain to me what a "3.42 Posi" is, what it does/can do for me, and approximately what type of cost I'd be looking at?

I like the idea of maybe upgrading the shocks and I had planned to install a K & N Cold Air Intake soon as well. Also, short of replacing the entire exhaust, would a higher performance muffler be of any use, or would that be pointless without redoing the exhaust?

What type of performance upgrade do you think that K & N will provide me with? I know it won't be much, but I just want to make sure that its at least worth doing.

My thoughts at this point, based off what you guys have said and the plans I was already considering are as follows:

- Replacing Shocks
- Installing a K&N Cold Air Intake (Currently I just have a K&N Air Filter)
- Replacing Tires (Most of the tires on the vehicle are aged as is, and there are some nicer tires on TireRack that I found a good deal on that Im leaning toward for comfort/traction)

Beyond that, I may look further into exhaust and see what my options are that would be cost-effective.


Keep on with the suggestions, all of you are giving me great ideas and I am enjoying this learning experience.

Thanks Again!

 

I vote for saving your money for the Trans Am.

If you absolutely must spend money on your car, though, I'd go with a catback exhaust. Nothing will give you more overall satisfaction than a better sound!

A 3.42 posi rear is a good idea too.

 

3.42 is refering to the rearend gears. i dont know what it comes with stock off the top of my head, but they will help your car accelerate faster than stock. the parts are inexpensive, its the labor that will get you. the only downside is your car will turn more rpms, resulting in slightly lower gas mileage and a noisier cruise

 

as a 3.4 owner, I say save it. If you love to drive it, it shall satisfy you until you go LT1.

 

One thing to keep in mind, this is the second car I've ever owned. I started driving it about 3 months ago. Yes, its only a V6 3.4 1994 Chevrolet Camaro, but my first car, which I drove for about a year and a half (maybe two years) was a 1988 Chevrolet Celebrity. Driving the camaro is a completely different experience from anything I knew previously, so I'm very happy with what I have, I just would enjoy it if it was a little more powerful. My goal is to save up for that 1999 Trans Am (Silver, like my Camaro, but with T-Tops and a Manual instead of an automatic), however, my expectation is that it'll be around a year before I buy that Trans Am, so the Camaro is going to be my only car for sometime, so of course I want to get the most out of it I can.

Thanks Again for everyones input, keep em coming, I'm checking the posts constantly.