Yes, the new LS1 engine in the 98 and up Z28's is the fastest way for speed-demons to reach the 500hp mark and here's how:
First, I guess I should talk a little bit about the car itself - the 4th generation GM F-Body (Pontiac Firebird, Trans-Am, and Chevrolet Camaro from 1993 and up) represents a real step towards bang for the buck performance.
In 1998 several major things changed for the Camaro (and more specifically for the Z28). There were a couple of body changes - most notably the 'open mouth' front fascia. The interior was sharpened up a bit, and the LT1 V8 engine was upgraded to an LS1 (all aluminum engine). The LS1 is factory rated at around 300+hp but as many found out, it is actually closer to 330hp or so from the factory. All in all, even in stock form this is a great car that you will be happy with for a long time. If that's all you're interested in then stop reading now - but if you want to see what it takes to get to 500hp then by all means keep on scrolling...
In stock trim, the Z28 is capable of mid to low 13 second quarter miles above 100mph and 0-60 in the 5.0 range. I like to look at cars for more than their stock capabilities to consider: "What can this car do for me performance wise if I throw a couple of thousand bucks at it?"
For the LS1 Z28, you have several options that will bring the 500hp supercar level of performance to your driveway.
To get you started though, you MUST take the baby steps of performance that most call "bolt ons". Many people have differing opinions of what exactly constitutes a bolt on modification, but I prefer the simplistic view that a bolt on mod is one that is fairly cheap (under $1000 most of the time), fairly easy to install (in one day most of the time), and will return modest hp gains (5-25hp or so).
The bolt on level for the LS1 Z28 includes the basic breathing mods like cold air inducation (with low restriction air filter) and exhaust mods (like headers, cat-back exhaust, and high flow catalytic converters). Other bolt ons include computer chips or reprogrammers to allow your stock ecm to respond correctly to the new mods, gearing changes or transmissions mods like higher stall converters.
There are also a number of 'free mods' that you can do to your vehicle that will increase hp in single digit numbers. This may seem small but keep in mind that everything will add up to get you closer to your goal. For a list of free mods, check out http://www.ls1.com for more info.
With the bolt ons and free mods taken care of, your car should be a solid 12 second performer in the 1/4 mile and will run 0-60 in well under 5 seconds flat. You will probably spend a little over $2,000 total to get to this level.
Now, didn't the title say something about 500hp?? Ahhh yes... the elusive 500hp! There are three major ways to simply and reliably get to the 500hp level. I'll break it down like this:
1) Nitrous - I know what you are thinking, "Wait a minute, I'm not putting nitrous oxide on MY car!!" Nitrous has come a LONG way since the 70's and is now a very safe and effective way to add 75-150hp to almost any V8 car. For more information on nitrous, please see http://www.5150.org/nitrous . There are many brand name kits out there that include everything you need for a complete package. Most are around $500-$700 and can be installed by a professional in under one day for $100 or so. Most nitrous kits will bring your car to the mid 11 second 1/4 mile performance level - the only problem you'll be having is traction!
2) Forced Induction - By this I mean either a supercharger or turbo kit. Again, there are SEVERAL reliable and proven kits out there, any of which will bring you to the 500hp level with the bolt on mods in place. Vortech, ATI/Procharger, Incon and TurboTech are all names you should check out before making a purchase. Installed, these kits will run anywhere from $5,000 on up but will provide 500hp on tap all the time!
3) Engine work - Probably the cheapest way to have 500hp available at all times (i.e. without nitrous) is by 'dipping into the motor'. The main things that will be changed here will be the aluminum heads (they will be modified to flow more air) and a matched camshaft. You can get a 'heads and cam' package for about $3,000+ or so - the most popular and proven kits are from Morgan Motorsports, MTI (in Texas, NOT Georgia), Agostino-Morrison, and Lingenfelter Performance. Most of these kits when properly tuned will provide 420-ish rwhp on a rear wheel chassis dyno, which equates to right at 500hp at the engine.
Did you know that having a 500hp sports car could be as simple as a $16,000 to $18,000 used 98 Z28 along with about $5,000 total in modifications? So for about the price of a new Camaro, you could be driving a car that runs 0-60 in the mid 4 second range, 1/4 mile in the 11's, and has a top speed well in excess of 170mph!!! How does that sound?
Just imagine how the Viper owner next to you at the light is going to feel when you pull away from him with ease!
To recap - the 98 Camaro is a very refined sports car straight from the factory. It is 80% of a Corvette at 50% of the cost, and with a few thousand dollars in upgrades can be made to run circles around 99% of the sports cars out there.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 17000
Condition: Used Model Year: 1998 Model and Options: Z28 6 speed
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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