00 build suggestions for 450 500 whp?

[Kerr]

hello all,

I think i would like to do a head and cam package on a 00 6 speed camaro. Id like to get 450-500 if possiable to the wheels, then on down the road do a turbo.. I dont really care about chasing et's for bragging rights, just want a damn fun car to beat on...
Other option ive been thinking is just turbo it and push it until it pops, then do a build... We did this on a 98 camaro about 10 years ago and got low 11's with a 66mm before it came appart.( lived 15K miles, 9 years) granted it was auto with a stall and stickeys...

I would like to have something in the mid to low 11's if possiable on a budget.. I currenty have a turboed sububran thats in the 13's and will probabley go in the 12's with boost turned up some more ( its on 9 psi but feeding 496ci), Its fun as can be for a 9,000 truck, but i miss rowing gears, The other ride is a 67 corvette thats around a 500-525 crank hp. never dynoed it but its 13.5 compression, luniti ultra light crank, gm off road race cam, bla bla bla, M22 trans and 4:56 gears. Its on a mission but worth way to much to beat on at the track. thats where the 00 camaro comes in....


It seems there is only 99 million head and cams packages out there. This would not be a daily driver, just a car to get our beat on then put back up wet, so a not so friendly cam is fine. I would like to stay out of race gas only set up for now.

Thanks for the help!

[2NDSLPSS]

a 500whp stock cube ls1 is pretty hard to do. only a couple have been done and they are fully blue printed ported fast intakes, top dollar heads, custom cams,etc. however 450whp with 23X/23X cams with good heads and supporting mods is very common. as long as your not revving to the moon it can last forever. 550+ with rodbolts and strengthened valvetrain can also be long lasting. if i had to guess your 98 probably came unglued at the rodbolts. whats your price range ? whats your long term goals? its uaually cheaper to do it right the first time.

[35th-ANV-SS]

If you plan on going turbo later, a large cam will need to be changed out later for a FI friendly cam.

Any plans on upgrading the drive-train to handle the new power? Rear end? Suspension?

Probably the most popular choice now-a-days is the Trick Flow 515HP package.

Trick Flow and AFR heads do not come cheap though.

[scott5]

First question: whats your budget?

what percentage of track to street are you planning? You can go from mild or wild. I mean you can do prc 2.5heads w/ms3 cam or a vengeance racing trickflow w/vrx cam. 500rwhp is VERY hard and I think only a couple people have done it, Chris1313 has a write up in Gmhightech about it.

6spd or auto? What kind of rear end? and Are you wanting the dyno number or track number?

[Kerr]

thanks for the info..

Year ago back in 94 i had trick flow heads and comp cam on a cobra that did grate... I ll have to look at see what all the offer now...


I dont plan on much daily driving, my daily ride is a impala SS, so the SS camaro will be just for fun, its a 6 speed with 4:10 gears.

I usually just upgrade when parts fail and to be honest ive have retarded luck with stuff living.

Dyno numbers are just that, numbers... I dont really care what it shows on the dyno as long as its fun.. over the years ive had a tone of fast stuff and dyno numbers just seem to be bragging rights.. The cobra mentioned above did 450 whp and ran 11.1 on nitto 550's back in 94, then my 98 supra did 490 whp and ran 12.1 but it trapped 130 mph.. I went on built that one, full over kill, car made anywhere for 990 to 1200 whp depending on "who's" dyno it was on but wasnt fun... You had to spray it on boost then it just killed tires, even with a 13' wide wheel, granted from a roll or something there wasnt much that would stay with it. I will admit technology has come along way. That car was finished like 8 years ago now. Ive found that anything over 600 ish whp is unusable in the area im in.. even with drag radials 90% of the time they just spin.. I blame it on our crap roads.

As for camaros, we did a friends 98 auto car, stock motor, upgraded fuel and STS kit when they fist came out. over the years he did little things to it, cam swap, fast intake etc... It's an auto and runs low 11's. just doesnt feel impressive because of the 2:78? gear Then my other buddy did a 99 SS camaro, huge nitorus cam, head work to stock heads, fast intake and its direct ported.. his is a 6 speed car with stock gearing.. off the bottle it did 390 whp, and 4XX tq... on the bottle it was 598 whp and almost 700 lbt. The end result is the turbo car traps 125 mph and the nirous car 130.. but et wise they are second and half appart.. with auto spanking the 6 speed... Both of those cars have been done along time, probably 9 years so im way out of the loop on what all is being done these days and what really works.. When brad and travis both started there build 450 crank hp car was crazy fast.. now days my wife denali has close to that lol..


I just want something i dont have an arm and leg in, i can beat on and its fun to drive.. Im over trying to impress people i dont know and playing the "ET" game at the track... I guess its because all the people at our local track go by et only to think they have a fast car.. There is one guy thats all running his mouth about has "Fast" his car is but in reality its quick and you cant get him, or the rest to understand it.. I would rather have 12.5 car that traps like 130 than a 11.0 car that does 105mph.. and thats what all the guys in the town play by... ET ET ET... gear it to the max.. most of the F body cars here are like that... 80% are auto and they must have 4:56 or steeper gears as they cross the 1/4 almost redlined in OD. with to me is fun, but not how i like to play...

I guess if i did anything i would probably go FI first and then upgrade as parts fail.. I know that backwards of what people do but ive had grate luck on stock parts.. That sububran i mentiond in my first post has to be making double the power and then some all on stock but fuel. i dont know how muhc power it make to put 9,000 lbs in the 13's but stock rating was only 300 hp on the suburban.

[35th-ANV-SS]

Unfortunately, you are not going to go FI for anywhere near the price as a H/C/I. Sounds like you're on a budget and having a budget and building a reliable FI car do not go hand-in-hand.

Sounds like to me that getting a set of ported 243's along with a custom grind cam would be your best bet for a fun, reliable fast car that will drive nicely on the street.

I'm shooting for the same ET as you mention in your first post and I have 500rwhp on 8psi. Hitting that high of a number on a naturally aspirated LS1 is not very common. In fact, not too many people have on a budget build.

I think with the above combo I mentioned you'd be in the mid-400's rwhp range being you're a M6 and that should make you pretty happy. I'd be prepared to start saving for a new rear end though if you plan on complimenting this build with sticky tires at all being you're a M6.