Hello and combination viability

[Marsh62]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and am just going to jump right in. As an aging Gen I guy, I'm new to the LS scene. I have an all original manual shift 2000 SLP Camaro that I am planning a few easy bolt on upgrades and am asking for opinions and if the combination is viable or just not practical. Here's the list: Long tube headers (keeping the loud mouth exhaust), Fast 92 intake, Holley Sniper 92mm throttle body, 36 lb @ bar 4 fuel injectors, 25% under drive pulley, 150 shot wet kit. I know I would get more with a cam and heads, I'm just not prepared to go that deep yet. Thanks for your input and insights.

[Whamhammer]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and am just going to jump right in. As an aging Gen I guy, I'm new to the LS scene. I have an all original manual shift 2000 SLP Camaro that I am planning a few easy bolt on upgrades and am asking for opinions and if the combination is viable or just not practical. Here's the list: Long tube headers (keeping the loud mouth exhaust), Fast 92 intake, Holley Sniper 92mm throttle body, 36 lb @ bar 4 fuel injectors, 25% under drive pulley, 150 shot wet kit. I know I would get more with a cam and heads, I'm just not prepared to go that deep yet. Thanks for your input and insights.

The biggest question is what exactly are you looking to get out the performance?

To me, so far, it almost sounds like you are going to end up having to spend money twice, or thrice.

[Marsh62]

Hammer, As for what am I looking in the way of performance? At this point I only want to allow the engine to inhale and exhale better, and if it can take a deeper breath give it a little more food. I'm not looking for a ground-pounder or a 10-second 1/4-mile car. Like I said in my post, I know I can get more from a cam and heads; if that time comes my plan would be to continue to use the bolt-ons I am already planning. As for the NOS, I see "shock and awe" value in it. That of course may turn out to be two-fold as in "where did that come from", and my eventual "fudge and dismay". I am fully aware of the latter. So, I guess the bottom line is people can see a lazy 24 year old car, but I know better and they can be educated. In the spirit of education, please help me understand how I would end up spending double or triple the money; and what you would suggest as an alternative. Thank you.

[Whamhammer]

Hammer, As for what am I looking in the way of performance? At this point I only want to allow the engine to inhale and exhale better, and if it can take a deeper breath give it a little more food. I'm not looking for a ground-pounder or a 10-second 1/4-mile car. Like I said in my post, I know I can get more from a cam and heads; if that time comes my plan would be to continue to use the bolt-ons I am already planning. As for the NOS, I see "shock and awe" value in it. That of course may turn out to be two-fold as in "where did that come from", and my eventual "fudge and dismay". I am fully aware of the latter. So, I guess the bottom line is people can see a lazy 24 year old car, but I know better and they can be educated. In the spirit of education, please help me understand how I would end up spending double or triple the money; and what you would suggest as an alternative. Thank you.

Well.... my first thoughts are that there will an initial outlay of the parts that you said, all presuming that the engine is shiny and working like it should,....

- the fact that nitrous is only useful when its being used, combined with the fact that putting a larger throttle body and intake manifold is quickly going to make it evident that you are capped out by the stock 241 heads and stock camshaft and the shrouded intake valves by the less than four-inch bore.

.......With long tubes, catted-y, a cat-back, SLP air lid, smooth bellow intake hose (to throttle body), and a dyno tune, netted me 360 hp and 360 lb/ft torque at the wheels (on a car with the LS6 intake from the factory), roughly a 25hp boost over it being pretuned (but with the bolt-ons already on). Without heads and cam, I don't see the larger intake and throttle body giving you much, (at most
10 - 20 hp across the board, mostly at the top end vs the LS1 intake and TB) especially for the cost involved (~$1,400+ for intake and throttle body)


-Then there will likely even of some sort of rear end pain, as putting a lot of power through the more brittle 7.5' rear end, a higher performance 4th Gen likely means that an 8.8'/9.0'/12 bolt is in your future. People with stock engines manage to kill these 7.5's, adding more power makes it a "when", not "if" (~$5k or so). With my current build, I am very careful on the change of throttle, especially from stops or lower speeds, as I am saving up for my 12-bolt.

- It's likely that the clutch hydraulics are going feel kind of "meh" by now, and can be detrimental to performance by now, necessitating a Tick clutch master and slave cylinder, as well as the "drill mod" for the pressure hose; the transmission needs to be gone into to do this.

.....


In my honest opinion, figure the condition of the engine and make sure it's in good shape (good leak down, good bores, etc), then.....

- save up budget for a beefed-up rear (do this first, this is the weak point of 3rd-4th Gen F-bodies) a 4:11 rear would wake the engine up (~$5k +/-)

- with the headers/exhaust that you are talking about, get a tune, see how that works

THEN, if that isn't enough.....

- get a decent heads and cam set ($2,500 - $3k plus install, injectors etc.), and then maybe try to find a good LS6 intake or used performance intake. LS6 intakes and TB will flow through 450 whp.

Find ways to not add weight and even remove some if you can...

Nitrous can be a thing, but why not build a better build for 100% of the driving experience, then add more for when you REALLY want it, and be able to use a lower shot to get want you want out of it, and stress the engine less?

[Marsh62]

Thank you, all very good points. I have struggled with making any mods since the car is all original. This gives me more to think about. Again, thank you.

[SMWS6TA]

He makes all good points.


1 the drill mod for the clutch hydraulic hose line is only needed if you use the stock mc. I highly recommend Tick mc. It fixes the issues the oem mc has and is a far better in quality plus life time warranty. I know it warranty works too.


2 before you get serious about mods a good look over the drive train is my suggestion. It's an old car and you don't know what previous owners have done to it. Horsepower and torque will always find the weakest point in the drivetrain. As Warhammer stated the rear ends are glass. Specially with manuals.


3 I recommend holding off on the laughing gas. If it's a street car, it's not really needed. Money could be better spent in other areas.


A member gave me wise advice when I started. Figure out what you want and can afford. Daily/Street/Show/Drag/Auto. Any combo can be had but each category has its pros and cons pluse expense.
There's fast, cheap, reliability you only can pick 2 when building a car.


I built mine more of a street, with some track use. I drive it, lately more than I want because my wife's Yukon needs rebuilt.