Steve91T

Hey guys. I know this comes up all the time, but I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.

I've had a nice 97 SS Camaro that had a 396 LT1 making 380 rwhp. It was awesome to drive on the street, except for some cam surge at low RPM. I was into HPDE's (track days) and the faster I made the car on the track, the less comfortable it was on the street. I got to a point where I was driving around with no radio and no interior. That's the point where made the jump to taking it off the street and turning it into a race car.

That being said, I'm want to a 4th gen street car again. Something that's comfortable, yet fun to drive. I really think a decent suspension for back roads, and lots of low end torque will make me happy.

So, a nice, low mileage LS1 Camaro can be had for about $8000. SS's going for about $10,000. I don't have that kind of money to spend on another car. Racing is expensive.

I've noticed a lot of really nice 4th gen rollers in the classifieds for about $2000. Everything included except for engine and trans.

I've been reading a lot about the 5.3 and 6.0. I'm drawn to the LQ9 for it's larger displacement and higher compression.

If I bought a $2000 roller, what is the cheapest I could swap a LQ9 into the car? I've had a hard time finding how cheap I can do it.

Here's my guess.

Car $2000
LQ9 $2000 - including accessories
T56 $2000 - including clutch/flywheel

I'm hoping that my estimates are a little on the high side to cover for other odds and ends including a tune and wiring.

That should give me a pretty fun car to drive around for a while, right? I believe it should be around 300 rwhp. Anyone swap a bone stock LQ9? What do you think of the engine and power?

Then I can save some money and eventually through some heads and a cam in it and get it tuned. I'd then have 400 rwhp and I'd be right at home.


Now, one thing I might consider doing is swapping the T56 out of my Camaro road race car for a T5. In my class, we are limited to 260 rwhp. I know the T5 is weak, but it should hold up long enough. Especially when they are only a couple hundred dollars on craigslist. That'll save me about $1500.

So.......the big question.......


Is it likely that I could be driving a 300 rwhp Camaro that's in nice shape for less than $5000?

I've got nothing but time, so if this is something I want to move forward with, I can really take my time and find the screaming deals that are out there.

What do you guys think?

Thanks guys,
Steve

Steve91T

Ok, let's make it even simpler. With everyone's experience, what's the cheapest possible way to build a nice street Camaro?

I still think a roller for under $2k is a good starting point, but I could be wrong.

Thanks guys,
Steve

omc8

iTrader: (7)

Confused are talking about to different cars , a road racer and a daily driver street car.

Steve91T

I thought it was pretty clear, guess not.

I had a street/track car which I took too far...became to be too much for the street. I want to build another 4th gen, this time being just for the street.

All my money is going into the race car, so I need to do this as inexpensively as possible. That's why I'm thinking an LQ9 swap into a LS1 roller would be the cheapest way to have a nice 4th then that's a blast to drive. I'm thinking it'll cost nearly half the price of a low mileage LS1 Camaro.

Clear as mud?

omc8

iTrader: (7)

Well you can find decent 98- 02 LS1 f bodys for $4000 and under . I would try to find one with a bad eng or trans. Buying rollers which most of the time dont have the harness with them end up being more expensive in the long run. When you start adding up accessories , oil pan and radiator the cost starts adding up quickly.