2002 Camaro - Time To Start Some Upgrades
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
2002 Camaro - Time To Start Some Upgrades Long story short, but due to a variety of reasons...I am in the process of parting ways with my 1969 Camaro. It's sad, but it is what it is.
For the last 10 years, my daily driver has been a 2002 Camaro SS T-Top M6 35th Anniversary LE SLP. The 1969 Camaro had been my "weekend fun car" but within the next year I plan on purchasing a new daily driver and "promoting" my 2002 Anniversary Camaro to "weekend fun car." So, I'm starting to think about upgrades for it.
Originally I was hesitant to do anything to this car because it was a rare-ish version...but they made a lot of them and the true collector cars have low miles. Mine has been driven and loved and has about 110,000 miles on it. It's in great shape, but I wouldn't call it a "collector" car when compared to some others.
The car is basically totally stock with the exception of a previous owner swapping out the original SLP exhaust with a Flowmaster (boo). I don't want to do anything too crazy to this car...but I could see redoing the intake, cam, and exhaust. I have heard the LS6 intake is a great upgrade and I'd love to throw headers on it with a better exhaust (but we have emissions here so I'll need to be careful with that).
I want to start out with something simple and small. I was thinking of a cold air intake...but the car has a Blackwing hood already with a drop in K&N filter in it. It came with the Blackwing from the factory. Is this still about as good as it gets or am I better off with an open air type element? And before anyone ask...no the hood isn't for sale. Anything I take off this car I'm going to keep because I want to maintain all the original parts.
For the last 10 years, my daily driver has been a 2002 Camaro SS T-Top M6 35th Anniversary LE SLP. The 1969 Camaro had been my "weekend fun car" but within the next year I plan on purchasing a new daily driver and "promoting" my 2002 Anniversary Camaro to "weekend fun car." So, I'm starting to think about upgrades for it.
Originally I was hesitant to do anything to this car because it was a rare-ish version...but they made a lot of them and the true collector cars have low miles. Mine has been driven and loved and has about 110,000 miles on it. It's in great shape, but I wouldn't call it a "collector" car when compared to some others.
The car is basically totally stock with the exception of a previous owner swapping out the original SLP exhaust with a Flowmaster (boo). I don't want to do anything too crazy to this car...but I could see redoing the intake, cam, and exhaust. I have heard the LS6 intake is a great upgrade and I'd love to throw headers on it with a better exhaust (but we have emissions here so I'll need to be careful with that).
I want to start out with something simple and small. I was thinking of a cold air intake...but the car has a Blackwing hood already with a drop in K&N filter in it. It came with the Blackwing from the factory. Is this still about as good as it gets or am I better off with an open air type element? And before anyone ask...no the hood isn't for sale. Anything I take off this car I'm going to keep because I want to maintain all the original parts.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
The blackwing lid is about good as it gets till you have a 92mm intake/throttle body or larger. You already have a factory Ls6 manifold which is good for most mild setups just fine. I would start with long tube headers and a new catback that suits what type of sound you are looking for. Then a mail order tune and if that doesnt keep you satisfied you will want a mild cam which they are any number of choices.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
The blackwing lid is about good as it gets till you have a 92mm intake/throttle body or larger. You already have a factory Ls6 manifold which is good for most mild setups just fine. I would start with long tube headers and a new catback that suits what type of sound you are looking for. Then a mail order tune and if that doesnt keep you satisfied you will want a mild cam which they are any number of choices.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Long tube headers almost always dont have emssions equipment provisions and they always delete factory converters. If you have this cant get around this then you have very few real options and most arent worthwhile. How is emmisions tested in your area? Thats usually how you decide what you can get away with and what you need to have done.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Long tube headers almost always dont have emssions equipment provisions and they always delete factory converters. If you have this cant get around this then you have very few real options and most arent worthwhile. How is emmisions tested in your area? Thats usually how you decide what you can get away with and what you need to have done.
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If you are in California emissions will be most strict and having headers will be inconvenient, not to say people don’t install headers on obd2 cars in California.
Even in New York having headers plus high flow cats and a tune to disable any check engine lights, I can get inspected at any service station.
Other mods such as gears add to fun factor.
Suspension mods such as good set of shocks/springs make the car much more enjoyable. Skip shift eliminator, ls7 clutch if the car is m6 or a torque converter if a4 is also good choice.
Since your car is a slp car , most likely you have better sway bars than average z28 Camaro. It also likely came with bilstein shocks but at this point age of car, it’s time to upgrade shocks also. A nice set of tires is always great.
You can read more about this in suspension section of this site.
Even in New York having headers plus high flow cats and a tune to disable any check engine lights, I can get inspected at any service station.
Other mods such as gears add to fun factor.
Suspension mods such as good set of shocks/springs make the car much more enjoyable. Skip shift eliminator, ls7 clutch if the car is m6 or a torque converter if a4 is also good choice.
Since your car is a slp car , most likely you have better sway bars than average z28 Camaro. It also likely came with bilstein shocks but at this point age of car, it’s time to upgrade shocks also. A nice set of tires is always great.
You can read more about this in suspension section of this site.
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A few questions come to mind:
What kind of budget are you looking at?
How do you want to use the car? Drag race priority? Handling priority?
Local emissions requirements? Plug -in testing only? Visual inspection?
Spend some time here going through the site. There is a ton of information available but it will take some time to do the research. Lots of helpful people here too but you need to let them know what you want to spend, what your priorities are and what legal restrictions you have to work around.
What kind of budget are you looking at?
How do you want to use the car? Drag race priority? Handling priority?
Local emissions requirements? Plug -in testing only? Visual inspection?
Spend some time here going through the site. There is a ton of information available but it will take some time to do the research. Lots of helpful people here too but you need to let them know what you want to spend, what your priorities are and what legal restrictions you have to work around.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
A few questions come to mind:
What kind of budget are you looking at?
How do you want to use the car? Drag race priority? Handling priority?
Local emissions requirements? Plug -in testing only? Visual inspection?
Spend some time here going through the site. There is a ton of information available but it will take some time to do the research. Lots of helpful people here too but you need to let them know what you want to spend, what your priorities are and what legal restrictions you have to work around.
What kind of budget are you looking at?
How do you want to use the car? Drag race priority? Handling priority?
Local emissions requirements? Plug -in testing only? Visual inspection?
Spend some time here going through the site. There is a ton of information available but it will take some time to do the research. Lots of helpful people here too but you need to let them know what you want to spend, what your priorities are and what legal restrictions you have to work around.
I don't know where I want to be on budget. I have some time to get this done. I don't want to go crazy on it but I want to do it right.
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,317
Likes: 20
From: Hurley, VA
Longtubes and Y. Ditch the flow master muffler(always heard they flow less than stock). Port the throttle body yourself (helps throttle response) and to me the number 1 M6 mod a 4.10 gear. If your not tracking it a 4.10 will be fine and at 75mph your only turning 2k in 6th and makes the car feel 10 times stronger than the airplane gears they come with. If you want stock drivebility stay in the mid-upper 22x duration on the cam. If you have a good tuner a low 23x can drive like stock.
I just want to use it as a street car. Nothing too crazy. Something fun to drive around on the weekends. I'm looking for a mild-moderate performance increase but I want it to sound really nice (I'm selling my 1969 396 car with full length headers, dual exhaust and a 270 cam...and I want something that sounds nice to replace it...it won't sound as nice, but I want something). So, I want to do a decent exhaust and a mild cam. Engine has 108,000 miles on it so I don't want to do too much too it. I don't want to do anything that is going to cause me an emission issue. Right now, they only due an OBDII scan in my area (Portland, Oregon)...but who knows what they will change in the future.
I don't know where I want to be on budget. I have some time to get this done. I don't want to go crazy on it but I want to do it right.
I don't know where I want to be on budget. I have some time to get this done. I don't want to go crazy on it but I want to do it right.