Hey all,

I just bought a 2000 Camaro Z28 a couple of weeks ago. It has the original 5.7L LS1 and 4L60E auto trans in it. (along with the 3.23 rear end with posi)

My true goal is to make it a 500 HP car (give or take, but more give. LOL). I'm wondering if that is possible with the factory LS1 that is in the car or should I be looking for different LS motors to help in this endeavor? I'd like to keep it N/A. I've always been afraid of blowing up my engine with nitrous. LOL

My initial goals:
* 500 HP out of the engine
* Swapping out the 4L60E for a T-56 setup and then rebuilding the T-56 to handle the increased HP
* Building up the rear end the best I can (or swapping it if it is absolutely necessary) and possibly going to something higher than the 3.23 rear gears I have now...maybe 3.91's?)
* If I can, I'd honestly like to get some lope out of the engine; like the older, built GEN1 SBC/BBC cars. I've always enjoyed a lopey idle where it sounds mean. I don't know if that can be done with LS motors or not.

So, that is basically it in a nutshell. I'm not trying to go insane, but I had a 2010 Camaro SS with the 426 HP LS3 and 6 speed. I loved that car and want to shoot myself for getting rid of it. I figured that if that LS3 can make 426 HP from the factory, I should be able to make 500...I hope. (fingers crossed)

So, any help from all of you gurus out here would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to research as much as I can, but there are a billion build threads and they all are probably different with different end goals. But I'll still look through them to hopefully gain some knowledge into the LS motor world. But I figured if anyone can help push me into the best general direction for my goals, then all the better.

Thanks for reading!
Mat

 

500fwhp or 500rwhp? 500fwhp is very doable. 500rwhp requires spending $$$$$.

 

the way he was talking about the 2010 Camaro I'm guessing he is talking 500 flywheel.

But as you said, there is a huge cost difference between 500 flywheel vs 500 tire

 

Ooops...sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that. I'm guessing 500 engine HP. My guess is that the 426 HP rating that my 2010 Camaro had with the LS3 is engine HP and not RWHP, correct? That was fun, so I figure if I do the same with my engine, but a touch more (around 500 engine HP, not RWHP), then I'll just take what I can get at the rear wheels.

I know it should go up a bit if I do swap my A4 out for the M6, but if not, then I'm sure there should still be plenty at the rear with 500 engine HP.

I want this to be a fun project car, but I don't want for it to have to take me decades to finish because I'm trying to spend a trillion dollars just to get the engine done. I just want it to be a fun street car with a decent lope at idle and I can take it to the track (if there is even one around here, I don't know) every now and again for fun. I'm not looking for a super rocket to spend 15k on the engine alone. If that is the case, I'll never get it done and it will sit in the driveway forever. LOL! So, I'm trying to be realistic as much as I can.

I also don't want to start buying parts and/or engines and find out another type of engine would be better. My understanding is you can't bore out the LS1 without resleeving it. So, that already makes me want to start with another engine that I can bore out and use decent heads on. I've read that the L92 heads are pretty good (even stock) and better if you get them ported and polished. But I know I can't use those heads on my LS1 without it being bored and resleeved. So, thus...now I'm trying to figure out a better engine/block to start with. I think I've seen LQ4 and LQ9 tossed around on build threads, but I don't know the stats of these two blocks. However, if buying either of those engines is more than boring and resleeving my current LS1, I might as well just keep that and build it.

I'm trying to do this as cheap as I can, but with quality parts. I don't want it blowing up and I used to build 350's, 427's and 454's (along with TH350's and TH400's) back in the day, so I have experience, just not with LSx motors....yet. LOL

So, I feel like I'm sounding like an idiot and I'm trying not to, but hey...this old dog has to learn new tricks. LOL

I did find a 99 Trans-Am 416 build by 99 Black Bird T/A and I'm about to read up on that. Sounds like some of that info might help me.

 

LilJay...you are correct. Flywheel/engine HP. I know it would probably be super expensive to get 500 RWHP...probably around 600-625 flywheel HP, correct? Ya, I don't want that much. I figure around 500 at the flywheel will work just fine for me. It will keep my costs down a bit, but still give me some "get up and go" to have fun with.

 

Start with boltons and a good torque converter and a tune and see how you like it. It'll definitely wake the car up. Then go from there.

 

I think it's easier to help with performance goals compared to hp goals on 90% of these kinds of threads.
With that said I will say I don't know how much power I make but do have real life examples.
I absolutely dismantle 2010 camaros.
My brother's Gt350 is rated at 526 hp and I also pull him decent.
My guess is I make well over 500 fwhp but honestly couldn't tell ya.

My car is a heads, cam sbe ls1 A4 with a loose converter and would be a handful for the majority of people starting these threads.

Below, the first video is a wot pull speedo shot of my car going wot 2-3 shift.
Second video is the chop you speak of

 

Please dont take this the wrong way, but from the sound of the first post. I think a cam and stall will probably be more than you will ever use!
If you want a 6 speed again, It will usually be cheaper to sell your car and buy a 6 speed car.
Driving a 4th gen with 400rwhp is like a driving a 5th gen with 500rwhp

 

If you are curious about what might take to do 500 Rwhp NA, check the 346 link in my sig. that should scare you out of it.

 

One thing you are over looking is power to weight ratio. 4th gen is a bit lighter then a 5th, so A well sorted 4th gen with bolt-ons would handle a Stock 5th gen with ease. Heads/Cam wouldn't even be in the same zip code.

 

98CayenneT/A,

Yours is EXACTLY what I’m looking for! Thank you for the clips. It sounds mean as hell with that lope and exhaust. Yours a factory LS1? Do you have a build thread? I’d love to know exactly what parts you used and what engine you used for your setup. Sounds like something I want to duplicate. If I can do it with my current LS1 that is in the car, then all the better.

I see you said yours is a “heads, cam sbe ls1 A4 with a loose converter”. What does the sbe part mean?

I know I’m looking at rebuilding my current LS1 because it has 111,000+ miles on it. (Along with the factory A4). But I’m trying to find out if I can build the LS1 or should I be looking for another block. But if yours is a LS1, then I’ll build my current one.

 

LS7 - Why do you say that? Is it due to weight or some other reason? This is my first 4th gen. All I can compare it to is my 2010 SS 6spd and currently I know that 2010 would kill this 2000.

 

Ahhh, ok. Now that makes sense. Only things I did to my 2010 SS 6spd was I put on SLP full length headers and then a SLP cat back dual exhaust system. I also added a CAI cold air induction system with a K&N air filter. So, to me those were simple bolt ons and I’m sure they made some difference over stock. So if I can improve upon that with this build then all the better. :-). However, I’m wondering if having a 6spd made more of a difference.

 

Sbe means stock bottom end. Never been rebuilt, stock bore/stroke/crank, stock rod bolts ect.
My motor has never been out of my car.

I do not have a build thread but will give a quick run down.

Heads: PRC 243's milled .030"
.040" head gasket
11.5 cr
Cam: 239/244 lsa 112
Intake: MSD Airforce 102
Exhaust: Long tube headers into 3in uncatted y pipe with a 4in. merger and 4in.electric cutout.
Converter: Yank Pt4400
Gears: 3.73's

- I will say my build may not be everyone's cup of tea. Meaning with that cam and milling my heads I did end up cutting valve reliefs in the piston tops.
- I am on stock rod bolts and spin my motor to 7100 rpms which not everyone is comfortable doing.
And my setup would probably like to be spun to around 7400 rpms
- Due to my setup you need a converter to match the power range and not everyone would be fine with driving my converter around. As you see in the video my shift extensions only drop to around 6300 rpms keeping it right in the wheel house of power band.

I absolutely love my setup but I do not drive it every day and I have a VERY good tuner.

There are definitely milder builds that will get you were you want to be if my route is a little extreme

 

SBE is stock bottom end.

All you need for 500 fwhp is a good running sbe ls1, 230 (ish) cam swap, some good cnc cathedral heads, like PRC 5.3's. LS6 intake, ported TB, 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 4-1 Headers, tr55 plugs, and a good tune. I had one like that back in the early-mid 2000's. My MPH at the track versus weight indicated it was making around 530-540hp flywheel. I was shifting at 7200rpm. Was a stock 99 ls1 bottom end, untouched except for cam, new ls6 oil pump, and rollmaster timing chain.

That engine did 70,000 miles. Street, track, I abused it regularly. It never broke.

 

Another thing to think about is in stock form the 4l60e does NOT like high rpms. Specifically the 3-4 clutch pack.
With that said I build my own transmission and there are many things that can be done to address these issues.
I have yet to burn up a clutch pack but have broken hard parts.

Here is a video to show what im talking about with loose *** converters. (Which im a big fan of)

 

Mostly weight but the suspension is also not nearly as refined as a 2010 so it makes it more fun to drive with less power lol
the biggest thing making your car feel slow right now is the tight stock torque converter. Just swapping in say a 3600-stall will make your car feel TOTTALLY different!

also there are probabaly more cammed ls1 cars now than stock, im very surprised you haven’t heard one before now lol!

 

That thing kinda reminds me of the couple of cvt's I've driven. rpms dont move much but speed keeps coming.

 

This is a vid of my cam only ls1 car in sig. 2nd gear pull while it had faulty coil packs and wouldn't rpm over 6800. It's much quicker now

https://www.bitchute.com/video/TCrxy3AUVzdn/

 

Don't rebuild the engine unless something is wrong with it. Your mileage is way too low to need a rebuild. Swap in new gaskets as you upgrade parts and you'll be fine. Also skip the k&n stuff, it's not worth the money and can cause some maf issues down the road.