Hi Everyone!

My familiarity with LS1's is minimal at best. I've been a truck guy all my life (Dodge Rams), but am looking at picking up a 2000 or 2001 Camaro. I've found a couple close to me at relatively good prices. The one I'm looking at is a 2001 Z28 6 speed with around 50,000 miles.

For one, the reason I want to get a Camaro is that GM offers a lot more performance parts than what I'm accustomed to with Dodge. The second is that I have always liked the body style (I couldn't afford one in high school, but now I can!)

I've done some research on the differences between 1999, 2000 and 2001. But are there any tips you guys can offer as far as what to look for when shopping for a used LS1?

In regards to maintenance, how picky are they? My 2004 Ram Hemi is a maintenace hog with differential service every 15,000 miles, tranny service every 30,000 and changing the spark plugs every 30,000. I know a performance motor requires maintenance, but how much?

Also, what do these things run stock in the 1/4 mile and how fast can you get them to go with bolt-ons (intake, headers, exhaust, programmer)?

Thank you for your expertise and advice!

 

I also gotta 01 Z w/ a manual. Stock in the 1/4 they should run somewhere between 13.0 and 13.6. If u mod it, you could get it in the 12s or maybe the 11s.
No idea about the maintenance tho.

 

Maintenance is not to bad, no more then pretty much any other car. Oil every 3-7k miles, depending on your style of driving, motor, etc. Dif. fluid is one thing you will want to keep fresh, it will help the 10bolt live longer. They are rather weak in our cars, and the M6 is the bully when it comes to breaking parts. With bolt ons and an M6 expect anywhere from 330rwhp to 370ish, give or take +-5 each way. I reccomend to , and read through all the sticky's. They should answer most of your questions. Good luck bud!

 

I found some awesome sticky's on here - way better than what I'm used to on Dodgetalk.

Let me ask you this, in reading them, I came away with one thing: the m6 will eat up the rear end given enough time and power. Is the 9" rear end I keep hearing about a Ford 9" rear? It seems like that would be one of the first mods to do if you plan on building a powerful car.

 

getting a new rear isnt a bad idea at all. that was more or less the first move i made with my SS, but a new moser 9 inch is a bit pricey. it is very nice not to have to worry about it anymore though.

 

Well hopefully I dont need to knock on wood about this one. But I have around 425 rwhp on my stock 10 bolt and shes hangin in there fine, no slop and no whining. I think they're more capable than people give them credit for. With that said I dont think I'd put slicks on it and take it to the track without getting a bigger rear. I have Nitto DR's atm and I believe GM designed the 10 bolt with its saving grace being the lack of traction.

 

Well, there seem to be 3 popular rears around here. The 9 inch, the 12 bolt, and the Dana S60. They will all be much much stronger then our puny 10 bolt. Some people try and build the 10 bolts up, but you still will be on borrowed time. It will just find the next weakest thing to break, whether it be the axle or the posi, the M6 loves to break the rears. The 10 bolt will never be as strong as say a 9" or a 12 bolt, simply because it is smaller. It really is hard to tell when your 10 bolt will break, but here is a good basis to go by: Sticky tires+Hard launch= BOOM. Of course this is not always the case though. Some have even been known to break on a hard 1-2 shift. But yes, if you plan on building a track car, a new rear would be a great way to go. That way you can run a nice gear (3.73, 4.10s, etc) without worrying to much.

 

Most people just keep the thought in the back of their heads "It could break at any time" and they plan accordingly. This is of course much less likely with an A4 than a T56 which is a very tough trans. Many people run 12's with their stock 10 bolts. If you plan on upping the cars power (which is very easily done) or putting better tires on it with some gears or what not then think about the rearend.

Aside from the rearend as far as maintenance goes it's pretty normal stuff, F-bodies are about as complicated as a hammer so if you are mechanically competent you can do most anything yourself. I am at 130,000 miles on my LS1 and when I took the heads off the cylinders still had crosshatching. Always run premium I reccomend. Keep an eye on your oil level, check it between oil changes, if you notice oil consumption thats normal you could just change to German Castrol that might help. With only 50,000 miles on the car you are looking at I would say you don't have much to worry about assuming the previous owner didn't abuse the car too much, a little abuse is okay (It's and LS1 it was born to scream )

As for year differences the newer the better, 2001+ had the better Master Cylinder and Slave Cylinder as well as LS6 intake manifold. Little known would be the fact that 2001+ had better internal components to the T56 six speed.

These cars are tough, they are fun and they are fast. Respect them and think about stuff before it goes wrong.

 

Thanks for all the information! I'm definitely looking forward to picking one of these up. I've always loved the looks, and am now in a position to buy one and have the money to mod the hell out of it. Before getting too crazy with the power, I think I'd go with your guys' recommendations on a new rear end. That way, I can confidently add power.

My new challenge is trying decide between a Camaro or Firebird. I'm leaning towards the looks of the Firebird, but I wouldn't pass up the right Camaro. They both look good in my opinion, its just personal preference.

Being new to GM (remember I'm a Dodge guy) I've always seen GM, Chevy and Pontiac as the same "guts" just different packaging. Are there any differences between a Firebird and Camaro other than the body?

 

As far as performance differences between the two, zero. Same motor, same trans, etc. Now, when it comes to interior they are totally different. A lot of people say the Poncho interiors are nicer, but that is just opinion. I was in the same boat as you, more or less looking for a nice Camaro, but had my eyes open to TA's as well. If I were you I would compile a list of options that the car MUST have. Of course there are always things it would be nice to have, but my only two options that were set in stone were LS1/T56. I found a lot of nice autos that were very tempting, but I passed them up and I am glad I did. It took longer to find the car I wanted, but in the end it was worth it.

 

lol, looks like question has the same sort of thinkin as me, I was looking for the same before this, just an LS1 with a T56 it didnt matter if it was a camaro or TA. And really, now that i have both, either one is a good choice, however I DO still prefer the TA as an overall package(but that is just my opinion)

 

Yup, I had a V6 Camaro before this TA, and I love certain things about both.

 

Yeah my main goals are the LS1 and 6 speed manual (bear with me guys I'm still learning the lingo - WS6, A4, etc hehehehe).

I'll probably take a look at both of the interiors and see which one I like better. From the outside, the TA seems to have a more menacing look, but the smooth outline of the Camaro is nice as well.

 

Yup, just remember this is going to be YOUR car, you have to live with it. So make sure you are happy.

As far as learning the lingo goes, check out this link.
https://ls1tech.com/acronyms.html

 

Hey man, just want to say welcome to the wonderful world of the LS1.

These are great cars- fast, fun, and they respond very well to mods. Like mentioned before about the firebird/camaro deal, get whichever you like better.

 

Thanks. I appreciate all your comments. I'm sort of in limbo for a month or so. Long story short, my Dodge Ram 1500 is having axle problems (when you rock the truck back and forth, you can hear the axle shafts sliding). Which obviously, is not a good thing lol. I've taken it to the dealer 4 times and they refuse to do anything. Yet, rear end failures with the c-clip design on the factory LSD are known to fail. So, I contacted a lemon law lawyer, and the settlement can take up to a month. So until then, I'm here to gather as much info as possible.

This is such a change for me - #1 going to a car and #2 going to a car manufacturer with TONS of aftermarket stuff. There is an LS1 autmotive shop literally one block away from where I live. All they do is repair, service and accessorize LS1's. On the flip side, Dodge has little to know aftermarket support, so people look at you funny when you ask for things like cams, heads, etc. I'm looking forward to the change.

I think deep down, I'll always be a Dodge truck guy, but when it comes to cars (with the exception of the Viper and maybe new Challenger), I've always liked GM.

 

Oh yeah, the aftermarket for the lsX vehicles is rediculous. There is sooooo much out there, and new things are continuing to pop up.

 

The aftermarket for these cars is awesome and the LSX community is generally very tight knit and mature. The sponsors for this site will generally be the best way to get the rights parts for your car, they will help you get the parts YOU need for what YOU want not what THEY want to sell you.
F-body meets are fun and every state has them. Also since the LS series motors are still in production and very popular the aftermarket is getting bigger and better.

As far as the Camaro or TA.. the TA has nicer seats (lumbar support, nicer looking, more comfortable) and most likely a few other things. I agree the TA looks more menacing but if you are gonna "mod the hell out of it" as you say, take a look around maybe there is a hood for the camaro you like (SS, Sunoco, Harwood, etc.) and teach people to fear your camaro I love the look of 315's on an 11" rim on the back of the camaro with a nice cowl hood

"An SS camaro looks like it can kick your ***, a Trans Am looks like its about to"...

Then there is always the sleeper look, play off of the ignorance of people that fear the SS but not the Z28 or fear the WS6 but not the Formula.

Keep in mind your plans for the car and use that to buy, if you plan on just minor things and want a #'d car get an SS or WS6/Firehawk... if you plan on pretty extensive mods and making it a real street bruiser or drag car then get a Z28/Trans Am/Formula for cheaper and save money for mods.

Also do you plan on a lot of drag strip racing or will it be more of a street car?
Use that to decide on A4( 4l60E automatic ) or M6 ( T56 six speed manual) ?
A4 will yield more consistent drag times and a stall/cam/gears will net you 11's I have heard. Whereas the M6 will put more power down, be more favorable for steep gearing and larger cam and be more fun to drive on the street ( my opinion ).

Good luck with you decision. I know you will make the right choice ......
(M6 Camaro)

 

I've already discovered the wealth of knowledge on this site - its awesome. I prefer a manual for the control factor, and I definitely miss that. I know it can be a pain with stop and go traffic, but I like the feel. Plus, I'm not a fan of automatics unless its a truck.

This car would be more of a street car - with trips to the track every now and then. I want something I can cruise in, but also lay the smack down if need be. I plan on keeping it a while. For a couple years it would be a daily driver, but after that, it would be all for fun.

One time I rode in a M6 Firebird and that thing was insane. It was completely stock, but it would throw you back in the seat and gooooooo. That hooked me - and it was four years ago lol.

 

Well, pick you up a 98-02 F-Body with an LS1/T56 combo and you will be set! All the other options are entirely up to you, just find what you like and I am sure you will be happy.