Any websites like this for 4th gen?

[sdkar]

Don't mean to change the subject to 4th gens, but along with my two 69 Camaros I have a 97 Trans Am WS6 convertible.  It's a fun car as well and I am starting to get into some minor mods on the car.  However, I can't find a 4th gen website as cool as this one where I can look up the kind of info or has a discussion board like CRG.  This site is terrific and I would like to find a 4th gen site that is similar.  Surely there are other 1st gen guys here that have a 4th gen as well and can direct me. 

Thanks for any and all help.

Steve
sdkar@bellsouth.net

[69 Z11]

Hey, a kindred soul!   Take a look at my sig.  Here's a couple of sites that been pretty good for me:

http://www.ls1lt1.com/forum/index.php

http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/

[sdkar]

I knew I couldn't be the only one.  I picked up a set of all 4 disc brakes from an LS1 for my LT1.  The LS1 front brakes are larger by over an inch and the calipers are dual piston as opposed to the single piston on the LT1 cars.  I have always felt that the brakes were lacking on the LT1 and hope this will help.  What is weird to me is the LT1 rear calipers are finned and the front ones are not whereas the LS1 rear calipers are NOT finned and the front ones are.  I may keep the original rear LT1 calipers and just change the fronts over.  Also, I have found an article that shows how to convert a 67-69 Camaro drum rear end to use the LS1 rear disc brakes.  It is supposedly a simple bolt on application.  So I may just sell the rear disc brake setup to someone who wants a cheap rear disc brake kit on their first gen.  I am also looking for an LS1 driveshaft as I have heard that the LT1's were smaller and had balancing problems that caused a lot of vibrations, especially at higher speeds.  GM supposedly corrected this with a larger aluminum driveshaft with a balancer. 

Have you done any mods to your 97 yet and if so, what?

Thanks for the info.

Steve

69 Indy Pace Car
69 Coupe Pro Tour big block
97 WS6 TA Conv.

[69 Z11]

No mods on the 97.  Haven't ruled it out but the 97 SS is sort of limited production (957 produced).  Mine has kind of an odd combination of options, it's a T-Top automatic with the Level II Bilstein suspension (1 of 49).  I don't think I really should modify it.  Besides, it's really my wifes car, and she doesn't ever notice any of my performance improvements  .

Oh, I forgot.  I did remove the "Cone of Silence".  I'll bet in 20 years people will be advertising these cars......."1997 Camaro SS, still has the very rare cone of silence"

Brakes are a good place to start on these, lot's of room for improvement there!

[9T4Z]

There are more than a few of us around... note my sig.  Love my 94 rag... every nut and bolt has been off and on in the mechanical arena.  Real sleeper with a RW dyno of 505 hp.  But I have an emotional attachment to the First Gens.... my age shows.

cheers

[Claus]

Well I have been walking around for several years thinking they stopped making the Camaro in 69 

I needed a daily driver and stumpled across this:



Yeah yeah I know its only a V6, but I haven't seen any 4th gen V8's here in the Philippines and even the V6's are pretty rare. This one has spend most of its life in Japan and was imported last year to the islands.

more pictures here: http://www.69pace.com/96_Camaro.htm

[69 Z11]

Gee whiz, Claus, you find more cool stuff in the Phillipines than I do in Colorado!

[sdkar]

Cone of silence?  Okay...I give up...what is it? 

I understand what you mean about modifying the car.  My Trans Am is a WS6 convetible with every option available (I think).  While researching the car, I found that they made only 463 of these...so it is in "rare" territory, just not as desireable as a first gen.  I am sure your SS and my WS6 are similar to a 69 copo or Z/28 with crossram and will someday be sought after cars.  That is one of the reasons I am using the parts from an LS1...it will still look completely factory.  The car, like your SS, is completely unmolested and I want to keep it that way.  But the brakes really did suck and I wanted to do something.  I have kept the LT1 brakes complete on the spindle and with the removal of three bolts it can be put back if someone wants.  I am not sure if I will keep the car until it becomes a rarity, but it is not our daily driver, is my wife's toy, and for what I can sell it for, it's not worth it and I might as well keep it.  Not sure how you insure your car, but Classic Collectors, the insurance company for my 69, insured my 97 as a collector as well.  The insurance is only $150 a year.  They required the car be at least 10 years old and less than 3K a year mileage.  So insurance is not prohibitive.  Who knows, maybe one day when you and I are old and gray, young punks will knock on our doors trying to buy our "RARE" 4th gens. 

[69 Z11]

I gotta try the "classic" insurance on the SS.  I tried this summer and they said 1997 wasn't old enough.

Don't think they will ever be like a COPO or crossram (although that would be awesome), most of these newer cars were fairly well cared for, those old ones were rode hard and put away wet.

As for the cone of silence?  Aha!  My point exactly!  It's already becoming mysterious, amazing, and mythical.......well not really, but it's still sort of fun.

The cone of silence was essentially a cone shaped washer stuck in the exhaust pipe of the 97 SLP cars that came from the factory with optional the "Two Out The Left" (TOTL) exhaust system.  the cone was required by some unamed Federal agency with the initials EPA in order to reduce the sound levels of the exhaust.  Really sort of the same sort of deal that happened in 1969 with the chambered exhaust.  Anyway, unbolting the muffler and removing the cone of silence definitely makes the car sound better and actually releases a bit more HP too.

So my theory is that sometime in the future, cars with their original cone of silence will be much sought after, guys that still have theirs will be looking down their noses at the modified cars, judges will be taking off points, somebody will start making replica cones, fake cone of silence cars will become an epidemic,  original cones will be selling for thousands on Ebay, and I will be called in to verify original cones (like that other Jerry does for 1969's)!  What do you think?  Hmmmm.  Maybe not.

[wtexz10]

I have a 2000 firebird 3.8 v6 which has the SLP GT package which consisits of a stripe over the hood, roof, and deck.  It also has SLP dual twin exhaust.  I've noticed that the exhaust only flows through the left side.   Is this the same mufler system that is used on the Z28 and SS?  It sure looks the same.   Perhaps the cone of silence is installed in this muffler?  Any thoughts?

Kris

[69 Z11]

Well, the original "cone" was only in 96 and 97 Camaros with the TOTL up until April 1st of 1997.  Then the TOTL was discontinued and the Dual Dual setup was installed.  None of the dual dual setups had a cone in 97 but I did a little search and it appears that a modified cone re-appeared in 2000 or so.  Take a look at this link, there is a picture of one in a 2000 exhaust.  They also suggest using a coat hanger to test and see if there is one in there.  BTW, the word is that if your exhaust is clean on one side and dirty on the other, you may have a cone!

http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=796006

[wtexz10]

That would be correct.  It is clean on one side and not the other.  And I can't believe I mistook my 2001 for a 2000!  So many obvious differences in the two cars.

I'll check thanks,
Kris

[69 Z11]

Let me know what you find!

[Claus]

Gee whiz, Claus, you find more cool stuff in the Phillipines than I do in Colorado!

Plenty of cool stuff around here. My wife already thinks the 96 is hers, so I am stuck with the SUV again.

[Claus]

Found another cool 'thing', this 55 Bel Air was too good a deal to pass on.

Any good forums/websites for tri-five Chevys?