Mysterious Car Modifications - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

atepper2 · 01-07-2016, 09:33 AM

Hey guys,
I bought my 10 Camaro SS from someone 2 years ago. It is an L99 Automatic. When I bought it, it had a borla exhaust kit as well as a CAI. My younger brother has a 12 SS and i've driven it. Mine is NOTICEABLY faster. Like a lot faster. We have always wondered why, and just figured it was because it was chipped or something. Having some visual mods done to it this week and my mechanic noticed that there are no resonators. I was going to have those cut off anyways, but they were already removed...and now he thinks that there is an LS3 engine in it....I have absolutely no clue why that would be true. From my understanding, the only reason to have an Ls3 conversion done would be to put an aggressive cam shaft swap on it. I could be wrong on that. But there is no cam swap on the car. Can anyone make sense of this? If i took a few pictures of the engine, could you guys identify what has been done?
This is just bizarre.
Austin

JDP Sales · 01-07-2016, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atepper2

Hey guys,
I bought my 10 Camaro SS from someone 2 years ago. It is an L99 Automatic. When I bought it, it had a borla exhaust kit as well as a CAI. My younger brother has a 12 SS and i've driven it. Mine is NOTICEABLY faster. Like a lot faster. We have always wondered why, and just figured it was because it was chipped or something. Having some visual mods done to it this week and my mechanic noticed that there are no resonators. I was going to have those cut off anyways, but they were already removed...and now he thinks that there is an LS3 engine in it....I have absolutely no clue why that would be true. From my understanding, the only reason to have an Ls3 conversion done would be to put an aggressive cam shaft swap on it. I could be wrong on that. But there is no cam swap on the car. Can anyone make sense of this? If i took a few pictures of the engine, could you guys identify what has been done?
This is just bizarre.
Austin

The only way to tell an L99 and an LS3 apart is the front cover, which is pretty hard to see. One could convert to LS3 just because, I suppose....

All the best,

Jared Royce
888.308.6007

Spec · 01-07-2016, 09:42 AM

You've probably got a tune that was done when they installed the exhaust and cai.

skipinminn · 01-07-2016, 10:01 AM

The LS3 was in the original production 2010 Transformer edition. ^5

Apex Motorsports · 01-07-2016, 10:15 AM

It is probably tuned. It makes a huge difference for the L99.

justjoshin · 01-07-2016, 10:21 AM

Yes it is probably tuned. There is a very noticeable difference in my 2010 L99 with a tune and my girlfriends 2014 L99 without one.

SlingShot · 01-07-2016, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skipinminn

The LS3 was in the original production 2010 Transformer edition. ^5

So was the L99 and V6

paul84043 · 01-07-2016, 10:34 AM

Is it actually faster, or does it just "feel" faster?
Are they both auto? The auto will pull on the Manual off the line.
A tune will change many things, among which are shift points and engine performance variables.
Just the exhaust should not make that much of a difference, there's got to be more going on..

BlkCamaroVert · 01-07-2016, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atepper2

Hey guys,
I bought my 10 Camaro SS from someone 2 years ago. It is an L99 Automatic. When I bought it, it had a borla exhaust kit as well as a CAI. My younger brother has a 12 SS and i've driven it. Mine is NOTICEABLY faster. Like a lot faster. We have always wondered why, and just figured it was because it was chipped or something. Having some visual mods done to it this week and my mechanic noticed that there are no resonators. I was going to have those cut off anyways, but they were already removed...and now he thinks that there is an LS3 engine in it....I have absolutely no clue why that would be true. From my understanding, the only reason to have an Ls3 conversion done would be to put an aggressive cam shaft swap on it. I could be wrong on that. But there is no cam swap on the car. Can anyone make sense of this? If i took a few pictures of the engine, could you guys identify what has been done?
This is just bizarre.
Austin

Depends on how he drives it. The computer adjusts to slow drivers. My car was dog when I took it off the lot. It really changed after a week of aggressive driving.

rontammy0 · 01-07-2016, 11:52 AM

The exhaust won't change anything. ...my car is tuned. I recently had the trans tune changed to more agressive then before. It feels totally different then before. That's likely what your feeling.

atepper2 · 01-07-2016, 12:17 PM

I'm sure its the tune that is the reason for it being faster. But I'm unsure why the mechanic believes the engine has been altered. I don't think someone would simply do that....there's not much of a point, in my opinion, unless you were trying to do a cam swap. Why would they alter that?

Ace0751 · 01-07-2016, 12:26 PM

There are no resonators cause of the exhaust system and the car is mostly tuned with the description that you gave. And depending on the restriction the exhaust will show some performance improvement and of course sound. I do have proof if anyone wants see about the exhaust gains. The L99 really wakes up when it does get tuned.

gajagfan · 01-07-2016, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlkCamaroVert

Depends on how he drives it. The computer adjusts to slow drivers. My car was dog when I took it off the lot. It really changed after a week of aggressive driving.

This has me baffled.

i2disturbedSS · 01-07-2016, 01:02 PM

Why does he think its an 'LS3'?

01-07-2016, 09:33 AM	#1
atepper2 Drives: 2010 Camaro SS L99 Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlotte Posts: 21 View My Garage	Mysterious Car Modifications Hey guys, I bought my 10 Camaro SS from someone 2 years ago. It is an L99 Automatic. When I bought it, it had a borla exhaust kit as well as a CAI. My younger brother has a 12 SS and i've driven it. Mine is NOTICEABLY faster. Like a lot faster. We have always wondered why, and just figured it was because it was chipped or something. Having some visual mods done to it this week and my mechanic noticed that there are no resonators. I was going to have those cut off anyways, but they were already removed...and now he thinks that there is an LS3 engine in it....I have absolutely no clue why that would be true. From my understanding, the only reason to have an Ls3 conversion done would be to put an aggressive cam shaft swap on it. I could be wrong on that. But there is no cam swap on the car. Can anyone make sense of this? If i took a few pictures of the engine, could you guys identify what has been done? This is just bizarre. Austin

01-07-2016, 10:21 AM	#6
justjoshin Drives: 2010 SW 1SS L99 Camaro Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 2,085 View My Garage	Yes it is probably tuned. There is a very noticeable difference in my 2010 L99 with a tune and my girlfriends 2014 L99 without one. __________________

01-07-2016, 12:26 PM	#12
Ace0751 GEN5 Detail Drives: 2011 Synergy Series 2SS Convertible Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Northeast, OH Posts: 1,986	There are no resonators cause of the exhaust system and the car is mostly tuned with the description that you gave. And depending on the restriction the exhaust will show some performance improvement and of course sound. I do have proof if anyone wants see about the exhaust gains. The L99 really wakes up when it does get tuned. __________________ Roto-Fab CAI, Borla ATAK Exhaust System, Stainless Power Headers, RX Performance Catch Can, ACS T4 Splitter, Oracle side markers, Dyno Tuned by RDP Motorsports

01-07-2016, 01:02 PM	#14
i2disturbedSS Drives: 2010 SS L99 IOM Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: CA Posts: 1,923	Why does he think its an 'LS3'? __________________ 369rwhp/392rwtq "Spending money I don't have, to buy parts I don't need, to impress people I don't know!" -Jenkins

01-07-2016, 09:42 AM	#3
Spec Account Suspended Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS LS3 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 4,018	You've probably got a tune that was done when they installed the exhaust and cai.

01-07-2016, 10:01 AM	#4
skipinminn Chiquita Drives: 2013 1LE/1SS YELLO1LE 1 of Only 28 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Mpls. Mn./Hudson,Wi. Posts: 4,740 View My Garage	The LS3 was in the original production 2010 Transformer edition. ^5

01-07-2016, 10:15 AM	#5
Apex Motorsports Drives: 2000 Camaro SS Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky. Posts: 25,165	It is probably tuned. It makes a huge difference for the L99.

01-07-2016, 10:34 AM	#8
paul84043 Drives: 2015 Camaro 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Lehi, Utah Posts: 1,349 View My Garage	Is it actually faster, or does it just "feel" faster? Are they both auto? The auto will pull on the Manual off the line. A tune will change many things, among which are shift points and engine performance variables. Just the exhaust should not make that much of a difference, there's got to be more going on..

01-07-2016, 11:52 AM	#10
rontammy0 Account Suspended Drives: 2011 2SS/ RS INFERNO ORANGE L99 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Alliston Ontario Canada Posts: 9,057 View My Garage	The exhaust won't change anything. ...my car is tuned. I recently had the trans tune changed to more agressive then before. It feels totally different then before. That's likely what your feeling.

01-07-2016, 12:17 PM	#11
atepper2 Drives: 2010 Camaro SS L99 Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlotte Posts: 21 View My Garage	I'm sure its the tune that is the reason for it being faster. But I'm unsure why the mechanic believes the engine has been altered. I don't think someone would simply do that....there's not much of a point, in my opinion, unless you were trying to do a cam swap. Why would they alter that?