Can I get your opinion?

[dtek]

Hey, I’m new to the forum and this is my first post!

I turned 18 in March and bought my own 2012 1lt Camaro, I went for the v6 to keep the insurance down because I am paying for the car and 18 years old.

Anyways, I was wondering if I was only able to do one performance mod for under $1000, what mod would everyone suggest me to get?



2012 Camaro 1LT Stock(3.6L LFX) , plastidipped rims, bow ties, break light bezels, and side emblems





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[Spec]

Beautiful ride, and welcome.

You don't have to explain why you bought a V6 vs. a V8... some like to go back and forth on which is 'better'... but with all due respect, today's V6 would have given my V8 4th gen a run for its money for sure... especially with how easy it is to Mod these rides... V6 OR V8. People don't think the same way... We are family!

What are you looking to do to your ride? Cosmetics or performance or just something to make you feel good like a good sounding exhaust? The sky's the limit.

I'd recommend checking some of the popular part websites like CarID.com and Phastekperformance.com among many, many others... have fun.

[rontammy0]

The v6 is solid. I would go with some cosmetic upgrades. Make it your own...looks good now. Good luck.

[dtek]

Originally Posted by Spec

Beautiful ride, and welcome.

You don't have to explain why you bought a V6 vs. a V8... some like to go back and forth on which is 'better'... but with all due respect, today's V6 would have given my V8 4th gen a run for its money for sure... especially with how easy it is to Mod these rides... V6 OR V8. People don't think the same way... We are family!

What are you looking to do to your ride? Cosmetics or performance or just something to make you feel good like a good sounding exhaust? The sky's the limit.

I'd recommend checking some of the popular part websites like CarID.com and Phastekperformance.com among many, many others... have fun.

Thank you! I’d say a little bit of all id say Exhaust > Performance > Cosmetic for my upgrades now


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[dtek]

Originally Posted by rontammy0

The v6 is solid. I would go with some cosmetic upgrades. Make it your own...looks good now. Good luck.

Thank you, what major cosmetic upgrades would you recommend?


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[LevonH]

You have time on your side. Suggest you do all of the mtce. type things (fluids, filters etc.) so you know where you are at. SOME of these V6 engines have timing chain and oil consumption issues. There's lots to read on that but regular mtce. with quality lubricants seems to help.
Give yourself some time and see what you like or dislike over time. You might be surprised at what your views are or become.

You have a nice car so looking after is maybe more important than changing anything.

Enjoy.

[PepeLePew]

Hey Dtek - Nice ride... I love the spoiler and the blacked out wheels and badging look nice.

I have a soon to be 16 year old son that I just bought a 2011 2LT camaro for and I've done a lot of research on insurance cost in my area. We bought the V6 for him because I didn't want him tempted by the power of the v8 and get himself in trouble. As for insurance though, the quotes I got were only $50 difference annually... that is nothing.

I don't want to sound like that v8 guy that says only v8s are the way to go for power, but you may want to talk to you insurance agent about the difference in the cost of coverage and then go shopping for the SS if you are after power.

On the other hand, your ride looks pretty sweet the way you have it set up. So if you want to mod it for $1000 and make it a little quicker, then go for it. I don't have a lot of experience modding the V6 camaro, and there aren't much off the shelf options available in your budget to achieve significant gains.

IMO the 2 biggest things you could do are Long Tube Headers (BBK makes some ceramic coated LTs for about $700 I think). And if you are in an area that doesnt do emissions testing, you could go catless to free up some power. Headers with or without cats are going to need a tune though so you'll be out another $600-$700 for a dyno session or you can go mail in tune for a little cheaper. Maybe someone can chime in to the power gains of LTs on a V6... on an otherwise stock V8 they are very good back for the buck and can be 25-30whp by themselves... so maybe 15whp on a v6?

The second is probably a cold air kit. These are pricey and less effective without doing headers. I think you'll find kits are about $350-$400 usually. They should net about 8-10whp which you may not notice... but they sound cool.

If you just want sound, a lot of guys like an axle back muffler with some cool tips. It's personally not something I prefer to drive because the V6 usually drones in the cabin a lot with a performance muffler... but I like the way they sound when I hear one from the outside. You wont notice any power gains though... maybe 3-5whp.

Lastly, if you want a real kick in the pants, check out a nitrous kit. Zex has one that is made for the v6 for about $650 and comes with jets for 50-100 shot. The only problem here is that it cost about $8/lb of nitrous in my area. So you could spend $60-$80 to fill a small bottle and it will only get you about 10-15 hits depending on jetting and then you gotta fill up again.

Welcome to the forum buddy and have a great time with your car. And since I am a dad... be safe out there!

[CCMADONNA]

drop it an inch and put a splitter on there.
There goes your first $1000.
But hey, you have a very nice looking ride there!

[ddgshdw93]

A lot nicer than what I had at 18 lol. I had a 93 Dodge Shadow that ironically got me into cars. Tastefully modded although I'd ditch the wing for a lip spoiler personally.

[Caniac27]

Hello dtek and welcome to camaro5. This is a great place to learn about all things Camaro. Great bunch of people on here with lots of great support and info. As far as mods go for under 1000 bucks I have done mainly cosmetic. I would agree with others that for performance you could do CAI, ported TB, long tube headers or catback exhaust for starters. I personally have been working on cosmetic mods like ZL1 rockers, ZL1 grille, splitter, tirestickers, hood spears, side gill graphics. I did add a throttle controller which does not add any power but certainly amps up the fun factor as far as eliminating throttle lag. The best thing is to search these pages on here and pick away at what direction you want to take your car. It's a sweet looking one already.

[dtek]

Originally Posted by CCMADONNA

drop it an inch and put a splitter on there.

There goes your first $1000.

But hey, you have a very nice looking ride there!

I was actually thinking about going this route, thank you for the compliment!


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[witenite]

Lot's of good advice in the post's above. Good luck, congrats on the ride and welcome to C5!

[Vec]

I'd make a $1000 car payment.

[davidscamaro]

I'd say mufflers , something about a loud rip when you stomp the gas has always been a thing I enjoy