Z Camaro owners your opinions please!

[Ls_Camaro]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

I'm going to probably ruffle some feathers so accept my apologies in advance. I would say neither. As both of these cars approach collector status I think they need to be elevated to part-time duties. The Z/28 has 10qt oil changes, $2K sets of tires and a low hanging spliter just begging for curb contact. Not having owned a ZL1 I'm sure they have their own attention items. If you want to do mods and chase H/P grab a nice SS and go wild. I bought my Z/28 with the intention of performing some new-age hot rod tricks but after several trips to 7000 RPM I decided it was perfect as is and way to nice to tinker with. I will say this, I do admire the abilities of the individuals who get more out of the LS7 but this is such a low #s production vehicle I feel they should be preserved. You wanted a Z/28 owners opinion, you got mine.

No worries! Thanks for sharing your opinion! Interesting that you feel modding an SS would be the way to go to chase H/P. Just out of curiousity why wouldn't you feel a Z would be better to do that? If I were to mod an SS I would pick the 2015 ss 1LE as the only SS for sure!

[DasBaldDog]

Originally Posted by Ls_Camaro

No worries! Thanks for sharing your opinion! Interesting that you feel modding an SS would be the way to go to chase H/P. Just out of curiousity why wouldn't you feel a Z would be better to do that? If I were to mod an SS I would pick the 2015 ss 1LE as the only SS for sure!

I can add some info,

Part of the reason (I'm guessing) is price. You start with a $25k NICE SS 1LE and you are $15k up on any decent Z/28.

And to boot, $15k goes ALOT farther on an SS than a Z. Example... my headers were $1800 and there are only two choices... SS Headers from $500 (china) with a dozen choices up to $1400 (same headers as mine but $400 cheaper due to economy of scale).

Plus you need the Valve guides fixed (most likely), meanwhile that same money on an LS3 will go 70% of the way to new AFR or Mamo heads.

Also generally finding parts that may be Z specific gets annoying where many manufacturer's will list nothing for the Z so you need to check part numbers to see if the Z part and the other parts are the same (and possibly still take a risk as the Z may have something about it that prevents the other part even if physical fitment is the same).

$40k will give you a 700-800HP SS 1LE.... or it will get you a nice Z/28 that still needs to have its heads fixed.


Honestly I agree with AriZona here.... if you are chasing power (and aren't the kind of rich where you can spend this kind of money without thinking about it), then the SS's are a much better starting point.

I picked a Z because I have wanted one since they debuted. I want the entire Z package and I couldn't care less if I never added a single more horsie to it.... but if I wanted HP, I would have definitely gone SS (probably a 1LE because I did want some of the handling package).

Or if I wanted HP but didn't mind FI, I would have gone ZL1.... (want another 50-60hp on a Zl1? new pulley.... want that for the Z28? That will be a cam or headers and a tune in the least). $150 vs $1500 (or more). And the ZL1 takes MOST of the SS parts (heads, headers, rockers, blah blah while the Z/28 has specialty stuff that very few vendors make parts for).



And of course the best reason, you blow a LS3, junkyard has PLENTY of options for you. Blow an LS7? better bend over, son.

[HoodCheck]

Ok I'll throw my hat in the ring on a point by point here. I drive my Z/28 only 200-300 miles per month, and most of it as grocery runs, trips to the dr for my kids, and other things like that. I work from home, so its mostly an errand car. My *only* disappointment with it is going diagonal over those big speed humps in roads (don't know that they are everywhere, but FL, TX, and PA at least have them in some residential areas, and in FL, even on some minor main roads by residential areas). I also had a disappointment in not being able to stream music over bluetooth with the factory stereo in teh Z/28 (you can do calls through the stereo/bluetooth, but can't stream music); that was easily fixed with a bluetooth dongle hooked to the audio port in the center console, and eventually with a new pioneer touchscreen system.

So the point by point here:

Before I get flamed for daily driving a track car I have tooken it for a lengthy test drive ( as well as the ZL1 ) and I do not feel that the Z28 is too stiff or too uncomfortable for me in everyday use on the road. I don’t have really long commutes so it would mostly be driven a few times a week or on the occasional road trip. I have heard Z28 owners who have daily theirs so I’m sure it’s not an issue. I am aware the Zl1 has more comfort daily driving amenities where the Z28 has the basics. I am a simple guy who just loves the raw driving experience and doesn’t need much of the bells and whistles. I definitely would be looking for a Z28 with air conditioning and radio and that’s about all that I could ever really need in a car.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> Nobody is going to flame you here for using it as a daily! There are owners who think its too rough or whatever, but I personally find it no rougher really than any of the camaros I've ever owned (which is a lot, ranging from 2nd-6th gen, V6 and V8 models). It's not for everyone mind you, and if you want to talk to passengers, be prepared to increase your volume

Down below I list the pros and cons of each car as I am still deciding which car will be right for me and maybe you guys could help me and offer your opinions. I’m also curious if the ZL1 is much faster than the Z28 in a straight line considering that it has 580 horsepower over the 505 in the Z28 but it is a few hundred pounds heavier.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> The ZL1 was rated faster yes, but the reality is, in the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, motortrend showed the only .1 second apart...yes, zero point one second. Easy to make up that slight difference. Throw a small curve into that mix, teh ZL1 is toast. This is of course speaking stock to stock...all in all the ZL1 can take more abuse and be taken higher on the horsepower totem pole, but there's a point of diminishing returns eventually anyways (after all, spinnin aint winnin except in burn out contests).

To those that have had or have both which do you like better and is there other things about the Z28 I should know about before getting one? Sorry for the long post but your responses will be greatly appreciated thank you all in advance for taking the time to read my post and share your thoughts.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> The head fix thing you've probably read about already; its better to safety net the things. Chevy claims the problem was narrowed down to a single machine at a single head manufacturer and corrected back in 2011, yet heads continued to be found out of spec brand new from the factory. As such, just do the heads for the sanity. It'll take some downtime and some money, but its a small price to pay for peace of mind really. There are people with stock heads for 10s of 1000s of miles, while others have failed with minimal miles (even under 10k)...so just do that. Plus the audio and speed hump (not speed *bump* mind you) thing I mentioned above.

Z28 pros-
Looks like an amazing hardcore muscle car.
The sound and roar of the Ls7 never gets old.
The driving experience is as raw as it gets and loved shifting that thing.

Z28 cons-
Costs more than the ZL1.

Brakes and especially rotors are pretty expensive but maybe wouldn’t have to worry so much about it since not really tracking the car?

<Brandon/HoodCheck> Dailying the car you are unlikely to ever need rotors, ever. They are likely to last 80-110k miles. The pads should last a substantial amount of time as well, however the cost of the pads has dropped drastically. Its still about 900-1000 for a set of all 4, but thats nothing when they last 5x longer than other pads. If for some reason you needed *everything* (calipers and all), then yea, you're looking at about 8k (before labor), but thats highly unlikely.

Ls7 issues- Could be a drawing card depending on which Z28 I pick, one could be totally ok or it could have an issue down the road and if blown possible 10-12k for new motor and not even sure if extended warranty will cover that. To prevent this issue and be safe it would be a four grand job to replace the heads with a good set and be safe.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> You can get it done cheaper. I went the route of simply buying new ported stock cast LS7 heads (from GPI) and have the stock/uncorrected heads in the garage in boxes (after 9.2k miles, no problems were reported of them though from the shop who did the swap - so I may have gotten a decent set).


ZL1 pros-
I hear it has a bullet proof drivetrain and has easy potential for mods to get a lot of power bang for buck more so than the Z28 I’m sure due to the supercharger and I really like that potential as I would like to modifiy one of these cars one day.

Cheaper than the Z28 as well as the maintenance.

Has more daily driver amenities of course like the backup camera which I would have to find a way to install in the Z28 and not sure if you can play music through your phone in the Bluetooth in the Z28.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> I added a 3rd party pioneer stereo and backup camera to my Z/28; works wonderfully AND I have wireless android auto and wireless apple carplay. I consider that one of the best purchases for it so far (and I've got over 11k sunk into mine).

ZL1 cons-
It’s a heavy car of course heavier than the Z28 and I think has higher center gravity than the Z28 so it probably won’t handle as well.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> You won't find one better handling; just be aware that the Z/28 grips so well that even passing other cars on a 2 lane road is like pulling off to the side on onto another train track. She pulls herself straight if you floor it. The wide tires and the way it follows the road can catch you off guard. I've had mine a year and it still catches me off guard from time to time. Keep in mind that the ride is somewhat stiff, but since you test drove one and didn't mind it, you'll probably be fine with it.

Z28 in my opinion does look better. The ZL1 looks pretty menacing as well it’s just that the Z28 has a special place in my heart.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> I share this opinion; I think the ZL1 looks pretty damn tame by comparison.

[HoodCheck]

Sent you a PM with a FAQ too ls_camaro

[ariZona28]

Dasbaldog brought up some very good points concerning $$$ of build. You also can pick up a nice 1LE with mods previously performed. Looks-wise the 1LE has a cool look similar to the Z cars. In my observation the sad truth is the only folks who know what a Z/28 is are other Z owners. Plenty of SS cars in my area. I get more attention at the gas stations with my 71 Cutlass than I do with my Z. This may change someday.

[JUSTIFIED]

Daily drove mine for 4 years. After 28K miles I modded and then put another 10K on as a daily. About a year ago I stopped daily driving it. It can be a much at times and after 37K miles I felt it was time to get into a car that was easier to drive on daily basis. Plus, I am 6'6" and it's a tight fit.

Regarding choosing between Gen5 ZL1... I traded my 2013 ZL1 for my Z/28. The former is a great car, but I wanted something more visceral.

[Ls_Camaro]

Originally Posted by HoodCheck

Ok I'll throw my hat in the ring on a point by point here. I drive my Z/28 only 200-300 miles per month, and most of it as grocery runs, trips to the dr for my kids, and other things like that. I work from home, so its mostly an errand car. My *only* disappointment with it is going diagonal over those big speed humps in roads (don't know that they are everywhere, but FL, TX, and PA at least have them in some residential areas, and in FL, even on some minor main roads by residential areas). I also had a disappointment in not being able to stream music over bluetooth with the factory stereo in teh Z/28 (you can do calls through the stereo/bluetooth, but can't stream music); that was easily fixed with a bluetooth dongle hooked to the audio port in the center console, and eventually with a new pioneer touchscreen system.

So the point by point here:

Before I get flamed for daily driving a track car I have tooken it for a lengthy test drive ( as well as the ZL1 ) and I do not feel that the Z28 is too stiff or too uncomfortable for me in everyday use on the road. I don’t have really long commutes so it would mostly be driven a few times a week or on the occasional road trip. I have heard Z28 owners who have daily theirs so I’m sure it’s not an issue. I am aware the Zl1 has more comfort daily driving amenities where the Z28 has the basics. I am a simple guy who just loves the raw driving experience and doesn’t need much of the bells and whistles. I definitely would be looking for a Z28 with air conditioning and radio and that’s about all that I could ever really need in a car.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> Nobody is going to flame you here for using it as a daily! There are owners who think its too rough or whatever, but I personally find it no rougher really than any of the camaros I've ever owned (which is a lot, ranging from 2nd-6th gen, V6 and V8 models). It's not for everyone mind you, and if you want to talk to passengers, be prepared to increase your volume

Down below I list the pros and cons of each car as I am still deciding which car will be right for me and maybe you guys could help me and offer your opinions. I’m also curious if the ZL1 is much faster than the Z28 in a straight line considering that it has 580 horsepower over the 505 in the Z28 but it is a few hundred pounds heavier.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> The ZL1 was rated faster yes, but the reality is, in the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, motortrend showed the only .1 second apart...yes, zero point one second. Easy to make up that slight difference. Throw a small curve into that mix, teh ZL1 is toast. This is of course speaking stock to stock...all in all the ZL1 can take more abuse and be taken higher on the horsepower totem pole, but there's a point of diminishing returns eventually anyways (after all, spinnin aint winnin except in burn out contests).

To those that have had or have both which do you like better and is there other things about the Z28 I should know about before getting one? Sorry for the long post but your responses will be greatly appreciated thank you all in advance for taking the time to read my post and share your thoughts.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> The head fix thing you've probably read about already; its better to safety net the things. Chevy claims the problem was narrowed down to a single machine at a single head manufacturer and corrected back in 2011, yet heads continued to be found out of spec brand new from the factory. As such, just do the heads for the sanity. It'll take some downtime and some money, but its a small price to pay for peace of mind really. There are people with stock heads for 10s of 1000s of miles, while others have failed with minimal miles (even under 10k)...so just do that. Plus the audio and speed hump (not speed *bump* mind you) thing I mentioned above.

Z28 pros-
Looks like an amazing hardcore muscle car.
The sound and roar of the Ls7 never gets old.
The driving experience is as raw as it gets and loved shifting that thing.

Z28 cons-
Costs more than the ZL1.

Brakes and especially rotors are pretty expensive but maybe wouldn’t have to worry so much about it since not really tracking the car?

<Brandon/HoodCheck> Dailying the car you are unlikely to ever need rotors, ever. They are likely to last 80-110k miles. The pads should last a substantial amount of time as well, however the cost of the pads has dropped drastically. Its still about 900-1000 for a set of all 4, but thats nothing when they last 5x longer than other pads. If for some reason you needed *everything* (calipers and all), then yea, you're looking at about 8k (before labor), but thats highly unlikely.

Ls7 issues- Could be a drawing card depending on which Z28 I pick, one could be totally ok or it could have an issue down the road and if blown possible 10-12k for new motor and not even sure if extended warranty will cover that. To prevent this issue and be safe it would be a four grand job to replace the heads with a good set and be safe.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> You can get it done cheaper. I went the route of simply buying new ported stock cast LS7 heads (from GPI) and have the stock/uncorrected heads in the garage in boxes (after 9.2k miles, no problems were reported of them though from the shop who did the swap - so I may have gotten a decent set).


ZL1 pros-
I hear it has a bullet proof drivetrain and has easy potential for mods to get a lot of power bang for buck more so than the Z28 I’m sure due to the supercharger and I really like that potential as I would like to modifiy one of these cars one day.

Cheaper than the Z28 as well as the maintenance.

Has more daily driver amenities of course like the backup camera which I would have to find a way to install in the Z28 and not sure if you can play music through your phone in the Bluetooth in the Z28.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> I added a 3rd party pioneer stereo and backup camera to my Z/28; works wonderfully AND I have wireless android auto and wireless apple carplay. I consider that one of the best purchases for it so far (and I've got over 11k sunk into mine).

ZL1 cons-
It’s a heavy car of course heavier than the Z28 and I think has higher center gravity than the Z28 so it probably won’t handle as well.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> You won't find one better handling; just be aware that the Z/28 grips so well that even passing other cars on a 2 lane road is like pulling off to the side on onto another train track. She pulls herself straight if you floor it. The wide tires and the way it follows the road can catch you off guard. I've had mine a year and it still catches me off guard from time to time. Keep in mind that the ride is somewhat stiff, but since you test drove one and didn't mind it, you'll probably be fine with it.

Z28 in my opinion does look better. The ZL1 looks pretty menacing as well it’s just that the Z28 has a special place in my heart.

<Brandon/HoodCheck> I share this opinion; I think the ZL1 looks pretty damn tame by comparison.

A lot of good points here for sure very helpful thanks for this! Sent you a PM as well let me know if you got it.

[ariZona28]

Stereo/radio? Not sure if mine even works since I'm always tuned to the NPP entertainment network. I adjust the volume with my right foot.

[SIM GhostrdrZ]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

Stereo/radio? Not sure if mine even works since I'm always tuned to the NPP entertainment network. I adjust the volume with my right foot.

What he said^^

[Ls_Camaro]

Originally Posted by DasBaldDog

I can add some info,

Part of the reason (I'm guessing) is price. You start with a $25k NICE SS 1LE and you are $15k up on any decent Z/28.

And to boot, $15k goes ALOT farther on an SS than a Z. Example... my headers were $1800 and there are only two choices... SS Headers from $500 (china) with a dozen choices up to $1400 (same headers as mine but $400 cheaper due to economy of scale).

Plus you need the Valve guides fixed (most likely), meanwhile that same money on an LS3 will go 70% of the way to new AFR or Mamo heads.

Also generally finding parts that may be Z specific gets annoying where many manufacturer's will list nothing for the Z so you need to check part numbers to see if the Z part and the other parts are the same (and possibly still take a risk as the Z may have something about it that prevents the other part even if physical fitment is the same).

$40k will give you a 700-800HP SS 1LE.... or it will get you a nice Z/28 that still needs to have its heads fixed.


Honestly I agree with AriZona here.... if you are chasing power (and aren't the kind of rich where you can spend this kind of money without thinking about it), then the SS's are a much better starting point.

I picked a Z because I have wanted one since they debuted. I want the entire Z package and I couldn't care less if I never added a single more horsie to it.... but if I wanted HP, I would have definitely gone SS (probably a 1LE because I did want some of the handling package).

Or if I wanted HP but didn't mind FI, I would have gone ZL1.... (want another 50-60hp on a Zl1? new pulley.... want that for the Z28? That will be a cam or headers and a tune in the least). $150 vs $1500 (or more). And the ZL1 takes MOST of the SS parts (heads, headers, rockers, blah blah while the Z/28 has specialty stuff that very few vendors make parts for).



And of course the best reason, you blow a LS3, junkyard has PLENTY of options for you. Blow an LS7? better bend over, son.

This does make a lot of sense actually. I'm glad you shared this. Those 2015 ss 1LE's are still nice cars just saw one the other day for the first time as they are so rare. You can definitely find them cheap now a days and they have a good platform for a good build. I've never really had the expierence of doing performance modifications to a car so duno what to expect I figure I start with a Z car first as the power is already up there. I'm not really sure if it's worth modding an SS or to go for a Z instead with the power right out of the box.

Aside from that I'm probably going to wind up with an extended warranty to be safe so I don't think I could modify it anyway as it will void it I'm sure. So it will probably be stock for a good while up untill then I may start with something as small as a tune, then intake and headers and grow with the car little by little that way. I don't think I will get too crazy getting into the 700-800 HP range. By the way how much is a new pulley for the ZL1?

[Ls_Camaro]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

Stereo/radio? Not sure if mine even works since I'm always tuned to the NPP entertainment network. I adjust the volume with my right foot.

Lol the LS7 is music to anyones ears.

[NastyNate'sZ28]

The one thing a ss, 1le, and zl1 won't have is being Rare and collectible IMO

[DasBaldDog]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

Stereo/radio? Not sure if mine even works since I'm always tuned to the NPP entertainment network. I adjust the volume with my right foot.

I also have a little switch down next to the door that I can use to operate/cancel the volume boost.

[DasBaldDog]

Originally Posted by Ls_Camaro

This does make a lot of sense actually. I'm glad you shared this. Those 2015 ss 1LE's are still nice cars just saw one the other day for the first time as they are so rare. You can definitely find them cheap now a days and they have a good platform for a good build. I've never really had the expierence of doing performance modifications to a car so duno what to expect I figure I start with a Z car first as the power is already up there. I'm not really sure if it's worth modding an SS or to go for a Z instead with the power right out of the box.

Aside from that I'm probably going to wind up with an extended warranty to be safe so I don't think I could modify it anyway as it will void it I'm sure. So it will probably be stock for a good while up untill then I may start with something as small as a tune, then intake and headers and grow with the car little by little that way. I don't think I will get too crazy getting into the 700-800 HP range. By the way how much is a new pulley for the ZL1?

https://www.phastekperformance.com/2...zl1-pulley.htm


Looks like $170 or thereabouts. This is just the first one I found but I'd guess that its a decent barometer for overall prices. Its a pulley, even $170 seems kind of high.

Now, porting the blower, that might run you some more money.