Test drove a modified ZL1 today and have questions. - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Dante7 · 11-21-2018, 06:19 PM

So I am looking at trading my 15 SS in on a 13 ZL1 today but ran into a few issues. Car has about 64,000 miles on it. Mods that I know of kooks headers, cat delete, lingenfelter pulley, rotofab intake, e85 tune, and dealer claims a cam but no specs. Dealer states 650hp at the wheels but lacks a lot of info on other mods if any. Is it possible to tune the car without a handheld tuner because there is not one with the car. While on the test drive I ran the car pretty hard and as I came to a red light the car stalled out. It is an automatic. Dealer claims it’s due to the cold weather and E85 is this true? States the car can also run on 93 but like I said no tuner to reprogram. How much power can the stock transmission take before needing work?

Cyber10 · 11-21-2018, 06:25 PM

For a 6L90 I think 650 should be ok, I believe a 6L80 can handle 650 if tuned properly. I'd be weary about buying a modded car though if it's from a dealer. There's no way to know exactly what you're getting into. I bought mine from a dealer and the trans blew in less than a month, we suspect it was a bad trans tune but there was no way to know for sure as the tune was locked and the original owner refused to unlock it. He was pretty helpful otherwise though, I was able to find out everything about the cars mods talking to him except for the cam grind, he no longer had the cam card.

Rami ZL1 · 11-21-2018, 11:26 PM

About the came...
if the car idle is smooth most probably this will be the famous cam swap with the corvette ZR1 cam. it is simply a cam swap on the same lifters.
650HP is very realistic with the mods.
with the experience of ZL1 owners around me. Auto trans at 700HP might fail so you will need to work on cooling or rebuilding your gear.
Manual is happy to go up to 800HP
About the car stalling out for me it kind of does not make sense about E85 and cold weather yet if the car drives well even with you driving it hard then that might be a simple issue to fix later

STUNNAH · 11-21-2018, 11:58 PM

Walk away...

rmcbee · 11-22-2018, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante7

So I am looking at trading my 15 SS in on a 13 ZL1 today but ran into a few issues. Car has about 64,000 miles on it. Mods that I know of kooks headers, cat delete, lingenfelter pulley, rotofab intake, e85 tune, and dealer claims a cam but no specs. Dealer states 650hp at the wheels but lacks a lot of info on other mods if any. Is it possible to tune the car without a handheld tuner because there is not one with the car. While on the test drive I ran the car pretty hard and as I came to a red light the car stalled out. It is an automatic. Dealer claims it’s due to the cold weather and E85 is this true? States the car can also run on 93 but like I said no tuner to reprogram. How much power can the stock transmission take before needing work?

No way that car is 650 hp and I for sure would never buy a modified car from a dealer unless I was an ace mechanic.

d454brisson · 11-22-2018, 04:35 PM

650 at the wheels it better have pretty much every bolt on available since thats 800-850 crank depending on what calc you use for loss.

Yes it could have a HP tuners tune with no hand held.

Determine if they meant 650 at crank versus wheels

With the mods you stated it would need injectors and additional fuel via BAP or aux pump

Zl1dad · 11-22-2018, 07:58 PM

With the mods listed it could be 650rwhp all day. You dont need to leave a programmer in the car for it to be tuned either. I would say you have a good start on the mods. I would try and figure out what else is done to the car and maybe have a reputable tuner check out tune and see some logs before beating on it too much if you buy it.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

BlackMambaZL1 · 11-23-2018, 09:11 AM

I support getting a ZL1 obviously haha. I went from a 2SS/RS to my ZL1 and it was the best decision that I have made when buying a car. I did a lot of homework before I did it though. I made sure the price worked, mileage was right and engine was bone stock. Also, there are some damn good deals out there right now. Even if you have to travel a little it is worth it.

With the mods listed you need to make sure they have done the other things to support them. IE injectors, BAP/Fuel Pump/Aux kit, cooling, which pulley's, isolater, which tuning format was used (in case you need to make changes), if it has a cam or not ETC. If it is e85 it will run a little rough when cold. My car hates the cold with e98 or e85. But, once warm it runs like an absolute champ.

On top of the above, if they have not done the supporting mods and have rodded the S out of it they may have damaged something. And, with the mileage, who knows when they did the mods and how long they could have been driving around doing damage to the engine. If you know the supporting mods and they are right, along with a reliable tune, the car will last a long long time.

The only way I am buying that modded of a car is if I know the person who built it or if they took it to a shop that I knew and respected (Jannetty, JDP ETC).

Good luck my friend!

d454brisson · 11-23-2018, 10:12 AM

Same with what the last post advised. With that said at some point I will sell or trade my modded ZL1 and definitely wont go back to even close to stock since I am not ripping out a cam and the package as it is now is great. If you can find the history out that makes it more palatable from a concern department if not you have to double check the package.

I have a 2014 with JRE Cam, headers, Upper and lower, BAP, 5 Inch intake, Ported TB, Injectors etc. As a package its a perfect car, drives great, good low speed drivability. If I trade I am sure it will just get close to KBB, if I sell outright I am sure there are some who will want a modded car and others who will shout run.

The key is making sure its all still there and not making any crazy noises, compression is good, leakdown etc. These are pretty stout platforms and if done correctly the cost of modding is done.

I might recommend looking into a local tuner who can read the car and see whats in it or find someone who specializes in HPtuners to write you a new one. Get a good dyno tune, something safe and not trying to get every single hp out of it and enjoy the car.

DB

Dante7 · 11-24-2018, 08:28 PM

Well gentleman I appreciate the input. Never heard back from the dealer on my request for more info which makes me believe it was a bit on the shady side. Walking away continuing the hunt.

Zl1dad · 11-24-2018, 09:24 PM

There is a zl1 parts group on fb with a few for sale.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

kmkalkhoff · 11-25-2018, 09:05 AM

I'm in WV and selling a modded 13 ZL1. Check out the classifieds section. At over 800 hp to the wheels, the car doesn't stall at any temperature under any circumstance, e85 or 93. I've also got the means take your SS on trade.

kmkalkhoff · 11-25-2018, 09:25 AM

Side note - I would personally never buy a modded vehicle from a dealer. Unless the dealer is the one that built the car, they aren't going to be much help answering questions, especially with technical support post-purchase. Buy from someone that built the car with first hand knowledge and experience.

Juiced1 · 11-25-2018, 09:50 AM

I'd ask the dealer for the original owners phone number. They can contact them first to make sure it's okay and if they want the sale they will do it. Sounds like the car needs a proper tune. If you do buy it I'd tell them the car needs to be tuned and you want cash off for it. Take it to a reputable shop and have them dyno tune it. It shouldn't be dying when you give it gas. Cold weather and E85 will cause some hard starts (if its not tuned for it) but it shouldn't die after its running. If you were in the Chicago area I'd have you bring it over by us to take a look at.

11-21-2018, 06:19 PM	#1
Dante7 Drives: 2015 SS Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Chester West Virginia Posts: 19	Test drove a modified ZL1 today and have questions. So I am looking at trading my 15 SS in on a 13 ZL1 today but ran into a few issues. Car has about 64,000 miles on it. Mods that I know of kooks headers, cat delete, lingenfelter pulley, rotofab intake, e85 tune, and dealer claims a cam but no specs. Dealer states 650hp at the wheels but lacks a lot of info on other mods if any. Is it possible to tune the car without a handheld tuner because there is not one with the car. While on the test drive I ran the car pretty hard and as I came to a red light the car stalled out. It is an automatic. Dealer claims it’s due to the cold weather and E85 is this true? States the car can also run on 93 but like I said no tuner to reprogram. How much power can the stock transmission take before needing work?

11-21-2018, 06:25 PM	#2
Cyber10 Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 288	For a 6L90 I think 650 should be ok, I believe a 6L80 can handle 650 if tuned properly. I'd be weary about buying a modded car though if it's from a dealer. There's no way to know exactly what you're getting into. I bought mine from a dealer and the trans blew in less than a month, we suspect it was a bad trans tune but there was no way to know for sure as the tune was locked and the original owner refused to unlock it. He was pretty helpful otherwise though, I was able to find out everything about the cars mods talking to him except for the cam grind, he no longer had the cam card. __________________ 491 hp/438 tq LS3 Conversion \| Comp Cam Custom Grind \| Mast Heads \| Comp Cam Push Rods \| LS7 Timing Chain \| 180 Thermostat \| Ported Intake \| Ported TB \| SLP UDP \| K & N CAI \| Custom 3800 Stall Converter \| Aluminum 1 Piece Driveshaft \| Kooks 1 7/8" LTH \| High Flow Cats \| ARH 3" Exhaust \| ARH Mufflers \| Eibach Lowering Springs \| BMR Floor Brace Subframe Connectors with Tunnel Brace \| BMR Moly Lower Rear Control Arms \| Oracle LED Halo Kit

11-21-2018, 11:26 PM	#3
Rami ZL1 Drives: 2013 Camaro ZL1 Manual Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Qatar Posts: 12 View My Garage	About the came... if the car idle is smooth most probably this will be the famous cam swap with the corvette ZR1 cam. it is simply a cam swap on the same lifters. 650HP is very realistic with the mods. with the experience of ZL1 owners around me. Auto trans at 700HP might fail so you will need to work on cooling or rebuilding your gear. Manual is happy to go up to 800HP About the car stalling out for me it kind of does not make sense about E85 and cold weather yet if the car drives well even with you driving it hard then that might be a simple issue to fix later __________________ Manual 2013 ZL1 - Kooks LTH, JLT CAI, Nick Williams 102mm TB with 107mm spacer, Weapon X S/C spacer, 10" Crank pulley, 2.7" supercharger pulley, ZR1 cam shaft, Alky methanol kit, AFCO heat exchanger. 725 WHP - 730 TQ Boost 16.5 PSI

11-21-2018, 11:58 PM	#4
STUNNAH "BEASTM*DE" Drives: 2013 ZL1 Black Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,655 View My Garage	Walk away... __________________ Vengeance Racing Stage 1 Kit 575rwhp, 569 rwtq... Rims powder coated gloss black...BFG'S Comp 2 A/S... Dual 10" Kicker Comp S Subs 1200w...

11-23-2018, 09:11 AM	#8
BlackMambaZL1 Drives: 2013 ZL1 Black Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 68 View My Garage	I support getting a ZL1 obviously haha. I went from a 2SS/RS to my ZL1 and it was the best decision that I have made when buying a car. I did a lot of homework before I did it though. I made sure the price worked, mileage was right and engine was bone stock. Also, there are some damn good deals out there right now. Even if you have to travel a little it is worth it. With the mods listed you need to make sure they have done the other things to support them. IE injectors, BAP/Fuel Pump/Aux kit, cooling, which pulley's, isolater, which tuning format was used (in case you need to make changes), if it has a cam or not ETC. If it is e85 it will run a little rough when cold. My car hates the cold with e98 or e85. But, once warm it runs like an absolute champ. On top of the above, if they have not done the supporting mods and have rodded the S out of it they may have damaged something. And, with the mileage, who knows when they did the mods and how long they could have been driving around doing damage to the engine. If you know the supporting mods and they are right, along with a reliable tune, the car will last a long long time. The only way I am buying that modded of a car is if I know the person who built it or if they took it to a shop that I knew and respected (Jannetty, JDP ETC). Good luck my friend! __________________ 764RWHP on e85 683RWHP on 91. M6 Black on Black on Black. 1300ID's, DSX Aux Pump and Flex Fuel Sensor, Lingenfelter 2.5 upper 9.5 lower, 100MM idler, AFCO HX w/ FANS. 1 7/8"ARH exhaust to axle incl LTH, MF's, Fuel Lab FF, Lingenfelter ported snout and TB, Lingenfelter CAI, RotoFab coolant tank, NGK 2 steps colder spark plugs, Moroso catch can, BTR Stage III cam, crank case breather. Tuned by Power Labs in Idaho Falls, ID.

11-22-2018, 04:35 PM	#6
d454brisson Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Baltimore MD Posts: 345	650 at the wheels it better have pretty much every bolt on available since thats 800-850 crank depending on what calc you use for loss. Yes it could have a HP tuners tune with no hand held. Determine if they meant 650 at crank versus wheels With the mods you stated it would need injectors and additional fuel via BAP or aux pump

11-22-2018, 07:58 PM	#7
Zl1dad Account Suspended Drives: 2013 zl1 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Dearborn Posts: 253	With the mods listed it could be 650rwhp all day. You dont need to leave a programmer in the car for it to be tuned either. I would say you have a good start on the mods. I would try and figure out what else is done to the car and maybe have a reputable tuner check out tune and see some logs before beating on it too much if you buy it. Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

11-23-2018, 10:12 AM	#9
d454brisson Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Baltimore MD Posts: 345	Same with what the last post advised. With that said at some point I will sell or trade my modded ZL1 and definitely wont go back to even close to stock since I am not ripping out a cam and the package as it is now is great. If you can find the history out that makes it more palatable from a concern department if not you have to double check the package. I have a 2014 with JRE Cam, headers, Upper and lower, BAP, 5 Inch intake, Ported TB, Injectors etc. As a package its a perfect car, drives great, good low speed drivability. If I trade I am sure it will just get close to KBB, if I sell outright I am sure there are some who will want a modded car and others who will shout run. The key is making sure its all still there and not making any crazy noises, compression is good, leakdown etc. These are pretty stout platforms and if done correctly the cost of modding is done. I might recommend looking into a local tuner who can read the car and see whats in it or find someone who specializes in HPtuners to write you a new one. Get a good dyno tune, something safe and not trying to get every single hp out of it and enjoy the car. DB

11-24-2018, 08:28 PM	#10
Dante7 Drives: 2015 SS Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Chester West Virginia Posts: 19	Well gentleman I appreciate the input. Never heard back from the dealer on my request for more info which makes me believe it was a bit on the shady side. Walking away continuing the hunt.

11-24-2018, 09:24 PM	#11
Zl1dad Account Suspended Drives: 2013 zl1 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Dearborn Posts: 253	There is a zl1 parts group on fb with a few for sale. Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

11-25-2018, 09:05 AM	#12
kmkalkhoff Drives: ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: WV Posts: 179	I'm in WV and selling a modded 13 ZL1. Check out the classifieds section. At over 800 hp to the wheels, the car doesn't stall at any temperature under any circumstance, e85 or 93. I've also got the means take your SS on trade.

11-25-2018, 09:25 AM	#13
kmkalkhoff Drives: ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: WV Posts: 179	Side note - I would personally never buy a modded vehicle from a dealer. Unless the dealer is the one that built the car, they aren't going to be much help answering questions, especially with technical support post-purchase. Buy from someone that built the car with first hand knowledge and experience.

11-25-2018, 09:50 AM	#14
Juiced1 Account Suspended Drives: 2012 2SS CAMARO 45th Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: St. Charles, IL Posts: 18,663	I'd ask the dealer for the original owners phone number. They can contact them first to make sure it's okay and if they want the sale they will do it. Sounds like the car needs a proper tune. If you do buy it I'd tell them the car needs to be tuned and you want cash off for it. Take it to a reputable shop and have them dyno tune it. It shouldn't be dying when you give it gas. Cold weather and E85 will cause some hard starts (if its not tuned for it) but it shouldn't die after its running. If you were in the Chicago area I'd have you bring it over by us to take a look at.