Your Recipe for Turning a 1LE Into a Z/28 Performer

[2cnd chance]

Being cost efficient, what's your ideas for taking a 1LE to Z/28 performing levels?

[davidcroft]

MULTIMATIC strut assemblies and 305/19s all around.

[Bhobbs]

Heads, cam, intake, exhaust with suspension upgrades.

[woodside783]

305/19/30 tires pedders supercar coil over pedders hd bushings all of them
Heads and cam or 416 stroker

[BullF-16]

Originally Posted by woodside783

305/19/30 tires pedders supercar coil over pedders hd bushings all of them
Heads and cam or 416 stroker

This. And 6 piston calipers with cobalt frictio
n xr1/xr3 pads

[CooG]

....and a weight dump.

[Synner]

And find 200-300lbs to cut.

[woodside783]

Originally Posted by BullF-16

This. And 6 piston calipers with cobalt frictio
n xr1/xr3 pads

Yes good call forgot about the big ass breaks

[Mikes SS]

How ever you slice the pie, even including buying a crate LS7 and selling the pull out motor you'll be a heck of a lot cheaper building up a really close comparo to the Z/28 and upgrade brakes and tires, suspension to what the dealers are going to command for the real thing

[Blueclyde]

Pedders Supercar c/o'sL. Mild cam and headers. 19's squared up with some sticky rubber. That would be pretty stout.

[OldScoolCamaro]

Originally Posted by Mikes SS

How ever you slice the pie, even including buying a crate LS7 and selling the pull out motor you'll be a heck of a lot cheaper building up a really close comparo to the Z/28 and upgrade brakes and tires, suspension to what the dealers are going to command for the real thing

...and I agree, if you wrench, and get it at net...and not everyone can do that, or absorb the cost of parts failure. Today from the factory we can have our cake and eat it too, not like yesteryear. I wish I could do as you prescribe. I guess I may be jealous to a point where younger guys have the performance world options at their fingertips today as compared to back then, but...the cost factor is astronomical. It's all relative I guess.

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by 2cnd chance

Being cost efficient, what's your ideas for taking a 1LE to Z/28 performing levels?

Cool idea. Z/28 on a budget.

Here would be my list for a low cost Z/28b (for bargain):

Start with a bare white 1SS with NPP and Recaros only. Really this is still a very well equipped car. (But I love tunes so I also would add BA) Every other option adds weight and is not in the spirit of the Z/28.

• LT Headers (get the stepped or 2" for extra power)
• Hiflow Cats
• CAI
• CAI Scoop
• Tune (Skip this and keep your warranty)
• 18" Wheels - Picking TSW Interlagos (in Black) here, light (< 20 lbs), but fairly inexpensive. You will need to trim the roller skates and notch the knuckle? to get big 18s on the front. No spacers!
• Michelin Pilot Sports (Biggest square setup that will fit the 18's)
• A slightly larger rear sway bar
• Full differential and cradle poly bushings and the few other rear bushings
• Radius Rod Inserts (Every Camaro should have this)
• Catch Can
• Tick clutch line and separate clutch reservoir
• Upgraded brake lines
• Better brake fluid
• Fender hash marks, also on the hood like the 1LE prototype (A must)
• Plastidip all chrome (very important to set the mood)
• Tow hook (Another mood setter. Could come in handy, but I hope not)
• GoPro and suction cup to get good movies of the pretty Z/28 tail lights
• Candles for those special 1LE occasions.

The SS brakes are really good. Only if you seriously track will you need anything more. Stick with the stock pads. There are some things you can do to shed 100 pounds more, but this gets expensive fast.

I would wager with equal drivers the Z/28b would be able to keep a stock Z/28 in sight on any track. At least for a while.

And finally add a mild cam and real track tires to get even with the Z/28. If you can DIY the cam is not that expensive.

[Norm Peterson]

You can currently build a 1SS/1LE with Recaros for just under $40k - and in keeping with the Z/28's character this is pretty much the barest-bones 1LE you can build. If we then assume $70k to be the going OTD price for a "real" Z/28, that leaves you with whatever fraction of $30k you care to consider represents cost effectiveness. Don't overlook the possibility of selling off some or all of the parts you replace, which in particular would take some of the financial sting out of an LS-7 swap.

So how far does anybody think that, say, $15k will get them?

I have to admit that I'm looking at this as a DIY effort. But other than getting all the electronics to play nice with each other if you went the LS-7 route I don't see anything in the physical part of making the modifications being all that difficult.

Tires - your choice, but at least 305-wide

Wheels - not less than 11's with 305's, or 11.5's with 315's. Half an inch more if at all possible. 15" rotors will need 19's, 14" rotors only 18's.

Suspension - probably coilovers with at least single-adjustable damping and infinitely adjustable sta-bars (such bars are not available commercially for this car that I know of, but this can be done at the DIY-level). Firmer bushings and/or spherical-ended suspension links.

Big brake kit, though right about here you'd have to decide whether the car was going to be almost exclusively a track toy or not. Even entry-level track pads can be a lot harder on rotors than performance street pads.


Norm

[nl12]

I wonder how much you could realistically get for take off LS3 long block? Assuming brand new car off the lot.