SS owners to 1LE?

[malave7567]

Originally Posted by Ken_

How many know how to wrench every ounce of performance out of the 1LE or the ZL1, for that matter?

not many honestly... I am no competition racer, but I do like to push the limits of my vehicle in events/local drag strip every so often. I am one of the people you would say knows about these items enough to just modify an SS to my purpose instead of buying a 1LE (and in fact, that is my plan), but I still wouldn't say that it is a waste to someone who is just an occasional spirited driver. The 1LE feels very much more balanced from the factory on the handling aspect, and is more enjoyable to a mountain drive, etc. If someone doesn't want to turn their own wrenches to get this extra handling and better feel, and can buy it with a warranty, more power to them.

If my budget would have allowed, I may have gotten a 1LE. But then again, I prefer looking more like a stock SS as well. My old RX-7 was quite the sleeper car (stock exterior, heavily modified elsewhere).

[dwinva]

Originally Posted by Ken_

Transmission coolers can be bought at any speed shop. There's not much to them. You also forgot to mention diff cooler, and those can be fabricated from something as basic as an oil cooler. 3:91... not 3.91 (it's a ratio) can be bought from Lingenfelter along with the set-up kit (the gear is made by AAM; they supply GM with the one in your 1LE) and the gear isn't that expensive. Fuel pumps can be bought from many different makers. Depends on how much flow you need, along with the injectors.

Anyway, for me- the stuff you listed can be had for less than $3,500, and that difference can be put into those other bits you state (whatever they are). I do all my own work (the advantage), but to the guy who doesn't know how to set it all up on their own or fabricate, he would be better off going with the 1LE, and that backs up your sentiment.

Any tracks in Hawaii or did they shut them down?

You're right with all of this except with your ratio comment. You're right, it is a ratio, however, it IS 3.91 (not 3:91). The proper way to write it is 3.91:1 The ratio is revolutions of the driveshaft to revolution of wheel turn. Since the second number is always "1" (wheel turn) it is common to drop the ":1". So the original poster is correct. Please don't take this as an attack...merely a correction. Your ration means the wheel will turn 91 times for every 3 turns of the driveshaft....that sounds like a lot of torque.

[Ken_]

Originally Posted by dwinva

You're right with all of this except with your ratio comment. You're right, it is a ratio, however, it IS 3.91 (not 3:91). The proper way to write it is 3.91:1 The ratio is revolutions of the driveshaft to revolution of wheel turn. Since the second number is always "1" (wheel turn) it is common to drop the ":1". So the original poster is correct. Please don't take this as an attack...merely a correction. Your ration means the wheel will turn 91 times for every 3 turns of the driveshaft....that sounds like a lot of torque.

I stand corrected

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Ken_

3:91... not 3.91 (it's a ratio)

Yes, it is a ratio . . . . it's actually 3.91:1, which is probably achieved with an 11 tooth pinion and a 43 tooth ring gear.

if we're going to be picky . . . and on edit you


Norm

[Ken_]

Originally Posted by malave7567

not many honestly... I am no competition racer, but I do like to push the limits of my vehicle in events/local drag strip every so often. I am one of the people you would say knows about these items enough to just modify an SS to my purpose instead of buying a 1LE (and in fact, that is my plan), but I still wouldn't say that it is a waste to someone who is just an occasional spirited driver. The 1LE feels very much more balanced from the factory on the handling aspect, and is more enjoyable to a mountain drive, etc. If someone doesn't want to turn their own wrenches to get this extra handling and better feel, and can buy it with a warranty, more power to them.

If my budget would have allowed, I may have gotten a 1LE. But then again, I prefer looking more like a stock SS as well. My old RX-7 was quite the sleeper car (stock exterior, heavily modified elsewhere).

I'm with you man! I can respect that.

Nice! Fellow FC3S or FD3S? Regardless, those cars rocked. I had a 96 FD. Man the sound of a rotary bbrrrrrrappp bbrrrrrrrappp in rapid succession.

[Ken_]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Yes, it is a ratio . . . . it's actually 3.91:1, which is probably achieved with an 11 tooth pinion and a 43 tooth ring gear.

if we're going to be picky . . .


Norm

Thanks, Norm

[dwinva]

Originally Posted by Ken_

I stand corrected

It's all good.

[Norm Peterson]

No problem, ken.


You guys can type faster than I can even get my thoughts together today.


Norm

[newb]

Originally Posted by Ken_

Transmission coolers can be bought at any speed shop. There's not much to them. You also forgot to mention diff cooler, and those can be fabricated from something as basic as an oil cooler. 3:91... not 3.91 (it's a ratio) can be bought from Lingenfelter along with the set-up kit (the gear is made by AAM; they supply GM with the one in your 1LE) and the gear isn't that expensive. Fuel pumps can be bought from many different makers. Depends on how much flow you need, along with the injectors.

Anyway, for me- the stuff you listed can be had for less than $3,500, and that difference can be put into those other bits you state (whatever they are). I do all my own work (the advantage), but to the guy who doesn't know how to set it all up on their own or fabricate, he would be better off going with the 1LE, and that backs up your sentiment.

Any tracks in Hawaii or did they shut them down?

Let's not forget that the 1LE has the closer ratio transmission as well. It is not just an SS with a trans cooler. This would eat up most of your $3500.

The 1LE does not have a diff cooler and that is why I didn't mention it.

The 3.91 gears are pretty pricey as far as gears go. Not sure if you have actually priced the aftermarket options.

Sadly, no tracks here. But there is a local SCCA chapter so I plan to get into auto-x. I need my racing fix...

[tramtwo]

Wow I love this site... Although in this thread there is far more opinion than experience. Reminds me a little bit of the v6 vs SS threads.

The 1 LE performance package for the SS is simply put, the best bang for your buck in all of the auto industry.

I upgraded from an SS to an SS with the 1LE it is night and day and very worth it whether you track the car or not... the responsiveness and handling is head and shoulders above the stock SS.

tramtwo posted this on the go

[toehead93]

OP, I've been waiting to get a 1LE since I first heard of it. I have only done a few autocrosses and would like to do some SCCA PDX events (at only $150 you can't beat it). Since I have a 2010 SS with 69,000 miles it is easy for me to get the 1LE and I will by summer time. I just need to decide on taking off my coilovers to sell separately or leave them on. For me the 1LE is everythign I was planning on doing to my SS but it was going to cost a lot more money than $3,500. The best part now is that $3,500 is spread over 5 years and not one bick hit from my savings account.

Once I sell the SS I will have plenty of cash in hand as a downpayment for the 1LE and first round of mods (intake, headers, tune, ZL1 fascia).

You can add 3.91s to an SS but you still don't have the close gear ratio transmission which keeps the engine in the right RPMs whether on a track or for spritited driving. Also remember Motortrend also got better 0-60 and 1/4 miles times from the 1LE.

[malave7567]

Originally Posted by Ken_

I'm with you man! I can respect that.

Nice! Fellow FC3S or FD3S? Regardless, those cars rocked. I had a 96 FD. Man the sound of a rotary bbrrrrrrappp bbrrrrrrrappp in rapid succession.

Off topic from this thread for a minute:

It was a FC3S turboII. interior was a little rough (the leather was old, cracked, etc.), but we rebuilt the 13B and turbo, swapped to a big aluminum radiator and electric fan on thermostat, went with the RacingBeat 3" exhaust and fuel-cut defeater, dropped it with RacingBeat springs and Tokico shocks, installed new gauges (since the old Mazda water temp and oil pres gauges are garbage, and fuel-cut defeater tricks the stock boost gauge), and did a couple more things I cannot remember... It was my favorite car in the world, built it up with my dad, and he gave me ownership of it when I graduated high school. Unfortunately, it was hit while parked on the side of the road in front of my parents' house (I was visiting) by an old lady in a Cadillac that had no business driving anymore. It was night time and she claimed she couldn't see the black car. Entire passenger side was pretty much ruined, and I was pretty heart-broken about it. Insurance wanted it totalled out, but I convinced them to have a shop fix it. Unfortunately, the guy who did the work didn't do great. I didn't even let him paint it. I sold the car while it was still in primer for a decent sum.

/offtopic

[Ken_]

Originally Posted by tramtwo

Wow I love this site... Although in this thread there is far more opinion than experience. Reminds me a little bit of the v6 vs SS threads.

The 1 LE performance package for the SS is simply put, the best bang for your buck in all of the auto industry.

I upgraded from an SS to an SS with the 1LE it is night and day and very worth it whether you track the car or not... the responsiveness and handling is head and shoulders above the stock SS.

tramtwo posted this on the go

I can respect that, since you did upgrade from the SS basic to an SS 1LE, and it is your car and it sounds like you spent enough time in the SS basic to make an educated experience. As far as more opinion than experience, my experience is having done enough go-fast stuff in previous platforms and actually racing on the circuit, and my opinion is that my SS won't pose a big problem for me as I stage the mods and track it as the building goes. At the end of the day will I hit myself in the head and say, "Damn! I could have had a 1LE!" I don't think so, but that's me, and back on my original stance, I got an SS because I knew that mods were coming and why buy something that can be surpassed? No offense, but that's my take, and I respect yours.

[Ken_]

Originally Posted by malave7567

Off topic from this thread for a minute:

It was a FC3S turboII. interior was a little rough (the leather was old, cracked, etc.), but we rebuilt the 13B and turbo, swapped to a big aluminum radiator and electric fan on thermostat, went with the RacingBeat 3" exhaust and fuel-cut defeater, dropped it with RacingBeat springs and Tokico shocks, installed new gauges (since the old Mazda water temp and oil pres gauges are garbage, and fuel-cut defeater tricks the stock boost gauge), and did a couple more things I cannot remember... It was my favorite car in the world, built it up with my dad, and he gave me ownership of it when I graduated high school. Unfortunately, it was hit while parked on the side of the road in front of my parents' house (I was visiting) by an old lady in a Cadillac that had no business driving anymore. It was night time and she claimed she couldn't see the black car. Entire passenger side was pretty much ruined, and I was pretty heart-broken about it. Insurance wanted it totalled out, but I convinced them to have a shop fix it. Unfortunately, the guy who did the work didn't do great. I didn't even let him paint it. I sold the car while it was still in primer for a decent sum.

/offtopic

Man! That blows! Especially for something that was near and dear to you, and I bet you knew every little nuance and finicky point of that car... like it drove by itself. You probably never even looked at the gauges much because you could tell what was going on just by feel and sound.

There's a guy near my place that has an FC shell. He won't sell it. Being in the desert environment, the thing has no rust.