[vince3]

Originally Posted by Maverick ZL1

I'm was considering buying a ZL1 with a manual transmission due to its performance capabilities,
however during my car searches I found a low mileage LT1 Camaro at a very good price. $27,000.
It got me thinking maybe buy the LT1 and after driving it for a while and getting used to the performance and horsepower, adding a supercharger to it and getting almost ZL1 power at less than half the price.
Would be quite the sleeper.
Good or bad idea?
How much hp can the stock LT1 engine, clutch safely handle?
Money is not an issue.
I guess the question is, are the many differences/upgrades the ZL1 offers over the base LT1 worth it?
Any thoughts?

Get the LT1, it's the best value, and it's the lightest. You won't find a better deal than 27k if it's a clean title and decent shape, so just do it.

I'm not an expert, but Supercharger is fine, but not much else if you go that route. I think some say 600 rwhp is fine? Maybe a little higher with the toohighpsi. Compression and stock cam aren't the greatest, so beyond that you would need to change that.

I know the stock clutch can handle a decent amount if you go FBO, but not sure beyond that. I think the clutch starts to have issues when it gets hot, so once I do something like a 1/4 mile run, I let it cool.

Is the upgrade to the Zl1 worth it over the LT1? If you are like me and hate leather seats and extra options and the issues they might bring, NO. The ZL1 price range is way out there, and if I'm looking at 70K plus, I'm going C7Z06.

If I had to start over, I'd still pick the LT1, followed by a C7 1LT M7, and then a 1SS M6. The only thing different I wish I could change about my car is the sunroof. I didn't want it, and the extra 27lbs is something that aggravates me. People underestimate how much weight makes a difference, and when you look at an LT1 M6 vs something like a 2SS auto, it's probably 200lbs plus.