[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Stefano

Who's saying you can't mod a ZL1 and make it perform to a higher standard?

Nobody, but I think the focus of the topic is value for $$$.

[i2disturbedSS]

Also for the op, a supercharger Camaro for the weekend sounds right for you.
Everyone will have a different situation and a different answer.

[Fraxum]

OP been there done both.

I did a Twin Turbo 5th Gen 1LE and also owned a ZL1.

As for $$ I had about $65K in my 1LE and since I bought my 2015 ZL1 used (3K miles) I bought that for under $50K.

At the end my TT 1LE was worth maybe $30K 2 years after I bought it and no dealer would touch it. So you are on your own selling it. Today 2 years later that same ZL1 is worth about $45K in 2017. You can do the math here. Also take a poll on how many Camaro6 members would buy a USED SS with a supercharger versus how many would buy a used ZL1. I bet I can predict the outcome.

Of course there is the warranty. Adding FI to a camaro toasts the drive train warranty no matter what anyone tells you. A crate LT1 is around $10K plus installation. Also possible clutch, transmission, diff, axle problems that are all on you.

On my 1LE I like driving it more as a bolton car than with the twin turbos. It was fun at first building it, but then as problems arose it got old fast. And the $$ kept rolling on.

I loved the ZL1 from day one. The only drawback was horrible gas milage. It is hard to explain but the car felt more together and was more polished than my completely upgraded 1LE even though it was a bit slower.

The other thing is how fast do you want to go? Right now there is a bolton SS (ported TB, ported Manifold, E-85, DRs, and good driving) knocking on the 10s all for a few thousand $$. And I can tell you any car putting 600 or more to the wheels is a hand full on the street, but fun at the drag strip. Because of traction limitations Drag Radials should be your every day tire. Otherwise the TC light will stay on in second and third while that stock 5.0 trashes you at the stop light. Just saying, don't be an idiot and race on the street.

OP if you do this I would definitely start with a used SS. Then it could make more sense financially. 2016s SSes can be found in the $30K range. Camaro prices tank fast.

And if you do the project option research all the shops and ONLY go to one with a good rep on Camaro6. You will pay more, but you get what you pay for.

Good luck.

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by nickgiacalone

Well the used SS is out of the question since I have a 2016 SS that I bought last January and currently have 4,000 miles on. After all the debating I am probably going to go the ZL1 route. The build would no doubt be fun but I don't think I want to deal with the possibility of it being unreliable. We go on a lot of weekend get always with the car and I'd hate to be stranded until all hours of the night on a Sunday on our way back into town.

Smart. I missed your sig, sorry. Nice choice on the SS M6 with a roof! I bought a Honda V6 Touring for those weekend drives with the first lady. It has a spare tire! Awesome, relatively inexpensive fun car, and quick.

Also note that dealers are already dealing on 2017 M6 ZL1s. Once the '18s come out look for 20% off on '17s.

[travislambert]

If you want reliability and to minimize hassle, it sounds like you have your answer. The ZL1 is the way to go.

IMO, the next best option is to swap in an LT4 crate engine. By the time you buy a supercharger and upgrade the LT1 fuel system, you are in the ballpark of the cost difference for the LT4 (keeping in mind you can sell your LT1 for about 6K). By just bolting in an LT4 and tuning it, you can easily get a reliable 600 RWHP. As others have pointed out there are lots of differences between the LT1 and LT4 that make the LT4 a little better suited for forced induction.
(On my car journal, you can find nearly every part # you'll need to bolt it in correctly. And, I'd be happy to provide you with a tune that would likely only require verification.)

Also, there is supposedly a 24 month 50,000 mile warranty with the crate motor through GM parts. Although I could never get a straight answer on whether the connect and cruise ECM would be required for warranty purposes. In my situation, I'm not depending on the warranty being there, but if something ever happened I had planned to try to take them up on it since my car is a stock-like setup.

[Revhappy]

For the 2017 SS 1LE, at what power point does traction become a major issue without drag radials (i.e. on the street, driving on curvy roads, etc) ? Is it much lower than the ZL1 or any higher than the prior generations of Camaros?

Would the SS 1LE have slower 1/4 mile times than the ZL1 with stock tires and the same power to weight ratios due to traction issues?

[EDFHOBBIES]

Man thats a tough question~

Forget just bolting on the blower and making a little more power than a stock Zl1 cause that easily to do..

I'm sure there are other difference but here are the keys and what upgrades cost..

1. Bigger Breaks 2200.00
2. Better Fuel System 3k
3. Better drive line 3500.00
4. The front and hood are just plain bad azz 3000k
5. Data video recorder 1300 option for Mexico racing or any really!
6. Bower 9K by ADM or after market and tune
7. Forged Internals to handle boost 5k




I know I can do it cheaper cause All Girls Garage and Eldelbrock did that for the blower for free... but not by much lol

[Speedy1975]

Originally Posted by Fraxum

OP been there done both.

I did a Twin Turbo 5th Gen 1LE and also owned a ZL1.

As for $$ I had about $65K in my 1LE and since I bought my 2015 ZL1 used (3K miles) I bought that for under $50K.

At the end my TT 1LE was worth maybe $30K 2 years after I bought it and no dealer would touch it. So you are on your own selling it. Today 2 years later that same ZL1 is worth about $45K in 2017. You can do the math here. Also take a poll on how many Camaro6 members would buy a USED SS with a supercharger versus how many would buy a used ZL1. I bet I can predict the outcome.

Of course there is the warranty. Adding FI to a camaro toasts the drive train warranty no matter what anyone tells you. A crate LT1 is around $10K plus installation. Also possible clutch, transmission, diff, axle problems that are all on you.

The other thing is how fast do you want to go? Right now there is a bolton SS (ported TB, ported Manifold, E-85, DRs, and good driving) knocking on the 10s all for a few thousand $$. And I can tell you any car putting 600 or more to the wheels is a hand full on the street, but fun at the drag strip. Because of traction limitations Drag Radials should be your every day tire. Otherwise the TC light will stay on in second and third while that stock 5.0 trashes you at the stop light. Just saying, don't be an idiot and race on the street.

OP if you do this I would definitely start with a used SS. Then it could make more sense financially. 2016s SSes can be found in the $30K range. Camaro prices tank fast.

And if you do the project option research all the shops and ONLY go to one with a good rep on Camaro6. You will pay more, but you get what you pay for.

Good luck.

Best advice and feedback in this thread.

OP has to ask himself/herself the question of whether they like to tinker and work on a car themselves to make it unique, or would rather have an off the show room fast ride.

I like both. I engineered my Dodge Challenger to be a 600RWHP car that was as reliable as an off the show room piece. This was not easy, and was very time consuming. I did 75% of the work myself because I enjoy working on cars and making them my own. I did not take cost in to consideration as I considered it fun tax. I also could care less about a warranty as the dealer will almost NEVER touch any of my cars if I can help it.

If you plan to drop the car off at a shop to do all the work for you.....you better at least understand what it is they've done so you can support it when needed back home. My Challenger has had almost ZERO problems in 8 years, but I have had a couple (fuel pump relay failed and a broken rear axle). Luckily I knew how the car was built and was easily able to fix them myself. Had a shop built, it maybe not.

The ZL1 will certainly hold it's value, but you can always supercharge the SS and pull it back off and return it to stock and sell the supercharger and car separately later. I'd definitely go with Magnuson if you decide to supercharge your current ride. They're tunes and support are top notch and I would expect it to be every bit as reliable as your stock SS as long as you install it properly and just keep an eye on normal maintenance.

[Camaro2ssFan]

Is there a huge increase in gas consumption with a supercharger? I am thinking of getting the Magnuson Supercharger.

[DenverTaco07]

If i had to do it over again, I'd go ZL1. But, I'm not disappointed in what I have now.

[DenverTaco07]

Originally Posted by Camaro2ssFan

Is there a huge increase in gas consumption with a supercharger? I am thinking of getting the Magnuson Supercharger.

Well sure, but it depends on how you drive that impacts the most, driving like a grandma then probably won't see much difference, drive it like it has the power you added and yes, you'll burn more fuel.

[markblackwell]

I love my SS but the 10sp auto is what you want. Buy a ZL1

[KingLT1]

It depends on how much power you want. The LT4 supercharger setup from weapon x for 4500.00 will take the SS to 580whp and be oem reliable. In a straight line it would be faster then a stock ZL1 because it's lighter with better aero. So you could have a potentially faster SS for about 15-20k less dollars spent, but it won't handle like a ZL1 and it will not hold it's value like a stock ZL1. However I think more folks would have less issue buying a modded SS with a factory supercharger system over a aftermarket setup like procharger or whipple when it comes time for resale. Used stock-stockish SS cars sell pretty quick, highly modded ones tend to sit unsold. So that is something to consider.

[Tenfive]

I will add this , if you blew the engine somehow , You would need to blow the engine 3 times before you would equal the cost of a single ZL1 !

just do yourself a favor and add the1LE brakes my SS is marginal with the stock 4 piston brembos the SC would only exacerbate the problem !