Buying a 97 Z28?? (maybe)

[bones977]

Hey all.. New to the board..
I'm torn between these two cars, big difference but I love them both..
2003/04 SRT-4 or a 97 Z28 T top...
I currently own a 98 neon with all the goddies minus turbo..
I know everyones thinking an SRT or Z28????? No contest..
Anything special, or bad I should look for in the Z28????
Test drove a couple and I really love the car, all the mods are pretty expensive compared to what I'm used to spending..
Just looking for honest answers..
Thanks All

[boostedV8]

of course there's no contest!
the srt-4 is a nice "little pocket rocket" but not a V8...
c'mon dude what r u thinking?
u can put on that LT1 about 1600hp... if u want 2 race like a demon!
that's some power that u never will get from a srt-4, don't u?
by the way, the srt-4 needs to b boosted 2 try 2 read the license plate of the LT1...
i guess i'm just give u an answer...
cheers!
boostedV8

[CHEVYMETAL]

I don't think you are going to find one single person on a Z28 forum that is going to recommend the SRT.

I can tell you that I have been at this car/racing gig for almost 20 years now... I have modded a lot of different cars, import and domestic but the best bang for the buck is ALWAYS the Chevy V8.

[BigJustinZ28]

yeah nothing beats a good ole large american v8 for performance value

[bones977]

When getting the Camaro is there anything that I should look for, such as wear and all that.. Anything specific to the Camaro??? Or just all the regular crap, oil, water atifreeze, seals..
In my Neon it would be the head gasket. And a lot of window noise...

[Criosdaidhlaoch]

Why such a big difference in the year models?

Me personaly, if I was spending the money I'd get as new a Camaro as possible. I've been the used car route and I'll go new anytime I can unless I can find something with really low miles.

Before buying a car you need to think about what exactly it is that you want and plan for the car.

Are you really going to spend alot of money modifying it?

If you go with the camaro we're talking about a car that is going on 7 years old vs a brand new car. The 04 Srt-4 comes with a limited slip and more hp than the 03. The 03 was perfectly capable of high 13 second runs with a excellent driver. You add a limited slip and more ponies on top of that and you've got a pretty fast car for right at 20k. Plus it comes with a 7 year 70k mile warranty. Mods for turbocharged cars are very cost effecient. Nothing gets gains from an exhaust like a turbo car. Not to mention Mopar is coming out with a bunch of mods that really boost the Srt-4s performance and they retain the factory warranty.

With a couple thousand in mods that srt-4 could be faster'n most people would want you to go, plus still have the factory warranty. Boost controller, exhaust and downpipe, intake, etc and that thing would run like a scalded dog.


But if you're looking for a 1/4 mile track beast then its displacement hands down. Most mods can be had for cheap on v8 cars because of demand. You just have to factor in the age part of a 97 year model car. How much money might you have to spend on repairs? Will the interior be in nice condition? Will it have any leaks? Will you have to replace the tires, etc?

[joelx21]

If you want the power of a V8 and the history, go with a Camaro I have a 94 Z and I love it!

The camaro that you want is a 97, which has the LT1 engine(285 hp at the wheel). It's a great engine, but in 1998 they put the new LS1 that have (305-320) at the wheel! You get a 98-02 Z28, trust me, you will lay an ass whooping on virtually everyone, and this with the car fully stock! And the bolts on that you can do to it are just amazing, you can wind up with an 11 second car without going too much out of your way!

I do love the LT1 engine, but if you are picking between a Neon and a Camaro, go with the LS1.. not the Neon!!

[bones977]

Thanks for all the info guys, guess I'll have to find the perfect Z...
Found a 97 green T top with 48k for 11grand, but it was an auto, and the interior wasn't up to par..
I'll keep hunting..

[BigJustinZ28]

yeah dont pay too much for em . I got my 97 for $5K , sure I'm dumping about 1000 bucks in it to get it in perfect running order (big deal is 2 broken header bolts in the heads. Goes in on the 17th , wish me luck) . The interior is fair for a 6 year old car , but after Im done Ill have a 6000 dollar street machine . Came with the goodies too . You just have to keep looking , I almost bought a 98 ss with 28k miles for 15k but I couldnt really afford the payments on something like that even tho it was PERFECT !!!. Just keep looking and youll find what your looking for.

[tiger28]

Yea, buying a car can be tiring but don't just buy the first thing you see. Take your time and don't be afraid to haggle with a guy about the price of the vechicle. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to negotiate a little on the price. Good hunting.