95 M3 vs. Trans-Am/Firebird?

[deen3]

Help me figure this one out.

Visiting friends in Orlando is fun.
I was crusin on I-4 leaving Viet-town around 2:30AM and ran into a white TransAm(?) and another car going 80mph.

i cruise at 80.

i look to my left, and all i noticed is your typical dual exhaust. Clean and white with an exhaust, i had to becareful cos i dont trust white V8s thinking its the police looking for fun.

he revs.(sounded very nice) i look. but keep my speed as we slow down to 65mph.
we cruise abit.

he moves in front of me and revs.

he wants it. he gets behind me.
he tails me. he revs again.
The Trans Am moves in the lane to my left. we are crusing at 80.

he jams the gas.

i drop into 3rd at 6500rpms and i speed up a 1/2 carlength. i look left and hear the TransAm shift. I shift. i move another 1/2 carlength and he quickly catches up. i redline it into 5th going at 110+
i scan the front. My Passport x50 hasnt gone off.
i look at my mirror. i see tiny headlights.
my speedo says 120mph. and i exit.

did i take the transam? or was it a firebird v6 with aftermarket dual exhaust?
did he let off after 100?
was it an automagic and he let off as well?

*for ref. ive taken one of those late 80s-early90s Cobra Mustangs from a roll and made him sit once we hit 100+mph.

**my mods: Shrick Cams, 3.5 hfm, intake, tms/conforit chip, 24# injectors, underdrive pullies, AA track pipe, stromung exhaust, UUC M5 Clutch and lwt. flywheel, and yellow fogs.

[ImportFanatic]

Nice kill. If it was automatic, w/ just exhaust, I could definately see that happening. If it was m6, still possible, but maybe closer. I'm not sure, but I believe it.

[eurospec1]

Nice kill. If it was automatic, w/ just exhaust, I could definately see that happening. If it was m6, still possible, but maybe closer. I'm not sure, but I believe it.

This Myth needs to be put to rest... LS1 is LS1, Auto or M6 from a roll is little difference, as much as id like to think my M6 vette is superior to autos, it isnt.

He never said what year or Gen he thought the trans am was, could have been an 83 for all we know, but a stock LS1 should take that modded E36 with ease at those speeds.

[m3chaser]

yea if this was an LS1 it wouldn't matter what mods you have short of FI. It may have been an LT1.

[deen3]

yea if this was an LS1 it wouldn't matter what mods you have short of FI. It may have been an LT1.

i dont know too much about these cars, do only transams have the LS1?

the white car looked similar to this style:


i definatley didnt run into a knight rider car, i know that.

[CMailco]

Those taillights (honeycomb style) belong to an LS1 Firebird. An easy low 12-second car with just a few bolt ons and no greasy hands (yes some are faster still).
Then again, the 6-cylinder cars get the same look but you should know the V8 just from the sound....

Who knows what happened... maybe he needed to exit and just wanted to see if you'd take off. Only the shadow knows.....

-Chuck

[speedfreak81]

Probably a V6 or he was toying with you. People who dog LT1 cars so much, are just talking out of there ass. So much of what you hear regarding them around here is just heresay. LT1s are NOT slow.....especially if maintained well, with simple bolt ons can easily trap 105mph and run low 13s. My 1993 Z28 with an AUTO ran 13.7@103mph and with some simple bolt ons I was running 13.2@108mph. Sorry but either he let off or you ran a fake T/A....simple as that.

[ImportFanatic]

Those taillights (honeycomb style) belong to an LS1 Firebird. An easy low 12-second car with just a few bolt ons and no greasy hands (yes some are faster still).
Then again, the 6-cylinder cars get the same look but you should know the V8 just from the sound....

Who knows what happened... maybe he needed to exit and just wanted to see if you'd take off. Only the shadow knows.....

-Chuck

Alot of v6's from what I see on camaros have one tail pipe, different style wheels.

I never heard of a fbody ls1 with small bolt ons do low 12's in the 1/4, and im not refering to vettes. An SS on paper is a high 12 second car.

I've seen dodge vipers do low 12's high 11's.

[deen3]

Those taillights (honeycomb style) belong to an LS1 Firebird. An easy low 12-second car with just a few bolt ons and no greasy hands (yes some are faster still).
Then again, the 6-cylinder cars get the same look but you should know the V8 just from the sound....

Who knows what happened... maybe he needed to exit and just wanted to see if you'd take off. Only the shadow knows.....

-Chuck

naw, i reached the next exit before he did. what other kind of tail lights does that body style have besides the honeycomb look?

Probably a V6 or he was toying with you. People who dog LT1 cars so much, are just talking out of there ass. So much of what you hear regarding them around here is just heresay. LT1s are NOT slow.....especially if maintained well, with simple bolt ons can easily trap 105mph and run low 13s. My 1993 Z28 with an AUTO ran 13.7@103mph and with some simple bolt ons I was running 13.2@108mph. Sorry but either he let off or you ran a fake T/A....simple as that.

one thing i do know is that T/As arent slow. that's why im doubting this "kill" for whatever the reasons may be.

it seemed that he really wanted to go as it took awhile to convice me to push the gas. and i would have figured if he wanted more he wouldnt have pussed out because we had a full mile to go with no one in front of us and i was still pulling/keeping up.

yeah, i think he let off too. but under the circumstances, if i were him, i still would have kept going if i saw a wimpy bmw going 120+.

i usually run into much trouble on the streets and this run in was fun regardless of the model/car. how fast are the V6s?

[CMailco]

Alot of v6's from what I see on camaros have one tail pipe, different style wheels.

I never heard of a fbody ls1 with small bolt ons do low 12's in the 1/4, and im not refering to vettes. An SS on paper is a high 12 second car.

I've seen dodge vipers do low 12's high 11's.

The OP mentioned an aftermarket sounding exhaust so I assumed it might be a V6 with the dual-pipe tail section as I see them quite frequently around these parts.

Here's a list of LS1 F-bodies and their respective ET's. http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...light=bolt+ons

There are a number in this area alone running low 12's with nothing more than bolt-ons. No cam, no internal modifications. Most have suspension mods and cut 1.7" or better 60' times. There are plenty of bolt-on + cam cars in the 10's now...

As for the V6 cars, I believe they're ~15 second 1/4-mile cars.



Of course, a lot of guys update the look with the "LS1" tails.

-Chuck

[spoonerDee]

must of been the v6, if it was the ws6 (which push around 300hp or more) you would of been handed. Nice run.

WS6's are monsters. I went through a half tank of gas in one our of playing lol

[ImportFanatic]

The OP mentioned an aftermarket sounding exhaust so I assumed it might be a V6 with the dual-pipe tail section as I see them quite frequently around these parts.

Here's a list of LS1 F-bodies and their respective ET's. http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...light=bolt+ons

There are a number in this area alone running low 12's with nothing more than bolt-ons. No cam, no internal modifications. Most have suspension mods and cut 1.7" or better 60' times. There are plenty of bolt-on + cam cars in the 10's now...

As for the V6 cars, I believe they're ~15 second 1/4-mile cars.



Of course, a lot of guys update the look with the "LS1" tails.

-Chuck

I maybe see 1 or 2 break into the 12's w/ an m6. Majority seem to be low 13's. And again those 12's are mid to high 12's.

[CMailco]

I maybe see 1 or 2 break into the 12's w/ an m6. Majority seem to be low 13's. And again those 12's are mid to high 12's.

Like I said, there are a number of them around here running low 12's with bolt ons and a lot of tweaking. In my other post, I shouldn't have stated that it's "easy" but it is most certainly possible.

Two guys in our old F-body club (yes I use to own an SS) were running 12.4-ish times a year ago. Lots of fast cars in this area though.

-Chuck

[deen3]

how fast are the v6 models?

[CMailco]

1997 Pontiac Firebird 3.8l 7.2 15.5 (C&D Jun '97)
1995 Chevrolet Camaro 3800 7.4 15.7

About 1.5 seconds slower than their V8 counterparts. Jeckyl and Hyde come to mind...

-Chuck

[deen3]

geez, those things are woof.
that guy must have let off the pedal.

[Deuuuce]

Can we define "bolt-ons" and some other parameters?

LS1s are low 13sec cars, stock. Let's say 1%ers hit 12s and that really is 60ft time dependent. Better yet, let's talk trap speeds - 106-108mph, 99% representative.

Bolt-ons - Intake, exhaust, tune, gears, DRs? You do gears and DRs - low 12s s/b reality.

Is this pretty much in-line with everyone else's thinking?

[ImportFanatic]

Can we define "bolt-ons" and some other parameters?

LS1s are low 13sec cars, stock. Let's say 1%ers hit 12s and that really is 60ft time dependent. Better yet, let's talk trap speeds - 106-108mph, 99% representative.

Bolt-ons - Intake, exhaust, tune, gears, DRs? You do gears and DRs - low 12s s/b reality.

Is this pretty much in-line with everyone else's thinking?

That's what I was thinking. Never personally seen an ls1 doing 12's without some modifications, a nice 60 foot, and some drags.

Some of those times in that site were from GTO's with ls2's, or whatever.

Like i said before my friend had a 2000 z28, with a stall, intake, maf ends, 4.10 rear and et streets. Did 12.8's with trapspeeds around 115mph.

[CMailco]

I know there are "Bolt-on shootouts" but didn't have any luck finding the rules in a quickie search.

Interestingly enough, LS1Tech has a Top 50 quickest "internally stock" list. If you aren't in the 11's, you don't make it.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=628613

BTW, most of the low 12 second cars I've seen are in the 110-113mph range.

My definition of bolt-on is basically this.... long block internals are stock. Intake manifold swaps are allowable as are aftermarket roller rockers. Headers, CAI's, throttle bodies... all of that stuff is legit. No head porting, no camshaft changes, etc..

-Chuck

[stowe9man]

Demonicbird00---00/TA---1.597---7.572 @ 87.85---11.812 @ 117.63---NA, Bolt Ons Stock Internals----05/06

RT- .409
60'- 1.597
330- 4.872
1/8- 7.572
MPH- 87.85
1000- 9.884
1/4- 11.812
MPH- 117.63

-brandon
__________________
00 Black T/A m6
Stock Internals=343 rwhp 349 rwtq
11.81 @ 117 1.59 60'
Cam Only= 418 rwhp 380 rwtq
11.29 @ 120 1.55 60'

Damn! I can't wait to get mine!

[Deuuuce]

Damn! I can't wait to get mine!

117mph w/ 343rwhp - awfully high mph for 343rwhp.

And then only 3mph gain with 75hp more?

Killer 60fts though regardless!!

[notdownfornj]

with your mods, it was probably an LT1 with some work done. They arent that great from a roll.

[m3chaser]

That's what I was thinking. Never personally seen an ls1 doing 12's without some modifications, a nice 60 foot, and some drags.

Some of those times in that site were from GTO's with ls2's, or whatever.

Like i said before my friend had a 2000 z28, with a stall, intake, maf ends, 4.10 rear and et streets. Did 12.8's with trapspeeds around 115mph.

My Oh-So-Fine Gf's older brother( i meant that my gf is fine and not her brother) has an 01 WS6 auto with just a borla exhaust and stall and he ran a 12.8 in the 1/4. Now he is a very good driver, but nonetheless the LS1's with the right driver and not soo many mods are fast as balls.