Recon if the Z-28 were a hard top it would have been even closer. Only issue I see with going with the Camaro is having to poke yourself in the eye every time you walk up to it, so you don't have to see how hideous the Camaros "styling" was executed.
@@playanddisplay3636 lol thats funny. my car has got way more than 2 compliments. but thanks. as an original owner i like it a lot. i have big plans for it.
@@goblinzl1 Right on brother. I got my license the last year they were produced. Got a pretty wide variety of cars over the years but nothing better than flipping the hazards on 4th gen folks after giving them the gap sauce.
Yeah I remember going to a Chevy dealership back then and asking what happened to the Camaro. Why did they stop making it.. He said because people realized it had the same engine as the Corvette and it was hurting Vette sales... (He said something like that.. Cant remember exactly how he put it because it was over 20 years ago. lol)
I've always heard that they were pretty much rated the same, the only difference being what GM told the public, weighted in favor of GM's darling, the Corvette, for the sake of "prestige" and sales.
@@Perry....he dude driving the Z is a lot heavier than the vette driver also. I'd say overall if the Z weighed 170 lbs less it wins the quarter-mile. In other words swap drivers and race the coupe version of the Z.
As the comment section reveals, this brings back great memories!!! I previously owned a 98 LS1 6-speed Z28 convertible. As a diehard Camaro fan, I’ll never forget being in college (while owning a 1990 Iroc-Z 5.7 TPI,my childhood dream car). One of my buddies owned a 2001 WS6 6-speed w/full exhaust-which was brand new at the time. He let me drive it…😮..In that moment, the Iroc-Z with 700r4 became the dream car I was ready to sell😢…THAT LS1 GOT ME!!
The Catfish 4th gens are great, performance-wise, but I'll always prefer the '93-'97; especially the '96/'97 SS. They looked so much better, and the LT1 is such an underappreciated engine.
This was the general consensus back in the day that the 93-97 looked better. The more people I talk to now prefer the 98-02. I owned several LT1 f bodies and had great luck with every one of them.
@@sloick Do they actually prefer the looks or are they just so wooed by the LS1 that they overlook the front end? I ask because I have a friend who has owned a '99 Z28 for a few years now and is still trying to convince himself that he likes the front end lol. It's just the headlights that hurt the Catfish for me. The rest of the front end is fine.
It’s funny remembering how the auto transmissions were back then compared to now. Huge difference between the gears and super long. The gears on Today’s 8 speeds and 10 speeds are so tight together. I was in high school when these cars came out. I loved the z28s and Trans AMs.
What a great video. The corvette is such a good looking car. That would be the decider for me between the two. These drag races sure are fun to watch. Especially when they're so close. Thanks guys
It’s funny, I used to hate the C5 back when they were new and was so impressed by how much better looking and modern the C6 looked on launch. 20 years later and I finally appreciate the C5’s styling. The C6 still looks better to me but I no longer hate the C5 like I used to. Perhaps the insane performance per dollar these days of the C5 has softened my opinion of the car? $14k for that kind of performance is pretty alluring after all!
@@MegaTechpc, Looks of course are subjective. I have a C5 Z06 and C6 Z06, and if you ask me, I like the looks of the C5... However, that is solely my own opinion seeing the cars side by side. I especially prefer the hidden headlights of the C5. However, you are not wrong in your opinion, and neither am I. Both are excellent choices for what I use them for. (one for road racing, one for autocross)
@@daveds50 youre absolutely correct, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Besides the C7 Stingray blows them both out of the water in terms of styling. In my opinion that is, lol…
What altitude is this video shot at? I had a 95 LT1 vette auto that used to beat the crap out of my buddy's 98 Z28 auto on the street from a dig. But, after around 50mph he would catch up and pull away from me no problem. That 305HP rating was BS
Crazy how being so high above sea level affects those 1/4 mile times and HP. I owned a 02 camaro and here in Maryland that car is running 13.5-13.9 the vette 13.2-13.5 in the quarter.
@@negativeindustrial If you would like to fact check me, there’s plenty of third-party information out there from Car & Driver and motor trend to validate my times. my car consistently ran anywhere from a 13.20 to a 13.49 depending on temperature & track prep. You know I’m crazy enough to actually go buy one of these cars and take it to my local drag strip… i’ll put the entire video on TH-cam. Actually if you go to my channel I raced a stock C-5 Corvette in my GMC Syclone, and we were basically door-to-door. I will post the link shortly.
@@negativeindustrial Again… Plenty of third-party information to validate what a Syclone, runs in stock form. If a Syclone runs 13.50s… It makes sense I gave the Corvette such a good run. It’s all good… We can agree to disagree. I have no reason to state information that the entire world could fact check me on and tell me I’m wrong… Until somebody else agrees with you… Let’s just say I’m right.
the F-Bodys did have a litle less WHP because of the restrictive Y pipe and single exhust system. but cars with that SLP lid did get a significant bump in power.
A few issues I noticed was the fact that the Z28 was not stock. It visibly had an SLP air lid which was good for 8-10 RWHP gains on these cars. Not a big deal since the Z28 was a convertible and that air lid likely did little more than negate the loss from the extra weight a vert had over the coupe, which I believe was 200lbs give or take. The other thing I noticed were those awful 1/4 mile times in the 15's. Both of those cars should be mid 13's. I'm assuming they were at a high elevation to get those slow times. Still a very good video.
Its a heavy rag top, and also was wearing the heavier 17” wheels from an SS, as opposed to the factory 16” wheels that are standard to the Z28 model...
Oh man this brings back fun memories, I had a black with dark grey leather interior 30th anniversary Z28 Camaro but with the manual 6 speed tremec trans. I was only 19 working full time as a dishwasher and luckily my grandfather co-signed back in February 2000, the car had 18,500 miles on it fully stock with the chrome 17 inch rims. Beautiful fast car at the time. I think I had the coolest loudest fastest car in town back then.❤❤❤
@@stevesmith6236, Truth... Back then in the early C5 days, They have suggested that the power numbers of the Z28 were suggested to be reported lower due to the Corvette being the flagship sports car that GM had. If we had a time machine and went back to when both were new and completely stock and on a chassis dyno, I would bet the two cars had much less power difference, if any, than reported. Having never owned a 4th gen Camaro, I cannot say for sure though.
Love these videos and the comparisons between the two you should do current V6 cars like Camaro and Mustang against the older V8 cars just to see if they could still hang with the newer Tech
I had a 99 Corvette and I remember running low 13's. I frowned at your mid 15's until I remembered you are a mile high up in the clouds. ;) What a difference!
You can kiss high 12's at sea level with good tires. The factory runflats were straight trash for traction. One of the biggest reasons for the Z06's acceleration improvements was the tires they put on it.
@@nunyabusiness896, Having been a past owner of a 2000 C5 FRC Manual, and currently the owner of a C5 Z06, (and C6 Z06) the biggest difference between the C5 and the C5 Z06 version is not the 55HP, but the shorter gear ratios of the Z06. (both rear end and transmission gears) That's why the regular 6 speed Corvette had a higher reported wind drag limited top speed while the Z06 bangs the rev limiter in 6th gear at 167mph. By the way, the stock tires on my C5 Z06, were Goodyear Eagle F1's... Horrible ancient technology tires in my opinion. At the time that I bought my C5 Z06 (about 6 years ago) The hot tire back then was the Bridgestone RE71R in a 305/30/18. That 4.0 second 0-60 that the magazines reported back when the car was new, seemed really slow compared to having real tires on the car. While I have no real way to measure that time accurately, my closest measurement is in the 3.6 second range now on Falken RT660's in a 315/30/18 flavor.
@@28fabianz1 Lack of a prepped track? These are also both auto, so no clutch dumping and that can make a big difference. Also don't seem to be doing a brake hold launch, either, just flooring it when told.
Instant like for the Camaro! Love that gen and I do own a european version of it here in Germany with the 5.7l. Stock exhaust sucks balls, sounds like nothing. Put a custom exhaust on it and it's probably the best sounding engine short of a Carrera GT. Cold start almost blows the garage away, such a deep rumble, revving up makes it sound like a race car. It's car orgasm. I wonder why they gave the car this off road look though, it sits so unbelievably high above the road. I lowered the car a lot with different springs and it sits just right with symmetrical wheel arches all around. Doesn't even look like it's modified. Build quality and so on is of course nothing to write home about, everywhere there is some rattling going on and these bubble knobs really look ancient. I like the instrument cluster a lot though, very classy. Milage is alright, 20mpg or so, good for 250miles. Milage is 46k on the car, so like 2k miles per year, being a 99model. Very comfy to drive and if the road is flat it handles awesome, if you believe it or not. Put new dampers in though, Bilstein monotube. The original ones were completely dead, they made the car feel like a boat, waving up and down. Scary. The brakes also are scary, especially on the german Autobahn. They almost don't work. Had to brake once really hard from 100mph and in the beginning the car almost didn't slow down. Afterwards there was smell of brake pads like hell, so the brakes did their job but yeah, nothing compared to a new car. The targa roof is awesome although it's leaking. Accelerating to 150mph with the t-tops of is feeling like a jet fighter taking off, it's just incredible with the wind noise and the screaming exhaust behind you, it's absolutely insane. I love it!
I much prefer the look of the original version of this generation of Z28. Never did really like the refresh as it just looks awkward with its more rounded design. The 93 Z28 was a real eye-opener back in the day and it left the Mustang of the time for dead on the track. It’s too bad there are basically no really nice examples to be found these days as pretty much all of the original 93-94 Z28s are ragged out and destroyed by now.
@@MegaTechpc I know what you mean, the look of the headlamps in the 93 model is awesome. Gives the car a very unique look. Given the choice between the LT1 (?) and the new LS1 aluminium block I had to go the route of fuel economy here in Germany since one gallon is like 7€ /$ +-. During Covid it was half that, but since 2021 the prices have reached their old levels.
Yes Upgrade springs Upgrade shocks to Bilsteins Upgrade Sway bars (Pretty standard modifications) Fbody handles very nice Upgrade the Lid/Headers and gain 30 whp
@@computercrack Speed engineering hands down for headers BMR springs and front/rear sways Bilstein shocks I'd shop around for the Lid Prices are about the same and results the same also (I'd get the inexpensive one) Sway bars will be the best handling upgrade to keep car flat in cornering I just ordered strut bar and subframe connectors from speed engineering for literally half what big name companies were asking
i test drove a 98 Camaro SS once upon a time and before even driving it i asked the salesman what was the difference between the Camaro and a Corvette.... Their response was, " a back seat." Obviously there are more differences than than, but its basically true.
That and the 30 roll 100% favored the vette. That vette kicked into 1st. The Camaro would’ve went to the bottom of 2nd. Plus who doesn’t pull the car into the proper gear during a roll?
I owned both a 2000 Camaro LS1 4-speed Auto with the 323 rear end and then a 2002 Corvette 6-speed. Both were Factory stock with absolutely no modification. At 1,000 ft elevation my Camaro consistently ran about a 14.5 at 98 mph. The Corvette would consistently run about 13.8 at 103. Where you really saw the difference in acceleration and speed was once you got north of about 130 mph, from there the Camaro was pretty slow whereas the Corvette would pull pretty hard all the way to about 160 before the speedometer with start crawling. And when it comes to handling the Camaro did respectable as long as the pavement was really smooth but any kind of expansion joint or bumps in the pavement would really upset that rare solid axle. Also when it comes to braking the Camaro did fine with Factory rotors and pads for brisk driving but you would quickly feel some brake fade after a few miles on twisty Roads. On the Corvette if I was coming down from speeds over 140 a few times I would feel brake fade and my rotors would start to Blue but generally speaking I could go twice the distance on a twisty Road in the Corvette before feeling fade like I would in the Camaro. And surprising to most people both of them are very practical cars thanks to the hatchback and they both get pretty good fuel mileage if you drive it normal. For example I took a road trip from Kansas City to Los Angeles up to San Francisco and back to Kansas City in the summer with the air conditioning on averaging about 90 mph and still doing a bunch of burnouts in Vegas and spirited driving along the Pacific Coastal Highway and I still managed 24.5 miles per gallon for the whole trip in the Camaro. I loved the Corvette especially with the Targa Top down and cruising on the Vegas Strip or running the coastal highways on the Atlantic seaboard but overall I like the rear seats in the Camaro oh, I like the fabric seats better in the Camaro then the leather seats in the Corvette and overall I just like the Camaro over the Corvette because of practicality and with some performance brakes and some good tires it was still 90% of what the Corvette was.
In Alabama ( Close to sea level) My stock 4th gen Z28 with 3.42 gears and a 6 speed manual will easily do mid to low 13s in the quarter, that's about a 2 second difference due to the altitude.
I daily drive a 99 Z28 6 spd convertible. Amazing car! Rock solid reliable. Extremely low maintenance. Fun car to take to the track, or drop the top on a beautiful day, load up my wife & 2 kids, and go for a drive through the mountains.
In 1999 I bought a 1999 Cameron SS instead of a 1999 Corvette because I couldn’t afford a Corvette. The SS had 330 hp and the Corvette had 345 hp. I miss that car.
my first car 16 years ago was 95 z28. I now have a 97 c5 for my weekend/project car. People never believed me how similar in proformace these two cars are. Looking for a manual mystic teal catfish with t-tops, so I can relieve my highschool year. Even the LT in the earlier catfishes held up
Switch drivers and do the same tests. Pretty sure the weight difference between the drivers will show up. The Camaro's, Trans Am's horsepower were all under rated for those years, especially the SS and WS6.
I've had SEVERAL of both LS1 F-bodies and C5 Corvettes and YES a 3.23 geared F-body is just as quick as a 2.73 C5 at low speeds I was going to say that was the reason before I watched the rest of the video ....BOTH can run mid-low 13's at sea level btw..BONE stock
little story for ya here, just before I changed the motor my 1983 firebird lg4 5 speed. My uncle had a 1982 corvette with the crossfire auto. both cars were sub 60K anyway we wanted to see how they stacked up. and the firebird beat the snot out of the corvette. granted there were some variables. but right after my uncle wanted to see how his 1996 4door long bed 2wd duelly big block chevy 3500 auto would do, and it beat it too. man those late 70s vettes were some dogs but theyre damn sexy.
@@Underpantsniper I do not remember if they removed the engines or used a LS1 Corvette an f-body crate engines.. They both made 347 flywheel horsepower.. I raced a 2000 Corvette with my 2000 Transam. We were even to 100 mph when the race ended...
@@Underpantsniper I guess they could have used some correction factor just as almost every dyno in europe does, but that would indeed be calculated numbers. On the other hand, just model of tires and the inflation pressure can give a few ponies variation with a wheel dyno, so....
@@GoldenCroc it was probably a chassis Dyno, it's the easiest way of tuning. My friends 2000 vett made almost 360 to the wheels with cat back, intake filter and bigger TB a few years ago.
One of the best testaments you can give the LS1 is that when I got my 2002 Z28 in 05 I put Koni's on it, an SLP lid, magnaflow catback, ported throttle body and ran a 13.5 with 2.73 gears on the stock tune. 18 years and 140,000 miles later (170,000 total) I replaced all the suspension with new stock parts, and added Strano sways and a STB and ran an identical 13.5 on a 90 degree day with the original stock 2.73's and the valve covers have never even been off, replaced the trans with another 4l60e and the fuel pump at 100K. Runs like the day I got it and I've always driven it like I stole it. Just an incredible job by GM on that motor and even the car IMO. Still love driving it, I actually like driving it better than my dad's 2019 Z06. That thing hurts my back is hard to see out the back, and makes me feel like I'm gonna die if I put my foot down more than half way, or at least go to jail. The Z28 I can turn off the traction control and just hammer it around corners and go sideways and just beat the hell of it and it's just a blast to drive still. Best 14K I ever spent and I can sell it for real close to that tomorrow if I wanted to.
Gearing. A 3.15 equipped auto C5 is a LOT quicker then a 2.73 equipped out of the hole. My 2K came with 3.15's, I thought about 3.42's however I do a lot of highway driving and with a few mods and a tune with the 3.15's it surprises quite a few people.
Yes, changing the rear differential gear ratio on the C5 A4 auto to a 3.15 gear ratio, or even 3.42 gear ratio from the 6 speed Corvettes makes a big difference. My daily driver is a '04 C5 auto and I paid a shop to take out the 2.73 diff and install a low mileage 3.15 diff. It made a noticable difference on take off velocity. These are some of the few late model cars that you can change the gear ratio! Try to do that on most any other car in the world and you will see it is rare modification, reasonably priced modification compared to a turbo or supercharger kit; if you can do it.
@@Trentsworld18 There is that moment when the son out does the father and then embarrassment sets in. I think I've seen a Camaro let a Corvette win just so the Mustangs wouldn't laugh. Well, here come the Rams and Chargers. Oh, " they showed up". Dodge is like, hey I wanna play too!".
This was an amazing video. I have owned a 98 M6 SS and a 00 automatic and have driven a c4 corvette. This is a real competition and they are both the same brand.
Really puts into perspective how far ahead of the game GM was in the late 90s-early 2000s, the only performance car dodge had was the viper and they needed 10 cylinders and 8 liters of displacement to even compete, and Ford needed to strap a supercharger too their 4vlave 4.6 to even compete with the LS1, hell LT1 f-bodies would bully non-terminator mustangs.
With ~15.5 sec quarter mile times at 94-98 mph, that's got to be at high altitude. Both those cars are well documented to be able to run mid 13's at 103-106-ish mph near sea level in stock form. Some of the more freakish ones will do low-13's at 107-108. I remember in the late-90's-to-early-00's (when those cars were new), it was well established that the Camaro/Firebird LS1 was essentially the same HP/TQ as the C5 Vettes...even though they do have different cams and programming.
I had a friend I college with a 98 Z28- it was an 4 speed auto too. It’s “305 hp” put 307 down at the rear wheels on the dyno bone stock… so yeah it was way underrated! A non convertible Camaro would’ve been even closer!
I had a 2000 Formula Firebird hardtop M6 that pulled 304 hp on the dyno bone stock at the time. These cars made close to what the Corvettes of the same year made. I think exhaust was the only real difference.
I have a mint 2001 triple black 6 speed SS very. 82K original miles. Only mods are Texas Speed long tube headers and swapped out for a 4.10 rear. 2001 and 2002 were best years for Camaro SS. Z06 heads, intake, and clutch. Functional ram air hood.
Should have ran an 01-02 F Body with a little more ponies than the worst choice the first production year of the LS... The 98s had so many draw backs...
i use to own a 1999 A4 camaro SS SLP (yes, actual SLP 1 of 4000 for 1999 yr) 3:23gears and i beat many camaro z28 (98-02) i guess the better free flow exhaust and intake help freeup power on the SLP cars, the camaros stock dyno was around 300+whp
My buddy has the 2002 Pontiac Firehawk with pretty much the same power output as the early C5. I've never seen it drive but I'm certain it would beat plenty of cars in its class
@@Corvolet5 Firebirds we’re pretty much the fastest muscle cars of that era, except for the Terminator Cobra. The cobras can still hang with the new generation.
Bought my ‘98 Z28 new and took it to the dyno about a year later and there was a ‘98 Corvette there the same day. My Z28 LS1 put down 304 RWHP, C5 Corvette LS1 put down 297 RWHP…
Had an 02 z28 t-top with the 6 speed. Had beaten my buddies 2010 ss 6speed and if he could get his shifts perfect like mind it was dead even, atleast to 100, never tried past that with them side by side
Agree, launch wins these races, and you need these things up over 2500rpm or so. Vette still should have pulled way ahead. I started at Z28, been through both of these. The Vette can be launched much harder due to weight and balance and usually better tires and wheels. Should have ran away in this comparison.
You’re correct, IF it was as STOCK VS STOCK comparison. It wasn’t.. Camaro had: 1. LS6 intake (10-15 hp) 2. SLP Lid (5 hp) 3. Custom Exhaust (2-4 hp maybe) Had the F-Body been stock, I believe the C5 would have easily walked it in both drag and roll races…
@@BrisLS1 Plus, the Vette has independent rear, which is a huge advantage in keeping traction while launching. Love that you said these engines need to be up over 2500 rpm. That's why I love stalls in autos. It keeps the car up around 3500 rpm, whenever you want it. They're fantastic and make these cars so much faster. All these people talking about trash/slushbox old 4 speeds have no idea how fun a stalled 4l60e LS1 can be. They're amazing.
So glad to see the Camaro getting some attention I’ve got a 01 z28 A4 t-top. I will say your 98 Camaro looks to be rocking the ls6 intake. It was a popular mod among the Camaro guys as it got rid of the tube that ran right through the mouth of the intake behind the throttle body good for a hp bump.
Good catch! That LS6 intake did wonders for performance and cleaned up the engine bay nicely..add a 227/231 cam with full exhaust (w/flow master merge) and ported heads/fast 92/92= sweet spot..👍
last time i went drag racing in little river tx, my a4 00 ws6 with street tires and long tubes ran 12.92 at the last two passes, started with a 13.09, adjusting launch etc.
Yeah u remember the main reason in 2002 GM discontinued the camaro and firebird. Because their WS6 and SS versions were as fast and sometimes faster for a fraction of the price.
The Camaro is a convertible meaning that extra bracing was added to keep the chassis from twisting. The Corvette is significantly lighter due to the fiberglass body.
@@danielvillarreal8892 I own a 95 Camaro the only body parts that aren’t Fiberglass is the hood the quarter panels and the rocker panels the rest is fiberglass
@@thomaslouis5626 holy balls, what TSP heads and cam? I have (all still in boxes, lol) TSP 5.3 stage 2.5 CNC heads, TSP 233/239 112lsa cam, 1-7/8 LT headers, vararam V2 ram air CAI, Dorman 615-901 intake, LS3 TB, Borla Stinger straight pipes, x-pipe, 42lb injectors, and 160 thermostat. With all this, I was really only expecting around 440whp.
Please no mods to this rare and beautiful stock example. You just rarely see C5’s that haven’t been ruined with questionable and tacky aftermarket parts these days.
I’ve blown away WS6 Transams with my C5, and they are faster than this z,,,, and my stock C5 kicks down hard, somethings not right here, or that Z is not all stock!
I had a 99 Hugger Orange Super Sport with the 4l60E Automatic. My first pass ever with just 800 miles on the clock got me a 13.46@ like 104mph. I finished that day with a best of 13.23. Drag radial and the "Free mods" would get me to a 12.99 in the weeks following.
Well , the Camaro has the SLP intake so it isn't stock. Its the performance package putting the Camaro at roughly 327HP not 305hp. True stock to stock the vette is faster, always has been. 305hp (327hp with SLP pack) for the Camaro and 345hp for the vette. Camaro 3450lbs and vette is 3200lbs roughly. (30 year old GM product. Little shot, must be a ford guy) Bro needed to be honest about the SLP and under the hood and automatic gear options were 3:23 and 2:73 on the Camaro. Vette running the worse gears known to man. Its options was 2:73 and 3:15 with 3:45 for the manual.
In 1999 we put a brand new showroom stock Z28 LS1 w/ automatic on the dyno. Result was 336 wheel HP thru an automatic trans from an engine Chevy claimed only made 305hp at the crank. My personal 98 6speed Z28 put down 344 wheel hp stock. The numbers we saw over and over were the current gen Camaros/Trans-Ams and the current gen Vettes put down numbers that were within 1% of eachother.
Honestly lol. If i see a manual car being driven by someone my age I know its gonna be an easy win. But older dudes drive like their lives depend on it 😂
There isn’t a gap in the rolling race the Z28 just didn’t shift down into 1st gear. I’ve owned multiple 2002 Camaros (SS and Z28) and also 2003 Z06 and a 2004 base model corvette. The automatic Z28 kicking into first from 30 MPH will absolutely keep up with the corvette however sometimes they are finicky and don’t want to do it.
Okay. As the owner of a 200 Z28 bought new and a 2004 Z16 C5, I luv this video. My stripper Z28 gave some C5s heartburn back in the day. Of course once modding starts, it comes down to who has the bigger wallet. My Z28 ended up with a 382 that made 460rwhp NA and 650rwhp on a wet 150shot of nitrous. my C5Z made 355rwhp stock and 420rwhp with a cam and supporting bolt-ons.
Should of done the race with a none convertible 01 or 02 Camaro as they have the ls6 intake factory. Also the none convertible version is lighter by about 150lbs.
Back in the Heyday of these machines I was on a scca team that raced Firebirds. One of the things we used to do was put the Corvette OEM cam in to the LS that was in the firebird. Essentially that made it pretty much the same because the cam was the only real difference between these two. And it wasn't that significant at that either. It was really mostly gearing. It also didn't break any rules in scca because it was an oem part.
Both cars actually produce the same exact HP, however the Corvette is rated at the crank, and the Camaro is rated at the rear wheels. This is why acceleration was so even through the pull. Slight gearing differences and transmission tuning are what gives the C5 the edge.
you are forgetting that Camaros and Trans Ams did not have dual exhaust back then. Remember everyone getting cutouts? The exhaust manifolds and exhaust systems were obviously different. Supposedly the Corvette manifolds were slightly better and had a better breathing. So its likely the Corvette LS1 did make slightly more power thru the factory exhaust systems
You should have raced a SS Camaro hardtop against the Vette. The Camaro convertible weighs 3550 against the Vettes 3300. 250 pounds different. The SS Camaro would tie or beat the Vette. I know because I had a 2002 SS Camaro and beat many Vettes of the same years. You should race an automatic LS Camaro, Vette or Trans Am against the same car with a 6 speed. Great show guys!!
He said his Camaro is bone stock. I seen an SLP cold air in take 😅 I had a 2001Z28 in 2003 when I was a sophomore in high school LS, one motor sports, air intake, lid, take the lid super sport hood, hyperTech tune I swear my Camaro would run high 12s!! didn’t know it at the time after selling it and researching years later they put ls6 Corvette, engines in some of the Camaros in 2001 an 02 we would always say it was a factory Freak it definitely had around 385 hp to the wheels honest to God I wish I could go back and get that car same color, same interior ground effect package. There’s something special about that car would always give the hottest girls in my school rides. Best time of my life for sure.
Been hearing for years how GM underrated LS1s in F bodies, and all LS1s are 340-360 hp stock no matter what they’re in. This is still impressive for the Z, it’s a convertible, makes it heavier and structurally more flexible than a coupe, not good for performance. I’d like to see how an SS compares, and what differences there would be if one was a manual or both manual.
The rag top was about 450 lbs heavier than the hard top. I had a 98 1le car that ran 13s bone stock. I later added the zo6 cam and heads, was able to get 12.3 from that alone. I added a dry kit and got 11.5 on normal radials struggling to get traction. Drag radials got me to 11.3. After those mods the transmission went. The day the car got out from the tyranny shop with a 2800 stall my wife at the time spun out under a semi and totalled the car.
@@lifebringsus4393 I have a 4000rpm stall in my truck, I was told its best to get a stall close to peak tq and when it comes to nitrous you can get a converter made for a nitrous setup, I believe my FTI 4000 has anti balloon for that
@@swappedoutZ71 oh yeah you can get the converter built to handle nitrous but the stock internals of the 4l60e can't handle the torque spike. Too much heat, burnt 3-4 clutch pack and other carnage that can happen. I have a yank ss4000 converter, I love it. Some people go to the pt4400 for the ls1 too.
@@lifebringsus4393 I threw a trucool40k cooler on my truck it doesn't really get past 150 degrees but ur definitely right about stock internals. I have went through several "built" 4l60s with my last one being a good unit from performabuilt but a warped/cracked flexplate caused my pump to give out. These things are tricky but I hate to go 4l80 I really like how the 60 bangs gears when properly built plus it's smaller and lighter
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Recon if the Z-28 were a hard top it would have been even closer. Only issue I see with going with the Camaro is having to poke yourself in the eye every time you walk up to it, so you don't have to see how hideous the Camaros "styling" was executed.
@@playanddisplay3636 my 4th gen hugger SS still gets compliments.
@@goblinzl1 Even a broken clock is right twice a day brother. So long as you enjoy your car that's all that matters.
@@playanddisplay3636 lol thats funny. my car has got way more than 2 compliments. but thanks. as an original owner i like it a lot. i have big plans for it.
@@goblinzl1 Right on brother. I got my license the last year they were produced. Got a pretty wide variety of cars over the years but nothing better than flipping the hazards on 4th gen folks after giving them the gap sauce.
For those of us old enough, we knew this 24 years ago.
Or those who can read a spec sheet. But its just a bit of fun.
Yeah I remember going to a Chevy dealership back then and asking what happened to the Camaro. Why did they stop making it.. He said because people realized it had the same engine as the Corvette and it was hurting Vette sales... (He said something like that.. Cant remember exactly how he put it because it was over 20 years ago. lol)
@@dariusandrews4490 Believable if you consider the styling... the engine is the only thing desirable from either one.
@@Lupine. lol
Exactly... I use beat on C5s all day in my 98 6spd SS
I'm sure the convertible version weighs a good bit more than the coupe, so now I'm wondering how the z28 coupe would do.
Pretty cool comparison.
My thoughts exactly, they used the heaviest camaro out there
Yep, convertibles weigh 135lbs more than the Standard coupe, base on a quick google search.
I thought it was more than that
@@turlubambabouthats still like having a passenger with you and i bet it has more drag too
@@trevagraham1605 It surely does have more drag but in this low speed test, that doesnt really matter much.
Remembering from my street racing days, upon dyno comparisons the Z28 and Vette dyno number suggests the Z28 was def underrated. Loved this video.
My 98 T/A put down 305 to the wheels.
The rumor with 4th gens (both LT1 and LS1, Camaros and Trans Ams) was that they were rated at the wheels, while the Vettes were rated at the crank.
I've always heard that they were pretty much rated the same, the only difference being what GM told the public, weighted in favor of GM's darling, the Corvette, for the sake of "prestige" and sales.
Let’s not forget the 99 ls1 had upgrade parts
@@Svhopowa ?
Considering the significant weight disadvantage with the Z28 being a convertible it’s honestly impressive it kept up as well as it did.
How much more weight does it add 500lbs?
@@mannybananas1322 Barely over 100. People are just reaching for anything they can grasp onto.
@@Perry....he dude driving the Z is a lot heavier than the vette driver also. I'd say overall if the Z weighed 170 lbs less it wins the quarter-mile. In other words swap drivers and race the coupe version of the Z.
Convertible c5 is lighter then the hatch 😊
As the comment section reveals, this brings back great memories!!! I previously owned a 98 LS1 6-speed Z28 convertible. As a diehard Camaro fan, I’ll never forget being in college (while owning a 1990 Iroc-Z 5.7 TPI,my childhood dream car). One of my buddies owned a 2001 WS6 6-speed w/full exhaust-which was brand new at the time. He let me drive it…😮..In that moment, the Iroc-Z with 700r4 became the dream car I was ready to sell😢…THAT LS1 GOT ME!!
Man those irocs looked beautiful, but they were dogs!
I know right? After about 3500 rpm’s, nobody was home.
Still fun for back in the day..👍
WS6 was my dream car for several years!
Yep! The WS6’s were awesome and never received the hate the “catfish” Camaro’s did…lol
@@bird-man4022yessir I had 1989 formula 305 tpi LB9... after 4k it was done... then I got the gen 2 lt1 that pulled to 5000... than ls1 and now ls3
That was the slowest drag race in LS1 history, altitude must have been near Mount Everest🤔
for real the c5 vette should run low 13's damn near 12's.
What do you mean? 350 horsepower? V8s? Generally take 75 minutes to go quarter mile LOL
Reminds me of my friends 2000 Trans Am in high school. It was black on black and had T-tops and a 6 speed manual. It was so awesome!
I’m a Corvette Dude, but this is my fav generation of the Camaro! I loved the 4th Gen when I was younger coming up!
The Catfish 4th gens are great, performance-wise, but I'll always prefer the '93-'97; especially the '96/'97 SS. They looked so much better, and the LT1 is such an underappreciated engine.
Really is
This was the general consensus back in the day that the 93-97 looked better. The more people I talk to now prefer the 98-02. I owned several LT1 f bodies and had great luck with every one of them.
@@sloick Do they actually prefer the looks or are they just so wooed by the LS1 that they overlook the front end? I ask because I have a friend who has owned a '99 Z28 for a few years now and is still trying to convince himself that he likes the front end lol. It's just the headlights that hurt the Catfish for me. The rest of the front end is fine.
Personally prefer the 98+ look, even more so in trans am forms, but ultimately just love the whole generation
Camaros from the 90s are ugly imo. I prefer the Foxbody and New Edge mustangs. But them LS engines are impressive. GM underrated them.
It’s funny remembering how the auto transmissions were back then compared to now. Huge difference between the gears and super long. The gears on Today’s 8 speeds and 10 speeds are so tight together. I was in high school when these cars came out. I loved the z28s and Trans AMs.
And still, all you have to do is throw a stall in the old 4-speed and the 8 and 10 speeds lose a lot of their advantage
I also had a ‘99 z28 w/ t-tops.
First and only car I have ever bought new in my life. That LS1 engine was the absolute truth. Great video guys!!
What a great video. The corvette is such a good looking car. That would be the decider for me between the two. These drag races sure are fun to watch. Especially when they're so close. Thanks guys
It’s funny, I used to hate the C5 back when they were new and was so impressed by how much better looking and modern the C6 looked on launch. 20 years later and I finally appreciate the C5’s styling. The C6 still looks better to me but I no longer hate the C5 like I used to. Perhaps the insane performance per dollar these days of the C5 has softened my opinion of the car? $14k for that kind of performance is pretty alluring after all!
@@MegaTechpc it's funny you should say that. I used to feel the same way about the C4
@@MegaTechpc, Looks of course are subjective. I have a C5 Z06 and C6 Z06, and if you ask me, I like the looks of the C5... However, that is solely my own opinion seeing the cars side by side. I especially prefer the hidden headlights of the C5. However, you are not wrong in your opinion, and neither am I. Both are excellent choices for what I use them for. (one for road racing, one for autocross)
@@daveds50 youre absolutely correct, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Besides the C7 Stingray blows them both out of the water in terms of styling. In my opinion that is, lol…
C5 frc or z06 are still the best looking vettes to me. C6s were the beginning of the edginess in the design
Awesome video. I have a C5 and always wanted to know how close these two are. Love seeing the C5 content.
What altitude is this video shot at? I had a 95 LT1 vette auto that used to beat the crap out of my buddy's 98 Z28 auto on the street from a dig. But, after around 50mph he would catch up and pull away from me no problem. That 305HP rating was BS
Crazy how being so high above sea level affects those 1/4 mile times and HP. I owned a 02 camaro and here in Maryland that car is running 13.5-13.9 the vette 13.2-13.5 in the quarter.
Agreed…my stock C5 coupe auto with 2.73s ran consistent 13.20 at sea level
No, they didn’t.
@@negativeindustrial If you would like to fact check me, there’s plenty of third-party information out there from Car & Driver and motor trend to validate my times. my car consistently ran anywhere from a 13.20 to a 13.49 depending on temperature & track prep. You know I’m crazy enough to actually go buy one of these cars and take it to my local drag strip… i’ll put the entire video on TH-cam. Actually if you go to my channel I raced a stock C-5 Corvette in my GMC Syclone, and we were basically door-to-door. I will post the link shortly.
@@truckguyjoe
You’re right, the video of your Syclone will totally prove how fast your C5 was.
@@negativeindustrial Again… Plenty of third-party information to validate what a Syclone, runs in stock form. If a Syclone runs 13.50s… It makes sense I gave the Corvette such a good run. It’s all good… We can agree to disagree. I have no reason to state information that the entire world could fact check me on and tell me I’m wrong… Until somebody else agrees with you… Let’s just say I’m right.
My 02 Trans Am 6 speed ran 13.4 @ 105 stock
Put down right under 300 whp stock
It was average for the LS1 Fbody
the F-Bodys did have a litle less WHP because of the restrictive Y pipe and single exhust system. but cars with that SLP lid did get a significant bump in power.
We knew this already. The Camaro LS1 made the same power as the corvette but GM just rated it lower to not step on the C5’s toes
A few issues I noticed was the fact that the Z28 was not stock. It visibly had an SLP air lid which was good for 8-10 RWHP gains on these cars. Not a big deal since the Z28 was a convertible and that air lid likely did little more than negate the loss from the extra weight a vert had over the coupe, which I believe was 200lbs give or take. The other thing I noticed were those awful 1/4 mile times in the 15's. Both of those cars should be mid 13's. I'm assuming they were at a high elevation to get those slow times. Still a very good video.
Its a heavy rag top, and also was wearing the heavier 17” wheels from an SS, as opposed to the factory 16” wheels that are standard to the Z28 model...
Forget the hp numbers, those that owned gen 4 camaros know how nasty they can get with a few minor bolt ons.
Nice . . . good to see the Camaro getting some love,
Oh man this brings back fun memories, I had a black with dark grey leather interior 30th anniversary Z28 Camaro but with the manual 6 speed tremec trans. I was only 19 working full time as a dishwasher and luckily my grandfather co-signed back in February 2000, the car had 18,500 miles on it fully stock with the chrome 17 inch rims. Beautiful fast car at the time. I think I had the coolest loudest fastest car in town back then.❤❤❤
I love how these drag races feel like a lifetime! The horsepower kicks in + the weight difference takes the cake! Now let's see a figure 8 times 😂
There's no hp difference. It's the exact same engine. Just weight and aero
@@NWI_Steel GM never gives the Corvette equal HP to the lesser sibling Camaro.
@@stevesmith6236they say they don’t and it’s opinion which is lesser. I beat LT1 vetted in my LT1 camaro more than once bro
@@ztwntyn8 Good for you "bro". Ever heard the saying "talk is cheap"?
@@stevesmith6236, Truth... Back then in the early C5 days, They have suggested that the power numbers of the Z28 were suggested to be reported lower due to the Corvette being the flagship sports car that GM had. If we had a time machine and went back to when both were new and completely stock and on a chassis dyno, I would bet the two cars had much less power difference, if any, than reported. Having never owned a 4th gen Camaro, I cannot say for sure though.
My '98 Z28 ran 12.7. Nitto drag radials, slp air box, 3.23 gears stock, auto, and the frame was braced.
Love these videos and the comparisons between the two you should do current V6 cars like Camaro and Mustang against the older V8 cars just to see if they could still hang with the newer Tech
I raced a V6 Camaro in my 2003 Mustang GT. I won with only a couple feet ahead. Modern v6 cars are surprisingly quick.
@Josh Tyler it looked like a 2016
YOU MEAN A KIA STINGER VS ALL? THAT STINGER IS NO JOKE AND ITS ONLY A 4 CYLINDER!!
I had a 99 Corvette and I remember running low 13's. I frowned at your mid 15's until I remembered you are a mile high up in the clouds. ;) What a difference!
You can kiss high 12's at sea level with good tires. The factory runflats were straight trash for traction. One of the biggest reasons for the Z06's acceleration improvements was the tires they put on it.
Still seems like some fuckery going on. When I was bone stock, my 02 z28 with 2.73 gears hit 14.1 @ 8000 ft da. Where in Colorado are these guys at?
@@nunyabusiness896, Having been a past owner of a 2000 C5 FRC Manual, and currently the owner of a C5 Z06, (and C6 Z06) the biggest difference between the C5 and the C5 Z06 version is not the 55HP, but the shorter gear ratios of the Z06. (both rear end and transmission gears) That's why the regular 6 speed Corvette had a higher reported wind drag limited top speed while the Z06 bangs the rev limiter in 6th gear at 167mph. By the way, the stock tires on my C5 Z06, were Goodyear Eagle F1's... Horrible ancient technology tires in my opinion. At the time that I bought my C5 Z06 (about 6 years ago) The hot tire back then was the Bridgestone RE71R in a 305/30/18. That 4.0 second 0-60 that the magazines reported back when the car was new, seemed really slow compared to having real tires on the car. While I have no real way to measure that time accurately, my closest measurement is in the 3.6 second range now on Falken RT660's in a 315/30/18 flavor.
Yeah even my Mustang GT does 13.4s
Altitude kills these old V8s.
@@28fabianz1 Lack of a prepped track? These are also both auto, so no clutch dumping and that can make a big difference. Also don't seem to be doing a brake hold launch, either, just flooring it when told.
Instant like for the Camaro! Love that gen and I do own a european version of it here in Germany with the 5.7l. Stock exhaust sucks balls, sounds like nothing. Put a custom exhaust on it and it's probably the best sounding engine short of a Carrera GT. Cold start almost blows the garage away, such a deep rumble, revving up makes it sound like a race car. It's car orgasm. I wonder why they gave the car this off road look though, it sits so unbelievably high above the road. I lowered the car a lot with different springs and it sits just right with symmetrical wheel arches all around. Doesn't even look like it's modified. Build quality and so on is of course nothing to write home about, everywhere there is some rattling going on and these bubble knobs really look ancient. I like the instrument cluster a lot though, very classy. Milage is alright, 20mpg or so, good for 250miles. Milage is 46k on the car, so like 2k miles per year, being a 99model. Very comfy to drive and if the road is flat it handles awesome, if you believe it or not. Put new dampers in though, Bilstein monotube. The original ones were completely dead, they made the car feel like a boat, waving up and down. Scary. The brakes also are scary, especially on the german Autobahn. They almost don't work. Had to brake once really hard from 100mph and in the beginning the car almost didn't slow down. Afterwards there was smell of brake pads like hell, so the brakes did their job but yeah, nothing compared to a new car. The targa roof is awesome although it's leaking. Accelerating to 150mph with the t-tops of is feeling like a jet fighter taking off, it's just incredible with the wind noise and the screaming exhaust behind you, it's absolutely insane. I love it!
I much prefer the look of the original version of this generation of Z28. Never did really like the refresh as it just looks awkward with its more rounded design. The 93 Z28 was a real eye-opener back in the day and it left the Mustang of the time for dead on the track. It’s too bad there are basically no really nice examples to be found these days as pretty much all of the original 93-94 Z28s are ragged out and destroyed by now.
@@MegaTechpc I know what you mean, the look of the headlamps in the 93 model is awesome. Gives the car a very unique look. Given the choice between the LT1 (?) and the new LS1 aluminium block I had to go the route of fuel economy here in Germany since one gallon is like 7€ /$ +-. During Covid it was half that, but since 2021 the prices have reached their old levels.
Yes
Upgrade springs
Upgrade shocks to Bilsteins
Upgrade Sway bars
(Pretty standard modifications)
Fbody handles very nice
Upgrade the Lid/Headers and gain 30 whp
@@Highlander1432 do you have any recommendations for lid /headers? Swaybar I didn't feel would be necessary, maybe a strut bar in the engine bay.
@@computercrack
Speed engineering hands down for headers
BMR springs and front/rear sways
Bilstein shocks
I'd shop around for the Lid
Prices are about the same and results the same also
(I'd get the inexpensive one)
Sway bars will be the best handling upgrade to keep car flat in cornering
I just ordered strut bar and subframe connectors from speed engineering for literally half what big name companies were asking
i test drove a 98 Camaro SS once upon a time and before even driving it i asked the salesman what was the difference between the Camaro and a Corvette.... Their response was, " a back seat." Obviously there are more differences than than, but its basically true.
z28 is a convertible making it even heavier by 200-300 pounds. a coupe would have smoked the vetter
Plus Tommy is easily 100 pounds lighter than Brendan
That and the 30 roll 100% favored the vette. That vette kicked into 1st. The Camaro would’ve went to the bottom of 2nd. Plus who doesn’t pull the car into the proper gear during a roll?
Agreed plus that tall gear I think vettes ,back then , did 60 in first gear
The f-body convertible is 100 pounds heavier than the hard top...
thought the same that the convertible is heavier than a coupe
I owned both a 2000 Camaro LS1 4-speed Auto with the 323 rear end and then a 2002 Corvette 6-speed. Both were Factory stock with absolutely no modification. At 1,000 ft elevation my Camaro consistently ran about a 14.5 at 98 mph. The Corvette would consistently run about 13.8 at 103. Where you really saw the difference in acceleration and speed was once you got north of about 130 mph, from there the Camaro was pretty slow whereas the Corvette would pull pretty hard all the way to about 160 before the speedometer with start crawling. And when it comes to handling the Camaro did respectable as long as the pavement was really smooth but any kind of expansion joint or bumps in the pavement would really upset that rare solid axle. Also when it comes to braking the Camaro did fine with Factory rotors and pads for brisk driving but you would quickly feel some brake fade after a few miles on twisty Roads. On the Corvette if I was coming down from speeds over 140 a few times I would feel brake fade and my rotors would start to Blue but generally speaking I could go twice the distance on a twisty Road in the Corvette before feeling fade like I would in the Camaro. And surprising to most people both of them are very practical cars thanks to the hatchback and they both get pretty good fuel mileage if you drive it normal. For example I took a road trip from Kansas City to Los Angeles up to San Francisco and back to Kansas City in the summer with the air conditioning on averaging about 90 mph and still doing a bunch of burnouts in Vegas and spirited driving along the Pacific Coastal Highway and I still managed 24.5 miles per gallon for the whole trip in the Camaro. I loved the Corvette especially with the Targa Top down and cruising on the Vegas Strip or running the coastal highways on the Atlantic seaboard but overall I like the rear seats in the Camaro oh, I like the fabric seats better in the Camaro then the leather seats in the Corvette and overall I just like the Camaro over the Corvette because of practicality and with some performance brakes and some good tires it was still 90% of what the Corvette was.
In Alabama ( Close to sea level) My stock 4th gen Z28 with 3.42 gears and a 6 speed manual will easily do mid to low 13s in the quarter, that's about a 2 second difference due to the altitude.
That’s what my 03 GT does. These guys are terrible at drag races 😂
Then again they are a mile above sea level.
@@angelgjr1999 nothing to do with how good they are at driving its all in the altitude.
I daily drive a 99 Z28 6 spd convertible. Amazing car! Rock solid reliable. Extremely low maintenance. Fun car to take to the track, or drop the top on a beautiful day, load up my wife & 2 kids, and go for a drive through the mountains.
My 01 SS with a mild cam, headers and cold air intake will spank a C5 all day long in a straight line, on a track the Vette is miles ahead.
In 1999 I bought a 1999 Cameron SS instead of a 1999 Corvette because I couldn’t afford a Corvette. The SS had 330 hp and the Corvette had 345 hp. I miss that car.
my first car 16 years ago was 95 z28. I now have a 97 c5 for my weekend/project car. People never believed me how similar in proformace these two cars are. Looking for a manual mystic teal catfish with t-tops, so I can relieve my highschool year. Even the LT in the earlier catfishes held up
Switch drivers and do the same tests. Pretty sure the weight difference between the drivers will show up. The Camaro's, Trans Am's horsepower were all under rated for those years, especially the SS and WS6.
"We're not scientists. We're guys with trucks" (and cars) Great quote from Case.
As someone said earlier We 80s and 90s car people knew this already. A few tweaks and you could best a vette.
I've had SEVERAL of both LS1 F-bodies and C5 Corvettes and YES a 3.23 geared F-body is just as quick as a 2.73 C5 at low speeds I was going to say that was the reason before I watched the rest of the video ....BOTH can run mid-low 13's at sea level btw..BONE stock
Makes me miss my 2001 C5… I had an auto with 2.73s. It was a very consistent low 13 second car.
@@truckguyjoe 2.73 vette is a 14 second car. My 3.15 geared vette runs 13s consistently
I still have my 02 camaro z28 drop top....and I still look back at it while walking away
Now this is the kinda content I love to see 🤙
little story for ya here, just before I changed the motor my 1983 firebird lg4 5 speed.
My uncle had a 1982 corvette with the crossfire auto.
both cars were sub 60K anyway we wanted to see how they stacked up.
and the firebird beat the snot out of the corvette.
granted there were some variables. but right after my uncle wanted to see how his 1996 4door long bed 2wd duelly big block chevy 3500 auto would do, and it beat it too.
man those late 70s vettes were some dogs but theyre damn sexy.
Years ago GM high-tech performance magazine dynoed a LS1 from a Corvette and a LS1 from an f-body, they both made 347 flywheel horsepower...
So they pulled the engines out of the cars??
@@Underpantsniper I do not remember if they removed the engines or used a LS1 Corvette an f-body crate engines..
They both made 347 flywheel horsepower..
I raced a 2000 Corvette with my 2000 Transam.
We were even to 100 mph when the race ended...
@@Underpantsniper I guess they could have used some correction factor just as almost every dyno in europe does, but that would indeed be calculated numbers. On the other hand, just model of tires and the inflation pressure can give a few ponies variation with a wheel dyno, so....
@@GoldenCroc it was probably a chassis Dyno, it's the easiest way of tuning. My friends 2000 vett made almost 360 to the wheels with cat back, intake filter and bigger TB a few years ago.
One of the best testaments you can give the LS1 is that when I got my 2002 Z28 in 05 I put Koni's on it, an SLP lid, magnaflow catback, ported throttle body and ran a 13.5 with 2.73 gears on the stock tune. 18 years and 140,000 miles later (170,000 total) I replaced all the suspension with new stock parts, and added Strano sways and a STB and ran an identical 13.5 on a 90 degree day with the original stock 2.73's and the valve covers have never even been off, replaced the trans with another 4l60e and the fuel pump at 100K. Runs like the day I got it and I've always driven it like I stole it. Just an incredible job by GM on that motor and even the car IMO. Still love driving it, I actually like driving it better than my dad's 2019 Z06. That thing hurts my back is hard to see out the back, and makes me feel like I'm gonna die if I put my foot down more than half way, or at least go to jail. The Z28 I can turn off the traction control and just hammer it around corners and go sideways and just beat the hell of it and it's just a blast to drive still. Best 14K I ever spent and I can sell it for real close to that tomorrow if I wanted to.
Drag racing in Colorado is hilarious… they are soo weeazy..
I’d love to run a turbo shop up there. Tossing tiny turbos on everything.
Gearing. A 3.15 equipped auto C5 is a LOT quicker then a 2.73 equipped out of the hole. My 2K came with 3.15's, I thought about 3.42's however I do a lot of highway driving and with a few mods and a tune with the 3.15's it surprises quite a few people.
Good and fun video guys. I had a C5 Corvette and the rear end gearing will make a significant difference in the way the car comes out of the hole.
Yes, changing the rear differential gear ratio on the C5 A4 auto to a 3.15 gear ratio, or even 3.42 gear ratio from the 6 speed Corvettes makes a big difference. My daily driver is a '04 C5 auto and I paid a shop to take out the 2.73 diff and install a low mileage 3.15 diff. It made a noticable difference on take off velocity.
These are some of the few late model cars that you can change the gear ratio! Try to do that on most any other car in the world and you will see it is rare modification, reasonably priced modification compared to a turbo or supercharger kit; if you can do it.
My 01 C5 is running 342's and a trans tune, it feels like a totally different car now.
My c5 came with 2.73 gears before I built it. Definitely the reason the Camaro was so close racing from a dig.
@@Trentsworld18 There is that moment when the son out does the father and then embarrassment sets in.
I think I've seen a Camaro let a Corvette win just so the Mustangs wouldn't laugh.
Well, here come the Rams and Chargers. Oh, " they showed up". Dodge is like, hey I wanna play too!".
I had one of these z28s with a 6 speed. Triple black with t tops. That thing would move!
Anyone know the name of this color? 0:59
Bright Green Metalic.
This was an amazing video. I have owned a 98 M6 SS and a 00 automatic and have driven a c4 corvette. This is a real competition and they are both the same brand.
What a awesome race! Both beautiful cars. More American classic content, please, especially more GM cars. Great video, Tommy and crew.
Really puts into perspective how far ahead of the game GM was in the late 90s-early 2000s, the only performance car dodge had was the viper and they needed 10 cylinders and 8 liters of displacement to even compete, and Ford needed to strap a supercharger too their 4vlave 4.6 to even compete with the LS1, hell LT1 f-bodies would bully non-terminator mustangs.
It's kinda ricockulous how the HEAVIER convertible is able to keep up. Honestly, I'm quite shocked over the outcome of this match-up. Great video!
Here’s a possible explanation:
The Convertible F-Body had:
1. LS6 Intake (10-15 hp)
2. SLP Lid (5hp)
3. Exhaust (maybe 2-4 hp)
My .02…👍
It’s ridiculous how the dog geared 2.73 corvette beat an slp intake catback Camaro
Curb weight difference between the two helps..
@@bird-man4022corvette hatch is heavier than the convertible model
With ~15.5 sec quarter mile times at 94-98 mph, that's got to be at high altitude. Both those cars are well documented to be able to run mid 13's at 103-106-ish mph near sea level in stock form. Some of the more freakish ones will do low-13's at 107-108. I remember in the late-90's-to-early-00's (when those cars were new), it was well established that the Camaro/Firebird LS1 was essentially the same HP/TQ as the C5 Vettes...even though they do have different cams and programming.
I’m in Florida running 13s in my stock 3.15 geared corvette
I had a friend I college with a 98 Z28- it was an 4 speed auto too. It’s “305 hp” put 307 down at the rear wheels on the dyno bone stock… so yeah it was way underrated! A non convertible Camaro would’ve been even closer!
Lol any mod? Most dynod stock around 285ish
I had a 2000 Formula Firebird hardtop M6 that pulled 304 hp on the dyno bone stock at the time. These cars made close to what the Corvettes of the same year made. I think exhaust was the only real difference.
4th gen’s are underrated
I think someone switched the intake on the Camaro. There isn't an EGR valve.
Nice catch. Yes, it has the LS6 intake.
Yep think fbody didn't get them until 01,02
I have a mint 2001 triple black 6 speed SS very. 82K original miles.
Only mods are Texas Speed long tube headers and swapped out for a 4.10 rear.
2001 and 2002 were best years for Camaro SS. Z06 heads, intake, and clutch. Functional ram air hood.
I'd like to see the Z51 C5 with the 3.15 gears be reviewed
Should have ran an 01-02 F Body with a little more ponies than the worst choice the first production year of the LS... The 98s had so many draw backs...
i use to own a 1999 A4 camaro SS SLP (yes, actual SLP 1 of 4000 for 1999 yr) 3:23gears and i beat many camaro z28 (98-02) i guess the better free flow exhaust and intake help freeup power on the SLP cars, the camaros stock dyno was around 300+whp
My buddy has the 2002 Pontiac Firehawk with pretty much the same power output as the early C5. I've never seen it drive but I'm certain it would beat plenty of cars in its class
@@Corvolet5 Firebirds we’re pretty much the fastest muscle cars of that era, except for the Terminator Cobra. The cobras can still hang with the new generation.
@@angelgjr1999no they can’t lol
@@MrWackenhut manual vs manual, yes they can
I actually put c5 brakes on my 98 Z28 back in the day. Also had 17inch zr1 wheels 275 40 17 front 315 35 17 rear.
I love these comparisons.
Bought my ‘98 Z28 new and took it to the dyno about a year later and there was a ‘98 Corvette there the same day. My Z28 LS1 put down 304 RWHP, C5 Corvette LS1 put down 297 RWHP…
I would have loved to see a race with manual gearboxes just to see how much faster they can be.
Had an 02 z28 t-top with the 6 speed. Had beaten my buddies 2010 ss 6speed and if he could get his shifts perfect like mind it was dead even, atleast to 100, never tried past that with them side by side
Gears gears gears. That’s what helps these old muscle cars the most. Mine has 4.10s and can still beat v6 Camaros and 5.7 chargers.
Agree, launch wins these races, and you need these things up over 2500rpm or so. Vette still should have pulled way ahead. I started at Z28, been through both of these. The Vette can be launched much harder due to weight and balance and usually better tires and wheels. Should have ran away in this comparison.
You’re correct, IF it was as STOCK VS STOCK comparison. It wasn’t..
Camaro had:
1. LS6 intake (10-15 hp)
2. SLP Lid (5 hp)
3. Custom Exhaust (2-4 hp maybe)
Had the F-Body been stock, I believe the C5 would have easily walked it in both drag and roll races…
@@BrisLS1 Plus, the Vette has independent rear, which is a huge advantage in keeping traction while launching.
Love that you said these engines need to be up over 2500 rpm. That's why I love stalls in autos. It keeps the car up around 3500 rpm, whenever you want it. They're fantastic and make these cars so much faster. All these people talking about trash/slushbox old 4 speeds have no idea how fun a stalled 4l60e LS1 can be. They're amazing.
I had a 86 Iroc . Then I got a 95 z28 then a 2001 z28 . Loved them
So glad to see the Camaro getting some attention I’ve got a 01 z28 A4 t-top. I will say your 98 Camaro looks to be rocking the ls6 intake. It was a popular mod among the Camaro guys as it got rid of the tube that ran right through the mouth of the intake behind the throttle body good for a hp bump.
Good catch! That LS6 intake did wonders for performance and cleaned up the engine bay nicely..add a 227/231 cam with full exhaust (w/flow master merge) and ported heads/fast 92/92= sweet spot..👍
The car isnt stock then. This should be pinned
He could have just done an egr delete, I did that and still have an ls1 intake. The only way to know for sure is to see the underside of the manifold.
last time i went drag racing in little river tx, my a4 00 ws6 with street tires and long tubes ran 12.92 at the last two passes, started with a 13.09, adjusting launch etc.
Another great video! Keep them coming!
I love this channel. I don’t know why I only discovered it recently
Yeah u remember the main reason in 2002 GM discontinued the camaro and firebird. Because their WS6 and SS versions were as fast and sometimes faster for a fraction of the price.
Main reason was cause they only sold 42k Camaro’s compared to the Mustangs 142k.
Thats because the camaro was 10k more than a base Mustang gt
@@turlubambabou Exactly, another reason the Camaro was killed off.
They were discontinued because they weren't selling.
🤦♂️
I remember embarrassing many new Corvettes and Vipers in the late 1990s in Boca Raton....
The Camaro is a convertible meaning that extra bracing was added to keep the chassis from twisting. The Corvette is significantly lighter due to the fiberglass body.
The Camaro is also fiberglass
@@618chevyguy5 Not all of it is fiberglass
My 03 Mustang GT weighs 3200 lbs. Fun little car.
@@danielvillarreal8892 I own a 95 Camaro the only body parts that aren’t Fiberglass is the hood the quarter panels and the rocker panels the rest is fiberglass
@angelgjr1999 definitely fun for a slow car. I've owned several
Anyone catch that the camaro has an SLP lid and newer style intake manifold. Probably worth 20hp combined
It would be cool to see y’all build these car on a budget and see what they can do 🏁
I have an 04' C5, I installed Texas Speed heads and cam, CAI, looks headers, Borla Stinger exhaust and MGW shifter. On dyno it pulled 467 RWHP
@@thomaslouis5626 holy balls, what TSP heads and cam?
I have (all still in boxes, lol) TSP 5.3 stage 2.5 CNC heads, TSP 233/239 112lsa cam, 1-7/8 LT headers, vararam V2 ram air CAI, Dorman 615-901 intake, LS3 TB, Borla Stinger straight pipes, x-pipe, 42lb injectors, and 160 thermostat.
With all this, I was really only expecting around 440whp.
Please no mods to this rare and beautiful stock example. You just rarely see C5’s that haven’t been ruined with questionable and tacky aftermarket parts these days.
I’ve blown away WS6 Transams with my C5, and they are faster than this z,,,, and my stock C5 kicks down hard, somethings not right here, or that Z is not all stock!
Tommy, did the Corvette have traction control disengaged?
Yes!
@@TFLnow That quarter-mile time is horrible. My 1997 feels like it may be about that slow. Which I find is depressing.
My second car ever was a 96 Z28 Camaro silver t-tops I love that car it was so fast to me considering I used to have a cavalier before that
Whenever you test these classics, you have to tuck your T-shirt into your shorts and wear white socks with white New Balance leather tennis shoes.
Don’t forget the cell phone holster on the belt.
I had a 99 Hugger Orange Super Sport with the 4l60E Automatic. My first pass ever with just 800 miles on the clock got me a 13.46@ like 104mph. I finished that day with a best of 13.23. Drag radial and the "Free mods" would get me to a 12.99 in the weeks following.
Well , the Camaro has the SLP intake so it isn't stock. Its the performance package putting the Camaro at roughly 327HP not 305hp. True stock to stock the vette is faster, always has been. 305hp (327hp with SLP pack) for the Camaro and 345hp for the vette. Camaro 3450lbs and vette is 3200lbs roughly. (30 year old GM product. Little shot, must be a ford guy) Bro needed to be honest about the SLP and under the hood and automatic gear options were 3:23 and 2:73 on the Camaro. Vette running the worse gears known to man. Its options was 2:73 and 3:15 with 3:45 for the manual.
Agreed. Its just so hard though to find a totally stock z28 from that era.
In 1999 we put a brand new showroom stock Z28 LS1 w/ automatic on the dyno. Result was 336 wheel HP thru an automatic trans from an engine Chevy claimed only made 305hp at the crank. My personal 98 6speed Z28 put down 344 wheel hp stock. The numbers we saw over and over were the current gen Camaros/Trans-Ams and the current gen Vettes put down numbers that were within 1% of eachother.
To make this test more realistic; you should've found a couple of men in their 70s to do the driving
How old are you?? 12 ??
Honestly lol. If i see a manual car being driven by someone my age I know its gonna be an easy win. But older dudes drive like their lives depend on it 😂
There isn’t a gap in the rolling race the Z28 just didn’t shift down into 1st gear. I’ve owned multiple 2002 Camaros (SS and Z28) and also 2003 Z06 and a 2004 base model corvette. The automatic Z28 kicking into first from 30 MPH will absolutely keep up with the corvette however sometimes they are finicky and don’t want to do it.
I've been noticing more love for the 4th gen Camaros as time goes on, and I'm all for it.
Had a 98 SS and spent the late 90s walking everyone lol
I bought a 99 Camaro SS with $135k miles for $7k bone stock other than an SLP exhaust. Pulls super hard and it has a T56.
Okay. As the owner of a 200 Z28 bought new and a 2004 Z16 C5, I luv this video. My stripper Z28 gave some C5s heartburn back in the day. Of course once modding starts, it comes down to who has the bigger wallet. My Z28 ended up with a 382 that made 460rwhp NA and 650rwhp on a wet 150shot of nitrous. my C5Z made 355rwhp stock and 420rwhp with a cam and supporting bolt-ons.
The slowest models of both, so a valid comparison.
Should of done the race with a none convertible 01 or 02 Camaro as they have the ls6 intake factory. Also the none convertible version is lighter by about 150lbs.
Great Video! Love my 4thGen Z28, simply awesome.
Back in the Heyday of these machines I was on a scca team that raced Firebirds. One of the things we used to do was put the Corvette OEM cam in to the LS that was in the firebird. Essentially that made it pretty much the same because the cam was the only real difference between these two. And it wasn't that significant at that either. It was really mostly gearing. It also didn't break any rules in scca because it was an oem part.
Both cars actually produce the same exact HP, however the Corvette is rated at the crank, and the Camaro is rated at the rear wheels. This is why acceleration was so even through the pull. Slight gearing differences and transmission tuning are what gives the C5 the edge.
you are forgetting that Camaros and Trans Ams did not have dual exhaust back then. Remember everyone getting cutouts? The exhaust manifolds and exhaust systems were obviously different. Supposedly the Corvette manifolds were slightly better and had a better breathing. So its likely the Corvette LS1 did make slightly more power thru the factory exhaust systems
You should have raced a SS Camaro hardtop against the Vette. The Camaro convertible weighs 3550 against the Vettes 3300. 250 pounds different. The SS Camaro would tie or beat the Vette. I know because I had a 2002 SS Camaro and beat many Vettes of the same years. You should race an automatic LS Camaro, Vette or Trans Am against the same car with a 6 speed. Great show guys!!
A t-top Camaro would have been a better race. The verts are heavier due to the reinforcement needed for the top.
He said his Camaro is bone stock. I seen an SLP cold air in take 😅 I had a 2001Z28 in 2003 when I was a sophomore in high school LS, one motor sports, air intake, lid, take the lid super sport hood, hyperTech tune I swear my Camaro would run high 12s!! didn’t know it at the time after selling it and researching years later they put ls6 Corvette, engines in some of the Camaros in 2001 an 02 we would always say it was a factory Freak it definitely had around 385 hp to the wheels honest to God
I wish I could go back and get that car same color, same interior ground effect package. There’s something special about that car would always give the hottest girls in my school rides. Best time of my life for sure.
I had a 98 z28 as my first car. Good times.
Looks that Camaro might have a few bolts on too; at least an SLP lid,maybe more?
Been hearing for years how GM underrated LS1s in F bodies, and all LS1s are 340-360 hp stock no matter what they’re in. This is still impressive for the Z, it’s a convertible, makes it heavier and structurally more flexible than a coupe, not good for performance. I’d like to see how an SS compares, and what differences there would be if one was a manual or both manual.
The rag top was about 450 lbs heavier than the hard top. I had a 98 1le car that ran 13s bone stock. I later added the zo6 cam and heads, was able to get 12.3 from that alone. I added a dry kit and got 11.5 on normal radials struggling to get traction. Drag radials got me to 11.3. After those mods the transmission went. The day the car got out from the tyranny shop with a 2800 stall my wife at the time spun out under a semi and totalled the car.
Never let women drive a built car unless they are the racing type of woman lol
Oof stock 4l60es can't take the torque spike from nitrous too long. A bigger converter could have done more for the car, 2800 is really low.
@@lifebringsus4393 I have a 4000rpm stall in my truck, I was told its best to get a stall close to peak tq and when it comes to nitrous you can get a converter made for a nitrous setup, I believe my FTI 4000 has anti balloon for that
@@swappedoutZ71 oh yeah you can get the converter built to handle nitrous but the stock internals of the 4l60e can't handle the torque spike. Too much heat, burnt 3-4 clutch pack and other carnage that can happen. I have a yank ss4000 converter, I love it. Some people go to the pt4400 for the ls1 too.
@@lifebringsus4393 I threw a trucool40k cooler on my truck it doesn't really get past 150 degrees but ur definitely right about stock internals. I have went through several "built" 4l60s with my last one being a good unit from performabuilt but a warped/cracked flexplate caused my pump to give out. These things are tricky but I hate to go 4l80 I really like how the 60 bangs gears when properly built plus it's smaller and lighter