best year lt1 to mod?
08-10-2004, 04:38 PM
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oklahoma where trees are made of wood.
Posts: 2,725
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
Originally Posted by besz28
iam pretty positive it is the 1994,also heard they run the strongest and make the most power. 
and that black ones are 10 more hp
and that black ones are 10 more hp
08-10-2004, 06:30 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Saginaw, Michigan
Posts: 3,620
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
Well, I love having a '97. Why?
1) Updated interior and rear tail lights
2) Can be switched to OBD1 for less than $300
3) Generally has less miles than any other LT1 year
4) Vented Opti. (Never had a problem with mine yet)
5) Bugs worked out after 5 years of LT1 production.
6) Can easily use the exhaust of earlier models.
7) Factory 5-spoke rims
Dan
1) Updated interior and rear tail lights
2) Can be switched to OBD1 for less than $300
3) Generally has less miles than any other LT1 year
4) Vented Opti. (Never had a problem with mine yet)
5) Bugs worked out after 5 years of LT1 production.
6) Can easily use the exhaust of earlier models.
7) Factory 5-spoke rims
Dan
08-10-2004, 07:19 PM
#18
Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: CHI-TOWN
Posts: 449
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
96/97 got better head ports. Theyre modeled after the LT1 iron heads that outflowed the early aluminum LT1 castings. Of course if your gonn go nuts and port the heads i hear the earlier heads have a lil more "meat" in em to carve out and will be a better head for porting.
08-10-2004, 07:52 PM
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Austin/Houston, TX
Posts: 1,347
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
An LT1 is an LT1... an LS1 is an LS1. If you are gonna rip apart the engine, then it doesnt really matter. If you are gonna stick to bolt ons, then it make a small differnece.
OBD1 is alot nicer to tune and diagnose. 93-95 also come with hardened pushrods, so that will save you 40 bucks if you go NSA rockers.
Most comes down to prefrence. If you are gonna make a street/strip car then i would say go with 95 because it has the best of all worlds.
If you want a daily driver with bolt ons, i would find a 97 due to the interior and usually lower miles.
The money you save from factory bonuses (like hardened prods on 95) doesnt really matter if you go with chromoly ones anyway.
Kinda like LS1 with 01+ having better exhaust manifolds, LS6 clutches and intakes....
So whatever floats your boat.
An LT1 is an LT1 is an LT1. Ditto for LS1.
OBD1 is alot nicer to tune and diagnose. 93-95 also come with hardened pushrods, so that will save you 40 bucks if you go NSA rockers.
Most comes down to prefrence. If you are gonna make a street/strip car then i would say go with 95 because it has the best of all worlds.
If you want a daily driver with bolt ons, i would find a 97 due to the interior and usually lower miles.
The money you save from factory bonuses (like hardened prods on 95) doesnt really matter if you go with chromoly ones anyway.
Kinda like LS1 with 01+ having better exhaust manifolds, LS6 clutches and intakes....
So whatever floats your boat.
An LT1 is an LT1 is an LT1. Ditto for LS1.
08-10-2004, 09:54 PM
#20
Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 56
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
my vote is the 93 6 speed with just cai exhaust no cat and airfoil and 125000 miles my 93 dynoed wright on 305 hp at 325 trq now she is wripped opened and becoming a 355 with headers hotcam and lots of nitrous
08-11-2004, 04:37 PM
#21
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Steger
Posts: 24
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
thanks guys. I wanted either a 97 or 95 but i wasn't sure, but i think i want a 97. its kind of complicated but its going to be a daily driver and the occaional drag race at my local track (route 66 in joliet). my car for sure won't compare with my uncles' 1969 z28 with a 509 ci big block running 9.57 in a 1/4 lol 
08-11-2004, 05:30 PM
#22
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Winston Salem, NC
Posts: 956
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
lots of incorrect data in this thread though...
93- speed density OBDI system. Has the advantage (disadvantage?) of being tuneable with different chips whereas the 94-95 systems you have to reprogram the PCM every time. some parts for later models won't fit right on these (noteably headers) so selection is more limited, although many people have had great succes modifying these cars.
94-95 MAF OBDI (all of them were OBDI) 95 is generally considered the best year due to the vented opti, etc. but have the slight disadvantage of needing an OBDII connector to scan/program the OBDI PCM. California model 95's came with dual cat exhaust systems. Some have noted the OBDI PCM has problems handling high stall and low short times in automatics
96-97 - dual cat OBDII systems. Doesn't have the OBDI stall problem, but has the disadvantage of costing WAY more to program or scan and some have noted issues with I think fueling when programming? Check the LT!Edit mailing list for more info on that one. Supposedly the dual cat system is worth 10hp, but likely more of a ratings game with GM than anything. To remain emissions legal, OBDII cars are required to use a somewhat less efficient dual cat header design, often one of the first things swapped over to an earlier design on these cars.
93- speed density OBDI system. Has the advantage (disadvantage?) of being tuneable with different chips whereas the 94-95 systems you have to reprogram the PCM every time. some parts for later models won't fit right on these (noteably headers) so selection is more limited, although many people have had great succes modifying these cars.
94-95 MAF OBDI (all of them were OBDI) 95 is generally considered the best year due to the vented opti, etc. but have the slight disadvantage of needing an OBDII connector to scan/program the OBDI PCM. California model 95's came with dual cat exhaust systems. Some have noted the OBDI PCM has problems handling high stall and low short times in automatics
96-97 - dual cat OBDII systems. Doesn't have the OBDI stall problem, but has the disadvantage of costing WAY more to program or scan and some have noted issues with I think fueling when programming? Check the LT!Edit mailing list for more info on that one. Supposedly the dual cat system is worth 10hp, but likely more of a ratings game with GM than anything. To remain emissions legal, OBDII cars are required to use a somewhat less efficient dual cat header design, often one of the first things swapped over to an earlier design on these cars.
08-11-2004, 08:16 PM
#23
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Sellersburg, IN, USA
Posts: 379
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
First off do you have emissions where you live?? If so, do OBDII cars only have to pass a scan test? If so definatly get a 1996 or up which has OBDII. I would have had far less troubles with emissions had mine been a 96 instead of a 95, since I had to pass a roller test.
-Tony
-Tony
08-11-2004, 09:30 PM
#24
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: brunswick ohio, small burb south of cleveland
Posts: 420
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
Originally Posted by billy mensch
my vote is the 93 6 speed with just cai exhaust no cat and airfoil and 125000 miles my 93 dynoed wright on 305 hp at 325 trq
my biased opinion is for the 95. vented opti, obd1 (94 has the obd1 plug) which is very easy to tune. i bought the cable for 65 (with the obd2 plug) and paid 75 for lifetime programming (pcmforless). the first diagnosis of an ses light and the whole thing has paid for itself. i have never had any high stall problem. i am not sure what that is referencing. if i had to do it again and wasnt going to get into the heads i would buy an ls1. if you are planning to do the heads / cam i would get the lt1.
08-12-2004, 09:31 AM
#26
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oklahoma where trees are made of wood.
Posts: 2,725
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
Originally Posted by magius231
93- speed density OBDI system. Has the advantage (disadvantage?) of being tuneable with different chips whereas the 94-95 systems you have to reprogram the PCM every time. some parts for later models won't fit right on these (noteably headers) so selection is more limited, although many people have had great succes modifying these cars.
94-95 MAF OBDI (all of them were OBDI) 95 is generally considered the best year due to the vented opti, etc. but have the slight disadvantage of needing an OBDII connector to scan/program the OBDI PCM. California model 95's came with dual cat exhaust systems. Some have noted the OBDI PCM has problems handling high stall and low short times in automatics
96-97 - dual cat OBDII systems. Doesn't have the OBDI stall problem, but has the disadvantage of costing WAY more to program or scan and some have noted issues with I think fueling when programming? Check the LT!Edit mailing list for more info on that one. Supposedly the dual cat system is worth 10hp, but likely more of a ratings game with GM than anything. To remain emissions legal, OBDII cars are required to use a somewhat less efficient dual cat header design, often one of the first things swapped over to an earlier design on these cars.
94-95 MAF OBDI (all of them were OBDI) 95 is generally considered the best year due to the vented opti, etc. but have the slight disadvantage of needing an OBDII connector to scan/program the OBDI PCM. California model 95's came with dual cat exhaust systems. Some have noted the OBDI PCM has problems handling high stall and low short times in automatics
96-97 - dual cat OBDII systems. Doesn't have the OBDI stall problem, but has the disadvantage of costing WAY more to program or scan and some have noted issues with I think fueling when programming? Check the LT!Edit mailing list for more info on that one. Supposedly the dual cat system is worth 10hp, but likely more of a ratings game with GM than anything. To remain emissions legal, OBDII cars are required to use a somewhat less efficient dual cat header design, often one of the first things swapped over to an earlier design on these cars.
The OBD 1 stall problem is only if youre going larger than a 3000 stall. You shouldnt need one bigger than that unless its strictly a 1/4 mile assault weapon.
I had a 93 before I bought my 97 T/A, the chips are a pain in the but, not to mention the right (or wrong) mod will throw the program off considerably. For instance on my 93 I switched from shorty to LT headers and my car became so lean, for instance on the scanner (300$ compared to a free one for OBD 1 94-95s) at 2000 rpm cruising my O2 #s went from a 720 mv to 350 mv!!!!!! I adjusted fuel pressure to 55 psi and it still ran quite lean (just below 400) , I had a chip burned for it and that was solved. I also changed from a ZZ9 cam to a cc305 cam , and it had such a surge that it would shake on decel, new chip took care of it.
The Tuner cat can be had for both, but for a 93 it is in excess of 300$ because of the extra stuff needed to burn chips, wheres youre looing at 150 $ for a 94-95 OBD 1.
My 97 is converted to OBD 1, I have tuner cat, and I have a free scanner.
Last edited by WS Sick; 08-13-2004 at 09:30 AM.
08-12-2004, 01:30 PM
#27
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Amarillo Texas
Posts: 712
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
Not a 93 SD, slower after modded
94-95 ODB1 underrated on hp 275 claimed but i hear more
96-97 ODB2 rated at 285hp
Self tunning is less expensive on ODB1, but the 96-97 car have a newer smoother ride, my 94 rides like its on solid metal wheels. Every bump in the road, i have poly mounts and lowering spring. But still not as nice as my friends 97 with lowering springs.
95 got leather
I think 94-95 are lighter than 96-97 , i know camaro's are lighter than T/A's
I only have 285hp and i keep up with cars that have 320. not to bad for a low budjet racer.
Although i do like the looks of the Ram AIr T/A's 1997.
I am happy with my 94 , no emmisons, or air, very easy to work on, and i bought the progamming software dirt cheap b/c its ODB1,
94-95 ODB1 underrated on hp 275 claimed but i hear more
96-97 ODB2 rated at 285hp
Self tunning is less expensive on ODB1, but the 96-97 car have a newer smoother ride, my 94 rides like its on solid metal wheels. Every bump in the road, i have poly mounts and lowering spring. But still not as nice as my friends 97 with lowering springs.
95 got leather
I think 94-95 are lighter than 96-97 , i know camaro's are lighter than T/A's
I only have 285hp and i keep up with cars that have 320. not to bad for a low budjet racer.
Although i do like the looks of the Ram AIr T/A's 1997.
I am happy with my 94 , no emmisons, or air, very easy to work on, and i bought the progamming software dirt cheap b/c its ODB1,
08-13-2004, 04:18 AM
#28
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Austin/Houston, TX
Posts: 1,347
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
seriously... i wouldnt rule out any of them. I would look for a good deal on one. Look around and eventually you will find a killer deal. Just keep your eyes open. I wouldnt buy one year over another just because it has hardened pushrods or is MAF. They all have their little quirks and in the long run... they are all LT1s.
Thats just my take.
-Stu
Thats just my take.
-Stu
08-13-2004, 10:25 AM
#30
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: tallahassee, FL
Posts: 811
Re: best year lt1 to mod?
I say 93...
I like how the computer dosn't have as much influence over the engine as 94+, many of the systems are easier to adjust, tou can scan the PCM with a paper clip, and no MAF sensor (mr brother has a 94 Z28 and that damn MAF ticks me off)
I think any year LT1 car is a grwat one to mod, I just perfer the 93 for how easy it is to tune and work on.
I like how the computer dosn't have as much influence over the engine as 94+, many of the systems are easier to adjust, tou can scan the PCM with a paper clip, and no MAF sensor (mr brother has a 94 Z28 and that damn MAF ticks me off)
I think any year LT1 car is a grwat one to mod, I just perfer the 93 for how easy it is to tune and work on.