Crossfire or LT1/Mustang??
Discussion
hey guys n gals,
im looking at buying a toy for street/strip use mext year. ive always had a soft spot for the xfire (yeh i know its not really a yank!) and late model camaros/pontiacs/mustangs. in your experience what would be better. how reliable are yanks compared to the crossfire? costs of parts? insurance? pros and cons of both ie rust/wear and tear etc? also what is a stock quarter mile for each vehicle...yeh i know theres figures on the net for what they should do but i dont know what theyre like in real life terms!
any useful advice is welcome!
im looking at buying a toy for street/strip use mext year. ive always had a soft spot for the xfire (yeh i know its not really a yank!) and late model camaros/pontiacs/mustangs. in your experience what would be better. how reliable are yanks compared to the crossfire? costs of parts? insurance? pros and cons of both ie rust/wear and tear etc? also what is a stock quarter mile for each vehicle...yeh i know theres figures on the net for what they should do but i dont know what theyre like in real life terms!
any useful advice is welcome!
Can't help you on the re-badged Merc (though you talk about street/strip I can't think it'd be any good for strip use; 15 sec 1/4's, if you're lucky?), and your other options need a little more detail. When you say late model Mustang/Camaro, do you mean the S197 Mustang and 5th Gen Camaro, or do you mean the SN95 and Gen 4? V6? V8?
What's your budget?
What's your budget?
My budget is around 3500-4000 I know the xfire will do 15.0 quarters and will get intO the 14s easily with a little tuning. What does a stockmcamaro/ mustang do? What's the build quality/ reliability like on the Chevys/ fords? I'm thinking of 94-98 camaro/mustang v8 lt1 maybe ls1 if I'm lucky
Reality is you're either a 'ford guy' or a 'chevy guy' simple. Build quality, tunability, performance is 50/50 although a mid 90's f body will be quicker than a mustang, as a rule the mustangs tended to corner better (stock).
You need to decide what you want in body shape, for your budget you'll get a third gen fbody (82-92) or a fourth gen (93-00) engines vary from a 305TBi, 350TPI LT1 or LS1 working through age, personally the later the engine the better the performance (stock), 'if' you're looking at dragging then any of these will and have been ideal cars.
You need to decide what you want in body shape, for your budget you'll get a third gen fbody (82-92) or a fourth gen (93-00) engines vary from a 305TBi, 350TPI LT1 or LS1 working through age, personally the later the engine the better the performance (stock), 'if' you're looking at dragging then any of these will and have been ideal cars.
The older Mustangs are relatively underpowered with the GT having 215hp. The Cobras had 305 though some may have been missing unless rectified in 1999. However, the Cobra has IRS so is not so good in the drags and I only ever saw one on the track running 15s.
The LT1 F-bodies will generally run low 14s and the best i saw was one with a modified throttle body running 14.2 - gainst me in my LS1 and I ran 14.0 on that same run.
The LS1 is a far better engine as it is all alloy and makes more power than they declared - far nearer the Corvette's 345 than GM admitted. Best I got from mine was 13.8 at 105 but that was rolling it off the line and flooring it when I got traction otherwise it span uselessly and went sideways (auto).
The "issue" with the LT1 has always been the Optispark ignition which is like a dinner plate on the end of the crank in line for water from every angle. It's expensive and quite hard to replace. The LS1 uses coil packs.
The Mustang Cobra is dohc and big and complicated next to the pushrod simplicity of the GM engines.
Crossfires are SLKs. Not bad reviews in SRT6 form but not really a drag car.
The LT1 F-bodies will generally run low 14s and the best i saw was one with a modified throttle body running 14.2 - gainst me in my LS1 and I ran 14.0 on that same run.
The LS1 is a far better engine as it is all alloy and makes more power than they declared - far nearer the Corvette's 345 than GM admitted. Best I got from mine was 13.8 at 105 but that was rolling it off the line and flooring it when I got traction otherwise it span uselessly and went sideways (auto).
The "issue" with the LT1 has always been the Optispark ignition which is like a dinner plate on the end of the crank in line for water from every angle. It's expensive and quite hard to replace. The LS1 uses coil packs.
The Mustang Cobra is dohc and big and complicated next to the pushrod simplicity of the GM engines.
Crossfires are SLKs. Not bad reviews in SRT6 form but not really a drag car.
LuS1fer said:
The older Mustangs are relatively underpowered with the GT having 215hp. The Cobras had 305 though some may have been missing unless rectified in 1999. However, the Cobra has IRS so is not so good in the drags and I only ever saw one on the track running 15s.
The LT1 F-bodies will generally run low 14s and the best i saw was one with a modified throttle body running 14.2 - gainst me in my LS1 and I ran 14.0 on that same run.
The LS1 is a far better engine as it is all alloy and makes more power than they declared - far nearer the Corvette's 345 than GM admitted. Best I got from mine was 13.8 at 105 but that was rolling it off the line and flooring it when I got traction otherwise it span uselessly and went sideways (auto).
The "issue" with the LT1 has always been the Optispark ignition which is like a dinner plate on the end of the crank in line for water from every angle. It's expensive and quite hard to replace. The LS1 uses coil packs.
The Mustang Cobra is dohc and big and complicated next to the pushrod simplicity of the GM engines.
Crossfires are SLKs. Not bad reviews in SRT6 form but not really a drag car.
thanks for the info, bizzarly the xfire seems to be popular for the drag strip in america. the fastest ive seen is a 10.9, in street trim a 13.5 with no2, cai, different pulleys etc. The LT1 F-bodies will generally run low 14s and the best i saw was one with a modified throttle body running 14.2 - gainst me in my LS1 and I ran 14.0 on that same run.
The LS1 is a far better engine as it is all alloy and makes more power than they declared - far nearer the Corvette's 345 than GM admitted. Best I got from mine was 13.8 at 105 but that was rolling it off the line and flooring it when I got traction otherwise it span uselessly and went sideways (auto).
The "issue" with the LT1 has always been the Optispark ignition which is like a dinner plate on the end of the crank in line for water from every angle. It's expensive and quite hard to replace. The LS1 uses coil packs.
The Mustang Cobra is dohc and big and complicated next to the pushrod simplicity of the GM engines.
Crossfires are SLKs. Not bad reviews in SRT6 form but not really a drag car.
It's very hard to be prescriptive. In my experience at RWYB's th track is always very poorly prepped and it's like taking off on glass so those times are not really representative or comparable to US tracks. In general, US times are lower with low 13s being the order of the day for the LS1s - traction has always been the big limitation.
In the US, they also tend to run US street-legal Nitto drag radials which are far grippier than anything you can run legally over here. I don't think they are legal here.
If dragging is what you want, you're better off buying a pair of wheels and fitting proper drag tyres but if it's a RWYB, that's cheating a bit.
In the US, they also tend to run US street-legal Nitto drag radials which are far grippier than anything you can run legally over here. I don't think they are legal here.
If dragging is what you want, you're better off buying a pair of wheels and fitting proper drag tyres but if it's a RWYB, that's cheating a bit.
LuS1fer said:
It's very hard to be prescriptive. In my experience at RWYB's th track is always very poorly prepped and it's like taking off on glass so those times are not really representative or comparable to US tracks. In general, US times are lower with low 13s being the order of the day for the LS1s - traction has always been the big limitation.
In the US, they also tend to run US street-legal Nitto drag radials which are far grippier than anything you can run legally over here. I don't think they are legal here.
If dragging is what you want, you're better off buying a pair of wheels and fitting proper drag tyres but if it's a RWYB, that's cheating a bit.
thanks for the info, its much appreciated.In the US, they also tend to run US street-legal Nitto drag radials which are far grippier than anything you can run legally over here. I don't think they are legal here.
If dragging is what you want, you're better off buying a pair of wheels and fitting proper drag tyres but if it's a RWYB, that's cheating a bit.
il have to have a think about what i want to do, i want a car to have as a weekend toy but also something i can use as a project car to get faster over the next couple of years. sounds like a late model camaro/firebird/mustang is the way to go in that case. i like the crossfires a lot, and in stock trim theyre pretty quick but maybe tuning would be a bit more difficult in the long run...plus like you say its not a yank....just looks like one
I've seen an LS1 Z28 on ebay in Northern ireland but think it's nearer £8k. The main problem is they have thinned out on the ground quite a lot in the past few years as the last cars were made in 2002. My old one is in a sorry state with the diff missing in Barry and that was immacualte when I had it.
On another note, modifying is fairly essential. The T-top body is flexible and the stock shocks are squidgy. Mine had a Bilstein suspension kit, full length weld-in subframe connectors, lower control arms and strut brace. the stock wheels are also stupid 16" items.
Have you thought about a Corvette C4? I saw a black G reg one on ebay for £5k at a dealers in London that looked promising. That has the 250bhp L98 but the Vette is lighter and will run about 14.0 in standard form (my mate ran his at Avon Park). I have a soft spot for them. The 300hp LT1 arrived in those in 1992.
I loved my C4 and my Z28.
On another note, modifying is fairly essential. The T-top body is flexible and the stock shocks are squidgy. Mine had a Bilstein suspension kit, full length weld-in subframe connectors, lower control arms and strut brace. the stock wheels are also stupid 16" items.
Have you thought about a Corvette C4? I saw a black G reg one on ebay for £5k at a dealers in London that looked promising. That has the 250bhp L98 but the Vette is lighter and will run about 14.0 in standard form (my mate ran his at Avon Park). I have a soft spot for them. The 300hp LT1 arrived in those in 1992.
I loved my C4 and my Z28.
LuS1fer said:
I've seen an LS1 Z28 on ebay in Northern ireland but think it's nearer £8k. The main problem is they have thinned out on the ground quite a lot in the past few years as the last cars were made in 2002. My old one is in a sorry state with the diff missing in Barry and that was immacualte when I had it.
On another note, modifying is fairly essential. The T-top body is flexible and the stock shocks are squidgy. Mine had a Bilstein suspension kit, full length weld-in subframe connectors, lower control arms and strut brace. the stock wheels are also stupid 16" items.
Have you thought about a Corvette C4? I saw a black G reg one on ebay for £5k at a dealers in London that looked promising. That has the 250bhp L98 but the Vette is lighter and will run about 14.0 in standard form (my mate ran his at Avon Park). I have a soft spot for them. The 300hp LT1 arrived in those in 1992.
I loved my C4 and my Z28.
yeh i had considered the c4 and love them to bits..just didnt know what they were like on fuel/insurance compared to the camaro and how good an example youd get for that kind of money (5k), id probably save a bit more to get a vette in the long run as i wouldnt need to mod it out to get teh same times on the strip.On another note, modifying is fairly essential. The T-top body is flexible and the stock shocks are squidgy. Mine had a Bilstein suspension kit, full length weld-in subframe connectors, lower control arms and strut brace. the stock wheels are also stupid 16" items.
Have you thought about a Corvette C4? I saw a black G reg one on ebay for £5k at a dealers in London that looked promising. That has the 250bhp L98 but the Vette is lighter and will run about 14.0 in standard form (my mate ran his at Avon Park). I have a soft spot for them. The 300hp LT1 arrived in those in 1992.
I loved my C4 and my Z28.
Edited by 37chevy on Wednesday 29th August 16:16
37chevy said:
yeh i had considered the c4 and love them to bits..just didnt know what they were like on fuel/insurance compared to the camaro and how good an example youd get for that kind of money (5k), id probably save a bit more to get a vette in the long run as i wouldnt need to mod it out to get teh same times on the strip.
Being lighter, cheaper on fuel and being older, cheaper on insurance. The only issue with them is they do tend to be quite poorly built and you should check the paint for bubbling as this tends to be porous fibreglass and that means paint and sealing the fibreglass. Still loved mine. Better access to the motor too with the clamshell front and they sound incredible with a nice freeflow exhaust. targa stows in the boot too so fresh air in an instant. If I ever sell my Mustang, I'd have another (puts away his rose tint specs). Edited by 37chevy on Wednesday 29th August 16:16
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