I am the proud owner of a 2000 Black L. My wife is really wanting a fast car (I got my toys now she wants hers) She likes Firehawks and Camaro's, which is faster a Firehawk or a top-o-the line camaro? I just need some input, thanks.


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Y2K Lightning Black
No mods yet but a bunch on the way!

 

Firehawk.

 

The SS Camaro and the WS6 Firebird both have the same engine (5.7L V8) but the Pontiac is a little bit quicker for some reason.

DUCK

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Build the Hell outta Bonfire 2000!

 

Go the WS6 or Firehawk route. Far cooler car IMHO. The Camaro interior really blows and its styling is really coservative.

If you want in-your-face looks go WS6. Turns heads everywhere.


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2000 Red Lightning Born 3-8-00 / Delivered 3-22-00
22% Window Tint, Clear Corners, MPulse LoPro Tonneau, AIM 2" Drop Shackles, Bed Rug, PSP Filter Kit

'99 Yukon Denali - Silver, Lowered 1", Borbet CW4's, 285/60R18 Toyo Proxes S/T's, Hotchkis AntiSways, Edelbrock Shocks

2000 Red Trans Am Ram Air WS6, 6 Speed - Delivered 2-15-00 - Awesome Looking Car

 

Be careful a little tweak and she will blow you away !

 

Get her a 6 speed. No woman (except maybe Christy) in her right mind will rev it high enough and drop the clutch to keep pace with the Lightning. (In my experience anyway)

[This message has been edited by WHAT04 (edited 06-08-2000).]

 

What04,
I see you have a Firehawk. So it is faster than a stock L? Are their a lot of hop ups available for it, also how is the monsoon stereo system? Maybe I will let her drive the L and I will see how fast that WS6 really is. Oh yeah!

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Y2K Lightning Black
No mods yet but a bunch on the way!

 

SVT-Snake



Actually, we own the WS6 - really big difference is the hood - WS6 has four holes, Firehawk has 2 big holes.

We got the T/A before the Lightning arrived and I thought it was a loud obnoxious vehicle that was tightly sprung and very fast. Just drove it the other day for oil changes etc. Drove for about 1-1/2 hours. It was really quiet and smooth compared to the L. As far as speed goes, the 6 spd can certainly out drive the L in a quarter mile if you really drive the snot out of it. Don't think it will last doing this repeatedly though. The L really feels much faster, especially at launch.

The monsoon stereo is adequate. Better than the L's. More bass. Wouldn't buy the 12 disc however. You're less likely to change the system if you do.

Plenty of hop ups available. See:

http://www.ls1.com/ls1forum/ls1_forum_main.htm

I'll stick with my Lightning. My wife will stick with her WS6. (By the way, it has a great exhaust crackle, especially when cold)

[This message has been edited by WHAT04 (edited 06-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by WHAT04 (edited 06-08-2000).]

 

What04,
Thanks for the correction. It is a beautiful car. I finally convinced her to get a big block car rather than a Prelude. Do they all come 6 speed stock? Are their optional rear end gear ratios? Thanks for the link.


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Y2K Lightning Black
No mods yet but a bunch on the way!

 

don't you mean firebird not firehawk?

 

Another possibility is not get a Trans Am, but a comparably equiped Formula Firebird. Might have to special order, but it is getting pretty late in the 2000 model season.

I mention the Formula because you can get pretty much the same performance options as the Trans Am, but it might be a little lighter and cheaper if you leave off some of the luxury/convenience options.

Popular Mechanics in 1999 tested a bunch of cars in the 1/4 mile and found the Formula faster than a similiarly equiped Camaro SS (320 HP Ram Air 5.7L engine with 6 speed manual). The Formula was about 100 lbs. lighter.

Camaro was 13.42 at 106.15 MPH. Formula was 13.15 at 108.27 MPH. Popular Mechanics was shocked by the Formula performance. They thought this was perhaps the fastest stock Firebird in history. The Formula also looked like the best buy for the money at $26,800.

This Popular Mechanics article seemed kind of odd because all 13 vehicles tested seemed quicker than usual, but I am no expert. By the way, the Lightning was the slowest at 13.62 at 101.16 MPH. The Dodge Viper was the fastest 12.08 at 118.51 MPH. Testing was done at Pomona Fairplex in Calif. in March 1999.

 

SVT-Snake,

Yes the T/A comes stock as a 6 spd, with a Hurst shifter as low buck option. Rear end gearing is an option but I believe the gearing is performance optimized as stock, highway as an option.

Also, I believe the Formula WS6 option is not available in 2001.

 

The new corvete sure looks sharp and its fast, maybe the wife would like one? You could drive it too, just to make sure everythings alright.

 

Get the plain Z28 Camaro as it looks more "normal" and it is just as fast. Most women (my wife included) may want to go fast but they don't want all them fake scoops and huge spoilers to do it.

I am in the opposite boat. I got the Z28 for the wife, but she hates it. She can't see out and the hood line is way to long and too low for her. She drives the L everyday. It is a sad state when the wife has your ride. I like the Z28 but it is not macho enough for me, it is much faster 12.5 vs 13.7 than the L yet it just does not have the REAL MAN feel. Must be an age thing.

 

Fast, fun car?

I would take a look at the Honda S2000 Roadster.
2800 lbs/240 hp
9000 rpm redline
20/27 mpg
limited production (like the Lightning)
(priced the same as a Lightning and almost no options)