just test drove a 97 camaro

[95firebird3.4]

so this was a 97 rs camaro the car only had 57k now i got in it and there has to be somthing wrong cuz this car felt just as fast if not slower then my 3.4. the owner said it just had a full tune up. i asked the owner about it and he took it for a drive with me and he said the car was acting as it always had. what do you guys think. is there anyone on here that has both car?

[DAS BOOT]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

so this was a 97 rs camaro the car only had 57k now i got in it and there has to be somthing wrong cuz this car felt just as fast if not slower then my 3.4. the owner said it just had a full tune up. i asked the owner about it and he took it for a drive with me and he said the c ar was acting as it always had. what do you guys think. is there anyone on here that has both car?

I have, I have a newer 3.8L The tubular manifolds help a little bit.

The biggest difference is the power in the upper RPMs, the 3.4L dies, the 3.8L pulls... But at times it feels like the 3.4L has a little more power down low over the 3.8L.


but overall... numbers don't lie.

best run stockish in my 3.4L mid 16s.
best run modded but streetable in my 3.4L 15.4

Best run in my stock 3.8L 15.2
Best run with some mods but streetable in my 3.8L 14.6


I "was" the fastest n/a 3.4L for years at 15.4, my 2k 3.8L beat it like 2 weeks after I bought it.

[josh98bird]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

what was his def of a full tune up... I mean some people think full tune up is filters and fluid change only.

[DAS BOOT]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

some people will say a plugs and an oil change....

to be honest... the 3.8l is faster, but not leaps and bound faster... Alot of 3.8Ls are in the 16s and upper 15s. Average person cannot tell the difference between a 15.8 car and a 16.1 car...

[vanbibber]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

maybe it didnt have vtec.

[badinfluenceRS]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

I had a 96 3.8, and my friend had a 94 3.4...

his car was significantly slower, and the biggest difference (as already mentioned) was the 3.4 was dead at higher rpms...

My car was a Y87 with better gears and a few bolt ons tho

[DAS BOOT]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

If you get technical... I had beaten more then one 3.8L at the track. Once we had a huge thing going on over at cz28.com as a rivalry... it was great, I had a blurry picture out my back hatch of me ahead of him at the track.

[Shirl]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

so this was a 97 rs camaro the car only had 57k now i got in it and there has to be somthing wrong cuz this car felt just as fast if not slower then my 3.4. the owner said it just had a full tune up. i asked the owner about it and he took it for a drive with me and he said the car was acting as it always had. what do you guys think. is there anyone on here that has both car?

I traded my 3.4 for a 3.8 RS and still have the car to this day. Of course, it's not stock anymore. ;) Even bought another one, the convertible. The 3.8 is a great motor. Maybe something's wrong with the car. You should be able to notice a significant difference in power. Take it out on a highway and get on it to see.

[JohnnyC]

Re: just test drove a 97 camaro

I drove a 3.4L last night with a cam and some other mods. My '97 3.8L y87 m5 hardtop was faster stock. I think it depends on what you're comparing too though, 3.4 auto vs. y87 m5 3.8L is gonna be a bigger difference than a 3.4L m5 versus an auto t-top 3.8L with 3.08s