1997 Camaro SS with LT4

Story:

(work in progress)

Discussion about much of this can be viewed here and here. A great deal of help was given to me by the member named Xsta Z 28.

To further celebrate Camaro’s 30th Anniversary, SLP offered to its top dealerships an invitation to order what would become one of the most unique fourth generation Camaro’s ever built: A special content Camaro SS with a 330 horsepower, LT4 Grand Sport Corvette Engine.

Only 106 special 1997 Camaro SS 30th Anniversary LT4’s would be built. 100 would be for sale in the United States and 6 would be sold throughout Canada. Due to timing constraints for certification, the cars were not available for sale in California, New York or Massachusetts.

To purchase one of these special Camaro SS’s one needed to complete a SLP Sales Agreement Form and place a $5,000 deposit with their dealer. Once the deposit was received by SLP, the owner is notified of a production date. The first 50 cars were built between January and February 1997 and the second group of 50 cars was produced between March and April.

110 LT4 cars were made. All had hard tops. 106 of those were production ones, 1 was a prototype (owned by Matt Murphy), 1 was a development car (owned by Jon Schroer) , 1 was a race car (owned by Steven G. Eguina) , and 1 was immediately wrecked at Young Chevrolet in Dallas, TX and isn't considered part of the production because it was a total loss from what I heard. 6 were Canadian, 100 were American, and then there's 3 early cars, and the one that no longer exists.

Of the 100 in the US, 9 or 10 were Rick Hendrick Special Editions and those car numbers were 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 23, 34 (this one may or may not be a Hendrick car), 43, and 71. I will make a page about the Hendrick Special Editions eventually.

SLP LT4 Alterations:

• Second Sticker MSRP of $17,023.00 - On top of the Camaro sticker price

• 330 Horsepower LT4 Engine

• 330 Horsepower Tail Panel Decal

• Performance Exhaust System with Twin Dual Polished Tips

• Stainless Steel Exhaust Manifolds

• Lightweight Flywheel

• High Performance Pressure Plate

• Lightweight Drive Shaft

• High Strength Ring and Pinion Gear Set

• Hurst Short Throw Shifter

• Level II Bilstien Sport Suspension Package

• Torsen Limited Slip Differential with AAM Cast Aluminum Cover

• Hurst Short Throw Shifter

• Engine Oil Cooler

• Quaker State SynQuest Motor Oil

• Performance Synthetic Lubricants Package ( Rear Axle Lubricant & Power Steering Fluid )

SLP LT4 Optional Content:

• Level III Bilstien Ultra Sport Performance Suspension Package (The level 3 suspension used polygraphite bushings whereas the level 2 used hard rubber. The net effect is a slightly harsher ride with no bushing flex.)

• BF Goodrich Comp TA R1 17” Tires ( shipped separately on a second set of wheels )

The standard LT4 Engine Specifications from Chevrolet include:

• 350ci Displacement

• 10.8:1 Compression Ratio

• 330 @ 5,800 RPM Horsepower, Factory Rating

• 340 @ 4,500 RPM Torque, Factory Rating

• 6,300 RPM Redline, Factory Rating

• Cast Iron Block Construction

• 4.00 Inch Bore

• 3.48 Inch Stroke

• 282 Intake, 277 Exhaust Valve Duration

• .476 Intake, .479 Exhaust Valve Lift, Degrees

• 46 Degree Valve Overlap

• 2.00” @ 85 grams Intake Valve

• 1.55” @ 75 grams Exhaust Valve

• 3.5 gps, 28 lbs/hr Fuel Injectors

• Cast Aluminum Heads with 2 Valves per Cylinder

• Heads 240 CFM Flow with Higher Ports

• Intake Port Volume 195 CFM

• Combustion Chamber 54.4 cc

• Graphoil with Stainless Steel Fire Rings Head Gaskets

• 7/16” Rocker Studs

• Forged Aluminum Roller Rocker Arms

• 1.6:1 Ratio with Lock Nut and Set Screw

• Oval Section Valve Springs with Higher Closing Force

• Eutectic Aluminum/Silicon Alloy Pistons

• Main Bearings 4-Bolt Centers, 2-Bolt Ends

• Powdered Metal Connecting Rods

• Cast Iron Crankshaft with Undercut and Rolled Fillets

• Roller Timing Chain with Steel Sprockets

• Dual Mass Torsional Damper

• Solid Cam Sprocket

• Stainless Steel Exhaust Manifolds

• Heavier Pistons

• Smaller Valve Reliefs

• Balanced Crank

• Rolled Crank Journals

• Wider but Shallower Head Combustion Chambers

• Lighter Hollow Stem Valves

• Positive Twist Compression Rings

• Nodular Iron Main Bearing Caps

• Teflon Rear Main Seal

• Fuel Cut Off @ 6,400 RPM

SLP could have installed the impressive LT4 crate engines directly into the Camaro SS as is, but they took it a step further. All 106 of the production LT4 engines were completely disassembled, balanced, blueprinted and honed with stress plates. Areas of the engine that were checked and adjusted included, the deck, line bore, bearing clearances, head surfaces and a multi angle valve job.

One in 5 engines was selected to be tested on a Superflow engine dynamometer, and if your engine was chosen, the performance sheets were included with the paperwork inside the car. Xsta Z 28's LT4 Camaro’s engine was chosen for a bench test and the dyno sheet indicated a maximum of 333 horsepower and 344 lb/ft of torque.

Every LT4 Camaro was tested on a chassis dynamometer in addition to performing a short six mile road test, the dyno results were also included with the car and a letter was sent to each purchaser to let them know this testing would be performed on their Camaro. The provided sheets with Xsta Z 28's LT4 Camaro showed an achieved 281 rear wheel horsepower and 311 lb/ft of torque.

How to Visually Identify one of the LT4 cars:

(work in progress)

LT4 doesn't show on the RPO code sticker, so identifying one is a process. One should have all of these features:

• • It should be a 30th Anniversary Edition SS — white with orange stripes

  • It cannot have t-tops or be a convertible. All of them were hard tops.

  • All of them had manual transmissions (MN6)

  • red intake

  • tail panel has a 330 hp decal

  • RPO codes:

  • Z4C = APPEARANCE PACKAGE 30TH ANNIVERSARY

  • WU9 = SALES PKG ANNIVERSARY Z28 SS (Note: 167 30th Anniversary Camaro SSes lack R7T but have WU9. WU9 essentially forced R7T onto the car even if it isn't on the RPO code sticker. It's thought that if the dealership ordering the car didn't checkmark the box for R7T, WU9 would suffice--as it is specific to 30th Anniversary SSes)

  • R7T = CONTROL SALES ITEM NO. 44 (Camaro White Book defines it as "SS Package (non-Chevrolet modification)")

  • 1SJ = Z28 PREFERRED EQUIPMENT GROUP #2

  • AG1 = 6-WAY POWER DRIVER'S SEAT

  • Quaker State SynQuest Synthetic Lubricants Package

  • Dual-dual exhaust

  • If it's a Canadian car, it should have RPO Code Z49 = EXPORT CANADIAN MODIFICATION MANDATORY BASE EQUIPMENT

  • The edge of the passenger door should have a sticker stating "LT4 SLP Car #___ " (hopefully the ink hasn't completely faded away)

  • On the radiator shroud, it should have an emissions sticker that states the engine is an LT4.

'97 LT4 SS start up and idle video:

Thank you to Andy and Katie McCall for providing Brian Meissen this video, who then provided it to me.