6. New Model Gossip

The following is a mixture of pre-release information and rumor regarding the new F-body models. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Good news for Pontiac fans in want of the LT4 engine, SLP will be building 100 Firehawks with the LT4 engine, just like the 100 Camaro SS cars they built with the LT4. Cars will be limited to red and black (any interior color though), no T-tops, and 6-speeds only.

The Lingenfelter Hurst Firebird is now available. The car must be ordered as a Firebird Formula with the WS6/Ram Air package. To this Lingenfelter adds a 58mm throttle body, LPE intake manifold, LPE CNC ported LT4 heads with hardened pushrods and guideplates, Competition Cams 1.6:1 roller rocker arms and heavy duty dual valve springs with titanium retainers, aluminum driveshaft, Hurst shifter, shorty headers and Borla cat-back exhaust. Power is advertised at 350 HP. The exterior has a special black and gold paint scheme with Lingenfelter Hurst/Firebird emblems and ground effects package. The interior head rests and floor mats are embroidered and the car comes with a dash plaque, alarm, and custom car cover. The price tag is $44,458. Orders cannot be made through Pontiac, instead contact Lingenfelter at 219-724-2552 for more information.

Dennis and Kyle Mecham, of 2nd and 3rd gen Macho Trans Am fame, are coming back into spotlight to produce a 20th Anniversary MACHO Trans Am. The new Macho T/A will be available in three stages: Basic, HO, and SD packages. The Basic package includes a Mecham-designed rear wing, new fiberglass hood, and painted on Macho graphics. Power modifications include the same bolt-on parts as the Firehawks. The price is around $30,000. The HO package will include the Basic package in addition to a cam and head upgrade, raising power to around 400 HP. The price is around $42,000. Finally, the SD package will include the Basic and HO packages in addition to larger/wider wheels, upgraded brakes, and the engine gets bored and stroked making up to 500 HP. A wide choice of options will be available for the SD the a price around $60,000 (depending on options). The Macho T/A's will be produced at the same location as the originals 20 years ago (Glendale, AZ), although the name has changed from Mecham Pontiac to Biddulph Pontiac. The first three prototypes of the above packages are already ordered, with up to a total of 20 to possibly be built. Orders cannot be made through Pontiac, instead contact Todd Coombes (tcoombes@aol.com) for more information.

The Firebird and Camaro exteriors get a minor facelift. The front fenders, front fascia, hood, and headlights are all being reworked. The Camaro's headlights are larger and oval in shape, and the fog lights are integrated into the front fascia at the lower left and right corners. The Firebird's headlights are still pop-ups (but reshaped) with separate low and high beam units, and the fog lights are integrated into the front fascia around the license plate. The Camaro's front fascia has a grill on the lower half where the license plate site and fresh air is delivered to the engine. Its turn signals wrap around the corner of each front fender. The Firebird's front fascia has 2 openings at the top center where it meets the hood (probably for optional ram air applications) and the license plate is in-set into the front fascia with a body-colored filler plate (with the screaming chicken) to fill in the space if you don't have/want to display a front plate. Its turn signals are now separate with one on the side of the front fender (in front of the wheel well) and the other integrated into the front corners of of the fascia. On the Trans Am, air ducts are located right under each turn signal on the fascia where cool air is directed towards the front brakes for increased cooling. Hot air from the brakes then escapes through openings behind each wheel well on the front fenders (reminiscent of the 3rd gen TA). The Firebird's rear tail light assembly is basically the same although the backup lights are round and a honeycomb pattern replaces the crosshatch pattern laid over the tail lights. The hood and front fenders of both the Camaros and Firebirds are reshaped to accomodate the new V8 engine. As for colors, dark green and blue are replaced by navy blue metallic and gold. Also, the Camaro RS ground effects and spoiler will be replaced by a "sport appearance package" and will be available on both the base and Z28 models.

Under the hood, the Z28, Formula, and Trans Am get the LS1 all-aluminum, Chevy small block which made its debut in the 1997 Vette. On the F-Body, it's rated at 305 HP (at 5200 RPM) and 335 lb-ft of torque at (4000 RPM). This is a 20 HP and 10 lb-ft increase over the '97 F-Body LT1 engine. The LS1 is also 10% lighter than LT1. A slightly more restrictive intake and exhaust and milder camshaft are the main differences from the Vette's LS1 which is rated at 345 HP and 350 lb-ft torque. Engine accessories are now mounted directly onto the engine (without brackets) to provide better belt life, improved balance and reduced noise and vibration. Air intake design is similar to the Vette as it is centrally located in front of the radiator (mounted to the upper radiator support) and features a slide out cartridge design for convenient servicing.

As for the Camaro SS and Formula/Trans AM WS6, Street Legal Performance will no longer be making the modifications of these vehicles. It's still unknown whether GM will manufacture these cars at the regular F-Body plant (in St. Therese, Canada). Rumors of a new outsourcing company have surfaced with ASC for the WS6 and Yenko (yes, Yenko of the 1st gen Camaro fame) for the SS. Plans are for a HP increase (TBA) over the regular LS1, a ram air induction system, unique hood design, 17-inch wheels and GoodYear (275/40ZR/17) tires. It should also have new stainless steel exhaust tips, power steering cooler, suspension upgrade package, and special badging/decals.

The 6-speeds get a more durable clutch employing an improved, self-adjusting linkage. Other improvements include a fuel-system-on-demand (variable rate fuel pump), fully welded exhaust, 17" wheels, and optional power steering cooler. Braking is also improved with a new Bosch 5.3 ABS unit and twin- piston aluminum sliding calipers up front. The braking system incorporates electronic proportioning using solenoid valves to change the distribution of the braking force between the front and rear wheels. On hard stops, 80% of the force is applied to the front brakes. On more gentle stops, the rears get a bigger percentage of the stopping power. This equalizes pad and rotor wear between the front and rear. Rotor diameters are also increased to 11.9" in the front and 12.0" in the rear. The rear also has a new parking brake design using a separate drum built into the rotor.

A recent Car and Driver test of a pre-production '98 Trans Am resulted in a quater mile of 13.9 sec at 104 MPH, 0 - 60 MPH in 5.3 sec, reline top speed of 159 MPH, 0.87 g on the skidpad, and 70 - 0 MPH braking of 163 feet.

Not much info other than new colors of green, blue, orange (Chevy only) and pewter. Plus the V6 gets electronic throttle (no mechanical linkage) and the only limited slip will be the Torsen which is currently an option on the SLP Firehawks and SS's.