What's the difference?

[Grogan73]

Hello everyone. I am new to forum and a new Camaro owner. I bought a 2011 Camaro SS convertible as a "gift to me" for my 20th anniversary in the U.S. Army. Please excuse my ignorance, but I have a few questions. I have been reading your posts and buying parts to upgrade the car but I am conufused by some of the different model information I am seeing in posts.

1) I am seeing car model/packages reffered to as a 1SS or 2SS. What is the difference and how do I know what I have?

2) Why is there a HP difference between the L99 and LS3, manual vs. auto? I understand there is a difference, but why?

And last, My car is an L99 with a CAI kit, stainless cat-back exhaust, vitesse throttle controller, and an SCT4 93 octane tune. I am going to do a custom tune with Jannetty Racing once I am done upgrading. What more can I do with out getting inside motor or power adders? This car is a daily driver and I don't drag race (except the occasional teenager!). I just want to make it right, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for any help or opinions in advance!

[mar10]

2SS is an upgraded trim package. Look for red SS emblems on the front.
The Autos and Manual transmissions have different gear ratios in the transmission and the differential gearing is different. I believe the HP difference is related to MPG's and Emissions compliance. L99 has variable valve timing but supposedly Chevy couldn't get it to work smoothly with the Manual transmission.

What brand CAI do you have as far as power goes you should look into Long Tube Headers. Then you can upgrade your rear gearing for faster acceleration.

Do not write off improving the suspension. The Camaro needs upgraded cradle bushings. Trailing arms WITH outer bushings also help put the power down. I did cradle diff and trailing arms bushings as well as trailing arms at the same time the car feels much better.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

The red/white logos are whether or not you have the RS package. Red emblems means RS package.

1SS should have cloth seats, the 2SS should have leather seats.

HP difference is because of MPGs and the AFM (active fuel management). The manual car doesn't have the AFM on it, like the L99 does.

[mar10]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

The red/white logos are whether or not you have the RS package. Red emblems means RS package.

1SS should have cloth seats, the 2SS should have leather seats.

HP difference is because of MPGs and the AFM (active fuel management). The manual car doesn't have the AFM on it, like the L99 does.

My bad on the red lettering I got confused for a bit.

[ZED SLED]

Welcome OP
Go up to the gray toolbar and click on search, then type 1ss vs 2ss in the google search field. A bunch of similar threads will come up with members trying to explain the differences. There will be much erroneous information in them as there will be in this thread, but you will learn a lot, and some of it is really funny.

[Grogan73]

Aha! So I have a 2SS package. I have red SS badging on the front and rear and leather. Thank you for the replies. I wanted to make sure if I bought parts they would work. I am going to definitely address the suspension. It rides ruff/stiff to me for only 20,000 miles. I have considered headers but they cost nearly as much to have put on as they are to buy so it will be a little bit. Thanks again!

[dmcm494]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

The red/white logos are whether or not you have the RS package. Red emblems means RS package.

1SS should have cloth seats, the 2SS should have leather seats.

HP difference is because of MPGs and the AFM (active fuel management). The manual car doesn't have the AFM on it, like the L99 does.

+1 and you have a RS package that has HID headlights and chrome bezels around tail lights. if you have a RS the SS emblems are red.

[Grogan73]

Originally Posted by dmcm494

+1 and you have a RS package that has HID headlights and chrome bezels around tail lights. if you have a RS the SS emblems are red.

That is exactly what I have thank you. So it is a 2SS/RS if I am correct then?

[ZED SLED]

Originally Posted by dmcm494

+1 and you have a RS package that has HID headlights and chrome bezels around tail lights. if you have a RS the SS emblems are red.

Actually, they all have that. RS has tinted tail light lenses.

[pyroguy]

Originally Posted by Grogan73

1) I am seeing car model/packages reffered to as a 1SS or 2SS. What is the difference and how do I know what I have?

2) Why is there a HP difference between the L99 and LS3, manual vs. auto? I understand there is a difference, but why?

And last, My car is an L99 with a CAI kit, stainless cat-back exhaust, vitesse throttle controller, and an SCT4 93 octane tune. I am going to do a custom tune with Jannetty Racing once I am done upgrading. What more can I do with out getting inside motor or power adders? This car is a daily driver and I don't drag race (except the occasional teenager!). I just want to make it right, if you know what I mean.

1) 1SS will have cloth seats, no center console gauges, no back up sensors, and a few other "luxuries". RS is a trim package that can be differentiated by the SS badge on your car. If you have red SS badges you have the RS package, so your car would be a SS/RS. Included in the RS package are body colored roof trim pieces, high intensity headlights, halo headlights, and a few other items but those are the major things.

2) The difference lies within the fact that while the engines are similar, they are different engines. The L99 has active fuel management (AFM) and variable valve timing (VVT). With AFM your engine transitions from 8 cylinder mode to 4 cylinder mode and back. Many people tune this feature out eventually and it is the main culprit of exhaust drone. The LS3 has neither of these plus a different cam (from what I understand). Because of the difference in cam there is the difference in horsepower and torque.

3) Lose the throttle controller and SCT4 tune, get a ported throttle body, long tube headers, and a custom tune. If you're interested, do a washer fluid relocate and get a scoop for a couple of unmeasurable horsepower, unmeasurable because it is hard to simulate driving air flow on a dyno. If you get really itchy to keep moding, you could do gears, lowering spring/coilovers, new suspension bushings, and/or trailing arms/cradle bushings/control arms/toe rods.

Good luck, enjoy your new rids, and most importantly of all thank you for your service!!

[Dmpsix]

Originally Posted by Grogan73

And last, My car is an L99 with a CAI kit, stainless cat-back exhaust, vitesse throttle controller, and an SCT4 93 octane tune. I am going to do a custom tune with Jannetty Racing once I am done upgrading. What more can I do with out getting inside motor or power adders? This car is a daily driver and I don't drag race (except the occasional teenager!). I just want to make it right, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for any help or opinions in advance!

Nice!! While you're on the whole getting a tune thing, why not throw some Long Tube Headers on that bad boy while you're at it!?
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333185

LT (longtube) headers are by far the biggest upgrade you can do (paired with a tune of course) on your car that doesn't break the bank or cause you to do any serious engine upgrading like a supercharger or a cam.

[pyroguy]

Originally Posted by Grogan73

I have considered headers but they cost nearly as much to have put on as they are to buy so it will be a little bit. Thanks again!

Save some money and put them on yourself! It's not too hard and you get a great sense of satisfaction when you're done.

[ZED SLED]

Originally Posted by Grogan73

That is exactly what I have thank you. So it is a 2SS/RS if I am correct then?

Yes, in 2011
2SS gets you Bose stereo, leather seats w/heaters, console gauge pack, bluetooth, USB, AUX.

RS is a sport appearance package. Gets you HID headlights w/halos, midnite silver wheels, body color roof ditch moldings (yours is vert so n/a), tinted tail lights, red SS emblems

[Dmpsix]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

Save some money and put them on yourself! It's not too hard and you get a great sense of satisfaction when you're done.

+1 on this. When I had a shop do them for me it literally took them like 30 minutes... granted they had a big left and walked underneath the car and all... it was SOOOO easy that I almost felt like I wasted money having them do it!

Literally just unbolted the intake manifold and bolt the headers on in place.

The only problem they had was putting the dipstick back in, which they figured out how to in another 2 minutes.