So first off, sorry if this isn't quite the place for this, but I figured one post here would be better than stretching multiple posts across the different sub-forums, seeing as how these packages had many different categories of components.

Alright, so starting off, I have this mild obsession with not necessarily keeping my car original, but keeping it "OEM" while stuffing every option that was ever available from the factory into it, even those that technicaly may have not been available on my specific car, if that makes sense. Two of these, which ecompases most of what my GTA still doesn't have, are the 1LE and SLP packages which is what this thread will mostly be about.

My questions regarding these two packages can be seperated into two categories: What all did they include and what were the individual manufacterer part numbers for each item, if applicaple?

Regarding the 1LE Package, I know it included the following...

Improved disc brakes with:
-12" rotors
-Better calipers (searches claim it's either a complete set from the C4 Corvette, or two pairs of front calipers from the C4 for the front and rear)
-Different spindles to fit the larger calipers

An improved fuel tank and delivery system with:
-Larger baffled fuel tank
-Better fuel pump
-Different sender assembly

Other parts I've seen listed are:
-A different intake, possibly ram-air
-An alumimum drive-shaft
-An oil cooler

As for the SLP package I've read that it included the following...
Better flowing exhaust which included:
-Stainless-steel tri-y headers
-True dual, dual catted exhaust (I'd at least like the part numbers / make and model of the cats and mufflers)

As well as:
-Siamesed runners
-A different engine PROM

 

Both areas have been discussed and debated ad naseum. Do a quick search and you'll find all the answers you are looking for.

 

No.

 

I may well be wrong, but I don't believe the SLP parts were sold in a "package" in the GTA. In the 4th gen. with LT1, they offered a 315 Horsepower package. But for the GTA, I think it was à la carte.

 

Hey, thanks for the reply, Dave! From what I've read you were able to purchase everything, with the exception of the cold air induction kit, as a package or individually. Though you are right that calling it a package may not be 100% correct.

 

Good to know..thanks Ryan.

 

I don't see how your thread doesn't do exactly what you say you don't want to do. How will this thread offer any more info on, say 1LE, than what has already been posted.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...about-1le.html

 

Some day, I'm going to go full Walter Sobchak over this topic.

Fact #1 - If you asked 10 extremely knowledgeable thirdgen experts about 1LE, all of them would leave something out of the list, or include something that really isn't part of 1LE.
Fact #2 - 99% of 1LE ain't no different than most LB9 5spd and L98 cars with the G92 or equivalent package.
Fact #3 - The bulk of the 1LE specific parts are LONG out of production, and they would be non-serviceable by now anyway, solely due to age.

What you're seeking to do is dumb, and counterproductive. Get yourself so LS1 front brakes or something similar, and a PBR rear disc setup, and you've got equivalent braking or better braking than 1LE for a much smaller investment. Most Moog bushings are 1LE or better. Any aftermarket panhard and trailing arms are going to exceed the benefits of 1LE's "special" harder bushings. Koni adjustables are light years better than stock 1LE shocks and struts.

You can build a thirdgen with run of the mill, budget parts, and blow 1LE out of the water.

Now about the SLP package. The parts could be added to the invoice and installed by the dealer or owner, or they could be bought individually at the dealer parts counter, or from SLP direct or Summit, etc.

Most of the SLP parts were really pretty blah. The cold air intakes are fragile and require a lot of dicking around to install. The semi-siamesed runners don't really address the worst part of the TPI system. The headers and exhaust were alright, but nothing out of this world. By most accounts their proms were laughably bad. Given how long the stuff has been out of production, there are faster, cheaper, and more effective ways to do more with less.

 

 

I think you’re spot on with what you want to do and there’s a lot of people that will appreciate keeping it period correct and cool. Don’t mind drew, he gets touchy whenever someone says 1LE! Some have said that’s his trigger word 😂😂😂

 

It's not so much the subject that bothers me, it's people that ask questions that folks have already invested their time into answering. Enough has been written about the 1LE option to fill volumes. It's all right there, free for the taking to anyone who cares to take the time to fire up Google and look at it. But it's too much to ask that people help themselves, not when it's so much better to just roll onto the forum and start six threads on a topic that always turns into a **** show.

 

 

You could purchase it as a package. The package had a GM part number. You couldn't get it factory installed, but you could have the dealer install it and have it included in the car's invoice.

There is a lot of angst over the 1LE. For the later years, 1LE was basically just the front brakes and there are certainly better options out there for pure performance. Almost everything that started out as 1LE exclusive was included across the line or in the G92 package.

 

Thanks for confirming that. I had not heard of it being a package before this thread. Always learn a lot of good stuff here.

I wish we could get all of the accurate info., perhaps with both sides of the "debate" over value or "specialness" into one thread, and get that thread pinned to the top of this History / Originality section. It would be a quick, clean way to reply to questions like this, even when it's not found in a search.

 

But that's kind of the problem... I haven't seen a 1LE thread that gives the total picture without getting lost in the weeds. You can spell it out in the most basic, easily understood terms, breaking it down to it's most basic definition, and some toolbag will come in and post "Nuh uh! It included an oil cooler, and dual cats, and an under the counter, out the backdoor super duper secret turbo super chargers and a direct port laughing gas injection system" or something equally stupid. It's a never ending battle to try to spell things out for the newb that just wants the big picture, and satisfying the 1LE super-nerds that won't be happy unless someone posts every single part number and macro photos of the smallest casting uniquities of each and every piece to the smallest atom.

If you created something like a 1LE Wikipedia page, and let the top 20 most knowledgeable experts on TGO edit it, and made it so that, say 25% of them, have to agree on any edit before it was accepted and added to the page, it'd still be impossible to reach a consensus because so much of it is open to interpretation.

It's a dumb topic, that attracts dumb people, and inspires the dumbest discussion. It's literally the 86 Iroc with a 350 topic, but with less consensus and even less practical value. The data is out there, it's free-source. If a person WANTS to know, they can download the PDF of the parts and illustration catalog, they can view all the dealer brochures and order forms that have been scanned and shared. They can decide for themselves.

 

I'd have to dig into the archives to check my notes and confirm with 100% accuracy (which is frankly far more effort than I'm willing to invest right now) but I'm pretty sure that the SLP parts were available over the counter in 89 or 90. In 91 the 'package' was available as an item that could be added onto the invoice, on the Firebird at least. Not sure it was offered the same way on the Camaro.

I'm positive that I've posted the blurb from the 1990 Pontiac Firebird Press Kit that talks about the new for 91 SLP package. Pretty sure I've scanned and uploaded the magazine article with the new 1991 Pontiac Firebird line up, including a SLP equipped car. Thinking the title was Birds of Prey. When I get back to my external harddrive, I'll try to remember to post them here again. Or someone might get lucky with Google. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has posted that article either.

 

Correction - Bird Sanctuary. Hot Rod Magazine







Oh SNAP! Busting the LB9 5spd just as good as a L98, 1LE being the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, AND the 18 gallon Space Wizard 1LE gas tank MYTHS with a single image! Hat Trick! *Crowd goes WILD!*

 

Stolen info on the SLP package from this site:
http://www.gtasourcepage.com/techspecs.html
For 1991 and 1992, GM offered the SLP Engineering "Street Legal Performance" performance kits through GM dealers. These kits were offered either as a dealer-installed option or could be installed by the customer. Each kit consisted of the following: 1) SLP Hi-Flow Aluminum Siamesed Intake Runners, 2) SLP Tri-Y Stainless Tuned Exhaust Headers, 3) SLP Low-Restriction Stainless Exhaust System, and 4) Revised Engine Cal-Pac PROM (specific to application). These kits were the first GM-authorized totally integrated performance upgrade packages for TPI-equipped cars which substantially improved performance without sacrificing fuel economy, drivability, and emissions legality. These kits were warranteed through GM by SLP Engineering. Engine power increased by 50 HP at 5500 RPM, long above the point where the stock LB9 and B2L stopped performing, and there were corresponding torque increase from 2800 up through 5500 RPM. Each part was also available seperately thorugh GM dealers. There was also an available SLP Cold Air Induction Package that was not part of the complete kit, but sold seperately.
The kits were offered specifically tailored to the engine the car was equipped with and other variables. The part numbers were as follows (these numbers are the ones relating to GTA models; kits were also available for other Firebird models as well):
1987-1988:
GM # 12341390 -- 305 TPI with 3.08 ratio - Single Exhaust (S.E.) -- $1,930
GM # 12340391 -- 305 TPI with 3.23 ratio - S.E. -- $1,930
GM # 12341392 -- 350 TPI with 3.27 ratio - S.E. -- $1,930
1989:
GM# 12341393 -- 305 TPI with RPO N10 -- $2,085
GM# 12341394 -- 350 TPI with RPO N10 -- $2,085
1990-1992:
GM# 12341398 -- 305 TPI with RPO N10 (91-92 RPO R6P) -- $2,085
GM# 12341399 -- 350 TPI with RPO N10 (91-92 RPO R6P) -- $2,085
  All of the package components were also available seperately through GM dealers. The cost of the components were as follows:
Tri-Y Stainless Exhaust Headers: (1987-88) $1,050, (1989-92) $1,100
Stainless Free-Flow Exhaust System: (1987-88) $390, (1989-92) $415
Hi-Flow Siamesed Intake Runners (specific to model year application): (1987-92) $450
Cold Air Induction Package: (1987) $295, (1988-92) $270

 

They were very generous with their 1 second improvment in 0-60 and 1/4 mile, but basically 0.5 seconds in each is nothing to sneeze at.

 

Wow! Those prices were insane. $1100 1990 dollars are equal to $2200 in today's dollars!

 

Those prices are why I bought my full kits through scummit for 1500 or so with the cold air kit. I'll have to dig out my book of spending.

The 1LE didn't make the car faster in the 1/4. It made it faster on a road course because it could go deeper and harder in a turn with less brake fade.

 

Thanks for the photos Drew. I have saved copies for my future reference.

So some years, OTC parts only. Other years packages and OTC parts. Interesting.

And no cold air intake in the package...add a better manifold (or runners anyway), exhaust, and timing/fuel via chip, but keep the factory air cleaner assembly. Interesting.

So is the .75 or so second 1/4 mile difference between the two LB9/5-speed cars just a weight difference between GTA convert. and Formula? Or was there a gear ratio difference for the vert?

 

Single/dual cat. No R6P (G92) in the vert.