SS returns, built by SLP rather than Chevrolet
The SS badge comes back after 24 years, as a dealer-delivered SLP conversion.
The SS came back after a 24-year absence, but not as a Chevrolet factory package. SLP Engineering, Ed Hamburger's firm in Troy, Michigan, converted LT1 Z28s to SS specification before they reached dealers, with its own hood, wheels and suspension. It built 2,263 in the first year.
The 3.8-liter V6 (200 hp) became the standard engine, replacing the 3.4, and the Z28's LT1 rose to 285 hp. Production fell to 61,362.
One production figure is listed for 1996: Total production, 61,362.
| Record | Count |
|---|---|
| Total production | 61,362 |
The 1996 table lists three engines: the 3.8 L V6 (L36) and two versions of the 5.7 L LT1 V8. The highest power rating shown is 285 hp, for the 5.7 L LT1 V8.
| Code | Engine | Power | Torque | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 3.8 L V6 (L36) | 200 hp at 5,200 rpm | 225 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | Standard; F-car rating |
| P | 5.7 L LT1 V8 | 285 hp at 5,200 rpm; 280 hp at 5,000 rpm; 275 hp at 5,000 rpm | 325 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm | Z28; respectively MVMA power teams, GM Powertrain F-car sheet, and dealer introduction; conflicting factory figures, not three selectable engine packages |
| P | 5.7 L LT1 V8 | — | — | SS (SLP); separate conversion output not established by the standard-engine sheets |
The 1996 list has 10 options, packages and special editions. Of these, 1 shows a price and 1 shows how many were built.
| Code | Description | Price | Built | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FP87 | Coupe, 3.8 L V6 | $15,495.00 | — | MSRP including destination |
| 1SA / 1SB / 1SC | Coupe Preferred Equipment Groups — 1SB adds air conditioning, speed control, remote hatch release, fog lamps; 1SC adds power locks and windows, electric mirrors, leather-wrapped wheel, keyless entry, theft alarm | — | — | |
| Y87 | Performance Handling Package — limited-slip axle, four-wheel disc brakes, dual-outlet exhaust, sport steering ratio | — | — | V6 coupe; requires QCB tires and N96 wheels; 3.42 axle with automatic |
| — | SS (SLP Engineering conversion of the Z28) | — | 2,263 | Dealer-delivered; first SS since 1972 |
| AR9 | Leather seating surfaces | — | — | Graphite or Neutral; not with 1SG on Z28 |
| CC1 | Removable transparent roof panels | — | — | |
| D82 | Monochromatic roof — body-colored roof and mirrors | — | — | Requires CC1 |
| N96 | 16-inch aluminum wheels | — | — | Coupe; requires QCB P235/55R16 tires |
| UU8 / U1T | Delco-Bose music system — cassette / compact disc | — | — | |
| GU5 | 3.23 axle | — | — | Z28 automatic |
This table has 10 exterior colors for 1996, each with its paint code. They include Black, Medium Quasar Blue Metallic and Polo Green Metallic.
| Code | Color |
|---|---|
| 41U | Black |
| 80U | Medium Quasar Blue Metallic |
| 48U | Polo Green Metallic |
| 05U | Dark Purple Metallic |
| 81U | Bright Red |
| 96U | Cayenne Red Metallic |
| 13U | Sebring Silver Metallic |
| 37U | Bright Teal Metallic |
| 79U | Mystic Teal Metallic |
| 10U | Arctic White |
This table has six interior trims for 1996, each with its trim code.
The material/color codes follow Chevrolet's 1996 order guide revised January 29, 1996, with AR9 specified as the seat option. Cloth and leather seating surfaces have separate codes; the leather label does not describe every interior surface. Graphite uses 12B/122 and Medium Gray cloth uses 14B in this year. Do not apply the later 1997 Dark Gray/Medium Gray code assignments to this table. The 1SG leather exclusion is stated on the Z28 coupe chart, not extended to the convertible. These are dated ordering entries, not a physical-tag crosswalk or vehicle authentication; the complete paint/top/interior matrix is not reproduced here.
| Code | Trim | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 12B | Graphite cloth bucket | |
| 122 | Graphite leather seating surface bucket | The Z28 coupe chart excludes leather with the 1SG package. |
| 52B | Neutral cloth bucket | |
| 522 | Neutral leather seating surface bucket | The Z28 coupe chart excludes leather with the 1SG package. |
| 14B | Medium Gray cloth bucket | |
| 73B | Flame Red cloth bucket | Red door trim and seat inserts only, with Graphite accents; charted with Black, Bright Red, Sebring Silver Metallic or Arctic White. |
This table gives three specifications for 1996, among them wheelbase (101.1 in) and overall length (193.2 in).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 101.1 in |
| Overall length | 193.2 in |
| Overall width | 74.1 in |
What to check on a 1996 Camaro: VIN and SLP SS.
| Item | What to look for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| VIN | 2G1 … body 22 coupe / 32 convertible, position 8 engine code, position 10 = T, position 11 = 2 | Plant 2 is Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec |
| SLP SS | Specific hood, wheels and suspension | Dealer-delivered SLP conversion |
Decode a specific car with the VIN decoder and the engine and drivetrain stamp decoder.
Chevrolet let an outside firm revive its best-known performance badge, while the base car moved to the 3800 V6.
Every earlier SS Camaro was a Chevrolet factory package. The 1996 car was different. SLP Engineering, already building the Firebird "Firehawk," got Chevrolet's approval for the conversions, which in some years added exhaust and engine upgrades as well. The last SS had been the 1972 (the 1972 model year). SLP later evolved into SVE and, from 2015, built the officially licensed modern Yenko/SC Camaros (the rare and significant cars). The people behind the car tells the Hamburger and SLP story.
1996 came after the fourth generation's strong early stretch (about 125,000 cars for 1994 and 122,000 for 1995) and before the long decline to the 2001 low. The SLP SS gave the car a performance flagship that carried through to the LS1 era, from 1998, and on to the 2002 send-off.
The 3800 V6, rated at 200 hp and 225 lb-ft, became the standard engine on the base coupe and convertible, replacing the 3.4. The trade press praised it. Design News called it "quieter, smoother, cleaner, smaller and more fuel efficient than its predecessor." V6 automatics gained a second-gear start switch for slippery roads. A new Performance Handling Package (RPO Y87) for non-Z28 cars added a limited-slip axle, four-wheel disc brakes, dual exhaust outlets and a quicker steering ratio. The coupe listed at $15,495 including destination.
Midway through the model year the RS returned, which Chevrolet pitched as "a step between Camaro and Camaro Z28 that is both logical and affordable." It came as a coupe or convertible with the V6 only and air conditioning standard. It had its own ground effects, with rocker moldings, fascia extensions and a three-piece spoiler extension, 16-inch aluminum wheels on P235/55R16 tires and RS badges on the fenders and tail.
Other changes were small. Cayenne Red Metallic replaced Medium Patriot Red, a neutral interior replaced medium beige, and chromed aluminum wheels and a theft alarm joined the options. GM's own documents disagree on the Z28's LT1 rating. The dealer introduction lists 275 hp at 5,000 rpm, GM Powertrain's F-car sheet gives 280 hp at 5,000 rpm, and the MVMA table gives 285 hp at 5,200 rpm. The latter two sheets agree on 325 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm. These are conflicting factory descriptions, not three engine packages a buyer could select.
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