If the drivers are equal then it boils down to power to weight ratio and grip. Googled the Civic and it looks like it’s probably nearabouts 180-200hp. Assuming you also mean a 1LT and not an LT1 as the 1LT is the turbo-4 and the LT1 is the v8. The 1LT has the 275 hp that you are looking at. Google says the Camaro is about 3700 pounds, and the Civic is about 2961 pounds.

The Camaro is about 13.5 pounds per HP and the Civic is about 14.8 pounds per hp. Fewer pounds per HP usually wins in a drag race, again assuming the drivers are equal and you’re able to put the power to the pavement without wheel hopping or spinning.

If you’re looking at like autocross or anything with curves, the lower overall weight of the Civic would help it in keeping brakes cool and allowing for more aggressive driving, thus a bit quicker.

There’s really only one way to find out. Take them to a grudge night at the strip and then share the slips!

Dexron is what it calls for. Your mechanic is gonna walk to the book, look up the car, and put that fluid in the car. But pretty much as long as the fluid meets the lubricity, viscosity, and additives of the specifications designated for the car, you’re golden.

I just googled and it looks like the alternator is right there on the front next to the manifold. I don’t have access to booktime through alldata but I’d wager it at about an 1.0 assuming nothing is hidden. Labor rates vary but it’s probably sub-$200 for the labor, leaving the Alt at about 600. Looks like local parts stores have them for about $200, so they’d be marked to probably $350-500. If they’re also including a belt that high-sides you at about $800ish.

It’s not a great deal, but its not terrible for a shop that has overhead and a need to make money. This is a good basic/intermediate job IF you have the tools and have done other mechanical work, such as brakes/maintenance before. Doing it yourself would run you nearer to $230 + any tools you don’t have.

The only other condition I’d add to ‘bad spring’ is fatigued or collapsed but otherwise intact spring. Like the kind you see in the streetside-made stancemobiles or lowriders. Usually done with a torch to ruin the temper and allow the spring partially collapse.

If you’re hard stuck because you need a starter, you might pull it apart a bit, carefully and within your abilities, to see if anything obvious is wrong that can be corrected. Might get luck and a good cleaning/sanding of the brushes could get you by for a bit.

If you have a leak that you can’t find, hope on Amazon and spend $20 on a UV Oil Leak Dye Kit with the uv dye, glasses and light. Add the recommended amount of dye, drive the car to the store and back, then climb underneath and hit everything with the flashlight. It will be obvious when you find the leak. There’s not a ton to the system so it’ll be pump, lines in and out, and the rack. Once you find the leak, clean it off, and run it again for less time and see if it’s still leaking in the same place.