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Pontiac GTO
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Comments
I see that GM has extended the '05 order window into April. I wonder if that reflects a manufacturing/distribution problem or that they are just hoping to round-up more firm sales.
I'm just making sure to charge up my GM card and pay it off so I can get the GM points and get my $1000 bonus ca$h when the time is right!
Congrats on the new car!
I was wondering if you could share which dealer you went thru and what kind of deal you were able to get. I am also in the Bay Area and am looking at the various dealers. They don't seem to be too willing to negotiate.
Tia for any info you can share.
I've seen pics of the stock paper speakers and they look incredibly cheap. Folks who have replaced them rave about the lack of distortion. I've got stuff going on this weekend and probably won't get them installed now, but will by next weekend. Also going to install an XM Roady/RF modulator into the car (I'll put the antenna on the rear shelf, inside the car)...
--Robert
That's fairly close, I'll check them out.
Thanks alot.
I'm thinking in June they may be willing to come down a little but I wonder...
Five speed auto (with manu-matic)- Why does GM still insist on 4spd autos for their cars?????
Stability control (so I can at least try to drive it in winter)
This vehicle in my opinion is WAY under rated and is a steal at the current asking price. Good luck with your cars folks!!!
Insiders on another discussion board hinted at some minor interior changes, but that may be it. I know GM is working on 6-speed automatics, in combination with Ford. Don't know if you'd see that, or VSC, in the current bodystyle - would have had both in the next-generation, if it hadn't been killed/delayed...
I truly believe that the GTO is one of the best cars that GM sells in North America. Critics would rave about the car if it was totally debadged/they didn't know it was sold by GM. If they just got people to test-drive them, or marketed them at all (don't you just love how they play the GTO exhaust sound when advertising the G6?), they'd sell...
Doesn't matter to me. I have mine!
--Robert
The replacement speakers will be 4ohm, (probably), vs the 2ohm stock speakers, soooo......You will lose some volume at any given volume setting on the head unit. The new speakers are probably also a little harder to push than the very flimsy paper stockers. No problem - just turn it up louder to compensate. Where your old stock speakers would have distorted at around 45+ on the head unit, you should now be ok beacause the speakers are more robust, and the HU will not be outputting as much current, therefore not hitting clipping from the output stage as easily.
Unless you're a hip-hopping basshead, you should also be ok with the stock subs in the rear parcel shelf if you reach into the drivers side of the trunk, pull back the carpet a little at the very back edge of the car, reach in and find the box shaped sub amp, reach around the back of it, (toward the front of the car), find a little circular flat shaped knob on the forward facing side, and twist it clockwise from it's detent at 50% to about 75-80%. That's the gain on your sub amp, and it helps the bass a lot. I haven't had a problem with the little subs bottoming out or the amp going into protection mode.
I also disengaged the volume limiter and speed sensitive volume thingy, and do not use any of the horrible canned eq settings. My bass and treble controls are both up +1.
The front doors took less than an hour each, but the back side panels were a pain to get into. Rear seats had to come out, panels had to come off, trim along the bottom of the doors came off. Front door panels are screwed on, which is great as it prevents the inevitable breakage of the snaps that most manufacturers use.
All-in-all, it sounds pretty good now for very little cash outlay, and I can use the steering wheel controls and the in-dash changer. I'm happy.
I get a laugh out of that too when they start the G6 in the commericials. G6 does NOT sound like that. Kind of sounds like my GTO. Got my Impulse Blue 2005 GTO Automatic and I love it.
So what don't you like about the GTO and what do you like
Power, comfort, handling, interior, exhaust sound, stealth, element of suprise :-)
Dislikes:
stock speakers are junk. Trunk is smallish (but big enough for me, so far). No auto-dimming mirror w/temp. Sssslllllloooooowwwww seat motor (back seat access).
Most of the people griping about the GTO are either Mustang owners , or classic Pontiac guys who can't get over that the car doesn't look like their '66/'69/'71 et. al. :mad: . Virtually all of them have never test-driven the car - something you should do, and then decide. Owners really seem to love their cars. I was hooked from the first test-drive...
Today and tomorrow is a REALLY good time to car-shop, since it's the end of the month. They will do anything and everything to get you sold this month...
I think it's pretty obvious at this point that there's no huge stockpile of '05's - kind of the opposite (they are hard to find here in the Milwaukee area). I really don't think we'll see the fire-sales like we saw on the '04's. And, this is why I don't think you'll do much better than $500 over invoice, before incentives...
--Robert
Are they controlling inventory to help support price? Are they making fewer than 12K? Production problems? Shipping problems?
Robert, any ideas?
I'm too lazy to look it up - haven't they sold somewhere closer to 2500 '05's through the end of March (from intial deliveries in mid-January, that's 2 1/2 months)?
If you follow the "other site" you will see that LFP posted that production will continue into July. Order cutoff was extended to yesterday (4/28) - from the original 3/16 date. LFP also claims that dealers are trying to order more than they can produce. I am really suspecting either production issues, or perhaps a bias to building fewer GTO's (and thus more Monaros and export Chevy Lumina SS coupes) early in the production season, with more GTO's coming online now (when 1/2 of the U.S. leaves winter's grasp - okay, except Michigan and Ohio :-).
Don't underestimate the potential popularity of the 18" wheel option for $495. Due to supplier constraints, they couldn't build GTOs with the factory 18's until March (but they could Monaros?). This might have skewed the production mix as well.
Just my guess,
--Robert
Otherwise, this is easily the best GM vehicle I have EVER owned!!
ClaireS
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By far! Complaining about these issues on the GTO is like complaining about a zit on Halle Berry's face...
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/generations/articles/101696/article.html
I talked with a couple of guys who brought their old "goats" to a recent car show. They really like the '05 with its split dual exhaust and functional hood scoops. One guy said he test drove a blue one last week and was very impressed with the LS2 engine. He said he was considering selling his blue '66 and using the money for a down payment.
New GTO.R
I wish they would use the body and wheel colors from the GTO race car shown at last year's SEMA show.
check here
GTO race car
Has anyone experienced any problems with the electronic throttle? Hey gunit! You've been a little quiet lately. Have you had any problems?
As you probably know, the major differences include the 400hp LS2 versus the 350 hp LS1; the hood scoops; bigger, better brakes; drive-by-wire (no throttle cable); upgraded automatic tranny; dead pedal; revised rear fascia with separated dual exhausts; Midnight Blue Metallic and Cyclone Grey Metallic colors, replacing Cosmos Purple Metallic and Barbados Blue, respectively.
The 2004's were being built into October over in Australia - last 52 came on a boat which left Australia in early November (along with the first 700 or so '05's). Check the last 6 digits of the VIN number - I've seen GTO's start at 175xxx and end up around 316xxx (my July build is 301xxx). If you have a later (>250xxx VIN), most of the Technical Service Bulletins out on the '04's don't apply to you.
Hope this helps,
--Robert
Regarding brakes, one noticeable improvement for the '04's is to replace the front brake pads with those from a C5 Corvette (they fit). I personally haven't noticed any braking issues in normal day-to-day driving, but those who run the 1/4 or especially autocross comment on fading and stopping distances. I will probably put the '05 pads on whenever I have to change mine.
Since you're looking at an auto, the upgraded and recalibrated tranny on the '05 may be a noticeable improvement. However, there are trans kits, stall converters, and custom tuning that can improve the '04.
The drive-by-wire system replaces the actual cable going from the gas pedal to the throttle. This is good in that it helps eliminate the "stuck accelerator pedal" issue (almost drove my Aurora through the garage into the house one day when the cable stuck :-) but it can reduce throttle response/performance by introducing lag. I don't know if it's a positive or a negative.
Also, be aware that there are still a few "2004 Sport Appearance Package" kits around. This consists of the '05 hood, the autocross grilles (inset, kind of like Grand Am/old GTO grilles) and the "autocross spoiler" (it's more square and looks like an old Judge spoiler). These kits were designed for dealers who had '04's on the lots when the '05's showed up - only dealers never read their bulletins, so dealers were blowing out these kits for $550-$600. I bought one (sold off the grilles and spoiler) and plan to put the '05 hood on when I can find the $$$ to get it painted. If you really like the '05 hood, maybe you can work the SAP into your deal, if they can still find one from their ADI?
My advice, check the VINs on the cars, make sure the tire pressure is reduced to 35 psi, and the spring clips (shipping materials) removed from either the '04's or '05's, then take them for a spin. If you like the '04, considering the cost savings, I'd go for it...
--Robert
They are parting out the SAP packages and i got the hood for $449 + 140 shipping.
My local dealer painted it. Had to do some bodywork on the hood + their first paint application was bad.
I did not have them blend the fenders, and it looks very good.
I have $1K in the hood so far.
For those of you who don't know the SAP hood is the same as the '05.
The scoop grilles were missing, but they are being shipped.
The car looks incredible and really turns heads.
The GTO should have come with this hood from the start.
It is great driving down the street and seeing those two scoop bulges.
Next is caps for my spoiler delete and probably baer brakes.
I bought my SAP kit for $700 locally (cheaper than/less riskier than shipping), versus $550 + shipping from the other guys, and sold off the autocross grilles and spoiler. Have a friend of a friend who owns an auto shop and is an Aussie, so, as soon as I come up with $350, he'll paint my hood (don't want them to blend the fenders - I understand the Cosmos Purple is a bear to paint). Maybe in time for the GTO Nationals in St. Louis in late June...
--Robert
YTD = 4372
That's 264 less cars than last month. '04s still available, '05s seem to be in short supply in certain areas.
Overall GM truck sales down 17% and car sales up 7.5%. Pontiac beat Buick easily for the month.
Claire
MODERATOR
Need help getting around? [email protected] - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review
Not being a smart-you-know-what, but midwesttrader posted the GTO's sales figures for last month and year-to-date (and then a last sentence about GM in general). Are both of these issues considered off-topic here? I can see why the latter would be, but I think there's general interest by GTO owners and potential owners about how well the car is selling. Doesn't seem to fit the "Prices Paid and Buying Experiences" thread, either.
Just my 2 cents,
--Robert
Also, starting a separate topic is not a good option as it likely would lock every month!
Thanks!
Holden HSV sedan going sideways
Here is Holden's website
http://www.hsv.com.au/index_new.html
Holden's web site:
http://www.holden.com.au
HSV's web site:
http://www.hsv.com.au
HSV plant tour - go to HSV's web site, click on Multimedia, click on VR Tours (can't directly link due to frames, gak).
FYI,
--Robert