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Pontiac GTO
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Comments
as far as tires go, the stock 17s bfgoodrich TAs are really that bad? c'mon. i remember folks hating on the Z28 RSA tires and i tried them once and they weren't bad. i did like the ZR50/VR50 style better though, and folks were hatin on those too.
as far as driving a goat in chicago for the winter, it is a NO BRAINER (that's my specialty sort of question). 4 snow tires are absolutely 400% required for chicago. do not skimp! two words for ya: BLIZ ZAK. not the Q rated WS50s, those are just too spongy for the goat.
rip shifter, any downside to getting one of those installed ? vibration or anything ? maybe i could do it myself but i'd probably shred the interior trying to figure out how to unscrew the current shifter, extra parts left over, the whole 9 yards. i'll google it and check it on that other forum whose name contains the 3 letter 2004 GM goat engine designation!
ps - i asked an actual Australian dude if "skippy" was an ok thing to say/call to an australian. perhaps many of you already know the origin of the term. the term's origin: they had a tv show down under like "flipper" here in USA except it was "skippy" and it was about a kangaroo instead of a dolphin.
As far as installation goes, the instructions that come with the shifter are very good and easy to read. The only tool I can say I had to go purchase was the 6mm hex to remove the two existing screws on the factory shifter top plate. Total installation time was 3 hours including the run to the parts store for the tool. The worst part of the whole process was removing and re-installing the factory shift boot which has studs through the transmission tunnel. The nuts can only be accessed under the car, and they are difficult to get to. With the new shifter in place, the boot does not sit all the way down on the tunnel without some pressure on it, so I had my wife press down on the ring while I spun the nuts back on the studs so I wouldn't have to wrech them all the way on. I guess my advice would be that if you can find a speed shop that will do the install for $150 or so, I probably would not do another one myself.
It also launches harder. For instance I able to raise the rpms and still not get wheelspin.
Spins the tires less on a hard 1-2 upshift.
Is noticabley better in the rain. Especially at speed.
Will not spin the tires as easily, better braking and almost no hydroplaning at high speeds.
They are also wearing better than the stock tires.
Just had the 15K oil change done today with Mobil 1.
I buy the 6pak at Costco and take it to the dealer.
Usually get the oil changed for about $19 labor + 27.99 for the oil.
So far I have had the clutch pedal bearing greased and all 4 rotors turned. All under warranty.
This is the best car I have owned and the least amount of problems of the 10 new GM cars I have bought since 1983.
does anyone know how many '05 6spd Midnight Blue's were made?
Just curious...
Mark
I bought my 2004 GTO (350hp) on Christmas Eve 2004 and it so happened that I drove it next day from Atlanta to Chicago through pretty bad storms in TN and KY. I didn't have any issues, used the 2nd gear instead of 1st and just made sure my RPMs stayed pretty low at all times. When there was ice and snow, I tended to drive at 40MPH in the 6th gear with ~1000RPMs on the tach. Probably not good for the engine though... It was a fun trip with my wife and a toddler but I'm not sure I'd want to do it every day. I was in Chicago the other day and I'm glad we took our Trooper this time - with all this construction going on, most of your highways look like a war zone... There would have been some serious damage done to my GTO...
I can understand the allure of all the torque/power of the GTO, but you already knew going in that it wouldn't have the same razor sharp responses as the Celica. This just seems like an odd transition to me. Have you looked at the RX-8?
I wanted something a little bigger with more of a range of torque. My first car was a 1975 Bonneville so I do like the big V8 and the Pontiac brand. I do like the style and interior of the GTO. I guess I am so used to flying around corners that I just dont have the patience the GTO requires. They are complete opposites - I wish I could have em both.
I was hoping the 350Z would be a nice compromise but all of the mechanical troubles with the car are a concern.
i find that 5th is right for 40 mph and do not recall any objectionable gear noise/whine. i'll listen for it after i can drive again dec 6.
also, have you checked the back seat for very whiny short passengers - i often find one or two of those in the back seat of my 05 m6 goat.
But that is if one is carrying a full pay load, two passengers in front and two in back.
I have the 18" tires so maybe the 17's have a different
recommendation? I run 34 all the way around.
The stiff suspension is the price you pay for better handling.
the M6 has a 57% overdrive and the AT has a 70% overdrive.
So there is a 22.8% increase.
I would say about 1903.
What b4z needs to do is to multiply the overdrive gear ratio by the rear-end gear ratio to get the final drive numbers for the automatics compared to the manuals.
I don't understand why the M6 doesn't get much better mileage than the A4 on the highway then, since the M6 is doing some SERIOUS loafing in 6th gear compared to 4th in the A4. :confuse:
LOL! Sounds like a good Mythbusters topic......
Just drove back from H'ville, NC. Downhill all the way from 2400' elevation to sea level.
Average slightly over 75 mph.
Spent about 45 minutes following a Volvo at 88mph.
Average was a 23.5mpg.
On the way up at slower speeds(closer to 80mph) gas milaeage was only 22.6mpg. had to go up in elevation.
The only time my GTO will get over 29mpg is at 55-60mph or a little less.
A lot of guys are reporting higher mpg than mine.
Also remember that the M6 is actually the M12 transmission from the Z06 and has a 57% overdrive not the 50% overdrive that was in the base Corvettes, Fbods and Vipers.
Gas mileage would be even better with that transmission.
70 mph = 1750
80 mph = 2000
100 mph = ???? (I was too busy watching the road!)
Advertised MPG:
4-speed auto = 16/21
6-speed manual = 17/25
Do they exchange out easily if I wanted to replace with the 05 style instead?
I am going to order an 06 as I had to pass on the 05 because no where to store it for 4 months and I just figured why not buy new in the spring rather than have it sitting for another 4 months after it sat on the dealer lot for 2 months and then in the showroom for a month with who knows who messing with it. I guess I prefer them new right out of the box.
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=11/32611262478.jpg&s=x12
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=11/32611372382.jpg&s=x12
I got the CV8-R tails from JHP for $300 shipped back in late May. It took me 10 minutes in my parking lot at work to swap the tails and harnesses - very easy (just don't touch the bulbs - use rubber gloves if you must).
I'm sure that there are plenty of '04-'05 owners who wouldn't mind switching with you if you don't like them.
--Robert
I also passed on the 05 because it had some very minor damage that I mentioned previously (slight scratch on the side mirror case, above the rear GTO plastic panel).
Since I plan to order an 06 I would like to get it right off the truck before it is handled by the dealer. Has anybody accepted delivery right off the truck? They can still do the PDI I would just like to be there to inspect and be sure they do everything right.
Does anyone know how the order process works? How much down, etc?
Ordering an '06 will probably take 6 months to actually get your car - may want to talk to dealerships and find out what they have ordered. One good thing with the GTO's relative lack of options is the likelihood that you can find the car you want - exterior color, interior color (on some combos), transmission, 18" wheels are the only significant options - I would have to believe that a dealer somewhere close to you would already have the car you want already coming in...
--Robert
I want see the car come off the truck and be sure they dont give me a wash I dont want. The rest of the stuff is fine. This would be my first brand new car purchase and I would like it to look and smell new. The 05 I was considering only had 40 miles but didnt have that new car smell or feel - probably because it had been sitting for a couple of months.
The dealer I have been working with is saying the 06's will start arriving in Feb. Only problem is I really dont want one before march because of the weather. My house is under construction and I cannot use the garage so I have no where to store it. So I have timing issues.
I read one of your earlier posts regarding replacing the rear speakers. Is this something you would consider easy enough to trust a local family owned stereo shop to be able to do?
Thanks
Jim
http:
//www.forbesautos.com/gallery/2006/pontiac/gto/?slide=8&play=f
This may force me to track down an 05.
I believe those are Monaro gauges:
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/qtvr?modelid=12001&id=261&mode=large_interior
Note that the pics on the Forbes Auto site of the blue interior show the '04 gauges...
I would sign an agreement stating what they could and could not do (ask them for a copy of the PDI, and say yay or nay to specific steps).
'06's have arrived at dealers almost nationwide. Several others on other GTO sites have received their '06's today.
I did the speaker replacements myself, following the instructions posted on another site, and had no issues with it. I'd imagine anyone who does this regularly for a living would have no problems with the disassembly. I'd strongly suggest throwing some Dynamat or other sound-deadening material in there while you have the rear seats/back panels exposed. I plan to do that next year when my car comes out of storage :-(
--Robert
It is more of a sweaty Australian autoworker smell than anything else.
LOL.
I'm considering a tire replacement too, primarily to get a softer/less hard ride and to enhance winter driving. Of course,I have not yet experienced the BFG's (OEM 17's) yet in the snow, so don't really have a feel for how well they will perform.
I would be interested to know how your Dunlop M3's handle in the snow so keep us posted. With the ride quality, did you notice if the Dunlop's seemed to cushion ride quality over interstate joint strips for example or bumpy pavement. Also, how is the road noise on the Dunlop's compared to the BFG's...any difference?
Thanks!
In a recent post to Zinger, you mentioned something about as part of the PDI, to "remove the spring compressors". If this was not done upon delivery, would this affect the overall ride quality (I'm assuming so). Is there a way to check for this or would it be really obvious if the spring compressors were not removed? Still hoping to improve ride quality!!
Thanks,
There's a huge difference between my first GTO and my second. I strongly suspect the dealer never did the PDI on my first car... tire pressures were at 60 psi until I figured this out, 800 miles later, and I suspect the spring compressors were left in (until they fell out on their own), compromising the suspension... leading to some of the car's suspension problems (clunking/popping that you could hear AND feel in the front end, during cornering/turns... tie rod ends were drilled out, and it helped, but didn't resolve the problem... of course, that may also have been due to the engine and tranny being dropped and realigned, in an attempt to find the front end creaking and popping noises which ended up being an improperly-assembled firewall).
Car #2 rides much better. My 1998 Aurora has the best ride, though, and I can certainly feel the difference between the two vehicles. I still have the stock tires and will probably not upgrade them until I wear 'em out (after next year). I run 32-35 psi in all 4 tires, except when I stored my car, I pumped them up to 60 psi to help avoid flat-spotting. Your tires will do that overnight and it will take a mile or two for the ride to calm down...
--Robert
Being a cheap accountant, normally I would not buy winter tires but Hammen said it was a necessity for the GTO and I sure believe him now.
What I am suprised at is that the snow tires are quieter and the bumps are much less pronounced with the snow tires.
I purchased the tires from Tirerack.com after seeing a posting for the site earlier in this topic. One reviewer had said he intended to keep the tires on all year round because of the improved ride. I can understand his view, though I doubt that the winter tire would last long if used all year. Also in comparison to the BFG's on the dry pavement, on a sharp turn there is less squealing and pull out with the Dunlops.
i went online and noticed that several companies are manufacturing short shift kits for the gto and very inexpensively at that (under $200).
has anyone put one on their gto and did it make a noticeable difference? if so, which brand did you buy and how big a deal is it to install it?
Do you have a picture of those CV8-R tail lights? I'd love to see how it looks. Thanks!
JOE