Pontiac GTO's

[Fenixgoon]

The GTO is a great car. i do miss mine. i bought a Brazen Orange 06 new. only real mods aside from the obligatory air intake was a pedders suspension drop and the wheels.

anyways, ive since moved to a G8 GT for a few reasons. when i sold my 97 grand prix GTP to a friend, i started using the goat daily. unfortunately, i missed the large truck and people carrying abilities. the trunk was definitely annoyingly small. the back seat as mentioned, is roomy and comfy, but getting back there is a pain. the power seats are a bit slow moving to allow the rear access. they are amazingly comfy seats though. anyway, my G8 GT gives me everything the goat had plus fixes its shortcomings; huge trunk, easy to haul ppl, better mileage and ive since made it faster than my goat (intake, full exhaust incl long tube headers, cats, xpipe, straight-through muffs and a tune.). now i just need to get the suspension done and ill be happy (tire/fender gap annoys me).

i recommend G8 GT over the GTO if u require a decent trunk (with pass through even!) and will carry more than two people often.

pics of the G8 GT?

the G8 would be preferable. but is it ~10k more preferable? i dunno

 

[IcePickFreak]

Here's some crappy cell phone pics of mine, I need to borrow a real camera someday and get some decent pics other than the work parking lot at lunch...

And yeah I took a pic of the landau top 300 on purpose, I'll never under stand the reasoning of it.

 

[iamwiz82]

Here's some crappy cell phone pics of mine, I need to borrow a real camera someday and get some decent pics other than the work parking lot at lunch...

And yeah I took a pic of the landau top 300 on purpose, I'll never under stand the reasoning of it.

I think that the Buick portholes are a nice touch.

 

[JJ650]

I :wub: G8 Gt's.
I want to replace the truck with one, but the wife is gunning for a 4 Runner.

 

[Gillbot]

My Camaro (see sig) can hit 32MPG on the highway and it's FAR from factory stock.

City driving, well, that's a whole different ball game and I prefer to calculate it in gallons per mile.

 

[Kadarin]

I had an '05 GTO that I'd bought new at the time, and had it until last year.

Likes:

400hp/400lb-ft tq
Sounded damned great with JBA headers and a Corsa catback (50-state legal).
Comfortable..

Dislikes:

No iPod hookup, so I had to use an FM xmitter (which sucks in an urban area).
Not a whole lot of trunk space.
It was somewhat hard for people to get in the back (but who cares, fuck them).

Things that went wrong with the car:

The leather in the rear seats contracted, causing the seams to split. This was fixed under warranty, but now that Pontiac is gone, will it be so easy to fix in the future?
The ebrake handle ratcheting mechanism broke. Also fixed under warranty.
One headlight went out once. Also warranty.

Drivetrain-wise, the car was bulletproof during the time I had it. Lots of fun to drive.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Kadarin/IMG_0438.JPG

 

[Fenixgoon]

not to super necro this thread, but maintenance-wise, what should i be concerned about for an '04 with 63k miles on it (both what to look for before buying and what to watch for or expect as the car nears 100k)

was talking to my dad about getting the GTO near me and his big concern was maintenance costs, especially since the vehicle is 6 years old at this point. he suggested a new car (and i can certainly understand) but at the same time, 1) i don't want to spend $$ on a new car 2) there are only a few that i like

unfortunately, there's no such thing as a cheap, sporty, *new* car

 

[Fenixgoon]

not to super necro this thread, but maintenance-wise, what should i be concerned about for an '04 with 63k miles on it (both what to look for before buying and what to watch for or expect as the car nears 100k)

was talking to my dad about getting the GTO near me and his big concern was maintenance costs, especially since the vehicle is 6 years old at this point. he suggested a new car (and i can certainly understand) but at the same time, 1) i don't want to spend $$ on a new car 2) there are only a few that i like

unfortunately, there's no such thing as a cheap, sporty, *new* car

 

[exdeath]

whatever fun the car was when its new in 2004, is probably gone now... Its a 5 year old car that you're buying and you'll get what u pay for...
5 years and after 50k miles is when things start to break for cars, prepare to spend some money on replacing the electricals/mechanicals. why don you check out the 2003-2005 accord coupes w/ v6? 240hp, 5 or 6sp manuals if u want, lots of luxury and a trunk larger than the GTO. and will seat 5 adults.

And a 2003 Accord isn't a 7 year old car? You are a clueless biased magazine thumper.

 

[exdeath]

not to super necro this thread, but maintenance-wise, what should i be concerned about for an '04 with 63k miles on it (both what to look for before buying and what to watch for or expect as the car nears 100k)

was talking to my dad about getting the GTO near me and his big concern was maintenance costs, especially since the vehicle is 6 years old at this point. he suggested a new car (and i can certainly understand) but at the same time, 1) i don't want to spend $$ on a new car 2) there are only a few that i like

unfortunately, there's no such thing as a cheap, sporty, *new* car

Get an '05 to get an LS2. Healthy boost in power over '04 if you care.

It's an LS family engine, parts are dime a dozen and easy to work on. Doesn't really get any simpler than working on a GM SB.

Engine is barely broken in. Might want to do a compression test; the car was beat on regardless of what the seller says. You don't buy a 300-400 HP car and not go past 3k RPM or only touch redline "occasionaly". Beating the piss out of it like it was built to do is fine and well, as long as it's maintained accordingly.

They are known to wheel hop pretty bad. Mod wise like any powerful heavy car with IRS you'll want at *least* urethane bushings.

Also sporty suspensions + heavy cars are not compatible with potholes and lumpy roads. Plan on needing new struts/shocks and mounts before 100k. OEM are probably Bilstiens, which are $$$.

You are also going to be eating tires once or twice a year, regardless how you drive. Not just from the power either. It's a 3,700 lb car that uses wide soft meats front and rear to grip and achieve it's handling and cornering capability. Just rolling around, even without burnouts, takes it's toll on the tires.

Of course I don't need to mention gas. You'll get 200-250 miles a tank tops.

 

[DietDrThunder]

If you want pleanty of trunk room, and seats 4 comfortably, go with a '67 GTO with a full disc brake converstion. You'll be smiling the whole time you are driving.

 

[Homer Simpson]

not to super necro this thread, but maintenance-wise, what should i be concerned about for an '04 with 63k miles on it (both what to look for before buying and what to watch for or expect as the car nears 100k)

was talking to my dad about getting the GTO near me and his big concern was maintenance costs, especially since the vehicle is 6 years old at this point. he suggested a new car (and i can certainly understand) but at the same time, 1) i don't want to spend $$ on a new car 2) there are only a few that i like

unfortunately, there's no such thing as a cheap, sporty, *new* car

assuming fully original parts still, struts and strut mounts. the mounts typically collapsed within 10k miles which causes negative camber and inner tire wear. radius rod bushings should be replaced as well. the factory liquid filled bushings suck and if original are guaranteed to be shot. the radius rods and strut mounts are probably the two must do items if they've never been touched. other stuff can be done but probably isnt required. if you're doing the mounts, may as well tackle the struts. might even consider springs all teh way around. either stock height or 1" drop all the way around.

i did all the suspension work on mine at about 13k miles iirc, and my mounts were shot and my radius rod bushings werent totally shot but i noticed a difference after changing them. the 1" drop springs and new struts helped a bunch too. i used and recommend pedders suspension parts.

 

[Homer Simpson]

OEM are probably Bilstiens, which are $$$.

ha! they are certainly not bilsteins. in fact, they are pretty ass-tastic low end oil filled struts from the factory. the aftermarket gas struts are much better.

 

[alkemyst]

pretty large trunk

the fuck waht?

 

[fbrdphreak]

Second the other mentions: factory struts & springs blow ass, as do the bushings and strut mounts. The 04's will tend to eat brakes more as they are a bit underwhelming for a 3700lb car.

Seriously - I would suggest getting a lower mile 05. More power, better brakes, less potential problems.

A number of cars have their ignition cylinder lock up - I don't know why, but it requires a replacement. Apparently it's rather common over time.

The drivetrain should be good as long as they didn't hamfist every shift. Pay attention to how the shifter moves, it should feel solid going into gear but you shouldn't get any grinding or difficulty in the forward gears. Reverse IS a bitch and expect a bit of a trouble getting it into gear occasionally.

If it is a 2004, there was a TSB for the fuel rail covers (The pretty plastic cover that says GTO) because they rubbed a fuel line and could cause a leak. More of a CYA thing, but ask about it.

As exdeath mentioned, you will eat tires. I killed the stock rear tires in <15K miles, and I *Wasn't* doing burnouts or spinning them left & right. Soon after I replaced the suspension and put new Bridgestones on. They were in good condition before I wrecked nearing 30K.

Gas mileage sucks. Plain and simple. You'll do a bit better in an 04, MAYBE hitting 25 on the highway. I maxed at 22 highway in my 06 and was lucky to hit 17 in mixed driving. Pure stop & go city will be low teens for sure. Make sure you can afford this.

Also insurance on GTO's has been climbing for the past few years. Make sure you can afford this.

I would stop by LS1GTO.com for more research on the ignition lock issue.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Second the other mentions: factory struts & springs blow ass, as do the bushings and strut mounts. The 04's will tend to eat brakes more as they are a bit underwhelming for a 3700lb car.

Seriously - I would suggest getting a lower mile 05. More power, better brakes, less potential problems.

A number of cars have their ignition cylinder lock up - I don't know why, but it requires a replacement. Apparently it's rather common over time.

The drivetrain should be good as long as they didn't hamfist every shift. Pay attention to how the shifter moves, it should feel solid going into gear but you shouldn't get any grinding or difficulty in the forward gears. Reverse IS a bitch and expect a bit of a trouble getting it into gear occasionally.

If it is a 2004, there was a TSB for the fuel rail covers (The pretty plastic cover that says GTO) because they rubbed a fuel line and could cause a leak. More of a CYA thing, but ask about it.

As exdeath mentioned, you will eat tires. I killed the stock rear tires in <15K miles, and I *Wasn't* doing burnouts or spinning them left & right. Soon after I replaced the suspension and put new Bridgestones on. They were in good condition before I wrecked nearing 30K.

Gas mileage sucks. Plain and simple. You'll do a bit better in an 04, MAYBE hitting 25 on the highway. I maxed at 22 highway in my 06 and was lucky to hit 17 in mixed driving. Pure stop & go city will be low teens for sure. Make sure you can afford this.

Also insurance on GTO's has been climbing for the past few years. Make sure you can afford this.

I would stop by LS1GTO.com for more research on the ignition lock issue.

yeah i made a thread on LS1GTO but no one has responded yet. i had started reading some stuff about the suspension but I didn't "get" how big or little a problem they had with the bushings and whatnot.

Sounds like all that should deduct a significant amount from the listed price to me

So far I the issues I had read for the LS1's were:

fuel rail covers
strut rub
crap brakes
crap suspension
ignition lock

i figure the brakes/suspension alone could let me haggle 1-2k off of the asking price at the stealership (on top of their listing being well above edmunds' listed price). then again, i suck at haggling, so who knows!

 

[chorb]

yeah i made a thread on LS1GTO but no one has responded yet. i had started reading some stuff about the suspension but I didn't "get" how big or little a problem they had with the bushings and whatnot.

Sounds like all that should deduct a significant amount from the listed price to me

So far I the issues I had read for the LS1's were:

fuel rail covers
strut rub
crap brakes
crap suspension
ignition lock

i figure the brakes/suspension alone could let me haggle 1-2k off of the asking price at the stealership (on top of their listing being well above edmunds' listed price). then again, i suck at haggling, so who knows!

I've got an 04 GTO, picked it up 8 months ago with 28K on the odometer. I've put about 8K miles on it so far... and loved every mile.

The brakes are decent, not going to win any 60 - 0 records, but they aren't a problem when you need to stop in a hurry.

I have had 1 problem with it, the AC not being as cold as it should - probably just need to get it recharged.

Power is there all the time, its plenty fast at 350HP; it might be nice to have 400hp in the 05 or 06 model, but definitely not needed for normal daily driving. Plus its cheaper to buy and just as fun to drive on the streets, and the gas mileage for me is ~16.5 city, ~23 highway.

You can't go wrong with the 04; you can do slightly better with the 05 or 06, but at an increased cost.

 

[alkemyst]

yeah i made a thread on LS1GTO but no one has responded yet. i had started reading some stuff about the suspension but I didn't "get" how big or little a problem they had with the bushings and whatnot.

Sounds like all that should deduct a significant amount from the listed price to me

So far I the issues I had read for the LS1's were:

fuel rail covers
strut rub
crap brakes
crap suspension
ignition lock

i figure the brakes/suspension alone could let me haggle 1-2k off of the asking price at the stealership (on top of their listing being well above edmunds' listed price). then again, i suck at haggling, so who knows!

the deal is since these have tanked in pricing, there are tons of new buyers and tire kickers.

Expect to get a "SEARCH NOOB" deal sent your way.

the brakes (usually asked as breaks) and suspension are fine for most in reality. The strut rub and cover issue are important, the ignition lockup happens to even Porsches and there is a work around so it's really a non-issue.

I was considering one (now going to just get an M3) but the lack of a fold-down rear seat killed the deal. The trunk space is comparable to my 98 240SX which can fold down the rear seat (although 1/2 the height is eaten up by the gas tank). I carry wood sometimes and longer items in my car when I get a whim to build something.

 

[Fenixgoon]

the deal is since these have tanked in pricing, there are tons of new buyers and tire kickers.

Expect to get a "SEARCH NOOB" deal sent your way.

the brakes (usually asked as breaks) and suspension are fine for most in reality. The strut rub and cover issue are important, the ignition lockup happens to even Porsches and there is a work around so it's really a non-issue.

I was considering one (now going to just get an M3) but the lack of a fold-down rear seat killed the deal. The trunk space is comparable to my 98 240SX which can fold down the rear seat (although 1/2 the height is eaten up by the gas tank). I carry wood sometimes and longer items in my car when I get a whim to build something.

well i just sent the dealership an email inquiry. i asked about a maintenance history and, since the vehicle is listed with some sort of warranty, whether it's a 3rd party or factory warranty, and when the warranty period starts (original purchase date of car, or when I purchase it)

Hopefully the fact that I did some research makes me appear a more serious buyer

 

[AdamK47]

yeah i made a thread on LS1GTO but no one has responded yet.

I replied.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I replied.

LOL awesome!

 

[alkemyst]

If you want pleanty of trunk room, and seats 4 comfortably, go with a '67 GTO with a full disc brake converstion. You'll be smiling the whole time you are driving.

the 1967 is my favorite....my dad wouldn't let me have one for my first car so I ended up with this instead:

Early GTO's are very hard to find though, expect to pay a ton for an original and not a LeMan's conversion (which isn't so bad really).

 

[alkemyst]

LOL awesome!

nice thread derail: http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=356156

mad props on him suggesting an Accord.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I'd say all the suggestions are good so far. I forgot about the whining diffs - definitely a good thing to check for.

The Goat herd is a strong one...you might even be able to get someone on LS1GTO.com to help you inspect and test drive it. Maybe offer to buy them lunch?

 

[Fenixgoon]

I'd say all the suggestions are good so far. I forgot about the whining diffs - definitely a good thing to check for.

The Goat herd is a strong one...you might even be able to get someone on LS1GTO.com to help you inspect and test drive it. Maybe offer to buy them lunch?

the guys over there were kind enough to run a GM VIS report for me. it came back looking relatively clean. i take it that's a good thing?


(giant wall of text ahead)


VEHICLE INFORMATION
Merchandising Model : 2VX37 -2004 GTO COUPE Warranty Start Date : 09/30/2004
BARS Order Type : 70 - RETAIL - STOCK
Delivering Dealer : SWANSON AUTOMOTIVE
6901 RITCHIE HWY
GLEN BURNIE , MD 21061-2313
(410) 768-4400
Selling Source : 16 - PONTIAC
Site Code : 08210
Business Associate Code : 181444
Service Contract : No Branded Title : No Warranty Block : No PDI Status : Paid
REQUIRED FIELD ACTIONS
Vehicle Has No Current Record Of Outstanding Campaigns
SERVICE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
Vehicle Has No Current Record Of Outstanding Service Information
ON STAR AND XM SATELLITE RADIO INFORMATION
Vehicle Has No Associated On Star or XM Radio Information.
APPLICABLE WARRANTIES
Description Effective Date Effective Odometer End Date End Odometer
36/36000 BUMPER TO BUMPER LIMITED WARRANTY 09/30/2004 11 miles 09/30/2007 36011 miles
72/100000 SHEET METAL COVERAGE RUST THROUGH LIMITED WARRANTY 09/30/2004 11 miles 09/30/2010 100011 miles
96/80000 FEDERAL EMISSION CATALYTIC CONV. AND PCM 09/30/2004 11 miles 09/30/2012 80011 miles
36/36000 FEDERAL EMISSION 09/30/2004 11 miles 09/30/2007 36011 miles
CLAIM HISTORY
R.O Date R.O Number Type Labor Operation Odometer Reading
05/21/2005 044859 # C4640 - TRIM AND/OR CARPET, REAR COMPARTMENT FLOOR PAN - R&R OR RE 5033 miles
03/15/2005 042889 # N2384 - SWITCH - REAR COMPARTMENT - LAMP - REPLACE 2256 miles
09/09/2004 T01128 T A1051 - ROCKER - REFINISH/CLEAR COAT - LEFT SIDE 1 miles
08/31/2004 A03744 I Z7000 - PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION - BASE TIME 0 miles