Switch to GTO??

[smitty2919]

So I would like to throw this out there on what people's opinions are about this. I would like "mature opinions" if that's possible lol...none of this "Ford rules" and "Mustangs are better than GM/Pontiac" crap lol.

My Mach has 85K on it, STS, CAI, lowered, rear LCA's. My only other plans were aluminum driveshaft and flsfc's. It's a DD as will be the GTO.

I can't get over the LSX motors and their potential...full exhaust, CAI and tune people report upwards of 380 hp...add a cam on that and you are at or over 400. I don't see that happening with the Mach not to mention FOUR cams to buy. Neither car will/would get a blower. It would stay N/A and a fun street car.

I'm not a brand specific...I accept and respect all fast/fun cars, so give opinions un-biased if possible.

Problems I see are maintenance/part availability for the GTO harder than the Mustang scene obviously, but not in terms of motor mods.

Anyone have both or owned both?? I'm just beginning this thought process. I have looked on GTO/ LS forums to see basic problems/issues. Nothing seems to really jump out at me any more than the potential "4V tick" (not really an issue with MY car but in general).

I put this in the Mach1 thread b/c I have the feeling the Cobra guys will sh!t all over the idea sine they think they own God's gift to cars lol.

 

[Monster Mach]

So I would like to throw this out there on what people's opinions are about this. I would like "mature opinions" if that's possible lol...none of this "Ford rules" and "Mustangs are better than GM/Pontiac" crap lol.

My Mach has 85K on it, STS, CAI, lowered, rear LCA's. My only other plans were aluminum driveshaft and flsfc's. It's a DD as will be the GTO.

I can't get over the LSX motors and their potential...full exhaust, CAI and tune people report upwards of 380 hp...add a cam on that and you are at or over 400. I don't see that happening with the Mach not to mention FOUR cams to buy. Neither car will/would get a blower. It would stay N/A and a fun street car.

I'm not a brand specific...I accept and respect all fast/fun cars, so give opinions un-biased if possible.

Problems I see are maintenance/part availability for the GTO harder than the Mustang scene obviously, but not in terms of motor mods.

Anyone have both or owned both?? I'm just beginning this thought process. I have looked on GTO/ LS forums to see basic problems/issues. Nothing seems to really jump out at me any more than the potential "4V tick" (not really an issue with MY car but in general).

I put this in the Mach1 thread b/c I have the feeling the Cobra guys will sh!t all over the idea sine they think they own God's gift to cars lol.

I wanted a gto.... to be honest the reason I didn't.. they are ugly! Interior gave me a headache ( at 20 years old that shouldn't give me a headache) my mach gets way more attention and with the money your going to blow on the gto you could make the mach 550 rwhp n.a

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

 

[08fordgt]

GTO's r cool. But they are heavy. Make sure you don't get the first year- they went from 5.7(350hp) to 6.0(400hp) in the second year. I never really liked the styling. It's just that Australian car with a Pontiac symbol on it. And it just looks like another Pontiac with that stupid grill. ( it looks nothing like the old GTO) but the performance is there. IMO they shud've just made the TransAm with that engine and IRS rearend and it would have been a bigger hit- or make it look like a real GTO. I'm not hating- I'm just saying...
They definitely have potential though.


[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQB4j3wD44c&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Terraferminator ! - YouTube[/nomedia]

 

[smitty2919]

I wanted a gto.... to be honest the reason I didn't.. they are ugly! Interior gave me a headache ( at 20 years old that shouldn't give me a headache) my mach gets way more attention and with the money your going to blow on the gto you could make the mach 550 rwhp n.a

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

Money I'm going to blow? Meaning what? Around here a Mach 1 and GTO with roughly same miles go for the same price. My goal would be to do an eve trade with a dealer or the Mach + couple thousand. It's all up in the air still.

I don't mind the looks of them actually. Yes the Mach looks better but I do like the GTO. I'm 24 so I'm not far from you in age. I'm going to go look at one today and start getting a feel for the cars.

There is nothing wrong with my Mach, so I don't HAVE to do this...just wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. L/T's o/r or catted midpipe and corsa sport mufflers on a GTO makes me all hot and bothered lol

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj8rt5cXDXc"]2006 GTO cold start....Kooks, Corsa sport, Cam, Intake manifold - YouTube[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vHSpDploAY&feature=related"]2005 Pontiac GTO: Kooks Long Tube Headers w/ Corsa Sport Exhaust - YouTube[/nomedia]

 

[clc44]

I had an '04 TR M6 GTO. This car had almost every bolt on plus more. It have a forged short blocked that had been bored .020 over. It had a ported Fast 90 intake, cnc ported 5.3 heads, aggressive cam and made 430 RWHP/402 RWTQ. The car drove great and looked good to, but I had a few problems with it. The ignition locked up twice in a year ($400 to fix), the alternator went out twice and the motor used a lot of oil. I got tired of dealing with those issues so I picked up my Mach. Keep in mind the car was built, but it only had 35k miles when I bought it in '09 and only 15k on the built motor.

It's hit or miss, I wouldn't get an '04, step up to the 6.0 if you decide to get one. Also, the IRS is $$$$ to build!!

 

[smitty2919]

I had an '04 TR M6 GTO. This car had almost every bolt on plus more. It have a forged short blocked that had been bored .020 over. It had a ported Fast 90 intake, cnc ported 5.3 heads, aggressive cam and made 430 RWHP/402 RWTQ. The car drove great and looked good to, but I had a few problems with it. The ignition locked up twice in a year ($400 to fix), the alternator went out twice and the motor used a lot of oil. I got tired of dealing with those issues so I picked up my Mach. Keep in mind the car was built, but it only had 35k miles when I bought it in '09 and only 15k on the built motor.

It's hit or miss, I wouldn't get an '04, step up to the 6.0 if you decide to get one. Also, the IRS is $$$$ to build!!

Yea I hear you on stepping up to the 6L if possible. The IRS won't get "built" but more of maintained. I guess the IRS is GTO specific and parts are not off the shelf. A guy I used to work for has a 06 that had nitrous on it, blew it up then built the motor to a 6.6L with built A4 and over 500 passes that can run 10's on juice all day long with a stock rear end.

For what I will use it for...a fun street car so like I said the farthest I would REALISTICALLY get is full exhaust...but would love to get a cam.

 

[Phantom_LS2]

I had an 06 with the 6 speed and loved it. It had all the basic bolt ons with a decent cam and made great power.

The biggest downside is the IRS. I had moderate problems with being able to put the power down off the line without getting serious amounts of wheel hop. A quick call to gforce1320 and the issue vanished completely.

If you have any more specific questions let me know. Also, 2004-2006 GTO Source is a very good forum to learn a lot of good info.

 

[smitty2919]

I had an 06 with the 6 speed and loved it. It had all the basic bolt ons with a decent cam and made great power.

The biggest downside is the IRS. I had moderate problems with being able to put the power down off the line without getting serious amounts of wheel hop. A quick call to gforce1320 and the issue vanished completely.

If you have any more specific questions let me know. Also, 2004-2006 GTO Source is a very good forum to learn a lot of good info.

Is gforce1320 a member on ls1gto? I actually found that forum and signed up to lurk around.

I'll look into the price for the IRS upgrade. The only other thing I found is a notorious front strut bushing failure and rear-end sag. But those seem to be simple straight forward fix's.

Why did you get rid of the GTO?

 

[Phantom_LS2]

He is a vendor/member on the forum over there.

GFORCE ENGINEERING, LLC (I bought his Wheel Hop Delete Kit)

I never personally had any problems with the front end of my car. I sold it to a friend of mine because I was downsizing from a duo of nice car & daily driver to a single truck.


Miss this car at times...

Is gforce1320 a member on ls1gto? I actually found that forum and signed up to lurk around.

I'll look into the price for the IRS upgrade. The only other thing I found is a notorious front strut bushing failure and rear-end sag. But those seem to be simple straight forward fix's.

Why did you get rid of the GTO?

 

[08fordgt]

$800 to stop wheel hop?! Holy crap!!


[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQB4j3wD44c&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Terraferminator ! - YouTube[/nomedia]

 

[Phantom_LS2]

Stopped the wheel hop with the added benefit of half shafts rated for 750whp.

 

[08fordgt]

So people with stock power that don't want wheel hop have to spend major coin just to not have wheel hop?! That's crazy! There's ur cams for ur Mach right there! Lol.


[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQB4j3wD44c&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Terraferminator ! - YouTube[/nomedia]

 

[smitty2919]

My price range would be around $15K I would guess. It would be nice to find a 05/06 with "average" miles for that price. I have found some with 12K mi for $20K ish...but out of my price range.

My ultimate goal would be to do a car for car swap at a dealer depending on condition of the GTO. Or my car plus a couple thousand.


Why do you keep linking that youtube video?

 

[08fordgt]

Oh. My bad. That's my sig. I'll turn it off. Lol.

 

[dark-knight]

I would keep the mach, afew of my friends have 6.0 gto's. I only had intake, mid-pipe, 4.10's and a tune and i was pulling on the full bolt-on gto's. their very heavy cars. My mach gets alot more attention than their gto's. plus are cars are more easier to work on, atleast i think so. The only plus the GTO has, is that back seats are alot bigger. But since i wouldnt be sitting back there...i dont care to much about that..lol

 

[smitty2919]

I would keep the mach, afew of my friends have 6.0 gto's. I only had intake, mid-pipe, 4.10's and a tune and i was pulling on the full bolt-on gto's. their very heavy cars. My mach gets alot more attention than their gto's. plus are cars are more easier to work on, atleast i think so. The only plus the GTO has, is that back seats are alot bigger. But since i wouldnt be sitting back there...i dont care to much about that..lol

I'm not so much after the "look at me" of the car. I could care less if someone hates the looks. I don't mind the looks. Not calling you a liar, but your intake,midpipe and gear Mach pulled on full bolt on LS2 gto's (A4 or M6?)?

Just from reading around a full bolt on LS2 gto would be sitting around 380+ with tune, full exhaust and intake...

You think maybe it was a driver race and they suck? lol

 

[4v_mach1]

I would never sell my mach-1 for a GTO. I would sell my mach-1 for a LS2/LS3 vette.. not a GTO.

 

[08fordgt]

I would never sell my mach-1 for a GTO. I would sell my mach-1 for a LS2/LS3 vette.. not a GTO.

I agree. Only the new body style vette though.

 

[SF4.6GT]

GTO's are heavy but are comfy... I wouldnt do it!

 

[smitty2919]

I've done the brakes, clutch/tob,pilot bearing and I'm sitting at 85k mi...I'm just doing some reading up on the GTO's and their clutch installs with their hydraulics...those seem more in-depth and tricky having to meaure distances and using the correct shims with aftermarket installs.

Not to mention a simple shifter install is not so simple as a stang is. And the fact people have reported breaking their shifters....yes...BREAKING their shifters. Not ONCE have I heard that about ANY mustang LOL

I would HATE to get into a GTO (just another used car) and do a clutch/brakes etc ALL OVER again. decisions, decisions LOL