Pulled the SC GTO out of "storage" today

[Magnified]

Went and put gas in at the deserted HEB (the security guards were hanging out in the empty lot with their girlfriends). Then aired upped the tires in driveway. Loaded up one son in the back and took it out and ran it some to make sure the inadvertant drop to zero on the battery had not wiped out the tune (as it had twice before). Car runs great. While only 450/450 at the wheels, in its day that was a fairly stout ride. Rarely ran anyone that could just walk away. Registration 4 years out; inspection 5 years out. Gotta get those renewed. Covered in dust and dirt and cat prints. Embarassing. Still sounds magnificent. With the minimums of safety control system car will kick out the rear at over 70 here if you nail it (west texas state-recipe for high heat resistant asphalt does not lend itself to great traction). Scared the boy a little. Other kid did the checking of the air and helped with the compressor. Wish I had more time for all that kind of thing.

Need to sell this thing.

 

[SilverBillet]

Thanks for posting! Enjoyed the update on it.

 

[Magnified]

Have an electrician who is in love with the car and wants to buy it. Not sure he can with the virus throwing everything into chaos though. It's weird; the car can put hooks in people. There's him, a plumber, and the son of another guy who works for me who, in the words of their families and friends are "obsessed" with the car. Would love to sell to any of them because I know it would be loved (know that sounds stupid) and taken care of like I can't take care of it any more.

Such a great driving car too. Would keep for the one of the kids to drive eventually but the safety systems are too few (no side air bags, for example - Holden had them in Australia and GM said no for the US for some reason - looked into importing them and offering it as a DIY retrofit kit but the limited production run and potential alleged liability if folks did not do the install right made the project not economically viable).

 

[1971demon]

Went and put gas in at the deserted HEB (the security guards were hanging out in the empty lot with their girlfriends). Then aired upped the tires in driveway. Loaded up one son in the back and took it out and ran it some to make sure the inadvertant drop to zero on the battery had not wiped out the tune (as it had twice before). Car runs great. While only 450/450 at the wheels, in its day that was a fairly stout ride. Rarely ran anyone that could just walk away. Registration 4 years out; inspection 5 years out. Gotta get those renewed. Covered in dust and dirt and cat prints. Embarassing. Still sounds magnificent. With the minimums of safety control system car will kick out the rear at over 70 here if you nail it (west texas state-recipe for high heat resistant asphalt does not lend itself to great traction). Scared the boy a little. Other kid did the checking of the air and helped with the compressor. Wish I had more time for all that kind of thing.

Need to sell this thing.

did you buy it new?

 

[Tannehill]

Went and put gas in at the deserted HEB (the security guards were hanging out in the empty lot with their girlfriends). Then aired upped the tires in driveway. Loaded up one son in the back and took it out and ran it some to make sure the inadvertant drop to zero on the battery had not wiped out the tune (as it had twice before). Car runs great. While only 450/450 at the wheels, in its day that was a fairly stout ride. Rarely ran anyone that could just walk away. Registration 4 years out; inspection 5 years out. Gotta get those renewed. Covered in dust and dirt and cat prints. Embarassing. Still sounds magnificent. With the minimums of safety control system car will kick out the rear at over 70 here if you nail it (west texas state-recipe for high heat resistant asphalt does not lend itself to great traction). Scared the boy a little. Other kid did the checking of the air and helped with the compressor. Wish I had more time for all that kind of thing.

Need to sell this thing.

Can you believe it's been 14-15yrs since we we're crazy about our GTOs coming out and buying them?? (some of more than one LOL).

My '06 Spice Red is one of my favorite cars I have owned. Zero problems and was a phenomenal cruising car for my 80mile round trip commute. I absolutely love the seats they put in that car, best I've ever had.

 

[SNeal5966]

Man I remember when that car came out, I was so excited to see that but I deff could not afford one at the time.....

Got any pictures of this awesome automotive history?

 

[Demoniccat]

Those cars were a wolf in sheep’s clothing in the day, they didn’t look the part, but they certainly could back the name plate.
wish they didn’t drop the division it would be way cool to line up against their version of a modern day interpretation of a Pontiac muscle car.

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

Cool to get it out and breathing again. Pics please...

 

[Demoniccat]

Only 450 @ rear wheels, but any where from 600 to 700 lbs less than our cats depending on options, not to tough to take !

 

[Magnified]

did you buy it new?

Yes, in 2006.

 

[1971demon]

Yes, in 2006.

A friend of mine bought one new in 06 as well...I believe his was 400 hp from the factory...It just never visually did it for me...amazingly @ 6'5"...he never was cramped in it...he said it was a great car...

 

[Magnified]

Some photos ... most are old, as it now dirty and horrendous looking. A year or two ago put the JHP Australian wing on it (had taken the surf board off within the first few months and just plugged the holes).

Original....



Add intercooled MP112 (only SC available at the time), Kooks ceramic coated long tubes, subframes / jacking rails, resonator and muffler delete, x-pipe and racing bullets, injectors, KB Boost-a-pump, trans and PCM tune, drag bags to control IRS angles and plant the rears off the line. Bayern wheels and various rubber including DRs at times. Plus hardwired radar detector, timing gear, camera mounts, blah blah blah....

 

[DGatzby]

Good looking car! I like the wheels. Glad it came out working for you, enjoy.

 

[stonewall]

Right after I bought my 2012 SRT Yellow Jacket I had a run in with one of these. They are quick nimble little bastids. He was behind and stayed there, but it was no easy task. he would get on my ass in the twisty's and I would pull him in the straights. I just never liked the body style. having owned a 69 GTO. I was disappointed when they badged the Holden with the GTO badge.

 

[HRJ]

AMG Killer!

 

[Designflaw]

I was excited when they said this car was coming, but was very disappointed in the looks. Its cool you still have it though -

 

[Magnified]

Right after I bought my 2012 SRT Yellow Jacket I had a run in with one of these. They are quick nimble little bastids. He was behind and stayed there, but it was no easy task. he would get on my ass in the twisty's and I would pull him in the straights. I just never liked the body style. having owned a 69 GTO. I was disappointed when they badged the Holden with the GTO badge.

That was Bob Lutz that decided to do it that way. (The badging.) And to address the other comments, they were rated 400 hp from the factory (the LS2s) and with all the dyno testing I saw of mine and others usually were putting down 340 to 350 at the wheels. The trans is a A4 is a power killer - seeing 20% loss or thereabouts from crank to wheels. So this one is 550/550 at the crank with a 100 hp drive train loss :-( But such is life, right?

And yes, big on the interior. The Commodore was the 4 door version in Aussie land (and the G8 / SS here) so it was generally large and comfy. The body style was old when they decided to import it and it was odd in the first year with no scoops, but the look could grow on you. There was supposed to be a snorkle assembly at one point to dump the scoops into the air cleaner box but it appears the location of the scoops and the convoluted plumbing just didn't make sense in the end.

 

[Magnified]

AMG Killer!

Yes. Gave a bunch of them a big surprise. Back in the day.

 

[SilverBillet]

Here’s a Solstice with an LS2 and Tremec 6 speed that I saw on another website! Guy just bought a new ScatPack Charger and posted this. Looks factory.

 

[Magnified]

There were 100 or 400 or something of those mallets made - so it should look pretty factory. That is if my brain is still working right.