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Pontiac GTO

4353 messages,  Last post on Oct 13, 2010 at 5:13 PM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac GTO, Coupe

Messages Page 224 of 436

#2227 of 4353 shifter/paint by hammen2

Feb 06, 2005 (11:28 am)

Others on another discussion board have reported the same "can't get into reverse" issue. Lots of folks have made it custom to put the car into 3rd and then shift into reverse. Others have switched to Redline D4 tranny fluid. Some others have found there's a TSB (04-07-31-003) on pressure plate bolts (cars with VINs lower than 4L234149) which helps the problem. And some say there's a new-design shifter (to avoid rattles) for the '05's, which also works on the '04's.
 
Also, by any chance, did your dealer give you Pulse Red touchup paint? That's a little darker and a little more pearlescent red (used on the last 792 GTO's produced - was supposed to be a special 40th Anniversary GTO package, but Pontiac canned that).
 
Here's the paint codes for what you should have:
 
PONTIAC WA687F , 62 BASECOAT RED HOT (Torrid Red) 2004-2005
PONTIAC WA687F , 62 SINGLE STAGE RED HOT (Torrid Red) 2004 - 2005
 
Hope this helps,
 
--Robert

#2228 of 4353 Re: shifter/paint [hammen2] by coreseller

Feb 06, 2005 (12:07 pm)

Replying to: hammen2 (Feb 06, 2005 11:28 am)
Thanks for the reply Robert. My VIN is higher than what you posted (6/04 build date) so I guess the TSB wouldn't apply. I might try the redline fluid after I get some more miles on the car hoping it may free up a little. I checked the touch up bottle and is marked Torrid Red with the WA687F code you mentioned. I'll run the car by the dealership and talk to the parts guys about the paint, they've been pretty good to deal with. I also have a Mustang Cobra and put an aftermarket (Pro 5.0) shifter in it, what a difference it made vs. the stock shifter! A monkey couldn't miss a gear with that shifter, maybe I'll consider one for the GTO. Thanks again for the help.....Mark.

#2229 of 4353 Re: shifter/paint [coreseller] by hammen2

Feb 06, 2005 (1:20 pm)

Replying to: coreseller (Feb 06, 2005 12:07 pm)
Lots of folks swear by the GMMotorsports RipShift (they're pretty popular in Oz). It's a little pricey, however, at $400+. B&M has a shifter coming out sometime in March, and Hurst is also working on a replacement shifter for the GTO, so help is on the way...
 
--Robert

#2230 of 4353 Re: shifter/paint [hammen2] by coreseller

Feb 06, 2005 (1:38 pm)

Replying to: hammen2 (Feb 06, 2005 1:20 pm)
I've already seen the B & M and Hurst shifters on different web sites for $225 plus s & h. Given a little more time and competition there will be a better selection and better prices on all aftermarket GTO parts. I paid around $125 for the Mustang shifter, the Pro 5.0 was also the premiere shifter available about a year ago when I bought it. $400 is just plain too much, I'll wait a bit. Thanks again.....Mark.

#2231 of 4353 Re: shifter/paint [hammen2] by dat2

Feb 06, 2005 (4:22 pm)

Replying to: hammen2 (Feb 06, 2005 1:20 pm)
I just got a new shifter installed at the dealer the other day, due to excessive buzz. Do you think they installed the new version? Anything else I ought to have them do? I am moving to DC in a couple weeks, and I have an excellent service shop at the local dealer here.

#2232 of 4353 Motorweek review by ocmike3

Feb 05, 2005 (6:05 pm)

Motorweek reviewed the 2005 GTO this week. Okay review, seems like their biggest complaint is the tires. (If you run the GTO hard)
 
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2423.shtml

#2233 of 4353 Re: Motorweek review [ocmike3] by dat2

Feb 06, 2005 (4:15 pm)

Replying to: ocmike3 (Feb 05, 2005 6:05 pm)
Saw the last part of the review on tv today, not sure when they said the GTO is a little out of the element on the track, is it mainly because of the smoking tires or the moderate body roll and 3725 lbs? Maybe all those make it a little out of element. Seems they should have gotten better than a couple tenths better times out of the LS2, although they mentioned the LS2 is "much more willing" than the LS1 GTO. ANyway, that was an interesting review. Would like to see the footage of the goat at the track in Savannah...

#2234 of 4353 autralian GM by graphicguy

Feb 07, 2005 (8:11 am)

sputterguy....ummmm....where did you get your information regarding Australian built GM cars are somehow built better than those made in North America? What leads you to believe there's somehow a different standard in the land down under over anything built by GM anywhere else?
 
GM employs the same build techniques throughout the world at all of thier plants. Many of the General's parts and components are sourced from different areas throughout the world for all of thier cars (with maybe the exception of the Corvette).
 
Don't get me wrong....I'm all for GM making the GTO one of it's Pontiac staples, but to say there's any difference between those built in plants in North America or Australia has no basis in fact.
 
I do think that the gap has closed dramatically in what's produced in North America and what's produced in other parts of the world (Honda, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, etc are all building/designing popular models here in the U.S.) to the point where country of origin shouldn't be a factor.
 
Even Hyundai is making well-built, reliable and durable cars.
 
I think the biggest downfall of the GTO, aside from styling, is the fact that it is based on an aging GM Australian platform.
 
I would have hoped that the '05 GTO's performance would have been much better than what MotorWeek tested. As it is, even with the new engine, the GTO performs almost exactly the same as the new Mustang GT.
 
Having driven both, I'd give the nod to the Mustang GT for style, handling plus it will match the GTO for 0-60 and the 1/4 mile. Ford seems to have done an outstanding job with the engineering and build of the new Mustang, to boot (certainly better than the the Mustang it replaces).
 
Having said all that, the U.S. based car companies make the best V8 engines in the world, in my humble estimation.

#2235 of 4353 Re: autralian GM [graphicguy] by hammen2

Feb 07, 2005 (12:27 pm)

Replying to: graphicguy (Feb 07, 2005 8:11 am)
The Elizabeth Holden plant got a lot of the same GM Production System upgrades that new plants like the Lansing Grand River facility that makes the CTS, SRX, and new STS.
 
If you've sat in a GTO, you'd see the interior design and build quality surpasses just about everything else GM makes except for the latter two Caddies. The build quality (panel gaps/seams) of the car is excellent, far better than just about anything else GM makes (and this coming from a guy whose first GTO had a problem and had to be exchanged by GM - though, to be honest, my GTO had one major flaw, and the local dealership caused/created numerous other problems fixing that flaw).
 
As to performance, I find the numbers posted by MotorWeek to be ludicrous. I've seen, on another discussion board, the exact procedures that GM uses to certify their 13.0 second quarter mile runs on the '05's - don't know who was driving MotorWeek's car, but this is not what people are seeing in the real-world on the track with '05's.
 
Magazines post numbers, and I swear these are influenced by advertising dollars. Take two stock cars, the same driver, in the same atmospheric/track conditions, and the '05 Mustang will lose, both in the 1/4 and top speed, to not only the '05 GTO, but also the '04. The Mustang is geared more for stoplight racing (0-60) but, at the top end (above 90 mph), the LS1/LS2 will really pull on the car.
 
Which car you buy is your personal preference. Not everyone races/takes the car to the track. I am not a Ford fan, not a retro fan, and think the Mustang interior is ugly. Not to mention I wouldn't dream of putting an adult into the back seats of a Mustang. But, if you choose one, great.
 
I do agree that the GTO's legacy Holden/Opel chassis is its weak spot, along with styling that not everyone likes. This will change in 2007 with the Zeta-based GTO's made at the Hamtramck plant (also due some major redesigns to fully implement GMPS). Everyone criticizes GM for putting the car out mostly unchanged from the Monaro - well, would you rather they didn't, and wait to have an affordable Pontiac RWD sports coupe until 2007? Stopgap or no, the GTO is a very nice car, and I'm happy they did bring it over - I bought one! And I suspect most of the others who did are happy as well.
 
--Robert

#2236 of 4353 Article on Holden's Elizabeth plant by hammen2

Feb 07, 2005 (12:39 pm)

http://www.ai-online.com/issues/article_detail.asp?id=28
 
This article is a little old (between the time the GTO was announced, but before it had started assembly), but it's a good overview of the plant and some of the production systems/challenges.

Messages Page 224 of 436

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