Is a grand am worth modifying.

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by ltpats

The potential for performance is very limited. I've done so many diferent upgrades and the outcome wasn't all that great. Of course I'm going back to my younger days and my 71 Chevelle that when you mashed the pedal to the floor you had better be holding on . My 04 Grand Am is a head turner though it's just to bad it's so darn slow.

Or maybe it's slow because you don't know how to make it fast.

[Malibu Glow]

Originally Posted by SilverGAGT2002

exacllty people here like with old low horse power muscle cars such as a corvette and couple new mustang say get a real car.. but u know wat no way y buy a 20,000 car when i can just spend a little on my gagt and be just as happy cause im puttin my own touch on it rather then it coming out like that

^ This guy speaks the truth

If a company like wot-tech or mp racing started offering turbo kits and custom ss exhaust systems im sure alot more people would mod up there GA. I know milzy already supposedly makes a turbo kit but we need a maker with reliability and well truthfulness

A racing block from wot-tech would be nice too but im only day dreaming

Better keep an eye on MP Racing then! He's currently working on rebuilding a Malibu that is Sandra's from Texas. Plans are to build up the engine and build a turbo system using her car first for templates in creating a kit for a reasonable price and the end results will be to offer a turbo kit for Malibu's and Grand Am's on his site.

[Malibu Glow]

Originally Posted by Mike Jung

If companies like them offered them: Honestly who would really buy them ?

We have people that whine & bitch about the cost of a CAI here.

I would love Mark of MP Racing to have pre-made kits out there for GA's.
But who really would put their cash where their month is ?

Ben & Mark would be in much better financial shape (meaning they would be well off) if people did

PS: I sure some of the veterans recall incidents of group buys that don't go through because people always back out.

Could you imagine the R&D cost if the companies make eveerything we ask for; but no one ever buys enough of them to even break even ?

You are right... With every group buy that Mark has offered on parts very few took up the offer, but if you think it's stopping him it's just a bump in the road. I've seen it a few times where someone offers a special if enough people jump on the offer but the reality is a lack of money for the most part on some doing it.

[SilverGAGT2002]

If a kit is really made i will probably be one of the ones to take out a loan against my wifes permission to take one out

Only reason i wont do it now is because i dont want to go through all the trouble of finding every part in a different location a complete turbo kit would be the shiz!!

[ltpats]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

Or maybe it's slow because you don't know how to make it fast.

Oh trust me I know how but then I lose the dependability of a daily driver. These cars are just not worth sticking the time and money in. The money could be better spent elswhere with much better results. Looks wise, these cars are cool IMHO but seriously lacking in performance.

[cardude007617]

Originally Posted by ltpats

Looks wise, these cars are cool IMHO but seriously lacking in performance.

i agree with you 100% here.

i mean think about it this way. Go back 9 or 10 years, how many cars come to mind that meet these things? :
-sporty
-youthful
-strong V6 engine
-antilock brakes
-fun to drive
-affordable

now there are more and better options but when these things were sold new it was a great car for the money and is why GM sold soo many GAs and other N bodies
sadly the new G6 (or 6th gen GA) doesnt live up to the older gens as far as sales which is a part of why GM is where it is

[Mike Jung]

Originally Posted by cardude007617

i agree with you 100% here.

i mean think about it this way. Go back 9 or 10 years, how many cars come to mind that meet these things? :
-sporty
-youthful
-strong V6 engine
-antilock brakes
-fun to drive
-affordable

now there are more and better options but when these things were sold new it was a great car for the money and is why GM sold soo many GAs and other N bodies...

Yup, I loved my '99 GA SE2.

It was about $23.5K Cdn in '98.
A Honda Accord V6 was like $30K Cdn.

I choose the GA.

[AleroB888]

Originally Posted by ltpats

Oh trust me I know how but then I lose the dependability of a daily driver. ........

Maybe, maybe not.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Originally Posted by themanytoys15

i love my grand am, it was my first car, but now i cant stand this machine i wish GM made this car a 5 speed with a V6. If i had money i would ssoooo make this car a RWD and put a corvette engine!!

lulwut
Are you serious?

[burgett2103]

well for 1 it will take a lotta work to actually fit a corvette engine in it

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Originally Posted by burgett2103

well for 1 it will take a lotta work to actually fit a corvette engine in it

In other words, a big focking waste of time.

[2000 GT Coupe]

Originally Posted by [ChaosweaveR]

In other words, a big focking waste of time.

Just like modifying a GA /sarcasm

[kse73]

I modded mine to make it how I wanted it. It looked a lot better, was a little bit faster, and fit me right when I was done with it. Trying to make it the fastest thing on the street is a long and expensive road (not worth it to me) but some like the unique ability of outrunning some strong cars by an econofleet vehicle.

I thought my GA was fast until I bought my current car...
I thought my GTO was fast until I lined up with an SRT10 Viper

Just work with what you've got!

[chuckclose1]

i really disagree with everyone saying the ga has no potential.
i bouhjt mine a few weeks ago and the dealer told me when he got it a the impound auction it had it listed with some engine mods. now there is nothing i can see so it had to be internal work but im loving the power of this car.

its nothing super fast but it gets up and goes. a guy at my work has a new mazda speed and i left him way behind. he says he had it floored but ill never know 4 sure, he could of just been afraid to run it.

we have brand new 09 subarus at work and we ran an sti next to me and i wasnt that far behind it. its boosted and im not. and i doubt there is much work that has been done to my engine.

long story short im confident that with a little bit of time and money itll be plenty quick enough for me

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by ltpats

Oh trust me I know how but then I lose the dependability of a daily driver. These cars are just not worth sticking the time and money in. The money could be better spent elswhere with much better results. Looks wise, these cars are cool IMHO but seriously lacking in performance.

eh... survey says wrong answer. You can make it a lot faster than stock and still be able to drive it daily if you truly know what you are doing. The difference of course is between using cheap parts and doing the wrong modifications, or using quality parts and the correct modifications. Like the saying goes, fast and dependable isn't cheap... but it can be done.

[customgagt94]

agreed 110% ^ i have went back and forth by not doing the best i can the first time TRUST me if ur looking at parts go with the best and most reliable with good rep, or it will bite u later down the road..

[cardude007617]

Originally Posted by chuckclose1

i really disagree with everyone saying the ga has no potential.
i bouhjt mine a few weeks ago and the dealer told me when he got it a the impound auction it had it listed with some engine mods. now there is nothing i can see so it had to be internal work but im loving the power of this car.

its nothing super fast but it gets up and goes. a guy at my work has a new mazda speed and i left him way behind. he says he had it floored but ill never know 4 sure, he could of just been afraid to run it.

we have brand new 09 subarus at work and we ran an sti next to me and i wasnt that far behind it. its boosted and im not. and i doubt there is much work that has been done to my engine.

long story short im confident that with a little bit of time and money itll be plenty quick enough for me

good luck on that car, if the car was impounded (repoed, or w.e) im sure it was well taken care of. theyre prbly calling the "ram air" the engine mods. im sure there is no way in hell a GA could keep up with a STi, 300 HP AWD 13 second car verses a 175 HP FWD 16 second car.

side note- subies are teh ****

[chuckclose1]

Originally Posted by cardude007617

good luck on that car, if the car was impounded (repoed, or w.e) im sure it was well taken care of. theyre prbly calling the "ram air" the engine mods. im sure there is no way in hell a GA could keep up with a STi, 300 HP AWD 13 second car verses a 175 HP FWD 16 second car.

side note- subies are teh ****

i definatley couldnt keep up with it. like i said thou i wasnt far behind it. thats what impressed me about my car.
keep in mind we were not at the track dont think the strip is a 1/4 mile.( a lttle less im guessing) it only beat me by like 3-4 lenths. i expected to be left in the dust

so i think i can get this thing pretty fast over the next year.
i just need to buget my money to get quality parts

[themanytoys15]

All i know this car sucks balls and maybe making this car a RWD is a ****ed up concept, but i believe it can be done and be unique aswell. All in all, this car has a beautiful exterior but thats it!! its engine has lack of power, i hate the 3.0, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4 and everything about it the 60 degree v6s, examples why: the fact the one day the car runs great and then the next day it runs like crap, the security issues, weak gaskets, no REAL cold air intake, fake ram air, overheating issues, power windows failing, heavy ass car, pre-transmission failure, hardly any parts, overheating, air condition faliure, water pump failure, non-aerodynamic, front headlights bulbs are a bitch to change if done wrong your headlight might become loose, ****!! i can go on!! since the early 90s GM had time to perfect this engine and failed to do so. And for another know fact that none of its parts where made in US, most of them where made in mexico. This is supposed to be an American BUILD car!!! I really cant blame no one for this but GM, and i hope GM fired those ****ing engineers for desgining this ****ing car. ANd for the record THIS CAR is the perfect example why GM is going bankrupt and why they are shuting down Pontiac.

[cardude007617]

it has been done, "the betty racer".... couldnt find the old videos on youtube for some reason


pretty sure power windows failing, AC failure, water pump failure, non-aerodynamic...etc are not an engine's fault