Project B.O.M. GTO

This post is going to sorta be like "Pulp Fiction". Some info. will be presented NOT in the order it was discovered.

I bought this car in July of 2014 and drove it daily for about 20 months. At heart, I love my Pontiac's...but I also like a LOT of other makes / models.

I was leaving work on Friday March 11th, 2016, and I was heading to bowling. I crested a hill to discover the woman in the Chevy Venture minivan in front of me did --> NOT <-- have functioning tail lights! I slammed on the brakes, but wasn't able to stop in time. I blasted the back of her van and (essentially) totalled my GTO. I kept the car, took the insurance payout and rebuilt it, using a totalled car I acquired online.

This is where I bailed my car out of jail

The acquisition (vandalized 2006 GTO from Sacremento, Ca).
There was all kinds of plastidip residue all over the car, it was straight piped (meaning NO cat's or mufflers), no D/S or airbox. I felt there was an interesting story behind this car. I think I pieced most of it's history back together from things left in and on the car.

The key in figuring this all out was a parking ticket from "Knights Ferry Rec. Area". At the time I found it, I didn't think much of it. When I started looking for answers as to what had happened to the car, I used the ticket to get the address of the previous owner. I sent them a letter with my info and got a VERY nasty e-mail message back asking to NOT contact them again.
I ended up contacting the state and found out a few interesting details.

A LOT of kids like to break into the recreational areas and drag race. Because the state was low on funds, they couldn't have rangers at every park. The drag racers knew this and would break in. When the law wqould show up, everyone would scatter and lock their cars...essentially only getting parking tickets.

After tearing into the car, I found it had:  G-Force rear coilovers ($1,000 add on), an ACT twin clutch kit ($about 750), RPM Transmissions level 6 trans (aprox. $5,500. a brand new LS2 crate motor (at the time, easily a $5000 engine) ported heads, a cam & spring kit, brand new drilled / slotted rotors all around w/ Stoptech brake pads (at least $700 and there was still the zinc coating on the braking surfaces) and new tires with the nubs on the driving surface (easily another $1000).

I feel, this car was being raced.  However, on the weekends...whomever owned it, was installing various things to give the car more power.  I ended up pulling the new motor to put into my car after I cracked a head.  I pulled the motor out of the donor GTO and tore into it.  I think the previous owner blew their original motor and while it was being replaced, they added a "hot cam kit" from eBay...but it didn't work.  The car wouldn't run.

I tore that engine apart to find the valve springs were all JUNK! Some of the coils went around 4 times, other 5 or 6 times. It was a mess. When I pulled the heads, the pistons were bad and marred. All but 4 valves were bent! We pulled the cam and I did a Google search using the spray #'s on the end of the cam. I found this:

I profiled the cam, using a caliper, pen and compass. It turns out the cam lobes were off several degrees from one another (I guess they were anywhere from 1 degree to 4 degrees off from other lobes). I mean, when I did my engine rebuild, I spent more than this on JUST the cam. Less money for a cam AND springs...??? No way, Jack! They screwed the engine and I feel they vandalized the car to recoup the $$$ they spent on the car and all the parts.

Upon further investigation, the ignition fuse was gone???

Think about this!!! If you were going to vandalize a car, you want to get in and out FAST! They used a screwdriver to mess up the interior (so they were able to get in the car. Sure, the windows were broken, but you'd be making noise to get in first AND then have to tear stuff up. Then you use a hammer to bust up the body and windows. I imagine banging on the car like this would be loud?.... (am I wrong?). I mean, every panel was damaged - except the doors and the hood. Those were scratched up, but not banged and dented. The 1/4's were pretty badly beaten.
My question is; who would have the presence of mind take the time to open the hood, find and pull the ignition fuse and WHY??? Obviously, if the car wont start when the insurance adjuster comes out, it will immediatly be totalled.

I feel, the person doing this felt they weren't going to get caught.  Plus, pulling the driveshaft and CAI and selling the exhaust, you'd get roughly $3K in the sale of all that.  Combined with the insurance payout of around $10K, you petty much break even.  

....but I digress....

Below is the frame shop cutting up the donor vehicle, to fix mine.  Basically using the math, 1 + 1 = 1 & 1/3rd

The donor car was $4,500 delivered, it cost me $1,200 for the frame shop work and $3K for the paint. With my incidentals and such, I was around $1,000 ahead and I had a TON of parts to sell!

By Memorial Day weekend, I was able to drive the car again.  I was REALLY nice to be able to go out cruising with my buddies!!!  Pictured are my friends cars (Greg, in the 2007 Grand Prix GT - His G8 was not done, Aaron's Sooby.  My friend Ray had already left & has a 1969 AMX).




Then disaster struck again in June of 2017. The ECM went bad and was pre/post detonating cylinder #4. It took a VERY long while to figure this out. In the meantime, I cracked a head. I decided it was easier to pull the donor vehicle motor and rebuild it, than it would be to buy ALL new parts for the original motor.

I sold my old motor and trans to a friend of mine for $3500. He had been helping me a lot, with the rebuild, plus pulling and reinstalling the motor. We put in a new Erson custom grind cam, double roller timing chain with front cover spacer, did some work on the heads (porting and larger exhaust valves), Crane Cams trunion kit, upgraded springs and retainers, ported intake mani, JBA shorty's, ported T/B and ARP head bolt kit, etc.. With the tune, I felt we were putting down around 525 crank hp, or close to 430 wheel hp.

This is when I larned a LOT about LS engines. Apparently, you need to prime them or they will probably grenade./ Within 4,000 miles of the new motor being done, I spun a bearing on cylinders #4 and #6.

This is the last time the car was running, taken at the 2018 Indian Uprising in St. Charles IL.

 

Right around this time, my father had a stroke. My parents needed help and asked me to move back in with them. I did and used some of the $$$ I saved on rent / mortgage to build my GTO.

As of April, 2023, the car is almost completed. I am currently working on the fuel system.

ENGINE:

- was a home build 6.0 litre,
- NOW is a professionally built 6.9 litre race engine
- Stroked / sleeved ready for S/C boost up to 1500 hp
- 823 (LS3) heads, ported and larger exhaust valves

SUPERCHARGER / INTAKE:

- Independently driven LS9 with custom hub / pulley setup of my own design
---- Lingenfelter 2.38 upper pulley and UPD lower 8.50" S/C ring (22% overdriven)
- Dedicated Motorsports reinforced bricks
- rebuilt by myself, inner casing has been deburred / smoothed
- Inverted LS9 S/C snout to clear OEM GTO hood.
- Highly modified DuSPEED CAI (from Australia)
---- Outgoing air outlet moved right 9" and redirected to work with modified LS9 snout.
---- added side "wings" to help hide intercooler pump, radiator and various reservoirs better


FUEL:

- Stock LS9 fuel rails (modified for return lines) w/ fuel pressure regulator fter the injectors.
- DeatchWerks90# injectors
- -8an incoming fuel line / -6 an return
- Chris Johnson custom fuel pump w/ twin Walbro 450's
- FuelLab fuel filter and one way valves in line.

SUSPENSION:

- BC Coilovers front / QA1 - G-Force Engineering rears
---- Weld-in lower shock extensions
---- Flat gold powder coating of the coils
- Whiteline 1 degree adj. camber bushings (front)
- Pedders front radius rod w/ Poly bushings
- Whiteline front LCA w/ poly bushings
- Whiteline heavy duty adjustable sways (front / back)
---- Flat gold powder coated sways
- Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings
- G-Force Engineering heavy duty toe rod ends (rear)

DRIVELINE:

- RPM Transmissions level 6 trans.
- McLeod RXT Clutch
- QA1 Custom CF driveshaft w/ 1350 joints (2000 hp rated)
- Hinson short throw
- DIFFERENTIAL
---- Professionally rebuilt
---- Cryogenically Tx'd 3.07 gears
---- Drive Shaft Shop 300M inner stubs
---- Drive Shaft Shop 1400 hp rated axles
- Harrop differential cover (customized)
- Hendrix Engineering Harrop diff. bracket

BRAKES:

- Cadillac CTS-V Brembo's
---- 6-piston front / 4 piston rear
---- Powder coated Flat Gold
- Drilled / Slotted front / rear rotors
- Russell stainless steel brake lines


EXHAUST:

- Magnaflow 3" exhaust
- custom3" electric cutouts

WHEELS / TIRES:

- Cadillac CTS-V sedan "Diamond" wheels
- Inner hub opened to 69.6 mm
- front wheels narrowed to 8.5" (WeldCraft - Livonia MI.)
- PVD coated in "Chrome
- Continental Tires ExtremeContact Sport
---- 265/35 19 front 295/40 19 rear
- Monster lug nuts
- ARP Lug Studs

INCEDENTALS:

- Minitubbed (using G-Force Engineering minitub kit)
- Custom triple center console gauge pod w/ Australian cupholders
---- Mavman color matched GTO gauges (Brazen Orange)
---- A/F ratio, Oil Press and Trans Temp
- Custom dual A-Pillar gauge pod
---- Mavman color matched GTO gauges (Brazen Orange)
---- (Boost, LC2 Wideband)


CURRENT VISUALS:

- Reproduction Chrome badging
- Reproduction SAP Grilles
- SAP spoiler
- Color matched rear bumper insert w/chrome vinyl GTO overlay
- Wet Okole seat covers
---- Orange piping
---- Copper "GTO" seat embroidery w/ silver outline
- Custom Lloyds floor mats
---- Black w/ orange outer edging
- Headlight Armor amber fog lightfilm

COMING FUTURE MODS and VISUALS:

- Customized (broken) GTO front bumper
- Customized RK Sport side skirts
- Customized (broken) 2004 rear bumper
- Customized Rhys Millen Racing (RMR - fiberglass which were destroyed) fenders
- Customized (broken) rear trunk insert
- Customized (imported) Holden VT tail lights w/ amber lens
- Customized Pontiac G8 flat bottom steering wheel
- Genuine Holden HSV roof spoiler <---- made of UNOBTANIUM
- Customized (broken) OEM spoiler combined w/a base Chevy Cobalt spoiler.
- Customized "GTO" side skirt emblems
---- inlayed into clear acrylic w/ amber turn signal backing
---- will look similar to Holden HSV / GTS / GTR emblems
- Stabilized / dyed banksia pod shifter / e-brake handle and steering wheel trims.
- Aluminum HVAC knobs
- Custom Lloyds trunk mat
---- Black w/ orange outer edging and custom stainless steel GTO emblem.

In the picture below, shows the minitubs before (below) and after (top).  There is a "U: shaped bend in the lower picture, which has 2 holes for the rear interior panels.  The lower portion (and subsequent lower screw hole) was removed after the mini-tub.  This was necessary for me to get my rear wheels to fit.

Final test fitting of the rear interior panels.  Test fitting, modification and getting everything to line up properly with the rear panels and seats took me 19 hours to complete.  Then I was able to replace everything.  The below picture was before the headliner was completed.  All of this needed to be removed before the headliner went back in

Getting ready to reinstall the differential.

...then I did some custom paint work to the diff cover, using high temp engine enamel:



Trying to get the stance right on the front suspension. Notice the white paper in the lower grill (which is another idea for a future project).

Final mock-up of the triple gauge pod I made. This shows the Brazen Orange Mavman gauges in place (A/F Ratio, Oil Press. and Trans. Temp. from left to right). This is also showing the Australian cupholders (next to the radio hole).

Below, shows the part I imported from Australia.  I began to cut up the center console (top left), but what I was able to use (top right) has the yellow tape on the top.  The bottom of the below pic, shows the piece after being bonded together with JB Weld and then fiberglassed for added strength.



The below picture is another project I started and have not completed yet. The top is the stock trunk insert. The bottom aspect of the picture is a piece I had on my car, buit was cracked and broken by someone trying to get into my trunk. I didn't notice the damage at first and drove off, losing some pieces. I tried to fix it, but it didn't go well. I decided to modify the insert.

If you look at the bottom aspect of the broken / modified part, where the middle of the license plate would be, there is a line. It was cracked from there, all the way (going to the left) to about the middle of the upward sweeping arch. The supports behind the part were missing completely...which I tried to J/B Weld back together. It didn't fair so well and all the pieces shifted while the epoxy was curing. I decided NOT to trash the part, but see how I could modify it.

I stopped working on this piece when I started the major engine / driveline / suspension upgrade.