Salutations from sunny South Florida!

**Goat-E** · 06-08-2009, 02:01 AM

Actually that's a lie. Infact if anybody knows how to do a rain dance in reverse please contact me IMMEDIATELY! I haven't had the traction control turned off in a month due to the onset of the monsoon season. I've already located some paddle tires, now if somebody could just direct me towards some retractable pontoons a'la Chitty Chitty Bang Bang I'd be eternally grateful. Or at least until next winter when the rain stops.

Now for the serious side. I have come across a lot of valuable information on this site & figured it's high time I joined up. I have extensive automechanical experience and would like to gather as well as dispense knowledge as best I can. I purchased this GTO back in February and I am quite pleased with it so far. Presently I am rectifying some basic maintenance issues & eventually will do some modifications as time & funding become available. I believe in making sure everything is working correctly before making it work better.
If you are interested here is some statistical information on the car:2004 GTO, Automatic (wanted a 6spd but the color/condition & deal were too good to pass up) Purchased for 12k, 1 owner, garage kept, presently covered by a wolf cover, 45.5k miles at the time of purchase.
Things performed so far: Rear brakes, Nitto NT555's, Tie rod ends with laser alignment & force balancing, Anodized blue acorn lugs, TR55 spark plugs, Custom K&N CAI, all cheap mods, MSD 8.5 wires, Interior light blue treatment (cuz my girl said the green looked retarded on a blue car) Tints, Brake fluid change, Power steering fluid change.
Hope to have done in next 3 months: BMR skid guard, AMSOIL the engine & differential (still debating transmission, input appreciated), Custom exhaust from the manifolds back utilizing magnaflow direct fit highflow cats & mufflers, entire exterior in as close to perfect condition as possible (nothing really major I'm just anal)
By the spring of 2010: Dyno tune (when I'm ready I'll post a question about where to get it done) Cross drilled slotted rotors with good pads, Neoprene bushing kit.>
Possibly: Aluminum pulley kit & other things but all in it's time.

Here's some pics of the car . . .

Thanks for your time.

**pajeff02** · 06-08-2009, 05:41 PM

Welcome. Nice looking Goat!

**Goat-E** · 06-09-2009, 01:55 AM

Thanks! That's practically fresh off the lot before the claybar, high speed polish, show glaze & NXT 2.0. I'm originally from Da' Burgh. The car came from Syracuse NY.

**JustgoFast** · 06-09-2009, 06:16 PM

Nice car and if you actually find someone to do reverse rain dance send them to va cause my ta hasn't left garage in couple weeks.

**Goat-E** · 06-10-2009, 05:26 AM

You would think with all the Native Americans running around down here someone would have the hook up. I think they're all huddled up in their Casinos counting their WAMPUM!

Drinkin firewater ect.
I was stationed in Norfolk when I was on the NIMITZ CVN 68.

**JustgoFast** · 06-11-2009, 03:56 AM

Yeah I think someone slackin on rain dance an they freakin callin for more rain. My brother was stationed down there with airforce years back.

**Goat-E** · 06-11-2009, 03:48 PM

I really can't bitch too much. Up until the summer hit we were on Level 4 water restrictions. I had to drive around the Everglades for several weeks because I-75 was shut down due to smoke from brush fires (I deliver gasoline to little towns in the middle of the swamp). God that sucked, plus I gotta be able to wash my pet Goat!

**Spaz** · 06-11-2009, 05:23 PM

excellent!!!

**JustgoFast** · 06-12-2009, 08:31 AM

I do remember hearing about those brush fires. That would suck havin all that smoke around. Should be able to get the TA out of garage this weekend and do a little drivin. It's nice and clean but I'm gonna hate it becasue it will roll over 23,000 miles.

**Goat-E** · 06-12-2009, 12:26 PM

It wasn't so much the smoke as it was the extra hour to an hour and a half to get somewhere. The highway patrol would close the road on a whim without warning. There is only one road that cuts the everglades in two I-75 that's it.
I just turned 47k. I drive about 5500 mi. a year. Plus this thing is a lot rarer than a TA. I don't have that two car luxury. Just one car and one TREK 7300 which I ride to work, weather permitting. I used to have a 70' Formula in highschool. My dream car would be a 70' TA with a Ram Air IV. I like the GTO though. It's got class and speed. The interior is sweet. It's straight black, not that kiddie color coded gaudy crap. My buddy had a 98' Z28, I didn't like feeling so close to the roof. I baby the GTO.

**JustgoFast** · 06-16-2009, 08:52 AM

Wellp finally drove the ta yesterday after a couple weeks sittn and rolld over 23k hate it but knew it was coming. I do need to get it out more it was just fun driving it and watching all the people breaking their necks trying trying to get a good look at it. I had a 79 ta back in the mid 80's only a 301 in it but it did have the 4 speed. Would love to have one of the 70's TA's also that's a rare one.

**SiggyZ** · 06-16-2009, 01:47 PM

Greetings and salutations! That's a good-looking goat you've got there.

**Goat-E** · 06-17-2009, 04:05 AM

To Justgofast: My first car was a 70' Formula. I love the dual snorkel hood but much like the 05' 06' GTO's it was just for looks. I'm more into function. I was looking at Sarge's engine & noticed that he insulated his intake. My friends looked at me sideways when I insulated mine. I'm also kicking the true duals to the curb. I'm going for a 3" single. Mathematically it should increase my flow by about 420+ CFM over stock and weigh 30 lbs less, I'm putting a 3" in 3" out Magnaflow in the insulated recess just before the rear bumper with highflow cats. I'm not expecting to go over 400-450 CS-HP. Everything else is Physics.
PS. The rain has slacked up considerably here. For a month I thought I was gonna drown. I own a TREK 7300 bicycle & love to cycle. From lack of using it I think I went up a belt loop & a half.

**Goat-E** · 06-17-2009, 04:17 AM

Thank you for the compliment SiggyZ. It's actually gotten a little younger since those pictures were taken. The best was getting all of the dog hair out of the crevasses from the first owner. Claybarring elicits a fair amount of turgidity for me. Nothing snaps necks better than an bottomless reflection. When I get her all done up I'm thinking I'll take the same pics at the same place for comparison. Presentation is the key. I want to keep it looking stock though. I like sleepy and I don't like attention from cops.

**JustgoFast** · 06-17-2009, 08:36 AM

I haven't done anything to mine and probably won't for awhile just because I don't drive it much. May think about another breaking system when these wear out which could be a while yet. No let up on rain here last night an all day today so far an calling for it on an off thru weekend. Once i get a chance i'll take some pics of mine an post them.

**Goat-E** · 06-17-2009, 12:08 PM

The car came from NY & the road salt is rusting the exhaust real bad so I have no choice but to replace it. I would like to get the brakes off of a wrecked 05'-6 on this thing or at least get the calliper set up & then toss in some cross drilled slotted rotors. The 04' brakes are PATHETIC. If it weren't for other maintenance items that were absolutely necessary to be done now the first things I would have done were the brakes upgrade & the bushings. All in time. I'm trying to keep it as close to factory as possible. I'm just fixing Holden's mistakes. All the OEM parts are being saved.