2004 gto

Are they worth buying? I am looking at a blue/blue 04 with 150 miles (not K) for $21K. It is an automatic with zero aftermarket parts and the guy who originally owned it, now it is at a dealer so who knows if the story :BS: or not, only had it in storage. It looks very, very clean, but is it going to take going from a garage queen to a car I am going to drive like it was designed to be driven? I haven't sat down and worked out a price, so I am just doing some homework in order to make a smart decision.

That sounds about right. Brand new they were between $32-36k. I know when I looked at a few with 15-20k on the clock, the dealerships wanted $21-$22k. I bought mine modded with 48k on it for a little over $18k(remember MODDED). Talk prices with the seller and see what happens.

I am going to sit down with him and get everything squared away. I do like the blue/blue set up and the first GTO I drove was a 04 and I was in :love: after that day. My brother has an 06 that is about as stock as Arnold when he was Mr. O and I just want something to drive around when I want to go faster than what my Hoe (as in Tahoe) can do. How do you like your 04?

I love my 04. LS1 with a cam that was installed by the previous owner so it can hang with an LS2.

This is the first time I am actually taking my time to buy a car and it is driving me nucking futs, but at least I should make the right call when it is time to cut a check. :yup:

:lol:

Been there.

for that money you can pick up an 06 with a few more miles. I would take the 06 with miles over a low mile 04....that's just me. I owned an 04 and my brother owns an 06. That LS2 has a lot of plus' to it and if you get an 06 you get a few other little things that were nicer. 18" rims were a nice option and much easier to clean than the 17's. Tail lights look better and a couple other small things.

Thanks for the advice. I am still gathering intel (excuse the gi talk) and thinking about the GTO and other options. Thanks again.

As the guys on LS1GTO told you dont buy it. The car is either 7 or 8 years old (depending on build date), the tires are probably cracked and need replaced and the fluids havent been changed.

If you are not going to just store the car dont buy it. Since I saw you say you want to drive it this time capsule is not the car for you. Get one with some miles on it so that if there are any bugs they have already been ironed out. Also, 50 more hp and 35 tq is a good upgrade my friend.

Since you are considering automatics there is a sh!t ton of cars out there. :) I think you said you are pretty much set on the GTO but if you cant find the exact car you want dont be afraid to buy an F-body either. I had my 04 GTO M6 and loved it. Now my DD is a 2000 Z28. It gets good mileage, runs as fast in the 1/4 mile, and was cheap as hell.

For instance, check this one out. If it was closer I would make my dad buy it just to put it up for me. lol

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146527

I asked this question on 3 sites on the same day to hear from those who own them to see if it is worth my effort. I gave up on the Blue/Blue GTO and made up my mind on when I am going to get another car. Automatic or stick, it doesn't make a difference to me since I have been driving both for quite some time. I couldn't ever buy a car to store because it makes no f***ing sense to me. I remember seeing a 1978 Vette Pace Car with 8 miles on it in a Dodge dealer in Warner Robins GA and I when I asked the sales guy about it he said it was the owner's and just for looks and not for sale. I looked up and said that I hoped the roof caved in and crushed the car because he is wasting it, so he might as well throw it in the garbage. I then told him I can't buy a car from a place with an idiot for an owner and walked out the door. It is not a baseball card, it is a f***ing car, so use it.

did you see the car in person? the blue on blue interier grows on you when you see it. pics do it no justice. dude thats a brand new car for around 20k. a couple mods and you will be at 400 hp. also the blue on blue is like 1 of 1500 made that year. i guess i'm just partial to it because it's the one i have. 150 miles, no one beat on it! if that is the price you can afford it's a great buy. you might even get it cheaper. good luck these cars are awsome.

No one beat on it...........that is true.

However all the fluids are 7-8 years old, the tires are going to need replaced, the rear springs are still weak, the I am betting it gets strut rub in 1k miles from it sitting for so long. Any takers? Also to note that the seals wont be broken in and I am betting if you get in and start driving it every day something will leak.

Oh, and good luck having a bank give you a decent loan on that car. If it was me I would go for an 05-06 for the same price with low miles. That way it has been cared for other than just keeping it in storage.

There is no way I would pay 20k for an 04 GTO. You can find plenty of low mile LS2 GTOs in the 20k range. You're going to drive it not store it so it will depreciate like crazy. Personally I wouldn't even buy an 04 GTO.

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Originally Posted by rc74racer

There is no way I would pay 20k for an 04 GTO. You can find plenty of low mile LS2 GTOs in the 20k range. You're going to drive it not store it so it will depreciate like crazy. Personally I wouldn't even buy an 04 GTO.

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I would buy one, hell I had one. :)

You are right, they are just going to depcriate so why not ge one with a few miles for the same or less money?

The LS2 is a drive by wire which a lot of people dont like and the LS2s have a LOT of oil consumption issues. In 06 you get lighted buttons on your steering wheel, different color tail lights (ricer look), and a door lock button. Oh and I forgot, a late 90s early 2000s Grand Prix rear look-a-like bumper with grape fruit shooters and non functioning hood scoops......lol The 05/06 did get a better tranny than that of the 04 (automatics that is). Oh you could get 18" tires as an option but with a thinner tire. :)

So why wouldnt you buy an 04?

The pics are what sell the car without a doubt he got a pic of every angle on the car and it is clean. I wasn't concerned about getting a loan in the least, so I wasn't worried about a bank or anyone lending me money. The dealer isn't a GM or any brand dealer, so it was as is no warranty and with my luck I would be playing :suicide: with it and going through the :ripped: phase of a serious :shitstorm: . Plus, I only was looking at this car because I didn't buy a bike and was going to throw the money at something to drive and have fun with, so I am just going to wait. The guy has to sell that car and I sure as hell don't have to buy it, which is funny because if he didn't try to be slick he could have sold it to me when I first called for $20K. Fine by me, he will be kicking his own ass as 2011 approaches. :snowboard:

Keep checking out Craigslist and eBay.

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Originally Posted by TLS_Addict

I would buy one, hell I had one. :)

You are right, they are just going to depcriate so why not ge one with a few miles for the same or less money?

The LS2 is a drive by wire which a lot of people dont like and the LS2s have a LOT of oil consumption issues. In 06 you get lighted buttons on your steering wheel, different color tail lights (ricer look), and a door lock button. Oh and I forgot, a late 90s early 2000s Grand Prix rear look-a-like bumper with grape fruit shooters and non functioning hood scoops......lol The 05/06 did get a better tranny than that of the 04 (automatics that is). Oh you could get 18" tires as an option but with a thinner tire. :)

So why wouldnt you buy an 04?

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you left out that you also get more cubic inches, more horsepower, and no strut rub with the 05/06 cars.

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Originally Posted by 0rion

you left out that you also get more cubic inches, more horsepower, and no strut rub with the 05/06 cars.

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He also left out they are less desirable and depreciate like crazy. I can't believe he's actually trying to say an 04 is a better car.

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Originally Posted by rc74racer

He also left out they are less desirable and depreciate like crazy. I can't believe he's actually trying to say an 04 is a better car.

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I am not saying that the 04 is more desireable and a better car. Not in the least but stop trying to say how much more superior the 05/06 is. Yes more HP and TQ but thats about it.

One thing.................shhhh! The 05/06 STILL SUFFER from strut rub and radius rod bushing issues. Oh and the weak springs in the back as well as the same weak rear end.

If you buy an 05/06 because it doesnt depreciate like crazy you are kidding yourself. None of them hold value because they were a flop car. Hence the 3 year run in the USA.

strut rub is not near as common on the 05/06 car. I like both cars....the LS1 is a great motor that is mod friendly but the 05/06 is the better of the two. You can argue points and counter points all day but the 05/06 has more going for it out of the box than the 04's did.

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Originally Posted by TLS_Addict

If you buy an 05/06 because it doesnt depreciate like crazy you are kidding yourself. None of them hold value because they were a flop car. Hence the 3 year run in the USA.

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05/06s are more valuable and desirable there is no arguing this. I'm not by any means saying they don't depreciate quickly or in someway highly collectible but go take a look at prices and compare an 04 to and 05/06 with the same miles the 04 will be much cheaper. There is a reason for this and it's not the 1-2 yr age difference.

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Originally Posted by TLS_Addict

I am not saying that the 04 is more desireable and a better car. Not in the least but stop trying to say how much more superior the 05/06 is. Yes more HP and TQ but thats about it.

One thing.................shhhh! The 05/06 STILL SUFFER from strut rub and radius rod bushing issues. Oh and the weak springs in the back as well as the same weak rear end.

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Yeah only more cubes, HP and TQ why would anyone buying a performance oriented car want more performance?

:Popcorn:

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Originally Posted by TLS_Addict

I am not saying that the 04 is more desireable and a better car. Not in the least but stop trying to say how much more superior the 05/06 is. Yes more HP and TQ but thats about it.

One thing.................shhhh! The 05/06 STILL SUFFER from strut rub and radius rod bushing issues. Oh and the weak springs in the back as well as the same weak rear end.

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The 05-06 is a much better car, more refined being the bugs where worked out, mine has had no problems, trans is better, ls-2 is nice, tails, nice dual exhaust, sterring wheel controls, hood looks better even thought it is non functional, interior locks. Sorry my friend but there are many differences.

Easy boys.......lol I agree the 05/06 is a better car. No doubt about it but to drive one back to back from the other there is not a 'leap & bound' difference.

The LS2 makes more power than the LS1, I am not going to say otherwise. Granted the 04 depreciates more, part of it being they are a year older and less power. It doesnt take a rocket scientist (I would never make it as one :)) to see that. Strut rub is not as common on the 05/06 but it is still there, just like the radius rod bushing issue is still there. Its not the cars fault, its the cheap ass materials!

RC74racer, you confirmed what I said. haha See where I said it makes more hp/tq? If your argument were to hold true people would have jumped to the LS3 in the Camaro or the Corvette instead of "settling" for the 6.0 LS2 based on your statement. I mean after all, more performance is to be found in the LS3. Another part about the 04 why it depreciates more is because some of them were made in 03 and some in 04. Hence why the same car is worth more than the other but because its a few months older its worth less than the other.

The trans is better in the 05/06 only if you get the slush-box. The 6-speed is the same tranny. Also, not all have oil consumption issues but the LS2 is known for this. Not all have it but it is a known issue. Strut rub and radius rod bushings are known for the 04 as being a problem but not all had it. They ALL still have the same weak ass rear springs and rear-end. So, not all the bugs were ever worked out of the GTO. No car ever does. :)

I don't see how I confirmed what you said that is was no big deal that they have more HP/TQ. I think it's a huge deal when you are talking about two like cars for the same amount of money. The OP was talking about spending 20k on an LS1 GTO which is why everyone recommended looking for an LS2 GTO. If he had 10k to spend he'd only have one option for a GTO. You can't use the same logic with an LS3 camaro or corvette because of the price. If I were in the market for a C6 vette and could afford a low mileage version I would definitely limit my search to an LS3. There is also less of a difference in HP/TQ between an LS2 and LS3 than an LS2 and LS1.

I think something else you have to look at is value per dollar. The 04's are viewed as the less desirable but that can actually work to a buyers advantage. You can get a low mileage 04 much cheaper than an 05/06.....the money saved can be put into the LS1 to make it a real sleeper. When I bought my 04 that's exactly what I did....I bought it in 05 with 150 miles on it and it still had the window sticker of $31k in the glove box.....I got it for $21k. Drove it for 5 years and sold it for $12k. I loved my 04 and although the 05/06 has some things better about them the 04's are still really nice cars and after you factor in the value/dollar they're not a bad way to go. I still would pass on this ultra low mile car for the money they're asking. You can get either an 06 for the same money or a low mile 04 for ALOT less money.

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Originally Posted by rc74racer

I don't see how I confirmed what you said that is was no big deal that they have more HP/TQ. I think it's a huge deal when you are talking about two like cars for the same amount of money. The OP was talking about spending 20k on an LS1 GTO which is why everyone recommended looking for an LS2 GTO. If he had 10k to spend he'd only have one option for a GTO. You can't use the same logic with an LS3 camaro or corvette because of the price. If I were in the market for a C6 vette and could afford a low mileage version I would definitely limit my search to an LS3. There is also less of a difference in HP/TQ between an LS2 and LS3 than an LS2 and LS1.

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I never said "No big deal". The power is different but if you look at the top running cars on LS1GTO you will see they run almost the same. Granted, the LS1 with the automatics dont quite cut it like the LS2 autos but most of the cars are 6-speeds anyway on both lists. I think the fastest LS1s are between 13.0X and 13.3 stock and the LS2s are 12.8X to 13.2 stock. Not a world of difference but there is a difference.

My friend, my compar-o of the cars came down to the biggest difference being between the hp/tq. Then you said it again, I agree the hp/tq is a big deal. The price for an equal mileage 05/06 is MORE than the 04, granted the price is not as drastic as the LS3 Camaro but its still there.

The OP would be nuts to buy that 04 GTO for that, if you dont see that is basically what I told him. For 20k I would go for a low mileage 05/06 and skip the 04s no matter the miles. Stock for stock LS2>LS1 no matter how you look at it. I just cant get over how people say that the LS2 cars are SO much better. Other than the engine you really dont get much else. Unless you count a ram air NON functional hood, split exhaust (LS1 and LS2 are dual), lighted buttons on the 06, and a door lock button and the option of 18" tires for the 06 with a thinner tire.

At least he is not looking at 4.6 litre mustangs. :) hahha

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Originally Posted by 0rion

I think something else you have to look at is value per dollar. The 04's are viewed as the less desirable but that can actually work to a buyers advantage. You can get a low mileage 04 much cheaper than an 05/06.....the money saved can be put into the LS1 to make it a real sleeper. When I bought my 04 that's exactly what I did....I bought it in 05 with 150 miles on it and it still had the window sticker of $31k in the glove box.....I got it for $21k. Drove it for 5 years and sold it for $12k. I loved my 04 and although the 05/06 has some things better about them the 04's are still really nice cars and after you factor in the value/dollar they're not a bad way to go. I still would pass on this ultra low mile car for the money they're asking. You can get either an 06 for the same money or a low mile 04 for ALOT less money.

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A 25k mile 05/06 cars are out there for decent prices which is the rte I would go down without hesitation if I was in the market for another GTO. Like you said, you can work a lower priced one to your advantage if you want a mean street machine. Figure a 12k gto with 4k worth of parts thrown on it makes it a pretty bad ass car. But, if you want a driver the 6.0 GTO is the way to go for the more power.

04 was still the only year to get the Cosmos and Barbados :)

I would not buy it but thats just me, only having 150 miles on it scares me more than it having 100k on it. Personally I would look at an 04 with 20-30k for about half of what there asking for that one. 04's are dirt cheap these days, I could not and would not dish out 21k for any year gto. I only paid 18k for my 05 2 years ago with 21k on it.

I hate drive by wire... therefore i hate 05-06s. also, For having 50 more hp they sure as hell dont dyno 50hp higher then the ls1s... thats most of the dynos i've seen anyway.

04cosmos.

Most 04s are in the low 300s for hp and 310-320tq and the 05/06s are in the 330-340 hp and tq. Remember there is drive line loss, roughly 15% for the manual and 18% for the auto. They do dyno higher.

a 20-30 hp difference at best, and i've seen ls1s dyno 320-330hp and ran the track times to prove it... factory freaks im sure. lol. Im just not buying it. I hate how much people down talk the 04's cause there almighty ls2 claims 50 more hp but i sure dont see it. Plus for having oil consumption problems and drive by wire throttle.... I'll stick with my 04. :)

20-30hp at the wheels I hope you mean. Most LS2s I have seen are around 340s at the wheels and some GTOs A4s as low as in the 290 range. It happens.

50 hp is 50 hp....no getting around it.

Here is how I like to explain it. That 50 hp comes from roughly 20 cubic inches of size, the 243 heads, and the .525 lift cam. An LS1 with those little things makes 385hp. Hence the 2001 Z06 Corvette engine. It has the 243 heads and the .515 lift cam so the engines make 15 hp difference (advertised) at the crank.

I have seen a few LS1s dyno near the 320 range but they are either freaks or the dyno is being played with. I like the smooth hood of the 04 and a few of the 05s that came with them (17 or so I think). The GTO was brought here to be like European cars and after a year GM decided to make it more like the muslce cars of old and other US cars. Nothing wrong with that, some things just appeal to others more than some.

Either way its not a Mustang. lol

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Originally Posted by 04cosmos

a 20-30 hp difference at best, and i've seen ls1s dyno 320-330hp and ran the track times to prove it... factory freaks im sure. lol. Im just not buying it. I hate how much people down talk the 04's cause there almighty ls2 claims 50 more hp but i sure dont see it. Plus for having oil consumption problems and drive by wire throttle.... I'll stick with my 04. :)

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Cosmos, The 04's are good cars for sure, the drive by wire has been no problem, I Guess I am very lucky, I have had no issues with mine ( knock on wood) and you have one rare color. LS1's have been around a long time and with a few mods you are all over the 05-06. To each his own.:zoom:

If anyone is interested, my GF is selling her '04 QSM A4 GTO. Asking for 13K obo. PM me for details.

I have yet to have a 05 or 06 come within 4 car lengths of my 04....and that guy was running twin turbo's.
I am bone ass stock. Stock as your Grandma's panties. Sorta. Well maybe a CAI.....

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Originally Posted by Sarge

I have yet to have a 05 or 06 come within 4 car lengths of my 04....and that guy was running twin turbo's.
I am bone ass stock. Stock as your Grandma's panties. Sorta. Well maybe a CAI.....

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Sarge we know better, but nice try. Merry Christmas Brother glad to see you around again!!!!:drivin:

Hey man......have a Merry Christmas...