losing interest in the GT: am i missing something?

Torinalth

Founding Member
Jul 16, 2002
952
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16
Clayton NC
well, i have had my 2002 since it came from the showroom, and i love my baby. however the more i look at it, and the more i finalize my plans for it, the more i understand it has massive limitations that i am not sure if i am willing to concede. I am more or less making this post to talk through my thoughts and get some other perspective.

I am a lil over half way done with my suspension, and i have to say i am still not happy with it... and since i dont know anyone that gives a damn about how a car turns i have nobody to compare with and see if i will EVER get that feeling of happiness. my thoughts grew even more dark when i thought about moving to the power end of the car. going full bore NA i will have around 310 max before i have to tear into the block. around 380 or so if i go FI before i have to tear into the block. this seems to be a load of money to come up to a minor bolt on chevy.

i really dislike the new mustangs so tradding to one of them is out, and if i give up my GT i wil not be getting the same body style so no terminator for Torinalth. Sadly i have been looking at the other camp and been debating about changing sides. i have been meandering over getting an 05/06 GTO or saving till the new camaro comes out. the GTO has the LS2 which puts down 330-350 stock and people easily crest 400 with small boltons. a full NA car can get close to 520. thats just daunting. plus it has IRS and a more refined setup making it more pleasing as i am losing interesting in my massive loss in comfort for performance.

the camaro will have a LS2 at the least with talks of the LS3 plant going into it. dunno if it will be stick or IRS, but something i was thinking about anyhow. and the GTO will be back in 2009.

Sorry for being so damn long about this, but i have been pulling my hair out on what to do. what do you do when you start losing interest in the car? dump more money into it to try and keep interest? or trade it up for something better? HELP

Toriantlh
 
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i want a 4 seater for the room. while i havnt had anyone in my back seat EVER, and now have a delete in, i use the delete as a shelf and has been invaluable.... plus i am not old enough for a vette. vette rules are somethin like minimum age of 45 unless inherited... not 45 yet :p

Torinalth
 
If it were me and I were to trade and go to the other side.. i'd definately go with an 05/06 GTO.. those cars are badass.. 400hp from the factory, 6-spd, etc etc.. those things could get some badass numbers from cam, heads, intake, exhaust and all that without tearing into the block.. that's just nuts, imo.. but 6.0L's and 400hp isn't anything to scoff at :D
 
I fear the new GTO's when I see them. I had a new LS2 parked next to me one day, and when I saw it I cringed. I think he meant to do that too, haha. They are sick, sick cars...
 
Have you considered an 03-04 Cobra?? Those are my dream cars. The GT is a very good starting point for most Stang owners, but eventually we all must move on. I would get an 03-04 Cobra, do some modifications..get the power somewhere around 500-550 and call it good!! Then you could waive bye-bye to the 45 year olds in their Corvettes!!:nice:
 
How fast do you need to go on the street? Do you race alot or something?

The GT is fast enough for me, the V8 was a factor when I baught the car but the main reason I baught it is because it is a Mustang. I had wanted one my whole life. I don't need to have the fastest car out there, I don't race anyways.
 
Torinalth said:
i have been meandering over getting an 05/06 GTO or saving till the new camaro comes out. the GTO has the LS2 which puts down 330-350 stock and people easily crest 400 with small boltons. a full NA car can get close to 520. thats just daunting. plus it has IRS and a more refined setup making it more pleasing as i am losing interesting in my massive loss in comfort for performance.
Yes they have IRS but they suck not matter how you slice it when it comes to turns, I am suprized how bad they are doing against the competetion on the track :(
 
If it were me .... losing interest? I would find something that would perk my interests again.
Sounds like you're just experiencing a lull in the mod love affair. :D The question will be when it passes will you be in a new ride regretting it or thankful that the temporary insanity faded? :shrug:

There are plenty of offerings out there that can turn corners, offer big power and slick stlyling. All of those same qualities can be met with your current ride ..... if you wanted it.

Do you?
 
Have you considered an 03-04 Cobra?? Those are my dream cars. The GT is a very good starting point for most Stang owners, but eventually we all must move on. I would get an 03-04 Cobra, do some modifications..get the power somewhere around 500-550 and call it good!! Then you could waive bye-bye to the 45 year olds in their Corvettes!!

if i sell the GT, i am not going to get another of the same body style, be it cobra or not. if i am changing, i am making a big change :)

Go test drive a Porsche. Compare and contrast.

hah. are you insinuating that my car compares to a porsche, or that i wont be happy even if i drove a porsche?

Get your PHB installed...you'll think a bit differently about the rear suspension after it's done.

An 06 LS GTO is a nice platform, but it is totally BLAAAH for looks. If that doesn't bother you, then consider it further. Me personally, I wouldn't be caught dead in it. I'd rather have my underpowered GT over an ugly ass GTO. JMO btw.

yeah, thats one reason i have been draging my feet on the PHB, the feeling hit me last thursday and never got around to finding the drive for the install. i'll do it tomorrow or sunday and see what i think then.

also, for the looks, i like it being understated. i think i am kinda moving off from the "look at me" phase... the second time i've gotten it. kinda like looking back and seeing a sadan and getting your doors blown off after realizing its an M5..... a lil more extreme of a comparison, but you get the idea.

The GTO Goat is a really ugly car and it really isn't that great in the
turns.If you really want a corner carver get a Subaru WRX or STI.

if i am going AWD i will be getting an audi S4, or the RS4 (if they are available when/if i choose to give up the pony.

How fast do you need to go on the street? Do you race alot or something?

The GT is fast enough for me, the V8 was a factor when I baught the car but the main reason I baught it is because it is a Mustang. I had wanted one my whole life. I don't need to have the fastest car out there, I don't race anyways.

how fast do i go? fast. race often? not really. i just dont like being passed on an onramp by other cars... passed on the highway at all... and i like accelleration. and i dont need to have the fastest... just faster then 90%

get a g35 and put some 19inch hre's a turbo..mustang interior quality is pathetic...my brother-in-law's 04 cobra rattles..2yr car..SAD.

cant do the G35, father has a 350Z and dont want to copy him... i had been thinking about that one though, but will be going audi S4 if i go import.

If you think your car is slow visit these guys:

http://www.modularpowerhouse.com/

And a mustang looks 100x better than any of those cars you mentioned....plus it will always sound better and turn more heads.

nothing against MPH, ihear they are the best by far. however, they are mainly drag oriented, so cant do too much for suspension for me. they also specialize in tuning (which i am not going to drive to ATL to get done, maybe mail order?), and installs. I do all my own installs, so cant get a KB from them.

mustang is more striking, not better looking. and that doesnt bother me anymore.

Yes they have IRS but they suck not matter how you slice it when it comes to turns, I am suprized how bad they are doing against the competetion on the track

now this i didnt know. and thats massivly dissapointing. do you know anything about their suspension mods? most people just go eibach springs, and koni dampeners, and sometimes SLP swaybars. Pedders is the suspension of choise, but not massivly known as they are the big company that pushes on the monaro (the austrailian version that has never stopped being made).

so are they really doing that bad? like how bad? like every GTO comming in last? hmmm... going to have to drive one and see whats going on.

If it were me .... losing interest? I would find something that would perk my interests again.
Sounds like you're just experiencing a lull in the mod love affair. The question will be when it passes will you be in a new ride regretting it or thankful that the temporary insanity faded?

There are plenty of offerings out there that can turn corners, offer big power and slick stlyling. All of those same qualities can be met with your current ride ..... if you wanted it.

Do you?

yeah, i dont know yet. thats partly the reason i am writing this thread :)
 
Whenever i get little board with my car, i do something massive to it. Last time i got that feeling, I spend almost 3k on body kit and side exhaust.
Who knows what i'll do next time i get the feeling...

Possibly big black tumer on top of my engine???
 
yeah... i am thinking installing my PHB this weekend, then if that dosnt do it for me grabbing an Evo trilink, rear coilovers, MM road race LCAs, and new wheels and tires (18X9/18x10.5) to hopefully shoot me back into my desires........ think i will can the idea of the GTO and the S4 for now.... and pray the new camaro doesn't entice me when it comes out (though i hear 2009 is another redesign of the mustang).

so i guess i will be ok for now, and hope that i dont lost all interest in my GT by dropping a load of cash on it.

Torinalth
 
I was in my friends GTO ls2 last night. It is a very nice car but we ran into a 02 yellow Mustang GT. He wouldnt run us but the thing sounded pretty nice but it probably only had exhaust pipes. Right then I thought I would much rather be in that thing right now:shrug: I have driven my friends GTO many times it a fun car, but it feels like a boat compared to my 96 GT. The interior is way nicer with no rattles but it doesnt feel like a muscle car like my GT does. I also get alot more compliments then he does. A guy was walking by my house when I was washing my car and started talking about how nice my car sounded when he saw me driveing it and how he could tell it had some power. He didnt even realize there was a 400hp GTO 15 feet away:shrug: It just doesnt appeal to people like a Mustang does. You could consider a BMW M3?
 
You know, nobody has mentioned this but if you have had the car since '02 I would think it would be almost payed for by now. I don't know about you but that means something to me. You could enjoy having a "paid for" ride or use the extra money for some really bitchin mods.