Good read, from GMI

FWD F-body

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/in...=4&t=6341&st=0

I haven't heard about that in years... totally forgot it existed.

Laters,
Scott

 

Hey, wow. Gotta love that DOHC 3.4 though. I'd love to have one in the fenders of the wife's car... I can almost see GM bringing this one back from the grave in a few years.

 

Those are some peppy motors, no doubt. I doubt GM has any plans for completely new FWD architecture. Just redoing the current ones... hopefully. With Lutz in charge, we get a brand new RWD chassis (for Pontiac!) AND the Monaro which some of us have wanted for years... (also for the big P!)

Hopefully it'll RWD or better from here on out. Dodge is doin' it!

Laters,
Scott

 

It's an interesting concept, but FWD isn't too great for traction off of the line, or so I've heard. Weight transfer sucks. However, they have a much shorter drive-train, so they don't have as much power losses from the engine to the ground. I'm sure a FWD LS1 would chassis dyno better than a RWD LS1, if both engines were stock.

I'm also fond of the Fiero, I wish they hadn't killed it. The late GT models look totally killer. A mechanic friend of mine said that they were a horror to work on the engine with, however. Some guy runs his 2.8 V6 Fiero in autocross (the only other Pontiac there ona regular basis) and does pretty good. Nice guy, too, real happy to see my GTA there the one time I went.

Pontiac had a G8 car - a second-gen W-body Grand Prix with AWD! LS1-powered, looked very nice. It was just a concept, but dang it looked cool. Think of an AWD GTO on a smaller frame and you ge the idea.

http://www.mycar.xnapster.com/Grand_Prix_G8.html

Why, Pontiac, why couldn't you have made this car?

 

Ian, I haven't seen a GTO yet in person, but I'm sure a GP is the same size or larger. Is it just me, or are GP's getting bigger? Monaro's and Commadores have AWD available if you're rich... maybe we'll get one here in the U.S. someday.

I say make the GP RWD and stick the best 'charged 6 GM has in there. Even the Turbo Vortec-5 would be a killer pontiac. I think the GP will replace the Bonne for the new RWD chassis as pontiac's 4-door, with the goat as the coupe. I'm sure both will have optional LS2's. Then again, maybe the Bonne is staying... I thought it was supposed to be killed right around the time they made the Northstar available in it.

I always liked the fiero. Everytime I see fiero projects being sold in the paper I'm tempted to check 'em out. I think the solstice will sell better if they can keep the price down. And hopefully give it more power and a REAL WS6 suspension.

And one last point- FWD sucks at everything, hehe.

Laters.

 

I didn't know they were going to kill the Bonneville. Nice looking car. With the Bonney gone, the GP would be the flagship car then, in terms of luxury. I don't like the new GP's though, they're too round. The 1st-gen W-bodies are my favorite in terms of factory looks, but the aftermarket for them is scarce. One reason why I dumped the minorly-wrecked one I had (slightly crumpled nose, nothing a grand couldn't fix) and went F-body. I had a full build-up planned for it, but as I said, finding speed parts for it is a hassle. It's been done, though.

I wasn't too impressed with the GTO, I'm sorry to say. It was styled in typical lackluster jellybean bubble style. Not very agressive. Makes for a nice factory sleeper, though. The Chevy Monte Carlo SS looks much more dramatic and agressive, but it doesn't have the LS1, only the L67 supercharged 3800. Go figure, right? Isn't there some other muscle car Chevy is bringing back?

In terms of the GP, I think they should build it like the old A-body models but with the W-body shell over it - hot V6's and V8's in front, power to the rear, make it both a two-door and four-door, and price it so entry-level buyers (like young men) can buy it. Ford has that idea with the Mustang and Imports are popular for first-time buyers. 4th gen F-body sales were terrible, they cost too much, even though you definitly got what you paid for.