I have read all the conjecture about the Heni motor... that it has a tendency t learn performance parts and that after a few weeks their advantage is nullified... So I am stuck with a problem... I am about to have to decide whether to trade in my truck for a GTO or throuw some parts on my truck to make her go faster.

Given this... what performance parts actually work? Will my truck fritter away the upgrades?... is there, in short, hope?

Thanks

 

Money = speed. Got a few thou to spare? Go with a supercharger. You could risk it all with N2o, but that's dumb IMO.

Headers, programmer, exhaust, lo-restriction or cold air intake, hot plugs, hot ignition, etc. etc. etc.

I think those saying the Hemi doesn't benefit from hp goodies are just referring to the typical bolt-on stuff. That's pretty much true for ALL engines.

 

I think you are missing my point... there is a lot of commentary out there that the motor responds to all these things but after a few thousand miles the computer slowly returns the engines power close to stock levels, through either torque managment or other methods...

I do have a few thousand to spend but the one supercharger company i would really trust to build us a system seems to be balking... still

If I do all that you mentioned it will also be a few thousand... not going to do that if i end up with a net gain of 20 HP

I would rather put that money down on a LS2 GTO that will be pushing 500 HP without any difficulty using tried and true parts (chevy small block is decades old, gen III/IV is almost a decade... was released in calender year 96, and has been under development since about 92).

 

:-( Think you just answered your own question as to what is the better choose.
As for the computer in the truck...if you look around here it was posted that the computer averages the last 300-400 miles and makes adjustments accordingly. As for it nullifing your mods in the long run...just unhook your battery for 30 secs or so and you are back in the game with no worries.

 

If you get a new GTO I hope you don't pay more than 25K for it, they don't sell well. The reasle on that thing will be awful too. Personally i think the new goat is ashame, too much european feel to it. It however is fast and rides a lot nicer than a stang.

 

the GTO isnt an american car, its a crossbreed made by Holden(an Aussy company)... its like saying a Geo was an american car just because it has a chevy badge on it, dont fool yourself. I drove one on thursday at GM's carshowinmotion thing here in the Dallas area and it reminded me kinda of a camaro in the engine respect but had the handling of a monte carlo(mushy front end)... you'll only be wasting your money IMO. Its apparent by your comments that you have a truck and dont need it, did you just buy it because it had a HEMI or because of it's size? The GTO isnt a whole lot bigger than most of the camaros and firebirds were on the inside.

 

The Supercharger comes with it's own computer (Split/Second) it tell's the other CPM that everything is OK and don't turn on the engine lite, while it's boosting the fuel to 106/psi. So it has NO place to go back to...it never changed! In fact if you "Flash" that CPM your warranty is HISTORY on both the Truck and the Supercharger (S/C comes with a 3yr/warranty) Truck has a 7yr/warranty......
Be safe and stay-away from NOS
my .02

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Quick
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A'ight... I know that the GTO is not an american car. It is an opel (GM europe) chasis modefied and built by Holden (chevy australia), and sold in all the major markests as either a Holden Monaro (Aus), Vauxhaul Monaro (Europe), or Lumina SS (middle east). It has a canadian motor.

On the other hand the Ram is a German owned mexican built truck... so we are splitting hairs here.

I bought my truck cause I wanted a powerful V-8 RWD vehicle with a warranty. I have used the truck to move house three times in the last 8 months. I also intended it as a parts getter to move stuff on my "toy" car, but am fairly sure I am going to abandon that project as with the wave of new cars out there I am going to get more performance and reliability out of far less money.

The GTO is substantially bigger than a Camaro in its internal dimensions, and has better road handling than an M3, 0.88 vs 0.87 on the skid pad. You are right it has a fair amount of body roll... but that I think can easily be remidied.

As to the cost thing... there is some truth to the radical markdowns on the GTO, but then the final selling point when I bought my truck was that the dealer took 9500 off of MSRP.

So to reiterate... both vehicles have crappy resale, neither are really american , and both a very well built because of their European heritage. As far as I can see the GM takes mods better than the Dodge does. If someone can correct me on that point by pointing me to something other than resetting my computer every 3-4 hundred miles, I want to hear... but that is not really an option at all.

And before anyone starts calling me anti american or a communist or any of that other crap... I am an american. I am a naturalised citizen. I have served 7 years in the military and am on my third tour in the middle east. I currently own a Dodge and a Lincoln. I taked my girlfriend into buying an SRT-4 instead of a honda or acura. My previous cars include a camaro, a crown victoria, a bonneville, a caprice, a thunderbird, an escort and a tracer. You will note no non US branded vehicles in that list becaruse I have owned none. My family raised me on a series of toyotas and nissans, which are great reliable vehicles but i wanted something with more performance and muscle. Unfortunately at this point Mopar does not seem to be delivering.

 

Frog, first I want to say thanks for your military service, I am a Vietnam Vet., disabled...and proud !!
Secondly, I dont believe anyone is calling you antiamerican, I just think they are voicing their opinions of what they feel regarding your thoughts and their own....
The bottom line is this.... If you feel good about the GTO and like its specs and character, the buy it.... its your money, your choice and opinions, are only that, "opinions".....
I am a die hard flagwaver, but I am the only one that decides on how I will spend my money.... BUT I DO like the thoughts of others, as to get a good idea on what is known, and felt......
A simple example is that I have ridden Harleys for 40 years, but after much research and deliberation I decided to go to a rice burner (yamaha Roadie 98ci, custom built), and I dont regret it at all..... it was my choice, and my buddies say nothing, even tho they all ride Harleys.....
I reccomend this.... absorb the input from my fellow DF people, and then, SPEND your money the way you want.... DF people are great, they know and want to help.... but its your choice....

Let us know what you do, and post pics when you do it....[sm=americanasmiley.gif]

 

I dont know about yours, but my Dodge was built in the Fenton, Missouri, USA plant, not in mexico, only the engine itself is assembled there, otherwise it is 75% USA and Canada... built by us fellow americans with the hourly pay going into our own pockets. It might have variety of parts from places all over, but so does every car made out there. But all the same the GTO is far from being an american car, about the only thing that makes it american is the Chevy nameplates.

Also about the performance parts and the computers on the HEMI and other motors for that matter, they kinda learn your driving style by averaging the last few hundred miles as mentioned before. But what you fail to understand, is that if you dont put all the parts on at one time, you may never really feel much of a difference to begin with anyway. After all it already has the 345 HP, unless you add another 100 HP or so your butt cant really tell the difference.

No doubt your an american, not questioning nor commenting on that, doesnt matter anyway... just not as impressed with the GTO that I drove over the weekend as you, I guess if you like a 400 HP motor in what basically amounts to a monte carlo then go right ahead and spend that money on it. But you'd be better off buying a used Trans Am or Camaro for $10 - $15 grand less and using the rest of the money to do improvements and you will end up with something far more powerful and handling way better and that already lost its value to begin with.