Taken by a '00 Grand Am GT

[HardCase]

Having an I-4 really isn't too big of a crutch. It's true that I lost this one, but it was only by 1/2 a car length, and his reaction time was much better than my own. Had I launched a split second earlier we would have almost been dead even. I see this car all the time, A silver '00 with with a huge ram air decal across the hood. I always wanted to race him so I pulled up next to him while driving down Grand River in Brighton. We were driving pretty slow to make sure we caught the next red light. When we got there he started complaining about not being able to get one with a stick and that his ATX shifted way too slow. That's when the light on the other side turned yellow. I pulled to 4500 rpm and let it hang there and when the light turned green, we were gone. At first he started to pull away and then as we started going through the gears I started to catch up. We reached about 60 when he pulled out and slowed to turn off into a parking lot. He complimented me on my shifts and said that if I had an extra 15 hp I probably would have been dead even with him.

[LocTnLoaded]

Nice kill. Funny thing about the ram air sticker, I've seen this red 4 door GT tearing around with ram air stickers in his rear side windows...wth

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Anyway, the GT's could be quicker if they were paired with an MTX. Back when I was car shopping I looked into the grand ams, but turned my head when I found out that the GT's only came with an auto tranny. I asked if they'd ever come with a 5 spd and was told they would in about 6 months. Well it's a year later and no MTX GTs in sight. Why GM slaps autos in cars like the Grand Am GT, Aleroes, and GTP's (God that would be sweet, a GTP with an MTX) is beyond me.

Later, yo

Mike

[HardCase]

Well, I have had a chance to open up the Isuzu 5spd Transaxle, and let me tell you, it's a piece of junk. The shift forks are weak and spindly and can bind way too easily, and the oil system ins't worth a dime. I can see why they don't put it in those cars. It would never hold up and they know it.

[jreat]

I keep telling my friend that it would be closer then he thought. He does not have a Grand Am or any thing but he says that they could kick me. I would also like to race a Grand Prix GT. They have 200hp, but they also weight 500lbs more then the MTX. The Grand Am GT weights 100lbs more, plus they are ATX, and I have an MTX J with the same hp.

[Frank]

GM automatic transmissions are much more efficient that Fords. The engines in all those cars are large OHV V6's that make lots of a low-end torque which also helps. For example, a V6 Alero has the same weight and horsepower as a V6 ATX Cougar, but can run 1/4 mi. in 16 seconds flat, which is basically the same as an MTX Cougar.