[whiteboyslo]

hey all-

i've been trolling this site for a few weeks now and figured it was time to say hi.

first, a little about me. no, i'm not looking for a date, but i figure it would make sense to let everyone know where i'm coming from.

i'm a 23 yr old recent graduate from Cal Poly SLO with a BS in Manufacturing Engineering. i work for a govt contractor in the San Diego area where it's my job to design all sorts of crazy fixtures and stuff as well as to fight the daily fires of the manufacturing world.

currently, i drive an 02 ford focus zx5. don't laugh bc it's my baby and insulting her is like making fun of my gf right in front of my face. i've owned the car since new and have invested a good deal of time, $$$, and effort into her. she doesn't make a lot of power, but i've invested a good amount of $$$ into the suspension so she's a blast to drive through the twisties. no rice, either. just a few modest cosmetic upgrades (wheels, SVT front and rear bumper, window tint). i'm a huge enthusiast of the focus, so much so that i'm a member of multiple focus forums and moderate one as well. she's a good car for a daily driver, but now that i've graduated i'm ready to step up to something with more power and a more adult look and feel.

i'm looking to purchase a vehicle sometime next summer. waiting until then will give me time to get a good down payment going (i'm thinking about $15K) and also give me time to thoroughly evaluate all my alternatives. i definetey want a FR car (front engine, RWD) and i want to keep the price somewhere around $30K. at 6'7" and 315lbs, this doesn't leave a ton of options. right now, the list comprises of 3 vehicles: Pontiac GTO, s197 (aka 05 and newer) Mustang GT, and the Infiniti G35 6MT. i'll admit that when i first started thinking of getting something new i thought all i wanted was the new mustang. after going by a Pontiac dealer and checking out the GTO in person, though, i have to say my mind is fastly changing. i love the understated looks of this car. it just screams sleeper IMO. combine a bigger engine, better interior quality, and an IRS, and it becomes pretty clear that the GTO is not really on the same plane as the Mustang. i also love the fact that it's rare and that most won't know what it is until they ask.

anywho, after reading many pages of posts here, i have a few questions:

1) why is everyone ordering a GTO? i read up on the horror story some of you are dealing with about the car being stuck at the dock, and it just doesn't make sense to me. i can go to Pontiac's website and tell it to search the inventory of every dealer within 100 miles from me. it comes up with several dealers who have multiple Goats on the lot in just about every color/tranny combo desired. so why order? is thsi car harder to find in other regions of the states?

2) one of the reasons i'm looking to get into this car (as opposed to the mustang) is that almost any ford dealer is asking over MSRP. i know this will go down soon, but i just can't believe people would pay over sticker for a car. that being said, are GTOs going for over sticker or no? i was under the impression that sales are slow, so much so that i could probably dicker on thr price a little and maybe get the car for under $30K if i wait til the right time of the year.

3) i've read a few posts where some have said they have removed the rear spoiler. do any of you have pics? how doe steh spoiler attach? if it uses bolts, how did you address the holes?

4) is this car going away anytime soon? i'd hate to have the car dissappear before i'm ready to buy one next year. bad enough they'll probably get more popular by then and the dealer won't want to dicker!

ok, i'm done. sorry that was so long.

Mike

 

[silvergoat05]

They aren't going to give much leeway on the price. Do a search for "spoilerless" or some such and you should get results. Unless something changes, I don't see an '07 in the future. 2006's are hitting the lots soon.

So...... tell us more about your G/F :cheers

 

[GTO JUDGE]

Mike : In a nutshell: Reason I corded is because: According to my dealer they have no say in what they get. I am told they get what Pontiac sends them. My dealer the last 2 years has only gotten Red with red interiors and automatic. I was told if I want specific color etc to order it and it would assure me I'd get it. However if you wait and look around you may find what you want in a showroom or on the lot without going thru that order process. Here where I am there are NO silver ones to be found within a huge radius. If I wanted red with red auto I would have my pick. Seems that red is all the Lancaster area dealers get. I have seen some different colors and options at dealers out of town but not what I wanted. Then there was the unanticipated hold up in California. I did find what I wanted 100 miles away. I went and got it and canceled my order. They only had that car a few days on their lot before I got it. Had I began my search at that time instead of ordering in advance there was one to be found. If you want a GTO and don't care what the color etc is there are plenty to be found. I personally didn't want to settle for what the dealer had. I have the only silver sap black interior 6 spd around. If you want an 06' expect to pay well, well over the 30K you are looking at. Unless you get late year discounts in 06'. Maybe next summer GM will offer great deals who knows.... End of 05' look for great deals too. If you want an 05' mustang watch the price on them drop for used 05's. The 05' mustang is just another car. The GTO is a legend. GTO dealer could give you some great advise. Good luck on the wait.

 

[whiteboyslo]

They aren't going to give much leeway on the price. Do a search for "spoilerless" or some such and you should get results. Unless something changes, I don't see an '07 in the future. 2006's are hitting the lots soon.

So...... tell us more about your G/F :cheers

lol! if you really wanna know, the GF has been with me for 6 years this September. picture drew barrymore w/ curlier hair and less ditsy.plus she's as smart as they come. she just graduated from UCLA w/ a BA in Economics SUMMA CUM LAUDE! of course, that means she's the first one that should be telling me NOT to buy a new car, but she understands.

as far as the termination of the Goat goes, SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!! i think i've finally settled on it as my car and now they're gonna get rid of it before i can get one? NO!!!! do you have any proof, or is it just a gut feeling? hopefully i can pick up one of the last of the 06s next summer before it's too late.

oh, and i found some pics of the spoilerless GTO. i sorta like it, but i'd have to find a better solution for the holes in the lid.

Mike

 

[JTYLER1604]

Why wait? I almost got killed last night and if I had, I would have been glad to have had my GTO for the three weeks I had it. It wasn't my fault either. Some idiot ran a standing red light at 60 mph and took out a Camaro which luckily stopped the truck before it would have hit me.

 

[Vader953]

whiteboy, I think what he really wanted to know about your girlfriend is if she has big hooters!

JK, welcome to the forum. Plenty of Goats to pick from in the Columbia, SC area. I took the cheap way out last year and bought an 04 with 5,000 miles for 13K less than sticker.

trust me, you'll enjoy the goat.

 

[whiteboyslo]

Why wait? I almost got killed last night and if I had, I would have been glad to have had my GTO for the three weeks I had it. It wasn't my fault either. Some idiot ran a standing red light at 60 mph and took out a Camaro which luckily stopped the truck before it would have hit me.

gotta wait bc i promised myself i wouldn't start my after-school life doing stupid things like buying cars i can't afford. i'll be in a much better financial situation next year. that's my plan and i'm sticking to it.

Mike

 

[silvergoat05]

lol! if you really wanna know, the GF has been with me for 6 years this September. picture drew barrymore w/ curlier hair and less ditsy.plus she's as smart as they come. she just graduated from UCLA w/ a BA in Economics SUMMA CUM LAUDE! Mike

GM killed the plateform that the 07 was to be built on. Holden, the maker of the GTO, is still going to produce the chassis, so they say. There is a post here about it.

Now about that G/F. You say she Cum Laude? Must keep the neighbors up at night or amused during the day. Pics help

I don't know why they don't belly up and fix the holes. Damn ugly with plugs in them.

 

[whiteboyslo]

GM killed the plateform that the 07 was to be built on. Holden, the maker of the GTO, is still going to produce the chassis, so they say. There is a post here about it.

Now about that G/F. You say she Cum Laude? Must keep the neighbors up at night or amused during the day. Pics help

I don't know why they don't belly up and fix the holes. Damn ugly with plugs in them.

*Quagmire* hehe, allright! giggity giggity giggity

Mike