[jterpII]

Been reading a lot about these cars -- trying to decide to buy one or not. I've read a lot about heat soak power loss at the drag strip -- is this really a big issue or just internet hearsay? I've drag raced quite a few cars and realize that weather will affect 1/4 mile times 1 or 2 tenths - but from what I've read it sounds like these cars are much more succeptable (sp?) to it. Is this true? If so, what is the reason? Poor cooling system? Poor air intake location? Poor underhood ventilation?

TIA

 

[Route 66]

Well, dont know if my .02 worth is even worth the .02.
But as long as I have been around cars and the people that drive them......there is always something they dont like about one thing or another on their vehicle.
The GTO is no worse than many cars on the road as far as heat.
Again, this is only one persons opinion.
Bear in mind, the new GTO is nothing like the old. It is a fast, fairly quick "luxury" muscle car. It (in my opinion) is not built to drag race.
There in lies the problem. Those that take their goats to the track every weekend (and there seems to be a lot of them) and beat the crap out of it will be the first to complain about heat...or axil bolts breaking..or wheel hop..or trannys breaking..or the dilithium crystals keep overheating!
Its all realative to how you drive it.
Its a damn fine peice of machinery that responds well to some minor tweeking.

 

[Braman'sGTO]

Well, dont know if my .02 worth is even worth the .02.
But as long as I have been around cars and the people that drive them......there is always something they dont like about one thing or another on their vehicle.
The GTO is no worse than many cars on the road as far as heat.
Again, this is only one persons opinion.
Bear in mind, the new GTO is nothing like the old. It is a fast, fairly quick "luxury" muscle car. It (in my opinion) is not built to drag race.
There in lies the problem. Those that take their goats to the track every weekend (and there seems to be a lot of them) and beat the crap out of it will be the first to complain about heat...or axil bolts breaking..or wheel hop..or trannys breaking..or the dilithium crystals keep overheating!
Its all realative to how you drive it.
Its a damn fine peice of machinery that responds well to some minor tweeking.

:agree

The GTO was not built to run the 1/4 mile against mustangs and F bodies, it was ment to run against the BMW M3 on road courses.

 

[mumrah]

:agree

The GTO was not built to run the 1/4 mile against mustangs and F bodies, it was ment to run against the BMW M3 on road courses.

It really is meant for the M5. The M3 is not in the same class.

Check out the performace http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/bmw_m5.asp

 

[Groucho]

Gotta say "Meh" here...due to it's heft, the GTO really can't hold it's own with the M3 on a road course without fairly serious suspension work. It's a GT (Gran Turisimo), more akin to a Bimmer 6-Series and M-B CLK-type.

People who try and make this car, which has a thoroughly modern (if somewhat heavy) suspension and IRS, into a straight-line drag racer and who then bitch about wheel-hop etc are very much missing the point. I blame GM NA and the not-very-bright decision to resurrect the Pontiac GTO badge on this particular car.

 

[fergyflyer]

My experience is that the intake design is the major culprit. There is not enough outside air getting into the airbox, and definately not at a very high velocity which would keep it cool. I did the punch a hole in the front of the airbox trick to get some cool air from behind the headlight, but it is not enough and not moving at enough velocity to make a difference. Another area that I have a concern with is the fuel rail covers. Last time I was at a track I took them off. My car cooled off quicker and ran faster than another 05 GTO. Our first 2 passes were similar, then I took off the fuel rail covers and saw my times drop, and his stay flat. Not very scientific since there were two different drivers, but the difference was .5-.7 which is signifigant. I think the temperature of the coil packs and/or the heads makes a difference for how the computer sets up.

This car could be modified to be a great drag racer, but I think you could do better. For an all-around great GT car, it is unbeatable unless your willing to spend large cash. And it is tons of fun at the track the way it sits.

 

[Xman]

I cut a hole underneath the airbox into the fender to draw in outside air from behind the fog lamp. Its worked out well and the 100 degree days of Texas Summer don't seem to effect car.

 

[jterpII]

My first post may have been a bit misleading -- I'm not looking to make a drag car out of it. This car will be my daily driver which I may take to the drag strip every once in a while. Also, it will be my backup car for running open track events in (DE type -- not W2W) for when it's raining and I don't want to take my open top Factory Five cobra.
I am mainly concerned with it not staying cool -- nothing worse than overheating on the track. I also don't want to go out there and have a noticeable power loss after 5 or 6 hot laps. My old '99 M3 (bone stock) was able to tear around a road course forever without noticeable heat soak power loss -- I'd hate to buy a GTO and be disappointed in it in this respect.

That is very interesting about the fuel rail covers -- I wouldn't think there would be any harm in removing these permanantly.... can you guys think of any?

 

[mumrah]

Anybody look into the throttlebody bypass tube?? I remember reading about this causing heated up air going to the intake.
Another item is the racing cooler
http://www.racingcoolers.com/corvette.html

 

[Route 66]

Gotta say "Meh" here...due to it's heft, the GTO really can't hold it's own with the M3 on a road course without fairly serious suspension work. It's a GT (Gran Turisimo), more akin to a Bimmer 6-Series and M-B CLK-type.

People who try and make this car, which has a thoroughly modern (if somewhat heavy) suspension and IRS, into a straight-line drag racer and who then bitch about wheel-hop etc are very much missing the point. I blame GM NA and the not-very-bright decision to resurrect the Pontiac GTO badge on this particular car.

Groucho,
Forgive me if I misread....but I agree and disagree.
Agree with everything but the last statement.
I think the GTO in now much closer to what it's name actually stands for.
I think the early cars would be better named.....GDO (Gran Dragstero Ohmygodo). :lol:
I think GM hit the spot on this one. Just not what the rest of the world expected. :cheers

Bill

 

[gameover]

Anybody look into the throttlebody bypass tube?? I remember reading about this causing heated up air going to the intake.
Another item is the racing cooler
http://www.racingcoolers.com/corvette.html

That's one helluva idea! Never seen that before Think I gotta have one!
Thanks mumrah! :cheers

 

[Route 66]

My first post may have been a bit misleading -- I'm not looking to make a drag car out of it. This car will be my daily driver which I may take to the drag strip every once in a while. Also, it will be my backup car for running open track events in (DE type -- not W2W) for when it's raining and I don't want to take my open top Factory Five cobra.
I am mainly concerned with it not staying cool -- nothing worse than overheating on the track. I also don't want to go out there and have a noticeable power loss after 5 or 6 hot laps. My old '99 M3 (bone stock) was able to tear around a road course forever without noticeable heat soak power loss -- I'd hate to buy a GTO and be disappointed in it in this respect.

That is very interesting about the fuel rail covers -- I wouldn't think there would be any harm in removing these permanantly.... can you guys think of any?

Sorry, guess we got off topic a bit.
But like I said before...The GTO is what it is. Its not a dragster, and in some respects, not a road course car. Its a 'luxury' muscle car. Heat soak?....yes. Is it bad?..In my opinion, no. I firmly believe with an aftermarket air box (MPD or Lingenfelter) with the IAT sensor relocated...The issue can be remedied.
Sady. the GTO is hard pressed to find its niche. Example only: if you want a drag car....Cobra. If you want a road course car...go back to an M-3.
The GTO fits somewhere in between. But I dont think it will disappoint.

 

[mumrah]

That's one helluva idea! Never seen that before Think I gotta have one!
Thanks mumrah! :cheers

No Problem. We are all here for the sharing of info

 

[jterpII]

Sorry, guess we got off topic a bit.
But like I said before...The GTO is what it is. Its not a dragster, and in some respects, not a road course car. Its a 'luxury' muscle car. Heat soak?....yes. Is it bad?..In my opinion, no. I firmly believe with an aftermarket air box (MPD or Lingenfelter) with the IAT sensor relocated...The issue can be remedied.
Sady. the GTO is hard pressed to find its niche. Example only: if you want a drag car....Cobra. If you want a road course car...go back to an M-3.
The GTO fits somewhere in between. But I dont think it will disappoint.

So the consensus is that the GTO does have a cooling/ventilation problem? That is disappointing...

 

[RiceEater]

Personally I dont know about the drag thing... the GTO seems like a very powerful drag car with luxury and road course elements rather generously thrown in. I know of 4 guys who own newer model Cobra's, and not one of them has out-accelerated my 05, so I would think the GTO is the better choice for dragging.

As for the heating problems it's mainly a matter of where you live. Here it gets rather hot in the Summer, but there is also a lot of humidity in the air which seems to help keep the car from getting hot. Now I could see that if you live somewhere out West where it's hot and dry, then yes you may definately have some problems with heating.

 

[Groucho]

Groucho,
Forgive me if I misread....but I agree and disagree.
Agree with everything but the last statement.
I think the GTO in now much closer to what it's name actually stands for.
I think the early cars would be better named.....GDO (Gran Dragstero Ohmygodo). :lol:
I think GM hit the spot on this one. Just not what the rest of the world expected. :cheers

Bill

My only point is that unfortunately "Pontiac GTO" had come to mean "crude, fast boulevard burner" -- muscle car-- rather than the excellent Gran Turisimo that it is.

 

[anmracing]

Heat soak does seem to be an issue for people racing these cars. Whether its GT or drag racing and also for just everyday driving around here in Phoenix….

Removing the FRC helps also doing the T/B bypass, especially here in Arizona. Also taking the rubber gasket out from the underside of the hood by the windshield helps air flow. Some have put washers under the hood hinges to help with this.

 

[HTRDLNCN]

Has anyone tried running a cowl style scoop to vent heat or even running without the hood just to see what difference it makes.Seemslike all the GTO hoods with scoops are to push air in not to vent heat out?

And yeah,people who take Luxury Sport Coupes and make them fast are pretty insane..

:seeya:

 

[MuhThugga]

I don't own a GTO but am very interested in getting one of the '05 rollovers at the end of the year after I have some money and sell my Stratus R/T. I was thinking that would it be possible to maybe push for an aftermarket hood that has the scoop in the front much like the Corvette z06 or the Viper SRT-10. This would allow for the intake to look more like this:

That could bring in more cold air to the engine, or to the engine bay. Whichever is desired.

 

[RiceEater]

Give it some time. I have a feeling GM or Pontiac or someone is going to come out with a mod kit that would put those hood scoops to real use. Something like the RamAir system.