GTA91
11-08-2010, 11:42 PM
Well I've always been a stickshift guy ever since first buying my '91 GTA 5spd back in '99. After college I searched long and hard for a triple black '02 WS6 M6 convertible but couldn't find one (only about 110 made IIRC). I ended up buying a brand new black '04 GTO M6 which I LOVED!
After having the GTO for about 6 months I was looking on ebay and found my dream car... triple black '02 WS6 M6 convertible with only 7,000 miles. That was October 2004... needless to say I worked a deal and even traded my almost new '04 GTO for the '02 WS6. After buying the WS6 and daily driving it 500 miles a week, I was getting tired of "abusing" it by DD it, we just bought a new house, and I was trying to finish my LS1 GTA. Unfortunately I traded the WS6 'vert in on a GTP Grand Prix (which I loved) and I've missed my 6spd convertible ever since.
Fast forward a few years (and cars later... GTO's, TA's, etc) and I bought my wife a black/black '99 Trans Am A4/2.73 car back in July 2008. It had to be an auto for her to DD and I really wanted the 2.73's and TCS for her. We located a local car with 84k on it, struck a deal, and we've had the car ever since. We absolutely loved having a LS1 convertible again!
Fast forward a year or so more into 2009... we were expecting our first child and the TA would no longer work as a DD for my wife and a babyseat. I sold my '91 Formula DD, "stole" the 'vert from her for me to DD, and bought her a baby hauling Impala SS. :)
I'm sure by now everyone knows where this headed by the thread topic and story I've told so far...
Well, I've been DD the car for over a year now and racking up the miles (current at 121k). I've done some suspension mods (springs/shocks, STB, SFC's, LCA's, LCA relocs, APHR) since I DD some twisty 2 lane backroads, and also added a lid, headers, ORY, Borla, and some 17x9 and 17x11 chrome TTM's. Some of the parts were bought used to keep the price down and not steal the funds from my LS2 GTA. lol
Well, needless to say once again... ever since DD the car I've wanted to put a T56 in it and a good friend owns a local performance shop. He recently pulled a T56 setup and 4.10 10bolt out of another friends Camaro SS so we struck a deal and I've been turning wrenches for the past few weeks pulling the 4L60E/2.73's and installing everything for the T56/4.10 combo.
I've got the wiring done, pedals mounted, MC mounted, shifter hole cut, rubber boot mounted, and the rearend placed in the car (after steam cleaning it, painting it, and adding new fluid). I'm pretty OCD/anal so its taking a little more time than expected but I want to make sure everything is done right... I plan on keeping this car for a long time and I'm becoming pretty attached to it (like the GTA, '52, and '77 in my sig)
I can't wait to get this thing finished and back on the road rowing some gears with the top down!!!!!
*I know this was a lot to read (if you made it this far) but I figured my convertible buddies could appreciate the story and what it means to me to almost have a M6 'vert back on the road after missing my old one that I got rid of 5 years ago. :(
After having the GTO for about 6 months I was looking on ebay and found my dream car... triple black '02 WS6 M6 convertible with only 7,000 miles. That was October 2004... needless to say I worked a deal and even traded my almost new '04 GTO for the '02 WS6. After buying the WS6 and daily driving it 500 miles a week, I was getting tired of "abusing" it by DD it, we just bought a new house, and I was trying to finish my LS1 GTA. Unfortunately I traded the WS6 'vert in on a GTP Grand Prix (which I loved) and I've missed my 6spd convertible ever since.
Fast forward a few years (and cars later... GTO's, TA's, etc) and I bought my wife a black/black '99 Trans Am A4/2.73 car back in July 2008. It had to be an auto for her to DD and I really wanted the 2.73's and TCS for her. We located a local car with 84k on it, struck a deal, and we've had the car ever since. We absolutely loved having a LS1 convertible again!
Fast forward a year or so more into 2009... we were expecting our first child and the TA would no longer work as a DD for my wife and a babyseat. I sold my '91 Formula DD, "stole" the 'vert from her for me to DD, and bought her a baby hauling Impala SS. :)
I'm sure by now everyone knows where this headed by the thread topic and story I've told so far...
Well, I've been DD the car for over a year now and racking up the miles (current at 121k). I've done some suspension mods (springs/shocks, STB, SFC's, LCA's, LCA relocs, APHR) since I DD some twisty 2 lane backroads, and also added a lid, headers, ORY, Borla, and some 17x9 and 17x11 chrome TTM's. Some of the parts were bought used to keep the price down and not steal the funds from my LS2 GTA. lol
Well, needless to say once again... ever since DD the car I've wanted to put a T56 in it and a good friend owns a local performance shop. He recently pulled a T56 setup and 4.10 10bolt out of another friends Camaro SS so we struck a deal and I've been turning wrenches for the past few weeks pulling the 4L60E/2.73's and installing everything for the T56/4.10 combo.
I've got the wiring done, pedals mounted, MC mounted, shifter hole cut, rubber boot mounted, and the rearend placed in the car (after steam cleaning it, painting it, and adding new fluid). I'm pretty OCD/anal so its taking a little more time than expected but I want to make sure everything is done right... I plan on keeping this car for a long time and I'm becoming pretty attached to it (like the GTA, '52, and '77 in my sig)
I can't wait to get this thing finished and back on the road rowing some gears with the top down!!!!!
*I know this was a lot to read (if you made it this far) but I figured my convertible buddies could appreciate the story and what it means to me to almost have a M6 'vert back on the road after missing my old one that I got rid of 5 years ago. :(