New LS1 Owners - Newbie Tech - My LS1/LS2 dilemna

Hey guys,

I posted here last week about checking out a 02 Formula 6speed with 74k. I went to the dealer about 2 hours away from me to check it out, only to find out someone bought the car a half hour before I got there (Lack of communication....pissed me off.)

So, I said..."To hell with it!"...and began looking at 05/06 GTO's (My other favorite car..). I found one about 2 hours north of me, looks clean with about 61k miles, Cyclone Gray 6speed.

Now, I begin to set up the over-view of the car this Saturday. I'm going to rent a car and drive up there (Gives me something to do this weekend, lol), already been approved for financing for both vehicles with no problems (I have excellent credit)

Now here's where it gets interesting. Just about ten minutes ago, the Formula calls back....the person couldn't get financed and they want me to come back to check it out. The car itself was VERY clean, one owner, bone stock. What's a guy to do?

So, I head to the forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My question for you guys....if you had a F-Body and went to a GTO....was it worth it? Both cars are beautiful to me, the price difference is about 5-6k from the Formula to the GTO (Probably an extra hundred a month in payments...insurance is about the same for both cars)

Hell of a position...but I think I can use this to my advantage now. I could probably knock 1-1.5k off the Formula because of the incident of last week. With the GTO, I may have a LITTLE wiggle room...not sure

My plan is to check out both vehicles on Saturday. I'll go to Orlando first, test drive the GTO, take a few hours to think it over. If all is well, I'll probably take the GTO home. However....the cheap-skate in me knows 5-6k saved could be put into modifcations for the Formula.

My mind is twisted like a fat spliff, any owners of F-bodys went to the GTO? Do you regret it?



Edit: I'm not sure I posted in the correct forum, sorry.

I figure if I got the Formula, I'd just beat the shit out of it. However...with the GTO...I tell my roommate to move that 2010 Mustang GT over and parking in the garage-- only driving once in a while.

Formula:

Thanks for any opinions, I've got some research and thinking to do within the next 48 hours!

I dislike the appearance of GTOs, so I'd pick the Formula. That's probably not helpful to you, but you asked for opinions. :P

I dislike the appearance of GTOs, so I'd pick the Formula. That's probably not helpful to you, but you asked for opinions. :P

Haha, to each their own of course. What I meant was if anybody went from their F-body into a GTO.

My last car was a 1996 chevrolet caprice b4u. Such a clean car, I had Tri-Y headers, Hooker aerochamber mufflers, 2.5inch exhaust piping, PCM4Less tune, Impala SS wheels, springs/shocks. Bought it with 40k on it in 2006, sold it to a friend of mine who collects them (I'm told it just won a Super Chevy show or something.....regrets!!!!)

I sold it to buy my work truck (2004 nissan frontier 2.4l). I have the truck for my daily, now I just want a "weekend" or "sunny day" car so I can get my BALLS back...this 149hp is killing me LOL

If all you want is a weekend sunny day car then either would be fine. Do you plan on keeping these cars stock? If you are gonna HCI blah blah etc. to them then I would pick the Formula because that 5-6k difference could get that formula modified just about any way you want. If they are gonna be stock or close to stock I'd pick the GTO because the interior is better and more comfortable. However I can NEVER bring myself to get rid of my F-body unless I went for a Z06.

My fbody is junk compared to my friends GTO. Ride is awesome, seats and interior are night and day over the fbody. If you want something to beat the hell out of at the track get the formula otherwise I would get the GTO.

I would wait to get a Formula.

Yeah, I can see where you are coming from.

I am no racer, I could honestly tell you intake/full exhaust/tune would be about all I could handle. To put things into perspective, I thought my 96 LT1 Caprice was quick enough for me lol. The "fastest" car I've ever driven was my friend's 2010 mustang GT with catback, intake and tune. That would be plenty of power, I'm looking for that V8 sound I've missed for 2 years.

My Caprice was extremely comfortable, but let's face it-- it was plastic city. Not to mention that damn Opti-Spark ignition which failed when my water pump failed. Damn weepholes lol

Wow, that Forumla looks extremely clean and unmolested, I love it. This time last year, I would have probably bought that one for myself if you decided not to. Maybe I'm just a true diehard F-Body guy, but from riding in GTO's and seeing them on the street all the time, the car is just too big and far too bland for me. They just don't have that raw muscle car personality that the F-Bodies have, feels more like a sedan to me than anything.

If you plan on keeping the one you buy stock, get the GTO. If you plan on investing in mods... Formula for sure. The F Body interior really isn't That bad? And judging from the pictures of the Formula it looks like the one you're looking into has a very solid interior. Yeah the GTOs interior Is better but is it worth paying more money for? If you pickup that formula you jump into modding and start making more power.

Side note... Is it just me or do parts for the GTO cost a bit more? :confused:

I would get the GTO if you're after some refinement. Better interior, more street friendly suspension (independent all the way around). The formula is the cheap speed, plus the extra cash to pump in to it to go faster. I've seen plenty of GTO's that look damned good.

I would go with the GTO.

I dislike the appearance of GTOs, so I'd pick the Formula. That's probably not helpful to you, but you asked for opinions. :P

I agree, but u can't argue with the ls2. Tough call

Well, go figure the dealership sold the GTO. I spent a week talking to the dealership, I even offered to pay 2,000 to "hold it for me". They told me "That's not needed, we will take it off the lot for you on Thursday".....well, they just texted me (They don't have the balls to call me I guess?) and they sold the car.......are you kidding me lol. What a run around. That's alright I guess, Carfax says there was an accident on the car in 2006 and the owner "promptly sold the car afterward". Maybe it's for the best.

So, since I already have the rental car because I was PLANNING on going to Orlando to pick it up....I'll just go an hour south and go buy the Formula (Which I already looked at last Thursday, one owner, bone stock everything, 74k miles on it) Although the funny part is the dealership raised the price a thousand dollars from last week, I will just go and lowball them and offer them 7500 for it out the door since they wasted my time last week. If they don't take it, oh well lol, at least I tried!!!!

LS power!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ls1!!!

working on the GTO will be easier. I LOVE my LS2 over the LS1. If it is the 05 GTO, when you go to sell it, you can drop a LQ9 in it and keep the LS2. :)

But back on topic lol. I wish I never sold my 05 GTO. Drove wonderfully and got great fuel mileage until I put way too big of a cam into it. Still fun to drive.

Well, I love both cars, so I'll just buy the Formula. Pay it off, can always buy a GTO with a trade-in later down the road :)

In the grand scheme of things, saving 7,000 bucks is more affordable in this economy.

working on the GTO will be easier. I LOVE my LS2 over the LS1. If it is the 05 GTO, when you go to sell it, you can drop a LQ9 in it and keep the LS2. :)

But back on topic lol. I wish I never sold my 05 GTO. Drove wonderfully and got great fuel mileage until I put way too big of a cam into it. Still fun to drive.

I don't even own a GTO and I can agree with that lol. GM wasn't thinking very much when they designed the engine bay of the 4th gen haha. Changing plugs is oh so fun :bang:

I don't even own a GTO and I can agree with that lol. GM wasn't thinking very much when they designed the engine bay of the 4th gen haha. Changing plugs is oh so fun :bang:

yeah, every time i opened the hood of the GTO, I always wanted to put twins under there. never got arround to it tho. Plenty of room.

yeah, every time i opened the hood of the GTO, I always wanted to put twins under there. never got arround to it tho. Plenty of room.

Ahh, never seen the engine bay myself. But really any engine bay has more room than a 4th gen lol. It's pretty sad when the LS1 fits in an RX7 FD with more room than the car it originally came in :eyes:

I ended up buying the formula. the dealership at the gto screwed me, i drove 2 hours and i was an hour away when they called me and said "someone bought it as we were finishing your paperwork". this after the fact they told me they would take the car off the lot Wednesday night and hold it for me.

very happy with the formula, plus 7k less makes me smile.

You made the right choice. Now you get to annoy your mustang roommate just like I do x)

Yeah, lol I took him for a ride, he is pretty impressed. "Dude what the hell, a 10 year old car is pulling almost as hard as my 2010 GT" LOL not to mention for about 21K less!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Dude what the hell, a 10 year old car is pulling almost as hard as my 2010 GT" LOL not to mention for about 21K less!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice try on his part. There is no "almost" about it. He would need a 2011+ 5.0 to be decisively faster than you stock for stock. ;)

^I agree. Run 'em one good time and wipe the smile off his face, haha. Congrats on your new car!

Thanks guys. LOL it's my best friend, you know we gotta have the good ole' fashioned Ford vs. GM

And as I type this he's installing Bassani long tubes lol.

Haha Long tubes, dont worry about that, he'd needs way more than long tubes to match you. And judging from the pictures the car looks pretty clean.
Take care of her, and start by doing the regular maintenance:
1- Tranny Fluid + filter + gasket, engine oil + filter, fuel filter, air filter. And check your power steering oil. Black >> change. You might want to take out the power steering cooler and avoid some misery.
2-spark plugs / wires. < probably not needed with your mileage but who knows.

now with that 7k you saved you can start modding it;) even if you dont want to mod it much invest in some 243 heads for about 500 bucks, and some headers y pipe and exhaust and lid and watch that thing really wake up

now with that 7k you saved you can start modding it;) even if you dont want to mod it much invest in some 243 heads for about 500 bucks, and some headers y pipe and exhaust and lid and watch that thing really wake up

^ This. Even if you don't want to be the fastest, give that baby a good sound... and with those mods you will still be able to run 12s and have a very clean looking, and great sounding car!

Nice try on his part. There is no "almost" about it. He would need a 2011+ 5.0 to be decisively faster than you stock for stock. ;)

This.

Funny thing is our LS1 cars feel weak in near stock form... doesn't say much for the pull of a 3V. :(