FuriousGXP

Corsa is nice but very expensive and a there are enough people who have had issues with the Corsa in the rain to make me leery about buying them. For many GT owners, GXP mufflers (axleback) are just the right amount of purr for them. If you want more growl though, I like the Solo systems (I only have the axleback J-pipes on my GXP but they sound great!) Full catback systems are even better and I'm hoping to do a full exhaust with mine someday. I've also seen plenty of talk on the G8 forums about Pedders and Kooks but I'm not familiar with either.

2009 G8 GXP (Updated to a newer picture)

Please, tell us more about your 1987 Solstice GXP...

I suspect a bot.

Most of the newer systems have USB ports so I'd consider finding a 5V fan and tapping into the USB line. Heck, you could just use a USB fan and cut a hole in the casing to fit. Honestly though, there's not much use to adding fans. You'd be better off opening the system up and cleaning out the dust to bring temps down.

I had an older router that started overheating and I just took a 12V power supply, cut the end off ans spliced it to a normal 80mm 12V computer case fan. Then I cut a circular hole in the top of the router and mounted the fan to it. Wasn't the prettiest thing but it kept the router running smoothly while I waited for a newer model to arrive in the mail.

Welcome from a fellow G8 GXP owner! I'm in a Liquid Red A6 for now but once this one's paid off I'll be on the prowl for an M6 (preferably White Hot or Stryker Blue but I'll take any color I can get in decent shape by then.)

I'd suspect the pressurized coolant cap first. If it's loose or doesn't seal well then you might get symptoms like you described. A new cap should be under $10 and any local parts store. After that, I'd look into replacing the thermostat and checking your coolant reservoir for any signs of oil mixing in.

FYI: it'll cost more than the car is worth to do a proper turbo build. There are no off the shelf parts to use, so a lot of parts you'll need will need to be custom made. Most guys have spent over $7K-$8K on a build. Even more if you want the best.

And even then, you'll have a car that makes around 300-350WHP depending on what parts you use, turbo and tune...an Evo, Camaro, Mustang or even a 350Z, they can all make that power for less money. I'm not even factoring in the reliability issues you'll face either.

This is primarily why I "dream" of doing it but probably never will...

Yeah, my assignment was cancelled less than 30 days out and I'm staying in Cali. I would have signed the car over to a friend if they had waited one more week before cancelling me so I'm glad I found out before spending that money. Unfortunately, our house was already in contract for sale and we couldn't afford to back out of that. Had to finish the sale, move into a rental and then buy a new house. We moved in a couple weeks ago and it's a better house than our old one (although I'm paying nearly $600 more per month on my mortgage now) so things have worked out okay I guess. Still got the GAGT and the GXP so I'm happy at least.

Century Club no engine modifications yet, just cold air intake. I wanna put a supercharger in it though!

Good luck. Very hard to find a supercharger for these engines (only ones I know of are worth more than the car...) You might be better off with a custom turbo build. I hope to build a turbo in my GAGT someday but I have to have another car for the wife to drive before that will happen. I'm holding out for a manual G8 GXP as my next car but it will be a few more years before I pay off my current G8 GXP. Still love my GAGT enough to want to build the engine up someday though!

I'm a fan of Grand Ams but I'm just not digging the look on this one. Too much and in 2 different highlight colors just makes it look thrown together as if you had no plan for the final look. I'm almost scared to ask but do you have any inside pics? I will give you props on getting a set of the somewhat coveted clear corner, black housing headlights though. Very tough to find an unmolested set now days...

Welcome to the forums!

Corsa sounds good but way too expensive for what it is. Plus, if you read a few of the G8 forums, numerous Corsa owners have strange issues whenever it rains. Since I daily drive mine, I can't risk that even if it is a small chance. If anything I'll probably go with a full SOLO build eventually or piece together a few other brands someday. Right now I spent close to $1200 for the axlebacks and intake. Next on my list might be lowering springs but I'm hesitant due to the fact that the GXP front end only leaves a couple centimeters between curbs and the bumper when I park at stock height.

I'm happy enough with the sound now that it will be a while before I get the itch to work on the exhaust again. I spent nearly 2 hours yesterday drilling out a bolt that sheared off so I've had my fill of exhaust work for a while...

Got my SOLO Axlebacks and VCM OTR Intake installed on the GXP today. She goes from purr to growl very nicely!

Probably help to know if you have the V6 base G8 or the V8 GT. Welcome to the forums and if you really want more G8 specific help, check out GRRRR8.net or G8Board.com also.

As for screens in the dash, are you talking about replacing the stock radio or adding something somewhere else? Either way, it's not an easy process. The G8's HVAC is combined with the radio functions so simply upgrading the radio is much more difficult than in most cars. These radios also lack any fancy options so the odds of adding a secondary screen is also pretty slim without extensive fabrication work. I've seen a couple folks on the G8 forums add an iPad or Android tablet into their dash but the amount of work involved is well beyond the average experienced technician's capabilities. You'd have to know how to program Apple/Android apps and have the electronics expertise to wire in the HVAC portion as well.

There are a couple companies working on stock replacement pieces but so far, the cost is pretty high (around $2K+) for most of these systems. You'll most likely end up with a fully custom made system if you try to upgrade. Or just enjoy the car for what it has like I do and wait for one of these companies to start mass-producing (if this ever happens...) Now that the Chevy SS is out, many people are starting to work with their radio to see if they can convert it over to the G8's since it's very similar but with all the fancy options most people want now days.

Nope. They'll just tell me I took a gamble when I put my house up for sale prior to leaving and it's on me to figure it out. Basically, until you sign in at your new unit, they can change your orders even while you're on the airplane flying there. They warn you that nothing is certain until it's in the past.I knew the risks but I also couldn't afford to live in Japan while still paying for a house in Cali so I gambled and lost on this one. God will take care of it and we've got a couple houses that we're looking into. I'm just thankful that we still have one month to figure it out and it wasn't during the last week before we left.

This type of uncertainty is something military members deal with everyday. Sure, we have guaranteed paycheck but we could easily end up in a huge money drain like this situation. I'm fortunate that my house is worth more than the current market value around here so that I'm not taking a loss. When Congress talks about cutting our benefits they forget that we CAN'T sue our employer for lost income if plans change during a move. We are at the whims of the government and "you should have planned ahead" is a common excuse when we find ourselves out of money because of something they screwed up. If I worked for private company I could sue them for the money spent on their changed plans. Fortunately for me, I'm pretty resilient and I'll find a way to take care of my family even if it means renting a house half the size of what we currently own. I'd like to see any of our fine Congressman try to do that...

Yay and boo! Lol

All things aside did you want to go to Japan?

We were looking forward to it since it was a job position that I've been trying to get into for the past 15 years. It was an AFN job (military TV and radio service) and I was going to be the PACAF Quality Assurance guy for all their sites and new installs. Would have meant traveling around the Pacific theater a few times each year which would have been pretty cool. As it stands, I'm staying in Cali for now and since my unit already tagged another MSgt to replace me in the mobility office, I'll be getting a new job within our unit soon. No idea what I'll be doing but I look forward to the new challenges. Just have to find a place to move my wife and 3 kids quickly so that we don't wind up homeless at the end of March.

Well, both good/bad news. We're no longer headed to Japan so I don't have to sell my GAGT or store the GXP. Unfortunately, our house is in escrow now and we can't back out of the sale even though the military won't be moving us after all. Now I have to find a place for our family to live by the 25th of March. Life just keeps getting funner and funner-er!

Oh well, we trust in God and it will all be fine in the end. I'm just grateful we got cancelled before we sold the GAGT too.

I've got "informations" for sale. $199 each.

Also, I looked a little into the website for the shipping/storage company and it says they do monthly maintenance on the car so all the minor stuff should be taken care of. I couldn't find a list of what "monthly maintenance" included but at least I know it's not just sitting in a crate the entire 3 years.

I came in the AF as a 2E1X4 but they changed our job back in 2009 and now I'm a 3D1X2. I started out doing Security Systems, Television Systems and Photo Systems maintenance and now I'm a Network Infrastructure Technician. Of course, I've been working as a Unit Deployment Manager for the past year and a half and when I get to Japan I'll be doing Quality Assurance for Armed Forces Network television and radio sites. I've been wanting into AFN since '98 when I finished tech school and now that I'm nearing the end of my AF career I finally found an opening.

I'm headed to Japan in March for 3 years (Air Force) and my GXP will be put into storage while I'm gone. She currently has 57K miles on her and is completely stock (for now...) I've only owned her for about a year so I don't have any maintenance history on her since the 46K mile mark when I bought her.

Had I not received orders, I had planned to change plugs, wires and a few other small parts but since she's going to be stored I'm curious to know if I should bother at this time or wait until I get back.

Two big questions:

1. What should I do to prep her for 3 years of sitting? It will be a government storage facility and I have to drive the car 2 hours to the storage facility so advice about putting it on jackstands or something similar is not possible. I'm looking for more preventative maintenance type things to help keep her "ready to go" when I pick her up in 3 years.

2. What should I plan to do immediately after picking her up from storage in 3 years? I'm figuring an oil change, maybe an air filter and new tires since these need replaced soon anyway.

Also, if anyone is selling an M6 GXP in 3 years, let me know. I'd love to get a stick GXP and let the wife have the A6. You've got time to think about it...

Sadly, my GAGT (which I still love) will not be staying with us since I cannot afford to store her myself and leaving her with family just isn't a realistic option right now. I have a close friend that loves the GAGT and will be buying her so at least I know she'll be well taken care of (and maybe someday I can get her back...) I had hoped to keep the GAGT for many more years but if I gave up the GXP for a GAGT I think I'd regret it for much longer than I'll regret giving my GAGT a new home.

I got a free mod from a Mini Cooper driver today!

http://i.imgur.com/ZY4KOw3.jpg

Good news is that he did take responsibility and I setup an appointment to drop the car off on Monday. Geico (his insurance) will have a rental car ready for me and hopefully I'll have my baby back within a week. Should just need repainted since it's all on the plastic. I'll find out on Monday when the appraiser takes a look.

How come you can't take one of them with you?

Look on the bright side...you can take home what you buy in Japan...

Japan's restrictions are very cost prohibitive. Cars before 1976 are grandfathered in but anything after that falls under their tight emissions restrictions and various other safety laws.

As for bringing one back...I'm not really interested in any Japanese cars nor the costs to convert them to US standards. I'll probably buy something cheap to get us around for 3 years and then sell it when I leave like most people do. Then when I get back to the States I'm hoping to find another G8 for the wife (or a manual GXP for me if I can find one.)

I posted a thread on GAGT.com to begin some demodding of my baby. Looks like I'm going to have to sell her before I head to Japan in 3 months. That was probably one of the hardest threads to post since I still love this car. Hopefully my friend will buy it since he needs a more reliable second vehicle but even if he does I don't know if I'll have the heart to ask for it back when we return from Japan.

The GXP will be stored for 3 years though so she should be paid off when I get back and she'll have been spared three years worth of mileage. I'll console myself by modding her when we get back since I should be out of credit debt by then (hopefully..)

I understand your dislike for the Grand Ams but mine has been very good to me. The LIMs and wheel hubs are the only real issues I've had in the 10 years of ownership and that's with 6 years of autobahn driving at over 110 mph daily. I"m actually heading to Japan soon and I'm devastated at the thought that I might have to sell my GAGT. Sure, it's not powerful but it's a great car and I've never had any issue with the interior which is still in great shape. It actually saddens me to see the 99% of other Grand Am owners who think the car is junk and treat it that way. If you take proper care of them, nearly any car can be great and reliable. It's only when you start to view them as junk that they start to become junk.

I don't have any issue with you not liking GA's Chaos, but I think you are overly one sided in your "love the Honda but hate the GA" posts. The Honda is the right fit for you but that doesn't make all GA's junk. I personally can't stand seeing so many Hondas everyday (half the people shopping at our Autozone have a Civic or Accord that's falling apart) but I do understand that your taste is different from mine. I believe that GA's can be a classic car someday simply because so many people are able to afford one as their "first car" now. Those of us who bond with them will certainly value them in the future just as I value mine now. I know it won't ever be as fast as my G8 but the GAGT is a much easier car to learn how to work on that I will always have a warm spot in my heart for GA's. Don't bother comparing your car to others because there is ALWAYS something better out there. Learning to love what you have is where real happiness comes from.

Not ranting at you, just letting you know why some of us "crazies" still love our GA's. Very similar to why some of us crazy Pontiac lovers still enjoy a dead brand name. Then again, I've had a few Maple Crown and Cokes tonight so my thought process is a bit slurred....

If I win the lottery...Pontiac will rise again!

Of course, I haven't bought any lottery tickets so chances are extremely slim that I'll accomplish this.....