Caprice vs GTO......huh?

Last Saturday I was taking my Caprice for a drive in the nice weather, and cruised up the old strip where we all used to drive up and down the road for hours on end, well I guess the kids still practice this, but I'm too old for that stuff now .  Anyway I'm sitting at a red light, and I hear a VERY loud car reving it's engine behind me.  I check the mirror of course and it's a red 2004ish Pontiac GTO.  So when the light changes, I stand on it for a few seconds and lay a little rubber behind me, and I notice he does the same thing.  I then slowed down a little and waited for him to get beside me.  He yells over "sounds good" , and I reply with "thanks, nice car"  It was a very nice bright red GTO with tinted windows, and definitely some kind of aftermarket exhuast.  He says "we need to catch a light" and I said "no can't do that"..I did alot of street racing when I was younger, but now I'm just much too responsible for that type of thing.  So, I tell him to follow me and we turned off and went to an old spot that a buddy's dad owned by the river (now owned by my buddy).  He built race cars for a local drag-racer, and the two of them paved about a half a mile section of this property to tune the cars before raceday, and try different set-ups before it really counted at the track.  We raced there so many times as teen-agers it brought back great memories just being there.  Anyway it was a little grown over, but you could still see the marks that they laid down marking off the 1/4 mile finish line and there was still grooves burnt out of the asphalt at the old start line.  We lined the cars up and I told him to count to 3 and take off.  I knew before we even left the line that I wouldn't win, but I've never raced anything with this car since I built it, and just wondered what it would actually do in a 1/4 mile.   So he said 3 and we both matted the pedal, we both spun a little and were off, supprisingly, I couldn't see the GTO, I kept waiting to see it in my periferal vision, but as I crossed the 1/4 mile mark it never happened!  I looked as I lifted and had the GTO beat by about a car and a half!  WEEEE!   And keep in mind, my car is 18 FEET long!  All this being said, The car was a 5.7 Litre LS1, not the 6.0, but my car also has a 5.7, and a carburetor.  Just wanted to share my joy of the first kill for my Caprice a 2004 GTO! 

Ssssweeeettt!!!! Great kill!!

Right on man, now ya make we want to fix up my grandpa's 71 caprise classic 4 door, LOL. Way to show that kid that you cant mess with a true machine 

Whats done to the Caprice?  

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Ssssweeeettt!!!! Great kill!!
 
Right on man, now ya make we want to fix up my grandpa's 71 caprise classic 4 door, LOL. Way to show that kid that you cant mess with a true machine 

Thanks guys.  That 71 would be cool...it makes my car look small..well almost..lol
 

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  Whats done to the Caprice?

Well..lots.
First I built a 700 R4 with a B&M trans pack shift kit..went with the full race option, to replace the original 2004R ( the 700 has a lower 1st and 2nd gear ratio which provides for quite a better launch of the big car). 
Then I added a set of headers, cheap ones..Dynomax I believe, but they have 3" collectors, and a full chambered 3" dual exhuast with 2 Flowmaster super 40's and cut them off flush with the body behind the rear axle.
Next I personally built a 1972 350 block, with stock crank, rods and pistons.  I had it cleaned and new cam bearings installed at the machine shop, and I honed and assembled it with new rings, bearings, brass freeze plugs and a high volume Melling oil pump, and a Comp Cams 490" lift and 280 degree duration Cam and Lifter kit.  Then I bought a set of Vortec heads from a 1998 Chevy pickup and had them just slightly milled and new valve guides and seals installed, and orange springs. (good for .5" lift supposedly)  Also added an Edelbrock Performer Vortec Intake manifold, a Holley Street avenger 660 CFM carb with electric choke, a Jegs Performance distributor, An MSD HO ignition module, MSD superconductor Plug wires, and of course the original replacement AC delco plugs for a Vortec engine.  While I was at it.also replaced these:
GM water pump
GM starter
GM radiator
GM replacement hoses (radiator and heater)
GM battery cables
Belts...Goodyear IIRC
New Delco battery
A few crome brackets
Retrofitted the A/C, and added an electric Condenser fan that is wired via a relay to only come on when the compressor clutch is engaged.
Some basic white-faced gauges..Oil pressure, tach,coolant temp  (oh and a 160 degree thermostat).
A 14" chrome air cleaner with a K&N filter.
 
Then I found a doner 8.5 inch Posi rear end to replace the 7.5 (or 7 5/8") open rear, but the new one only had a 2.41:1 ratio, so I bought and installed a rear-end overhaul kit (all new bearings/seals) and a set of Richmond 3.73:1 gears (had to buy a ring-gear spacer going from a 2 series to a 3 series gearset also).  And the doner also had the BIG rear sway-bar which really helped the car stick in corners.

lastcoupe, I'm kind of amazed that you shared all this.  Most "Street Racers" of the era that your car is from wouldn't give up their secrets...even heard stories from Dad about people paying cash to see what was under the hood!

The car is sick, the true definition of a SLEEPER!

Oh, and congrats!

See, that's the kind of story that inspires me. I'm lookin at a 70 Cutlass right now. It's got the same body style as the GTO and a big motor.

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lastcoupe, I'm kind of amazed that you shared all this.  Most "Street Racers" of the era that your car is from wouldn't give up their secrets...even heard stories from Dad about people paying cash to see what was under the hood!

That is absolutely right, We always kept things under wraps, but I'm not into racing anymore, well..I may start taking it to the official track, but nothing in the way of street racing will ever happen.  Besides, I don't think I'll be seeing anyone from BF at the race-track any time soon, not that it wouldn't be welcome.
Again thanks to everyone for the kind words.  I've worked hard on this car and I love driving it.

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ORIGINAL: lastcoupe

Besides, I don't think I'll be seeing anyone from BF at the race-track any time soon, not that it wouldn't be welcome.

Hey, what's that supposed to mean?  LOL  I'm at the track quite often.  I haven't run my Bonneville again this year, but I was down to NYIRP 5 times last year.  2 test & tune nights to get a baseline on my Bonneville and 3 others to help out a friend of mine with a 12sec GTP.

Mad respect to you lastcoupe, mad respect bro!

The 2.41's in my caprice sure could use replacement.  Although the top end was fun/scary.

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ORIGINAL: lastcoupe
 Besides, I don't think I'll be seeing anyone from BF at the race-track any time soon, not that it wouldn't be welcome.

Come to South Dakota and you will see me there pretty often.

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Hey, what's that supposed to mean?  LOL 
Come to South Dakota and you will see me there pretty often.

I didn't mean it like that guys....  I just meant that it's not likely to see anyone at our local track...
So blk85, what do you race, the blazer?

Hey can you throw up some pics of your Caprice? Looks nice in your sig.

Thanks, here's some pics.  The last one shows the bucket seats and Trailblazer center console that I installed last year, but I just got a set of Camaro leather buckets to replace the seats again.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/87capricepictures006.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/87capricepictures004.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/87capricepictures011.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/cap2.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/cap3.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/2007_0410Capricepics0004.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/87capricepictures013.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/lastcoupe/caprice/2006_0716billpics0010.jpg

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ORIGINAL: lastcoupe.
So blk85, what do you race, the blazer?

haha yea right. 

A few years ago my family had a Junior Dragster that my brother ran and me and my dad did the work.  That was fun.  I also ran my old car a few times, and I also ran my uncles 11 second 65 Malibu a few times.  Im thinking about buying either a bike (probably sport bike, or an 07 Nighster) or a LS1 F-body or a LS1 Corvette, which ever route I go it will be raced on the track.

I also worked at this track for the last 1 1/2(dont now, since I want a summer).  And I have gone to Brainerd, MN for the national event there for the last 5 years.  I am also considering going to Huntsville for the $100k to win Outlaw 10.5 race they have there.

It's so clean too. I hate it when people get sweet older cars and just let it all go.

I like both of those. There both great american muscle cars and who better to make them than GM!

Yeah, both are great. I agree with union.

Last Post - 5/28/2007 12:09:38 AM    /facepalm

quote:

ORIGINAL: lastcoupe
Besides, I don't think I'll be seeing anyone from BF at the race-track any time soon, not that it wouldn't be welcome.

 
Don't worry, once I have my 12 second Blazer.... LOL
 
 
Sweet car
 
That's one of my favorite Caprice's