Along with the altered exterior and the lack of airbag safety measures, the Pontiac GTO has also had numerous reported problems. The most prevalent problems in this model according to owners are a leaking water pump that can cause coolant loss and overheating, stalling or low ending idle speed due to a dirty throttle body, the check engine light coming on while driving, the spark plugs needing to be replaced, contamination of coolant, and issues with the flush brake fluid and transmission fluid.
Despite a powerful engine and quick acceleration, the changing of the exterior look to a more European-styled car might have ruined the Pontiac GTO. Further, as if the aesthetic decline was not enough, the lack of safety features and the absence of willingness of the GM to try and fix the airbags surely destroyed the Pontiac GTO once and for all.
Along with the clear statement of the GM official of the lack of airbag safety, the Pontiac GTO also contains numerous problems that have been reported by owners and drivers of this specific model of car. With so many safety issues with just one vehicle, we can in no way, shape, or form, recommend this vehicle to anyone - and we aren't totally surprised that this is the model that destroyed Pontiac. Share Share Tweet Email. How exotic. The elegant detailing—including the red-face GTO dials with silver bezels and chrome pointer hubs, the red stitching on the leather-wrapped wheel and shifter boot, the polished metal door handles, and the aluminum-colored ring around the center dashboard stack—is also a welcome departure from GM's typical Tupperware interiors.
We only wish Holden would find some space for a dead pedal left of the clutch. The corn-stalk shifter provides the leverage to easily shove the heavy forks around the Tremec T six-speed.
The detents are mushy and the gates somewhat sloppy, and the Corvette's hated one-to-four skip shift is there for fuel economy, but the stick knows its way and rarely hangs up. For a muscle car, the GTO's clutch is soft, slipping enough during shifts to cushion and flatten out small rpm differentials. If you want necks snapped, row hard and keep the gas pedal flat. The GTO charges headlights ablaze out of a toxic cloud of tire smoke to turn 5. The pops and thuds of backfires on the overrun sound positively illegal, like you'd pulled the cans and were heading for Paradise Road.
They scrub off 70 mph in a longish feet, some 20 feet more than the lighter-weight Asians. The brake pedal also feels squishy at bottom, as if it were swinging against seat foam. Aftermarket tire retailers are standing by. Lows: Iffy build quality, tiny trunk, styling that makes you say, "So what? The GTO glides above the pavement on struts in the front and semi-trailing arms in the rear with an adjustable toe-in link.
Australia is a land of rough roads, so the control arms are stout welded steel and forged iron, and the crossmembers to which they attach are beefy stampings and tubes.
It all contributes to the GTO's pound curb weight, a plus-pound hike above a base Corvette coupe. Elevating the fuel tank into the trunk pushed the GTO's center of gravity in the wrong direction, too. Subsequently, don't expect the GTO to two-step like a Corvette. There's more sponge in the steering, more roll in the tires, more lean and bob in the body. Yet the GTO pulled 0. In corners the front end bites hard and the rear tracks dutifully, the understeer staying mostly in the shadows.
Hanging the tail out is a challenge, even with all the power on tap; the Pontiac prefers to scrub its excess speed through the front tires. Since General Motors shut down the Pontiac brand back in , many people have forgotten about the fifth generation GTO, which was built and sold in the United States from to Due to difficulties meeting US regulations and the strength of the Australian dollar, the car arrived late and at a much higher price than initially anticipated.
Therefore, it never sold well in the US. In fact, GM only sold 40, vehicles during the GTO's three model years, making them quite rare and collectible today. Plus, you can have the fun of ordering Holden or Vauxhall badges to truly embrace the car's Australian heritage. Or, we recommend you swap out the Pointac badges for Chevy ones and wait to receive many confused stares at car shows. Seeing as these cars are now up to 15 years old, prices are extremely affordable compared to a brand-new muscle car from Chevy, Ford, or Dodge.
This way the car won't be a garage queen in need of just a new set of tires and hoses, nor will it require heavy maintenance. Shopping for a used GTO isn't as easy as simply picking out a nice example and taking it home. There are several performance variables to consider. The original model came with a 5. With a curb weight of around 3, pounds, mph was dealt with in 5.
Transmission choices were either a four-speed automatic or a six-speed manual - we shouldn't have to tell you which option was better. So far, though, the GTOs remain relative bargains. Our used vehicle listings can be helpful to find a good deal near you. Narrow the offerings down by a radius around your ZIP code, and pay attention to the deal rating on each listing to see how a vehicle compares with others in a similar area.
The third generation of the Dodge Challenger debuted for the model year with an optional 5. We should also mention that the GTO wasn't Pontiac's last effort at making a strong performance push. The G8 was another Australian import produced from until the brand's untimely demise in The most desirable V8 versions of the G8 sedan are probably prohibitively expensive for buyers who may be considering a bargain-priced GTO, as are the Holden-built Chevrolet SS sedans that came several years later.
We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content.
Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog.
0コメント