So now im stuck in the Pontiac GTO quagmire.

[ozthunder]

Let me explain..

What brought me to the car? It was cheap, powerful, comfortable, and versatile. It had the name (GTO). It was rare (especially compared to the Z). But now i've had a change of heart..

I actually love...the car. Like the actual vehicle. It's great..it can handle..it can go straight..it sounds sick..it is comfortable on long trips (3 to PSU and counting!), and its just everything i wanted. But theres a problem (other than my rear attracting other cars and concrete)..

..it's a Holden. The car isn't a GTO...it's a Monaro. Through and through. And to be honest, I sort of avoided this crazy USDM vs Ozzie thing. But now i'm thinking..why not?

Except when I looked at the price of a Monaro front bumper: 1400, shipping included. Yikes.

So now what do I do? It's not a life or death thing..I just realized the car has me..regardless of name..and that it deserves the name it's had.

Either way..I love this thing. You Subie guys and gals can blow me ;)

[ThePrimerSuspect]

giggity?

[K-Rex]

sweet post dude

[CHAOS]

do it... join the masses ... peer pressure!

[CHAOS]

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/F12Bwth6/gtoramair604_01.jpg
do this.

[ScubaSteve]

I'm a little confused. Are you just asking if you should buy the holden bumper? If thats the question and if it cost $1,400 I say **** that and buy a maggie.

[Chris_PA]

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/F12Bwth6/gtoramair604_01.jpg
do this.

+million

[freebmx444]

i like that pic^

[Vypurr]

http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/carros/gm/holden_hsv_coupe_gts_3.jpg
http://www.2dayblog.com/images/2006_october/769px-2006_HSV_GTO_Coupe.jpg

HSV GTO Kit fTw!

[ozthunder]

The HSV GTO logo is the same on the fronts of the American ones..

I think what i'll do is just basic stuff until I decide where exactly I wanna go visually..IE..not sinking any money into something thats not reversible.

BTW, Jon, that car would cost about 30K to build. Woodward RAM AIR VI. Concept. A company has been making a few of them, but they are VERY limited, VERY powerful (well, supercharged), and VERY expensive. I love that (its my icon on AIM), but very unrealistic.

I'm thinking this...

Debadge the sides (sidemarkers in place of the GTO crests due to the holes).
Debadge the back (aside from the Holden Lion)
Use an Angry Goat inlay in the front
Recap the wheels with Holden caps
Redo the interior plates (Airbag, steering wheel) with Holden/Monaro
Can't do a thing about the seats.

If I like it..and I feel that its what I want, yadda yadda, i'll go the whole nine yards after headers. After. I need kooks so bad, and thats my main goal. But I do want to be unique (in the area), and I feel like it adds a bit and takes away a bit from the "rebadged Monaro" idea since its showing what it is. An the inlay works so that there is still an arrowhead but I don't need to get it filled. If it was just an adhesived on emblem I wouldn't have any problems..but its not. And theres an indentation. oi!

Btw..HSV= expensive as ****. And you need new lights. This bumper fits on with nothing to modify and better breathing abilities..

http://thecarnut.typepad.com/photos/sema_show_2006/dsc02569.jpg

lol, I hate having a car with literally 3 identities.

[BlackBulletTSi]

lol yea i like the orange car but agreed i was actually just talkin to someone about this today funny

[PhillyLS1]

Let me explain..

What brought me to the car? It was cheap, powerful, comfortable, and versatile. It had the name (GTO). It was rare (especially compared to the Z). But now i've had a change of heart..

I actually love...the car. Like the actual vehicle. It's great..it can handle..it can go straight..it sounds sick..it is comfortable on long trips (3 to PSU and counting!), and its just everything i wanted. But theres a problem (other than my rear attracting other cars and concrete)..

..it's a Holden. The car isn't a GTO...it's a Monaro. Through and through. And to be honest, I sort of avoided this crazy USDM vs Ozzie thing. But now i'm thinking..why not?

Except when I looked at the price of a Monaro front bumper: 1400, shipping included. Yikes.

So now what do I do? It's not a life or death thing..I just realized the car has me..regardless of name..and that it deserves the name it's had.

Either way..I love this thing. You Subie guys and gals can blow me ;)
Make the decision if you want to be all go and no show or reverse.
I saw a Holden conversion this weekend and it looks excellent.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t318/DuBob/Show-it-off-2007/DSC00816.jpg

Me? Sh1t. $1400 is a good nitrous kit.
Take a long hard look at that engine and then make the right decision.

[9 Ball]

This car was overlooked big time here in the States. I say go for the bumper and be different. I do, however, like how the orange GTO looks pictured above in this thread.

I’m sure you’ll get to the engine mods eventually as well.

[ozthunder]

Well, before I sink that kind of $$ into show, I want at least headers and a tune, so it'll still be "mildly" fast. It's a matter of after that, really. And where I want the car to be in the long run.

The car was overlooked by the U.S. bigtime. Bad marketing, bad logistics, and even worse dealership strategies (no test drives on a car no ones ever seen? wtf?!) lead to it being not as successful as it could have been. I just feel like the car is what I love now, not the identity of it being this new age GTO. I mean..no offense to the older GTO's, regardless of the song and relative standards, cars like that weren't made to handle! Or do nearly half of what we can do now! :wink:

Regardless, i'm fairly freaking torn. Hmph.

[ozthunder]

Update: I found badges for cheap, and I have some ideas about blending everything in. I think im going to request not badges to be put back on at the body shop..

[Ender81]

Well at least one of you knows it's not a GTO lol. It's a nice car, fast, love the interior but for some reason the name always turned me off from it. Now if they would just scrap that ugly ass Camaro and bring a retro looking GTO out I would be happy lol.

[ozthunder]

I'm not a big fan of retro cars to be honest with you. And don't get me wrong..the name and the rep of the car (from Top Gear) brought me into it. Thank God for that..because to be honest..I got prolly the best I could get (period) for the money I spent. I just want to give it some respect now, ya know? Almost letting it reclaim its birthright..lol

A retro (66/67 year) Goat would look cool..but I dunno about purchasing a retro car. I don't think I could live with it..I was looking at an 05 Mustang and i simply could not live with that.

Btw, if it was to be built, itd be on the Zeta platform. A platform designed, built, and tested by Holden. Who is now building and testing the Camaro. Ironic? You better believe it. I remember reading an article maybe 1999 or so about the last muscle cars- the Holdens (and Ford Falcons) in Australia- and how they represent what true "American" muscle is all about. Ironically enough that they would come here not 5 years later and be rejected..eh..oh well. I have one helluva car to thank for.

And i've been doing reading, the Monaro was no slouch either!

[JET02WRX]

the Holdens (and Ford Falcons) in Australia- and how they represent what true "American" muscle is all about.

Are they cheap to obtain in Austrailia? Because IMHO, the whole notion of 'American' muscle was to stick a HUGE engine in a car with NO options and sell it relatively cheap... 33,000 is NOT cheap to me. Even though I'm not a Ford fan, they are the only ones doing it almost right currently. A V8 for mid 20's... This is why no one buys the new breed of american muscle anymore, there is too much better competition at that price level (33K). Its dissapointing, because I grew up a muscle car fan.
If they would release the new Camaro with the LS2 or 7 and sell it with NO A/C, NO power windows..etc..etc... I think it would sell twice what it would otherwise.

[Intercooled T]

Be a real man and import a Holden Ute.

Nothing says "I'm a real man" like "modern-day El-camino"

[smoger]

Are they cheap to obtain in Austrailia? Because IMHO, the whole notion of 'American' muscle was to stick a HUGE engine in a car with NO options and sell it relatively cheap... 33,000 is NOT cheap to me. Even though I'm not a Ford fan, they are the only ones doing it almost right currently. A V8 for mid 20's... This is why no one buys the new breed of american muscle anymore, there is too much better competition at that price level (33K). Its dissapointing, because I grew up a muscle car fan.
If they would release the new Camaro with the LS2 or 7 and sell it with NO A/C, NO power windows..etc..etc... I think it would sell twice what it would otherwise.

just wait for the Challenger R/T :mrgreen:

[JET02WRX]

just wait for the Challenger R/T :mrgreen:

Is there an estimated price point?

[smoger]

Is there an estimated price point?

i dont think anything is official yet, but i would think/hope theyd get it under 30. im sure they realize it needs to be competitive in the market. guess we'll have to wait and see.

[turbo4g63]

don't you have insurance that would cover the damages to the car, so you would only have to pay your deductible which is what? $500? you wouldn't have to spend 1400 dollars on a bumper your insurance would

[ozthunder]

Pay insurance on a new bumper without any collision for the front? lol, you can do that? Christ, if you can do that, beem me up scotty!

Dodge is having a MASSIVE problem keeping the Challenger under 30 (same with Camaro) because of the IRS. Ford doesn't have that problem, b/c they are cheap, archaic bastards (though it works, those Mustangs sell like hot cakes).

And from what I understand, the Holdens are decently priced, as are the Vauxhalls. Obviously not everyone is gonna have an HSV GTO or GTS (the creme of the crop), but still, it seems to be fairly affordable.

[peteyturbo]

The only thing that made me like the GTO was the fact it was a holden, and I knew that long before they even sold them here..Used to watch them race all the time on speed and they were awesome races..

[ozthunder]

Yea I used to watch it on speed too. I mean, Holden has a GREAT past (Monaro or Commodore or other..), I don't understand why it couldn't have been brought here as a Monaro. It would have sold just the same or better. V8 Supercars are the shizzle.

[turbo4g63]

i figured you have full coverage, don't you? i know i would with a 30k $ car

[ozthunder]

You better believe I do...so you can just get insurance to pay for a new bumper regardless? Goddamn..lol

BTW, im getting the rear bumper fixed next week. Would they actually pay for the front bumper that I wanted?

[Ender81]

If they did a retro styled GTO for the US I would hope for the 68 body style, I'm a sucker for the hideaway headlights. Plus I've driven one lol. Normally I like, but wouldn't own, the retro cars but the Charger is pretty hot. You just can't expect the cars like with the power and options they will have to come under 25K. In the 60's you would never hear someone coplain about the cheap interiors used to keep the prices down. But now you would hear all sorts of complaints about the dash, gauges, and seats and how, despite the power, that would make the car not worth buying. Stupid but true.

[ozthunder]

Well thats true; the market has shifted tremendously. I love how the Charger looks. It's new, but not. Automatic..so i'd never own one..but it's still pretty nice. My brother wants one, actually.

I was never the biggest fan of that body style (68-70)..it may be because all of the GM muscle resembled it and the 66/67 was so unique and muscular. Mmm. I'd kill for a 67..

[turbo4g63]

You better believe I do...so you can just get insurance to pay for a new bumper regardless? Goddamn..lol

BTW, im getting the rear bumper fixed next week. Would they actually pay for the front bumper that I wanted?

ohhh, my bad, i must have misread, i didn't realize you were talking about getting a front bumper. For some reason i thought you were only talking about the back....in that case, you are SOL on the front bumper unless you are actually considering paying 1400 dollars for something that does nothing for performance

[ozthunder]

I started the conversion. I ordered Holden badges and I got a cv8 to replace the little GTO up front. For the arrowhead, im gonna replace the red with blue (or silver and paint it) to draw attention from it. I'm doing the side crests next, removing them and putting the sidemarkers in (prolly 2-3 weeks). Then comes the interior stuff..I also ordered an overlay for the steering wheel cap (I wanted authentic, but wasn't going to pay the 60$ for it) to make that the holden lion. All I need for the interior after that is to tune in the Holden stuff (still in the PC) and to change the doorsills from Pontiac to Holden, and the airbag badge.

I'm ****ing pumped, not gonna lie.

And on the topic of bumpers, my back bumper is the same as the 04 Monaro CV8. If i had an 05 or 06 i'd have to get a new insert.

Thanks for the responses! Keep 'em coming.