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#150686 - 04/26/03 09:09 PM My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Fluid Offline
Member
Registered: 01/24/03
Posts: 104
Loc: Alaska, USA
Well, the dealer goofed up when he told me the car would be in next week - it arrived the next day! Picked it up last night and already have 200 miles on it ( not dark up here until 10:30 PM this time of year! ). I can't imagine anyone not being pleased with any brand new car, but so far I am very happy...

General Impressions:

I really like the silver - flawless paint, no orange peel. Interior fits me very well, and looks classy. The huge speedo seems a bit odd at first and might have been better if it was the tach - but that's just me. wink The TAP shift is GREAT, I find it superior to the AutoShift on my last Intrepid in placement, and it is a bit faster shifting. No problem at all with the paddles, seems very intuative to me.

The WS6 suspension is "firm" but not at all objectionable to me, even on our rough Alaskan roads. Small movements are well controlled without harshness, transients are very nice, no "floating" noticed at all.

The engine is very responsive, moreso than my '97 L69 Bonnie was. The wire drive does help with smoothness at low speeds and gentle takeoffs but is transparent when driving aggressively. I've not done any full throttle runs yet as I'm following the recommended breakin, but so far I like it.

The HUD is impressive as well, and can be given 3 different modes of display. One problem - I cannot see the display on a bright day wearing polarized sunglasses. Hmmmm.


Myths Dispelled:

It turns out that lots of BS was posted before the '04s started arriving. Some may have been innocent mistakes, but others were obviously lies.

* The DRLs are the amber turn indicators, not the headlights. They can be turned off easily.

* The odometer is NOT at the bottom of the speedo - it is in one of the DIC displays.

* Pushing the TAP paddle upshifts, pulling back downshifts. The timing is closer to 0.25 to 0.5 seconds for a shift, not the 0.05 seconds posted by several knowledgeable :rolleyes: folks.

* The SC pully is 4.0" overall diameter, 3.6" across the driven surface.

* The chrome wheel anomaly seems to have been BS too, as no one here had heard of it as described. Maybe it was true, but it didn't delay my build and I've got the "bent 10-spoke" wheels - and love 'em. smile
_________________________
2004 GS GTP/WS6
3.4" puley, BIG conical K&N filter
14.22@96.5 mph
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#150687 - 04/26/03 09:27 PM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Cliff Cherry Offline
Member
Registered: 03/08/03
Posts: 140
Loc: Caldwell, NJ
Congrats! Glad to hear you like the car so much.

Good report on the ride - that's one of my wife's concerns and I'm glad it's not too harsh - of course potholes are in the eye of the beholder :p

The HUD-sunglasses problem is one I have with my 97. I don't wear my sunglasses as often as I should because I can't see the HUD. I've heard it's brighter in the 04 but you say it's still a problem - I guess I'll have to "see" for myself.

On my end, the SIAB's are still on hold, but I've decided (after consulting my wife) that I'm going to wait one more week then go ahead with the order. I'm just concerned that since they're taking so long, when they do become available we'll be the guinea pigs for whatever the problem is, and I've read that some models have trouble with false deployment - don't need that while cruising along eek Of course if they should become available this week, we'll go for it smile

Anyway, enough of my issues - enjoy the car and keep us posted on the journey laugh
_________________________
2005 bleen Comp G!

Just checkin' in periodically :-D
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#150688 - 04/27/03 12:23 AM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
R. Alexander Offline
Junior Member
Registered: 03/22/03
Posts: 10
Loc: Fort Collins, Colorado
Congratulations on the acquisition of your new WS6 GTP. I have one as well and really like the car! I agree with your evaluation. Are you planning to put a front end cover on the car? If so, do you know of anyone that is currently producing the covers. Thanks.

Robert
_________________________
2004 Polo Green WS6 GTP
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#150689 - 04/27/03 01:27 AM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Fluid Offline
Member
Registered: 01/24/03
Posts: 104
Loc: Alaska, USA
Quote:
...Are you planning to put a front end cover on the car?
The dusty yet often wet environment up here means that cars wearing front end covers have damage from the bras themselves, which end up grinding the dirt into the paint. They protect from chips, but scratched and dulled paint are often the result.

The HUD can be seen okay with polarized glasses if the sun is not too bright, but it fades for me in direct mid-day sunlight. I'll try a pair of non-polarized dark lenses and see if I can stand them. Oddly, if I rotate the polarized lenses 90 degrees I can see the HUD very well - bright and clear. The noormal orientation of the polarization in the lenses seems to cancel out the HUD..... frown
_________________________
2004 GS GTP/WS6
3.4" puley, BIG conical K&N filter
14.22@96.5 mph
Top
#150690 - 04/27/03 03:06 AM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Lorenzo Lopez Offline
Member
Registered: 04/20/03
Posts: 79
Loc: Indiana
I got a bra for my 2001 grand prix and used it for a week, I absolutely hate those things. I can understand if you live in a rainforest, but there is just no point in screwing up the paintjob on your car to just repel a few bugs that don't do as much harm as the bra would over time.
_________________________
Lorenzo Lopez
2004 Galaxy Silver Metallic
GTP / WS6
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#150691 - 04/27/03 07:08 AM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Cliff Cherry Offline
Member
Registered: 03/08/03
Posts: 140
Loc: Caldwell, NJ
Hey Fluid,

Getting off the Grand Prix subject, but I think it's pretty fascinating - you mentioned that it stays light until 10:30 now cool , but there's still almost 2 months until the beginning of summer. How short is the night now and what's the shortest it gets? You must be pretty close to the North Pole.

Of course the downside is the almost total darkness in December frown Definitely not the place to live if you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) frown frown frown
_________________________
2005 bleen Comp G!

Just checkin' in periodically :-D
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#150692 - 04/27/03 07:31 AM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
R. Alexander Offline
Junior Member
Registered: 03/22/03
Posts: 10
Loc: Fort Collins, Colorado
Fluid, Lorenzo:

Thanks for the thoughts on the front end cover. Bugs are not my concern, it is rock chips! Anyway, I agree that you can screw up the paint job with a front end cover. Not sure where I'm going to go with this. Anyway, are either one of you considering any mods to your cars? I installed a K&N factory replacement air filter that was meant for a 2002. It fit fine as the air boxes from the 2004 and the 2002 are similar. I'm planning to install a CAI system when one becomes available. Also, for the first oil change, I will probably switch to synthetic oil. On a final note, I checked with the service manager at the dealership, if I install a smaller pulley on the supercharger, it will void the warranty, so I'll probably stay away from that. Anyway, thoughts on mods??

Robert
_________________________
2004 Polo Green WS6 GTP
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#150693 - 04/27/03 12:54 PM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Lorenzo Lopez Offline
Member
Registered: 04/20/03
Posts: 79
Loc: Indiana
I am definately going to be modding my car insanely. I'm hoping to put the SLP Loudmouth exhaust on my car as the exhaust design hasn't changed from the older models, and I will definately put a smaller pulley on it (if something happens, I'll just swap it out before going to the dealership wink )

These cars NEED to be lower, there is SO MUCH Wheel well gap it is crazy!

I'm going to change the intake to a 9" cone with a better intake pipe to the s/c. I believe the intake is pretty much the same as the past models as you pretty much stated in your past post.

I think that's all I've planned for now, but I know I will do more later... the differential and stuff like that after I know the car is solid and won't die on me... laugh
_________________________
Lorenzo Lopez
2004 Galaxy Silver Metallic
GTP / WS6
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#150694 - 04/28/03 02:04 PM Re: My 2004 WS6 is HERE!!
Fluid Offline
Member
Registered: 01/24/03
Posts: 104
Loc: Alaska, USA
Quote:
...you mentioned that it stays light until 10:30 now , but there's still almost 2 months until the beginning of summer...Of course the downside is the almost total darkness in December...
The longest day of the year is ca. June 21st - that day Anchorage has 19.5 hours of direct sunlight, and it doesn't get dark at all. The sun rises today at 6AM and sets at almost 10PM. SAD is a problem in the winter, when we can have just 4 hours of potential sunlight. Folks afflicted with SAD use full spectrum lighting in their homes, or move to a sunnier clime.

Quote:
...are either one of you considering any mods to your cars?...I checked with the service manager at the dealership, if I install a smaller pulley on the supercharger, it will void the warranty..
I will likely go for a CAI and a smaller pulley, perhaps rockers. Nothing too radical. The Magnusen Act clearly states that aftermarket parts do NOT automatically void a vehicle's warranty, only if it can be proven that the part caused the problem. Example: a SC pulley would not effect the warranty on a suspension part; it very well might if you burned a piston.
_________________________
2004 GS GTP/WS6
3.4" puley, BIG conical K&N filter
14.22@96.5 mph
Top