why oh why do I evn torment myself like this...I looked at a 02 SSEi...black, chrome wheels, leather,HUD, sunroof...oh geez, the whole 9 yards!...it has 36k on it and they're asking $15k...i dont know what kind of trade they would give me but if its anything like the kelley blue book thing on Yahoo, its gonna leave me a little upside down (since I've only had mine for a little over a year)...I guess I just keep looking at how much I'm probably gonna wind up spending on mine on mods and that total gets pretty big...this car has most all that in place already (ya still gotta do the little things...I've ALWAYS done those)...plus there's really nothing I'd change on the body except maybe a ram air hood...I dunno...I really like the T-Bat but this is a double tuff car too...I seem to be drawn to these things like a magnet, and it doesnt even make sense to think about owning both of them (cant afford that anyways)
AARRRGH! Am I alone here does anyone else have these kind of issues?

Don't go near the light!

My wife told me the other day that she might be thinking about getting rid of her truck and buying something a little less expensive to own and operate. She said she might be interested in a Honda.
I thought about trying to get her in a GP, but it's her choice as to what she wants to get.
I can start to feel the mod bug itch again.

Hello,

A Honda????........

She wouldn't let me touch it anyways.

I'm in that position too, except I'm wanting to get a GTP. It's REALLY hard in my position though, considering I'm only 18, insurance would be a killer, and plus I'd have to pay payemnts on it... A $7 an hour part time grocery job isn't gonna cover all that and still be able to buy premium gas and food.

I've still got 2 more years before my GTP is paid off. I'm over halfway there though. :p

Tbat I too have looked at those SSEI's. My family needs a little bigger car but I think I can wait till the new G8 comes out with that V8. I'm getting rid of my truck and the GP is staying!!

Me too!

SSEi has too much plastic. And it's slower than the GTP.

But it fits a family of five so much better

I only occasionally need the back seat so the extra room is really not an issue with me...I have to admit the front seat is much more comfy and roomy and I love the layout of the interior as well (probably because it is so close to mine but just a little different...and I dig that key switch on the dash)...and it might be slower than a GTP but I'm sure in its present unmodded form it would smoke my GT...theres a guy over at BonnevilleClub forums that has one running in the 12s and thats haulin butt in any language...I'll most likely wind up just sitting tight where I am cuz I really dont want a bigger car payment than I already have (but I hear it calling to me in the night)...sometimes being a carguy is as much a curse as it is blessing.

Actually, in stock form, the SSEI's are good matches for stock GPGT's. They run high 15's because they're so damn heavy. And nad, why not just do an L67 swap? It'll cost a lot less than getting a GTP, and you get the same power and better gears if you keep your trans and get a custom PCM done.

Becuase you miss out on the DIC, suspensions, and HD tranny.

Plus, he just did his first oil change, I don't think engine swapping is in the near future, it would cost too much money to have a shop do it.

The only practical purpose of an engine swap is a project car that you don't need reliability out of. Also, would you really swap out a V6 for a....V6?

Other than that, I have no strong opinions on the subject.

DIC can be bought and put into a GT relatively easy, if you really want it. Not sure what you mean by suspensions, but no. And the HD tranny, all you need is the diff, diff case, and pass. axle to make a non-hd trans an HD trans, plus you get 3.29's rather than 2.93's (3.29's much better)

Huh? Who's telling you this stuff? Why would your car have to be a "project car" in order to do a motor swap into it? Why would it be any less reliable, when you can change all the gaskets/seals before it goes in? Along with anything else you want (cam, springs, etc.).

And would you really swap out a V6 for a V6, WTF!? OF COURSE! Maybe you've heard of L67swap.com, probably not though. What other motor swaps are available for GP's, besides LS1 swaps, only one guy has done that. What nad is talking about is swapping an ENTIRE CAR for another V6, so why not keep your car, your old motor, your current ins. and car payments (if any) and have the power you want? He would probably lose THOUSANDS getting a GTP, just to have the same M90 that you would have doing an L67 swap, or even the ASS M90 kit from ZZP.

Didn't know he just did his first oil change, but if there's a local ClubGP in your area i'm sure you could get help from experienced people. I pulled my motor by myself in 6 hours, with help it's WAY easier. Keep your GT man, there's a LOT of stuff you can do to it. Maybe you heard of Pector55 on clubgp, he's making over 400 WHP in his CSC'ed GT, 12.2 @ 111.

What he's getting at is after it's all said and done it's cheaper and easier to trade in the GT for a GTP if your going to swap engines. If a project car is in order then do something else like the turbo mod.

Decisions decisions decisions.......GTP SSEI GT, as I see it kinda like a win win win. Today Im drivin to work after detailing my car. I end up along side a convoy of late 60s early 70s muscle cars....Between the 69 hemi Cuda and the 70 Boss Stang sat a late 60s Grand Prix. They cleared a spot and I slide in behind the GP. It was a nice ride for the 15 minutes or so. My only issue with my GT is I see them EVERYWHERE !! I rarely see a nice SSEI. I guess it depends on what your focus is. After mine is paid off IM gonna try to find an early GP, not only are they becoming hard to find they look pretty cool.

You obviously know nothing about this board or me.

From what i've been seeing on this board, there's not a whole lot of people that do anything with their cars other than stickers and painting stuff. Most of the threads are about various minor problems people get and are crying about "How do I fix this or that", and "Forget it, tomorrow it's going to a shop". "Rear hub replacement", "center console", "tie rods", and best of all, "oil filter location". I was shocked when nobody knew that the exhaust manifolds for all '97-03 GP's were the same between L67 and L36 engines.

One thing I do know about you, is that you drive a honda bike, yamaha bike, and a dodge truck. These choices in transportation lead me to believe you don't know much about vehicles.

And redgie the wedgie, I agree with you on the older GP's. I've been wanting to get an '87 or so GP, and swap a 400/turbo 350 into it. But that won't go over real well with the wife. You might see GT's everywhere, but how many modded ones do you see? I surprised a guy in a stock '05 GT not long ago by pulling on him pretty hard from a ~35 roll up to about 60. Told him about ClubGP, he was surprised to hear how many perf. parts could be had for a GP. Stang GT's probably don't believe it's not a GTP either when they lose.

Im seeing alot more mods to GP ever since the body change. I suspect people are beginning to realize what a true bargain they are. AS more 03`s are coming off lease and back into the used car market, there will be more and more bought by younger drivers. AS a result more mods.
Either way the domestic performance car market hasnt been this hot since the late 60`s early 70`s.

maybe YOU don't belong on this board. nobody has been more of a jerk than you this past week. exactly the reason that i stay off of clubGP's board. can't stand the people there.

I think there are plenty of people on this board who are capable of doing much of their own work to their cars, and many of us do...but ona board there are always gonna be newcomers and as was just stated, the more 97-03 GPs that come into the used market at cheaper prices the more younger people will buy and mod them...as such there will be many questions about simple things...there is no shame in a learning curve. we all had to start somewhere...as far as to how much I let a shop do to my car depends on a few things...when I was younger I did much more to my car myself than I do now...but now my financial stituation if different and I have a House that makes as much if not more demands on my time than my car does...if I put my car into the shop for a rotation/balance/alignment (which there is only one shop I trust and he gets my work exclusively)and he tells me a tie rod end is bad (I probably already noticed the vibration) then I trust he is on the level with me (cuz he's never screwed me before) so I have him go ahead and take care of it while its there (it'll need the alignment anyway)...while an engine/tranny swap is much more involved and you would need help to pull it off in a short time...especially if the car in question is your daily driver...when I mentally total up what i'd still like to do to my car, $2k for a ram air hood and spoiler (that includes prep paint and install at body shop...including closing up the factory spoiler holes so a different type can be installed)...another $2k for wheel/tire combo (18 inch) and who knows how much more for an engine swap or turbo conversion...which would also mean upgrading the tranny for the increase HP...you simply begin to ask yourself "do I really want to spend that on this car or is there another I like just as well that already has these features and maybe more?"...that has nothing to do with ability or knowledge, but it has everything to do with preference...how we spend our own hard earned bucks is an individual choice...Bryant lost his GP thru no fault of his own(and that sux)...just because he chose not to buy another doesnt make him dumb...on another note, I went to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Center for Dad's day today...I parked the car and I swear not even six spaces away, there sat another black SSEi (I think they're following me around)

well said....

Not everyone has 4 grand to drop into a car. So what mods are done people take pride in. As for the repair stuff people have to learn sometime their not born with it. There are lots of variables between the L67 and L36. I like how people on here would rather say I'm not sure then to spout out something that is incorrect.

As for attacking BryantGTP about his choice of vehicles what does it matter if he has a variety. He knows what he wants and he gets what he needs. I guess it bothers you that I know nothing about vehicles either if I own a Chevy Silverado, Yamaha V-star, and a GTP. Variety is the spice of life.

We have strived hard to keep this board from going in the direction of Clubgp. Yes we answer alot of the same questions over and over again. We could say do a search yada yada yada but that only tends to push people away and the communication gets rather boring. If you don't like the way things work around here you either have to suck it up or move on. But lashing out at people who don't know how to do something and come looking for advice or basing your opinions about some one by there choice of transportation is not welcome here. It's your choice.

Yeah, baby. If you don't like the conversation, get out. There is the full spectrum of people on this board, all the way from "fresh" people that can't find their oil filter to long time GP veterans that do their own engine swaps and turbo installs. But wherever you fall in this range you should not have to worry about what kind of razzing you are going to take from inconsiderate pricks that have nothing better to do. The whole purpose of this board is to pass information, no matter what kind.

Well said fella's...
Mike, you're more than welcome to stay, but the attitude has got to go.

This is not a private forum of veteran mechanics that doesn't allow newbie questions.

This is a public forum that supplies information about the GP. We DO allow any and all newbie type questions.
We do not allow attacking of any kind. If you are interested in attacking people about their knowledge, then please visit www.clubgp.com and enjoy your stay there.

nad, you would be suprised; I'm 20 living in the Washington D.C. area (bad traffic) and I have one reckless driving ticket (92/55) and one ticket for failure to maintain proper control stemming from a rear-end accident a few years back when I had my mustang... yet insurance for my 97 GTP only runs abour $200/year more (for liability/comprehensive) than it did for my old 93 Saturn SL1! Get a quote and see how much it would run you for a GTP. You *might* be suprised.

Oh, yeah, and P.S. to the last post... ClubGP is full of jerks! I went on their IRC channel once asking for info about the size of wrench needed for my oil drain plug... not only did they treat me like I was stupid, but they told me the wrong size!

Okay guys...

stop fighting.... this is not clubgp.

T-bat, we all go through what you're going through. Looking at a car that grabs the attention and starts the brain to work about what or how to mod is common along gearheads like us. From my experience, take a deep breath and wait a few days and then see how you feel about things. Worked for me, otherwise I would be driving a Bonne myself if I didn't cool off.

I guess my father has spoken

Man!! this place really IS starting to sound like ClubGP. The whole point of the topic was to simply answer a question, and it seems like not very many people did that. But I'm not taking sides here. T-Bat: yes I do the same thing, only mine is for a new Duramax truck. I'm trying to convince the wife that we need to get rid of her 04 stratus, not my GTP

good luck on that one!

That hurts...

Good job moderator....watch your back for mutiny....

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone, just as I was reading thru the thread, it started to look like Club GP, where one guy bashes another, then everybody starts to take sides on the issue, and the original topic never gets any attention. I swear, Club GP should change the name to "Club S##t Talking that starts out as a question about 97-03 W-body cars but ends up with no resolution."


Sorry, Bobby

...and I think the "basher" has left the bldg!

IMO Honda makes awsome bikes!

Not to put a thorn into one's side, but I apparently know absolutely nothing about cars either guys, cause in my drive right now, there is a 92 cavalier, 98 GTP, and 04 Stratus SE, not to mention what all I have owned (or partially owned) in my life: 76 chevy "heavy half" pickup (I6-250), 76 chev C10 (light duty)(V8-350/5.7), 91 Isuzu pickup (I4-??), 86 chev nova (I4-toyota eng), 85 cutlass (V6-3.8), 97 silverado K1500 (V6-4.3), 93 lumina (V6-3.4DOHC),90 chevy suburban k1500 (V8-350/5.7) 97 GTP R.I.P. (L67-duh!), 81 toyota Starlet (I4-76c.i.), 95 ninja 600cc, 79 yamaha 175 DT. and possibly a couple more that I can't remember right now; but I must not know diddly since I have had such a vast selection, huh? BTW: not all of those were owned by me exclusively, most were owned by one of my parents and me, and those all go back to my high school years, but i was taught about responsibility early, and made my first car payment at 13,a good year before I had my license (I must be Friggin' stupid, huh???) :p

Proven to be the most reliable.

Maybe a little bit...

Demented, don't let someone come in here and destroy what GPN has. Unforunately, there will always be those few who try to mess things up.

Amen...

sorry, I just had to vent a little about it, had a bad weekend, and hopped on here and saw this thing had kept going. Sorry!!

Forgotten...