Executive Edition Firebird?

[immgeorge]

I just remembered something I meant to ask a long time ago...

At a gas station, I met this guy with a Firebird that he claimed was an Executive Edition... He said there were 10 made and given out to people within GM (or Pontiac) and he bought it from one of those guys... So he was talking to some guys who don't know anything about F-bodies and was telling him all this stuff.. Not wanting to be a rude person, I just kinda went along without calling him out on stuff that didn't seem reasonable....

The car was a convertible (98+, i didn't catch the exact year)... Auto, I seem to recall him saying it had a 5 speed auto... I didn't believe him, but once again, didn't feel like saying anything... I asked him about the LS1 and he didn't know what I was talking about.

Then he started talking about performance... gave some crazy numbers for a stock (to the eye) Firebird... something like 400+ horsepower... Under the hood was nothing special... Looked like a stock LS1... With everyone OOOing and AHHing, he goes and says something like it pulls best from about 110-175MPH... He said he had done it... I had to say something, but everyone sided with him instead of me... Is there really a stock Firebird Convertible capable of doing 175??? Or was I (the "punk kid") right and this man (obviously "well off") not well informed about what he had purchased?

[Christopherrr]

humm...I smell bull. 175??? That in itself is just dumb...a stock Corvette (non-convert) can't even do that; 172 mph. Just another f-body owner that got owned by a crap load of crap.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Never heard of it either. Most likely BS...does GM even make a 5 spd auto??

I've run into my fair share of those who want to "play the role" with their car. 5 years ago, someone had an LT1 style Formula convertible. This guy claimed it was a stock Firebird Banshee with a 403 inch motor and pushed 450 or 500 hp (don't remember because the smell of BS was so bad). He did have 315s in the rear and told me he needed something that would be a Viper killer.

I think some people are so insecure that they have to lie and be in the spotlight and show off...not positive if that's the case here, but I've had experienced many other cases when that happened.

[Christopherrr]

ditto on that 5 speed...GM, at least to my knowledge, do not make a 5 speed.

[wako29]

GM doesn't even make a 5-speed auto. Well, they might for one of their POS cars (like Malibu or somethin with hardly any power compared to our motors). If this thing were to do 170+mph, then it would have to have like 1.5 gears or somethin, and still have to have about 450hp

I would have called him out and asked him to PROVE what was so good about it. I mean, there had to be a tag on the car somewhere saying it was a special edition. Or the manual. Or dyno sheet. Or even the speedo showing that it goes up to the 170+ range

[PUREPWR]

Yea one time I was coming out of a store and this kid witha lt1 formula vert that i know and dont get along with saw me. He asked me if my car was fast and i said its pretty quick. He said that his formula had 500+ horsepower. I asked what he had done and he said intake and exhaust and a chip. So I asked him to race. He said that I couldnt keep up. Then he told me his friend had a 900+ horsepower civic. The civic pulls in and sounds like a big fart. No way it had 900 horspower unless each stick on it counts for 10 horses.lol lol lol. Any way all 3 of us leave at the same time and I smoke both of them by atleast 3 for the formula and about 10 for the civic. I just laughed and flipped them the bird for wasteing my time.
I only have a 3.73 gear in my t/a. thats it.

[Rob B (shoebox)]

Sounds like the guy was full of it. GM does use "company cars", but are not usually anything but fully optioned vehicles. They used to be called a "Brass Hat". They would use them for a limited amount of miles and then sell them to the public. I had one of these cars once, (a station wagon, no less, LOL!) and the previous purchaser was listed as General Motors.

Also, GM does make a 5 speed auto (5L40-E made in France). It is mostly used in BMWs, but also used in Opels and Range Rovers. The only American car it is used in is the Cadillac CTS.

[immgeorge]

Thanks guys.

It's a great feeling to know that I was right after all... I hope I get to see that guy again...

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

The guy was full of BS. You said he didn't even know what you meant when you said "LS1", right? Dead giveaway.

... someone has to not only be stupid, but be an enormous tool as well, to drive an f-body without even knowing what the LS1 is.

[immgeorge]

yeah, he sorta gave off that aura... He was late-middle aged, wore a collared shirt open enough for some white chest hair to show, gold chain, gold watch, sun glasses... at night... Acted like he thought of himself as the "bomb", if you will...

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

A long time ago I knew a guy with a 73 mustang that had a 351 Cleveland engine in it - a stout engine in it's own right. But the kid went around telling everybody it was bored out to 428 Super Cobra Jet specs (whatever that means). The thing was that this guy was a pathological liar and could look you straight in the eyes and say this crap. Well, his car was real hard to start because tha starter motor was hanging on by the cable and he had to "jiggle" the key to get it to start. This went on for months until I took pity on him and got some bolts to bolt the starter back on to the engine. This is how stupid the guy was. At one point, all the guys that knew him cornered him in his room and had an encounter session and told him he was a liar and he was sick. He still didn't get it. I really don't know how he got through life that way.

[wolfdogs]

Bull


Chit



Bull

Chit X 5,000

people......dahymn........ wannabee's.

[Detroit_Bird]

GM actually does make a 5 speed auto - the Allison they put in HD trucks. GM and Ford have had 5 and 6 speed autos in various stages of development for the past couple of years. I've personally worked on a ZF 6 speed automatic transmission destined for passenger car use by both GM and Ford and have been very impressed by it's power handling capabilities.

What that guy was saying does smell like bull but I wouldn't put it past GM to mess around with a couple cars for the proving grounds with one of their trannys in development. Rumor was a big block 8100 4th gen was lurking around the Milford proving grounds a couple years ago, along with a couple other one- off oddities

[wako29]

Originally posted by Detroit_Bird
GM actually does make a 5 speed auto - the Allison they put in HD trucks. GM and Ford have had 5 and 6 speed autos in various stages of development for the past couple of years. I've personally worked on a ZF 6 speed automatic transmission destined for passenger car use by both GM and Ford and have been very impressed by it's power handling capabilities.

The Allison is made by Allison. GM does not make it. Actually, it really isn't a "real" Allison. More like a weaker version of a Allison, but it gets the job done. Oh, and the 5-speed thats in the CTS, is that the FWD version? I wasn't aware of a 5-speed at all that GM makes for RWD cars. Well, at least one that could handle decent amount of power.

And one tranny that impresses me is the one in the new HEMI Dodge truck. Its really smooth when it should be, and shifts hard when you floor it. Its a 5-speed, and its supposed to be pretty strong, too. Anyways, my TH-700 works good enough for me

[Detroit_Bird]

The Allison is made by Allison. GM does not make it.

Hold on there wako29 - Allison is owned by GM, therefore the transmission is made by GM. GM is the largest supplier of trannys in the world, even BMW uses a Hydramatic in one of their vehicles

Oh, and the 5-speed thats in the CTS, is that the FWD version?

CTS is a RWD car, as denoted by the 5L40E L means Longitudinal mounting in the vehicle

Well, at least one that could handle decent amount of power.

The XLR has a 320 horse Northstar, the CTS is rated at 255 horsepower (optional HP V-6).