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  • Former Grand Am owners...

    Ya, so today my sister called me at work to ask me for help. It seems her 2002 Alero with the 3400 engine died on her way to work. She was really pissed off about it and then told me that there was certain lights on her instrument cluster (oil and battery) and it wouldn't start up again. Anyone who had an n-body car from '99-05 probably noticed that those lights come on whenever you have the key turned to the ACC position.

    Anyway, she's all pissed off, and then she mentions that the gas was low and that the light was on.

    So obviously she ran out of gas...

    Anyway, I left work 40 minutes early and zipped over there with a gallon of gas and decided to see if it'd start without me putting gas in. I put the key in and all I get is a single CLICK. Ok, so the battery is dead, nice. I figure that there's something wrong with the electrical, and that it can't be out of gas, as she claims that the light only JUST came on yesterday, and she's only like 2 miles from home. I gave it a boost, and it started up and immediately started sputtering and died. Ok, so she's out of gas AND she has a dead battery, NICE!

    I put the gallon of gas in and then started it up again, and success!

    So now to get on to the point of my story: Lately I've been feeling that my GTP just needs more power. After driving her car to the gas station to fill it up, and then driving it for another 20 minutes to charge the battery, I realised that my car really DOES pull pretty damned good. At half throttle with the GTP in fourth gear on the freeway my car out-accelerates hers at full throttle.

    I used to drive a Grand Am GT with the same engine that she has, so I now KNOW that I made a HUGE step up in the power department. I guess that 65hp and 35lb-ft of torque really do make a huge difference.

    I think I'll never be truely happy with the amount of power that my cars have. I need a Z06 or a Viper.

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  • #2
    Yup...I made the same step up from a Grand Am GT to the GTP. There's definitely a big jump in power.

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    • #3
      I had a 1992 grand am se. It was a hand-me-down. I hated that car. It was so cramped, it had no power, and it fell apart - literally. What a pile...

      My dad's 98 was slightly better...but not by much. once he laid eyes on the GT sedan with pano roof in the showroom (which, btw, is the exact one he bought), he was out there cleaning out his car in a heartbeat. lol.

      as to your sister's issue, i vaguely recall there being issues with a lot of alternators crapping out relatively early in the life of the vehicle. my brother drives an alero (no clue what year), and he had to have his alternator replaced last year. might be her issue...
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      • #4
        Nah, her issue was that she ran out of gas, and she left the headlights on while they pushed it to her work.

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        • #5
          Well, I had I had an SC GAGT, which was only great for the first year the SC was on. The car became very problematic. I actually grew to hate the car, because it had so much potential and turned out to be a money pit. My alternator died after 3 years.

          I too, feel that my G6 GTP needs more power. The car is quick, but it could use about 40 more hp. This car is actually a bit quicker, than my former SC GAGT. I wish I had the revised F40 6 MT, because it has more performance-oriented gear ratios, than the original F40 (MT2).
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          • #6
            My GA went pretty good in its prime, but it was pretty heavily modded, But as Keith said it became problematic and it had the worst luck with hit and runs, when I traded her in the tranny was about to go and it burned oil like crazy, I’m lucky they gave me what they did for it. I leaned a lot about modding cars from it however, like NEVER GET RID OF YOUR STOCK PARTS!
            2009 Panther Black G8 GT
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            • #7
              for the price though, g6 gt has much more power than similar cars like eclipses (non-gt), but for the gtp model it does have somehwat less than other cars

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              • #8
                My experience was pretty much the same as Jordie's, especially the Trade-in value.

                I beat the ever living hell out of my Grand Am and that thing just wouldn't quit. AC went out, window motor(s) broke, lower intake manifold gaskets all failed, but damn that car was a champ. The G6 has many things that I wished the GA did. Way more power (240 vs 175), 6 speed, coupe (my GA was a 4-door). Handling is a big step down, the Grand Am would make this car look stupid on a road course.

                All in all, I loved that car. It was so aggressively styled for that time, a time when everyone wanted a civic just like in the damn movies. It was easy to get it into the 14s, but after that you were looking at serious $$$ and custom parts. More companies entered the market finally, but still I felt they should have come much sooner.
                2006 G6 GTP Coupe
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                • #9
                  The Grand Am V6 only has 170 hp and the GT has 175 hp but it was 400 lbs lighter than the G6. Still I was rarely able to beat any other V6s out there.
                  The G6's regular V6 has 200 hp but because the car is much heavier, I still get my ass handed to me repeatedly. Guessed I should have went for the GTP instead.

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                  • #10
                    Base model G6 / base model Grand Am from the 99-05 model are only about 120lbs apart.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by TLS2000
                      Base model G6 / base model Grand Am from the 99-05 model are only about 120lbs apart.
                      According to my GM bouchures, base Grand Am weights 2975 lbs and base G6 weights 3350 lbs, both are I4 Ecotec, that's a whopping 400 lbs difference. Same with the Grand Am GT vs. the G6 GTP.

                      Park a G6 next to a Grand Am, the G6 is obviously one size bigger and taller.

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                      • #12
                        There is a pretty big weight difference but the GTP makes more than enough power to make up for it (as compared to the Grand Am GT).

                        My car could go on Jenny Craig though.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by jnak
                          There is a pretty big weight difference but the GTP makes more than enough power to make up for it (as compared to the Grand Am GT).

                          My car could go on Jenny Craig though.
                          x2

                          It's cool that Pontiac worked the sedan/coupe weight difference out to be practically nothing, but both are still way too fat!

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                          • #14
                            Ya, I had a few Grand Am's. First was a 99 SE and next was and 02 GT. It always seemed like a pretty quick little car to me, stock. And when I got the G6 I really didnt feel alot different either.
                            2006 Black GTP Sedan

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                            • #15
                              I had a '00 Grand Am I bought from Hertz (former rental) it was still running perfectly fine when it got totaled around 105,000 miles. The only major repairs I had on it were a leaky engine gasket (don't remember which one) and a failing water pump which were both replaced under warranty around 70,000 miles, plus some brake work. That thing was great, and really fun to drive. My G6 definitely feels more powerful, more rigid, and the suspension stiffer, but I can definitely feel the weight while cornering.

                              I'm not sure which would win on a road course. It might depend on how many corners or straightaways there are. If anyone gets a chance to take their G6 to Buttonwillow Raceway (http://www.buttonwillowraceway.com/)in California, I managed a 2:40 lap on Track layout #14 clockwise.
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