Images: Visceral Image
Being in this industry, often times we get emails and social media comments from our readers inquiring the outcome of former project vehicles after they’ve been retired from the build process.
In most cases, they’re privately owned by the magazine’s Editor, Associate Editor, or one of the contributing writers of the publication. As a result, it’s totally up to the car’s owner of what they want to do with them – usually they get sold for another project, but sometimes, we tend to hang onto them for awhile.
So when this former High Performance Pontiac Magazine GTO project car became available on Craigslist, we felt obliged to pass it on. Being as how that publication is no longer being published, and the project has come to a conclusion, anyway, the car’s owner feels it is time to pass it on to someone who would appreciate a well-built piece of magazine history. Now is your chance to own it!
Building upon a 2005 version of the late-model Goat, this car is equipped with some of the finest hardware the aftermarket has to offer, and everything was professionally installed from the ground up. Built as a streetable and (mostly) daily-drivable track car, this one isn’t for sissies.
Under the hood you’ll find an LS2 with a head, cam, and intake upgrade, a full array of bolt-ons, and the drivetrain to support it. With a healthy 450 hp going to the tires, this car has plenty of oomph under the go pedal, and thanks to a heavily upgraded suspension and brake package, this is a turnkey, ready-to-go road racer. But as every car that has seen regular track action, it’s not without its faults.
This pumped-up LS2 is good for 450 horsepower to the tires, and features a high-lift camshaft, TrickFlow heads, and pretty much every bolt-on you can throw at it, minus a power-adder.
Like the ad says, the paint has swirl marks on the rear spoiler, the headliner and driver’s seat need reupholstered, the syncros in the T-56 need replaced, and every once in awhile, it can be a little temperamental when it comes to starting. But keep in mind this isn’t a stock GTO and like any project/track car, there is always a tendency to have a gremlin or two hiding somewhere – in this case, it could have something to do with the tune.
Although it looks relatively stock on the outside, there are subtle cues that tip off this 2005 GTO isn’t stock; the smoked headlights, ’06 taillights, SAP grilles, powdercoated wheels, Maverick Man Carbon hood scoops, tinted glass, and a few other tidbits here and there make this car standout from others.
But you’re also getting a car with over $15k worth of hardware installed into it, a pile of parts to go along with it, and a great platform to continue building upon. Just as long as you don’t mind having a daily with a heavy clutch and a roll bar.
**UPDATE: After airing this post on Facebook, the car has since been sold.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
