# New Guy Questions



## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

Hello all, new to the forum. I'm considering buying my buddies 2005 GTO that has roughly 36K on it. He bought it new, and it sits in the garage. I've been away from muscle cars since 2008 when I sold my 2000 Camaro SS. Before that I had a 94 Z28 and a 1971 Cutlass S. Been researching common issues and concerns with the GTO. I've driven one and the shifter sucks. I had a pro 5.0 with a LSS in my SS and loved it, best shifter I have ever used. I'm not real interested in spending $400 on a shifter right off the bat, so I'm considering the LSS as a first upgarde to this car. Are there any known issues with using the LSS with the stock shifter? Are ther any other issues in general I should be aware of before purchasing the car? Thanks in advance for the help!


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Leather, paint chips on door handle, bubbles on silver steering wheel trim, WHOLE suspension, part prices are more then a C5.

It is probally my favorite car I ever owned, but I'm so glad I don't have one at the same tiem.


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## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

Thanks for the reply. My buddy actually just called about an hour ago and said hey, I just realized the stitching on the back headrests is coming apart. I'm still interested of course, just find it funny it's such a common problem.


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## The Stamped (Aug 16, 2011)

Yea stitching can be a big issue. The stitching on my back headrests is starting to come off. I'd suggest getting your windows tinted ASAP if ya get it. But basicly what jpalamar said. Make sure ya give it a good drive and really try to feel-out the car to make sure there aren't any drivetrain issues. But it is a fantastic car to own!


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

I tinted 2 weeks after getting her in 2004 and she's garaged most of the time so sun hasn't been an issue. Other than some parts being expensive it's been an extremely solid car for me for over 8 years now. I had 2 fBods before this and the goat's problems are minor compared to how much the fbody sucked in quality and drivability.

Do yourself a favor tho and save up and spend the $400 on a shifter. The GMM "race" was the very first mod I did after the tinting. It is by far the one mod I've done that I've gotten the most enjoyment from.


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## BWinc (Sep 21, 2005)

Agreed on the shifter. It was the first mod I did. Just stay away from B&M shifters.


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## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

Thanks guys. Yeah, I wouldn't ever consider the B&M, they seem to suffer from the same common issues. What do you guys think of the MGW-P? Is it accurate, is it short? The stock shifter looks like a tree coming out of the console, it's way to tall. And will install be the same headache for any of the popular shifters? When doing the shifter in my 00 SS it was pretty simple, no need to get under the vehicle and I actually did them for friends also.


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## BWinc (Sep 21, 2005)

I went from stock to the MGW. Night and day difference. Throws are shorter. The gate is tighter. The handle is adjustable, I have mine sitting low. You can use the stock handle or customize. Since this is modified by Proxes and not an offering from MGW itself, it may take up to 2 months to get it from the time you put in your order. 

Here's a crappy vid of the shift points.






I've sat in cars and went through the gate on a Billet and GMM as well. They are very good too. I happen to think the MGW is the best bang for the buck.


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## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

Awesome, thanks for sharing that!


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

FWIW the gates are in the transmission and have nothing to do with the shifter. They all have a freely rotating ball sticking down. They also are a PITA to install. Get some hex head bolts when you install the shifter to the trans. It makes it a lot easier to tighten using a gear wrench and also to take out again if you have to. Make sure you also use red LocTite on everything. "tree sticking out".  You obviously have never seen a real old school muscle car. They had 16"-18" shifters sticking up with throws up to a foot.


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## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

I've seen plenty of old muscle car shifters. I recall my dad's 68 Camaro had what I would call a farm truck shifter sticking out. But, I was comparing the GTO shifter to the Pro 5.0 w/LSS I had in my 00 SS. It was very short, and I liked it a lot. I had a mishap with the stock SS shifter at the track and pulled it from 3rd to 2nd right before the traps. Needless to say, I bent the crap out of 6 push rods. Changed them the next day, and bought a new shifter the following week. So....I'm trying to avoid another mishap with this vehicle given the stock shifter of course has that spongy non positive engagement feel


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Too short of a shifter has its drawbacks. Ya you can say "look I can shift in a quarter inch" but then the differentiation of gear gets harder and the mechanical advantage goes away. Most of the after market shifters give a great compromise of throw and usability.

The spring loading of my GMM makes 2>3 just a shove towards the radio and in serious racing the 3>4 should be done with your hand upside-down (with the thumb pointing down). When you back hand it like that you can't pull it towards you like what happens when you get excited and try to force a shift.


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## blk00ss (Jul 14, 2012)

You are correct to short can cause more harm than good. As far as hand position, I was indeed in the wrong place, I has graspiing the knob as if I were shifting from 1 to 2. Quick question however, in all this research I find a ton of opinions on the GMM, Billet and even the MGW. The GMM seems to be the most popular of the 3, but what is the big difference between the street and the race other than the stick? And which version would do you recommend?


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

The GMM Street and Race are exactly the same. The race comes with a solid shaft for the knob. The Street reuses the top half of the stock shifter that has the rubber isolater in it. I prefer the Race.

I picked up that up-side-down hand 3>4 trick after almost spinning out on the freeway. Besides floating the valves it's a good way to lose control and wreck your car really quickly. I was able to push the clutch in before the valves floated but had the back end almost pass me.


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