hmmmm...something happened today.

[flakko 1]

i was on my way to meet my buddy for breakfast today, and stopped at a stoplight. I looked ahead and saw that they closed the right lane off (i was in the left). So this older 99-05 grand am pulls up next to me, and as the light turns green, the guy speeds off. no knowing that he wanted to pass me up and cut ahead of me, i had a normal start. when i see the guy speed ahead about 10 ft ahead of me, i floor it. this is like a good 1/8-1/4 mile strip of open road. I thought i was gonna catch up, but nope we stayed about the same distance away from each other. when i saw that i wasnt going anywhere i slowed down and he cut ahead.

seeing that i have a 5.0 HO v8, vs the grand am's 3.4l v6 at most, i would think i would have some edge on it. could it be he had a head start, or my car weighs like 700lbs more than his? or could i have some kind of problem under the hood? i just replaced the plugs and the air filter like 1000 miles ago, and the only thing i didn't change was the wires and distributor.

any thoughts?

[Mark LaFountain 1,054]

i was on my way to meet my buddy for breakfast today, and stopped at a stoplight. I looked ahead and saw that they closed the right lane off (i was in the left). So this older 99-05 trans am pulls up next to me, and as the light turns green, the guy speeds off. no knowing that he wanted to pass me up and cut ahead of me, i had a normal start. when i see the guy speed ahead about 10 ft ahead of me, i floor it. this is like a good 1/8-1/4 mile strip of open road. I thought i was gonna catch up, but nope we stayed about the same distance away from each other. when i saw that i wasnt going anywhere i slowed down and he cut ahead.

seeing that i have a 5.0 HO v8, vs the trans am's 3.4l v6 at most, i would think i would have some edge on it. could it be he had a head start, or my car weighs like 700lbs more than his? or could i have some kind of problem under the hood? i just replaced the plugs and the air filter like 1000 miles ago, and the only thing i didn't change was the wires and distributor.

any thoughts?

you vehicle weight, and his head start certainly did you in.

[johnecon2001 82]

Not to mention Transmission and rear end gearing probably is a little better for a Trans Am vs your car.

[flakko 1]

true true. dang i have to keep telling myself, its a luxury car, not a sports car. o_O

[ford302redneck 15]

What kinda car do you have?

[JimJ 11]

Check his photo gallery...

Personally, I don't think it's a racing car, just something to cruise in comfortably

[ford302redneck 15]

Well, a 5.0 HO only has maybe 185wrhp.

Thats alot of car to move with that much hp.

I haven't drove one, but Ive drove a Grand Marquis with normal 5.0 in it. It didn't do much, as far as "fastness".

I know those Camaro/TA's run high 15s with v6s.

Edited March 15, 2008 by ford302redneck

[chrismcdonald12 0]

1988 mark 7? Owned and built a few.... 225 Flywheel hp stock

4 Catalytic converters, do a new exhaust and intake and your looking at like 250 to 260. Love Love LOVE the mark. Miss mine to pieces. Also the AOD automatic transmission has a horribly long gear set, your car is theoretically geared to do 200 mph(for gas milage) but has no where near the power to make it there. Buy a vortech charger kit thattl put lead in your pencil.

Oh for the record i think the stock 1/4 mile on that beast is 16 seconds.

Edited March 15, 2008 by Chrismcdonald12

[///M5 2,833]

Shift management is rather terrible on them as well. If you would have stayed in the power band more you would have, but you were most definitely not if he pulled on you....not that your car is fast, but it easily can be

[flakko 1]

oops it was a grand am, not a trans am lol. i remember the gay little lines on the side

but yea its a 92 mark vii BB.

@ jim: yea dude, most definitely a cruising car. i love just takin it down an empty street late at night. but its fun to push on the gas a little from time to time

@ford302: its got like 225hp stock. but at almost 3800lbs, its also a beast. i guess it is the weight then.

@chris: its already got an aftermarket one, sounds sexy. not too loud, but just right to sound menacing hehe. havent really measured how big it is tho. actually my AOD is busted (gotta get the sucker rebuilt) so i was on "D" the whole time, my gas mileage sux balls. haha freakin supercharger. that might be a thought maybe after i save up for a couple of years

[flakko 1]

Shift management is rather terrible on them as well. If you would have stayed in the power band more you would have, but you were most definitely not if he pulled on you....not that your car is fast, but it easily can be

true dat. when i step on it, it takes like a second or so to shift up. not cool, i think if i did the 5 speed swap i wouldnt have that problem. i guess it just wasnt meant to be a sports car like jim said, its a cruising car

[///M5 2,833]

225hp isn't really that much in a boat like that. 300hp in the Mark VIII's made a HUGE difference. Easy to wake that thing up though.

[flakko 1]

225hp isn't really that much in a boat like that. 300hp in the Mark VIII's made a HUGE difference. Easy to wake that thing up though.

so what shall i do to wake it up? easy stuff. i dont feel like pulling the engine or anything like that

[///M5 2,833]

classic needed piece is always budget

[flakko 1]

$5-600. that seems to be the number my car likes to suck out of me in increments

[///M5 2,833]

Not much of a budget to "wake it up"

[Acidburn 10]

I would take that budget and get your transmission fixed. If you're already missing a gear and it's slipping during the shifts, that thing is in serious need of a rebuild. Adding power would only make it worse

[chrismcdonald12 0]

Tons of a wake up budget if you dont mind power in a bottle... 5.0 Could handle a 75 shot like nothing, but im more of a constantly available on tap hp kind of guy.

5.0's are easy to make a bit of power with. Cheapest upgrade that will give the most power, go to the junkyard and find a 1998 Ford Explorer SE v8 and buy its heads. Cost you like 100 bucks or so but they are a cast iron version of fords GT40 heads, good for a nice 40 hp or more of sexolicious pedal. The intake off of that truck is also the cobra intake upper and lower. If you need any information shoot me a line ive been tinkering with 5.0's since i was 15(my first lincoln)

[flakko 1]

Not much of a budget to "wake it up"

hmmm not like car audio huh? lol

I would take that budget and get your transmission fixed. If you're already missing a gear and it's slipping during the shifts, that thing is in serious need of a rebuild. Adding power would only make it worse

werd. yea i think thats what im gonna do. also i think it will save me some money on gas in the long run.

Tons of a wake up budget if you dont mind power in a bottle... 5.0 Could handle a 75 shot like nothing, but im more of a constantly available on tap hp kind of guy.

5.0's are easy to make a bit of power with. Cheapest upgrade that will give the most power, go to the junkyard and find a 1998 Ford Explorer SE v8 and buy its heads. Cost you like 100 bucks or so but they are a cast iron version of fords GT40 heads, good for a nice 40 hp or more of sexolicious pedal. The intake off of that truck is also the cobra intake upper and lower. If you need any information shoot me a line ive been tinkering with 5.0's since i was 15(my first lincoln)

power in a bottle aint my thing. too "ricey" for me oh yea heads. mos def on my list of things to do, maybe. not much of a grease monkey so how much do you think it would cost to get them put it for labor?

[///M5 2,833]

The bottle is only a temporary wake up as you have to refill it, the heads on the other hand would help a shitload.

[chrismcdonald12 0]

Gimme 2 minutes ile access my shop software and go by book quotes. k? Afterall i am a mechanic

[chrismcdonald12 0]

Replace

R&R Head Only

Right Side B 0.0 6.8

Includes: Remove Carbon And Make Necessary Adjustments.

Left Side B 0.0 6.7

Includes: Remove Carbon And Make Necessary Adjustments.

Both Sides B 0.0 9.5

Includes: Remove Carbon And Make Necessary Adjustments.

So your looking at 9.5 hours, times whatever your shops door rate is. I live in canada and i know my door rates are 100 an hour at my shop so its not cheap. You could do it yourself if its not your daily driver and i would be willing to supply you the literature to make it possible along with torque specs and whatnot. Should take you Maybe 20-30 hours total time if your tinkering around and dont have the experience.

[flakko 1]

holy crap 9 bills. yea umm ill save that project for later waay later as i have to fix this up cosmetically AND rebuild the front control arms first. ths car is expensive!

thanks for getting that info out chris, as well as everyones advice. i truly appreciate it.

[///M5 2,833]

Jesus, are the headers that hard to get to or why the hell 9 hours? I can't imagine a mechanic taking that long, in particular since nothing is too hard to get to on the 5.0L's.

[chrismcdonald12 0]

No problem, but don't worry about the little maintenance those cars are diamonds in the rough. I miss the sound of the factory amplified JBL system of mine, it was pretty amazing only rivaled by my 90 towncar cartier edition. Anyhow, if you are in the need for that power in the pants feeling right away and dont do alot of long distance highway driving i suggest a 4.10 gearset. The factory sound insulation is awesome for keeping out noise but theirs also around 600 lbs of that total too if i do remember and if your lookin for some cruiser boogie to it dropping some of that weight is free and has large effects. Ever 200 lbs feels like 10 hp.

Also you said you have an exhaust? Was it from the headers back or from the H pipe back? If it was only behind the H your losing 10-15 hp just from extra cats. Anywho i gotta hit the sack so i can finish gettin my new explorer build underway.