bought a new car

[El Dildo]

a little late but as promised.

and some of you already knew but lets make it official eh.

 

the daily driver shall remain our 4wheel drive GMC Envoy.

but this year I've finally come across the opportunity to replace my number one toy; this 1999 Firebird Formula.

 

 

seen here in her better days.

 

 

 

...and here more recently.

 

 

 

sold it this week. just over 100k miles. I loved that car and she held up very well in addition to the work that went into it. the only reason I'm really selling her is because I finally found a proper upgrade, so to speak. something that I had been looking for since like 2007 and found the right deal at long last. we also have a proper garage now so I can truly protect the new one, where before I moved we only had a car port space. oh. so what did I buy?

 

this 2002 Trans Am WS6 with just 48,5XX miles.

 

 

 

 

WS6 package, SLP package from the factory. Corvette wheels and brakes, lowered springs done aftermarket. full options including Monsoon stereo package with 12disc CD changer otherwise stock.

 

Pewter exterior, Black leather interior. spotless inside and out. the thing has barely been sat in, let alone driven. clean fax and title, no body work, original spare tire, goddamn thing still smells new when you sit down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it's already my favorite thing I've ever owned.

maybe ever.

 

 

the first owner was a retired collector in Vegas.

took it from the dealership straight to his garage and only touched it on the weekends. the second owner - who I just bought it form - was this 40 year old guy who actually had given the car to his wife as a birthday present and she didn't like having so much power. their loss being my gain, this WS6 has been babied around and taken care of unlike the lions share, which end up torn apart at the drag strip by teenagers. it's hard to describe how nice she is. the model year may as well be 2014, not 02' it's show-car ready but I've got plans.

 

starting with Borla exhaust, most likely.

ending someday with forced induction. maybe.

 

can't stop looking at it after I park it. I walk away and keep breaking my neck.

looks like she's flying when it's sitting still. ugh. I'm in love

[Flachbau]

 

"That's the car that broke my neck!"

it's a meme. not a very popular one, though. mostly seen on instagram

 

 

It looks pretty bad ass, looks so mint as well.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Android

[-Silence*]

Always liked these, congrats on such a clean example!

[epoxi]

That's an amazing find in that condition. The Corvette wheels and brakes look spot on (especially with that suspension).

 

I'm impressed you managed to keep it a surprise.

[Outcast]

can't stop looking at it after I park it. I walk away and keep breaking my neck.

looks like she's flying when it's sitting still. ugh. I'm in love

 

Congrats man, she's an absolute beauty! It's when you can't help but look back when you're walking away, you know you bought the right car.

[Kiffster]

Awesome car diablo!

[Lurch]

No T56, no care.

[epoxi]

No T56, no care.

Wait, it's an auto? Oh nooooooooo.

 

Not that I blame Diablo, the prevalence of the automatic has to be one of the worst things about finding a car in America.

[Lurch]

A T56 WS6 would probably also be a bit pricier. Still, I don't really have any good things to say about the 4L60E. At least in stock form. Seems like it would kind of dull down on the fun factor.

[El Dildo]

I would describe this car as a lot of things.

"dull" would not be one of them

 

I've gotta have this conversation with every new gear head I meet.

yeah yeah yeah. it's an auto. SACRILEGE I KNOW. bear with me. I'm not going to leave the tranny stock either.

 

but I learned how to drive when I was 14 on a stick. on a Honda Civic.

and don't get me wrong, stick is great fun a lot of the time and I know most car guys wouldn't be caught dead in an auto but they're usually talking about putting around town. my outlook is simplistic and twofold.

 

I'd rather have my hands free from shifting most of the time. it's that simple. but more importantly, I will be taking this thing to the track in the Summer for passes. as soon as I'm done with the intake/exhaust work, I'll be replacing the gears for shorter shifting LSDs. when I'm actually going for my best time, I'd rather my less-than-perfect shifting not be the difference between 11 and 12 seconds. aside from the added weight of the auto box, I would just rather have complete control over my shift points so that the timing is spot on.

 

and people will say of course that an auto just makes it easier to steal.

but I think most joyriders know manual tranny and I've never had a car broken into or stolen so it really doesn't cross my mind.

[Lurch]

Unless you're going FMVB, I just don't see that auto really acting the way you want it to. Reprograming shift points can be a big improvement, but it's still not the end all when it comes to going fast.

[El Dildo]

more than anything I prefer having the other hand free.

it's not important to me to be preoccupied with shifting every time I drive.

 

 

Not that I blame Diablo, the prevalence of the automatic has to be one of the worst things about finding a car in America.

this is also a small part of the issue.

 

if I were waiting to find the perfect Trans Am with the perfect mileage and it had to be a 6speed tranny?

well I'd still be looking.

 

when I found this one I had to grab her. the price was right. the condition was right. everything was on point.

if I were insisting on a manual then I'd still be searching. everything that I found with 500 miles usually had something wrong with it, in spite of other factors being correct. this Pewter 2002 WS6 was less than 100 miles away, less than 50k original miles on the odometer, IMMACULATE inside and out, SPOTLESS under the hood, paperwork for ALL maintenance work, almost too good to be true in every way.

 

it is what it is.

that being said I'm more than satisfied. I've been over the moon since we got her home 2 weeks ago. absolutely loving this beast. heads turn wherever she goes. almost every time I stop at a light, people next to me want me to rev it. it's loud and fast and beautiful.

[Carlover325]

There was a time I was looking for either a 1998-2002 Chevy Camaro SS or Pontiac Trans Am WS6. Then I moved to South Carolina and just sort of forgot about it. Looks awesome, and even though an automatic might not be quite as much fun as the 6 speed, it's definitely not a boring car.

[Lurch]

How preoccupying is shifting? It seems to come pretty naturally to be to the point where I don't even notice it.

[El Dildo]

it's not per se.

but there are times when I would notice it. it's fun for when you want it, annoying when there's traffic, and not a big deal to me otherwise.

 

I wasn't excluding a 6speed from my search. if this T/A were a stick I would have bought it all the same.

because it's the best deal that's come around in the years since I began looking. this is the one that was ready to buy when I found it, with all the specs I wanted, at the price I needed, and the perfectly clean history I desired.

 

took a little video of the exhaust note while we were out cruising earlier.

still some wind noise but it's a start.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2015 by El Diablo

[Dottie]

Congrats!

quite a nas car you got there

I heard its loads of fun in the snow with bald tires

Edited March 30, 2015 by Winning001

[Zyo]

 

 

 

 

Thats a beautiful looking car. I hope you are happy with it for a long time to come. Its great if you can find exactly what you want. Condition, mileage, considerate previous owners. The little mods that are done on it are tasteful and complement the car. Congrats on the new purchase.

[El Dildo]

you ain't just whistlin Dixie, either.

it's really gorgeous I think. the few modifications that have been done already are relatively perfect. but that won't stop me either

 

I'd love to replace the intake lid with Volant induction.

 

and then throw on the Borla adjustable catback.

 

 

I mean right off the bat.

like sometime this Summer I should be installing both of these.

[Argonaut]

Late to comment but this was a seriously nice find and it'll be nice to see how far you take this from the already well modified base car you've got.

 

 

but with it being an Auto I can't say i'm not surprised it's been kept well and inevitably away from teenagers, but still a top job finding a good example.

 

[BigJoe_1]

Your taste is out of this world congratulations on getting such a good and rare deal, what are odds than someone would be selling it because it had too much power , even it is an auto maybe you can convert her in the future .

 

I hope the project goes well and that your old formula gets treated just as nicely by her new owner.

[Killerdude]

more than anything I prefer having the other hand free.

it's not important to me to be preoccupied with shifting every time I drive.

 

Not that I blame Diablo, the prevalence of the automatic has to be one of the worst things about finding a car in America.

this is also a small part of the issue.

 

if I were waiting to find the perfect Trans Am with the perfect mileage and it had to be a 6speed tranny?

well I'd still be looking.

 

when I found this one I had to grab her. the price was right. the condition was right. everything was on point.

if I were insisting on a manual then I'd still be searching. everything that I found with 500 miles usually had something wrong with it, in spite of other factors being correct. this Pewter 2002 WS6 was less than 100 miles away, less than 50k original miles on the odometer, IMMACULATE inside and out, SPOTLESS under the hood, paperwork for ALL maintenance work, almost too good to be true in every way.

 

it is what it is.

that being said I'm more than satisfied. I've been over the moon since we got her home 2 weeks ago. absolutely loving this beast. heads turn wherever she goes. almost every time I stop at a light, people next to me want me to rev it. it's loud and fast and beautiful.

 

What kind of Motor under the hood, LS?

 

With one of those, You get a T56, Not all that expensive anymore and are pretty common.

Then you gotta find all the clutch linkages and pedals and sh*t.

[hvcciookay]

Yeah if you call 1k for a mildly abused tranny not expensive. You'll be better off buying a manufactured kit for 2k-3k. Finding a owner with a low mileage SS or C5 wiling to part out their drivetrain is like trying to get Silverado owner to convert to the F series.

 

You could also buy one of the many wrecked 3rd gen vipers for 20k haha. I see more salvage titled vipers than clean some days. V10 drift car?

[Lurch]

T56's are way expensive for what they are. $1000-1500 just for a takeout. You basically have to find a wrecked F-body too. I think the various LS1 swap guys (S-chassis and such), have really driven the price up.

[GTA3Rockstar]

At least you parked it in front of the correct building.

[El Dildo]

What kind of Motor under the hood, LS?

 

yes sir.

the LS1. same engine that went into the Corvette.

 

Your taste is out of this world congratulations on getting such a good and rare deal, what are odds than someone would be selling it because it had too much power , even it is an auto maybe you can convert her in the future

 

I hope the project goes well and that your old formula gets treated just as nicely by her new owner.

thank you sir.

the Formula seems to have gone to a decent owner. at least not a teen.

but hey it's not my concern anymore.

 

the reason they were selling this WS6 is because the guys wife had always said that she loved riding in his classic T/A; it's a 73 I think. and so he thought she might like driving her own. but she just didn't. too much power and too many people trying to race her

 

their loss.

my awesome gain.

[Killerdude]

T56's are way expensive for what they are. $1000-1500 just for a takeout. You basically have to find a wrecked F-body too. I think the various LS1 swap guys (S-chassis and such), have really driven the price up.

Every once in a while someone will post a T56 for like 800$.

Think it's the same guy though, Wonder whats wrong with it..

[BigJoe_1]

 

Your taste is out of this world congratulations on getting such a good and rare deal, what are odds than someone would be selling it because it had too much power , even it is an auto maybe you can convert her in the future

 

I hope the project goes well and that your old formula gets treated just as nicely by her new owner.

thank you sir.

the Formula seems to have gone to a decent owner. at least not a teen.

but hey it's not my concern anymore.

 

the reason they were selling this WS6 is because the guys wife had always said that she loved riding in his classic T/A; it's a 73 I think. and so he thought she might like driving her own. but she just didn't. too much power and too many people trying to race her

 

their loss.

my awesome gain.

Your very welcome.

 

Thank god, if it went to a teen then the block would be destroyed within a week.

 

I can only hope for an offer like that when I finally have enough to buy my dream car, the MKIV Toyota Supra. Who knows maybe the owner will get tired of winning and might want a challenge .

 

'Too many people trying to race her' .