So I was driving the GSX last night, and we were on our way home. I pull up to a stop light.

A moment later, a yellow LS1 Trans Am (which looked sweet, btw) pulls up next to me with a couple young guys in it. They're gesturing to me like they want to run. I have my wife and both of her parents in the car with me. The GSX is her dad's car. We've run it at the track, and it's a mid 12-second car on a hot day (12.6 @ 107, 90 degrees with the new carb -- I haven't updated my site yet). At the moment, it was maybe 60 degrees out. I don't hear an exhaust on the T/A, so I assume he's mostly stock, and probably no faster than my Z28.

I didn't feel right about racing these guys with the whole family in the car, so I shook my head no. But these guys are still gesturing to me, and not giving up. I roll the window down and say "I've got an LS1 Camaro at home. Trust me, you'll lose this race."

He hesitates and then calls out "but I've got a supercharger!"

I called his bluff. "Yeah, sure. Rev the engine, let me hear it."

He didn't rev it. "Come on, let's race anyway!"

The light goes green. He accelerates away and gets maybe a carlength on me as I leisurely roll away from the light before my wife and both her parents yell at me for letting him win.

So I mash the gas at about 10mph. The 200R4 is in second and stays there, the 275-series Nitto 555R's out back light up, and we are almost immediately four cars ahead of the Trans Am.

The speed limit was 45mph, and I let off when I reached that speed. A couple seconds later, the T/A did a ~80mph ricer flyby, then pulled onto a side street and turned around to go the other way.

In conclusion:
1. The GSX is badass.
2. My wife and her parents are awesome.
3. The owner of that T/A is a closet ricer that doesn't deserve to be driving such a nice car.

 

That is indeed one hell of a Buick. It's got the right combination of new parts in with the old to make that car a really nice ride even as it approaches its 40th birthday. I'll bet everybody dmismisses it as just another loud mediocre boat from that era.

That's the kind of car automakers are trying to emulate with these latest retro designs. Too bad all they can do is copy the sheetmetal and not the entire "aura" of the vehicles.

 

On the contrary... most people near Flint (the city in which it was built, only ~20 miles from where my in-laws live) still recognize it and respect it.

 

Yeah, but we all know "stock" from that era varied wildly. Cars people have in their memories as 12-sec showroom stock rockets many times in reality ran maybe mid 14s at best.

Yours has the power to back up the image.

 

The GSX's best time, as stated above, is 12.6 @ 107. It falls down a little up top, despite having a completely reworked fuel system -- apparently either the air intake is too restrictive, or the race-ported 950 Holley isn't big enough.

It comes out of the hole VERY strong, with a little help from those big fat Nittos out back. Above 45, it's not nearly as strong, and my LS1 will start reeling it in (but I can't make up all of that distance by the end of the quarter).

 

LS1s aren't known for their torque, they are known for their top end.

When I first read the story I was thinking eclipse GSX.... I was all sorts of confused after the first reply!

 

Someone didn't click the link!

 

Yea I was thinking he same thing..You got ***** telling someone in a LS1 "trust me you'll loose this race" in a car trapping 107.

 

Look at my sig. I own an LS1, and I've raced the GSX many times at the strip. I'm very familiar with both cars. The GSX's launch is AMAZING, and no completely stock LS1 Trans Am would ever beat his best quarter mile ET.

Knowing that I was going to let off at 45mph, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd be ahead at that time.

I know full well that the LS1 wins the top-end race. That's not the point here, and trust me -- you don't need to lecture me about the LS1's superiority in a longer race.

 

So to sum up, you were driving a car that traps 107. You raced another car that traps ~107. You started a car length behind....from a 10 mph punch....and put 5 cars on him by 45 mph.....with 4 people in the car....while starting in 2nd gear? Badass indeed....

 

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. The GSX is all about low-end torque. It's not bad on top, but it's got nothing on an LS1 up there.

 

my 71 gsx stage 1 is bad what gear do u have in yours? mine runs 10.98

 

3.73 gears out back. See the link in the first post for all the details.

What do you have done to yours?

 

Same here!!!

I was thinking to myself.. you put your inlaws in the back seat of an eclipse???

 

Did you miss the part where I said it's really strong down low and then falls down a little? This will be the third time.