2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE vs. Pontiac Firebird 1991

Basically I had a half day of school today so I was pretty happy about getting to go home early. I grabbed the carpool and started heading home.

On the way home I hit a red light and a firebird turns left onto my road. I started to speed up a little to catch up and see what year it was, he apparently read that I wanted to race, (I did). So basically we both hit the next red light he's in the far left, I'm in the far right, there's a car in the middle lane. When the light turns green we both take off, he kept up with me for the first 2 or 3 seconds then I pulled way ahead of him.

We then hit another red light. He was again in the left lane and I was again in the right. Again we both took off, I again just smoked the guy and got way ahead. I was going around 90 MPH.

The my turn was on the right so I slowed down and turned. On the road I was turning on there were 2 cops. 1 was a Chief of Police and on he other side was just a normal pig. (I have a lot of coincidences of almost every time I race or I am about to race I see a cop).

Anyway, I'm pretty sure it was a 1991, and it sounded like it had a v8.

Overall pretty quick but pretty fun and it was the first time I got to test out the new exhaust system (was raining yesterday when I put it in).

i dont think that he was acually racing all the way out. if it was the v8 e would have spanked u. or maybe he just doesn't know how to race his car.

either way good kill

If you had the 3.4 V6 and your sure he had the V8 (305/170HP) then it should of been a fairly close from start to finish as both cars have the same power rating and are 100 pounds different from each other (Firebird being the heaviest) but the bird would have an advantage with torque.

He looked like he was trying...He must not known how to race his car. There was some red plastic thing hanging down from the mid right side under his car. It was red and it looked like it was hooked up to his exhaust, no idea what it was though because plastic + exhaust don't mix.

EDIT: Also as far as HP ratings go I'm pretty sure Pontiac underrates there vehicles for insurance purposes. The CAI I put in should add about 3-6 HP and the Exhaust should add another 8-10. His car may or may not have been stock (no idea).

Well that red plastic thing was probably a glass pack which makes a V6 sound like a V8. A V8 would have eaten you alive, it was a V6 or he didn't race. Because honestly I have a V8 Firebird and I don't look twice at a GrandAm GT, let alone the SE, there's simply no chance of you winning against a V8 Firebird.

^ I agree man I think a v8 woulda spanked your ass (just my 2 cents tho) nice kill either way .

at an average of 10k miles a year...you also have to take into an account that the Firebird may have been stock, and old and used...regardless, good kill

a modded 3.4L GA can hang with a beat up 305 F-body.

a modded 3.4L GA can hang with a beat up 305 F-body.
I concor

I along with most feel that the 305s arnt anything really to start dogged out well my civic stock beat an old monte SS with one so yea that says how horrid they go when they are ragged out.

a modded 3.4L GA can hang with a beat up 305 F-body.

I could agree with that.

But that could be said for anything though...

It don't take much to romp a stock 305.

Unless the firebird driver never really maintained his car, and it looked like a beat up P.O.S then I can see you coming out with the win. I've raced those exact Grand Am's and they really aren't all that special to be taking on the Bird

What are the ets for those year of v8 firebird/camaros? Some kid at my school just got one and thinks hes so bad. He still doesnt understand how he lost to my four cylinder :lol:

they ran high 15's/low 16's.

I ran a 9.63(1/8th mile) in an '88 Firebird. That's around a 14.8-14.9ish in 1/4 mile. However I have the 350 V8 not the 305. They weren't that much slower though, I'd say around mid-15's for a 305.

Yea, the guys bird looked like it was pretty beat up, probably not well maintained.

Base 1991 Firebird V8 is rated 170 HP 255 lb ft of torque. Curb weight is about 3300 lbs.

Grand Am SE is rated 170 HP 195 lb ft. Curb weight is about 3100 coupe 3200 sedan.

It's all about the torque.

EDIT: Also as far as HP ratings go I'm pretty sure Pontiac underrates there vehicles for insurance purposes.(no idea).

You keep telling yourself that. With exception of a few cars expect the numbers to be way off from the factory specs especially with the automatics. Get that car on a dyno, and I'd bet youd pull out a 130fwhp if that. My brother's grand prix gtp dynoed 220fwhp with pulley swap, cat back exhaust, intake, and aftermarket pcm (stock specs are 240hp) LS1's seem to dyno pretty close to their stock specs though, but still not what the factory says.

The only cars I can imagine pulling better numbers then what they claim are japanese cars complying with the gentlemans agreemant of 280ps (?).

The SRT4 and '03 Cobra pulled more than their factory rating.

The SRT4 and '03 Cobra pulled more than their factory rating.

The srt-4 pulls around 220whp a the 03' cobra from what I've seen 355whp. Still not over the stock numbers. Factor in driveterain loss, and yeah then a lot of cars including the camaro, dodge viper etc. are over their flywheel power. Some of the japanese cars have actually been known to dyno at 280whp+ however.

The srt-4 pulls around 220whp a the 03' cobra from what I've seen 355whp. Still not over the stock numbers. Factor in driveterain loss, and yeah then a lot of cars including the camaro, dodge viper etc. are over their flywheel power. Some of the japanese cars have actually been known to dyno at 280whp+ however.

maybe skyline gtr's (that we dont have), supra tt's and 3000gt vr4s

MAYBE