Grand Am off topic thread

[Ridenour]

Originally Posted by Hoags

Hey Ride, I'll give you a day or so to recover after the long post...lot's of great info. You go..boy!!!

LOL Hey thanks Dan and Tam for glorifying my 5-minute post so much LoL. I didn't think much of it writing it, but I guess it turned out a whole hell of a lot bigger then I thought it was. And I took Dan up on his "day or 2 off" - I hadn't really been on here for like 3 or 4, due to the fact that I was extremely busy. See, last saturday was our Senior prom, and I had an awesome night, and since then, I've been rediculously busy / successful with a few amazing women, plus added to my huge amount of school related gar-bahge, plus me and 2 of my buds have been doing PT about every single night, so I've been one busy-busy bee. Though, despite all that yoo-ha, I've still found plenty of time to work on my beloved GA! LoL - It's great to be back in the groove around here, you guys did a hell of a great job helpin out everyone while I was gone - keep up the good work

Originally Posted by grandamdriver52

sry about this but whst is a MAF screen, the Billeted Underdrive pulley, and Cat / simulated 02 sensor?...sry, i only know so much right now. thats why i ask so i can know more. thanks

I'll give a go at grandamdriver. I know you guys already answered his question, so I might repeat some, but I just wanted to elaborate.

The MAF runs across the MAF unit - which you can see if you open your airbox and look toward the engine - that screen is actually in the MAF. The screen is a honeycomb-like material, and it actually wasn't meant for filtering (though I suppose if you completely removed your air filter, it might stop... say... a log... from getting in ) - It's there to alledgedly help straighten out the airflow going into your engine to help with idling. It actually leads to a blockage of 18% of the flow, however. With some people, there have been reports of causing rough idle; however I never have ever experienced any problems from it, and I would highly reccomend it. I noticed instant gains the next morning driving it. To remove it, you will need to take apart your intake, remove the MAF, and then pound an awl or a screwdriver into the screen, and then RIIIIIIppppppp outward. Be very careful not to damage the MAF electronics. If you are still going to be sticking with a stock intake, this would also be a great time to clean your whole intake, as well as install the K&N filter. And if you can't find one like you said, any local auto place that doesn't have it, should be able to order it for you. You may even have to drive a ways to find a place - but there should be someone within a 1/2 hour at most. I had to drive secretly once about 35 minutes one-way just to pick up a set of NGK plugs. LoL.

And as far as the billeted underdrive pulley, Knifeblade was right. It's a replacement for the harmonic balancer (drives all the accessories), which weighs a shitload = lots of rotational mass. By saving just a few pounds on that pulley, it frees a lot of horsepower. Like he said, they're usually alluminum, but I've never seen them drilled (for weight.) They're drilled for the mounting bolts for using a J-tool to remove the pulley. They're usually smaller too, (thus the term underdrive - due to the fact that they underdrive your accesories). So if you have a big amp, or system, the UD pulley actually wouldn't be a good mod, because your alternator won't be putting out as much juice with it. If you want to check out a couple, here's some links. Some people give shit about it "messing up the balance" of the engine - the harmonic balancer on our engines plays a very little role, however. It is equipped with rotating rubber rings, to help dampen vibrations travelling down the crankshaft. The billeted pulleys do not have these rings. On an externally balanced engine, this would be a problem. Ours, however, are internally balanced, so no significant vibrations are handled by the pulley. Noone that I've heard of has ever had any damage occur as a result of a UD pulley.

http://www.fastfwdperformance.com/ud.htm
http://www.rsmracing.com/ - under Grand Am section

From all the talk that I've heard, the FFWD performance is actually the better of the two.

Ok, I'm done. Goodnight everyone.

[Knifeblade]

So, does that mean someone got very lucky? Glad ya enjoyed the "ordeal"

The GA's rarely send signals out re burnt bulbs, as Dan states, it best to visually inspect for operation. Hint~~~ since it usually a big pain in A** to check out rear lighting [brakes, turns, etc] without someone else around, back the ride up to a glass window somewhere, I usually find some storefront window that will reflect the rear end of the ride. Do your pedal and lever stuff while watching through the rear. Saves time.
Can also be done against a concrete wall, but the lights don't visualise as well.

[Hoags]

Knife, good hint about the window, just make sure you don't get too close,LOL. I strongly belive that one should go over the car once in a while and not depend on the computer so much, after it is a machine and things go wrong with them and sometimes you can catch them before they get costly. My thought on it....

Ride...If I would have known you where going to be so successful I'd have given you a week to recover. I do however want a clearification, you said a couple of amazing women right? was it at the same time? Wait...don't answer too fast let this old man develop a visual. Just jokin' havin some fun. any way glad you had a good weekend. also glad to have you back in the swing on the AF.

grfnkl: I agree with you, although the 96 GT of mine does not have the change oil indicator I do think that there should be an audio warning with the SES, I recently foun out that the SES light on the GT had been on for a while but the wife had the car, it gets better fuel economy than my Suzuki XL-7 and she dirves to work every day. It was only the upper O2 sensor [quick fix], but if she would have heard a warning then it would have been taken care of the other day. I also think the computer can be tempermental at times, just like the home unit.

Have a good day everyone, talk to you later, have to take my daughter to the Doctor this morning.

[grandamdriver52]

yea...my mom is getting sick of me and talking about my GA to my dad and she is threatining to sell it. that means i cant do anything to it. but im saving money right now for my own ride. still a GA but a GT. Not sure if it wil happen but if all goes bad for me with my mother and i have the cash, screw her, i will get my own car and then i can do anything to it i want.

[Ridenour]

Originally Posted by Knifeblade_03

So, does that mean someone got very lucky? Glad ya enjoyed the "ordeal"

Originally Posted by Hoags

Ride...If I would have known you where going to be so successful I'd have given you a week to recover. I do however want a clearification, you said a couple of amazing women right? was it at the same time? Wait...don't answer too fast let this old man develop a visual.

LMAO! OMG - wow that cracks me up lol. You guys were instantly extremely interested in if Ridenour scored or not Well to give you the low-down, I didn't quite as lucky as I would have liked, but me and my date went back to my house after prom, and got a movie, and we spent about 2 1/2 hours not watching the movie LoL it was awesome. And sadly, Dan, the amazing women were not at the same time. LoL I got freak-danced hardcore by 2 really hot ones at the same time though, if that counts - when I was on the dance floor, I got more ass then a toilet seat. When I was at my house, I got... uh... er... well I had a great time. LoL but yes the night was very satisfying non-the-less, I had some incredibly awesome moments, and essentially was a sex-god for about 12 hours - Gol I wish every night could be like that! ... and it wouldn't been great to have my way with more then one of those chicks at the same time - LoL from the way you sounded Dan, it sounds like you're really missing your youth-years

Wow grandamdriver, that realy sucks. Is your mom ticked because she doesn't want you modifying it, or what? That'd be great if you could actually afford a newer GA GT - I have always loved mine to death. And yeh make sure the insurance / title is in your name too, that way you'll have full ownership of the car. Keep us filled in man.

[Hoags]

Grandam,
All I can tell you is to be carefull when choosing which bridges you burn after you have crossed!!

It's mom's perogative to give you a hard time about the GA, that is what mome do. Don't forget she's never been a young guy who's into cars. Just keep saving the $$$ and get your own but make sure you can do it All on your own, if you have to end up at mom's purse strings you will never live it down. I've been there and it is not pleasant.

Just some well intentioned advise for you to take as you wish.

Hope all goes well,
Dan

[Ridenour]

Oh hey, forgot to mention - Ridenour successfully completed yet another significant intake mod tonight. I finally thought I was out of little tweaking I could do to my intake, but I decided to re-try something I had attempted a long time ago. The ribbed rubber section between the MAF and the TB, I was going to replace with a metal tube for smoother air flow, and cut the holes for the IAT sensor & PCV intake. But I never got it to fit right, so I gave up - but tonight I found some straight rubber coupling that I had from an intake I bought a lonnngg time ago, so I cut that up and made it fit. So I'll see how she runs tommorow. Shouldn't be a huge difference, just helps smooth out the air flow a little and keeps the turbulence down and the velocity up.

[Hoags]

Ride, I do miss my youth, but I can honestly say that I am really into the married life, I've got a great wife and two great kids, plus extras...Two cats, both are a pain in the ass, but they're cool. And I can't go on with out mentioning the GAGT.

However, I think I'm loosing the GAGT, since the wifes been driving it to work every day (fuel economy), she is starting to realize how much fun the car can really be. At least I know where it is and what is going on with it.

Now as for your wild night...I'm proud of you, Any one that can get ass on a dance floor deserves a Hats Off!! As for two women Only a few men can be so fortunate, I've never achieved that feat (not to my recolection) but I did spend quite a bit of time with the brew. For as much beer that I drank back then I have done a complete 180, and havent had a drink in about 15 years. To tell ya the turth I don't miss it. Even though I never got hangovers, I just woke up one morning and just gave it up. Now all I have to do is quit the smokes and I'll be in good shape.

What ever you do at your age ENJOY YOURSELF, BUT USE CAUTION.

Hey I got to run...I'll check ya out tomarrow,
Have a good evening.

Dan

[grfnkl]

Grandam: definetly pick your battles wisely with the car.... otherwise you'll end up like me. My 88 G/a My mom doesn't even know i own it, since she hated the car so much.... I bought it back in spite.. not a good thing, cuz too many people get involved!

Ride: Lucky b*stard! I remember my prom and it was nothing like what you described.... you're making me jealous! argh!

[Ridenour]

Originally Posted by Hoags

However, I think I'm loosing the GAGT, since the wifes been driving it to work every day (fuel economy), she is starting to realize how much fun the car can really be. At least I know where it is and what is going on with it.

Now as for your wild night...I'm proud of you, Any one that can get ass on a dance floor deserves a Hats Off!! As for two women Only a few men can be so fortunate, I've never achieved that feat (not to my recolection) but I did spend quite a bit of time with the brew. For as much beer that I drank back then I have done a complete 180, and havent had a drink in about 15 years. To tell ya the turth I don't miss it. Even though I never got hangovers, I just woke up one morning and just gave it up. Now all I have to do is quit the smokes and I'll be in good shape.

What ever you do at your age ENJOY YOURSELF, BUT USE CAUTION.

LoL that sucks Dan. You might need to get one of those "black boxes" to make sure the wife isn't beatin the poor ole' grand am. I'm glad I'm not married - never have to worry about a woman driving my car without my supervision

LoL yeh I was lucky to get freak-danced on by 2 girls at once, it kicked ass . That's good you gave up drinking - my dad was a hardcore alcholic, but after my oldest sister was born, he finally gave it up, and hasn't touched a drop since. It takes a lot to do that - we're proud of you man . So far, I haven't had a drinking problem. I've had a few drinks, but never gotten plastered or anything, and I intend to keep it that way, especially since alcoholism runs in my family. Oh and don't worry, I haven't done anything too extreme yet. I'm going to be in college in about 2 months, so things might get a little different, but I'm pretty sure I can hold out without doing anything I'll regret too much. Whenever I'm in, shall we say.. "tempting" situations, I'm a pretty level-headed guy. I'm lucky - I know so many kids in my grade that have already themselves over the rest of there lives just for stupid shit that they did for kicks one night. Hey good luck quitting smoking too - talk to you later.

Originally Posted by grfnkl

Ride: Lucky b*stard! I remember my prom and it was nothing like what you described.... you're making me jealous! argh!

LOL I know it - I'm one lucky dog. Actually, if it makes you feel any better, my junior year prom sucked. But now that I think about it, it was actually decent, but it sucked compared to this years, cause this years kicked so much unbelievable ass! LoL

[Knifeblade]

I just can't understand why Ride has Help Me on his sig. screen

[Knifeblade]

Hey, Dan~~~~~~~~~~~ "Tween us both, we beat Ride.

[Hoags]

Tam you are sooooooo! right, I would really hate to be a kid trying to meet someone now a days. Sometimes history carries baggage. But our boy Ride seems to have his stuff together, pretty smart kid, I hope my boy turns out like him instead of the little a**hole that I was.

Ride: Thanks for the kind word, it's pretty cool to be able to go out once in a while and watch everyone get toasted knowing that they will eventually do something stupid and not remember the night before. I'm not the kind of person that is against anything people do I figure it's their choice as to how they conduct themselves as long as they don't try to pull me in. Take my brothers for example, they are both drinkers [not alcoholics] but they like to go out and have a good time, I've gone out with them a few times and they still don't think I not a drinker because I have as much fun as they do...but I remember it. They end up calling me the next day and ask what they did. Kind nuts if you ask me.

I'm proud of you, you really have your s*it together and at your age thats cool.

Now as for the GAGT, the wife is cool about driving it she will not beat on it because she is afraid that she'll cause a break down and I'll have to fix it or it will cost too much to get it repaired. So it's Cool.

Have a good day all.
Dan

[grandamdriver52]

got my new cd player and speakers. it was an awsome buy for $270 bucks. it is finally better than my friends and now he wants to get the same stuff i have.

[Hoags]

Grandam...And The Race Is On!!!!

Go get him.

Good luck,
Dan