2004 Pontiac GTO - Business Upfront Party In The Back

Hot-rodders have come to know that what a car lacks in a mild-mannered exterior can be more than made up for with horsepower. The 2004 and up GTOs have started to become prime examples of this idea, as owners like Nick Davidson take advantage of the advanced Gen III architecture, which lends itself so well to modification. With a little help from Cartek and STS Turbo, Nick was able to have a streetable mid-10 second ride, which exceeded his expectations while wrapped in the businesslike '04 GTO.

The 24-year-old entrepreneur is no stranger to LS1s-also owning a '99 heads/cam SS-but this go-round, Nick was looking for a more streetable forced-induction combination. When the opportunity arose to acquire this Impulse Blue Goat, things just seemed to fall into place. It is hard to say "no" to an estimated 650-plus flywheel horsepower, capable of hauling the portly Holden-based coupe through the quarter in 10.66 at 130 mph. This feat is accomplished with only stock cubic inches and a remote mounted Garrett GT67 turbo, which provide more than adequate power while still treating the mostly-stock IRS quite gently.

Garwood, New Jersey-based Cartek Racing installed its X Series stock cube short-block fully balanced and stuffed with Diamond low-compression forged pistons, Eagle 6.125-inch forged rods, and a polished stock crank. The long-block was completed with a 2X Boosted cam ground for Cartek by COMP Cams, and Stage 3X heads. These fully ported stock castings boast stainless steel back-cut 2.02 intake and 1.57 exhaust valves, high-strength dual valvesprings, Viton valve seals, and Titanium retainers. Manley chrome-moly pushrods activate the stock 1.7 ratio steel rockers for added reliability, with the 13 psi of boost supplied by the STS remote turbo setup regulated by a TiAl wastegate. The optional front mount air-to-air intercooler from STS and Alkycontrol alcohol injection kit provide a safeguard from detonation and 9.2:1 compression. Cartek's custom tune does its part as well, keeping the LS1 together despite the boost and use of pump gas, supplied via Motron 60-pound high impedance injectors and a Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump. This simple combination requires neither ignition mods to the stock coil on plug setup (aside from NGK TR6 plugs), nor exhaust mods, since the STS kit makes up a good portion of the piping.

	The engine bay remains quite unassuming, as stock manifolds, throttle body, and intake manifold mislead the untrained eye. The Cartek-forged stock cube motor, ported heads, and camshaft make up the heart of this streetable 650-plus hp turbo combo.
The lack of roll cage keeps Nick from making too many 10-second passes, but the custom gauge pod with Autometer boost and Dynojet air/fuel gauges come in handy nonetheless.	Bayern rims are normally associated with Beemers, but they look right at home on the Aussie Goat, in 18x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear. The GTO's unique offset and bolt pattern required this unconventional solution, but good old-fashioned Michelin Pilot PS2s help resolve the serious lack of traction.