2005 GTO-SUPER CHARGED 702 HP AT WHEELS

Creating The Red Beast: Dan Cook’s Mild-Looking Monster 2005 GTOBuilding a fierce performance car with a polished feel is no easy task. You have to pick the right parts to balance power and streetability. Making the car look as good as it runs adds even more complexity to the build.

Cook’s GTO looks totally stock except for the ZR1 wheels, nd the front mount intercooler if you even notice it…

This sleeper looking ’05 GTO is the culmination of a family’s love for the classic Pontiac but with modern twist and build shred the pavement while maintaining every ounce of beauty the modern GTO has to offer.

“My youngest son Dustin loves the 1969 GTO and I always wanted a GTO, but wanted one with all the options, omething new” says Dan Cook, owner of this stunning 2005 Torrid Red Goat. Cook picked up the pristine 18,000 miles Pontiac off E-bay in 2012 for a steal at $14,000.

The fully optioned out A4 GTO would have made a perfect sunny day cruiser as it was, ut Cook wanted to go fast, o the car did not stay stock for long. To quench Cook’s need for speed the stock 400 HP 6.0 liter LS2 was going to have to be replaced with something that could put up big horsepower.

This Goat looks clean at every angle and hides its pavement shredding power, ntil Cook mashes the loud peddle to the floor.

Ascending to the lofty build goals Cook had in mind would be no easy task, o he called up the team at Big 3 Racing in northeast Ohio to help finish the project. The GTO was shipped out with the objective of being a polished street car with enough rip to scare anything it lined up against.

After a few meetings and conference calls the Big 3 team knew what Cook wanted, nd how he wanted it so the time arrived to begin the construction of the brutally refined boosted beast.

To put the growl into this Tiger a boost friendly stroker motor from Texas Speed and Performance would fit the bill. The 418ci/6.2L LS3 aluminum block’s rotating assembly is packed with a Lunati 4.00-inch-stroke crank that punches a set of -15cc-dished Wiseco aluminum pistons that are riding on 6.125 inch Lunati H-beam rods. Keeping up with the boost friendly theme a set of Wiseco Steel Top/Napier 2nd rings that seal the cylinders while ARP main studs and fasteners hold everything together.

Keeping the stroker motor breathing is a set of Precision Race Component 237cc 6 bolt cylinder heads get the nod. The 68cc CNC machined combustion chambers are filled with 2.100″ Intake / 1.600″ Stainless Valves and are matched to a PRC .675-inch-lift valve springs. Stock 1.7:1 rocker arms have been upgraded with a COMP Cams LSx Rocker Arm Trunion kit to push the TSP 7.450 chromoly pushrods. A custom grind COMP Cams (239/247 duration/114 LSA) coordinates the top end of the motor and valve train.

To handle all the boosted power the GTO puts out everything in the air, uel, nd oiling departments were upgraded. A 102mm FAST intake and stock throttle body feed all the boosted air into the engine. Keeping the 93 octane pump gas flowing to the mill is a pair of AEM 340 l/ph fuel pumps and Trickflow 80-lb/hr injectors. Lubrication for the power plant comes from a TSP LS6 ported oil pump.The Goat gets its boost from a ProCharger Intercooled Serpentine Race Kit that uses custom Big 3 Racing piping. This supercharger is pumping in 10.5 pounds of boost into the mill through an upgraded 3 core air to air race intercooler and ProCharger blow off valve.

The 418ci engine with the Procharger looks right at home under the hood of this modern classic

Expelling the exhaust gases are a set of stainless steel SLP headers (1.34-inch primaries/3-inch collectors) into a custom made Big 3 Racing 3 inch exhaust with X-pipe. A Magnaflow muffler gives the GTO that classic muscle car tone, ut a set of duel electric DMH cutouts can be opened up to really let the tiger roar!

Photo credit Leanne Wagner

With all these ponies on tap beefing up the driveline is a must. A billet 3800 FTI stall converter is mated to a Jakes Transmission Level 3 4l80E that passes the power to a 3 inch custom steel driveshaft. To keep up with the sleeper look a stock shifter resides inside the GTO.

To help his GTO achieve its go fast directive, nd be reliable in putting the power down Cook ditched the factory IRS in favor of a Moser M9 fabricated rear end. This solid axle setup uses a stout Moser supplied chrome moly torque arm, way bar, an hard rod and anti-roll bar.

A set of Moser lower control arms and AFCO rear shocks plant the power from the M9. The rear end unit is filled with a set of 35 spline axles and 3.25 gears from Moser. With the converter unlocked the mighty Goat puts down a pavement smashing 702 hp and 690 lb-ft of torque through the bulky M9, hat translates to nearly 1,000 hp at the crank.

This modern GTO wears the Torrid Red paint well and looks fast sitting still.

Dumping the power down to the pavement are a set of OE Replica 17 inch ZR1 wheels wrapped in 245/45/ZR17 Raptis WR1 tires and 275/45/17 Mickey Thompson drag radials. Bringing the GTO to a halt are stock rotors and pads up front and 13 inch Wilwood Pro Street rotors and pads are the binder of choice in the rear.

For the GTO’s planned sunny day cruising the factory black interior was left intact, ight down to the factory stereo. To keep the sleeper looking going all of the aftermarket gauges had faces added to match the rest of the stock dash, o look like they came in the Pontiac from the factory.

Cook’s GTO is still a fresh build and has no track times, et. With all of the additional power adding upgrades and the M9 rear end he estimates his Goat should tickle the low 10 second range or even high 9s in the quarter mile. The plan is to get some miles on the GTO before it sees track duty.

The interior of the GTO is bone stock sans a few well placed aftermarket gauges to help Cook monitor the car's vitals

When asked what he likes best about his GTO Dan responds, The stance and sleek lines of the body and I love the LSx based motors”. It cannot be denied that the sleeper goal of this Pontiac has been achieved with it’s stock appearance and brutal power.

This is the type of car that has the ability to annihilate a set of tires a will all while having kitten like street manners. After a lifelong desire to own a GTO Cook’s boosted beast pays homage to the Goat’s muscle car roots while having all the conveniences a modern muscle car offers.