Life is Great with a 6.0-liter V8
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  • One Year Later

    Posted on February 15th, 2010 tcorzett 1 comment

    It has been one year since I purchased my ’09 Pontiac G8 GT… after 16,264 miles and everything is great!

    I really think I made a great decision getting the G8. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been glad to have four doors and a huge trunk. I have a real sense of pride for my car and really enjoy the car culture that surrounds it. So much of my life revolves around the G8 and the people I have met through cruises and car club events.

    While some things have changed, like my desire to modify more and more of the G8, some things have stayed the same. The G8 still has a split personality. I am surprised today, as much as I was when I first drove home, just how refined the car is for daily driving around town… yet give it some more throttle and it just takes-off. It’s always a total blast when I go for a drive… just remote starting the G8 and hearing the engine roar to life puts a smile on my face.

    The next year will be different… I’m not going to have as much time with the G8, but as a result (indirectly) I will be able to perform more extensive modifications. I’m sure that, despite the changes, the next year will be just as enjoyable as this one.

  • Valentine’s Day for the G8

    Posted on February 14th, 2010 tcorzett No comments

    Because I love the G8 so much, I decided to buy ‘her’ a Valentine’s Day present… a Carbon Fiber Rear-Lip Spoiler!

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    Not that I don’t love the G8, but V-Day wasn’t the real reason for buying some carbon fiber. The G8 is a rare car, especially being discontinued, so there are very few aftermarket companies producing parts. One person who has been a stand-out in the GTO community is Maverick Man. He has produced some really high quality, pre-preg autoclaved CF, parts for the GTO… and when I heard he was looking into making parts for the G8 I was very happy!

    I’ve always been a fan of the look of un-painted Carbon Fiber and I think it would go perfectly on a MGM colored G8. The CF Rear-Lip Spoiler attaches to the trunk using all the OEM hardware, but has a slightly more aggressive/taller lip. The mod should be subtle (far from a multi-level ‘ricer’ wing), but just a little touch of style to set my G8 apart from the rest.

    Unfortunately the lead time on Maverick Man’s products are several months, but I should be towards the top on G8 waiting list. I really can’t wait to get this spoiler on my car… and hopefully enough people purchase it, encouraging MM to develop additional products (like CF Kidney Grill surrounds).

  • Header Swap

    Posted on February 10th, 2010 tcorzett No comments

    I have been having a rubbing issue with my JBA Shorty Headers since they were installed over six-months ago. The steering shaft has been coming in contact with the driver’s side header, mostly when turning right while accelerating. It had not caused any handling issues, but it did produce a noise that was very annoying.

    With the help from a member of the G8Board I was able to get in-touch with Pertronix, apparently the company that makes JBA headers, and aquire a re-designed shorty header. The replacement header arrived a few weeks ago, but I’ve not had the chance to get it installed… until today.

    While I did the install of the headers originally with a group of friends, and it wasn’t too difficult, but getting people together for another Mod-day (without a garage) wasn’t possible. I decided to head to Synergy Motorsports to get the work done.

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    The experience was just what I expected from all the comments I’ve heard about Synergy. It took a little over an hour to get the header out and the replacement header installed. I was really impressed with the service that Rick provided… I called today at noon and he was able to get me in/out quickly. It was also nice to pick his brain about different Mod ideas I’m having for the coming months.

    After the work was completed I headed home with a detour on Palomares Rd. In the past when I’ve driven this road there were several times the header would rub. Today, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the header to rub against the steering column! I’m going to have to make a trip up Mines Rd. just to make sure, but it seems like everything is good to go.

  • Goodbye OnStar, Hello BlueStar

    Posted on February 9th, 2010 tcorzett No comments

    I’ve been looking for a Bluetooth solution for the G8 for quite some time. While I don’t spend much time on the phone in the car, with the new hands free laws in California, I need something that works. The performance of Bluetooth headsets are poor, especially compared to the factory phone system. I refuse to pay OnStar for phone minutes (I already pay for too many minutes on my cell phone) and was not impressed with their service when I needed a tow (AAA arrived faster).

    My OnStar subscription is running out in a few days, so now was the perfect time to cancel it and go with the BlueStar system. The loss of OnStar means that I will not get phone alerts telling me my oil life and tire pressure (which I can do anytime I’m in the car), unlock my doors if I get locked-out (which is basically impossible in the G8 anyhow), or turn-by-turn navigation (but that’s what the GPS is for).

    There is a group buy on the G8Board, so I’ll even be getting a discounted rate on the BlueStar (only a couple of bucks more than a year’s worth of OnStar). It will be nice to have a phone in the car that actually works without having to spend more money on minutes.