Retaining the factory look...
Retaining the factory look of this GTO is purposely deceitful. This wolf in goat's clothing receives its motivation from a 700-horse LS-series engine. Rick has preyed upon many unknowing victims, who found out the hard way just how sharp its teeth are.
He rows through the gears of this stock T-56 using a GMM Race Shifter and a Bird of Prey Talon clutch. Now that the power levels are soaring, Rick is planning to fortify the weakest links of the Goat. The T-56 will be freshened up soon, receiving stronger internals and a viper input shaft. While the transmission is out, the stock two-piece driveshaft will be replaced with a one-piece unit. Rick has decided to replace the stock rearend center section with an 8.8 rear, which has greater power-holding ability to better withstand whatever boost levels are thrown at it.
Currently, the GTO has BMR Drag Bags to minimize wheelhop on launch. To help hook it up at the strip, Rick installed a set of 275/40-17 Mickey Thompson drag radials mounted to the factory 17-inch wheels. On the street, he prefers a set of TSW Montage wheels measuring 18x8-inch front and 18x9.5-inch rear with 245/40-18 and 275/35-18 Bridgestone Potenzas.
Shown here on another LS engine,...
Shown here on another LS engine, the placement of the twin turbos not only hides them from view when the hood goes up, but it also keeps engine bay temps down and turbo efficiency up by mating each one directly to the APS high silicon/moly iron exhaust manifolds under the GTO.
Once all the parts found their way into the GTO, Jeremy took to the laptop for tuning. Rick claims, "Jeremy was able to make this musclecar drive and feel like stock until you mash the throttle." The current setup is good for 12 psi boost where it made 700.86 rear-wheel horsepower and 648.10 rear-wheel torque on the dyno. This kind of stimulus propelled the Pontiac to 132mph trap speeds on its first trip down the quarter-mile during a private track rental. "I haven't had enough time in the saddle," Rick states. "It's already a 10-second capable car, even if the driver isn't. My only goal is to have a 10-second, truly comfortable, daily driver."
He is also planning to install an unobtrusive 10-point rollbar and add the required safety mods to make the GTO NHRA-legal to run in the 10s. Once this and the upgrades to the driveline are completed, he will increase boost even further. Until then, Rick will continue to terrorize the streets of Florida and North Carolina.
Copious power production, a sleeper appearance and the potential devastation that this GTO can unleash on anything that crosses its path lend credence to the idea that the GTO badge has in fact found a worthy recipient.
The 21.25x10x6-inch, air-to-air...
The 21.25x10x6-inch, air-to-air APS intercooler and the tubing for the twin turbos can be seen with the nose removed from the GTO. This unit features a modern bar-and-plate vertical-flow core to make it much easier to apply, and custom-designed lightweight cast-aluminum end tanks add even more efficiency.
Tom Tiberio installed this...
Tom Tiberio installed this custom gauge pod that mimics the interior look and design closely. He filled the pod with an air/fuel gauge and a boost gauge. This allows Rick to keep tabs on engine behavior from the driver's seat.
Stock GTO 320x32mm vented...
Stock GTO 320x32mm vented disc brakes with aluminum two-piston calipers peek through TSW 18x8-inch Montage wheels.