What better way to enjoy a waning summer evening than by jumping into your vintage Pontiac and heading to a local cruise-in for a few cold beverages and a burger off the grill? If that sounds like fun, imagine you're in the driver seat for a moment.

Part I: The Products and the Front Brake Install
In 2004 the all-new GTO was brought to American shores from Australia. The nearly 3,800-pound Goat was stopped by two-piston floating calipers clenching 11.7-inch ventilated front rotors, and the 11.3-inch rears were squeezed by single-piston units. With reviews on style aside, media coverage agreed upon one thing, the brakes could be better. Pontiac made many improvements to the GTO for the 2005 model year, and the brakes were one of them.

It seems as if nothing has escaped the effects of today's economy-and our hobby is certainly no exception. General Motors has filed bankruptcy, and the Division that lends to the existence of this very publication, is no more. Major aftermarket manufacturers haven't gained immunity, either. Some of the largest names in the business have filed for bankruptcy or closed their doors altogether. As bleak as it seems, it's simply a fact of the world we live in today.

Last month, HPP brought you a selection of bolt-on suspension kits for your vintage GTO, LeMans, Tempest, or T-37. There were so many aftermarket offerings available that we couldn't fit all the manufacturers into one issue. So here we are again with four more companies that say they can help you turn your classic Pontiac A-body into a corner-carving conqueror of the open road, the road course, or the autocross.

If you've got a vintage GTO, LeMans, Tempest or T-37, you already know how quick it is stoplight to stoplight. With tires squealing, and Tri-Powers or four-barrels punched wide open, it's all about memories (if you're old enough) of Friday and Saturday nights spent proving who had the quickest car in town. But pilot your Poncho on twisting mountain roads, or worse, an autocross course, and the fond memories of days gone by quickly fade into a resounding cry for help with the realization that your vehicle's suspension is about as modern as black-and-white TVs and transistor radios.

The fun of assembling a hot engine combo comes from the anticipation of what we expect it to do. If you've been following the progress of this twin-turbo, 505ci engine buildup for Jeff Hutchens' '67 GTO, then you know it's dyno time! In this installment, we show you how much power it makes and discuss some aspects of tuning its FAST (Fuel Air Spark Technology) electronic fuel-injection system.

Whether your allegiance is to the classic Pontiac muscle of the early '60s or the newest generation of GTO and G8, you have likely noticed the trend of mounting larger wheels and tires on just about anything that rolls. For most considering such an option, one universal question always pops up: How do I determine the largest wheel-and-tire package that will fit?

Billet And They Will Come
Chris Fesler and his Scottsdale, Arizona-based restoration facility, Fesler Built, now offer a complete line of top-grade billet aluminum hood hinges. They're made from T6061 aerospace-grade billet aluminum and feature a heavy-duty 316 stainless steel gas lift support. They're far more stabile and supportive than the wobbly, stamped-steel stock hood hinges, and are available in a variety of finishes, including raw aluminum, highly polished, brushed, and anodized. The price is $650 per pair. Fesler Built; (866) 583-9787; www.feslerbuilt.com.

When the Third-Generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, Pontiac promised the masses a fantastic new suspension design that was light-years ahead of the previous epoch. Whereas the Second-Generation Firebird was known for its short-long arm IFS and coil springs, with longitudinal multileaf springs out back, the all-new Firebird featured a compact MacPherson strut suspension up front, with coil springs, lower control arms, and a torque arm in the rear.inline_mediumwraptextright26850436/tech/hppp_1001_bolt_on_suspension_kitshppp_1001_01_z+suspension_kits+pontiac.jpgTrue

Part II: Rear Brake Installation Many hobbyists increase their Pontiac's horsepower output in search of "the number," with less concern on the braking system. However, since we have installed a few bolt-ons and started taking our '05 GTO out to local autocrosses, it has become apparent that the factory brakes could use some improvement.inline_mediumwraptextright31067619/tech/hppp_1001_installing_brake_rotorshppp_1001_01_z+installing_brake_rotors+2005_gto.jpgTrue

What It Is: '71-'74 Ventura Ii/Ventura
Why it's a great choice: Fairly lightweight, great styling, not nearly as common as a Nova
What it's not: A handler; most earlier ones had Chevy engines stock
Engine:
What it probably has: 250 six-cylinder, Chevy 307 two-barrel, Chevy 350, possibly a Pontiac 350 two-barrel or four-barrel
Low-buck upgrade: Super-tune the 350 Pontiac, or swap in a remanufactured 400 four-barrel to replace the Chevy engines.
Suspension:
What it probably has: Pencil-sized front swaybar, soft springs, stock type shocks, no rear bar
Low-buck upgrade: KYB shocks, 1.125-inch-front and 1.00-inch-rear Addco swaybars.
inline_mediumwraptextrightTom Fredericks '72 offers inspiration to anyone who gets into a '71-'74 Ventura project. His now runs a hot 400 and is knockin' on 11s door. See if it got in when we publish this year's Norwalk HPP Pavement Pounders Shootout series.25715843/tech/hppp_1001_1977_pontiac_firebirdhppp_1001_04_z+70s_pontiac_show+1972_ventura_project.jpgTrue

With Jeremy Cortner of MCR at the Controls and Brian Ebert of HiTech Motorsport in the driver seat, the Mustang MD-1750 SE dyno is being set up with the proper parameters for this GTO. Once done, the dyno will simulate real-world driving conditions and allow the tuner to see what this combination will do out on the street or at the track. Especially when using the FAST data logger, one can keep track of up to 14 different sensors and also watch the dashboard gauges while "driving" the car any way that's needed. Trying to do this out on the street would be difficult at best and in reality, quite likely dangerous.inline_mediumwraptextright25704458/tech/hppp_1001_pontiac_engine_505cihppp_1001_01_z+pontiac_engine_505ci+jeremy_cortner.jpgTrue

Tune It Right
I've been a subscriber since Thunder Am. Awesome publication! Thanks. Please put these procedures to tune up a traditional Pontiac V-8 in order. Adjust dwell; set idle speed; adjust idle mixture; check advance at different rpm; set base timing; when exactly during this tune-up to have the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged; at what point in this order to put it back on; at what point in this tune-up do you check full advance reading; and anything I'm forgetting.

Some people are never satisfied; ordinary just won't do. For most, simply owning a nice '67 GTO would be great. Getting to drive around in a fully restored one would be a dream come true. Not so for Jeff Hutchens of Springfield, Missouri. If it looks fast, it had better be fast.

As time marches forward, it seems that many of yesterday's technological marvels are eventually replaced by modern concepts. While nowhere near extinction, the incandescent light bulb is one such innovation that today commonly gives way to the Light-Emitting Diode (LED)-a semiconductor diode that illuminates when energized.

Last month we presented bolt-in front and rear suspension kits designed to improve handling for your First- or Second-Gen Firebird. We got so carried away with providing all the specs, features, and benefits that we couldn't fit all the companies in without cutting out vital information, so we made it a two-part story.

As the clich goes, the only constant in life is change. For 1982, Pontiac saw a big one. With corporate-wide restructuring, GM decided that V-8 engines of Pontiac design would no longer be produced. The majority of GM eight-cylinder applications would be from Chevrolet, but were identified for marketing as a "corporate V-8."

Cam Queries And Rockers
How do you calculate the increased lift and duration when you install 1.65 rockers on a cam with specs for a 1.5 rocker arm? My cam is a Crane PN 28SR00002/Grind No. SR-244/362-2S-12.

Without possessing the ability to prevent his or her Pontiac from aging, the most any hobbyist can strive for is maximum preservation. Even that, however, won't keep time from eventually taking its toll on certain components. We found that to be the case with our well-cared-for '72 Trans Am.

In the June '09 issue of HPP, we presented the hottest new subframes, and even full frames, for your First- and Second-Gen Firebird. For those readers who want 21st-century cornering performance while retaining their Bird's factory subframe, this month we bring you bolt-in front and rear suspension kits designed to take the guesswork out of which parts will work best for your ride. These packages promise to improve your Bird's suspension geometry, modernize its ride, make back-road corner carving a pleasure, and even shave tenths off of your slalom, autocross, or road course time.

When HPP was approached by Jeremy Formato at Fasterproms about increasing the power in our '05 6.0L LS2 GTO without breaking the bank, we were all ears. He suggested a simple swap to a cost-effective, hand-ported intake manifold and throttle body, accompanied by a custom tune.

Imagine for a moment that you're the quintessential hands-on hobbyist. You've noticed that your Pontiac hasn't run its best as of late and all indications point to its Rochester Quadrajet as the culprit. After removing the carburetor from the engine, you place it on the workbench and begin disassembly for a closer inspection.

Within the Pontiac community, there are many who are very good at physically working on their cars. Changing parts, swinging motors, and the like comes very naturally to them. But when chasing a problem, you need to first determine what has to be changed.

Easy Adjustment
Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) has made swapping from carburetion to electronic fuel injection simpler with its new EZ-EFI Self Tuning Fuel Injection. After installation of the system, you simply plug in and answer the basic setup questions on the included hand-held display, and it will tune itself. The complete package includes the ECU, wide-band oxygen sensor, wiring harness, fuel injectors, fuel-pump kit, and other assorted components, including the company's new 4150 throttle body. It can be used on your existing intake manifold (Pontiac Q-jet intakes require an adapter, sold separately) and is available with injectors of four different flow rates. The price is $1,800. FAST; (877) 334-8355; www.fuelairspark.com.

If you're Trans Am or Formula is like most hobbyists, you keep the oil changed regularly (AMSOIL 5W30 is the brand preferred by this author) and you check your antifreeze/water mixture to make sure you're operating your Bird with the proper level of coolant.