bye bye trans am firehawk

[amerikan]

WOW... i was cruising on Pacific Coast Highway in California... i pull up to a stop light on my right there is a guy in a Pontiac Trans-Am Firehawk that keeps looking at my car... before the light switches to beautiful green he pulls up even with me and revs his engine... i think to myself * there is no way im going to beat him... 0-60 5.3* but what the heck... so we both go at it ( i felt that it was safe because i saw his Valentine One next to his rear view mirror) first gear.. we're even... i shift second.. he shifts.. i start pulling on him at around 80 i was a good half a car length ahead. I dont know what happend to him... but i won! after the win the guy didn't even look at me or anything. he just kept driving on PCH. I had to go the same direction as him so i was behind him all the way... the guys wouldn't stop shaking his head for around 20 miles... he was PISST! anyways guys, that definately made my day.

[JET]

Way to go

[RCSignals]

If you beat him with a lowly Marauder just think what an Accord would do to him ;)

[jgc61sr2002]

Nice job.:D

[deerejoe]

Atta boy...keep those Pontiacs guessing.
Only the "shadow" knows for sure and he's not talkin'!!

Now if someone in an MM (with gobs of oomph) could dust an M5 in a worthy manner....whoaaaa what a go!!

Cheers and beers all around...YEHAAA!!

[amerikan]

HAHA, thanks guys, i still dont know how i did it? the guys 1-2nd shift seemed alright...as for the m5... i don't think thats possible
:(

[Bigdogjim]

Originally posted by RCSignals
If you beat him with a lowly Marauder just think what an Accord would do to him ;)


Ouch that hurts:D :P :P :P

[Bigdogjim]

Always nice to win one! :beer: :beer:

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by amerikan
HAHA, thanks guys, i still dont know how i did it? the guys 1-2nd shift seemed alright...

Like it's been said, always nice to win, enjoy the victory. But, don't get head over heels on this, K? After all, it was a Pontiac, and Pontiac hasn't made a fast car since 1967. Decals and dash trim since then, and decals don't win races.

[martyo]

Originally posted by SergntMac
...and decals don't win races.

What about really cool fender badges?? ;)

[TripleTransAm]

Good job, Amerikan! I'd have loved to see the look on the guy's face when you toasted him like that. Have you had your car dyno'ed or on the 1/4 mile? I was discussing upgrades and their results with another MM-Net'er last night and would like to have an idea what your car is putting out... there's so much variation in results with what you've got installed that every bit of info helps me to decide when/where to spend my $$.

The LS1 'Hawks have the capability of nudging the 12 second barrier on the 1/4 mile, stock and well broken-in. If it was an LT1 'Hawk, well then high 13s and/or low low 14s are in order, and then it's a real close race with what you've got installed. But like I mentioned in another thread, regardless of the *potential* of the car, the driver didn't put it down where it counted and LOST, fair and square.

So once again, all thumbs-up to you, Amerikan, for a great "kill"! :up:



ps: to those who feel Pontiac hasn't made a fast car since 1967, y'all need to get out a bit more, k? ;)

[SaxGuy]

I agree TTA, and My Trans'Am does too!

[amerikan]

Originally posted by SergntMac
Like it's been said, always nice to win, enjoy the victory. But, don't get head over heels on this, K? After all, it was a Pontiac, and Pontiac hasn't made a fast car since 1967. Decals and dash trim since then, and decals don't win races.

uhm... 1998 Pontiac Trand-Am firehawk does the 0-60 in 5.0 STOCK... and a 13.4 quarter mile. Thats not fast?


Triple...no ive never had the car dynoed or any ETs :( .. but thanks for the support buddy

[Zack]

Congratulations!! When you put a professional driver in any Firehawk (not a punk kid missing every gear) it will anihilate our Marauders, sorry.

[amerikan]

Originally posted by Zack
Congratulations!! When you put a professional driver in any Firehawk (not a punk kid missing every gear) it will anihilate our Marauders, sorry.

Obviously... and it wasn't a punk kid, it was a guy in his 40s.

[lshultz]

Amerikan,

It was the 35% Tint that tipped the scales in your favor...:coolman: :cool:

[Zack]

My post had a simple message I wanted to get across to everyone. The only way a Firehawk would lose is due to driver error or the car not running properly. If you only have the mods listed in your sig, this is a true statement. I dont want to see other members get brave and take on a Firehawk or similar car on the street and lose. Racing is fun regardless of the outcome, misinformation is not fun- ever.

[prchrman]

amerikan...If the guy can drive or not or if the car is missing a plug wire or whatever...who cares...he should have left the MM alone if he or it was not up to snuff...I used to race my old stang when it had a 351C 2 barrel...out ran alot of maros and such and they would say, my carb is acting up or my timings off or some other lame excuse for being toasted by a old ford with a 2 barrel...let amerikan enjoy...he says he won and that is good enough for me...congrats man...OBTW I don't race anymore...

[amerikan]

Thanks Zack, I couldn't agree with you more. There is no doubt that the firehawk would leave my MM in its dust if the run was decent. And when did i ever say that the MM is faster? there is absolutely no wrong imformation here.

[Zack]

Imagine what that guy is telling his friends right now!! LOL
If I was him, I probably wouldnt say a word!!

[RCSignals]

Point is, it was a street race, and amerikan beat him, despite what magazine say about track times. Driver error, if there was any, doesn't really come into this.
The Marauder does have a good top end, you can't deny that.

[ChuckB]

Gotta agree Zack,

either of the gen 4 (LT1) or the gen 5 (LS1) TA's, firehawk (an SLP product) or not will run away and hide for our MM's. It's just a matter of physics 275-300hp / 3300lbs vs. 300hp 4200lbs. (13 vs. 15 sec - 1/4 mile)

Ya never know maybe it was a want-to-be. i've seen more people putting V8 badges on V6 nothings with the shattered hope that the sticker will make it go faster - only in thier minds......

always remember if you're winning, be sure to wave and smile as you go by......

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by ChuckB
Ya never know maybe it was a want-to-be. i've seen more people putting V8 badges on V6 nothings with the shattered hope that the sticker will make it go faster - only in thier minds......


Excellent point, ChuckB! I didn't think of that possibility, but I've seen quite a few V6 F-cars with SS/Ram Air hoods and other top-model-specific equipment. There's a whole slew of aftermarket companies providing such equipment, usually at an inferior quality (saw a video once of an aftermarket Ram Air hood "delaminate" and land in the field beside the track, leaving only the bottom layer still on the car... *sigh*)

The Marauder's top end is phenomenal, even stock, but I gotta admit my 310 rwhp (~345 hp at the crank?) WS6 got to 150+ mph pretty darned quick one night back in 1998. If I hadn't realized how fast I was going and had kept my foot in it a few more seconds, I would have hit the 162 mph limiter. I have a video of an SLP company car '99 Hawk doing 175 mph top speed with the limiter removed, at a gov't test track a few miles north of the ex-F-body plant up here. So, yeah I have to say the later F-cars have a healthy top end too (surprising for pushrod engines).

But the truth is that this particular "Hawk" asked for the race, lost fair and square, and has to live with the results. I wonder if he'll be able to get his car serviced at his Pontiac dealership using the "extreme embarrassment" excuse... :up:

[SergntMac]

Street racing is not track racing, the game is completely different. When you consider the dynamics of racing automobiles, getting even the slightest edge at the launch can make it impossible for your challenger to overcome. That's why we have the red light in track racing. There's a lot more psycho-mental strategy stuff to play with on the street, and the real contest is man vs. man, not machine vs. machine. The cars will do what you tell them to do, the game is, are you sharp enough to give yourself the edge?

It's amazing what you can do with an empty McDonald's coffee cup...

As for the FireHawk, I ate up more than one with my Mountaineer, I wasn't shy of them when I owned my first N/A MM, and I wouldn't bother with them now. Good numbers on the track have little to do with the reality of the street. And, like Zack says, this doesn't mean it's open season on the Hawk, like us, one could have a few secrets waiting for you.

Again, nice job amerikan, get yourself a coffe cup...

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by SergntMac
And, like Zack says, this doesn't mean it's open season on the Hawk, like us, one could have a few secrets waiting for you.



Maybe an empty Big Gulp cup :)

[martyo]

Originally posted by SergntMac
It's amazing what you can do with an empty McDonald's coffee cup...

I love this guy....

[ChuckB]

RC

the big gulp line is a classic...no where else can you find this wisdom that is brought fourth from this site.

[amerikan]

I'm definately going to get my self a big gulp :) actually...that may be a bit intimidating.. i might have to go with the McDonalds cup..Serg knows his stuff