The GoatBoat: 2006 Pontiac GTO

[Senor_Taylor]

Excited to see this (and you) and the car show hopefully!

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[JPolen01]

Glad it's back on the road man. I'm sure it's been a hell of a journey but it looks like it paid off.

[GTBrandon]

Let us know if you need any help with the suspension overhaul!

[Jake]

You've definitely come a long way and learned quite a bit! Glad to see your outlook on the car hasn't changed and you're instead treating it as "more school." I think they're neat, weird cars and part of that is because they are so different from the GM stuff we know in the States. Sounds like a new suspension would be the cherry on top of the whole project.

Looking forward to seeing it at the carshow! And you too, I suppose

[Tyler.M]

Thanks guys, really appreciate all the help! I'll see ya at the car show.

[Tyler.M]

She's gone and I felt like this weird story deserved a bit of an epilogue. I was thinking I'd be a little upset as this is the car I've owned and spent the most time and money on, but it was more of a relief than anything else. My budget has freed up a bit, my garage is no longer a GM parts warehouse and I no longer have to spend countless evenings figuring out suspension setups on a car I was really trying to like but just couldn't. No regrets about selling it at all; she's going to a good home to an owner with a big budget.

I'm going to step back from car stuff for awhile as I need to regroup a little bit, financially. My work schedule is on an every other weekend rotation and for the past two years I haven't been able to get to a single track day because of work and the way things line up. I haven't seen a lot of you guys in a while. I'm taking this as a cosmic sign that I need to focus on some other (less expensive) hobbies and come back to the fold eventually when it makes sense. Love this community and this club though, really great people and many of you were key to my college experience...and hangovers.

So, what's next? I think getting back into motorcycling, which is my true calling anyways. The community is phenomenal and it feels like a brotherhood, similar to how this club feels just on a wider level. Unfortunately, I foolishly sold by 919 to fund the GTO motor rebuild and now I'm without a daily. I have my '74 CB360 that is stripped down to the frame to work on and that will probably be it for at least this season. My 4Runner needs some TLC, too. Lots to do and all most of this will take is some willpower, some handtools and a couple of adult beverages

Not to get too preachy, but if you're a current student use my example as what NOT to do when you get your first big boy job. When I entered the workforce and got my first salaried position, I started accumulating a lot more cars and motorcycles than I had any right to. In the past 5 years I have a race bike, my sv650, the FRS, my 4runner, my GTO, and the 919. I learned a lot from the entire experience in terms of wrenching, financing, riding and such but mostly I learned that none of these things matter if you're trading your freedom for it. Another way to put it: I would've rather spent all that money on traveling, investing and going back to school than on what I actually spent it on. I'm a little behind on where I imagined my life would be and I chock that up to skewed worldview I had coming out of college that material things make me happy. They don't. The freedom that can come from them does. By exchanging my freedom for the object that supposed to help me feel more free, I've undermined the whole reason I got into this stuff in the first place. Lesson learned, but damn was it an expensive one.

Also: listen to your friends. I would've been much better off. I'm much more hardheaded than I'm willing to admit and the GTO is a great example. Was my GTO worth 4 years, hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars? Of course not. I should've taken the easy option and got out if ASAP once I realized it wasn't for me. But, I came out of the experience a little less stupid, and a little bit more wary. Selling the car is a turning point and I'm excited for the future.

I won't be able to make it to much this year but if you guys are ever back in the 'Burg hit me up! If anyone in the area needs a place to wrench or store bikes, my garage is always available to you, too.

Thanks for the support, everyone.

[GTBrandon]

Based on how much of a headache that car was from start to end, I’m glad it’s out. Seems like you had your fun with it, and it wasn’t going to give you what you hoped in the end.

So what bike are you looking at getting? I have a nice Shadow 700 with your name on it [emoji6]

[JPolen01]

Glad it's sold buddy. You win some you lose some. You'll get back in the saddle with something else down the road.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Damn. That was some real introspective shit. Sticky that.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Damn. That was some real introspective shit. Sticky that.

+1

[Tyler.M]

Based on how much of a headache that car was from start to end, I’m glad it’s out. Seems like you had your fun with it, and it wasn’t going to give you what you hoped in the end.

So what bike are you looking at getting? I have a nice Shadow 700 with your name on it [emoji6]

It was fun mainly because it was weird. There aren't too many Australian imports running around and the car was rare enough that it had a certain appeal. I always loved rambling off the HP/TQ specs to people that asked me "what ya got in that thing" and gave them a few throttle blips to convince them. 

No Shadows, not in to cruisers (no offence cruiser people!).  I'm looking more at a good 750 to 1000cc sport standard bike for my daily. The 919 was almost the perfect bike but the aftermarket really wasn't there to do anything with it long term, which was unfortunate. Not very popular bikes. I'm starting to see a trend. 

I think I'm going to save up for something like the FZ09 or an XSR900 down the road. If I can find a cheap track bike I might do that, too. They say the perfect motorcycle stable is 3 different bikes: The daily, the project and the racer. I got the project at least!

---

Damn. That was some real introspective shit. Sticky that.

+1

[davej]

Sounds like you've got some good focus now, and sometime you can only gain that by experiencing other areas. You're still welcome to take Rex and I to lunch anytime you want!

[V1GiLaNtE]

FZ07 if your still about that rumble life. Supposedly the FZ09 suspension is absolutely horrid. Which obviously it can be fixed which would compliment that 3-cyl sound sooo nice.

[Tyler.M]

FZ07 if your still about that rumble life. Supposedly the FZ09 suspension is absolutely horrid. Which obviously it can be fixed which would compliment that 3-cyl sound sooo nice.

I've heard they've improved it after last year but I haven't test rode one since they launched in 2014. They say they also got the power delivery issue figured out too. Even a bad by modern standards suspension is probably better than the worn out suspensions on the 10 year old bikes that I've owned.

Here's where I'm at in bike shopping: I'm not sure if I want a daily whoolie machine or something more respectable like a GS or Honda's Africa Twin.  I've had this dream to get an Aerostitch, some hard bags and do a crosscountry trek sometime in my life and I'm sort of looking for a bike that would be able to handle that. The FJ09 might be able to pull it off though and could be the best of both worlds (and not crazy expensive!) but I haven't even seen one of those at any of my local dealerships.

[V1GiLaNtE]

FZ07 if your still about that rumble life. Supposedly the FZ09 suspension is absolutely horrid. Which obviously it can be fixed which would compliment that 3-cyl sound sooo nice.

I've heard they've improved it after last year but I haven't test rode one since they launched in 2014. They say they also got the power delivery issue figured out too. Even a bad by modern standards suspension is probably better than the worn out suspensions on the 10 year old bikes that I've owned.

Here's where I'm at in bike shopping: I'm not sure if I want a daily whoolie machine or something more respectable like a GS or Honda's Africa Twin.  I've had this dream to get an Aerostitch, some hard bags and do a crosscountry trek sometime in my life and I'm sort of looking for a bike that would be able to handle that. The FJ09 might be able to pull it off though and could be the best of both worlds (and not crazy expensive!) but I haven't even seen one of those at any of my local dealerships.

Are we the same person...? I've actually considered dumping the SV and going something full-retard like a GS. What is there not to like? Side panniers, 1200cc, quick shifter? I feel like track days can wait, but the ability to load up a bunch of gear and roll out could be limited one day, right..? Or maybe I just keep the SV as teh whoolie machine. IDK, but I've got this itch to go full ADV rider.

Edit: Let's move this thread to Motorbikes section and bring it back to life.

[ScottyB]

Thanks for the support, everyone.

that was a pretty profound writeup, and i'm glad you feel like you have some clarity now. its fair to say most of us have been in your shoes at your stage of life with buying cars and car stuff, at least i know i was. so easy to buy ALL THE THINGS when you're getting a paycheck for the first time and it feels like the money is just pouring in.

glad to hear the goat went to a good home, you're making better plans, and getting back to the kind of motoring that makes you happiest. you're still young, plenty of time to get things where you want them and have some perspective to boot.