Impala ss 04,05 & 06

The 06 consists of taking a mid size FWD sedan and add a 325CID LSx type v8 (I think it is the L33) motor with 300 Plus HP and it looks like.. . . Well nothing special. A small wing and duel exhaust and some very mild body work are the only giveaways.

A poor mans CTS? Has anyone driven one of these?

Hot linked cause I can:

I was also looking at the 04-05 Impala Ss with the supercharged V6. They are supposed to be faster than the old impala ss's of the 90's and I kind of like the more boxy body. Has a bit of Darth Vader dark side look where as the 06 and newer have that rounded boring.

Here is an 04 ss for comparison.

But the 06 with the V8 and it will just kind of blend in with all the other Honda and Toyota sedans making it a cool sleeper in my book. I am also conscious of what I drive for work. I really don't want a really flashy car for my daly driving. Clients seem to take it the wrong way if I show up in a car that is more expensive than what they are driving. This is what lead me to the Impala in the first place. It is a Chevy. No one will suspect a thing and yet by the numbers either of the ss's noted above should be a bit more fun to drive than a plan Jane pos econobox sedan.

I wonder if you can make them Handel and stop? They should have enough go for my needs.

So anyone drive either of these two variants of the Impala SS?

I am seriously thinking it may make a good DD business computer sedan that I can pile the family in on weekends and yet have some get up and go to keep me interested in the whole driving experience.

Clarkson said: Asking the front wheels of a car to do their normal job of steering while handeling, lets say more than 170 BHP, is like asking a man to wire a plug, while juggling... penguines, while making love to a beutifull woman, while on fire, on stage, in front of the Queen. It's all going to go wrong.

Fast in a straight line, interior will be falling to bits, and I have no idea about the handeling, but my gut says not great.

Dean1484 said: con-chess

?

I heard the 04ish Impala had issues with the trans. I was gonna buy a retired cop car but chose not to because of horror stories i heard about the auto trans. Dunno how true it is though soooo.

All i know is that the stock SC v6 one will do low 15s and ive seen the stock v8s do low 14s.

I would go for the newer one not just because of the power increase but also i think the trans is better (in spite of the greater power) and even though i dislike the interior, the interior is better. If you are going to buy a FWD chevy for a daily driver you should really try to get the LEAST E36 M3ty one, and in this case that's the newer one.

It's a W-Body, so it's FWD and auto-only. The 3.8SC cars are a few bolt-ons from stupid-quick ET's. After all, they are just Grand National motors sideways with a blower instead of a turbo. The interior on the 04/05 is pretty typical GM though.

The 06 had a much nicer interior upgrade and the LS4. It's all-aluminum and 5.3L with the good LSx heads (square-port). They are torque monsters and very quick. Same basic chassis though (bigger brakes and sway bars IIRC to the 04/05). Not an autocrosser by any stretch, but a great Q-ship, especially if you de-badge it.

O/T, but Q-ship? Define please...

neon4891 wrote: O/T, but Q-ship? Define please...

In World War 1, merchant ships were armed, seeking to lure U-Boats close enough that they could be shelled by guns hidden on the deck. My understanding of U-boat operating procedures was that they would surface and shell ships until they sunk, rather than simply torpedoing them. These ships were code-named, wait for it, Q-Ships.

dean1484 wrote: The 06 consists of taking a mid size FWD sedan and add a 325CID LSx type v8 (I think it is the L33) motor with 300 Plus HP and it looks like.. . . Well nothing special. A small wing and duel exhaust and some very mild body work are the only giveaways. A poor mans CTS? Has anyone driven one of these? Hot linked cause I can: I was also looking at the 04-05 Impala Ss with the supercharged V6. They are supposed to be faster than the old impala ss's of the 90's and I kind of like the more boxy body. Has a bit of Darth Vader dark side look where as the 06 and newer have that rounded boring. Here is an 04 ss for comparison. But the 06 with the V8 and it will just kind of blend in with all the other Honda and Toyota sedans making it a cool sleeper in my book. I am also conscious of what I drive for work. I really don't want a really flashy car for my daly driving. Clients seem to take it the wrong way if I show up in a car that is more expensive than what they are driving. This is what lead me to the Impala in the first place. It is a Chevy. No one will suspect a thing and yet by the numbers either of the ss's noted above should be a bit more fun to drive than a plan Jane pos econobox sedan. I wonder if you can make them Handel and stop? They should have enough go for my needs. So anyone drive either of these two variants of the Impala SS? I am seriously thinking it may make a good DD business computer sedan that I can pile the family in on weekends and yest have some get up and go to keep me interested in the whole driving experience.

Some may remember (maybe not) I used to auto-x and drag an '89 SHO Taurus. It was pretty quick. I ran one of those new SS's and while my car was fairly modded he was bone stock...he pulled on me HARD.

Very unassuming cars.

zomby woof wrote:

Dean1484 said: con-chess

?

LOL Google auto spell check at it best. Was really "conscious"

neon4891 wrote:

Clarkson said: Asking the front wheels of a car to do their normal job of steering while handeling, lets say more than 170 BHP, is like asking a man to wire a plug, while juggling... penguines, while making love to a beutifull woman, while on fire, on stage, in front of the Queen. It's all going to go wrong.

Fast in a straight line, interior will be falling to bits, and I have no idea about the handeling, but my gut says not great.

If that American bashing Brit does not like it all the more reason a second look is warranted.!!

I think the V8 cars had torque steer issues. Car & Driver reviewed on, maybe find that review online and see what they thought?

dean1484 wrote:

neon4891 wrote:

Clarkson said: Asking the front wheels of a car to do their normal job of steering while handeling, lets say more than 170 BHP, is like asking a man to wire a plug, while juggling... penguines, while making love to a beutifull woman, while on fire, on stage, in front of the Queen. It's all going to go wrong.

Fast in a straight line, interior will be falling to bits, and I have no idea about the handeling, but my gut says not great.

If that American bashing Brit does not like it all the more reason a second look is warranted.!!

My 270hp TL was about as un-FWD as you can get with a FWD car, showing only the slightest torque steer at WOT and none any other time. Clarkson is entertaining, but anyone that assesses the handling of a car by power sliding it at high speed without a helmet on is not someone I look to for their expert opinion on anything automotive.

I've always thought that these could have been fairly interesting cars, but they were immediately crippled with no manual trans option a la third (and now fourth) generation SHO.

Apologies for the threadjack but...

Were the V8s plentiful enough to litter the junkyards of america? Is there a manual transaxle that is strong enough & mates for use in something mid-mounted? How about LSD?

A transverse, mid-engined v8 E30 would be a unique build, no?

The LS4 (transverse 5.3L LSx engine) are very UNcommon and VERY spendy because of sand rail guys. They buy them like crazy to replace their Northstars/3800's. There is no manual transaxle in existence that will survive.

Mid/Rear engine LSx's are still going to be easiest by directly bolting the C5/C6 transaxle to the back of an LS1 without the torque tube.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: How about LSD?

Sure, I could use a more colorful day.

I was going to ask about these as there is one for sale around the corner from me that may replace the cadavalier.

One question for you: why?

Instead, may I suggest a Pontiac G8 of similiar vintage, which IS like a CTS-V but cheaper (rwd). You could get it in 340hp GT variety, or LS(3?) GXP variety with ~420hp. And the GXP could be had with a stick, if so inclined.

racinginc215 wrote: I can speak for the 06 SS very nice car. The interior is pretty good. the seats suck as all GM seats do. the car moves out nice rides great and is kinda fun to drive. It's a tad boring to look at. but has that SHO quality of being a sleeper. I've had SHO's since the 90's after 95 the successor was the 300M and I'd have to give to the 06 Impala after that. Quick unassuming car. you won't lose money buying a used one.

Then again, the 300C with the 5.7 Hemi is fast...a boat to turn though. My brother's ran 14.3, bone stock all day long with the AC on and his golf clubs in the back...with a tune and an intake he was running 13.9.

HiTempguy wrote: One question for you: why? Instead, may I suggest a Pontiac G8 of similiar vintage, which IS like a CTS-V but cheaper (rwd). You could get it in 340hp GT variety, or LS(3?) GXP variety with ~420hp. And the GXP could be had with a stick, if so inclined.

I'll have that.

dean1484 wrote:

neon4891 wrote:

Clarkson said: Asking the front wheels of a car to do their normal job of steering while handeling, lets say more than 170 BHP, is like asking a man to wire a plug, while juggling... penguines, while making love to a beutifull woman, while on fire, on stage, in front of the Queen. It's all going to go wrong.

Fast in a straight line, interior will be falling to bits, and I have no idea about the handeling, but my gut says not great.

If that American bashing Brit does not like it all the more reason a second look is warranted.!!

Acctually, that was what he said about the 300hp Focus RS... I just thought it was a funny quote regarding high HP/FWD

HiTempguy wrote: One question for you: why? Instead, may I suggest a Pontiac G8 of similiar vintage, which IS like a CTS-V but cheaper (rwd). You could get it in 340hp GT variety, or LS(3?) GXP variety with ~420hp. And the GXP could be had with a stick, if so inclined.

I can't say for sure with the G8 GT, but the GXP holds its value very well. In fact, some used ones are trading for almost sticker.

The other issue is that to get one with a stick, you have to get the GXP, and best estimates are that there were well under 1,000 made.

What's the future swapabilty of the LS4 into a proper car (ie: not a FWD porker)? Will it have accessories in all the wrong places, that sort of thing? Will it mate up to a T56?

Just thinking that it may be wise to pick one of these up while they're cheap, and when the rest of the car turns to crap, pull the motor and scrap the car.

Is this one of those packaging screwjobs where you have to pull the motor to do anything to the rear bank of cylinders?

I wouldnt recomend a 3.8 sc w-body to anyone. They have a habit of catching on fire and burning people garage down, which may or may not have been fixed by a recall. My mom has one and its not even to 140k miles yet and the transmission shifts really weird now. and the shifter lock solenoid failed, which is a permanant part of the shifter ($750 at the dealer), so i had to use a junkyard one, and now the solenoid constantly clicks on and off while driving and makes an annoying cloking sound. The freeway ride is also unacceptably bad, at least on california roads.

HiTemp guy wrote: One question for you: why? Instead, may I suggest a Pontiac G8 of similar vintage, which IS like a CTS-V but cheaper (rwd). You could get it in 340hp GT variety, or LS(3?) GXP variety with ~420hp. And the GXP could be had with a stick, if so inclined.

I am looking for plain unassuming. And cheep. Your list will be 3-7K more for the same MYM with comparable millage. Also I would bet that most SS's will have been owned by the Little old lady/man where as the cars you list will have been driven by some one like. . . Well . .. . Me LOL But not cared for like I would. Again this is as much about an image. I am a consultant and I want plain for two reasons.

1. As noted above. Always drive something less costly than your client. and

2. Some of the places I have to go are not so nice. The cars listed above would attract the attention of the wrong crowd. Where as an SS with the badges removed would not get anyone's attention.