Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim

Hey Buffalo,

I know you're an old-school Pontiac GTO guy, but can you help me power up my new 2004 GTO? It's a fantastic car and it's pretty torquey, but I want to smoke the tires when I hit the gas. Tell me, Buffalo, how can I put the GO into my GTO?

--Kurt Clark

I'll tell you, bro, it's hard not to like a guy who buys a $40,000 automobile and immediately starts thinking about souping it up. I probably don't need to tell you that it's not like the old days, when you could bolt on a Crane cam and tri-power carburetion and your GTO would stick you to the back of your seat like a rocket ship. Back then, I used to run open headers for even more power, but that was in the good old days before smog and catalytic converters.

Nowadays, you've got a computer to worry about, but it's not too hard to work around. DiabloSport makes a high-performance tuning programmer ($419) that will help you get up to 30 more horsepower out of your GTO without turning a single wrench. You might also consider larger exhaust pipes, a high-flow catalytic converter or a K&N air charger system ($255)--all of which are available as after-market accessories. Of course, all of these are going to cost you some cash, but they'll help you squeeze every last bit of power out of your motor. Just try to remember: Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

Buffalo Jim is the owner of Allstate Auto Marine. Back in the early '70s, when he used to race his '67 GTO on Rancho and Vegas drives, he was 37-1 on the streets. His only loss was to a 900cc Kawasaki, which was kind of an unfair contest to begin with. E-mail him at buffalojim@lasvegasmercury.com.