Yesterday, I was at my friend Eric’s house. He had just received several new mods for his Grand Prix GTP, including a 3.25" supercharger pulley, 1.9:1 rockers, and a high-flow downpipe and cat. It seemed like a good time to install the downpipe/cat, so we commenced doing so. Postings on ClubGP indicated that it would take less than two hours to complete.

Originally, I think the plan was for Eric to be under the car, with me fetching sockets, wrenches, and such. One thing led to another, and eventually I found myself in Eric’s place, ripping off the old DP and putting the new one on. Not that I minded: I had a fun time doing it. The installation proceeded without any major setbacks, minus a run to Red Rooster and the Pontiac dealer for new bolts and gaskets. Once done, we fired it up for a test run. Remarkably, there were no exhaust leaks! The car seemed to breathe easier, too. It’s remarkable how fast that GTP can get up to speed on the freeway, a feat that I was able to experience from the driver’s seat. I’d never driven a FWD car with that much power, which made the experience that much more exhilarating. Fun times!