[camerjeff]

Just Picked it up today, drove it the 3 hours home from Fort Wayne Indians, what a Ride! Totally impractical but I don't care! Not Crazy about the Color but it does make it a sleeper as the Mallet V8 badges blend in with the Slat Gray Metallic.
Conversion #024 out of about 100 done in 2006, 6.0 LS2, 5-speed Manual, the only option is the Preferred Package that is just rehooking up the factory A/C when the engine conversion is done.
I don't think I have actually said this before, but I think the car has to much rear gear, the stock 3.93 is really to much and 1st gear is only good for about 10mph. But was it ever a fun drive home! Just got it home before the rain started.

[keith k]

Very cool car. Congrats!

[critter]

Time to go mess with some Corvettes. Congrats on the car.

My driver right now is my wife's old GXP with a computer tune. It's about 310HP and it's a hoot. I'll keep an eye open for an LS motor for the future. LOL.

[MikeNoun]

The museum acquired this one last month. Look for a full feature in an upcoming POCI Smoke Signals Magazine.

[coonhunter70]

For a long time I have had dreams of a V8 solstice, nice car!
Is Mallet still in business? Is anyone still making kits or doing conversions today?

[camerjeff]

Thanks everyone, I did always want one. And looked at a couple of owner conversions the last couple of years. But each one fell short of my expectations for various reasons. This one came up for sale and at just a little more $$$$ than the owner conversions, low mileage, and close to me. Plus it was a Manual with working A/C, 2 things that were on my must have list.
Yes Mallet performance is still around in NC, and they still will convert your Solstice or Sky, but there main business is converting new Chevy and Cadillac cars and trucks. Here is a link to the Solstice page

http://www.mallettcars.com/?p=1058

Mike, that LS7 car must be a real beast! with 105HP more than my car has!!!! Is it an Auto or 6-speed manual. My car could use either another OD gear, or a more highway friendly rear gear ratio.

[mgarblik]

What a neat car and just shows "what could have been" if the circumstances at Pontiac were different. But that's another story. A real sleeper in that color. I think the sleeper aspect will really grow on you as you drive it and enjoy. A good friend of mine has a Monster Miata. Similar idea, Ford power. It is white and has a stock hood and smallish tires. It's an 11 second car and looks like a stock Mazda. You will have similar fun with your new ride and it's much better looking to begin with. Very cool.

[MikeNoun]

Jeff, I have the invoice for the car, and it was a heck of an expensive conversion. A whopping $47K, plus an additional upgrade to the shocks. It's a 6-speed, Car #23.

Mike

[camerjeff]

Wow, Mine is almost as cheap as you could get one, $22,000 plus the price of the car. And it was the next car converted, pretty Kool. Do you know if they actually converted the 100 they planned in 2006? I had heard rumors they did not, and only made a few numbered cars in 2007.

That must be one wicked ride!!!! I wish mine had the T56 installed!

[MikeNoun]

Jeff, I'm not very knowledgeable about these cars, so I'm afraid I don't know the answers to your questions. However, you can call the Pontiac-Oakland Museum and talk to Tim Dye. He said there's a person that has a lot of expertise with these Mallett cars, and that person will be writing a feature story for Smoke Signals very soon.

Mike

[The Boss]

Very cool car - must be wicked!

[hurryinhoosier62]

Modern interpretation of the Shelby Cobra.

[carpoor]

Neat car! I have only seen one in person - the Power Tour in 2006. What transmission is in your car?

[muscle_collector]

wow!!! never heard of them. I see that being scarey fast and possibly hard to control even more so than a viper.

[camerjeff]

Originally Posted by carpoor

Neat car! I have only seen one in person - the Power Tour in 2006. What transmission is in your car?

It is the stock 5-speed manual that was put in the Solstice, same trans as in the Colorado PU's the Aisin AR transmission. 1st gear is a steep 3.75 hooked to the 3.93 rear axle its not very useful.

The car is really fun, I drove it to work yesterday as it was dry and almost 50F and almost sunny, even went topless for the 1st time on the way home. I took surface streets on the way home to get a better driving impression of it in traffic. The engine is running much better, I ran the last of the old gas out of it and filled it up with fresh unleaded premium, the spark knock under hard acceleration is now gone. It is handful on damp roads, I don't know how much that is due to the stock Goodyear tires on it, they were never the best for traction and are now 11 years old. They will be replaced this spring.
As for handling it seems much more controllable than a 1st series Viper, that is the only model I have driven before. The conversion supposedly only adds 120lbs to the car and they do uprate the shocks and springs, add larger front & rear sway bars, and add Poly suspension bushings and trans mount, and a short throw shifter.
According to the Maint records it only had the tires rotated & Oil changed in the past, so I think new belts, hoses and coolant are due this winter. I also have to see what air filter it has in it. The previous owner never even had the 2 recalls done to it. But the Broker took care of those before I bought it. The PO did take care of it cosmeticly though. I also think it has a lot in common with my Greyhound dogs, it only seems to be happy at idle or 1/2 throttle or above, the couple times I short shifted it into 2nd or 3rd the engine started to surge, but if I opened it up some it smoothed out. That may be gas or tune related but I won't know for sure until this spring.
I only had 1 person notice what it was, the driver of a RX8 went to pass me when the road opened up to 2 lanes, pulled beside me hit the brakes pulled back behind me and started taking pic's or video for a minute or 2 than passed me with a big grin and thumbs up. the road went back to 1 lane in a couple of blocks and I saw him turn off. My odd Pontiac's don't normally get that reaction!
Unfortunatly a couple of cars will have to go. Including my 69 Sprint Firebird, as I get older I just do not enjoy driving it as much with no A/C on hot summer days. I am glad the timing worked out, a few weeks earlier and I could not have afforded it, a few weeks later and I could not drive it home, that and it was at a off season price, and only 3 hours drive away.

[camerjeff]

Mike,

Thanks for the idea of speaking with Tim Dye, I tried calling the museum today but he is off until next week, I will try again then.

[David Jones]

Nice ride.
I'm curious....the Aisin transmission you mention is rated at 260ft lbs. I'm guessing the small block V8 is putting out substantially more than that. Any mods done to beef that up? You also mention a 3.93 rear gear. Is it also a stock Solstice part? How strong is it?

[nytrainer]

Originally Posted by David Jones

Nice ride.
I'm curious....the Aisin transmission you mention is rated at 260ft lbs. I'm guessing the small block V8 is putting out substantially more than that. Any mods done to beef that up? You also mention a 3.93 rear gear. Is it also a stock Solstice part? How strong is it?

Here's a car and driver review that answers some of those questions.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...specialty-file

[vidguy]

I like this a lot... I always liked the Solstice a lot...(and the Sky too) but the Solstice more... with that conversion, it is way cooler to me then a Corvette.. You guys with these cars are "Top of The Heap" in my book.

[camerjeff]

Originally Posted by vidguy

I like this a lot... I always liked the Solstice a lot...(and the Sky too) but the Solstice more... with that conversion, it is way cooler to me then a Corvette.. You guys with these cars are "Top of The Heap" in my book.

Thanks, the car is a lot of fun, but remember I did not convert it myself, it is a tuner car.

It got put away for the winter yesterday, got to drive it alittle on Saturday and now its awy for some PM. Checked the air filter and found out it has a stock 2006 Corvette Z06 air box and filter. And besides the normal Oil and Filter it will get a coolant change even though it only has 19,000 miles, 11 year old dex cool scares me. Thinking about changing the brake fluid also.
Also found out it needs Hood Struts, every time a Ford guy sticks his head under the hood in comes down! Happened twice on Saturday! And on Sunday when it was colder the hood would not stay up at all.

Thanks for all the kind words I can't wait to drive it more this spring!