Had a ‘07 ISS and after 2 transmission swaps I got the 3rd one rebuilt and better engine heads, lines, gaskets from Keith at LS4 fb group and James Brewer tuned it, still recommend the 4t80e I always had sticky shifting in every trans put in, only ever did rolling pulls the car was a glass cannon. Had about 360 hp&tq after mods when I sold her. Loved it nonetheless
I really needed to hear this….because the transmission in my 08 impala is the reason why I don’t want to spend to much time on custom painting it. But since the stronger transmission is available then I just might do the custom and get the transmission when it comes time
@Jim Tom It was. He used an 04 Monte SS as the body and a 06 Impala SS engine as the heart and the 4t60 trans from the pre 99 Cadillac. I used to be in his group until he got all grumpy because he had to have his leg cut off from an accident back in the day.
I had a murdered GXP in 06 It was sooooo sexy!! I’m gonna find one I kept my custom wheels I bought for it. I WILL find another one!! One of my favorite rides EVER!! Engine was SICK!
Stock block will handle at least 800hp. They have ls6 heads too. Also the intake is a huge choke on the engine, swap that to ls6 also. I have a 06 impala ss that I'm converting to a manual transmission. F23 5 speed from 00 to 02 chevy cavalier bolts up
Had a family member that has low amounts of air going in, the pistons got messed up and eventually cracked the head. As soon as the head cracked, the transmission lost its first, and third gear. Literally they feel like neutral gears.
Just to mix things up . . . I have a 2007 Impala SS that I use primarily to tow my Airstream. I had a custom receiver setup from CanAmRV and have been traveling in the summers for the past 6 years. When I bought the car it had 88K km (approx. 55K miles) in 2014. I've done a several thousand km with this setup. Upgrades were: K&N Air intake, Magnaflow exhaust, Sumosprings on all corners, solid anti-sway bar and all bushing replaced with polyurethane. Yes, it is incredibly stable, aerodynamic, low centre of gravity. They use Science to build and calibrate a WD hitch and Receiver setup second to none. Thought you might like a Good story about these cars. I'll be heading out soon. Cheers, Paul P.S. I do have a Transgo Shift Kit. I'll put it on as preventive maintenance.
Out of all those cars I think the Buick LaCrosse super is the ultimate sleeper because I had one a few years ago I smoked a bmw 3 series in a race the guy was clueless on why he lost the race lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I once borrowed my friends 08 Impala which was a police cruiser, which is similar to the SS, he got at an auction. I opened it up on the Highway and it picked up really nice. I scared the crap outta myself when I hit 130. I though I blew the motor cause the car essentially went dead. I later realized that was just the rev limiter.
There’s a few high hp northstars out there I know you know about fa sho sho especially that old ass video of the twin turbo sts making 650 and there’s even a supercharged northstar that was used in the full size real life version of the hot wheels deora 2 u really puttin on for us black car geeks man big ups to you homie
I love my gxp but the transmission is truly the weakness 😞 already had one rebuild. Planning on 4T80E or stage 3 swapping it when it goes out again. Because let’s face it, all stock ls4s are going through multiple transmissions before they see doom.
Had a 07 monte ss . Amazing car classic looks and I loved it so much. Lol I did have to replace power steering pump. Transmission was not bad fr as people said. The absolute shittiest part is the battery is impossible to get out because it’s inside the fender with a quarter inch clearance from the belt…. Had multiple battery shops refuse to replace a battery for it.
People slept on these cars for being FWD. Had a friend tell me the heads wouldn't work on a truck engine. Something about the engine being fwd so it was overall shorter. We aren't friends anymore🙄 did my due diligence and ended up with a clean set of 243s becuz of the GXP model. The intake wasn't worth the trouble so I left it.
@@avrggamer69don’t listen to him he dont know what he talking about.. look at my videos I even know a guy who has one at 625 to the wheels with a turbo that’s cap
The moment I found this video I was looking at the transmission for my dads impala just incase it were to start going out,,, and low and behold the next day I went in the garage and nothing but red fluid on the ground 🫤
Coming from someone who’s driven a Montecarlo z34 with the DOHC motor for more than 200k miles, there was two primary reasons that I didn’t buy the “Impala.” The first was the elephant in the room, front wheel drive. Torque steer sucks. The second reason is that almost every engine repair requires the transaxle and motor to be dropped for access. Flat rates aside, how many regular folk have a proper hoist to handle repairs.
Would of loved for these year Monte's Impala's and GP to have had a choice back then in ordering a FWD or AWD an AWD say like the Chargers that in itself would have been radd.
Seen a video of a dude who maximized everything on a Monte Carlo and switched his trans . Still front wheel drive but he also knew a friend who worked a machine shop that made him beefed up drive shafts his HP was close to 650 with all his work.
I have another one of those weird ass GM cars, caddy XTS V. I can just imagine the engineers: I got an idea, lets make a fwd epsilon platform and give it a 420hp twin turbo V6, what could go wrong? At least they figured out the transmission thing, the 6T80 is pretty goddamn beefy. I'm pretty sure they might have intended to build the Impala SS the same way at some point which would honestly have been kinda cool because the 10th gen Impala is a beautiful car.
LS4King has everything to swap over a 4t80 and many other things for LS4 performance. Triple Edge Performance does pretty good on transmission rebuilds.
I would say "I've never seen a Buick LaCrosse Super" but I would never know since I never knew about them until I took the time to learn about Buicks post-2005. I can say the same for the Lucerne Super WHICH HAS A NORTHSTAR (neat?). I know I know, crazy that these cars just go completely under the radar while the impala got all the attention/hate.
I was racing my Impala SS at Ohio Valley Drag way in Kentucky and went to the stands with my family and a guy said I should go run you in my Buick lacrosse Super I have the same motor in it! I seen the car and already knew what he had in it. We never raced that night.
LSA won’t fit on the LS4 because the the top end is backwards. Turbo is the way to go or just leave it cammed. They are fun daily’s, but that motor is definitely pack in that small engine bay.
How about the Hot Rod Garage "Twinpala"? Running about 900-1,000hp combined out of a pair of boosted LS4s, one in the stock place and the other out back. 16 cylinders, AWD, and somewhere in the low 10s/high 9s on street tires.
@@hotrodluke we can hope. I know Tony is with Hagerty now, not Motor Trend, but he still ran Drag Week with Finnegan, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up again on a non-contract type of deal.
Had a '08 SS, and it was fun to drive, just it's to much Engine for FWD Car. Made the mistake of adding HP. All it did was tear up the front end, and break my motor mounts, and blow the Exhaust off the block.
I really didn't know there was a 200x model mine Carlo with a 5.3. My dad had a clean bullet gray 88 monte Carlo SS that he ended up putting a 350 in and I've always hated them after they started making it a family car so I never paid attention. New news to me. I would've been a Chevy guy if it didn't get stolen literally right after we moved to the burbs lol.
The engine actually exceeds the torque rating of the transmission. I don't think that has ever happened except for this application. By the way swapping out for that Cadillac transmission is nowhere near an easy swap, otherwise gm would have put it in there in the first place....
Man you are right. My Impala SS was fun till the transmission went out. Also had a really bad oil leak on it. Fun while it lasted lol. I live in Minnesota and it was the absolute worst in winter tho, spun the tires way too easy in snow
Man if only GM had given us the Caprice PPV as the Impala with 3.6 or 5.3 and Caprice with 6.0. Then kept the 2014 body but RWD/AWD 3.6, 5.3 and a 6.2 they would be eating Mopars lunch..
Im buying an 2007 impala ss on Thursday with only 84,000 miles. It was an old man who barely drove it and past away. Wish me luck that nobody buys it before me.
@jasonknox9301 actually, that issue was taken care of. The grandson sent me paperwork from Chevy and at 53,000 miles they rebuilt the engine. And I'm only going for the car because chevy is the one who rebuilt the motor. The kid sent me the paperwork of the rebuild sheet with the full itemized list
I used to love to run them gxp's and mcss'es with my 3.4 pullied gtp 40th anniversary edition....but I hate I couldn't match that v8 sound, that's why I stayed in front of em!!! 😂 😂 😂
You need to do your homework and you should of done it from the beginning. Triple edge performance stage 1 or 2 transmission and you'll be good for 500-600 whp.
What’s Hat’nen young bro I’ve been rocking with you, watching you for quite sometime now, check it I gotta 88 Corvette C4 all stock. Please give me your opinion for the best way you’d recommend I can gain an extra 500 horses without flipping my pockets inside out. Btw keep doing your thang straight up
I had a 96" Impala SS (the last REAL Impala) & I wouldn't dream of replacing it with one of these FWD imposters👎. GM should've just left we'll enough alone (Just my opinion).
My grandma had a GXP all black and didn’t know what it was lmfaooo man she said she was never late to work told me “boy that car was too Gotdamn fast them young mens done went and stole my shit buying porkchop to cook”😂😂 I miss my grandma
@Theblackcarguru Hey black car guru, I’m about to get a 2010 Chevy impala with a v6, any mods to recommend in terms of fun? Anyways love your videos keep making them, one love
@@audiwankenobi361 yeah its free lol, it has a rebuilt trans too. But I was thinking about getting an early four door charger or crown vic to go drifting in but I'm new to building cars and am in college
@U- Godzilla4470s For fun consider other vehicles but for day to day longevity and comfort get the Impala....sure,do a cold air intake and/or a exhaust but that NA V6 will soak up waaaay to much money just to make it as fast/ fun as waaaay too many other vehicles that come stock better than a V6 Impala.
@U- Godzilla4470s In my opinion a Charger or Crown Victoria will be a better choice to mod and enjoy than a NA V6 Impala....RWD vehicles are more fun in many more day to day situations than a FWD vehicle.... Man,I'm not hating at all but I know that when you start putting money into a vehicle it's important to have the best starting point for your desires.
They did, they just have a different bellhousing for the different starter location, they barely held up behind the L67 I have no idea why they thought it’d be a good idea to put it behind the LS4
@@jasonknox9301 I was a kid and went off to college before I got a chance to see what ended up happening to it. It's still running but she's not in possession of it
What’s going on bro I’m from Chicago trying to see where I can get this 2008 ss impala modified hate the factory stuff I’m willing to travel it’s worth it to me 🤷🏾♂️
The rivalry between 3800's and LS4's in the wbody community is big. I got blocked from LS4 Nation for posting videos of a gxp getting spanked by my turbo GTP
You can beef the 4t65e HD. Zzp ttgp is running 9s with the trans. The double chain is trash which you can upgrade to a gmr 1" chain. Ls4 king is running the 4t80 with no issues so far.
@@LiuMoon13 impala SS and Monte Carlo as well also most if not all GTPs have the HD version as well but they have different bellhousings because the LS4 has a different mounting location for the starter I blew mine up in my impala and had a spare GTP one and it’s the same trans inside and out besides the bellhousing so I couldn’t use it
Are you the original owner? Because I highly doubt that's the original transmission. Does it have a aftermarket transmission cooler and or been tuned? I've seen guys on ls4 nation talking about their 3rd and 4th transmission. I got ahead of the problem and had triple edge performance build transmission. Daves been doing it since 2001 and I couldn't find a single bad review. That speaks for itself.
@@sammiller2249 second owner, bought it with 28,000 miles in 2008. Changed the fluid and filter when I first got it and that's it! Factory transmission cooler
@@sammiller2249 met Dave last year to get a built trans for mine 😂 dudes a stand up guy real down to earth, when I got there he showed me a turbo GTP making about 800hp to the wheels it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen
@@Monster8242 i went and picked mine up as well from him. Longest 21 hour drive by myself. At least I got to finally see the Great Lakes. He really is a great guy. Very informative and answers any questions you have. You can tell he doesn't make a killing off of rebuilding these transmissions either.
