2005 Pontiac GTO - You Never Forget Your First – Maverick Man Carbon

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First time wrencher takes a calculated approach to building his first project car.

If you’ve got a few car builds on your resume, then you probably regretted one or two (possibly more…) things that you added and that you would’ve changed after catching your breath and looking back. One mod after another, sometimes clusters of upgrades done in rapid succession that resulted in a wrong turn here or there is all but expected. New to car building and general wrenching, Michael Navarro aims to avoid those missteps and is taking his time piecing his Pontiac GTO vision together. A vision that will likely change over time as its just getting started.

Purchased in late 2020, even the hunt for the right chassis was a lengthy, calculated one that Navarro says ate up two full years of GTO obsession. “I found the right one at the right time,”

he states. “A 2005 Torrid Red 6.0 GTO at a dealership.” Hailing from Alabama, the one-owner car had clearly not been used very often and would serve as the perfect starter for Navarro to personalize.

Wasting no time, shortly after getting the car home, he was already busy ordering a set of wheels to kick things off.

17-inch Platinum Retribution in gloss black were installed and remain in place to this day, though he tells us he feels the car is due for a wheel and tire update in the near future.

Like most any GTO owner, a slight bump in power and a throaty sound were next up and after doing plenty of research, he landed on a Borla Type S cat-back system and says it’s a decision that he’s never doubted since installing the system.

Those first few mods are where some stop and never revisit the aftermarket parts bins, while others, like most of us, keep making changes and upgrades as time and bank accounts allow. For Navarro, the idea was to always do more, but conservatively, making careful decisions that he wouldn’t later regret.

That train of thought and constant searching eventually led him to the Maverick Man website. He adds, “I decided I wanted to bring more life and purpose to the car and after finding Maverick Man’s shop, I hoped on to the splitter immediately after seeing it… it fit like a glove.” The splitter was soon joined by a set of Halo Projector Headlights as the factory lights, after over 15 years, were showing signs of aging.

While he was working on the front end, he also swapped out the OEM upper bumper grills for a set of SAP Grilles

Some might refer to it as an impulse buy, but based on his careful selection, the GTO Arrowhead added to his checkout cart were undoubtedly part of his plan.

The aesthetic updates weren’t all that involved, but Navarro got his hands a bit dirtier when, after feeling like the car needed a little more attitude, installed a set of JBA Shorty headers and a free-flowing intake.

The new pieces not only provided a power increase, but also a hands-on lesson in basic wrenching that every car builder should tackle at some point. The journey so far wasn’t without its hiccups, notably, the 6.0-liter experienced a cracked piston that resulted in some serious damage. It wasn’t cheap, but the rebuild was a chance for Navarro to learn more and it also meant a slew of fresh parts applied to the engine that will only increase its longevity.

With just the basics completed, there’s plenty of options for this GTO and given his patience and thorough research, we imagine the next series of changes will be well thought out before any wrenches start turning again.

“I have a lot planned for the build still as I’m definitely due for a new wheel and tire setup as well as some cosmetic touch-ups I need to do,” he says. “Perhaps after beefing up the engine a little more and getting all the prep work done to either boost it, or cam it reliably. It hasn’t been easy for me as this is my first official experience working on my own car.”

Any veteran builder will tell you that this first effort and the lessons it provides are crucial and Navarro’s willingness to bust a few knuckles to gain that vital, hands-on knowledge will pay off big in the long run.