GM problems

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 13:24:47 GMT, lab~rat > wrote:

>On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 22:58:54 -0500, "Dad" > puked:
>
>>
> wrote in message
. ..
>>>>Now if you were going to spend money like that, try the Grand Sport
>>>>replicar
>>>>and kick the neighbors GT40's ass with a 700 HP big block..
>>>>http://www.fastcorvette.com/SpecsPrices.htm
>>>
>>> You're right - the GT40 is 140 large. I can only dream of getting a
>>> car like that. The point is that Ford stepped out and brought back a
>>> modern day version of a legendary race car. It is in an exclusive
>>> club. I probably will never be able to own one, but if given the
>>> choice between that and a replica of a Grand Sport the GT gets my
>>> pick. Now if it was a REAL GS it would obviously be a different story.
>>>
>>Tell me the difference between the hand build Ford and the hand built Grand
>>sport? Both will be an exclusive club populated by hand built replicars. By
>>the way the REAL GS was a hand built race car as were the Fords. The point
>>is that they were both bitch'n cars but both hand built and it's the only
>>way they will be produced in this day and age. Myself I'd take a nice
>>Studebaker over a factory hand built Ford at that price. Yes, I own a Ford
>>but I'm not a fan of factory hand built rip-offs, Ford or otherwise.
>
>Can you drive the GT 40 on the street? That GS replica isn't street
>legal.

Yes.

"lab~rat" > wrote in message
...

>>Tell me the difference between the hand build Ford and the hand built
>>Grand
>>sport? Both will be an exclusive club populated by hand built replicars.
>>By
>>the way the REAL GS was a hand built race car as were the Fords. The point
>> >>is that they were both bitch'n cars but both hand built and it's the
>>only
>>way they will be produced in this day and age. Myself I'd take a nice
>>Studebaker over a factory hand built Ford at that price. Yes, I own a Ford
>>but I'm not a fan of factory hand built rip-offs, Ford or otherwise.
>
> Can you drive the GT 40 on the street? That GS replica isn't street
> legal.
>
They will build it any way you want it, that includes street legal. Ask Ford
to build it any way you want it, say with a 427, 428, or the 429.

What can I say, it's a Ford or it's a Corvette, is there a choice?

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

> wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 13:24:47 GMT, lab~rat > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 22:58:54 -0500, "Dad" > puked:
>>
>>>
> wrote in message
...
>>>>>Now if you were going to spend money like that, try the Grand Sport
>>>>>replicar
>>>>>and kick the neighbors GT40's ass with a 700 HP big block..
>>>>>http://www.fastcorvette.com/SpecsPrices.htm
>>>>
>>>> You're right - the GT40 is 140 large. I can only dream of getting a
>>>> car like that. The point is that Ford stepped out and brought back a
>>>> modern day version of a legendary race car. It is in an exclusive
>>>> club. I probably will never be able to own one, but if given the
>>>> choice between that and a replica of a Grand Sport the GT gets my
>>>> pick. Now if it was a REAL GS it would obviously be a different story.
>>>>
>>>Tell me the difference between the hand build Ford and the hand built
>>>Grand
>>>sport? Both will be an exclusive club populated by hand built replicars.
>>>By
>>>the way the REAL GS was a hand built race car as were the Fords. The
>>>point
>>>is that they were both bitch'n cars but both hand built and it's the only
>>>way they will be produced in this day and age. Myself I'd take a nice
>>>Studebaker over a factory hand built Ford at that price. Yes, I own a
>>>Ford
>>>but I'm not a fan of factory hand built rip-offs, Ford or otherwise.
>>
>>Can you drive the GT 40 on the street? That GS replica isn't street
>>legal.
>
> Yes.
>
The question was "Can you" drive the GT40 on the street? Let us know when
"you" do that, ok? Inquiring minds want to know.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 14:33:18 -0500, "Dad" > puked:

>
>"lab~rat" > wrote in message
.. .
>
>>>Tell me the difference between the hand build Ford and the hand built
>>>Grand
>>>sport? Both will be an exclusive club populated by hand built replicars.
>>>By
>>>the way the REAL GS was a hand built race car as were the Fords. The point
>>> >>is that they were both bitch'n cars but both hand built and it's the
>>>only
>>>way they will be produced in this day and age. Myself I'd take a nice
>>>Studebaker over a factory hand built Ford at that price. Yes, I own a Ford
>>>but I'm not a fan of factory hand built rip-offs, Ford or otherwise.
>>
>> Can you drive the GT 40 on the street? That GS replica isn't street
>> legal.
>>
>They will build it any way you want it, that includes street legal. Ask Ford
>to build it any way you want it, say with a 427, 428, or the 429.
>
>What can I say, it's a Ford or it's a Corvette, is there a choice?

For 140,000, I would want to be able to drive it on the street. That
being said, for the same scratch you could have a nice collection of
Vettes, which would be my preference...

--
lab~rat >:-)
The less you care, the more it doesn't matter.

"lab~rat" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 14:33:18 -0500, "Dad" > puked:
>snip
>>
>>What can I say, it's a Ford or it's a Corvette, is there a choice?
>
> For 140,000, I would want to be able to drive it on the street. That
> being said, for the same scratch you could have a nice collection of
> Vettes, which would be my preference...
> --
> lab~rat >:-)

There you go, a club member has done that over the years. From the newest
down it go something like a 90 ZR1, 84, 69 L88 (a real one), 67, 65, 58 (his
driver), 57, 56, 55, 54, & 53. Quite a few were bought new except the ZR1
that was an after thought. The only one I have ever driven is the 55 at a
show, he seldom goes any more. Yes, he's older than me by 7 years and 1
month, didn't think that was possible, did you? I doubt the original layout
of funds would be $140,000, but would break that for all of the upkeep etc..
He really busted up the 58 once but had it totally rebuild because it tends
to be his favorite.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

> Anonymouswrote:
What is up with the GM styling and design team. Ford and Chrysler
are
> pulling away. I am a GM junkie but I find myself always looking
back
> at the "good ole days" instead of the present. Other than the
Corvette
> the Chevy line up is weak. It seems as though the bean counters
have
> left Ford and taken up residence at GM.
>
> Maybe they will wake up and realize that most people want well made
> and good looking cars. That will answer the question of why they
> aren't selling the cars that they currently are producing. For the
> love - I find myself considering a new Mustang.
>
> Rick
> 73 LS4 vert

I agree. And it just seems to be getting worse.

Look at this HORRIBLE and UGLY HHR that Chevy is releasing

http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=390

Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come

In article >,
lid (Bababooey) wrote:

> I agree. And it just seems to be getting worse.
>
> Look at this HORRIBLE and UGLY HHR that Chevy is releasing
>
> http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=390
>
> Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come

Looks a LOT like a PT Cruiser to me - which brings me to my next
blasphemous thought...

Anyone think the new Corvette looks very similar to the Viper? Now I've
only seen a couple on the street plus pics but that front end reminds me
of the Viper - maybe it's the exposed headlights or something.

These days GM reminds me of Microsoft - few original ideas, just
following the pack (Chrysler in this case, Apple and Mozilla in MS's
case) and glomming onto good products but reworking them without taking
the step to a higher level. Where's GM's innovation and styling
departments? I think, looking over the fence at the Chrysler design
studios.

Chrysler has done a FANTASTIC job of rising from the ashes of bankruptcy
and then the K-car. They've built mountains from the success of the
Dodge Ram trucks. They've not put all their energy into the trucks
though; they've pushed the styling and taken great risks in the Viper
(fer God's sake stuffy 'ol Chrysler put a V-10 in that thing!), PT
Cruiser, Prowler and Crossfire (that Bugatti-like styling just looks
great to me - must be the fastback look I've grown so attached to over
the last 26 years...), brought out the magnum sedan and wagon-looking
cars. Chrysler has really set themselves apart from the Big-3 pack. They
have new cars and great styling to appeal to all types of buyers.
However, when you look at GM, they're standing still. All they've done
is put out big, gas-guzzling SUVs, cut out the Camaro and Firebird, put
out ugly cars like that weird boxy Pontiac thingamajig that's not even
remotely quirky like the Scion line, and restyled the Corvette to look
like a Viper. Where's the out-on-a-limb restyles of the past Corvette
generations? '63 was a milestone of design as was '68 - radical.
Where're the Shinodas, Mitchells and Duntovs? Working at Chrysler. The
new Corvette should have been on the order of the Ferrari Enzo - at
least drop a V12 into the fiberglass.

On the other side of the coin, the Asian imports have stuck to much of
their strong suits in continuing to build quality cars that get very
respectable gas mileage - my wife's '03 Accord 4 door gets just shy of
30 mpg. They've started brand new companies (Accura and Lexus) to
attract those who started in the Civic and Corolla 20 years ago, the
Accord and Camry 10 years ago, and are now financially comfortable
enough to look to the luxury market - quite successfully I might add .
They've also invested quite a few bucks into the hybrids with
outstanding success - the waiting list for the Prius and Civic hybrids
are 6 months long. People can sell their used Prius for more than they
paid for it last year. Can anyone else say that of their mass-produced
vehicle? The Japanese have not been sitting on their asses milking a
good trend with no eye on the future of the oil situation. Toyota, is
it?, who plans a hybrid powerplant for a model in every single line?
Where is GM in this new market? Playing catch-up.

(Damn, I didn't plan on writing all that rant - just sort of came out on
its own.)

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

On Fri, 13 May 2005 01:14:52 -0700, Barking Rats
> puked:

>In article >,
> lid (Bababooey) wrote:
>
>> I agree. And it just seems to be getting worse.
>>
>> Look at this HORRIBLE and UGLY HHR that Chevy is releasing
>>
>> http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=390
>>
>> Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come
>
>Looks a LOT like a PT Cruiser to me - which brings me to my next
>blasphemous thought...
>
>Anyone think the new Corvette looks very similar to the Viper? Now I've
>only seen a couple on the street plus pics but that front end reminds me
>of the Viper - maybe it's the exposed headlights or something.
>
>These days GM reminds me of Microsoft - few original ideas, just
>following the pack (Chrysler in this case, Apple and Mozilla in MS's
>case) and glomming onto good products but reworking them without taking
>the step to a higher level. Where's GM's innovation and styling
>departments? I think, looking over the fence at the Chrysler design
>studios.
>
>Chrysler has done a FANTASTIC job of rising from the ashes of bankruptcy
>and then the K-car. They've built mountains from the success of the
>Dodge Ram trucks. They've not put all their energy into the trucks
>though; they've pushed the styling and taken great risks in the Viper
>(fer God's sake stuffy 'ol Chrysler put a V-10 in that thing!), PT
>Cruiser, Prowler and Crossfire (that Bugatti-like styling just looks
>great to me - must be the fastback look I've grown so attached to over
>the last 26 years...), brought out the magnum sedan and wagon-looking
>cars. Chrysler has really set themselves apart from the Big-3 pack. They
>have new cars and great styling to appeal to all types of buyers.
>However, when you look at GM, they're standing still. All they've done
>is put out big, gas-guzzling SUVs, cut out the Camaro and Firebird, put
>out ugly cars like that weird boxy Pontiac thingamajig that's not even
>remotely quirky like the Scion line, and restyled the Corvette to look
>like a Viper. Where's the out-on-a-limb restyles of the past Corvette
>generations? '63 was a milestone of design as was '68 - radical.
>Where're the Shinodas, Mitchells and Duntovs? Working at Chrysler. The
>new Corvette should have been on the order of the Ferrari Enzo - at
>least drop a V12 into the fiberglass.
>
>On the other side of the coin, the Asian imports have stuck to much of
>their strong suits in continuing to build quality cars that get very
>respectable gas mileage - my wife's '03 Accord 4 door gets just shy of
>30 mpg. They've started brand new companies (Accura and Lexus) to
>attract those who started in the Civic and Corolla 20 years ago, the
>Accord and Camry 10 years ago, and are now financially comfortable
>enough to look to the luxury market - quite successfully I might add .
>They've also invested quite a few bucks into the hybrids with
>outstanding success - the waiting list for the Prius and Civic hybrids
>are 6 months long. People can sell their used Prius for more than they
>paid for it last year. Can anyone else say that of their mass-produced
>vehicle? The Japanese have not been sitting on their asses milking a
>good trend with no eye on the future of the oil situation. Toyota, is
>it?, who plans a hybrid powerplant for a model in every single line?
>Where is GM in this new market? Playing catch-up.
>
>(Damn, I didn't plan on writing all that rant - just sort of came out on
>its own.)

I agree with pretty much all of that except I don't think the Vette
looks like a Viper...
--
lab~rat >:-)
Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

I agree, it is far too easy to write a full page or two of rant when you
begin talking about GM these days. And this is a person born and bred on
Chevrolet, whose first car was a Chevy, whose first new car was a Chevy, and
has had a Chevy in the garage forever. Well, almost, these days the
everyday isn't a Chevy, it is a GMC.

The look of the new Corvette has grown on me once I saw it in person.
However, I can't pick them out of traffic. Neither can my daughter, who is
currently into calling out Corvettes on the way to anywhere. A C5 stands
out. A C4 stands out. C3 and back stand out incredibly. But the C6 looks
far too much like a typical Japanese import sporty car/sedan from the front.

GM's innovation? Dead. When the Camaro/Firebird began their bloated rounded
look in '96 or '97 or whatever it was, I knew that was the end of
Camaro/Firebird. With regular tires from the back, the look was all wrong.
It wasn't a pony look anymore, and that was what the whole deal was about.
The engine shoved under the windshield, good grief Charlie Brown, didn't
anyone remember lessons from shoehorning in a V8 in the Monza? A look at it
and the Mustang and it was no contest. The Camaro may have been sleeker
looking, but the Mustang was Saturday night ready. And easily modified for
more Saturday night fun.

I had thought once of doing some SCCA IT racing but that involved everything
non-GM. Well, you could drag out a Vega or Monza, but they had to compete
against much newer technology Japanese cars. Nothing in the GM lineup was
even close to being good for IT. Cavalier? Yeah, right.

And really, if you look at GM engineering, the only real saving grace they
have had is the Chevrolet small block and big block. Look at where the
bolts are on a trailing arm of a C2 and C3 and call that good engineering.
Look under the hood at almost any Corvette for any work on anything and call
that good. It is squeezed in like a slave ship out of Africa in the 1700s!

The C1 and the C2 can be forgiven many problems because they were fast, they
looked good, and they provided you a basic platform to do almost anything
you wanted. C4 allowed much less of your own. C5 was designed to have you
do nothing. And C6?

"Tom in Missouri" > wrote in message
. net...
>
> I agree, it is far too easy to write a full page or two of rant when you
> begin talking about GM these days. And this is a person born and bred on
> Chevrolet, whose first car was a Chevy, whose first new car was a Chevy,
and
> has had a Chevy in the garage forever. Well, almost, these days the
> everyday isn't a Chevy, it is a GMC.

Oops, didnt' read what I wrote. There is still aChevy in the garage forever.
The Corvettes ahve been there for the las 30 years. I was thinking of the
daily regular transportaion, although the '79 is getting more daily use
lately that the GMC, especially at the price of gas.


> GM's innovation? Dead. When the Camaro/Firebird began their bloated
rounded
> look in '96 or '97 or whatever it was, I knew that was the end of
> Camaro/Firebird. With regular tires from the back, the look was all
wrong.
> It wasn't a pony look anymore, and that was what the whole deal was about.
> The engine shoved under the windshield, good grief Charlie Brown, didn't
> anyone remember lessons from shoehorning in a V8 in the Monza? A look at
it
> and the Mustang and it was no contest. The Camaro may have been sleeker
> looking, but the Mustang was Saturday night ready. And easily modified
for
> more Saturday night fun.

Look at the '69 Camaro for the perfect street fighter. The right look, the
right everything. The newest Camaro may have been faster and a road racer,
but if you want to live at 150 mph, you buy a Corvette. The pony cars like
the Mustang, Camaro, and so on were not bad at that level, but their real
home was a Saturday night at any traffic light. The '69 Camaro worked well
with a set of 10 inch wides on front and back and also with a set of 4 inch
wide fronts with 12 inch wide rear. It could go drag racer or road racer.