Vanity: Five Epic **** that Drove Once-Invicible General Motors Off a Cliff:

Reaganite Republican Blog ^ | November 17, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Ah, back when GM ruled...

As a car-crazy American kid in the late 70s, only GM cars were cool to me, except Mustang or a 'Cuda maybe. I myself had a  '75 Camaro and then a couple Firebirds, and when I was in high school, if your dad drove a new Olds Cutlass Supreme (America's best-selling car at the time) or Pontiac Grand Am/ Grand Prix, that meant you had sporty style and class- very cool. We simply weren't into imports, and Ford and Chrysler did not have fresh designs on the same level as GM in my mind... more like parodies of the General's best. And I'd have stayed loyal the GM for the rest of my days... 

Alas, that was just about the time that company's product quality really started to tank.  And it wasn't just built-to-a-price materials and typically indifferent Detroit assembly... now we were talking major design flaws and shortsighted engineering that cost the company -and it's customers- dearly.

My next Firebird -a '79- had frail door handles made of pig iron and the new, feeble lightweight (in every sense of the word) Pontiac 301 V-8... it's weak performance and mediocre reliability enough to scare me towards a German-built Volkswagen for my first new car out of college in the mid 1980s.

And you know what: I still tried to consider a new Pontiac Sunbird instead... that is, until the eye-opening experience of driving it back-to-back vs the Jetta, simply no comparison, particularly in handling and refinement: disappointingly, the 'J-car' '87 Sunbird just felt clumsy and crude. Fact is, an engineer ran VW, while an accountant like Roger Smith could always be found in the captain's chair at GM... it showed in both cases.

But as corporate morass, an insatiable UAW, and clueless bean-counters slowly eroded GM engineers' ability to put a quality product on the road, this was more readily apparent in some designs than others. Seems penny-wise-pound-foolish engineering was first made obvious to the public by the early 60s Corvair, but here's five cars that really destroyed GM's reputation and eventually scared away millions of customers... most unwilling to step inside a General Motors showroom again as long as they live:

1978-85 Oldsmobile Diesels

A crash program to develop an economical engine for large GM passenger cars had Olds engineers basing their new Diesel engine on existing gasoline block, rather than a from-scratch design as would normally be the case. Extensive modifications weren't enough to bring the (ultra high-compression) engine even a modicum of reliability, and at a measly 120 hp, the (largest-available) 350 V-8 version was extremely underpowered for two-ton Detroit sleds like the 88 Royale and 98 Regency.

In the end, they shouldn't have even bothered if they weren't willing to do it right. Unfortunately for other GM divisions, they too sold product "powered" by troublesome Olds oilburners, with midsize cars offering a sickly 85 hp V-6 Olds Diesel that broke every bit as much as the eights.

Eventually a class action lawsuit against GM -along with horrible press- brought hapless buyers of these lemons 80% the cost of a replacement engine. How foolish of the company to bully them legally and force them fight for it so publicly when everybody and his dog knew those motors were junk long before anything ever went to court.

Chevrolet Vega, 1971-77

The plan sounded good enough, like Ford and AMC, General Motors was entering the econo-car business to confront the imports with it's own compacts.  And GM was aiming to produce a more advanced design than the competition, with a state-of-the-art aluminum engine block, among other features. The mini-Camaro styling was handsome, and actually, for the few years -in  the midst of a gas crisis- they sold like crazy.

But besides numerous design flaws caused by an under-developed rush to market, the vaunted 60 cars/hour production rate at Lordstown, Ohio brought what could be described as crap assembly quality. Thousands of unfinished cars languished on lots awaiting back-ordered parts, yet none of the car's numerous troubles -including rusting so intense you could hear it on a quiet night... or trunks that filled with rainwater- could amount to the damage to public perception caused by the Chevrolet Vega's horrible engine.

GM's skinflint management had them making a block that distorted, heads that then leaked, and engine cylinders that got scraped 'cuz they skipped steel cylinder sleeves to save a little dough... what a good idea! 

And engines with warped blocks and scoured cylinder walls tend to make lots of smoke and blow up... pretty much what Vega owners learned to expect with certainty, and somewhere well-south of 50,000 mi.

Chevrolet Chevette. 1976-87

Learning precious little from the Vega debacle, the battle-weary General's attempt to compete with the Japanese and VW's advanced fwd Golf (Rabbit in the US) in the mid 70s actually ended up with outdated rear wheel drive so as to utilize as many existing parts from Vega and other Chevys as possible... to cut costs, of course. The result was poor handling, a cramped interior with unwelcome drive-shaft tunnel... not to mention mediocre performance by any measure.

Plenty were sold through the '79 gas crises and beyond, that's for sure. But the car's main attributes were simply low cost of purchase and operation, and the Chevette was outclassed by almost every single rival: with 53-70 hp, it could barely get out of it's own way, while the quality of the drive could be described as 'agricultural'. 

The business argument is often made that manufacturers need to maintain a presence at the entry-level -even if not making money- as to build a base of future customers. But how can that possibly apply to a car like Chevette... anybody I ever knew who had one longed for anything but a Chevrolet after spending a couple of years in an automotive purgatory like this.

1981-84 Cadillac V8-6-4

The concept was sound: a computer-controlled fuel injection, valves, and ignition system that cut-out two or four of the Cadillac V-8's cylinders when cruising speed was reached, downhill, etc. My buddy's dad had a new one in 1980, and we went and beat on it for fun when we could. It had a trip computer that read out instantaneous MPG on the dash all the time, I recall we thought it was cool to coast at 99 MPG then stomp on the gas and drive it to 2 MPG, lol.

But while such selective firing engines are sold today -including by GM- the concept was far ahead of the 1981 computer technology, thus the Cadillac V8-6-4 was a lemon, BIG time. Even when it was working properly -and on all eight cylinders- the 6.0 liter V-8 still made only a pathetic 140 hp. And all this trouble and weak performance in an expensive, top-of-the-line luxury car?

GM 'X-Cars', 1980-1985

(Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoenix, 

Oldsmobile Omega, Buick Skylark)

They were supposed to revolutionize how GM cars were engineered and built, and although the design was spacious and well laid-out -and an incredible amount of money was spent on their development- the 'X-cars' were a quality nightmare: there had never been a General Motors car with so many recalls in history... and there's never been since.

The monumental failure of such a large-scale, vital GM program like this one really shook confidence of many who once felt the company's market position to be unassailable. Although sales started out briskly, by the third year they had all but collapsed as the platform's quality woes became legend.

A friend of mine's family picked up one of the first Oldsmobile Omegas as a third car when the first came out. Really nice little sedan, like a mini-Cutlass, comfortable with tons of room... but indeed this brand-new (and not inexpensive) car was always in the shop.

As I recall, this is when most started to wonder if the General had lost his touch...  sadly, it had- and in today's iteration as 'Government Motors' imo GM still wanders in the dark...

Video/more at Reaganite Rebublican

[ken5050]

nice job....some say that GM’s decline began when they were caught sticking Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles without disclosing it..while at the same time continuing to market the “Rocket Olds “ engines..

[beebuster2000]

i bought a vega as my first car. $3,500. and man did it rust out. the panels in the back went almost instantly, and one day i looked down and could see thru the floor.

[DemforBush]

“...including rusting so intense you could hear it on a quiet night..”

Ha! That is *so* true. My older sister had a Vega, and that thing rusted like it had metal-eating termites in the body.

The really funny thing is, every Vega I remember seeing always first started rusting just behind the driver’s side front fender on back to the driver’s door. It was eerie - I must have seen ten or fifteen Vegas on the road with the exact same rust pattern.

[trumandogz]

This is what you get when UAW Union thugs design GM cars and decide what cars should be produced.

[Rio]

That Oldsmobile Diesel engine was the first thing that I thought of.

[bwc2221]

No critique of GM stupidity is complete without the inclusion of the 1980s J-body: Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac 2000/Sunbird, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza and Cadillas Cimmeron. It providede just what the market demanded: a Chevy Cavalier with leather seats badged as a Cadillac.

Just when GM developed some decent models, it dropped the line: Oldsmobile (Aurora, Allero and Intrigue), Saturn (View, Outlook and Aura) and Pointiac (G6 and G8).

[DJ MacWoW]

Day 48 Of The FReepathon
Do You Know Why?

There are loyal posters that donate every FReepathon. Some donate several times during every 'thon. But others never donate. Why?

1 My enemies haven't been zotted.
2 The owner doesn't support my candidate.
3 FR won't "upgrade" to "Like" buttons and blinky crap.
4 Someone else will donate.
5 My friend was zotted.
6 I lost my job and have no income.

Only one of those is a legitimate reason.

Support It Or Lose It

[rocksblues]

What about the 1980 Olds Cutlass with a Buick engine?

[Joe 6-pack]

Based on my own personal experience, I would disagree with the X-cars on this list. I had a Citation (inherited second hand from a family member) that got great mileage, took a lot of abuse, and due to its interior layout allowed a kid to haul a lot more stuff to and from college each year than most similarly sized cars. Back in high school and college I was an active spelunker and the front wheel drive of that car let me go a lot of places I'd have never made it in a rear wheeler.

Say what you will about the quality control issues, I continued to (and occasionally still do) see one on the road here and there. With minimal maintenance that car made it well over 200K miles before it gave up the ghost.

[I cannot think of a name]

That’s also what you get when you listen to Motor Trend.

Chevrolet Vega - “Car of the Year”

Chevrolet Citation - “Car of the Year”

I owned a Vega as a college student, and bought a Citation (based on Motor Trend’s recommendation) right after getting married.

I canceled my Motor Trend subscription and have never read it since!

[Yardstick]

GM 'X-Cars', 1980-1985

Yep, horrible cars. The proof is that you never see them on the road anymore, and that has been true for many years. They are the lost generation. When you do see one, it's like seeing a ghost.

[donozark]

Once rode from Branson to Fayetteville, AR in a Vega. Damned thing tracked sideways! The body was actually cocked to the L on the non-existent frame! When driving, one had to look slightly to the right to see straight ahead!

Good thing I had a couple cold ones with me....What a sad, sad, car.

[bwc2221]

Sales volume leaders from the early 1970s:
1. Chevrolet
2. Ford
3. Plymouth
4. Pontiac
5. Oldsmobile

[MountainDad]

I had a '72 Vega that me and my Air Force buddies dropped a souped-up 350 engine and a 2-speed automatic into. Bought a kit from a company called "Don Hardy" to do it. (I think that was the company name)

That thing was FAST!

[The KG9 Kid]

I notice an intro into this article stating "Ah, back when GM ruled..." underneath a picture of a 1975 Formula Firebird.

Um, no.

That honking land beast didn't have the power to pull a sick whore off a toilet, even with the rare 455 engine that had single exhaust and catalytic converters like it was trying to breathe through a swizzle stick. That generation of GM pony cars were close to twice the weight of the first generation Camaro/Firebirds once you added up all the 'elegance' crap like Berlinetta packages with crushed velour living room furniture interiors and safety bumpers and smog control devices.

Guys trying to modify that version of the 455 for torque with aftermarket cams found out that the lifter valley casting tray was weak as a kitten and would often crack and let the whole valve train loose in an explosion of white oily smoke. Those blocks were not the last gasp smog-era 455 H.O. motors of fame.

Author needs to investigate what GM was offering about five years earlier, I think.

[ken5050]

let’s not forget the great idea to sell the Nova in Latin America..seems that nobody in GM marketing ever took Spanish..

[mnehring]

I remember when I was a kid my parents had one of those big Oldsmobile Diesels. To a little kid, I thought I was in a big limo (if I knew what Pimpin was then, I would have said it was Pimpin). I still remember the little ‘glow plug’ light on the dashboard and before you started the car, you had to turn the key until ‘glow plug’ lit up.

[Fiji Hill]

I once had a 1965 Chevy Impala which I drove for nearly a quarter million miles. However, the quality of GM cars seemed to go down in the vehicles that I or my family have owned since.

In 1972, my family got a '73 Pontiac Le Mans. When they first took it to a car wash, the trunk was flooded--at the factory, they forgot to put in the rubber seals under the trunk lid. The car continued to have problems until one day, I turned on the air conditioner and acrid smoke started coming through the vent. I got off the freeway and drove to a tractor manufacturing plant, where the fire developed in earnest. Employees at the plant put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but the car was history.

I also got a 1972 Impala which had a design flaw--the metal under the rear window rusted, causing rain to leak into the trunk.

My final GM car was an '84 Buick, which I bought used. I was driving along, and it stopped cold. Turns out the timing chain--made from cheap plastic--had broken.

I'm now on my fourth Ford product, a 2000 Taurus, which was the best car I ever had, but it's nearing the end of its life. In the past, I've sworn I would never consider a "foreign" car, but I'm now considering a Hyundai, a Mazda, or a Honda.

[ResponseAbility]

That is precisely why a friend of mine put a v8 in his vega wagon and foam sprayed the undercarriage(he did it for the noise, probably had no idea about the rust). He won so many races with that thing, because no one believed they could lose to it.