I miss my 78 El Camino. I traded it in for a New Honda Accord in 84 which was a great car as well. Should have kept the El Cam and restored it.
Detroit scoffed at W. Edwards Deming, so he went to Japan to spread American innovation free from UAW constraints. If Japan had been fat at the time, like the UAW, Deming might not have had as easy a sell. Detroit has not been desperate enough to change their culture - yet.
In the past, GM vehicles typically had problems with electical components after 40k miles. Ford’s weak spot was usually the transmission at 60K. I swore off (and at) both many years ago.
You know I had three of those Chevettes, which I bought for 500 bucks or so each used and I came to know it so well from the work that had to be done on them that I came to have a perverse affection for them, although some features of the design, such as the placement of the A/C compressor, were quite stupid.
Honestly, I love my GM Chevey Avalanche. 60,200 miles and not a single problem, used it to tow campers and sailboats, firewood, 4x4 on snow and ice, backcountry and city driving. Throw the 3x kids in the back seat after school and they’re not crowded... I’ll happily buy another one it’s been such a good work vehicle.
bump
Great article, but it would be even better if it mentioned the other marques that GM invested-in and proceeded to damage through insane product and technology choices.
Subaru, for example. One word: Tribeca.
If there’s one thing to hope for, it’s that Detroit has learned two key lessons from the Japanese: listen to the customers, and sweat the details. They can compete when they pay attention.
In defense of the engineers who designed the Vega, let’s put some blame on the hard working, scum sucking UAW members at the Lordstown, Ohio plant who sabotaged it.
As for the Chevette, yeah that’s a management problem.
My brother had a diesel chevette years ago,it got 48mpg. The only reason he got rid of it is because it got beat up so bad that the drivers door wouldn't close.
I’ve had eight GM pickups or SUVs over my lifetime. As hunting/fishing/camping vehicles and family haulers, they can’t be beat IMO.
Wish I still had that 1966 Camper Special with the Corvette engine!
We had a Citation in 1981. The radio never worked, the welds on the hood all broke loose, sometimes the brakes wold lock up and you would spin out on wet pavement and the dash shattered in cold weather. We also had a late 70’s pickup truck that the body literally rusted away leaving the frame and drive train.
Swore off GM products and became hardcore Ford customers until the late 90’s then switched to Toyota and Honda becuuse resale value of domestic cars were dismal
I took a 2 year old Ford with 40,000 miles in to trade and the trade in value was 30% new price. I told the dealer that if the next Ford car I bought was going to loose 70% value in 2 years they can keep it, I am buying Toyota from now on. I walked out and haven’t been back in a Ford dealership since, that was 10 years ago.
Yall can say what you want.... but my 03 Chevy S10 is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Aside from tires and batteries, after 110k miles the starter is the only part that has been replaced. Still quiet and solid.
I truly don’t believe that I would trade it for a brand new truck.
ping
I have owned the top two on this list:
A ‘74 Vega. The GT model with the 2-bbl carb, not the plebian base model. The aluminum block smoked like an an oil fire...which it was. Both rear quarterpanels rusted away and it bled exhaust inboard. Somehow it aways passed emissions and aside from $80 of exhaust work and a quart of oil every couple of days, I never put a dollar into it.
The other was an ‘82 Citation. Nothing said “Detroit” like this ride. Ugly from the A pillar back. Mine had the “Iron Duke” 151 motor. Lots of aftermarket goodies for that motor and as reliable as sunrise. The only investment I ever put into that car was a new set of brake pads. It finally met its end at the hands of a lady who couldn’t get her Suburban whoaed up at a red light.
My experiences with GM vehicles:
‘68 Olds Vista Cruiser - parents’ car; actually pretty solid but it was a late 60’s American car and pretty well used up by the time Dad sold it.
‘78 Buick Estate Wagon - also my parents’ car. I took my driver test in it. Also reasonably solid, but typical ‘70s American ugly complete with fake wood paneling on the side.
‘81 Buick Electra - one of the aforementioned GM diesels. ‘Nuff said.
‘80 Oldsmobile Cutlass - the first GM product in the family with my name on the title. Suffered numerous electrical faults, mostly due to the engine computer. Had a V8 engine, but still couldn’t get out of its own way, and even for as big as it was it had less rear legroom than the ‘81 Honda it replaced. The check engine light came on any time I got it over 60mph.
‘89 Chevrolet Caprice - good car. My folks kept it for fifteen years and almost a quarter-million miles on the original engine (though it was on its second rear axle by then).
‘85 Chevrolet Sprint - okay, techincally it’s a Suzuki; this was my last GM vehicle. I went through TWO engines in the 40,000 or so miles I put on it (both spun the #3 rod bearing).
‘96 Cadillac DeVille Concours - Mom and Dad’s last GM vehicle. Comfy, powerful, quiet, expensive any time something broke. Finally done in by an accident a couple months ago.
My current car, btw, is a ‘91 Mazda Miata with 235K on the clock. Besides being a lot of fun to drive, it’s easily the most dependable car I’ve owned.
after the experience of driving a ‘77 Ford Granada for a little while, I don’t think that I would be complaining about any GM car, ever! The tranny blew at 26K miles, and the Operation board game had more reliable wiring.
Say what you will about the Chevette, I still see quite a few of them out there running, 25 yrs. later.
I’ll call major BS on the Saturn part.
My 12 yr old Satty with 135,000 miles looks like new and runs great. The panels don’t discolor or crack.
My older brother would (quite vocally) insist that the Pontiac Fiero make the top ten list.
He had nothing but problems with his.
My sister had one of those old Vegas. She carried several quarts of oil in the trunk as insurance, and it rusted everywhere but the luggage rack. Still, it started every single day and ran from the day she bought it until the day she traded it in - for an AMC Hornet :-).