Beauty. One of my dream cars would be a 69 Z/28.
I have to settle for this:
Posted on 05/03/2009 6:52:08 PM PDT by Spktyr
Maybe worse than the first Camaro wreck is the first Chevy Camaro breakdown. This "p**sy magnet" Bumblebee-yellow Camaro lost all electrical power and coasted to a stop with a scant 40 miles on the odometer.
The ecstatic new owner, a forum fan-girl by the name of BUMLB, was crushed when the car conked-out cruising through a parking lot at a leisurely 5 MPH, completely losing all electrical power, locking the gear selector and the key in the ignition. A flatbed towed the disabled car to a dealer where diagnosis found the cable running from the trunk mounted battery had frayed on the starter motor and grounded out, causing complete loss of power. A new cable running a different route will be installed at the dealer. Hopefully this isn't something we'll be seeing more of on other cars. [Camaro5]
Well, you obviously aren’t among the car disadvantaged!
My friend with 3 GM vehicles has experienced problems with all of them, though he won’t admit there may be something wrong with GM “quality”. My folks bought a new Pontiac 20 years ago, tranny died right off the lot.
I won’t buy GM. 20-30+ grand is too much for a quality control crap shoot. I liked the Dodges I’ve driven, but I won’t buy one. I love Ford F -series trucks, I may even buy one, but for now, I’ll stick to my Toyotas. The odds with them not dieing at 35k miles seem to be better.
That they did, the interesting thing is that they used mostly factory stock parts. It may tend to indicate that the problem was in the labor that assembled the cars. Cars "re-built" by Grumpy or Smokey performed amazingly well and lived to run again, most of the time.
I had a 1984 Firebird which had pieces of the interior falling off. Within a month of purchase, the alternator pulley decided to find its own way home rather than stay with the car. That was the last GM car I bought, too.
“The problem wasn’t that the GMs weren’t as good as the Mopars or Fords... its that *all* of them had terrible quality. If they didn’t have that, the Japanese imports would not have been able to get a foothold starting in 1969 with the Datsun/Nissan 510 and the 240Z.”
I almost agree with you. The time frame is off, in my estimation. The domestic brands started to collapse in quality in the mid 70s. I’m not saying that the quality was as good as current Honda and Toyota models, but the domestic brands were pretty decent up until the oil embargo caught them without vision. That, and slapping catalytic converters on cars with no engineering to compensate for backpressure.
So, apparently, nothing has changed from then to now at GM. Still the same spotty design and crap assembly.
“Well, you obviously aren’t among the car disadvantaged!”
It seems we’re both doing alright. But, any real car guy always wants more!
Yep.
Datsun’s big moment came before the oil crises with the 510 and the 240Z. For a lot less money than a domestic, you got a much better albeit smaller car. Those were the first Japanese cars to gain public attention without being laughed at - especially as both models would happily wipe the floor with most larger American cars at just about any SCCA gathering of the day.
That was their foot in the door. The floodgates didn’t open up until the oil crises, though - but there was already a river of cars starting to come from Japan even before 1972.
My other Jag is a 95 XJR putting out 452hp at the rear wheels.
:D
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET....
“Datsun’s big moment came before the oil crises with the 510 and the 240Z. “
Objectivity is important. Datsun had their share of issues. Isn’t that why Datsun is now Nissan? I have a friend who had a 240Z. Cool car, but it was tempermental, and rusted like crazy. I do know that the absloute worst car I ever owned was a 1981 Datsun 310GX. Terrible, horrible car.
GM began to turn it around in the late 90s. I gave them a shot with a 2002 Bonneville. It was a terrible car. I traded it off with only 58k on the clock and now drive a Camry as my daily driver.
I love cars, and wish the American makes were good. GM’s fate is sealed with government/UAW ownership. I try to stay objective and I’m cheering for Ford. Even bought some Ford stock. Ironically, in the late 60s early 70s, (that’s my era), Ford was the worst of the domestics.
The battery is under the back seat in my wife’s 95 Riviera...
“My other Jag is a 95 XJR putting out 452hp at the rear wheels.”
So you’re a Ford man? :P
My Vette is not as stout. But, in it’s day, it was world class.
Yum.
No, that’s not why Datsun changed their name.
They were sold as Nissans everywhere but England and the US. In those countries, they used the Datsun name as many veterans of the Pacific theatre in WW2 had, um, unfortunate experiences with things bearing “Nissan” badges. Once the majority of the buying populace was no longer WW2 vets, they changed their name back in those markets.
And yes, Nissan had some unfortunate cars. The B210 was another oopsie. Overall, though, they did pretty well.
Toyota’s big moment was the 1976 Corolla, FYI.
Not so much. The 95 XJR’s design predates Ford (it’s an evolution of the 88 XJ6).
Figures. As if the last couple of versions weren’t bad enough, leave it to GM to screw up the new retro model as well. On the other hand, the Mustang just keeps getting better and better. They were the first pony car and are now the last.
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