Posted on 07/23/2021 5:13:01 PM PDT by george76
Have you heard the one about the dead cars? No, not the ones we find in junkyards, but the ones that haven’t had life yet, thanks to the chip shortage.
These so-called “dead” cars are vehicles that have rolled off the assembly line, otherwise ready for sale, sitting in fields or on lots near the factories that produced them, just waiting for chips
The New York Times even recently recounted an anecdote from a dealer principal who took a pilgrimage to a Ford factory to see all the “dead” cars for himself.
We weren’t able to pin down a reliable estimate on how many dead cars there are sitting outside of factories, but we’re going to guess the number is a lot.
And that number is set to grow, as GM announced that plants in Indiana, Michigan, and Mexico that produce the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra will halt next week, thanks to, you guessed it, the chip shortage.
GM had so far avoided chip-related shutdowns by skipping some features, and by … building some trucks and adding the chips in later. See how that “dead” car anecdote links to today’s news story?
Of course, halting production is a step beyond finishing vehicles and letting them sit until the chip cavalry arrives.
“The global semiconductor shortage remains complex and very fluid, but GM’s global purchasing and supply chain, engineering and manufacturing teams continue to find creative solutions and make strides working with the supply base to minimize the impact to our highest-demand and capacity-constrained vehicles, including full-size trucks and SUVs for our customers,” the company said in a statement.
Leaving vehicles partially finished and cutting out certain features are just two solutions for automakers struggling through an unusual time.
They’re still getting them in, though - Toyota and Honda have their own zaibatsus that can actually make their own chips, so they’re still producing albeit at a reduced rate.
A good friend gave me an 82K 4 bolt 350 for this van. Still tight and runs strong.
I never recall seeing a shortage of carburetors or distributors or points and condensers when I started driving back in the 60’s.
Interesting
Looked suspiciously like a Studebaker Lark until I zoomed in.
There is no chip shortage. It is a labor shortage the liberals do not want to discuss or expose to the public.
Make chips here.
Insane to have our car production held hostage by China or any nation
Under certain circumstances, it can reach water’s height though.
Another step on the road to Castroism. Who’d have ever thought it’d come to this? As the Cubans throw off their shackles maybe they can throw us a ‘57 Chevy or two.
I’m convinced someone could make a safe, comfortable car, with no chips, no computers that got decent fuel mileage, and lasted for 250K miles, for $8000
Does it use a carburetor?
Nah, they’re just well-informed.
Not going to happen in the era of CAFE and EPA regs.
Big Chicken (Gavin McCloud) in Hawaii could get carbs stolen to order.
It would be good to know the countries that GM sources chips from.
They could always go back to the Ford Duraspark II ignition system, My 1977 Mercury Cougar had one.
Perhaps this will signal a revival of demand for battery/ points/coil and distributor ignition systems, (or even magnetos?) along with carburetors or mechanical fuel injection.
Back to the future????
This too shall pass. I don’t ever want to go back to the days of keys, no back up camera, no electronic stability control, no anti-lock brakes, no tire pressure monitoring system with individual tire pressure readout, no blind spot monitoring, no rear cross traffic alert, no hands-free telephone via bluetooth, no automatic climate control, no infotainment screen, no digital speedometer display, no temperature display, no compass display, and the list goes on and on. I love all the technology in my current generation Chevy Silverado.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.