FORGET A PHASE OUT!

[GMC]

As you may think from My recent article, I dislike pontiac. I think the opposite! PONTIAC RULES! I have been upset since 2002s end of firebird production, but if the Firebird becomes the performance god it used to be, I will indeed buy one! It will go niceley with my soon to be purchased bonneville(Its my first restoration)! This will be SO AWSOME!!!!!

I couldnt wait! Heres my Idea of a firebird trans am!

Any opinions on a new firebird? I am going to write an article on why Pontiac needs THIS car for its halo vehicle!

Heres the *concept*

[Croc]

Are you kidding me? I don't see a Firebird here, but merely a Camaro concept with an Arrowhead on it and two bird decals. "Oh, but it says 'Pontiac' on it!" Even GM had the decency to add a twinport grille to the Aveo and Cobalt before making them Pontiacs. They even changed the headlight shape on the Torrent!

[tama z71]

Quit posting stupid $h! in the articles section! All this nonsense could have gone into one doomed thread, three is a waste!!

[GMC]

I WONT DO ANYMORE! GOD!

[Cory Wolfe]

This is quite funny, I must say...

[Flybrian]

Okay, let's all chill out.

GMC, we all completely appreciate and support your enthusiasm and I, for one, appreciated your original article. If you're writing an entirely new article after some time has past, a sort of sequel/retrospective/prologue, that's a different story, but the content of this specific 'new thread' could've been incorporated in your original article thread and the 'chop in the Member Showcase section of C&G Design.

Remember that this section is meant for writings that may sometimes be featured on our front page, so we do have a standard of quality for what is posted here. Again, your original post certainly met that; this, however, belongs elsewhere.

Others, let's remember the mutual respect concept, alright? Thanks.

[tama z71]

sorry dude

:AH-HA_wink:

Edited August 24, 2006 by tama z71

[the_yellow_dart]

I do like the look of the double headlights - but if GM cheaps out on rebadging the Camaro this bad, that would be sad...

[BlkHhr104]

needs a new fascia maybe a more shaped twin grille some work to the body you know the trademark pontiac stuff.

Edited August 24, 2006 by BlkHhr104

[Sixty8panther]

GMC: I too hope that the Firebird makes a comeback 5th gen.

Camaro style but not IN 5th gen Camaro style.

The C6 & XLR plus Sky & Solstice are a great example of how

different cars can look even if they're the same basic vehicle.

Here's a few Firebird Concepts that I think do a good job of

differentiating themselves from the Camaro concept while

still being based on the same wheelbase, chassis etc.

I love the idea of a (pillarless) hardtop greenhouse on a 2nd

gen. style retro Firebird. Originally the 2nd gen. was supposed

to have a hardtop greenhouse but some moron bean-counter

told management that deleting the rear windows & regulators

would save GM $18 per unit. (true story)

[SuperSport623]

i want that smokey and the bandit trans am SO bad! lol

[GMTruckGuy74]

I agree SuperSport623, if Pontiac made the Smokey & the Bandit-styled Trans Am, I'd just might consider getting rid of the SKY for one! I've always liked the looks of the '77-'78 T/A's the best, followed by the '68 Firebird 400, '91-'92 GTA's and of course the '96-'97 WS6 Ram Air T/A's. Those are my favorite years. Edited August 25, 2006 by GMTruckGuy74

[Guest YellowJacket894]

The white and blue 'Bird Sixty4 posted looks pretty sharp for a rebadge.

[Robert Hall]

The white and blue 'Bird Sixty4 posted looks pretty sharp for a rebadge.

184919[/snapback]

I like the white and blue one also..very 1969 yet modern. The black and gold '77 one is neat also..I like the variations on the Pontiac split grille on all of them..

[PurdueGuy]

While those look good, I really think that GM needs to make bigger sheetmetal changes than that for a firebird. As said, they've done well with the 'vette/XLR and sky/solstice, and they need that level of differentiation for the camaro/firebird, or GM's reputation will once again get slapped for badge engineering (vs the much more acceptable platform engineering).

[rkmdogs]

While those look good, I really think that GM needs to make bigger sheetmetal changes than that for a firebird.  As said, they've done well with the 'vette/XLR and sky/solstice, and they need that level of differentiation for the camaro/firebird, or GM's reputation will once again get slapped for badge engineering (vs the much more acceptable platform engineering).

185170[/snapback]

This comment is spoken like a true college student who has never worked or paid for anything in industry in his life!

Do you know what toolmakers get for salaries? Or even what dies and other

tooling cost?

These are MAJOR, major expenditures, that cannot be justified, just to be

different.

Business majors----- tell'um what it takes to make a business case for a tool change!

With the offshore competition getting a helping hand from their governments

to come into our market, while our government clubs our industry over the head

for trying to use common sense, makes for a very negative attitude.

[PurdueGuy]

This comment is spoken like a true college student who has never worked or paid for anything in industry in his life!

Do you know what toolmakers get for salaries? Or even what dies and other

tooling cost?

These are MAJOR, major expenditures, that cannot be justified, just to be

different.

Business majors----- tell'um what it takes to make a business case for a tool change!

With the offshore competition getting a helping hand from their governments

to come into our market, while our government clubs our industry over the head

for trying to use common sense, makes for a very negative attitude.

202973[/snapback]

Spoken like a bean counter. BTW, I have experience in a number of areas, including factory work, on top of my masters in technology with focuses in organizational leadership and process improvement/lean manufacturing.

As GM has been moving over to more lean production methods (something they will certainly be doing more and more with each new model), they can build profitable vehicles in smaller lots using different production techniques, such as hydroforming panels.

I'd expect the Camaro/Firebird twins would sell at higher rates than the Solstice/Sky, simply because they will be more practical in space to carry things. While you can see some shared overall shapes between those twins, they are very distinct. Somehow you think this can't be done for the Camaro/Firebird? If they simply slap a pontiac grill on the Camaro, I'd expect the ranting to continue against that decision for decades.