FUTURE_OF_GM

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed the drop in call quality. As for cell phones... I have a very LOVE/HATE relationship with my iPhone... At first, I LOVED it. Then I got to a point where I felt that it was 'so damn close to perfect' that it annoyed me. Now, I'm perpetually PISSED at the thing and want to throw it against the wall. I'm currently running the 3.1 software which, to those of you that don't know, makes the phone perform like a retarded 5 year old. My apps crash constantly, or just flat out don't work. It's slower than a turtle's bowel movement and it "gets confused" at the simplest things... 'Why not upgrade?' you ask. Well, I tried. Kept the damn thing hooked up to iTunes for 3 days and it would never finish "backing up" (step 1 of 3 of the sync) As far as AT&T. I really HATED giving my Verizon account up because of their excellent coverage. Their customer service sucks harder than a rocked out hooker, but the coverage was awesome. I went with AT&T to get the iPhone. Now I can only hope that VZW gets the iPhone4 or I can peek at the Droids and contemplate a change. Not sure what I'll do yet. In my iPhones defense, the guy at the AT&T store said that he had NEVER seen a data plan with as much usage as mine. That can't be healthy for my social skills and socialization. The fact that I and millions of other people are 'wired in' to this pathetic work-from-eyes-open-to-eyes-closed, stressed out craptacular life. But, oh well.

Heard a story the other day that was a survey of Charlotte financial 'authorities' 62% of them apparently think that the economy WILL NOT rebound anytime soon. 35% of them think that we're headed for a "double dip" recession. It's so awesome that I have 2 degrees, yet cannot find a job because of these greedy bastards.

Yeah, I think only 50 or 75 of the Competition Orange 5 doors were made that year. 68 Firebird has always been one of my favorite Pontiacs.

I actually looked really hard at trucks before I bought the Stang. That's a great idea since it would be more comfy and it'd tow my Camaros and a camper when I get it. Problem was, everytime I found something in my cash range it was WAY up in mileage (like 200-250K) I could probably swing it now though, given the value of the Stang. I've also found an all original 389 63 Catalina that I've ruled out. And a "hard running" 68 Firebird 400 for $2500. Not sure why I've got the bug so bad right now... Either way, in our perfectly sunny 75 degree Charlotte weather today, the stang managed to get tagged by a 5 inch diameter tree limb. Looks like I'll have an insurance claim and some body work before I progress with anything. Maybe that'll be the motivation needed to keep it. Weird sh*t always seems to happen with me and cars.

The Stang is sitting on about 114K right now. I've probably put about 7K on it since I bought it. It's a REAL solid car mechanically; no leaks, runs like a scalded dog and has been event free. I've literally driven the heck out of this car the last few months because the convert is fun and to make sure it's trouble free before the winter hits. The reason(s) I want to get rid of it are 1) it's an auto. 2) it has a lot of minor issues (*could* use a top, needs a sound system, needs some work on the front leather seats, etc.) 3) Its just very uncomfortable. I'm a huge dude and recently my neck and sciatica have been really hurting. I think the car might be one reason why. Not sure of the mileage on the SVT, but judging by the price, probably in the same range. I really don't have a daily commute unless I want to. I usually walk to work. However, it's a 2 hour trip one way when I go back home to the mountains. I've also been looking at salvage title GTOs, but those are still a bit over my head. Bear in mind, I'm looking for a fun, 100K ish car because 1) I don't want a car payment until I can land a career oriented job and 2) I'd like the majority of my $$$ to still be going to my old Camaros.

Damn iPhone and it's small keyboard. Sorry for the typos.

So, I have the slowstang as my daily driver. Pretty nice beater; 2001 GT convertible in true blue, but it's just not really my style. I have the oppportunity to buy either a 1999 Trans Am (high mileage, but well taken care of. Has C6 rims and is my favorite color- dark blue) or a 2004 3-door SVT Focus (mileage unknown, competition orange, needs a wee bit of body work) Here are the options: 1) "Keep the Mustang you fool. Eventhough it's an automatic and needs some work, it's a solid car and great cruiser. Plus you got a he'll of a deal when you bought it at 3-4K cheaper than BB." 2) "Dude! Buy the freakin' TA! You've always wanted a last gen TA and this one is your color too. It does have that much maligned auto tranny that you swore you'd never have in a car again. And hey, who cares if it's high mileage because it's bad ass!" 3) "Buy the SVT. It's one of only 120 competition orange 3-doors produced that year. Plus; we all know you miss your ZX3 AND it's gas mileage. Not to mention, that nice 2K profit difference from the Mustang sell will do wonder for you 2 old Camaros." Again, this is all hypothetical, for now.

I think design in general is leaving our society. EVERYTHING is so bland and passé. It's always function over form. And that's good to an extent, but it eventually distills every ounce of character out of the design. I've really come to think that the last 10 years in our industry we're the last golden age. The cars coming out now are so homogenous that it makes me sick.

This is something like I'd build. Not too custom, but still unique. Of course, being that this particular example is a DeSoto, I probably would've taken it back to original.

http://www.streetsideclassics.com/showcar.php/atl/52/1956-Desoto-Fireflite

Oh, for some reason I thought we were talking F1. My bad... I agree that the stock 93-96 lamps are the best option. Camaros look SO trashy with altezzas.

Fear?! LOL... More like a big fat load of apathy. (And that's the problem) A lot of GM's fans no longer care enough to "fear" for the future. It's a loss of relevance.

I too am a fan of subtle mods that make a big difference. IMO, a good mod should look stock in finish and execution as if the part came from the factory all along.

Yes, the early Camaros only have a reverse bulb behind the white lens. However, a few companies make LED conversions for them that double as n amber turn signal. I've actually thought about putting a conversion on my '68. I like amber turn signals in the rear and I've invested a lot of time and money into my car, so making it safer and less accident prone sounds good to me. Plus the conversions are the best of both worlds; they look completely stock until somone flips the turn signal on an they light up amber.

See, I don't buy the Wagoner crap... Wagoner has become a scap goat for all GM sins of the past. But a lot of the products under Wagoner were excellent.

But it is... Multiple bodystyles, a hella better powertrain line up and better looks both inside and out. With the goodwill that Ford is enjoying right now, the Focus has the potential to be a HUGE seller, especially if they emphasize the european influence. But then, I *guess* GM could emphasize the Korean influence on the... Oh.. wait.. Nevermind. It doesn't work that way. But isn't that the point? The fact that "New" GM is still having to produce products that are 'almost as good' and then beat the competitor on PRICE? And that's not even factoring in the already established B-Segment cars like the Fit and Versa. But that's not the point.. The GM design 'heyday' was supposed to be under Lutz and that's when these cars were conceived. Now that GM has lost countless talent and delayed most of it's portfolio, it's only going to make things worse. I'm willing to bet that the Malibu is going to be horribly dated by the time it finally gets here, not to mention being a YAWN in terms of style and performance. Okay, maybe the logistics side of the business is better. But in order for logisitics to work, we have to get the design and engineering side down. (The side that worries me at this point) Even the Volt, which had the potential to be an absolute game changer, has thus far been a marketing disaster for GM. GM is a company that still doesn't get it.

As enthusiasts that follow the industry, WE should already have a feel for how well GM is going to do. Look at the quality of product and the amount of product GM is dropping in the next 2-3 years when compared to the other OEMs and one starts to worry that the bad old days have returned. Hell, even Chrysler is killing them on the product side now. Had this turnaround happened in the early 00's, GM would be fine. But now, even their newest models are becoming extremely dated. For example; The Focus KILLS the Cruze and I'm sure the forthcoming Civic will only add insult to injury. Cadillac is literally a one car division now and GM is allowing it's trucks to wither and die. That's exactly what I meant... To put it in a very basic sense, it's not hard to "show results" when you stop blowing and wasting money. The problem is a lot of people are mistaking GM's positive balance sheet for ACTUAL growth, and that's not really the case.

LOL... Good one. It's not that hard to make money when you slice your existing empire in half and conveniently forget about enough debt to sink the titanic.

It's just very sad that GM, once such a multi-faceted and innovative company, can't even get the basics right anymore. With this new birth, those of us who truly knew what GM was, swallowed our pride about abandoned divisions, models and visions in hopes that a newly energized business plan would finally give us something to be proud of. GM was built on bold business moves, moving design and great innovation. New GM seems to be built on a poorly executed Toyota business plan with a visionary scope that should be targeted by a company the size of Honda. It's just another golden opportunity; squandered...

I think the optimism is starting to wear off for a lot of us. (me, certainly) Being a GM fan ain't easy at all. And now that we're beginning to realize New GM is the same old $h! as old GM (and even worse, like old, old GM. Not even as good as Lutz era GM) it sucks

True that... I only use my account for long distance purchases and electronic bills. Usually, that means a trip to the bank where the EXACT amount is deposited, then removed almost immediately. Funny, last time I cashed my check, my teller harassed me (jokingly) about never putting money in my account. My bank lost my tax refund a few years ago. Since then, I'm not so trusting about depositing.

Wow, you guys use debit a lot. I'd say 99.9% of the time I use cold, hard cash.

Well, I think we're talking about 2 different things here. If it's a designer look (a.k.a the steelies were meant to show) that's a different story altogether. I'm talking about the ECO turd cars that run about, minus hubcaps due to neglect or some idiot ripping the caps off on the curb. My best friend used to buy old 80s and 90s Buicks and remove the wheel covers immediately. It looked horrible.

What a horrible 'trend' In my town, the only people with steelies are people who are too poor to buy rims.

Oh my god... Where to start?!? Critics. I really hate the people who READ about something, then judge it based on what they've read. Example: "I only drive a Toyota because that's what Consumer Reports recommends" Have you ever driven another brand? Answer 1: "No." Answer 2: "Well, not in 10-15 years." Then how do you know that your Toyota is actually better than any other car? Too easy? Okay, how about this one: ME: "I want to go see A-Team tonight, wanna go?" FRIEND: "No, the critics panned that movie; said it didn't have a plot, so I'm not gonna waste my time." What ever happened to THINKING FOR ONES SELF? Go EXPERIENCE the movie, THEN judge. If it was a waste of money, then so be it! You spent time with your friend and that was probably worth it anyway. And yes, I realize that some of you might think I'm a critic. But that's why I've always made it blatantly clear that my rants are MY opinion. For example; I hate Toyota, the media and most politicians. But that doesn't mean you have to agree. My goal is merely to raise the idea. Feeling obligated to be social I know you think you're god's gift to gatherings, but I'm an introvert and I don't always want to be around you. So when I come in to the room or see you at a gas station, sometimes I don't even want to acknowledge you. It's not an asshole thing, it's me trying to AVOID becoming n asshole when you FORCE socialization out of me. I get so tired of the "Ohh, Detroit's in a bad mood today" comments at my place of work, just because I simply want to be left alone. I'm NOT in a bad mood, I just don't WANT to entertain you and be responsible for YOUR happiness. Stereotypes. In psychology, they teach us that stereotypes, like em or not, are generally based in fact. So, when people see my 6'9" 330 lbs ass, they automatically assume that I'm a blue collar simpleton that 'don't know no better 'bout nothing' and 'obviously shouldn't be here at this social event' "Lemme guess, you're a car guy, right?" Yes. "Most big guys are" "Can you lift this heavy object, you look like a hard worker." "Not from around here, in the city, are you." No. Ya know what? I am a big metal loving car guy that loves the country and hard work. But I'm also someone who has a lot of college education, would love to be a florist, understands the rules of interior design and fashion and plays the violin on the side. Anyway, enough rambling... That's one I actually enjoy, because I don't want to shake hands. I'm not even sure I care enough to get to know the person on the other end of that arm, so why should his/her hand be all up in my personal space? Like Elmo, right? (Sorry, they ran that Elmo ad here in NC about 3 times every 5 minutes.)