GMTruckGuy74

Hey buddy, it doesn't get much better once you have tenure. I've been tenured in my school for three years now being an "elective subject" teacher (Cooperative Education and Business/Technology Education departments). Being tenured means that in order to get rid of you without "just cause" they have to show that the need for your program is no longer economically viable and that justifies your dismissal. Last year my school district cut all clubs down to one paid/stipend advisor (where there was two paid positions), and clubs that didn't have atleast 20 students and/or did not meet more than once a month were eliminated. Sports did take a cut too (although minimal), with many paid coach positions being eliminated (from 3-4 to 1-2). At our 2nd faculty meeting this past September the superintendent was nice enough to come for a questions session, and one teacher inquired if the cut stipend positions would likely come back next year. His response? "Not likely, as I have to cut $15 million more out of the budget by 2011". How nice of a message is that in the second week of a new school year? I was recently evaluated for the year and was told by my observer that he is also working for the superintendent observing teachers AND programs that he will be recommending eliminated at the end of this year (thank God my evaluation was near perfect; hopefully that will count towards something!). But you never know, especially when what I teach is not "necessary" for graduation (in the eyes of administrators throughout the state). I'll pray for us and any other teachers on C&G that we survive this year.

I like your Lumina a lot. I remember the big ad push on these vehicles back in 1989 (the first time I saw all three <coupe, sedan, minivan> together was at the Franklin Mills Outlet Mall outside of Philly where I got a bunch of their intro catalogs). I just recently saw a '93 Z34 coupe in black at a local car show; the owner put some $$$ into fixing it up and adding a nice stereo and other modern updates. He showed me the trophy/plaque that he won (2nd place) from this year's All-GM Nationals show in Carlisle, PA.

Because you know the pain of not having a truck when one so prefers driving them, how about you finish the MotherTruck with a GMC Sierra frontend and sell it to a certian GM Truck fan at a real low price?? No? Seriously, if you finished the truck, what amount would you want to get for it? With the credit market the way it is, and my lack of funding for a brand new '09 or '10 GMC Sierra Crew Cab, I may consider buying used to replace the AURA lease and wouldn't rule out a good running vehicle.

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Oh, and I've also recently started considering buying a GM Certified pre-owned vehicle if it means I can get what I really want/like and still be a good deal. Not 100% happy with that yet, but we'll see what the economy is like 10-12 months from now before I rule anything out.

Well let's take a look at what has happened since I wrote my comment above 21 months ago... The Envoy did go away this summer (June, a little earlier than August) and unexpectedly it was for a car - Pontiac G6 V6 Sedan. With the wife's 32-mile one way commute and the inflated gas prices this spring/summer, we decided a much more fuel-efficient car would be the better choice (and more affordable one too, as the Enclave she wanted was out of our price range). The VUE was on her list, but with her commute we figured it would be a gas hog, requiring a fill-up twice a week. She's still happy with the G6, but she's starting to find little "ft and finish" issues that I have to get the dealership to resolve. She likes the 3.5l V6, and at the time she did drive the 2.4l Ecotec 4-cyl and decided against it... but now she's thinking it would have been a better decision to go 4-cyl (I still say she made the right choice). Unfortunately for me, 2009 doesn't look like it's the best year to have to make a new vehicle purchase in. My '07 AURA XE GMAC SmartLease is up one year from now, and I'm very saddened by the fact I won't be able to get the GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab Z71 that I've had my heart set on for the longest of times (unstable gas prices combined with financial issues/large amout of debt means feeding both a large monthly payment and a large gas tank are out of the question). I'm not happy with the GMC Canyon - this time it will be a 5 or 6 year committment (finance vs. leasing) - so I want to get something I'm going to like for a long time. The Pontiac G8 is still on the list, and it's pretty much the only car I could be completely happy owning (I want the GT, but if the 3.6 DI V6 is offered on late-build '09s, I could be happy with a non-GT G8). I will consider the VUE and Torrent, and more importantly, if I like the new '10 GMC Terrain and it will be available around the time my lease expires (Nov '09), I'd add that to the list. Of course an Outlook XR and possibly an Acadia SLE/SLT1 could be on the list, but that would be going much higher than I think is possible. An SUV/crossover is the first choice for me (assuming a full-size Sierra is definitely out of the question and unless GM overhauls the Canyon for 2010), followed by a large-size car (G8, maybe the Lucerne).

Well, this is the industry that I work day-in and day-out, and I can tell you it's not the fault of teachers but the fault of society and guidance departments and top-level school administration that is hell-bent on ALL students going to college and getting a degree. Many schools are pushing academic classes over skilled trades & vocational/business classes that can lead to a viable living after high school. If you are a student today that has no interest in going to college, you will likely be crucified - and it starts with parents, guidance counselors, and school administrators. I teach both Business Education and Career & Technical Education courses and we're mostly given the bottom-of-the-barrel students while guidance places upper-level students in AP and honors courses only (I had one student that wanted to be in my School-to-Work <Cooperative Education> program this year and because she's headed for an ivy league school, guidance REFUSED to enroll her!). Not to mention that when budgets are cut, it's the elective courses <vocational programs> that are targeted first. NJ school districts are great for saying that students interested in vocational programs can attend county vocational and technical schools, but then don't want to pay those schools the money for sending those students to them or those schools have no room available (in my county there is a waiting list AND an interview process to get into one of the two the vo-tech schools). We had a welding class that was cut after the teacher retired 2 years ago - and the main reasons were the cost-savings of both buying materials/supplies and hiring a new qualified welding teacher. I'm sure once the auto shop and wodd shop teachers retire in the near future, those programs will be on the chopping block (no one needs to learn auto mechanics anymore, do they? ). And as teachers from the business department have retired, no replacements were hired (I've been personally told that of the three Co-op Ed programs, mine can be wiped out and the other two programs can carry on until the two older coordinators retire soon <I'm in my early 30s while the other two are in their 50s). It's sad to see schools pushing kids towards college, especially when there's (1) no desire in some students to want to go to college, and (2) no financial access for students to go, in turn creating more debt owed by students that have no means to pay it back. I'm a member of two state organizations that constantly fight the state department of education to keep our porgrams alive, but it's only time until those that care about what I teach are replaced with those that could care less.

Congrats Sixty8... there's nothing better than being a father (well, at least in my opinion!!), no matter how many you bring in to this world. She's a cutie-pie alright! Well, substitute "honey" with "buddy" and "girl" with "little guy" and you pretty much have the routine that me & my 3 year-old son 'Justin' go through while drivng on the road. He'll also "joke" around by asking me what my favorite brand is and than, regardless of what I say, he replies, "No it isn't - yucky Toyotas are your favorite cars!", all the while laughing as hard as he can.

I'm just returning to the "land of the Internet" today after a brief vacation, and I am saddened by your loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family in this time of mourning. As offered by many already, we are here for you as you need us. Keep the memories and spirit of your dad alive in you and in turn he will not be gone forever.

I do Sixty8. We went pumkin patch picking the first weekend of October - got me a heavy sucker (13 pounds I think?). The wife's been bugging me to carve it, and my step-son is doing his second one this year (he did good for his first attempt last year; he just needed to spend a little more time detailing it). My little guy painted his pumpkin last Sunday night and it's proudly on display in our front entryway. I'm planning on doing it tonight (if I have the energy) or tomorrow night (more likely, as the wife is off and can be the one responsible for watching Justin!). I'll post a picture of it here when I'm done. BTW, don't expect anything too grand... I'm just a guy that likes to carve a pumkin (jack o'lantern) for Halloween!!!

When you read anything that PCS posts like this, you have to "read between the lines". So here's my take on the article link he posted: This heading does not include the following words: Suburban and Yukon XL (of course the XL could be cut though). It says that GM killed the next Generation Tahoe and Yukon - no mention of Suburban and Yukon XL. This is the writer's opinion, which to me shows his lack of knowlegde of these trucks as the Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade ESV are on a longer platform than the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade. I see no reason why the largest BOF SUVs, other than the Escalade ESV, will be killed too; GM has owned this market since 1935... why give it up now??? Funny though that the Avalanche and Escalade EXT are not mentioned in these "death" plans Okay, this part we've known about since the summer. So basically "Escalade" is not dying, just moving to a different platform (pretty much just the GMT-900 version is dead). From this I take it that GM will continue to produce the Tahoe/Yukon duo as demand sees fit. Once demand drops to where GM loses money to make them, then they will die. And that the planned 2011 redesign is cancelled - to me that's okay, as these trucks are pretty darn good for what is needed/expected of them. Those consumers (posers, as someone earlied stated) that require more "car-like" necessities & room from their SUV/crossover will not be buying a Tahoe/Yukon. Again, the panic mode sets in and all of these articles do is cause people to panic even more

I feel too claustrophobic and tight when I'm in the G5 (I've sat in several over the years), and it's the same with the Cobalt (coupe or sedan), when Saturn offered the ION, and even in the HHR (which I had for three days as a loaner). The Delta platform is not designed for people like me that like a more spacious and comfortable interior (trust me, the Epsilon platform is better, but not by much - my old '04 Malibu LT, my wife's '08 G6, and my '07 AURA are not great for me to be in more than an hour and a half - two hours long hauls). The same holds true with the GMT-355 pickups (Canyon/Colorado), which is one of the reasons why a Canyon is not on my list for next year's purchase (my AURA lease expires Nov '09). The Lucerne (I'd only want the CXS, which I can't afford!) and the G8 are perfect sizes for me in the car offerings and while I like the Impala, it's kind of a boring car IMO; however, I really want a full-size truck or SUV but for now they are on the backburner due to my financial situation. If the Epsilon II cars are wider with some additional length, then I'd consider an Epsilon again. Which is not to say that I don't love the G5 GT at all... I just wish I would be more comfortable in it as I like it's styling (I tried showing it to my wife back in February & April at car shows, but since it's two-door only, she wouldn't even look <we have two sons - one's 14 years old and the other is 3 years old>). Of course there were none on the lot when she test-drove (and bought) a G6 in June; day of delivery however there's one being delivered and she says to me, "Why didn't you show me that car?" Believe me, I find this picture very attractive: Now if GM could have offered this too, then maybe my wife would be driving a G5 Sedan instead of a G6 Sedan:

I found this picture about two weeks ago while looking for something Saturn-related and saved it. I like that angle, even if the truck is on the porky side a bit!

reg, I like the new Saturn VUEs too. It is on my list as a possible replacement for the AURA this time next year. I'm waiting to see what the GMC Terrain looks like before making a final decision though (and I still can't give up my love for the Pontiac G8 GT!). Seeing as how you liked the XR (AWD I'm assuming) and love the ASTRA XR, did you drive a VUE REDLINE too??? I think you'll really like that one the most.

Nice looking G5 GT there! I like the G5 GT's myself, and if I could get comfortable in one I wouldn't mind it as a daily driver. Too bad GM doesn't offer the G5 GT in sedan form.

reg, could you enlighten me about your concenrs with RWD cars? I live in southern NJ, and while snow is a concern, we don't get enoughof it during the winter where I think I'd be concerned about having a RWD vehicle. I really want a G8 GT if I'm sticking with a car, but I begin to doubt my choice after reading your posts. Is there concern with driving in the rain too? On a positve note, when it does snow bad I usually have off from work (teacher FTW!); however, I really like the 19" rims on the G8 GT but they come with summer-only tires and there won't be money leftover for a rim/winter tire change-out. So if I do decide to go with the G8 GT (or if the 3.6L DI V6 is out when I'm in the market), I'll just not be happy with the standard 18" rim. I really hesitate there with the RWD set-up because while snow is not usually that bad, summer tires in the snow just plain out suck

I hope you had a great day!!

I'm torn with my advice reg, as I lease my vehicles because I like getting a new one every 30-36 months, but now with money being tight and car payments taking a huge chunk of our paychecks (mortgage takes the first huge chunk), I'm thinking of financing my next vehicle and taking good care of it to go a couple of years without a payment after it's all paid off (like what the wife is doing with her G6). If there's something out there right now that you just "gotta have", then I say go for it and get it. If you want something new "just because", then I'd say hold on and drive the 'tek for now and save up for the vehicle you really want. If there isn't something out there, then be patient and see what the market does over the next couple of months. I'm assuming 2009 sales records won't be chart toppers and possibly that will mean good deals will be offered to keep some sales going each month. Then again, the market/economy could get worse and then only God knows what will happen. A new CarSense dealership opened two Friday's ago right down the street from me. If you want to get rid of your vehicle (especially a leased one), they are open to buying it out (assuming your lease company will allow it and not try to rip them off on the price). I've been so tempted to see if they'd take the AURA off my hands, but while I love the G8 GT Sedan and desperately want a GMC Sierra (which is not economically feasible), what if I fell in love with a 2010 model and it was too late to do something about it? Good luck with your decision!

It's nice and all, will be priced WAY OUT of my price range, and if GM wanted to give me the keys to one free of charge I'd gladly accept... BUT... I'd still much rather have a Pontiac G8 SportWagon instead

And right before I leave work, this one arrives: Now that pisses me off... GMAC doesn't want anyone with under a 700 FICA score, but to continue to sell cars GM will pay dealership personnel to pass of the loans to another bank. You know, they just opened a new "Car Sense" dealership down the road from me...

It's a shame that GMAC is setting a strict policy about dealing with people with less than a 700 FICA score... why couldn't they reveiw each application and see if the person applying has a positive history with GMAC and as long as their credit is not horrible (below 620), "deal" with them? Of course I'm worrying about this now for no good reason, seeing as I won't be in the market/have a financing need until the late summer of 2009 at the earliest. But it makes me mad that those GMAC customers that have done what they were expected to do with regards to paying back their loans on time are now going to thrown away just because they don't have a 700 (that's like saying since there is one bad employee at your job, everyone will be fired). My dad told me when I was a teen that if "I kept myself in good standing with GMAC and paid them on time, they'll always be there for me". I don't feel the love now with their news this week...

I just received this e-mail alert notice from Automotive News (I only can get the news alerts, I have no access to the rest of the story or website): Seeing as how several people, myself included, have been upset by GM/GMAC's news this week, maybe this will help out a little? [shrugs]

I was totally pi$$ed off the other day when I saw this news in an Automotive News e-mail. I will be in the market for either a leftover 2009 or an early 2010 vehicle when my GMAC/AURA lease expires November 2009, but with my credit score under 700 (mid-600s) and not a lot of cash on hand for a down payment, it looks like GMAC is willing to let a loyal nine year customer go. I understand I am responsible for my credit score being low, but for 9 years I have paid GMAC on time for every vehicle I leased or financed through them, and this is how they'll repay my loyalty? I'm so glad the wife got her deal in June (no money down, GM Supplier Price, 2-month Pull-Ahead offer, $2,500 rebate for financing with GMAC, 0% for 72 months) so that's one less car I have to worry about. But now I have a year to figure out what I am going to do about replacing my SmartLease with another GM car. I can only hope the market stabilizes and improves before that time arrives for me to visit a showroom.

With GMACs recent announcement that they won't be financing anyone with less than a 700 credit score, looks like I'll be having to find a new bank to deal with for next November (or earlier). It's a shame too, as I've been a loyal and on-time GMAC customer for almost 10 years now.