GMTruckGuy74

Drive a Chevy Spark and you'll really appreciate the Sonic's dash

Welcome to Cheers and Gears!! Some of us have been here a very long time

Congrats on another GMC purchase! I'm sure your mom will like th 3.6L V6, especially since she experienced it before in her Camaro. Can't wait to see more pictures!

rebuild

I spied that '57 SD back in early December and it was there for about two weeks. It was parked up front with the other classics, in full view of the around the clock security. I was sad the day I drove by and saw it missing. There are still over 2,000 vehicles there and I've noticed on many of the pickup-type haulers Texas markings and plates. One of the articles I read stated that these cars were being purchased by the truck full in Texas... wonder why they're in demand there?

Umm, that's a Bonneville!

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/02/mansfield_allows_auto_salvage.html In related news, a couple of towns over from where I live and at an exit of I-295 a company called Copart started hauling tons of vehicles to a former trailer manuafacturing company called Vanco that has long been closed (the owner died years ago and the son closed the business but kept the property; I guess he saw Superstorm Sandy cash with the need for damaged vehicle & boat storage). The town estimates 3,500 vehicles have been brought to this lot, which I pass every day on my way to work. I noticed tractor-trailers and 1-ton duallies hauling junked vehicles and boats in November; I thought the town created a new salvaging yard (several are in the surrounding towns). Late December the news broke that Copart, without township approval, leased Vanco's property to store thousands of Sandy damaged cars, trucks, vans and boats. Passing by I even noticed several classic cars parked in the lot, which had major security posted around the fenced-in property (sad to see such classics as a black '57 Chevy Sedan Delivery and some big Chryslers totalled due to the storm). Copart buys the damaged vehicles from the insurance claims and then sells the cars off around the country. This isn't Coparts only facility I've learned in following news and newspaper reports, apparently they have 5 or 6 more locations as big or bigger than the Mansfield location. Passing by today I still see tons of vehicles parked on the grass fields of Vanco's property, which I believe is what most people are mad at.

A G8 GT or GXP and a Ute that someone snuck into the country

I found loads of pics, but only two with the door open, and none that show any other way to get in. Lots of great action shots - the thing is cool. Still, I like this better: j-12-1.jpg While I too like this Jeep J-12 concept, I think they went too retro with the front. It looks like they grafted an actual Jeep Gladiator/Cherokee/Wagoneer front to the body of the Jeep Wrangler. I would have preferred to see them modernize the design a bit. I know the purpose here was to make a retro Jeep Gladiator pickup on a modern platform (Wrangler), but to me it's like putting a '55 Chevy pickup face on a 2014 Silverado. I like it but not enough to want to buy one (if produced). By the way, here's the J-12's interior, which I think is better than the Mighty FC's retro-inspired theme:

Just an idea floating in my head that I'm going to share here... GM should have taken advantage of the new Corvette and embarked on the opportunity to create the "Corvette" brand within the Chevrolet dealership network. Instead of the Chevrolet Corvette, it could have spawned the Corvette by Chevrolet brand with the Stringray model being the first offering. Then to capitalize on the interest of the previous Kappa 2-seater consumers, used the Alpha platform to spawn a more affordable (aka, not cheaper) secnd model. Since GM will be restricting sales of the new Corvette to large volume dealers, these dealers could have made a boutique for the new Corvette Stingray and eventual Corvette Alpha model (possibly named Mako). No new separate showrooms, no separate sales or service staff, but a more defined approach to selling this halo brand. Selling a cheapened Stingray (5.3L V8, fixed roof, different styling - i.e. more basic looking) will degrade the status symbol the new Stingray will be. Instead, having a smaller 2-seater based on the Alpha platform could allow for more "Corvette" owners in a different category (not selling to the price over status consumer that this Corvette Coupe will likely attract). Just my

Ariel

At this point, I'm really hoping the "new" Chrysler doesn't screw up the next Jeep Wrangler

Two observations: 1) New 2013 GMC Acadia's are starting to appear on the roadways I travel more often now. I must say I am definitely in love with the new face. If I weren't so hell-bent on getting a new 2014 GMC Sierra, I'd be all over a new Acadia. 2)New 2013 Toyota Camry with temporary tags on the rear bumper (new process in NJ now, no longer the taped-in-the-rear window sticker). Relatively clean, went to pass and noticed the front bumper was completely torn up. It did not take long for this new Toyota to suffer typical bumper damage

Congrats on the new '13 Traverse. Sorry to see a Pontiac (Bonneville) go, but you did end up with a nice ride. My neighbor bought a pre-owned 2008 or 2009 Traverse last fall. He's been enjoying it and it's much nicer than his rusting '98 Ford Expedition. I am not a fan of the pre-'13 styling, but find the new styling more pleasing. If I were buying a Lambda, it's not necessary for me to say which one I'd choose

Congrats to your dad on the new Dodge, Walt. Is he still working for the Chevy dealership? A neighbor of mine has a blue R/T, I want to say 2009, that he absolutely loves. He works for the State, and drives a mid-2000s Chevy Impala state car to work, so the poor Challenger sits out in the driveway (I could never understand why he didn't park it inside the garage). He has never said anything bad about the car and still has a smile on his face when he drives it around town.

Anyone have more info about it's role?

Fixed

clams

Here it is in the flesh on a 2012 Silverado:

Here you go, oncblu - Woodland Green, a Special Equipment Order (SEO) color:

The silver picture posted earlier on the Internet had me stunned... then I saw the dark blue posted here and think I;ll hold off on my comments until I see it in person in NYC soon.

How about in the green, but w/ white bumpers, white grille and white wheels? I always like the white trim on vintage base models. A local business has a fleet of late model F150s painted in a retro baby blue w/ white roofs, albeit w/ chrome trim and silver wheels..

The silver one shown earlier was God-awful looking to me, but in the dark blue color I'm willing to give it a chance until I see it in person in NYC soon.

Also, to remain with the topic, the love affair for me started with my grandfather's 1955 GMC 100 longbed pickup. He purchased it used in '56 or '57 from a co-worker that wanted a new truck. In the late '60s, my uncle took ownership and proceeded to "hot rod" it - I was told he installed a Corvette 327 V8 and an updated 4-speed manual (I have a picture of the chromed engine somewhere in my house, and painted it Atec Gold with a green metallic color for the interior (my uncle was not a drug user, but the color combo would make you think twice!). He blew that engine a couple of years later and I was told he put a 427 V8 in it (the original motor & trans long gone). My grandfather bought it back in the mid-'70s (I was born in '74) and used it around the yard for his garden and to purchase coal in Trenton for his coal buring stove. I remember playing in it in the driveway when I had to be about 4-5 years old and accidentially starting it up and one time riding in the front seat when my dad took it on a coal run (the memory also includes being stopped at a railway crossing and watching a long freight train pass by - possibly the start of my train love affair too?). By 1980 the engine my uncle had last put in died and my grandfather parked it alongside his shed, to "one day" replace the engine. From then on it became my playgorund and gave me many more years of fun. Spring of 1989 my township sent letters to all owners of abandoned or junk cars to fix them or face fines for having a personal junk yard. My grandfather had no intention of fixing the truck up, and neither my dad nor my uncle were interested in it either. He sold it to a junk yard and they send a towing company out to haul it away (took to late '70s Chevy C30 tow trucks to get it out of the ground!). Sad day watching it head off on a tow truck to a junkyard in Trenton. That same year my dad took me to Hershey for the AACA fall meet and there in one of the vendor fields was a restored 1955 GMC 100 pickup. I knew from then on I would want one of my own someday (sad to say I'm still wanting - 24 years later).

Now that's one AMC I can say I really like! Don't get me wrong, AMC made some interesting autos... but I grew up with one neighbor owning a green Pacer (he refused to get rid of it until he won a '93 Chevy Blazer 4-door from his sales job!) and another neighborhood friend whose grandmother gave him her pumkin orange Gremlin as his first car in 1991 (that I rode to school in; here's one case where you have to question was it cooler to ride the school bus to school? )