hyperv6

Scott Settlmire and the Camaro marketing team were here in Ohio today and they drove down in their new Camaro SS's. They were parked outside at the IX center this morning. The car is side are great. There are a few things I would have liked to see different but nothing majore. The press will kill them for their lack of rear leg room and the poor trunk opening. I know to most enthusiast that is not an issue but to the press they will be all over it I am affraid. Just looke at how they dwell on the lack if room in a Solstice.

Things are not great here and [not a politcal statment] but ther moves made here do not make me thing they will help. But when I see other countries and how things are there they are in even worse shape. Japan relys on MFG and they are closing plants left and right. They have not seen things like this since WW2. I just fear the economic moves here are not going to inspire many to invest in buisnesses and this will slow things evenmore. I just get tired of the hate the rich idea as I work for a verey wealthy person that does very much for me and my co workers. He is not the only one that is good. You just hear about the bad. But if they tax him to death he will have to make changes as that is money he puts back into our company for growth. I would rather see him put money into employing people at our company vs supporting goverment programs.

Heard today they are trying to work out the Crane deal. I assume they have a buyer or investor they are working with? Theymay return. The name has too much equity to let it go.

The carb market in the after market is very large. Holleys problem is some of the employees bought them as well ar Comp Cam, Hooker, NOS and a few other brands. Too much debt was made and put them in a bind for a while. They seem to be working thorugh it for now.

My buddy got to go to dinner the other night in a 2010 Camaro SS. It was a short ride and he is a 4th gen Z owner and was very impressed. The Interior is great and sonded to have made a great impression. The only negitive I heard was the back seat is a little smaller than the 4th gen. I figure this and the trunk the press will pick at and the real buyers will care less on these details. As far as I am concerend I would love to see the Z but the SS is going to be so much better over the last gen most will be happy with it alone. Besides the Z was never going to be high volume anyway.

If the economy stays down long enough GM is not the onky one in trouble. Even Toyot.s money reserves have limits and they are in the best shape.

This is almost enought to make one want to be come a officer. But then is just watch cops and they don't get paid enough for the crap they put up with. The Crown Vic is not selling well and is going away. Many departments are going to the Impala due to the better mileage and lower cost. Chevy is doing well with the Impala as a squad car. The G8 might have a chance if gas stays cheap but if it goes up and Cities already laying off officers I suspect the cheaper more efficent cars will rule. A G8 Cruiser is as Niche as you can get!

I hate to see dealers close but it has to happen. We just has a Chevy dealer taken over by the local family owned BPG dealer. The crazy thing is the Family dealer was a Olds dealer and took over the BPG dealer a few years before the closing of Olds. Funny how they can see this coming like most of us but so many other fail to adjust to the market.

I wonder how many on this commitee have worked in a large corperation? I wonder how many have a real working knowledge of the auto industry and how it really works. I wonder how if any have agendas more than to save the industry and have taken money from a lobbiest? I wonder howe many have correctly paid their taxes? LOL To be fair on this the president should have people that have worked around or have a good working knowledge of how the Auto industy works and it history good and bad that lead up to this problem. I would think the president would only want the best people on this and most informed giving him advice? I am sure if called upon people like a Roger Peskie could help advise or even recomend people to ask if he is unable. Their are good qauilty people in undustry that are more than qualify to help advise how to turn these companies around. No knock to Joe Biden but he is a good example of who not to pick. He has mostly only served in the Senate and has little experiance outside DC. He has a great working knowledge of how the Senate works but even admits he has to learn how the House on Capital hill operates. I have no problem with most of these people here if the president wants them but I just thinks some trusted captains of industry should be present to provide first hand knowledge to what needs to be done. I guess if you go to war you would pick your best generals who have faced war to advise you not people who never served in the military? Or a Treasury Secritary with a great knowledge of Wall Street? So would you not want a few people with a good knowledge of industry or auto industry?

Sorry Holley's chapter 11 was last year.

Poor managment is not lack of market.

February 24, 2009 Crane Cams shuts down, workers laid off By JIM WITTERS Senior Business Writer DAYTONA BEACH — Crane Cams, a 56-year-old auto parts manufacturer, closed its doors this week and laid off its employees, a worker said today. The news took Volusia County’s top economic development officer by surprise. City, county and state officials were working with Crane Cams and officials from its New Jersey parent, Mikronite Technologies, to keep the company open and in the community. “We were trying to help them through this transition,” said Rick Michael, Volusia County economic development director. “They were considering a transfer of ownership. We were not expecting any closure.” An automated voice mail system at Crane’s plant on Fentress Boulevard announced at midday today the company was closed and suggested calling back during business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A call to Mikronite’s New Jersey offices produced similar results. Six cars sat in the parking lot early this afternoon at the local plant, which employed 220 just three years ago. Inside the lobby, a reception desk sat empty. A call from the lobby phone got an answer from Dennis Burgess, who declined to comment and said no one at the plant could provide information. In the parking lot, 14-year employee Ronald Dorn was leaving the plant for what he believed was the last time He said workers were told during the past week that layoffs were likely, but he didn’t expect the plant to close. Mikronite received approval in 2006 to receive tax rebates from the state and the county amid discussion about moving its New Jersey operations here. But the company ended its contract with the state in 2008 due to nonperformance, Michael said. “Crane has gone through a series of small layoffs recently,” he said. Crane Cams and Crane Technologies Group were founded by Harvey J. Crane Jr. in 1953 as Crane Engineering Inc. in Hallandale. The company is well known in high-performance and racing circles for its line of camshafts and engine valve train components. In 1979, Crane Cams became an employee-owned company. Some operations moved to Daytona Beach in 1981, with the remainder of the operation and employees relocating here in 1985. Mikronite, an industrial technology firm, bought Crane in 2006. In March 2007, Mikronite sold its property on Fentress to STAG Capital Partners of Boston, then signed a 10-year lease. Holley also filed Chapter 11 Tusday.

As of yester day Crane Cams went out of buisness. I had said a few months back we would lose some of the players in the perfromance aftermarket and this is the first to fall. I know of several others who have had money trouble while times were good and I don't expect them to weather the economy down turn.

If the president was wise and wanted all the info he could get he would have appointed one person from each company to represent all sides of this issue not just DC side. I would have one from Ford, GM and Chrysler and also a independent person from the industy possibly a retired automotive chief {Lee Iaccoca?} or the like. This panel needs balance to show what is possible and what is not. Right now we have a group of intelopers from DC going to tell a troubled industry how they need to do their buisness. Detroit has enough problems already with out an uninformed advisory group. Like Joe Biden has a grip on what is going on in Detroit or that your going to get an unbiased opinion from the eviromental rep. All sides need to be represented at the table not just one side. THis is a group that needs to work together not one over seing the other. That is already what is wrong in Washington alrready. Too much them and us and both parties are at fault.

Lets face we have Idiots to the left of us and fools to the Right. It is amazing how the people in Washington have undone 200+ years of work in only 20 years. Both parties have an equal share of the blaime. I just saw the group the prez wants to over see Chrysler and GM. Not a group of informed car people let alone on the industry. Watching the events in DC is like watching two blind people fight over who is going to drive LOL. God help GM!

I am in favor of the Kappa II with a C 7. But in the real world right now GM has no money for either program. We will be lucky if the C7 shows before 2016 if it makes it at all. Based on GM's health and the economy I just don't see either getting a green light soon. The future is in just too much flex to predict that far out with anything involving GM and the economy.

I believe this is the indication the Kappa 2 or any other future Solstice is done. With the loss of the Sky there is little volume to warrant a move. The Vettes future lies in sales and I think the Vette will hold it's own for near future. The question is will GM want to move another car into BG? IF so that would mean the C7 would may share a platform with another car. Apha for the C7 if it ever comes off hold. BG is losing the Caddy so I expect GM will have to do something to get the C7 approved in this climate.

Imagine how a good new Impala would sell. It the old cruddy one is #8 a new reworked one would be in the top 5?

Sorry to see one of the stable and informitive go but I can understand. I would have liked to seen your full post. What was left is so true. As stated above Poltics and GM are now one so C+G needs to learn how to deal with it. Just look at the thread topic, it does not get more politcal than that.

Bud they can't afford a back bone right now. Just read their statment carefully. It is in Settlmire speak. They note the division will return and the people are still there. They noted they were spread around to different division. That is a big wink wink to let us know the name may be gone but the the same people are still on the job. I could care less if it has a SS emblem if it handles well and and a sortted drivetrain. Look for opton codes that will make these cars into more than the average family truckster. Performance has not alway been high profile. You should know that from what Pontiac did in the 60's.

Come on they can at least have made a front sway bar standard? I added it from the dealer in 1988 for $30. I don't mean they have to make it a full SS but the base GM packages are pis poor and always have been. Tires too small and just enough spring to get by. The Cobalt dealer loaner I am driving now is sorry.

I have always said a upgrade suspension should be standard on all models. It cost so little more to put a better unpinnings on a car. It was always a joke to offer the S10 and other trucks with no front sway bar standard years ago.

Besides most of the new cars coming out in the next couple years are not really ones we need as a SS or V series. The Volt, Cruze, Orlando, Colorado, all did not really need a SS version. The Caddy coupe does need a V series model but the parts are already on the shelf to make it if needed. The Camaro is already done and coming to market as is the GXP G8. The HHR and Cobalt have a couple more years and the stage kits are out for 08'scoming for the 09's to make them 13 sec runners. Buick is going to get a Turbo V6 and do they really need seperate performance model. They would do better if it was just part of the normal package. If you had to pick a time to lay low this is one of the best accept for the C7 This will not hurt GM for a good 3 years or so.

Other than the Z28 that is on done but on hold the Camaro program is a go and will be around till 2016. V6 and V8 intact. And before it is also asked yea there is going to be a Vette and G8, A HHR SS, Cobalt SS and V series CTS next year. They are just not developing a new Chevy Cruze SS, Volt SS or Orland SS. Give it time and this will pass as long as Washington does not take your rights to own such car away. Too many people today freak out at the smoke and completly miss the fire!