avant1963

Been to multiple concerts and even met Geddy Lee when he was plugging his solo album a few years back. I got him to sign my 24k gold 2112 Master CD. So I guess you can say I'm a fan. Snakes and Arrows is very good. And yes, Peart is a drum god.

The car was quiet on its way home. Now lets hope it stays that way. GM did go out of their way to get this right. An engineer was sent to the dealership within a day and had all parts in hand to make the updates needed to fix this roof. While the tech was on a test drive, he also noticed a brake pulse, so the dealership machined the front rotors to get rid of the typical warp. They also needed to replace the intermediate shaft for the steering to cure the "clunk". GM has also stepped up to pay for the time the car was out of commission and for my troubles, which is also good. In the past four days I have spoken to no less than 4 people from the GM chain of command working to get this fixed. Once I got their attention, they jumped into action, were apologetic, seemed genuinely concerned, and made sure things were put right. So far a happy ending for this chapter. I'll be waiting for that G8 GT.

Real quick update now - I'll make another one once the car is home. After some emails to some people very high up in GM, GM has stepped up and assured me that the roof can be silenced and I would be compensated for my troubles. As of this morning, the roof was worked on by an GM engineer that specializes in fixing them, the steering is fixed and they machined the rotors to kill a brake pulse. I pick up the car in a little while. I'll post more later. Thanks everyone for their concern.

With computers, I always used to correct people when they would type "NIC Card". I would return with "What's a Network Interface Card Card?" How about when someone calls you at home, you pick up the phone, say "hello" and the person on the other end asks, "You're home?"

My 2006 G6 GT is THE worst GM vehicle I have ever owned or leased. From the horrible electric steering (which is going to the dealership next week for its first repair, the 6 or 7th time the car has been in the shop) to the absolutely horrific Panoramic sunroof, which does nothing but squeak, rattle, knock, ping, slam, crack, pop, and any other noise you can think of right above your head, all the time, whether the roof is open or not. It's obvious that GM has no fix for the roof. It has been back to the dealership twice (one of those trips was for over 3 weeks, while I paid a $341 lease payment to drive in the dealership's stinky 2003 Buick Century with nothing in it. Waste of a payment for that month) and there has been no progress (it's actually gotten worse). Since I don't want to have the car laid up for another month, and really don't want to invite leaks (many G6 owners have leaks in the roof, something that, thankfully, I have escaped) I told the dealership that the roof squeaks more than ever, but since GM cannot prove to me that they can fix it, I want them to leave it alone. GM knows this roof is a huge problem. It has been removed from the 2008 G6 option list, even after it was in EVERY G6 commercial and was a selling point for my wife and many other consumers. Also, if you remember, the AURA was shown at autoshows with the Panoramic sunroof and it was supposed to be an option. Guess what? It's not. Why? Because GM knows it was a mistake. So I called Pontiac Cares (they really don't) again (I had a case opened up after the first trip to the dealership did nothing to cure the sunroof woes). I explained to them the problem and asked what GM is doing for those of us that got suckered into paying a $2500 premium for that roof. They took all my information and said that they would call me on Thursday with a resolution. Thursday came and a different woman called me back (she said the original woman that took my complaint had moved to another position. Fishy. And believe me, I am as nice as pie to these people. I was customer service once. They didn't design this awful roof. If Webasto was on phone, they would get an earful). She said that because the car is still under warranty (it only has 17,000 miles on it) the only thing that they could pursue is free maintenance. Since I do all my oil changes at home, and the dealership that we bought the car at is about 30 minutes away (the local Pontiac dealer is a slimeball place) I said that I would never use it. I asked the woman, since GM knows this roof is a problem, and knows that people spent their hard-earned money to buy it, wouldn't it make sense for GM to offer some sort of incentive so when I return this back to Pontiac I have a reason to purchase another one? Maybe a $1000 coupon towards the purchase or lease of a new Pontiac when I hand mine back in for the troubles I've had? She said since the car is still under warranty, there is nothing they can do (which is a bogus excuse. If the car was out of warranty, they would do something for me? Silly). I asked her, so my only recourse is to keep bringing it back to the dealership so they can tear the roof out of, put some lubrication here and a plastic grommet there, put it all back together again only to realize that all the noises are still there, all while I drive around in some stinky old loaner car and paying my $341 lease payment? Yep. So I said, GM wants me to go back once more and then pursue a lemon law, while they could have admitted a mistake, said sorry, and given a little good will to someone who has driven nothing but GM cars all their life and spent so much time starting a pro-GM website to talk up their products when everyone was down on them? That's what GM wants? She said that she could send me a letter for the Better Business Bureau so I could pursue the Lemon Law. GM just asked me to "take it to the courts." She closed out my complaint as "unsatisfied" (to say the least) and we hung up. After that phone call, I suddenly had the urge to change my plans. See, in Oct 2008 the G6 gets returned to Pontiac (I feel sorry for anyone that GM suckered into actually buying a G6 with this sunroof, as there is no resale value for this car. As soon as someone takes it for a ride, they'll say "What the hell is all that noise?" and your only answer is "oh, it's the sunroof and there is no fix for it, so you'll have to live with it. Now give me $15,000 for the car.") I was going to purchase a G8 GT. But now I really don't feel like it. I started looking at Mustang GTs and Dodge Charger/Magnum R/Ts. If this is the way that GM is going to treat a loyal customer, then maybe I have my loyalties in the wrong place. Thanks GM for owning up to your mistakes and making good when you screw a customer over with a bad product (not). Walt Keegan 2006 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX SS 2006 Pontiac G6 GT 2003 Pontiac Grand Am GT 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 1996 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Convertible 1994 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 4x4 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 1988 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS AeroCoupe 1986 Pontiac Fiero SE 1967 Camaro RS

Dont know the website you quoted here, but it is a spam site and it was deleted. Please don't post it again

I noticed no talk of MPG. If this was an H3 article, we would have had a debate over MPG and how the American pigs love poor MPG (The Jeep gets 17/19 for a 4x4). Jeep gets a pass, while HUMMER is the evil of all evils. Strange.

While I think the piece of $h! should be castrated, and then thrown into the dog fighting ring so his pits can rip him to shreds, we are a nation of laws (I have to remind myself with the crapper this country is in) and he needs to go through the justice system. I don't watch football, so no loss to me.

Don't like the taillights, but... http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=530202 ------------------------------------ All-New 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Debuts at Major League Baseball's All-Star Game Malibu Hybrid production begins in October, available at dealerships soon after SAN FRANCISCO – The all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid will join baseball’s other stars as it makes its world debut in the All-Star Fan Zone today. The Malibu Hybrid’s appearance continues through the last out of one of MLB’s highlights of the year. Thanks to an affordable hybrid powertrain option, the all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid not only will be the most refined new midsize sedan in the neighborhood, but one of the most fuel-efficient, as well. Powered by the GM Hybrid System, the first-ever Malibu Hybrid delivers an EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway – a two-mpg increase over the non-hybrid four-cylinder model – and will be Chevrolet value-priced, offering customers an affordable hybrid choice. “The beauty of the Chevy Malibu Hybrid is that customers don’t have to choose between a stylish, expressive, fuel-saving sedan full of standard content and the gasoline that goes in the tank,” said Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper. “The Malibu Hybrid‘s winning package of uncompromising design and fuel economy will help us assert leadership in the midsize sedan segment and meet the needs of Chevy customers.” Production of the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is scheduled to begin in October, with vehicles arriving in dealerships shortly thereafter. The system will be available as a powertrain option on the base LS model, which also features Electric Power Steering, Automatic Climate Control and the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system. The GM Hybrid system featured on the Malibu Hybrid saves fuel by using sophisticated controls and software, as well as a unique, 36-volt electric motor/generator mated to GM Powertrain’s 2.4L Ecotec VVT four-cylinder engine and Hydra-Matic 4T45 four-speed transmission. The GM Hybrid system maintains the vehicle’s sporty feel and seamlessly reduces fuel consumption by: Shutting off the engine when the vehicle is stopped, to minimize idling Restarting the engine promptly when the brake pedal is released Enabling early fuel shut-off during vehicle deceleration Capturing vehicle kinetic energy during deceleration through regenerative braking to charge the advanced nickel metal hydride battery Performing intelligent battery charging when it is most efficient The GM Hybrid system provides additional power, when required, during launch from the electric motor/generator. At wide-open throttle, such as during a passing maneuver, the system enhances acceleration by using the motor/generator to bolster the gasoline engine and achieve maximum power. The GM Hybrid system also is designed to automatically maintain full accessory functionality – including climate control – when the vehicle is stopped, so that hybrid operation is seamless to the driver and passengers. The Malibu Hybrid delivers an appropriate balance of fuel economy and cabin comfort with an air conditioning system with two selectable modes. The Hybrid A/C mode favors more fuel-efficient performance by limiting the draw on the hybrid powertrain, while the normal mode provides maximum passenger comfort in hot climates and enhances defogging performance. Malibu Hybrid models make a statement away from the gas pump, too, thanks to specific exterior appointments such as 16-inch low rolling resistance tires and unique hybrid badging. Inside, a special gauge cluster provides information and feedback about the hybrid powertrain’s operation. The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is covered by GM’s five-year / 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, the most comprehensive in the industry. In addition, the Malibu Hybrid’s advanced nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack is covered by an eight-year / 100,000-mile warranty. Specifications Photo Gallery

I usually don't chime in on these anymore because of the political angle, and I would stop if it became a contentious debate instead of some people making fun of the dolts that run this country (that is a non-partisan dig). If this topic became ugly, we'd shut it down and I would not say another word about it. There's a reason I barely post anymore - I know it's a car site but with the state of affairs in the country and the world, I really can't concentrate on cars anymore and have become an activist on other things. My statement about the founding fathers was to battle anyone who says that this country was built around "Christian" values, and to remind them that they were all Deists, that believed in a "creator" but not in a meddling god that guides all that people do and sees all (the way the majority of religions see it). That's all. I have begun to study the early republic, the rag-tag men who created it and what their intentions, if any, were. And I also started to study the Constitution (that "goddamned piece of paper" GW Bush) and what it should mean to us as Americans. I'll shut up and go back to the underground vast left-wing conspiracy bunker I live in.

So how many millions of taxpayers dollars did it take the Neo-cons that run the military to realize that they believe that "gayness" is a chosen behavior and cannot be biologically created, therefore this bomb could never work. It's amazing how much stereotype and ignorance runs rampant in a government that is blurring the lines between church and state (science vs faith). Many people need to go back and read biographies of Jefferson, Washington, Madison and Adams to see what this country was founded on and by. Mr. Jefferson, I am sad to say that it seems that in this date of 2007, this grand experiment called Democracy is "in it's last throws."

1985 was the first year for the IROC-Z., but the car they have there is just a Z28 with IROC-Z stickers. IROCs were mono-colored and had fog lights, not a louvered grill. And I do not believe they cam in that color, the blue was much deeper and that lighter blue didn't appear until 88, and never on an IROC. I guess it's just a toy, but a piss-poor job on getting the details right.

ON CNBC last night, they had a segment about this and pitted a regular guy vs. a Libertarian (he was from the Ayn Rynd institute). While I like the "no religion" "keep our private lives private" aspect of Libertarianism, I just can't understand how anyone believes that unrestrained capitalism would work. What you have in China right now is just that, and look what that gets you? Death, sickness, pollution like we have never seen. If capitalism is not regulated to make sure that the heath and safety of the people are job #1 (instead of making a profit - which is a company's job #1), then you get fake lard made out of human feces. End of story. The also talked to a woman that wrote a book about spending a year without buying anything made in China. Her kids got about 10 toys over the year and most of them were Legos. Basically the wonderful businesses here in the USA have made it impossible for us to detach from the poison that is the trade imbalance with China. Free trade is still a good thing... right? Sure. http://www.amazon.com/Year-Without-Made-Ch...6699&sr=8-1

Berlinetta! With a coach roof! J/K

Falwell made himself a PUBLIC figure, which means he gets PUBLIC scrutiny whether alive or dead. He was not a private person, and those areas of his life that were private, those of us that only knew him from his PUBLIC persona will never know. Once you put yourself out there as a PUBLIC figure, you put yourself out there with what you want people to know about you and Falwell was a hateful, nasty PUBLIC person. In private, his wife has lost a husband and his children a father which is sad. We are not speaking of that realm. It's the PUBLIC realm and I feel the world is a better place without him. My only hope is that there is one moment of clarity before we leave this mortal coil when all becomes clear that there is nothing else but what we know as life, and he came to the realization that all his spewed hate-speech was for naught. These are times that I wish there was a hell so he could suffer there. Christopher Hitchens said it best this week on Hannity and Colmes: "If you gave Jerry Falwell an enema, you could bury him in a matchbox."

I got this email yesterday for an anniversary car show at the Pontiac dealer I got the G6 at. Now they say that the H3T concept will be there. From what I can remember, the H3T concept was a black two-door, not a red four door that would look awfully like the 2009 production truck. So, there is either a H3T concept 4-door I don't remember, someone did a photoshop pic for this Pontiac dealer to use, or they mistakenly used a pre-production pic of the real H3T. Party on.

The problem for anyone that is a car-enthusiast selling cars is that you won't be a slimeball, but chances are your manager and owner will. My father started his second career as a car salesman. He's been a gear-head probably since he could walk and made a natural switch selling Chevys. Pay was off and on - some weeks he'd bring home $80, sometimes 10 times that. Problem is, if you aren't a shrewd jerk trying to get every penny (and stealing some) you probably won't make anywhere near what they "say" is the potential. Then as managers change (which is like every few months in the sales biz) styles change. This Chevy dealer went all "highway" (high-pressure) and my dad hated that. So he moved to a Ford-Kia dealer. He hated selling Kias, but at the time, that's where the money was. Kia gave extra incentives for sales. My dad would make more off a Sephia than a Focus. After that Ford dealer when to $h!, he went back to Chevy again and had to sell Hyundais also. Once again, Hyundai gave extra cash for selling any of their cars. ONce again dealers would push a Elantra over a Cavalier because they would make more off it. My dad tried to do the opposite, even though he would usually make a flat $50 on a Cavalier. After a few years at that dealership, the "highway-men" moved in and basically said "No one can walk out this door without buying a car!" After a few head butts with my dad and management (The manager did not care if the person came in looking for an Impala, but only could afford an Accent, he wanted my dad to pressure them into the MUCH smaller car instead of looking at some used stuff or letting them talk about it. Not everyone going to a dealership is ready to buy TODAY!) my dad quit and never wants to sell cars again. So moral: Unless you can find a dealership that does not employ a high-pressure mentality (good luck) that fact that you are a car guy looking to work selling cars honestly is really going to be hard. I think the business is so much different now that it was even 15 years ago. The stories of the "salesmen' that my dad had to work with were unbelievable (these guys were "salesmen". They could be selling soap door-to-door or cars or black-market weapons it didn't matter. MOst knew nothing about cars and would "yes" people to death, "Does it have ABS?" "yup" - even though it didn't. I don't know if it was intentional or just lack of caring). I once thought it would be fun to sell cars that I loved being around, but after all the horror stories from my dad, I thought better of it. Maybe there is a dealer like that around you, but here in NJ, it seems that most dealerships are now "rape and take" highway shops and there is no room for an honest car-lover in that line of work.

Use this line sometime and get back to us what happens: http://www.thisispembrokeshire.net/display...m_treatment.php

Satty, that means that you were ten when I saw SoundGarden in concert when I was in college. Who's old now? Wait, did I really want to win that one... ugh!

This from a MarketWatch article about April sales. Looks like Toyota may be jonesin' to keep the Number 1 slot, no matter how much they say they aren't. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/toyo...mp;siteid=yhoof

I found the user and banned/deleted them. I spend time every morning deleting Spammers and sometimes the onslaught is too great. This one joined this morning and started spamming away. Thanks

In all honesty - the new Sentra has moved up a slot. It's bigger and more expensive than the outgoing one (plus last year Nissan was selling the old-gen Sentra at fire-sale prices). When you add the Versa and new Sentra together, you get right about the same volume, which is what I think Nissan expected. I see plenty of the new Sentras around, and agree, they're ugly. I feel the same way for the whole Nissan lineup, but I seem to be in minority around here.

Is this an old alternative Camaro design, or something else??? There is definitely a large split grill, and the overall shape looks like a Camaro, but it's interesting none the less...

I checked a high-res version of the pic - all the details, headlights, foglights, grill are just stick ons. That's why the headlight looks a little weird.

Kappa? Poor roof design that makes the trunk useless (especially with the GM parts hardtop) and a pain to open/close, and various interior tidbits that let the cars lose to the MX-5 as far as everyday liveability. Believe me, I love the two kappas, and almost had a Solstice, but for as many concessions I'd have to make for this as a daily driver, it lost out. If I wasn't a died in the wool GM fan, I would have gone to Mazda since the MX-5 has a real trunk and a little more useable. I'm looking at this as the devil's advocate - to make GM better, and GM needs to get a second-gen Kappa out soon to fix at least the trunk/top issue to match the cars up to other cars in the class. Yes, the GXP and RL have no real comp for Mazda, but don't think MAZDASPEED won't find it's way. And if Dodge survives, the Demon may around in a few years too. I just think that GM has to sort this stuff out before it brand-izes more of the same.