balthazar

This forlorn structure once was the Walter H Schultz Pontiac dealer in Trenton NJ. It was in 1947, anyway. I couldn't find a 'back in the day' pic, sadly.

Decades ago I sent away to get the factory paperwork for my '64 GP from a company that bought up (actually, I heard they were rescued from a dumpster and an agreement was reached) PMD's records. Just like anyone who's interested in their car's history/numbers, one of the things that tends to occupy the minds of car hobbyists is their car's past life. Specifically, what dealership did it come from? Well, this paperwork included what's called a 'build manifest', which shows the VIN, options codes, other bits, plus the dealership numerical code. Here's one (see "07 679") - this is the 'factory's copy' : This particular manifest is from the Car & Driver '64 GTO test car, the one where Pontiac slipped a 421 underhood in place of the 389 they were built with. Those extra 32 cubes were worth an official 22 more HP, but tuned the way it was it was FAR more. The C&D GTO did the quarter mile in 11.8 sec IIRC. Unfortunately, the manifest doesn't ID the dealer (name/address), so unless you find the individual car's build sheet (it's 'birth certificate', if you will), it is very tough to find out the actual original dealer. This is a build sheet from a '70 GTO, note that besides the VIN, the spelled-out options, it has both the dealer code and the dealer name/address. This is the golden ticket for a Pontiac hobbyist. However, there was no set rule about these singular paper copies as far as what to do with them when the car was assembled. Many/most times, they got stuffed into the car... but not always and not always in the same places. I've found them under the seat springs, way up under the dash. I never did find the one in my '64 GP tho. Now, this company that has all the PMD records, from 1961 up until (who cares; I think) 1980, THEY have all the dealer IDs but never got around to compiling a list. So I started to reach out into the Pontiac community to find out dealer codes and compile them. This, I started around 1990, and I get quite a decent start on a list. Along comes this internet thing, and I find a very busy GTO site (ultimateGTO.com) that also has a list going, so I shelve the project. Low & behold, I recently check back and the GTO site list hasn't been updated since 2009! That's it; 'just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in'. I don't know how many dealers we're talking about- my interest would be about '55-80... and the codes mathmatically allow for 27,000 numbers.... but the count is more like 4-5000, or so I was once told. RIght now my list is just over 1800, tho 450 of those have no codes associated with them.

^ It IS unprecedented in history: Government "paying" you via a tax credit, to buy a private (IE: not Gov't) company's product. What ever happened to Separation of Company & State? ;)

EVERYBODY is "planning on being profitable", yet the gutters & storm drains of history are PACKED with failures.

Makes sense to build it as a 4-dr- audi only managed to find 83 buyers for the TT in August. It's completely dead- it needs something (or -more sensibly- abrupt cancellation).

Sales of the japanese/Korean entry level market cars are ALSO down. Question is, who moved quicker to head off the inevitable?

yeah- no WAY is that a 136" wheelbase. It would really help if the dimensions were expressed 'bi-systematically'. SUV looks fairly good from the rear, side & proportionally, but I'm not liking the front end at ALL.

these last 15 years.

GM pulled down $2.5 billion in net profit last quarter. They're not remotely flirting with either bankruptcy or asking for a bailout, and they're not in the same hemisphere they were the single time they ever asked for a 'loan guarantee' in their then 100-year history (of which saw numerous recessions).

Shouldn't they be flags of Japan? Embrace who you are, no? - - - - -

[wanders back to his shop and hugs his '40, '59 & '64]

Don't think cars use TRQ too? Interesting.

Dude, the Tundra's been here since 1999! "They did" is what you meant to say. How's that working out for toyota?

Have to take these early 'factory' pics with a few grains of salt. The shot of the interior shows NO DOORS nor any hinges for doors, therefore it doesn't seem to be a 'production' truck. Things are going to change and 'real world' camera shots may well tell a markedly different story. Narrow center console is a HUGE plus IMO- they've grown increasingly fatter and take measureable space from the 2 outer seating spots. People think they need a microwave-sized console for some dumb-assed reason. RHall makes a good point about the dead space in front of it, tho. I have a split bench with a fold-down, and I built a tray to sit on the trans tunnel to hold a bunch of stuff. Overall, despite the weird styling and the omission of a bed (to speak of), it looks pretty well finished and thought out. The issue is, yet again, a totally noncompetitive price. By the by, I've already added the word 'frunk' to the list of words I refuse to use. You said this truck's numbers "crush all other V8 trucks" and they don't. Perhaps you misspoke. Yet again.

Come again?? DuraMax V8 : 910 TRQ PowerStroke V8 : 935 TRQ Cummins (ya; it's a 6) : 925 TRQ

It'd be a refreshing change if VW hired some stylists and breathed SOME whisper of life into the exterior of Bentleys. Equal parts bloated blockiness and generic ugliness certainly leaves a 1000 miles' room for improvement.

Bowling Green comes readily to mind.

Stupidity?

I have 4 V8 vehicles : 239, 389, 403, 470. Also have 4 spare engines : 291, 330, 455, 455. That's 3,032 cubic inches in my arsenal. ? - - - - -

2-dr wagon... with FINS ?

^ The only good displacement is cubic inches. My SIlverado has a 403.