balthazar

Sheer quantity. Wire can get thinner to a point, but when you add spools and spools of it, it's a net gain. Tire pressure monitors, back up cameras, turn signals in the sideviews, side repeater signals, ambient lighting, heated wiper fluid, heated steering wheel, 12-way power seats, rearview OnStar & temp/compass readout, auto dimming rear view, iPod connectivity, heated & cooled seats............ the features on a modern car aren't all chip programming & code like in a phone; too many tangible sensors & readouts & the like.

Just found this via a quick google : >>"The 1978 VW Rabbit diesel had a curb weight of 2145lbs."<< 2010 golf TDI weighs 3033. We didn't 'lose' something, we gained. [/thread]

Modern gadgets & safety items are absolutely to blame. Glass & lesser & thinner, there's FAR less steel in modern vehicles, plus extensive aluminum; esp engine/trans. Lighting is all plastic, bumpers are all plastic, interior is all plastic.... but pick up a moderate spool of wire and see what it weighs. I use my '64 Catalina 4-dr sedan as a reference point: it had a full frame, an iron V8 block, decent-gauge sheet metal, was 80" wide & 213" long. Had to have less than 15 lbs of plastic. Shipping weight was 3770, and curb weight was probably about 3850. AM radio, no A/C, no PW, no PS, no air bags, no ABS, no TC, no stabilty control. If it had what a Malibu had in it AFA equipment & safety stuff, it would weigh 4800 easy. So in discussions about vehicle weight, the emphasis erroneously falls on 'higher strength steel & more AL', cause no one ever wants to give up their power vanity mirrors...

Yea! more competition to the core Divisions!! >

Note the past tense...that world is long gone. Quite incorrect. There is active usage of the Northstar in hot rod applications today. There are aftermarket companies (CHRF is one), and there are engines running 600 HP reliably. The owner of CHRF has a 1000 HP build. Even the Tucker replica runs a rear-mounted Northstar. They're definitely out there, so 'that world' is still here.

There's a car out there for any subjective fan. Chaparral 2E looks like it came out of the Cake Boss's shop as far as aesthetics goes, but no doubt someone thinks it's the bee's knees. I respect Duntov's 'ultimate vision', but I'm not necessarily Duntov, so his aesthetics are not always going to be mine. GS is not in the top 5 of my personal vette list, stylistically... but obviously, a car driven to 7 figures has favor with more than a handful of fans.

SC series books are fraught with errors. My copies are peppered with penned corrections (by me). Really poor proofreading. Just saying.

I understand & find legitimate the different public stages of #002, but it's still the 'as-built- white coupe (choice #1) that appeals to me most.

Comparing cross decades : size has little correspondence to weight. mercedees makes a 4500lb 2-seat roadster.

AS per usual recent GM practice, the initial numbers were underrated. Under-promise & over-deliver. Seems like an appealing package- nice job, Buick.

^ Yeah, I figured the '265' painted on the grille header wasn't just a coincidence, hence my earlier post. 301 had 135-150 HP, I assume the 265 was rated even lower, but I don't care enough to bother looking.... Dad had a 301 in a Safari- actually ran & moved decently (not admirably, but not as bad as one would think, esp in a heavy wagon).

It wasn't until I checked the intake # and this conversation... and just looking at the engine shot that the sloppy paint on the grille header seems to confirm the wretched news: Almost nothing interchanges from the 265/301 to the 'real' engines, including heads. Valve covers and accessories do tho, and headers will fit but not utilize all the bolt holes. There's no aftermarket support, tho.

That would be a cool bank, but; no- no penny slots or holes/openings of any kind.

I don't know the back story on the title. Yea- the intake P/N is indicating 301/265, or at the very least- too new to be for a 'real' PMD engine. Whoever DID stick the stock valve covers on it, tho. In thinking about it- I wouldn't expect them to bolt up.....

I'm sure you can 'wink out' the B-pillar in your imagination: Really just pushing this as a parts car, but it's complete enough & a Bonne; if someone wanted to get a title they could. It's worth more as parts than as a runner anyway. Motor was yanked for 1 of 2 reasons: it blew or it went into another car. The motor in there now is unfortunately new- guy says it's a 350, but in glancing at it- the intake is 1980 or newer, which raises the very real specter that it's a 301 instead (last 350 was '77). I'd have to run the block code....

Only an idiot would pair his company with an utter flop like the mercedeesbach. We haven't seen bad 2-toning like that since circa 1980- that may have had a huge influence in no one buying them.

Giant plastic pennies. Measure about 5" in diameter, they're hollow, but not cheesily-thin. Excellent replicas of 1909 wheat-leaf pennies. Who/ when/ why they were made, I don't know. No 'non-penny' markings whatsoever. I have 5 of them, asking $2.50 each plus shipping.

1/25th scale replica truck/ bank. 1996 Citgo issue. Steel, rubber & plastic- nice piece. Mint- never displayed. $20 plus shipping.

Whole: $1500 (but no title). Parts available: everything but motor/ trans/ radiator (only a later 350). Lots of solid sheet metal & stainless, no notable options. Has desirable BOP front-loader rear- heavily sought after for vintage drag cars. Seats were re-upholstered, but not factory & not exactly appealing. Hate to break this one up since it still oozes personality & class.... but not my decision/ car. Located in New Brunswick, NJ

On the flip side, lower property values open the door for lower property taxes! If you're not moving regularly, you could save yourself a ton of money over a few decades of lower taxes... unless your town has it structured like mine; with a $100K window you must fall outside to appeal your taxes. Not to mention; one's man's blight is another man's preference.

So in other words- dropping the demographic for the Corvette is going to make it.... more expensive for younger buyers to own. So much for that idea...

'Kids' haven't been widely able to afford a performance car and it's insurance since around 1970, but 'kids' don't buy new cars in appreciable numbers. The fact of the matter lost here is that the average age, period, is getting older, which is why the average car buyer age (not just the Corvette) has been creeping higher. If marketers were smart from a business standpoint- they would follow the trends of buyer age, not try and twist an established, iconic car to chase a shrinking demographic.

What about the close-mindedness of those who will only consider OHC (to the frequent downside of lesser performance) ?? How can we help them broaden their minds and consider lighter, more compact tech ?? Their old-world way of thinking needs to move forward.

^ Obviously, they're willing to try any gimmick available to best an IBC. And the above attitude still begs the return question, when are the others going to move to a lighter, more compact, newer tech, more powerful design?? CAFE is forcing the downsizing of everything- IBC answers all points of concern with wringing every last MPG out of a same configuration gas engine. Time to hang up the perception glasses and get with what works.

Have you talked to the homeowners yet ?