balthazar

If GM sells off Allison, the division/company would be free (I assume) to sell to other manufacturers, which reduces GM's marketing advantage notably. No other HD trans has close to the reputation. Not good.

194.5 CI

Yeah, I don't either and don't see how the charge is remotely valid.

No harm, no foul, Sixty8. Yeah- 'railriders' are very cool. I used to know a guy who worked for the railroad- had a mid '60s Ford pickup railrider. I was always fascinated- like you had this other avenue of escape besides roads....

You're right- the very idea is laughable. Besides, honda is well know for ignoring it's competition.

It would be interesting to learn if the truck was tested in Tow/Haul mode (which locks the converter in 2nd thru 5th gears on the Allisons). If you're going to gauge the Silverado's performance capabilities, you need to button off OD & T/H for the best results. >>"it's ridiculous that people should have to go out and spend $2k on mods just to have equivalent performance to the Tundra."<< it's ridiculous to think people race trucks. It happens, I realize, but I strongly doubt very many buyers have ever regretted buying Chevy/GMC because another brand is slightly faster (no: not "obliterated"). If they DO care- they don't jump ship- they mod.

Sixty8 - That's a Chieftan wagon, not a Bonne; jumpin' jehosephat- it's not even 2-toned! blackviper - No- I find absolutely all '90s cars either uninteresting or completely appalling (for sure in the interior) and nearly zero to be absolutely gorgeous.

Wait- 'modern, eye-catching design'?? I thought the SRX reminded everyone of a hearse? Saunders managed to get thru the piece without resorting to tired cliches' and overdramatic prose. Good for him.

>>"The original Thunderbird... there's nothing really special about the design... just a small two seater '50s Ford."<< How can a 2-seater Ford not be something special? You cannot fairly dismiss it just because it says 'FORD" on it. Seriously- have you ever sat in a 1st gen (T1?) 'bird; they are very cool & unique- on the order (tho different) than a Corvette beyond the obvious reason. My B-59 bunked with a '56 in a barn for a year- I could own a T1 no problem (except that they are too popular for me. 300: The 300 is plain in the way a vintage ferrari is plain; it's not so much unadorned as it is purposeful. The grille is on the large side, tho IMO it's F-ing perfect for a racing car (it does need to feed a 375-hp 8bbl Hemi), as are the fins (areodynamic aids over 90 MPH, don'tcha know). Timeless motion-at-rest. >>"Other than the taillights, none of it really relates to size, but more or less the shape and style."<< Wow- unusual opinion on this one; it's so clean. How about the 300's little sister:

Right (and please excuse The Robot if he is blathering here), but isn't the idea as presented to share firewalls across different platforms?

>>"...slightly more power lost through the driveshaft."<< This is something that would need to be proven thru pointed testing; I don't see the driveshaft or it's U-joints themselves contributing anything to parasitic loss. If a shaft is aluminum or carbon fiber- the weight is negligable. Contrarily, I've always assumed the 'turns' the power thrust of a transaxle has to take in many cases contributes notably to parasitic loss, as opposed to the 'straight-thru' design of a typical RWD powertrain. I realize we're not talking exhaust flow here, but still...

Hey BV; whaddya think?:

I've seen an awful lot, but I've never seen a tundra towing snot. I see Fly's point on the Impy wagon, but all that glorious 20-gauge sheetmetal surrounding that single stylistic detail completely obliterates the question in my eye. Gimmee.

Silverado 6.6L 365 HP @ 3200 650 TRQ @ 1600 RPM

Aren't they exactly that right now?

Reporting corporate sales numbers by themselves is fine. But reporting compiled numbers in lists of brand sales is intentionally misleading. I suspect they've done the same thing with their brand average buyer age figure; a recent list of brand ABAs posted on this board showed lexus, a suspiciously low toyota and a conspicuously absent scion. toyota also plays this game with model sales numbers (camry + solara is one). It's just not consistant.

>>"would it be possible...."<< Pontiac built at least 1 SC Indy 4 in the Tempest Monte Carlo, but how hard it was pressed or what the specs/ modifications were, I don't know offhand. Hi CR head? No: the auto trans Tempest is already at 10.25:1- I believe it's the same head as on the V-8s. 10.25 is on the very high side for an iron street head with today's turtle-piss gasoline. Pistons, again are standard V-8 units. I'm sure the general formula for carb'd I-4 performance builds could be followed: better breathing from top to bottom, a good ignition system and clean everything up. This should make the engine run smoother, not rougher. As far as mounts go, there are aftermarket V-8 'interlocking' mounts for Pontiacs that ride on rubber but limit travel with steel internals; maybe they could be fit to the Tempest. The question is- does the Indy 4 use a V-8 cam?? If not- you'll not find an on-shelf performance grind, and you'll be incapable of making great gains in HP/TRQ without one.

Some good points above. The one which stands out at me is: if a buyer places performance at a priority, the aftermarket for GM will kill the toyota's performance dead...., but as also stated, the vast majority of truck buyers aren't racing and do not care if another truck is tenths of a second faster. This is vastly overhyped in this segment. 6-speed absence is less so.

'61 Tempy: 189" overall. The Robot; out.

>>"As far as I know, u-bolts are u-bolts, shackles are the brackets with bushings that mount the rear of the leaf spring to the frame. "<< That's the way I know it, too.

Well it's a unibody, and unfortunately one of the Big Fat Cons of a UB is rot repair- do a thorough check on the undercarriage. Indy 4 packs a whopping 110 or 120 HP (depending on trans attachment), but ironically vs. the description, the Tempest was available with the compact Buick 215 V-8 from the start, tho only about 2% got one for '61. Don't have much to add- haven't encountered many 1st gen Tempests. Haven't heard anything bad about them.... no '61-63 owner's reports or the like in my files. If you get it- I have a steering shaft & box spare for it. Go for it.

Have you priced plywood lately? This is nearly exactly what I proposed here last summer; the Minimalist Kar. Something without power tire valve caps & 58 airbags, a back-to-basics commuter small car that's economical and affordable- and sorry folks! without NNNAAVV. IF toyota manages to bring this to market- it would do far more targeting of the koreans... but the way the media always sees it; everything new is only bad news for the domestics. More predictable dumbassedness.

The first question always is: Is it a keeper or a flip? If this is a labor of love you'll keep 'forever'- only you can say if it's worth it, if you need to ask that at all. If you intend to flip it (assumedly for a profit)- then you need to figure very carefully. 3 areas that eat the most money are >sheetmetal repair, > original interiors, and > (in this case)- chrome & stainless refurbishing. The exterior looks pretty solid & complete, but the interior is toast. I know for a fact you're looking at a minimum $650 to get the steering wheel recast and like new, tho you might be able to find an NOS one (ha!!), tho it'll likely be more. You also need to decide how far you want to take your keeper; if you want a #1 showcar- don't start with this one. The general rule for restorations is to buy the best condition you can afford. Even if it has to be trucked across country to get to you, you'll save in the long run. If all you're looking for is a decent driver and minimal cosmetics, esp if not factory-authentic, you will spend a fraction and the financials become relatively do-able. I have gotten just past halfway thru my B-59 'restification'. I spent some time estimating each area for costs, and everything done so far came in under budget except for bodywork/paint. That alone put me well over budget. Engine build is another expensive matter... maybe I should forgo big block Buick motivation in favor of a SBC. Mmmmmmm......nah. Auction says the Fiesta came from New Mexico- wear/deterioration supports this. "Floors need replacing" sounds contrary, tho. If the floors are too bad to patch, there's more rot underneath than just floorpans. >>"I have watched these cars needing complete restoration but in running condition sell for between $12,000-15,000."<< 3 days into it and it's just nipping $900. If it surpasses $3000 I would be surprised.

Here you go: B-59 fleet I know this family well, and I scanned the pics for that website- (fun site, BTW), and I've seen all those cars in person. The black beauty up top is the LeSabre 2-dr sedan, tho I should note it has the optional chrome trim around the side windows that brightens it up nicely. Most 2-dr sedans prolly don't have this.

Bortz has 2 of his treasures on the block, the rather pedestrian '61 Pontiac Tempest Monte Carlo- which is a shortened wheelbase convertible. Originally it was a serious piece, with a cut-down windscreen, a SC Indy 4 and Halibrand wheels. When it slid out the back door at GM is got a production windshield and a 215 aluminum V-8 and wire wheels. Today, it really only looks like a shorter Tempest convert with dual racing stripes and wires. Ummm, OK. I read that it's fishing for $1.5M, but I'd be really surprised if it got that- being so far from original. Bortz is also offering his meticulously restored 3/8ths scale '56 Pontiac Club deMer model. It's a real showpiece, but is it likewise worth $1.5M??? Again, I am doubtful, but less so on this one.