BigPontiac

Delphi to Accelerate Talks With GM Monday November 28, 9:39 am ET Delphi to Accelerate Talks With GM Regarding Its Restructuring DETROIT (AP) -- Delphi Corp. said Monday it would accelerate talks with General Motors Corp. regarding its restructuring as the nation's leading auto-parts supplier works to emerge from bankruptcy and reach an agreement with its unions on wage cuts. Delphi also said it would push back a Dec. 16 court date to ask a bankruptcy judge to eliminate union contracts if it had not reached a deal with labor unions. The meeting would not take place until at least Jan. 20, 2006, the company said. "These constructive actions demonstrate a willingness to accelerate efforts to achieve consensual resolutions to the significant challenges facing Delphi," Delphi Chairman and CEO Robert "Steve" Miller said in a statement. Troy, Mich.-based Delphi, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in October, said GM has agreed to temporarily forego previously agreed-to 2006 price reductions on components provided by Delphi as a way of providing financial support in the short-term. Full Article: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051128/delphi_gm.html?.v=2

The Sierra you're describing has a list MSRP of $21k...the Work Truck (WT) with optional 4.8 V-8 and 4-speed auto. Add in the incentives and the owner of your business probably paid about $15-16K to add it to his/her fleet. The cheapest Honda Ridgeline starts (RT) starts at $28K and has most of the amenities you described you liked. However, are all of the "wants" you described worth $10K+ to the owner of the business you work for that's paying you? If it was, I'm sure he/she would have purchased an SLE or SLT trimmed Sierra... As for your specific complaints on the Sierra you're driving: the transmission has a service bulletin out to correct the "abrupt" shifting issue from 1st to 2nd gear (software fix), the "rattling" in the bed is probably the spare tire...make sure it's inflated and torqued tight under the truck. The brakes could use improvement (improved on 2005 Sierras) but a few hard stops every once in a while gets the self-adjusters to improve the pedal feel and decrease the stopping distances. There are a whole list of aftermarket vendors who've filled the gap on brakes for GM trucks, just like they have for Honda/Acura owners to "personalize" their rides. If your basis for driving comparison to the Sierra is that Acura Integra in your signature, you will be disappointed. Expecting the Sierra to handle like the Integra is about as fair as asking the Integra to haul a few yards of mulch. Both vehicles are intended for different purposes, so will have different compromises in handling dynamics. Pickups always ride better with at least a few hundred pounds in the bed.

I still wonder about the Kerkorian angle in all of this. From another thread/article from the Detroit Free Press entitled "Lutz speaks on Kerkorian's side:" http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1741 Maybe they're trying to do it again?

Forbes Article Direct URL: http://www.forbes.com/investmentnewsletter...artner=yahootix

Shutting down Oldsmobile cost GM about $1 Billion and then they got sued by some of their dealers...adding the shutdown costs for multiple brands plus the excess capacity GM has in their current plants due to their drop in market share and their current UAW contracts means they have limited options. Steve Miller over at Delphi has been openly saying he expects GM to file bankruptcy. If the Delphi situation goes badly, it could very likely start the snowball effect for GM... Olds shutdown cost reference: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7836912/page/2

Miller's Speech URL: http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../biz-364915.htm This was a VERY interesting read...and many of the industries he references that had low cost competition that upset the incumbents is covered in a Management Framework known as Disruptive Innovation Theory (DIT). More info for anyone who is curious: The Innovator's Solution

Honda's Profit Margin May Fall in the Second-Half URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...zRWI&refer=asia

What My Dad Taught Me About GM And The Auto Workers Fat wages and benefits can't last when competition is cutthroat URL: http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/con...45/b3958038.htm

By Diego Rodriguez Saturn's Rust-Proof Brand Even in lean years, the carmaker kept its fan base through sterling customer service. Every company should draw from its example My next car is going to be a Saturn. Let me clarify: my next sports car will be a Saturn Sky. Not a Lotus, Porsche, BMW, or Ferrari. O.K., I would take the Ferrari if offered, but I would buy a Saturn. Yes, this unabashed car guy has decided to go with the brand known for body panel gaps the size of the Black Canyon and wheezy motors that are more Cheney than Armstrong. Why? Two reasons: First, built off the same platform as the new Pontiac Solstice, the Sky promises to be one tasty automobile, coupling a crisp origami design aesthetic with a really sweet mechanical package. Second, unlike those time-honored European sports-car marques, Saturn will deliver an ownership experience that goes far beyond the car itself. In other words, it's the Saturn brand I want to bring into my life, and the car is but one aspect of what I'm buying. More at the link: http://yahoo.businessweek.com/innovate/con...1021_798771.htm

Tracinda pledges GM stock as collateral for loan Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:59 AM ET WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp. said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that it is pledging its common shares of General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) as collateral to secure loans of $200 million or more. Tracinda recently disclosed that it had boosted its stake in GM to 9.9 percent, after U.S. antitrust authorities said they would not oppose a plan by Tracinda, Kerkorian's investment arm, to increase its stake to that level. The plans also include the possibility of Tracinda seeking a seat on the automaker's board. Tracinda said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that it entered into the pledge agreement with Bank of America on Oct. 14. The filing did not not disclose information about the intended proceeds from the loan. © Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved. http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompa...-Oct-2005+RTRS;

The wheels in the spy photo look the same as the standard 17"s on the 2006 Sierra 1500 SLT.

The PM image: Direct URL: http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/2005_gmc_sierra.jpg

There will likely be more '69 Camaro's on the road now that the bodies are being reproduced...other than the frame, you can almost build one from a catalog now...kinda like a '32 Ford. For more info, check out: http://www.dynacorn.com/