vonVeezelsnider

I'll have to go to the 3M retailer tomorrow and pick some up. They're warrantying the rust repair next week so as soon as I have it back I'll have to get on it then. I'll have to get whatever the thinnest tape they sell, about a millimeter or so maximum as I don't think anything thicker than that will allow me to get the clips back in.

Yeah I'm with Z on this one, the Lucerne is plenty good and it's better not to get yourself into more debt than you need to if you're worried about being employed next year. The 3900 and 3500 are about as bulletproof as any engine GM has made in the last fifteen years.

Yup... just like that they look like this (jacked from another forum) When I went through this song and dance in 2011 I actually wanted them to do almost verbatim what you and Z have suggested, sawing off the clips, sealing the mounting holes, and sticking the trim on flush with adhesive but once they got the applique off the car they looked at the inside of the part, and showed it to me; it wasn't possible to attach it using adhesive and get it to stay because the applique is hollowed out inside about three quarters of an inch. Basically despite what it looks like from the outside, except for the clip points, only the four extreme edges of the trim come close enough to the trunk lid to make contact with an adhesive or the 3M badge adhesive that the OEMs use. I was told that there wasn't enough of the part they could actually stick glue or adhesive on that it would be able to support the weight of the whole part during day to day use... Of course what 'blu suggested about using the badge tape merely as a cushion between the two parts around the four corners is not a bad idea at all, that might be worth trying for sure.

I've had the rust repaired under warranty in October 2009, and June 2011, and now after less than a year from the last repair it has arrived again. I talked the dealer into covering the repair one more time but I would bet any amount of money that A) it will come back again if left in factory configuration, and B) They aren't going to repair it au gratis next time. The car has just under 60k miles and is approaching five years old. I need some sort of solution that works to prevent the chrome from eating through the paint again. As you can see in the above picture they carved out the bottom of the trim at the edges but now the rust just starts forming further inboard on either side. That was what the GM TSB on the subject instructed and that does not work as you can plainly see. I already have an idea to solve the problem but I'd like to solicit some other ideas and submit mine for some "sober second thought" before I go ahead with it. I was thinking after they fix the rust that I could: 1) Take the applique off and put a narrow strip (~1inch) of 3M film along the width of the trunk where the bottom of the applique meets the trunk lid. This won't spoil the looks department and you probably couldn't see it unless you looked closely at the lid. 2) Spray some "PlastiDip" (clear rubberized paint) around the mounting holes in the trunk lid for the applique clips to decrease friction/vibration in those areas and to discourage corrosion there (wont be visible under the chrome when it's reinstalled). 3) Spray the same rubberized paint on the back of the applique to take the edge off of it when it sits on the car. Between the 3M and the rubberized paint on the back/bottom lip of the trim there won't be the same paint eating friction occurring and there shouldn't be a repeat appearance? Thoughts, guys?

You are looking at a two and a half foot wide piece of plastic "chrome" that has been one of the biggest sources of frustration for me in the last five years. The Coles Notes on my tale of woe: The trim applique on the trunk of my 2007 Impala is attached at the factory using six-eight clips into the trunk lid rather than an adhesive glue. As a result the trim is not fastened with equal pressure across the entire part and it vibrates as you drive or when you close the trunk. Unlike the Impala SS models which have painted/clear coated appliques the chrome on the more pedestrian Impala models have a sharp rather than dull lower edge across the bottom which during said vibration bites and eats into the paint. The problem is it doesn't stop. It eats through the clear coat, through the paint coat and through the primer down to the bare metal. What happens then? Rust just inside the bottom of the chrome applique in various spots where the trim is vibrating and interacting with sediments that get in since it's not sealed, but merely clipped in.

That custom job ruined it... The 55-60 Corvettes are, I would argue, the best looking of the bunch over the entire sixty year run. No brightwork, no contrasting colours, everything between the headlights looks both out of period and like an afterthought. Jeers.

A black Isuzu Ascender with Texas plates.

Yes although they over-did it just a bit with the wood. Didn't need a strip on the hood, or the stripe on the roof or the D-Pillars covered. Otherwise excellent.

Cadillac Sixteen.

I read a couple places that the B-Pillar was actually different.

It's a great colour combo and looks to be in excellent condition. Whoever owned it must have taken really good care of it. Be wary of the headgasket on that N* though... while the failure rate was decreased somewhat when they overhauled it for regular gas in 2000, they never really fixed the problem until mid 2003 when they changed the head bolts. They usually fail around this age/mileage so it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on that.

My Impala needs struts but I think I'd rather have the pros handle that Maybe throw in a new serpentine belt, I think the current one is slipping a bit too much in the parking lots. I'm going to have to tighten up the drivers door lock assembly as it's rattling in the door and probably replace all the driver's side door panel clips while I'm at it. I'm going to have to finally get around to replacing the cracked woodgrain trim around the shifter on the Regal, and reglue some of the rubber on the driver's side window switch surround/armrest (which is rubber and has separated from the door panel).

The yellow needle you see in the middle is, I think, that safety minder thing that Buicks had where you could set it so if you exceeded a certain speed a buzzer would go on telling you so. As for the colour combo- bleh.

They only really fixed the headliner drop when they went to the woven look headliner material from the felt stuff. I believe they changed the type of foam they used underneath at that point to something more durable. There's a small bit in the center of our Regal's headliner that has let go even.

So the Australian Taurus has a Mercury Sable front clip then? I notice it doesn't have the separate round signal lights inboard of the headlamps.

Kill it with fire!

Can't they shoehorn in the seats from the Caprice PPV? I seem to recall those having been specifically designed to get around this problem.

No, in the article I listed the $795 destination charge. Add that into the Dart SE's price tag and you're actually $16,790 How does that compare w/ the Focus, Cruze, Corolla, Civic, etc? It's about 800 less than the Cruze and Focus

I believe it's white but looks more gray because the camera's balance is off a bit.

This is gorgeous... I am a huge fan of the 1961-63 Imperials as well as the 1967-68. The 64-66 always seemed like a rehash of the 61-65 Continental for some reason, of course they were both designed by the same guy. Nonetheless. Love the square steering wheel.

Gorgeous interior and exterior color combo, love those 1965-66 models, esp with the hardtop.

Congrats Cort! Glad to see your recovery coming along nicely. Hopefully now the job dilemma will fall nicely into place.

Having been exposed to a lot of that ilk of GM Vehicles in the last five years or so (Cobalt, G5, Malibu, Impala... Epsilon, Delta, and W-) I think I can inject a thing or two as I am noticing some interesting patterns here. With regards to build quality (things holding up) and especially rattles which are a pet peeve of mine. Malibu Maxx (2006, Epsilon 1) - 46000mi currently -Like BK said, the stupid small storage cubby beside the steering wheel. Barely big enough to hold a bluetooth headset and after a while it has trouble staying shut. -I am very familiar with the "homicidal chipmunk noise" coming from the blower motor at speeds one and two as it is happening on our Malibu right now. -It's on it's fourth intermediate steering shaft, and a set of front strut mounts already -The rear skylight never stops rattling -The headliner isn't strong enough in its fastening to bear the weight of the dome light and so it rattles -The rear seat frame rattles quite loudly -Paint is peeling off the radio buttons -Rear cargo cover rattles loudly (I semi-fixed this one using cloth tape along the mounting tracks) -Basically a pain in the ass to drive, so many different rattles all going at the same time that it's actually an aggravating experience that I avoid if at all possible. I don't understand how my mom is able to live with it. G5 and Cobalt (2007 and 2008, Delta 1) - 35000mi before sold -Once again like BK said the "satin metallic" paint on the window switch bezel -Like blu mentioned, they both had the steering column rattle which is even more annoying in cold weather when it's louder and more frequent due to the condition of the roads -Passenger door panel loosened up and creaked when any weight, even just as an armrest during driving, was put on it -The window switch on the left rear door of BOTH cars would intermittently fail and could only be fixed by slamming the door shut from the inside with my finger putting the switch in the window-down position -Like blu mentioned about the HHR the shifter mechanism (in this case an Automatic) was really stiff in cold weather (and squeaky/creaky) -Everything did feel like it had loosened up over time. Impala (2007 and 2009, W-Body) - just under 60000mi on 2007, just over 32000mi on 2009 -Compared to the other two these cars are an absolute treat as they have both are almost completely problem free -Both cars have had the rotors warp a bit so that under higher speed or downhill braking you get a little feedback. Only a matter of turning the rotors occasionally so not a big deal. -Neither cars had the all too common clunk noise although my 2007 is developing a very slight popping/tapping noise/sensation from the steering column during low speed driving & turning that I suspect is I-Shaft related. I'm taking it in on Monday to see if I can get it covered on my GMPP before it expires. -Both cars have been pretty much rattle free. The only two consistent problems have been on my 2007, one is the trim between the window and the dashpad rattling, but I figured out that is happening because the cheaper plastic expands and contracts; when it expands is rubs against the A-Pillar trim making that noise. I put some felt tape around the bottoms of the A-Pillar trim and the friction problem went away. The other one was a minor rattle coming from the door lock assembly which loosened up in the driver's side door over time. They tightened it three years ago and the problem went away but now it seems to have loosened up again. When the warranty expires I'm going to take the door panel off and tighten it again, and replace the clips that hold the panel in- that should take care of that. On the whole though I'd say my brother's 2003 Regal has held up better to nine years of service than the Malibu has to six years of service and much fewer miles. The Regal probably needs an I-Shaft at some point as it is clunking, and potentially some new struts/mounts as the current ones are showing their age, but that's to be expected at this point. Beyond that the car is rattle and noise free, tight as a drum considering its age. None of the little nitpicky issues the Malibu has had. There is seriously no excuse for how horrible every part of that car has worn. A lot of Epsilon 1 have the same problems all over the place and as a result I don't think I could recommend a G6, Aura, or both Epsilon 1 generations of the Malibu to anyone that I didn't wish ill upon. I'll swear by the W-Body as quite honestly it's proven itself to be on the whole a much more durable car if a more chintzy one in the materials department than the Malibu.

My folks had a '69 Marquis 4dr ht and a '73 one..but I was too young to remember the '69, can barely remember the '73. Based on the pictures I surmise his was that stereotypical station wagon beige colour with a green interior.

My grandfather had one of these