Bad GM designs and ideas

[WildBillyT]

Forgot this one. No puke tank on the 1-3g Novas.

[BigAls87Z28]

FYI, same guy that designed Camaro and C6 Corvette designed Aztek. His name is Tom Peters and drives a 69 Camaro to work.

[edpontiac91]

Cadillac 4100 aluminum motor from 1983-85

Rack and Pinon steering from the late '70's (Citation/ Skylark etc.)

Buick Riviera 1986 TV Touch Screen instruments

Styling of the Full Size models when downsized in 1986 (boxes looked better)

Corvette power from 1981-82 (standard 150 hp/ L82 180 hp)

GM paint from around mid 80's (more Orange Peel than an Orange)

T-Tops that leaked more water than if you left them open

GM produced more crap during this period than anybody could shake a stick at!

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

My Crossfire car would outrun any FBody you ever owned lol

Oh really now? Opinions are like ********, everybody's got one.

And although you may have gotten it to work, for thousands of others, it was a headache.

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

Also disagree with the interior comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPhJrhVuMkg

although there are Ford/Chrysler as well, you get the point.

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

Just like the Vega, and Pinto, the Fiero got a bad rap from Quality, fires, and what not. Once again, it was a Malaise era car, if it wasen't so rushed, and pushed to have new untested technology in it, it would of sold for as long as the MR2 did.

It was a great concept, and they sold them like hotcakes the first two years, but then the problems arose, and that was the end of that. but drive a 1988 Fiero GT, and tell me that car was a waste to keep.

Fiero was sold to the BoD as a commuter car because they already knocked down any other sports car that could challenge Corvette. So it received commuter car parts.

Originally Posted by S.J.SLEEPER

Berretta..... = doors falling off going down the road

Passenger rear mounted above cradle Alternator on the 3.4l motors

2.2L head gasket blowin P.O.S.

2.8 3.1 etc... valve cover gasket design

4.3L "Spider" fuel injection setup

Geo......anything...lol

Lumina APV & Pontiac Transports....all junk & ugly p.o.s.'s

Northstar motors in general...starter, head gasket issues, upper deck of oil pan leaks which you have to pull the cradle, to pull the trans, to pull the exhaust, to pull the pan, than to finally get to the upper.

"full size" trucks,surburbans & tahoes with poor design pitman/idler arms that constantly go bad

the list doesnt end!!! lol

All of this.

Originally Posted by Iroc-z86

I shall partake,

1. Killing the s-series line.
2. only making two years of the 3.1 turbo and putting it in a heavy car (grand prix)
3. stopping the syclone/tycoon
4. crappy fuel level sending units that never work. (im surprised my new camaro still works)

im sure there is more that i cant think of right now... and for some reason i keep buying cars from these people lol

Can't just keep making a certain vehicle forever.

3.1T was bound to succumb to the same failures as the rest of the 60* family.

FLS's do blow on most mid 90's-00's GM cars

Originally Posted by edpontiac91

Cadillac 4100 aluminum motor from 1983-85

Rack and Pinon steering from the late '70's (Citation/ Skylark etc.)

Buick Riviera 1986 TV Touch Screen instruments

Styling of the Full Size models when downsized in 1986 (boxes looked better)

Corvette power from 1981-82 (standard 150 hp/ L82 180 hp)

GM paint from around mid 80's (more Orange Peel than an Orange)

T-Tops that leaked more water than if you left them open

GM produced more crap during this period than anybody could shake a stick at!

Riv's touch screen was pretty cool.
The B bodies received the downsize in '77 and the whole line up picked up awards. When they went back to the massive B body, it again won awards.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

FYI, same guy that designed Camaro and C6 Corvette designed Aztek. His name is Tom Peters and drives a 69 Camaro to work.

What bet did he lose?

[madness410]

hate the design of the new firebird they are coming out with

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

What bet did he lose?

He actually designed the concept and then GM wrapped that around a modified minivan platform.

[1320B4U]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

What bet did he lose?

It was obv this designer was under immense stress and finally broke when lead hit paper and aztek/rendevous was born...he now works for jetblue

[maroman88]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

Good one for the list right there. I went 125 miles without the needle moving in the T/A this week.

lol my C5's (and eveyone elses) gas gauge will drop to completely empty after driven for over an hour and NEVER show completely full if you dont use a $12 bottle of techron and premium gas from only the finest gas stations every fill up

[88WS-6]

Originally Posted by edpontiac91

GM paint from around mid 80's (more Orange Peel than an Orange)

Word



(although Norwood wasn't too bad)

[jam01]

the armrests in later year 3rd gens were junk, they would peel apart. i don't care much for most of the oe wheel design's, while there is a lot more to knit pick on gm cars i have been in or driven lots of cars and most are worse. i don't buy a car based on cup-holder's and niceties, i go for looks and how easy it is to modify and go fast.

[coolmanvette75]

Lack of a trap door above the fuel pump in the 4th gens. LT1 4th gens gas gauge (1/4 tank=empty)

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by coolmanvette75

Lack of a trap door above the fuel pump in the 4th gens. LT1 4th gens gas gauge (1/4 tank=empty)

The lack of a trap door was for a reason. The car is a hatchback with no rear firewall.

[LS1ow]

am i the only one that dislikes 4L60e transmissions ? or do they just dislike me ?

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by LS1ow

am i the only one that dislikes 4L60e transmissions ? or do they just dislike me ?

Just you.

Even though they have weaknesses they are not a true 100% miss. Not even close, actually.

[maroman88]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

The lack of a trap door was for a reason. The car is a hatchback with no rear firewall.

2000 nissan maxima has a factroy trap door under the back seat bottom... so awesome

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by maroman88

2000 nissan maxima has a factroy trap door under the back seat bottom... so awesome

Some GTPs do as well. I lucked out when I had to do one. But in a hatchback car with no firewall I guess it's considered a safety issue.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by maroman88

2000 nissan maxima has a factroy trap door under the back seat bottom... so awesome

Many cars do

[coolmanvette75]

Dont know if anyone mentioned it but, 4th gen window motors suck eggs.

Also the early 90's quad 4 motors that went through headgaskets once a year...

[fire-chickens]

here's a minor annoyance/design flaw a having low rear window in a 57 chevy means any car with their low beams on that's behind you will light up the entire inside of your car and blind you.

[fire-chickens]

another mistake, getting rid of FLOOR MOUNTED HIGH BEAM SWITCHES! new cars you have to push the damn control forward for highbeams now, stupid stupid! sometimes simplicity is better.

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by fire-chickens

another mistake, getting rid of FLOOR MOUNTED HIGH BEAM SWITCHES! new cars you have to push the damn control forward for highbeams now, stupid stupid! sometimes simplicity is better.

Wouldn't call it stupid, but it was cool to have it on the floor. I assume that owners broke a lot of them, and when headlight controls were moved from a pull knob to the control stalks, it was just easier to wire it all together.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by fire-chickens

another mistake, getting rid of FLOOR MOUNTED HIGH BEAM SWITCHES! new cars you have to push the damn control forward for highbeams now, stupid stupid! sometimes simplicity is better.

As the owner of a car with said floor switch I disagree