Pontiac RIP

[pepsiman]

Maybe this will make the Firebirds and Trans-Ams worth a bit more .
I grew up with Pontiac and chevy and Mopar too .
If you have drove a Pontiac GTO with a 389 six pack or a 70 Camaro with the LT1 package :: I believe you will understand the Jap scrap story .
Ying Ying >> sounds like you have a jap lad by the nuts LOL .
As far as quality there is lots of G.M cars out there with 300 thousand clicks on them .

 

[WoodPeckr]

One of the most trouble free Pontiacs owned was a '92 Transport minivan, the dustbuster. Put ~125,000 miles on it before selling it to a niece, who then sold it to a friend she had who took it up to ~230,000 miles before sending it to the boneyard a couple months ago this year. Had lots of fun in that van. The plastic body held up great and still looked very good when they scrapped it.

 

[KBear]

I used to be a GM man. ... Not anymore.

Because each and every one of us got majorly stung by GM Pieces of Shit.

I had a 96 Pontiac Grand Prix GT, crappy brakes, and the transmission blew out at just thankfully under 100,000Km. It will be a long time before I buy another GM vehicle. Maybe never again. I have a Chrysler now, but still remember being screwed around by the dealer.

Wonder if the Japanese cars also have problems, but they don’t have the long history here, where people remember 10 - 30 years ago when they had problems with a car and swore off that brand forever. Are the Japanese cars really that much cheaper to maintain? Do they really last that much longer? It would be interesting to compare the cost of the extended warranties for the different cars.

Been looking around at cars some and think the North American car companies are in a lot of trouble, as the imports seem to have them beat now in styling and perceived quality.

 

[WoodPeckr]

All foreign vehicles cost more to repair and maintain.
My son loved his brand new 09 Jetta till he had an oil change.
It cost him $60 and that was a 'special rate' he got somehow. He said the regular cost was $85..... for a frigging oil change!

 

[wonderboy007]

C'est la vie.

Kodak doesn't sell much film either these days.

That's not true. Professionals will always use film. Super 16 Film for the Motion Picture Industry have gone up, and the creation of VISION 3 film stock.

Allot of professionals won't use digital for good reasons, but only as an intermediate.

 

[johnyboy]

Peoples cars have been and always will be for 90% of the population a personal statement. I drive a GM Impala because they a very good car
and I am making a personal statement....I do not turn turn my back on my community just because the people who manage GM are not even close to those that run the aisian car companies....and funny thing is they don't get paid near as much either??. Let's face it folks it's just a car....but what you buy affects peoples lives.

 

[toughb]

Firstly... yes the auto-industry is going through a "correction", but so too are many things right now. This too shall pass.

Secondly, By "demise of the auto-industry" I assume you are referring to GM and Chrysler. If so... then Yes... I am! But I am not the root cause of the problem. Market dictates product innovation, and if GM and Chrysler are too fucking stupid to get their collective heads out of their asses and properly read the market trends, then how is this my fault.

I am just one of 100's of millions of consumers that choose superior design, reliability, and sustainability over the crap the "big 3" have been trying to force on us for decades.

***

And where in North America did you say your Honda was built?

Alliston = Honda

Cambridge = Toyota and a Lexus model...

 

[oldjones]

That's not true. Professionals will always use film. Super 16 Film for the Motion Picture Industry have gone up, and the creation of VISION 3 film stock.

Allot of professionals won't use digital for good reasons, but only as an intermediate.

Ppeople will always say "always", too. The producers I know, are just waiting for HD to lose its cumbersome video village tail. They already abandon film as soon as they get to post. And while there are handfuls of calligraphers everywhere, when did you last pass a mass market scriptorium?

As long as they can convince someone there's a profit in making the stuff, someone will shoot on film, and I'm cheering for the guys who are trying to reverse engineer SX-70 for my Minolta™Polaroid.

But as a mass medium, film is as dead as Spencerian handwriting.

 

[oldjones]

A name linked to Chief Pontiac, an American Indian chief who led an unsuccessful uprising against the British shortly after the French and Indian War.

Ain't national usage wunnerful? At the time you mention, the US—popularly called America, especially by its own citizens—and Canada did not exist, and everyone was either Brit, or here first. "An Ottawa Indian leader, shortly after the French and Indian War, who led Pontiac's War, an unsuccessful uprising against the British army at Detroit", might memorialize the car and the man better.

 

[The Bandit]

***

And where in North America did you say your Honda was built?

Alliston = Honda

Cambridge = Toyota and a Lexus model...

That's right, we're keeping Canadians employed by purchasing Honda's, Toyota's built here, so their import bashing doesn't always make sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[masterchief]

Ppeople will always say "always", too. The producers I know, are just waiting for HD to lose its cumbersome video village tail.

Actually the video village tail for HD as opposed to film stock isn't that much different. Just the addition on an HD "coffin". I've been on productions with film, HD and even using the RED camera.

As for costs...its a wash since the transfer time for HD and the stock cost equal film. The real difference is in the broadcast medium...and now the actors union as HD film falls under both AFTRA and SAG.

 

[JohnLarue]

Ain't national usage wunnerful? At the time you mention, the US—popularly called America, especially by its own citizens—and Canada did not exist, and everyone was either Brit, or here first. "An Ottawa Indian leader, shortly after the French and Indian War, who led Pontiac's War, an unsuccessful uprising against the British army at Detroit", might memorialize the car and the man better.

I just took the definition from goggle
I was attempting to help the guy who asked who Pontiac was
I did not expect a grilling on the specifics

 

[WoodPeckr]

Your son's VW oil change cost him $60, so now "ALL" foreign cars cost more to repair and maintain ??

That's good research there, pal

FWIW,
Another TERB poster said at $60 he should not complain because his Mercedes SD oil change costed him $250!...... pal...

Also had a buddy a few tears back bitch & moan his Toyota starter alone, cost over $200 not including installation. BIG 3 starters were going $20-$45 then....

You pay through the nose for foreign car parts when they fail and all parts over time fail,,,,

 

[WoodPeckr]

I was attempting to help the guy who asked who Pontiac was

I did know but most folks today probably don't realize Pontiac was named after that Indian chief.

 

[alexmst]

The thing with many Asian cars is they lack a sense of soul. They are reliable, probably more so than any other regions cars, but to me that reliablility comes at the expense of a driving heritage/soul. Japanese cars just seem bland to me, hence I don't want to drive one.

I was talking to the servive guy at a Jaguar dealership last year and asked him why the loaner cars are Toyota Camrys. He said, "Well, the Toyota has no soul, true, but it runs forever without breaking down so is very low cost to have as a loaner vehicle for us. They are no fun to drive, but they just run forever".

I like having a bit of pleasure in my driving - to me that is important, more so than just having a well priced car that doesn't break down and is bland. The only Japanese car I've test driven and thought was OK was the Lexus LS 460. It is smooth and quiet, like a Caddy. Not much soul, but I could live with it if I had to drive Japanese.

GM...well, my family has also been GM buyers in the 50's, 60's, 70's 80's and 90's, but has also migrated away...to European brands such as Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar. Mainly because they thought the fit, finish, and performance of GM was falling behind those Euro brands, and that the "You've made it if you drive a Caddy" has come and gone and been replaced by "You've made it if you drive a Mercedes" (if over 40) and "You've made it if you drive a BMW (under 40). I still drive a Caddy as my primary vehicle, and I like it. Smooth, reliable, luxurious without being too in your face, the Cadillac heritage/soul, great in snow, roomy without being a land yacht, nice V8 with 300 HP, etc.

The big three still make some decent looking cars:

Dodge Challenger/Charger (fun looking - Cops use this as a patrol car in Florida)
Pontiac G8 (nice looking family car)
Pontiac Solace (for the girls of summer)
Chevy Corvette (as a second/third car I'd like one)
Cadillac STS (I have one)
Cadillac CTS
Cadillac XLR (I'd take the Corvette over it, but it is nice too)
2010 Chevy Camaro SS looks nice in the Car & Driver test (poor man's Vette)
Dodge Viper (if you don't mind a stick)
Cadillac Escalade (if you want an SUV - I don't, but many do)
Lincoln MKZ

 

[masterchief]

I did know but most folks today probably don't realize Pontiac was named after that Indian chief.

I always thought it stood for:"Poor Old N---er Thinks It's A Cadillac".

 

[Cycleguy007]

And where in North America did you say your Honda was built?

Alliston = Honda

Up until this year, The Ridgeline has been built in Alliston. I understand that starting with the model year 2009 this has been moved to Alabama to allow for increased Civic production in the Alliston plant. Since mine is a 2008, then yes, it was built in Alliston.

 

[wonderboy007]

Ppeople will always say "always", too. The producers I know, are just waiting for HD to lose its cumbersome video village tail. They already abandon film as soon as they get to post. And while there are handfuls of calligraphers everywhere, when did you last pass a mass market scriptorium?

That's because theres more detail in film, than in digital no questions asked. The dynamic range and film latitute will always be improving in film. The only thing I could think of is the Genesis, and that has a special mechanical shutter. It's not the resolution, it's the MTF, (Modulation Transfer Fuction). Film will always be around, and most movies are still done on 35mm. Gosh where have you been?

As long as they can convince someone there's a profit in making the stuff, someone will shoot on film, and I'm cheering for the guys who are trying to reverse engineer SX-70 for my Minolta™Polaroid.

But as a mass medium, film is as dead as Spencerian handwriting.

Duh, the Panavision XL2 would be cheaper to rent than the genesis itself. You can clearly see the difference between the two.

I don't think most directors are comfortable working with digital yet anyways. Film lasts forever, digital doesn't.

... So most car commercials are done on HD. And look at the overexposure.. Looks horrible to get back on topic!

 

[james t kirk]

FWIW,
Another TERB poster said at $60 he should not complain because his Mercedes SD oil change costed him $250!...... pal...

Also had a buddy a few tears back bitch & moan his Toyota starter alone, cost over $200 not including installation. BIG 3 starters were going $20-$45 then....

You pay through the nose for foreign car parts when they fail and all parts over time fail,,,,

Uh, I've been laying under cars for 35 years. Big 3 starters were NEVER $20 to $45.00

Maybe about $100, and then it was rebuilt by some local hack that the parts guy buys from.

6 months later, your starter would be fucked and you'd need another one, and 6 months after that and so on and so forth.

 

[james t kirk]

The thing with many Asian cars is they lack a sense of soul. They are reliable, probably more so than any other regions cars, but to me that reliablility comes at the expense of a driving heritage/soul. Japanese cars just seem bland to me, hence I don't want to drive one.

I was talking to the servive guy at a Jaguar dealership last year and asked him why the loaner cars are Toyota Camrys. He said, "Well, the Toyota has no soul, true, but it runs forever without breaking down so is very low cost to have as a loaner vehicle for us. They are no fun to drive, but they just run forever".

I know what you're saying, hence why I LOVE the old British stuff - Jags, Triumphs, MG, Austin Healey, etc. and the classic North American stuff.

However, not as my day to day driver.

For that, NA offers NOTHING frankly that I would buy. Maybe a Ford Focus, or Fusion, Maybe. But an Accord would be better.

I'm not so concerned about soul to get me to work. I'm concerned that it would break down over and over and leave me in a lurch time after time.