Can we be honest people?

[NWSooner]

Obviously we are all into Chevrolet's or we wouldn't be hanging out on a Squarebody message board, no? But have you ever wanted to sit down with an old GM engineer over a cold adult beverage or perhaps a cup of joe and ask them what in the absolute tarnation were they thinking about when they designed something a certain way?

My grandfather gave me a 62 Impala when I was 16 and I have forever since been a Bowtie lover and have owned everything from Nova's, Tri-Fives, Trucks, Tahoes, Suburbans, Cutlass Supremes, even a 67 Skylark but never in my life have I wanted to curse so much as when trying to remove the drivers side kick panel on this 79 C10, absoluutely unbelievable to say the least! I wonder how many would admit to just rattle canning that plastic piece of crap while still installed, LOL??? Okay so removing the E-Brake cable bracket is not the end of the world but still I don;t remeber ever struggling with this on a GM vehicle before.

Anyway let me hear it brothers, what would you cuss/discuss with a GM engineer if given the opportunity?

 

[mtnmankev]

What were you thinking when you made the Vega ??

 

[BearKing]

What were you thinking when you made the Vega ??

Or the Chevette. Or the Citation. Then they made those Luminas and other Front Wheel Drive cars. Must have been a brain fart day or ? I was really against the new C8 Corvette but I have seen a few lately that were pretty cool. Still think the C7 is the best modern Vette. Just my opinion which doesn’t mean squat.

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

Yeah, what the hell they were thinking when they were designing how to bolt a C4 Corvette rear bumper on.
That's about the hardest GM thing I've messed with in a while.
That and undoing the entire dash harness. What a horrible design.

 

[Redfish]

I would ask why Pop's 1977 GMC Sierra Grande had rust holes in the rear quarter panels before it was 2 years old. What was otherwise a great truck was ruined cosmetically early on and eventually everything but the frame and the drivetrain rusted away.

Or why the rear axle seals always leaked on my '02 2500HD gas burner...

Or why I was constantly replacing the glow plugs in my LBZ Duramax...

 

[CRM]

Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Great idea, poor designs.

 

[Originalthor]

I agree on the drivers side kick panel with the pull vent. Not easy to do.

One thing that drives me is the fact you need a pully puller to change a serpentine belt system power steering pumps.

I just did one on a 70 chevy with the old v belts sure there was like 8 bolts every which way holding it on there but at least I didn't have to pull the pulley off to get it off.

 

[Midnightmoon]

The biggest oddity that I experienced with a GM product was the front axle disconnect design on my former 1985 S10 Blazer. Whoever designed that vacuum switch on the transfer case and diaphragm on the inner fender needed their head examined.

 

[bucket]

Well damn...

I like Cosworth Vegas. I like Citation X-11's. I like Lumina Z-34's and Eurosports. I like other cars that are wrong wheel drive too. Now my feeling is hurt

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

Well damn...

I like Cosworth Vegas. I like Citation X-11's. I like Lumina Z-34's and Eurosports. I like other cars that are wrong wheel drive too. Now my feeling is hurt

Cosworth Vegas were badass little cars.

 

[Midnightmoon]

Well damn...

I like Cosworth Vegas. I like Citation X-11's. I like Lumina Z-34's and Eurosports. I like other cars that are wrong wheel drive too. Now my feeling is hurt

I always loved the Citation X-11's. A friend of ours had a silver one and I thought it was really nice when it was new. Of course, I also liked the Pontiac Fiero back when they were new. So, I may not have the best judgement.....LOL

 

[bucket]

I always loved the Citation X-11's. A friend of ours had a silver one and I thought it was really nice when it was new. Of course, I also liked the Pontiac Fiero back when they were new. So, I may not have the best judgement.....LOL

It may sound funny, but a Citation X-11 is a bucket list car of mine. I should have got one years ago when you could still find one. Same with an '86-'87 Cavalier Z-24. With a manual trans would be ideal. They are basically all gone and I can't find one.

 

[CheemsK1500]

Whoever greenlighted the current abomination that bears the Blazer name needs to be banned from automotive design and marketing entirely.

Also, the the cringe worthy T.V commercials with the "real people, not actors" need to stop.

I am also heavily annoyed that they use the Chevrolet name to promote whatever the leftist political flavor of the month is on social media. Don't preach to me about "Racial Equity" and climate change, just build and market cars dammit.

 

[Midnightmoon]

It may sound funny, but a Citation X-11 is a bucket list car of mine. I should have got one years ago when you could still find one. Same with an '86-'87 Cavalier Z-24. With a manual trans would be ideal. They are basically all gone and I can't find one.

Nothing wrong with that. Like I said, I remember them when they were new and I don't blame you for wanting one.

 

[CheemsK1500]

The biggest oddity that I experienced with a GM product was the front axle disconnect design on my former 1985 S10 Blazer. Whoever designed that vacuum switch on the transfer case and diaphragm on the inner fender needed their head examined.

I have personally grew to hate the electronic 4wd systems found on GMT800s and others. There are too many things to go wrong, and they all do at some point. The dash switch or control module behind the dash can break and kill the system, the motor on the transfer case can break and get stuck in one place, the grounds on the frame can rust and cause issues, and finally the actuator on the front differential can break and keep your front axle from engaging. It is a system that is complicated for no good reason.

The pain I have experienced from both vacuum and electronic 4x4 systems has made me appreciate floor shift transfer cases and Warn style hubs.