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Pontiac is Dead... Who Cares, Right?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CRH, Apr 2, 2012.

  1. models916
    Joined: Apr 19, 2012
    Posts: 379

    models916
    Member

    Ahhhh, wasn't the Fiero a Corvette design exersize that Pontiac picked up?
     
  2. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy

    no it was the Banshee , which wound up being the firebird styling cue . http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/12q1_1965_pontiac_banshee_xp_833/

    the fiero body was a clean sheet design using already available drivetrain parts .


    Pontiac R&D was the fore runner of alot of the items used in Gm engines . if you look at the O/T Ls motor you can look back into pontiac R&D and find the same style design of blocks they were working on in the 1960s , now used today .
     
  3. GM started on the downward slope with the introduction of the 1971 cars. Vega debacle comes to mind. The full size line with common suspension was the beginning. Chevrolets started having components designed to carry a Cadillac in suspension. Increased costs for Chevy, probably lesser for B-O-P-C lines. Commonality of engines due to emissions, less money to certify one engine vs five. Then came the cookie cutter cars of the late 70's-early 00's.

    Not to mention the reign of Roger Smith, a financial guy all the way. Bob Stempel was the last car guy until Bob Lutz came along, see how short Stempel's term was.

    I could go on a whole new rant about the short sightedness of Smith, just to say that he decimated a large and diverse corporation involved in many facets of transportation.

    To say in a few words, GM went along for over a century, two World Wars, The Great Depression, countless Recessions, the freewheeling times of William C. Durant that made GM precarious in it's early years only to be brought to it's knees by a combination of events including the final "rescue" by the Federal Government. And now it's coming out that the Federal Government wanted Pontiac to go away as part of the rescue.
     
  4. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    I'm convinced the Fiero was a consumer driven test mule to try out the plastic body cladding on a steel base form so they could "make it right" before coming out with it on the Saturn cars.
    Also, Dealers didn't want anything to do with Fiero because they only had a lousy 6% mark up over cost.
    Hell, the State made more profit in sales tax than the dealer did on the sale!
     
  5. tin_indians
    Joined: Aug 1, 2011
    Posts: 119

    tin_indians
    Member

    My Poncho isn't dead either....oh wait, it PICKS UP THE DEAD!!

    [​IMG]
     
  6. When I was a kid my dad bought Pontiacs...a 'black 48, a black 50, a white 52 and a pale yellow 55 catalina hardtop. I grew up with 'em and I loved 'em. I've had 11, 55-57 Pontiacs and a few 40s Pontiacs. My 34 ford coupe has a '57 Pontiac engine bored 1/8th inch to 1958 specs...370 cu. in.
    Jahns pistons, big valve heads, lumpy cam, dual quads, 5 speed, quickchange rear...should be a fun way to carry on the Pontiac name. Wish I could have found a nice 33 Pontiac 3 window coupe body but the 34 ford [converted to 33 front sheetmetal] is lighter and good lookin.
     

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  7. gtopillado
    Joined: Jul 5, 2013
    Posts: 106

    gtopillado
    Member

    I'd have to second that.
     
  8. tuckpoint
    Joined: Sep 9, 2006
    Posts: 45

    tuckpoint
    Member
    from omaha,nebr

    firechicken got sold toa guy in chicago,likes my work much better car than the one he got screwed by getting it from e-bay.between the two pontiac will live on.
     
  9. hugh m
    Joined: Jul 18, 2007
    Posts: 2,143

    hugh m
    Member
    from ct.

    Here's the Pontiac Super Duty motor going in my T.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. 1956 Pontiac.jpg 1931 Pontiac Coupe s.jpg 1930 Pontiac Coupe s.jpg

    I'm tyring to keep a few of them alive. These are the ones that are driveable. Got four more that are still projects.
     
  11. BucketHeadBart
    Joined: Jan 13, 2014
    Posts: 59

    BucketHeadBart
    Member
    from illinois

    Always loved the Poncho.
    Running a 24 year old Poncho motor in my "T"
    Runs GREAT !!
     
  12. longstory1948gmc
    Joined: Apr 23, 2014
    Posts: 111

    longstory1948gmc
    Member
    from n Illinois

    @truckpoint ya I just wento to firechicken and bought a reatend he has some nice 70 trans ams

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