TestDriveJunkie.com

This is a fun time-killer. Lots of neat and/or goofy old car vids

1983 Firebird promo video. Wow! super cheesy! I think the spokesman was Alfred E. Neuman. Man I'd forgotten about the 2.5 Iron Duke 90hp f-cars. What a joke...especially with those dorky hubcaps. The 4cyl f-cars got left for dead at lights by VW diesel Rabbits. SAD.

http://testdrivejunkie.com/1983-pontiac-firebird-manufacturer-promo-vid/

Thumbs up for the Weird Science Girl lookalike in the black hotpants though! ; )

I also like this one.....shows both one of the worst engines in Cadillac history, the HT4100 (aluminum block with iron heads (?), head bolts that had to be re-torqued ever 20K miles, and if you slacked on oil changes the tiny passages would clog and the camshaft would wear down...oh and a blinding 130hp from 4.1 liters in a 5000lb DeVille is just funny)

It also shows the Perot-era electronics that caused GM so many issues at the factories. Remember when the painting robots got confused and painted each other?? (AHAHAHAHAHA!)

http://testdrivejunkie.com/1982-cadillac-ht4100-engine-story-manufacturer-promotional-video/

1991 GM Wagons Test Drive

http://testdrivejunkie.com/1991-chevrolet-caprice-classic-station-wagon-preview-test-drive/

81X11 wrote:

It also shows the Perot-era electronics that caused GM so many issues at the factories. Remember when the painting robots got confused and painted each other?? (AHAHAHAHAHA!)

I wasn't aware of Perot-EDS-yada causing GM major problems. (or maybe I just forgot) I wasn't paying any attention to cars in the 80's; it was boats boats boats for me. Isn't Roger Smith credited with the screw-ups during that time? I remember Jose Lopez almost destroying the company in the early 90's.

I remember reading about the computer glitches. Some were pretty funny. In addition to the robots painting each other, there were robots that were supposed to install windshields that "forgot" to let go of the glass, and pulled it right out of the new car and smashed it into the next windshield coming down the line. Also the story of the robots getting a bit carried away and welding car doors shut. Nice. ; )

As for Roger Smith, I blame him as much as anyone else for damaging GM. Under him, the big cars got downsized and moved to FWD in 1985, and from 20-feet you could not tell a Buick from an Olds from a Caddy. Plus he was largely responsible for moving the G-bodies to front drive in 1987, with the horrible GM10's, which had major rear brake issues, and numerous reliability, paint, and interior issues.

In 1989, GM was losing $2000 on every GM10 it produced. When asked why GM10 was such a catastrophe, Smith famously replied, “I don't know. It's a mysterious thing.

Idiot.