Fbodfather
They don't make songs about Volvos.
Member # 1119
posted
Good evening, all,
I posted a request on another board a few weeks back.....this particular board is very vocal about GM and bringing back the Camaro nameplate.
I'm posting my "rant post" on this site.....and hopefully some of you can send me 'stuff'.
Don't mean to offend anyone....(and I MAY live to regret posting my work address.....) but if ever there were a time I need the enthusiast community's help, it's now.
here goes:
Good evening, fellow enthusiasts.
A few weeks ago, I posted a request...a "homework assignment" if you will.
Let me first assure you that GM has never given up on performance. Yes, the Camaro and Firebird nameplates were, for the lack of a better term, put on "hiatus" after the 2002 model year. No one, I believe, was more torn up about this than I. To this day, I still have bad dreams about the last days of production. No one wants to see a 5th Gen more than I.
I'd love to 'spill the beans' about many things that are being worked on....amazing new products......... If I did, GM would be forced to fire me.....and rightfully so.
Now...back to the homework assignment.
As of this afternoon, I received a total of 12 responses. To each of the 12 respondents, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To the rest of you: I notice that no one seems to have a problem expressing their opinions on this board. Most of you are not bashful. And most of you have the strength to sit at the keyboard and type away.
I have given you the perfect opportunity to be heard. Yet there is a "strange silence" if you will.....
(insert crickets chirping here........)
...it appears, based on the results thusfar, that the mail room will NOT have to make a 'special delivery' to me anytime soon....with hundreds of envelopes stuffed full of pictures and well written letters.
How 'bout taking some of that passion that you have.....that anger that you have....that sense of betrayal that you have....and convert it into a well-thought-out letter? How 'bout going out into your garage and taking pictures of all the "Camaroabilia" that you have hanging on the walls? How 'bout taking pictures of all the "Camaroabilia" that you have on the walls of your rec room? (don't have "Camaroabilia?...then take a picture of your family standing around your 'pride and joy' Camaro....and include a letter of what your Camaro means to you.
Go read Rob's letter on this site.....now THAT'S a letter.
posted
Scott I promise you I will get you some and a story in the mail by Monday sorry I have been so busy.
-------------------- Willard (Mike) Scott Worldwide Camaro Club North Carolina state Rep. 2001 SS convertible with all SLP opts. Sunset Orange Neutral top Neutral leather http://community.webshots.com/user/wmss Posts: 737 | From: Siler City N.C. | Registered: Sep 2003
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I dont have any Camaroabilia but I may be able to send some pics of Firebirdabilia =o)
Posts: 272 | From: Woodstock, Georgia | Registered: Aug 2003
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Well now, I have your address on a paper on my desk, but just have not gotten around to putting thoughts and photos together. I actually thought that you would be so swamped that mine be lost in the crowd. I think everyone thinks the same way. Now, I know I have to do it - so it will be done!
-------------------- Hawkeye: SSOA F98-C98
1998 SS - Black All Options - Mods Whisper Lid, K & N, Lou's Short Stick, Shift Light, Skip Shift, SLP Y, Borla, 4:10's, BMR STB, SLP SFCs, Granatelli MAF, Hypertech III, 160 Stat, Mallory Billet Pedals, Metco Aluminum LCAs,Fast Toys Ram Air Mod, Spohn Panhard Bar, BMR Torque Arm, free EGR mod,power antenna, BMR LCA brackets, Gentex Temp/Compass Auto Dim Mirror, AllMaxx Strobe and Wig Wag, BAER Eradispeed rotors,PPC Headers with Random Technology Hi Flow Cats, BMR Drive shaft Loop,FAST 78MM Throttle Body, FAST 78MM Composite Intake, Mobil 1 & lots of Zaino.
Wife & Best Friend Mary - copilot. Posts: 5558 | From: Windsor, Ontario. Canada | Registered: Feb 2000
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Gee Scott, I hope you received mine. I mailed out some photos to you a couple of weeks ago.
Posts: 2359 | From: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:Originally posted by JohnS: Gee Scott, I hope you received mine. I mailed out some photos to you a couple of weeks ago.
.....as did I....of the tattoo. I'll send some more pix of the posters and stuff that you've signed. Posts: 3236 | From: Dallas, Texas | Registered: Nov 2002
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I am a new guy to the F-body world compared to most of you...but I can stick a few pictures and a nice letter as well...as they say, any little bit helps. And by all means, I WANT to help! I need something to drive to Wall Street in a couple years! Look for something in the next week or so.
Posts: 2651 | From: Enola (Harrisburg Area), Pennsylvania | Registered: Jan 2002
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My thoughts on this... (and yes, I still love Camaros always have...always will.) Before the F-body was KILLED by G.M. there was a huge petition to save it. There was outcry in abundance, I know I signed it as I am sure many of you did too. Did G.M. listen to us back then? Nope.
I am not trying to discourage anyone from doing as Scott asks and I appreciate the position Scott is in, knowing he must have a tough fight for what he loves. Im just pointing out that the collective cries of the f-body community were ignored already by a company who would rather build SUV's, trucks and front wheel drive, 6 cylinder sedans....oh yeah, and Cobalt SSs...
I no longer own 01 Camaro SS #994, that car was literally falling apart by the day and I owned it less than 3 years. The problems began early on and GM did not stand behind it....so needless to say, many of you know how I feel about GM.
I do still have my 68 Camaro (I'll never part with it)and all my Camaro diecasts, models, collectibles, posters etc etc etc... those things I will always treasure.
-------------------- 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe RS/SS 350 - Quasar Blue, LOADED and just happens to be my pride and joy. 2002 BMW 540i 6-speed - Jet Black, nicely optioned (Daily Driver) 2000 BMW 323i 5-speed - Titanium Silver, nicely optioned (Wifes car)
posted
You have 100,000's if not 1,000,000's of passionate posts on all these boards supporting the Camaro/Firebird.
You have 1,000,000 of pictures and videos of these cars in every situation possible,at dealers,in shows,on cruises,at the races.
When I first joined the SLP board I couldn't[still can't really] understand the infatuation with production,#s,dates,shipping #s,tracking #s.
A friend of mine Pete[wrong way]Thusen had 3 coinvertible 10ths at one time,his family alone had 7 F-Bodies I think.He followed his cars from the plant,to SLP,to the plant,took pictures of the cars on the train,was at the stations waiting for them,he had them signed by you Ed,Reg,DH.
To me it's a car,a pretty fast one but still a car.I have had nothing but grief everytime I had to deal with GM and it's dealers,the DSM is a total A$$HOLE who totaly had it in for me.If it weren't for the nice lady at customer service/mediation in Ontario and ZEKE'S in Montreal my car would still be vibrating like a YUGO at anything over 70 MPH.
Look on all the boards there are all sorts of hypothesizing threads about what the 5th gen will/should look like and how it should perform.There are so many it is getting ridiculous.
If the stuffed shirts and idiots who call the shots at GM can't get off their collective keisters and logon to the boards and see what is happening in the real outside world they deserve all the **** that will befall them in the coming years.
If they cannot feel the groundswell of support the F-Body has they are braindead and anything we do will not change their narrow minded point of view.
Please go out and hire Colletti to run GM[they had Moss and didn't use him to his full potential],HE at least knows WHY performance cars exist,they exist for the PASSION they instill in people and the LOYALTY they generate.
Tell the LIVING DEAD at the head of GM that when they show signs off intelligent life residing in the penthouse,we will give a damn,until then it's not our job to save their butts,it's time they started EARNING their Millions!!!!!
That's all,,,,I feel much better now!!
Posts: 558 | From: Loretteville,Mars | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by TimeLord: Tell the LIVING DEAD at the head of GM that when they show signs off intelligent life residing in the penthouse,we will give a damn,until then it's not our job to save their butts,it's time they started EARNING their Millions!!!!!
Aw, c'mon, TL, tell us how you REALLY feel. Don't hold back... Posts: 577 | From: Aiken, SC | Registered: May 2002
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-------------------- http://community.webshots.com/user/sscamaro02 AMERICAN CAMARO ASSOCIATION 2002 SS (M02-2022)(Build Date 9/10/01) T-Top,Bright Rally Red,Ebony Leather,Hurst Shifter,SLP Options: 345HP,SS Grille,SS Floor Mats,Personalized SS Rear Deck Mat,17"X 9" ZR1 Type Chrome Wheels,SS Cover,Engine Plaque. Additional Mods:GMMG Chambered Exhaust,FLP LT Headers,SLP CAI,K&N Filter,Silver Hood Stripes, Silver Letters on Rear Facia and Spohn Performance LCA, Panhard,SFC and Adj. Torq Arm w/Drive Shaft Loops.384/rwhp and 381/rwtq
1969 SS396 Olympic Gold.Unrestored,L34(350HP),M21 close ratio 4-Speed,Cowl Hood,Spoilers Front and Rear,Console w/Gages.Second owner since Nov.1971. 1 of 2018 Produced Posts: 828 | From: Denver,PA | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by TimeLord: You have 100,000's if not 1,000,000's of passionate posts on all these boards supporting the Camaro/Firebird.
You have 1,000,000 of pictures and videos of these cars in every situation possible,at dealers,in shows,on cruises,at the races.
When I first joined the SLP board I couldn't[still can't really] understand the infatuation with production,#s,dates,shipping #s,tracking #s.
A friend of mine Pete[wrong way]Thusen had 3 coinvertible 10ths at one time,his family alone had 7 F-Bodies I think.He followed his cars from the plant,to SLP,to the plant,took pictures of the cars on the train,was at the stations waiting for them,he had them signed by you Ed,Reg,DH.
To me it's a car,a pretty fast one but still a car.I have had nothing but grief everytime I had to deal with GM and it's dealers,the DSM is a total A$$HOLE who totaly had it in for me.If it weren't for the nice lady at customer service/mediation in Ontario and ZEKE'S in Montreal my car would still be vibrating like a YUGO at anything over 70 MPH.
Look on all the boards there are all sorts of hypothesizing threads about what the 5th gen will/should look like and how it should perform.There are so many it is getting ridiculous.
If the stuffed shirts and idiots who call the shots at GM can't get off their collective keisters and logon to the boards and see what is happening in the real outside world they deserve all the **** that will befall them in the coming years.
If they cannot feel the groundswell of support the F-Body has they are braindead and anything we do will not change their narrow minded point of view.
Please go out and hire Colletti to run GM[they had Moss and didn't use him to his full potential],HE at least knows WHY performance cars exist,they exist for the PASSION they instill in people and the LOYALTY they generate.
Tell the LIVING DEAD at the head of GM that when they show signs off intelligent life residing in the penthouse,we will give a damn,until then it's not our job to save their butts,it's time they started EARNING their Millions!!!!!
That's all,,,,I feel much better now!!
-------------------- 2002 SS LE Z4C, all options plus 12 disc Cd changer,ASR,Rear defogger,A-4 Trans. SLP Options: Cm Exhaust, 345 Airbox, Bilstein, Auburn, 35 Ann mats, 35 ann rear deck mat, 35 ann car cover, portfolio, birth certificate key fobs + dash plaque, special Camaro GM Portfolio. Autographed by FBODYFATHER Scott Settlemire, SSOA & WWCA Member! Slp owners Assoc. Posts: 184 | From: Chicago,IL. | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
You know.... some of you really amaze me. The F-BodFather is trying to do something for us here, and all he wants is a few stinkin' pictures of you in front of your F-Body, or a letter stating WHY you have it in the first place. The point here is to bring it back into production in an IMPROVED form. If you're going to bash GM, which is most-of-the-time deserved, turn it into something positive...like a letter stating how much you enjoy the car, but how much more you'd enjoy it if these things ::::insert suggestions here:::: were improved.
I love my car,...with all its squeeks, rattles, etc, etc. I don't know what it is, but I love the damned thing, and have been attached to it since 98. In many ways, that car helped change my life for the better.
Anyway..... my point is...if you have beef with GM, but love the F-Body and would like to see it come back someday....how about writing a polite enthusiast letter, and give them some pointers on what you think could be improved on?
When we get the time, I'm sure Rob and I will send a few pics with our cars, and memorabilia.
[ 17. April 2004, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: Jana ]
-------------------- Jana
Black 1996 3.8L Camaro with T-tops, blown & intercooled, with a bunch of other stuff,.....::Still slow::....
Posts: 38 | From: San Diego | Registered: Aug 2003
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We know he will fight to the end,it's the Idiots above him that need this extra show of support that we can't hack!!
From the success of the Mustang to the proliferation of sports car and sports sedan they should know therte is a market segment out there wanting an affordable RWD sport coupe.
The Camaro suffers from the second out syndrome,like Pepsi,you can change the Pepsi formula and no one will complain because it is just Pepsi.But do the same to COKE and you saw what happened,it was the ORIGINAL,the ONE that you grew up with and have souvenirs attached to.
The Camaro gets cancelled and a few people complain,kill the Mustang and presidents go nuts all the memories attached to the first time people rode or made out in one,it's part of Americana,it is the original,you cannot cancel it,like the Corvette.
The F-Body doesn't have the clout of Mustang,Coke,Levis or Chanel No 5 has,if it did we wouldn't have to do backflips in snowsuits to get the big Muck a Mucks attention.
The managers at GM suck,we like Scott and wish him luck,ride on DON QUIXOTES !!!!!!!!
Can the Camaro and people get upset,no more than that.
-------------------- 94 Z28/UltraZ Hood & Box/2 1/2 Drop/52mmTB & Bypass/160 Stat/Pulley/ Catback & pipe/Shifter/Kirkey seats/5 point belts/WW Wing/Ford9"-4.11- Detroit locker-Strange axles/ZEKE'S Heads & LT4 HC/Stainless Headers & Y/1LE Panhard/BMR SFCs-STB-Relo Brackets-Tunnel Brace-Adj Tq arm-adj Sway bar-Adj LCAs/ Line lock & LT4 PP & clutch/Monster tach & light/T REX F Pump/T shifter grip/DS Loop/A Great Friend MIKE !!24/08/03=12.487@113.486/1.785 60ft. 19/10/03=12.477@113.030 /1.807 60ft. 15/05/04=12.438@112.269/1.767 60ft www.timelord3.com www.stealthperf.com www.timelord3.com Posts: 558 | From: Loretteville,Mars | Registered: Feb 2002
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No pictures...no letter...just a story.... ********************************************
EXIT
It was the pain deep inside his chest that forced him to see a doctor. Oh sure, he knew something was wrong, but, like most people, he put it off. And put it off. How long had that pain been gnawing away? Two years? Three? At least three. It had been there so long, it was almost taken for granted.
But lately, it had worsened. It was affecting his driving, walking, eating, sleeping and his work. Gearheads don’t like to go to doctors, even though they are forced to seek their services now and then. The occasional flu bug going around, or the deep cuts from working at the machine shop. Frank had been there before. Not too often though.
Frank sat in the doctor’s office, idly flipping through a tattered copy of National Geographic, wishing he’d had the foresight to bring a copy of GMHTP with him to help pass the time. He’d been in this cold, white office too many times in the last month, what with all the check-ups, X-rays, blood tests and other mysterious things they did to his body. The pain was still there. Always the pain. The white-haired doctor called him into his private office and closed the door quietly behind him. Frank knew at that moment that something was desperately wrong. The doctor told him very quietly, patiently and calmly what was up.
He did it so professionally that Frank listened in an almost detached manner, as the white-haired physician told him he had only a few months to live. . . perhaps five or six at the most.
What Frank got upset about was that he’d never heard of the disease. A lot of Latin words strung together. Why didn’t they just call it a ball of pain in the chest?
With more calm in his voice than he could believe, Frank asked the good doctor about operations and alternatives. With an obvious tremble in his hands, the doctor explained the why-nots and the where-fores of the situation. He took a long time and ignored the blinking light on the phone.
When he stopped talking, Frank fairly well understood the mechanics behind his doom. The doctor wrote out a prescription “for the pain” and told him to use it as needed and to call any time the pain got too intense. There were stronger things available for stronger pain. They shook hands and parted.
Frank drove his pick-up truck home, head whirling with thoughts. He stopped off at In-N-Out Burger and grabbed a Double-Double and fries, and ate as he put the 36 miles that separated his home from the medical center.
By the time he got home, Frank knew exactly what he wanted to do. He grabbed a couple Heinekens from the fridge and sat down at his wobbly old desk. A yellow lined pad and a felt tipped pen were extracted from the center drawer, along with his savings account and checkbooks.
Very slowly and with much thought, Frank made a list on that clean yellow pad. After each item, he put a price. Frank had a pretty good idea of what things cost. Ten grand for the SLP 382 CID LS1 530 HP stroker motor, eight fifty for the SLP long tube tuned headers, thirteen hundred for the Wilwood Superlite 6 piston brake kit with slotted and cross drilled rotors, thirty large for the car. Then there were the other trick goodies; SLP CAI and airlid, BMR lower control arms, panhard rod, strut-tower brace, and sub-frame connectors, Koni double adjustable shocks, Hypercoil one and a quarter drop springs, Moser 12 bolt rear-end, custom burned ECM program, Energy Suspension poly sway bushings and endlinks, a GMMG chambered exhaust system, the best tires money could buy. . . in fact, the best of everything.
When he completed the list and added it up, he gave a low whistle. The total came to over fifty thousand dollars. A check of his bank and checkbooks showed that he had more than enough to cover the cost. He slowly savored three more Heinekens that evening. Sleep came easy, in spite of that ever-present pain in his chest.
The next morning was spent cleaning out his garage. He shaped it up to perfection, then made a trip to the bank and withdrew a tidy sum of cash. Frank then stopped off at his favorite place and spent a considerable amount of that cash on new tools. The good stuff; Snap-On, S-K, top-of-the-line sockets and wrenches. And then he bought a shiny new red Craftsmen two piece roll-around toolbox.
It gave him an odd pleasure to peel off the fifty dollar bills to pay for the tools. The salesman helped him load everything in the back of the pickup and Frank then headed home to drop off his new toys and switch vehicles.
Frank grabbed his keys to his 97 Camaro Z28 and headed down to the Chevrolet dealer. The sales manager knew him by his first name and they exchanged the usual pleasantries. Casually, with a slight smile of glee, Frank told the man to write up the paperwork on that car – that one right over there – he would purchase it and pulled out his checkbook to drive the message home. Frank didn’t squabble at the trade-in amount offered for his Z28 and much to the surprise and expectations of the sales manager, did not haggle one cent on the new car.
Frank just stood there and looked at that gorgeous red car with the silver stripes, the last of them, the 2002 35th Edition LE Camaro SS. Frank found it sadly ironic that his beloved f-body, born in 1967 as he himself was, would also cease to exist in the year 2002. Over the years he had owned so many of these fantastic vehicles. He loved them from the time when he was a small child, too young to drive, but not too young to dream.
He spent that night online placing the orders for the parts that he could not get locally. His only request from each vendor was that everything be delivered to his home before the end of the week. He checked off items on that yellow legal pad. Sleep came hard.
Early the next morning, Frank pulled the new SS into the center of the garage and put it up on jack stands. Parts were carefully removed with the shiny new tools and placed in various cardboard boxes that were marked with a thick felt tip pen. Then he placed them on shelves.
By the end of the week, the stock powerplant was out. The new, bad-boy, SLP stroker motor was dropped off by the freight transport-company. The man in the big brown truck was coming just about every day. Frank so enjoyed hearing that UPS truck rumble up the street and stop in front of his house. It was like Christmas every day.
The days went by slowly and pleasantly. Frank did not answer the telephone and did not open any mail. He only left the garage to make trips to the machine shop, or to the speed shop for needed odds and ends.
With the arrival of all the main components, the gutted SS started to take shape again. Parts started to fall into place. Some things required drilling, bending, shaping and fitting. Frank carefully fitted each and every piece with patience until he was satisfied that it was perfect.
By the time three weeks rolled by, Frank was forced to stop by the pharmacy and get that prescription filled. The pharmacist looked a bit startled when he read the doctors scrawl and placed a call to check it out. Frank took a double-dose of pain killers to sleep that night, but he woke up so fuzzy headed the next morning that he flushed the remaining pills down the toilet.
It took one more week before the car was completed. Naturally, enough the last two bolts were snubbed in place well into the wee hours of the morning. Frank poured some 76 competition 110-octane race fuel into the tank, got in the SS, inserted the key and turned it.
It took a few seconds for the big 382 to light off, but when it did, the sound from the chambered exhaust was pure music. The motor responded cleanly and instantly with a rapping snarl. Frank ran the SS for five minutes, ignoring the blue haze filling up the garage, then shut off the lights and went to bed.
Early the next morning, he rose and went out to the garage. About an hour was spent checking over nuts and bolts for tightness. Frank then pulled the beast out of the garage and nudged the factory Hurst into first and eased away. She pulled strongly, satisfyingly, through the gears. Not a hint of a flat spot, or even a burble, as the revs rose. Once on the highway the SS responded like an F16 when the pedal was depressed. The lonely, sparsely used highway was gobbled up in blinding triple digit speeds. Chomping at the bit to be fully released, the SS appeared to have no end to its power.
He stopped off at his favorite restaurant and had steak and eggs and several cups of scalding hot black coffee. The waitress smiled from ear to ear when he left a whole crisp fifty dollar bill with the check.
Thirty minutes later, Frank arrived at his favorite mountain road “testing” area. He got out and stretched his legs and breathed in the fresh morning air, listening to the sweet rumble of that gorgeous red chariot. The sun was just coming up to the east. Good.
Frank got back in the car and followed the leisurely winding two-lane road through the valley and caught the old fire access road heading up the mountain side. The smoothly paved road had just the perfect surface for letting it all hang out.
Once he got the feel of the SS, Frank started to stuff it into the turns letting the rear end hang out. Using the point and shoot method from turn to turn, the car would devour the straight-aways only to be begrudgingly hauled down from speed by those big 6 piston Wilwoods. The cycle repeated itself without a trace of brake fade. The exhaust note wailing off the steep canyon walls. As the road climbed, Frank was forced to use a lower gear and rev the engine harder to maintain his speed. A thin sheet of perspiration covered his forehead and face. . . he breathed harder and worked the car deeper into turns.
As Frank neared the summit, he saw the last wide sweeping corner before the road ended at a scenic viewpoint. It was clearly marked with white barriers to keep wayward vehicles from plummeting off the vertical drop.
Frank smiled, took a deep breath, let the revs rise and aimed the nose directly at the flimsy barriers. The white wood snapped cleanly and the car sailed out into the clear blue air. Frank held tightly onto the leather wrapped wheel and sailed and sailed and sailed. He had always wondered what it might be like.
And now he knew.
Posts: 700 | From: Fighting the Nazis of the world..... | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
sheesh, ask for a little help to try and bring something back to life that we all love and we get 20,000 words. Why not spend that same time, effort and words and put something positive in a letter and mail it to Scott?
Posts: 5946 | From: Litchfield, NH, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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"The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants" (Thomas Jefferson) Posts: 1446 | From: Germantown, MD USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by TimeLord: MMMM_ert !!! You could have used MOBY DICK,staring GM as the White whale,and yourself as AHAB,it would work!!!
Couldn't resist,too many similarities!!!!!
The story was just a way of showing a love affair between one man and the Camaro...
Posts: 700 | From: Fighting the Nazis of the world..... | Registered: Jul 2002
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Geez, A guy leaves for 4 days to be a father and the Fbody world falls apart!!! Scott, why didn't you summon me with the re-worked gotham city SS light?
I have written before and I shall write again. All of my good pictures are digital ...I do have a couple at the dealership when I picked him up.
Timelord...you saying there's something wromg with tracking you car mile by mile on each trimester of its birthing process
posted
Just want to verify that you received the pictures I sent of the "Bowtie Garage" ............ if something happened and you did not receive them, I will gladly take more pictures and re-send.
John
Posts: 655 | From: North Carolina ... the land of Possum & Dumplings | Registered: Jan 2002
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...sorry for my (no excuse) delay ... , ...I'll get this done, ...that's a promise.
Kevin
-------------------- Kevin Kolvenbach, 2002 Sunset Orange SS (#3455), Convertible, Black top, Ebony leather, Bilstein, ASR, 6SP w/Hurst, 345HP Dual-Dual Posts: 1046 | From: Pine Bush, NY USA | Registered: Aug 2001
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westell
Hey, could someone hand me a fire extinguisher?
Member # 2034
posted
I'm in ! Count on it. Didn't see the other site's post. Least I can do
posted
To be honest, I did not think I could add much to what a LOT of other people could tell. I did not (and do not) consider our story and involvement to be all that special compared to what I have seen and heard from others.
However, given the need, I will put together a letter with a picture or two of the Firebird in the next couple of days.
Posts: 383 | From: Oakville, Ontario Canada | Registered: Jan 2003
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"The Pontiac Experience" by Patrick Ray The following essay was written by our own BFBA Treasurer/Secretary, Patrick Ray. It was originally posted on Camaroz28.com where it was spotted by one of the editors of GM High-Tech Performance magazine. He was asked by GMHTP if they could publish his work in their magazine and he agreed. You can read his article in the September 2001 issue on page 24. I walked into Books-A-Million Friday afternoon to grab up the newest copy of GMHTP (March 2001). I was almost disappointed when I picked up the cover and saw “Game Over”. “Game Over? What’s that suppose to mean?” I asked myself. Who is GMHTP to say when it’s Game Over? As I began to flip through article after article of negative fact, not negative opinion, it began to hit me exactly how close we actually are to seeing the demise of the F-Body.
I finally found myself on page 38 glaring at a 2-page spread entitled, “By The Numbers” . Comparing the F-body and Mustang year after year, I realized just how low the sales numbers actually were in the scheme of things. I read F-Body owner after F-Body owner disappointed at the soon coming doomsday, I read Mustang driver after Mustang driver feeling the same way. I thought to myself, "At least the death of a car designed for the enthusiast, has not been forgotten by the enthusiast".
The article after ”By The Numbers” is entitled, ”Alternative Boost” . The article that falls directly after the talks of the demise of the F-Body is one that slaps onto a 1996 SS, a complete Turbo Technology kit. GMHTP continued to comment on how much development was required to make a Turbo kit work underneath the hood of a tight LT1 engine bay. They talked of how complete the kit is, everything you could possibly need found itself into a package deal. So there is was, the Turbonetics 60-1 Turbo, the F-Body's perfect compliment. It began to occur to me that while the car might die, the aftermarket will not. Following in the footsteps of Ford’s 5.0 Mustang and Buick’s Grand National, the F-Body will inevitably join the ranks of the go cheap, go fast Hot Rod.
I sat there for over an hour meticulously reading every square inch of the current Bi-Monthly issue of GMHTP. After a while, I picked up the Magazine, honestly feeling quite down on myself, and went to pay. The sun had since gone down, and the rain started to pour as I hit the remote unlock, then opened the door and slid into the cockpit of the Trans Am. I sat there for a second and gripped my Hot Wheels steering wheel cover, just thinking about nothing. As she had every time for the past 80,000 miles, Christina fired up strong on the first crank. We hit the main road and Christina began to drive, as I began to think about what it was to sit behind the steering wheel taking in all that the Pontiac Experience has to offer. I came to the conclusion that there are two ways to look at the death of the F-Body, the wrong way, and the real way.
The F-Body was not designed to appeal to 16-year-old squealing teenage girls who want a cute little car. The F-Body was not designed to haul home your brand new lawnmower from Home Depot. The F-Body was not designed to be as comfortable as a Camry, no; it was not designed like a Mustang. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Mustang. The Mustang owns a heritage that is like no other. It has a backing of its on enthusiasts, and it represents a common bond in more ways than just “RWD V8”. Setting that aside, the Mustang was not designed with performance 100% in mind. Does it perform? Yes, very well at that, but the main goal of the Mustang the past decade has been, “how many can we sell?” IMO, design has been compromised over function. Ford has done something right for business though, they’ve figured out how to appeal to the masses. They accomplished their goal. The way I see it, they accomplished their goal almost as well as GM accomplished theirs. GM’s goal was to build an enthusiasts car, a man’s man performance machine, and they have done so. GM has moved leaps and bounds past the Mustang project the past decade, leaving not only Ford, but everyone else in the dust. The Pontiac Experience is one that’s raw in nature. It’s a love it or hate it relationship, there is no in between. Cruising through downtown Auburn in the pouring rain, on a Friday night I remembered one of life’s little lessons, “Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how you react to it.” I realized that the low sales the past 2 years (76,000 total units, each year of ’99 and ’00, Camaro, Firebird, V6, V8,) mean that GM is doing its job. It’s appealing to the enthusiast. It takes a certain kind of driver to sit behind the wheel of an F-Body. We do not care about power seats, or lighted vanity mirrors. We feel comfortable in mile long dashes and hoods that sink below the windshield, in bulgy curves that fall along the body lines of the beloved beasts that we bond with on a daily basis. Complaints of visibility and function are all opinions of people who shouldn’t have ever attempted to set a foot inside the Pontiac Experience.
The Pontiac Experience is one that is reserved for an exclusive club of elitists. We have no room for giggly 16-year-old teenage girls and people who complain about the very essence that is the Pontiac Experience. Sinking into the leather seats, riding low, kissing every curve as I shifted gears, I realized the perfection of the enthusiast who slides behind the driver’s wheel as every control finds itself in perfect placement. The Pontiac Experience loves long doors and low seats; it craves a long dash that conceals 1/3 of a massive 350 power plant underneath itself. The Pontiac Experience lives for function over form. It’s not your momma’s Camry or you daddy’s Crown Vic, its raw and aggressive in its simplest form, yet one finds himself feeling sophisticated with the best of them behind the wheel. That’s what the Pontiac Experience is about. It’s reserved for the few who are worthy of it, and the few that can truly appreciate it for all that its worth. We should be thanking GM for what they have done for us. GM has spent the past decade pouring manpower and money into developing a car for the enthusiast. They have extensively labored to bring us a car, that if different in anyway, would no longer be reserved exclusively for the minority. How often do we see such a large effort to satisfy the requirements of such a small group of people?
No, I don’t believe that the F-Body is dead. The F-Body will never die because there are enthusiasts like us who will hold on to everything that the F-Body stands for. Weather or not the F-Body returns in 2005 is irrelevant. It’s unambiguous that we will keep the F-Body alive. GM may choose to no longer make them, but we are the ones who will ultimately decide to destroy them, or embrace the heritage. Its not open to debate, we are not being placed under fire; we alone keep the Pontiac Experience alive.
As mentioned in this month’s issue of GMHTP, as the last units are sold, the last of the machinery is disassembled, and the last of the warranties run out, the aftermarket will explode. The LS series of motors have been the greatest power plants to come out of GM in its history, and they aren’t dead yet. All I have to say about it is, “Watch out Mustang guys. We aren’t whipped and we aren’t even close to being finished yet. In fact, we’re just getting warmed up. So Get in, Sit Down, Shut Up, and Hold On. Mustang and Import enthusiasts alike, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
-------------------- '01 SS #1618 Pewter Vert M6 My Conveyance BFBA Posts: 465 | From: B'ham, AL | Registered: Sep 2000
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