General Motors Reports Huge Loss For '07

Yahoo News ^ | February 12, 2008 | AP

[stevio]

Thanks, something to remember when those checks come in. ;^)

[advertising guy]

what state are you in ?

[stevio]

Pennsylvania.

[BraveMan]

Now, I’m jealous. You actually get to DRIVE yours in the winter. Here in scenic Wisconsin, I’m reduced to polishing the shiny bits and crying in my beer . . .

Know of any software yet that allows you to fiddle with the various Stabilitrak parameters? The current settings are too heavy-handed for my liking . . .

[Landru]

Braveman & I are wondering what's behind your screen name, SVT.
Own one of those, too?

O/T but I'm concerned about Ford.
The 3rd generation brat's ran the company clean into the ground.

First, Ford reintroduces the fabulous 2 seater Thunderbird, charges a pretty penny for it, too. But does Ford --at LEAST-- offer their biggest, most powerful engine?
No.
Result?
Low sales = cancelled Thunderbird.

Second, Ford builds a spectacular version of the famous GT40. Only builds 2,000 (or there about) & hangs a MSRP of $150,000 big and with stealership mark-up the cost's through the ceiling.
Clearly aimed at the "average" HiPo Ford guy, eh?

Third, Ford builds a Shelby GT 500. Styling's really nice, a home run. An air-pump augmented push-rod V8 making 500HP puts Ford back in the game, in spite of it's nearly 4,000# weight.
But weight can be overlooked *if* one's a true blue Ford fan.
Right?

Now due solely to Ford's poor financial health and scuttlebutt the company could go under in 2008?
Landru SERIOSLY --I know, heresy-- considered buying a GT 500, one for the gipper if you will.
So I visit our local Ford stealership & the car, after dealer markup, runs $85,000+.
No sale.

I remain concerned about Ford, we all should be even if much of Ford's woe, appear, to be short sighted *and* self induced.

In any event, your Sky's one sweet looking ride.

...great color, too. ;^)

[Richard Kimball]

Make crappy, overpriced vehicles, and you get crappy finacial reports.

Check the following from the article:

But the automaker said its automotive business saw record revenues of $178 billion in 2007

I purchased two 2007 HHRs and found them to be excellent vehicles. GM is making good vehicles. The HHRs were better buys than offerings from Toyota, Honda or Nissan. GMs problem is not sales, it's cost control. Hence the buyout offer to the Union workers.

[BraveMan]

Unrelated to this post but interesting nonetheless is the trouble the Bowtie NASCAR teams are having with the R07:

-snip-
Hendrick Motorsports discovered unusual wear on the lifters, which open and close the intake and exhaust valves, and immediately began changing engines in the Chevrolets of Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears. Also, the Hendrick-supplied Haas CNC team of Scott Riggs decided to swap.

"We did not have any of them that truly broke," said Jeff Andrews, head engine builder for Hendrick. "We have a group of guys back in Charlotte; the best group of guys in my mind have already started on a fix for the problem. What we have to put in the cars, we have a lot of confidence in for tomorrow."
-snip-

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=718127&format=print

[redangus]

I have an ‘04’ Tahoe that has no problem at all. My wife trader her ‘02’ Toy Land Cruiser because it had a squeak they couldn’t fix, was underpowered and got 10mpg on a good day. I am waiting for GM to drop the 5.3 into the Colorado/Canyon at which point the Tahoe will be traded.

[redangus]

The biggest problem the GM has is their dealerships. The Service departments won’t honor warranties and treat you like a cretin when you ask them a question. They delay, obfuscate and deflect at a level that would make the Clintons happy.

[Landru]

Whatever's the issue it'll get set straight, post haste.
Of this I'm certain, the Chevrolet's will be ready.

Racing mills are one thing; but, the good news --for me-- is the LS3 hasn't developed any issues, whatsoever.
IF it did, believe me it'd be hollered from the roof tops at a couple CCar sites I frequent.
Find an article reporting [any] LS3 issue(s) lemme know, OK?

But again, BM, those R07s were in use from July '07 (or there about) and not only did Chevrolet win another Manufacturer's Championship *&* Driver's Championship using that engine, count the number of bow ties finishing in the top 10 points-wise.

So what's the rag have to say about Toyota's engine woes, woes that've been repeatedly reported throughout speed week?
Nothing?

Oh, well we'll see.

...500 mile's an awfully long way. ;^)

[SVTCobra03]

After having to deal with the engine tick, throw-out-bearing, wheel hop and various other defects, I sold my 2003 Mustang Cobra. While the Shelby GT500 is an improvement over the Cobra, it is not worth the $20k over MSRP that the dealers were demanding. I have owned three Trans-Ams and two Mustang Cobras in the past, but I have now gone the true sports car route and plan to stay on it. I enjoy going around corners like the car was on rails and the gas mileage is pretty decent.

[TSgt]

I am waiting for GM to drop the 5.3 into the Colorado/Canyon at which point the Tahoe will be traded.

Yeah, what's up with that inline-5? I've been in an H3 and Colorado and they feel very underpowered.

I'm all about good gas milage until I have to stick my foot out of the door to help scoot the vehicle up a hill. :)

[Landru]

"After having to deal with the engine tick, throw-out-bearing, wheel hop and various other defects, I sold my 2003 Mustang Cobra."

While completely understandable, I still hate hearing stuff like this.

FWIW I was at a Porsche BB snooping around for the hellovit, was *thinking*.
Couldn't believe the number of pissed-off Porsche guys bitching about something-or-other in their engines that went awry.
Porsche, for all their supposed precision, wasn't honoring warranty claim(s)! :o)
Man-oh-man from the sound of it one hasn't experienced the dark side of life 'till they've paid to have one of Porsche's motors removed, torn down, fixed (w/ Bosch parts, of course) & put back together.
From the scuttlebutt I gathered we're talking in excess of $10-$12,000 to have this engineering issue fixed.
My curiosity was sated hearing that crap, I was *thinking* no more. {g}

"While the Shelby GT500 is an improvement over the Cobra, it is not worth the $20k over MSRP that the dealers were demanding."

From a Ford guy, that's saying something.
Besides what's to stop one from taking a non-500, slapping a SCer etc on it, and save a bundle?
The C5 & C6 guys have been doing it for years and finally GM-Chevrolet figured out they can make $$ doing it, themselves.
Voila'...the new ZR-1 (@ $100,000 big?).

"I have owned three Trans-Ams and two Mustang Cobras in the past..."

Whoaaaa.
Braveman, SVTC03 has the proper *credentials*.
A real car guy. ;^)

"...but I have now gone the true sports car route and plan to stay on it."

It's quite different experience from the muscle car scene, eh?
That's why I'm so miffed about Ford completely lousing-up the Thunderbird. It was a real "sportscar", by definition. Ford could've made it their crown jewel much the same as GM has the Corvette. One just has to have a MBA to figure out the irresponsible corporate leadership these days, of that I'm sure.

"I enjoy going around corners like the car was on rails and the gas mileage is pretty decent."

Uh-huh, gotta enjoy it while we can because the buggers have something special in mind for guys like us, SVT.

...put us all in Prius'.