Can we be honest people?

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bucket

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Usually not in Ohio
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Andy
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'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
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K5 thru K30
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350-454
I'd love to have a white Z26 Beretta (any color really, but for some reason I always liked the way they looked in white, which is usually a color I can't stand). I know, I must be ill, but I still love them. Unfortunately I haven't seen one in years, pretty sure I couldn't buy one if I tried.

A good friend of mine had a black Z26 back around '00. I've also got a friend that actually has a collection of Berettas. He has a few Z26's and a couple regular coupes. They are really nice examples too.

I had a '93 GT for a while. While the paint and body were ok, it had high miles, the interior was baked and the floor was rotting out. I might have kept it if it was a GTZ.
 

Khayward

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North Idaho
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
Suburban SLE
Engine Size
350
Mine would be 3 things:
- Why the plastic spider injector thingy in the Vortec 4.3?
- Why the electric 4wd shift? (Can you tell I've had several S-10s?)
- If you're going to rebadge European cars why not the decent versions? (Vauxhall Astra sold as a LeMans, why not the GTE model instead of the 4 door, or the 'Catera' - could have easily sold the LS prototype they were futzing with in Germany)
 

BearKing

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Location
Black Hills
First Name
Bear
Truck Year
1976
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
400
I'd love to have a white Z26 Beretta (any color really, but for some reason I always liked the way they looked in white, which is usually a color I can't stand). I know, I must be ill, but I still love them. Unfortunately I haven't seen one in years, pretty sure I couldn't buy one if I tried.
The only car I ever bought new was in 1989. I bought a 1989 Chevy Beretta GT. 5 speed manual, white with red interior. I bought it for my wife. She loved that car. It had the 2.8 M.F.I. Bought it off of the showroom floor. I guess nobody liked the car in white. I loved it. I have a white Z71 Silverado, a white Equinox LTZ, and a white 98 Z28. I like white cars.
 

AyWoSch Motors

The Parts Guy
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New Mexico
First Name
Ayden
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K1500 Sierra
Engine Size
350ci V8
Basically it has nothing to do with ease or cost to repair. Having been working on cars all my life I can tell you all they care about is making a buck selling the vehicle and getting it off warranty.

I can give one really bad design. Chrysler has a blower motor resistor behind the dash assembly on several years of trucks and SUV's. Only access is to nearly remove the dash. Blower motor requires dash removal. Would have been very easy to make both accessible. Drop a piece of paper in the defroster vent it will cost 7 bills to get it out.
That sounds like my vette. I have the car nearly completely apart, and the heater core is still totally buried.
 

AyWoSch Motors

The Parts Guy
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Location
New Mexico
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Ayden
Truck Year
1986
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K1500 Sierra
Engine Size
350ci V8
One GM pet peeve...
The air diverter door on 90s GMT400 trucks. Always ends up going bad, and you get that tick tick tick tick tick for 30 seconds, and the the stupid things are buried in the dash.
 

pnwnvrdn

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Location
Grays Harbor County, Wa
First Name
Todd
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
Silverado K10
Engine Size
SBC
Not just GM, but all of the manufacturers overwhelming usage of plastic in the interiors, grilles, emblems, etc. (I get it-cost, light weight, etc.).
Understanding why, doesn't change my opinion on how it cheapens the overall package.
 

CheemsK1500

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Location
Texas
First Name
Paul
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K1500
Engine Size
305
Not just GM, but all of the manufacturers overwhelming usage of plastic in the interiors, grilles, emblems, etc. (I get it-cost, light weight, etc.).
Understanding why, doesn't change my opinion on how it cheapens the overall package.

There's still plenty of metal behind in the dash, the plastic you see is just an outer layer.

I think there is negative connotation with dashes that have exposed metal, in the sense that they look primitive and inherently unsafe. There's no reason the gmt400 and later trucks couldn't have had lower exposed metal like the square body did, since the air bag comes out the top of the dash, but I suppose engineers thought it would detract from the modern look, since the early GMT400 trucks didn't have air bags in the first place.
 

RecklessWOT

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Location
New Hampshire
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10 Suburban Silverado
Engine Size
350 TBI
The only car I ever bought new was in 1989. I bought a 1989 Chevy Beretta GT. 5 speed manual, white with red interior.
I almost bought that exact car back in 2004 or so ('89 5spd GT, white/red), but a friend of mine talked me out of it. I don't even talk to that guy anymore, haven't in about 15 years. Should've bought the damn thing. I don't even remember what I bought instead, and while I'm 100% positive I would've gotten it out of my system quickly and definitely wouldn't still own it today, now it's forever an empty empty spot in me.
 

TotalyHucked

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Auburn, Georgia
First Name
Zach
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
Sierra 1500
Engine Size
5.3
Being a QC/R&D guy in the restoration parts world, I'd love to have a couple cold snacks with anyone that worked for GM back then. Plant guys, engineers, any of 'em.
 

Keith Seymore

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Motor City
First Name
Keith Seymore
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
4.3L
Being a QC/R&D guy in the restoration parts world, I'd love to have a couple cold snacks with anyone that worked for GM back then. Plant guys, engineers, any of 'em.
Starting in 1979: 40 years for me in product engineering, vehicle assembly, and engineering project management. Mostly full size truck, but also the Volt program and one low volume "show car" build which shall remain unnamed.

Either was assigned to, or launched new models in 12 different GM assembly plants, across three countries, 4 preproduction build sites and one skunk works.

I'm 3 years into my retirement gig at Nissan in accessory design.



K
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Last edited:

CheemsK1500

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Location
Texas
First Name
Paul
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
K1500
Engine Size
305
Starting in 1979: 40 years for me in product engineering, vehicle assembly, and engineering project management. Mostly full size truck, but also the Volt program and one low volume "show car" build which shall remain unnamed.

Either was assigned to, or launched new models in 12 different GM assembly plants, across three countries, 4 preproduction build sites and one skunk works.

I'm 3 years into my retirement gig at Nissan in accessory design.



K
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How much involvement did you have in the development of the GMT400 and GMT800?
 

RecklessWOT

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Location
New Hampshire
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10 Suburban Silverado
Engine Size
350 TBI
Starting in 1979: 40 years for me in product engineering, vehicle assembly, and engineering project management. Mostly full size truck, but also the Volt program and one low volume "show car" build which shall remain unnamed.

Either was assigned to, or launched new models in 12 different GM assembly plants, across three countries, 4 preproduction build sites and one skunk works.

I'm 3 years into my retirement gig at Nissan in accessory design.



K
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Sorry to hear about the Nissan gig, what a sinking ship. I worked parts dept for a Nissan dealer that had a couple showrooms in '15-'16, and all I can say is what a terrible vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I own a few Datsuns, those old engines are awesome, but their modern stuff seems to be pure garbage built on a foundation of even worse rotten garbage.
 

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