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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Corvette / March 2005How would you improve the Corvette?
1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum 2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative 3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter 4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes 5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. drop its price by $30k to somewhere in the mid to high 20's, remove alot of the over-technified crap and make it more affordable to more people. I personally dont want all that techno gizmo , traction control, ride dampening all that added crap. build me a bare bones racer.  Signature=== you must first take out MYUGLYSISTER to email me privately === > 1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum > 2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative > 3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter > 4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes > 5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. DAVE number TWO----You may wish to change your name in this group as there is another dave (one fast1970vette on webtv)that everyone here ignores as a fundy idiot who takes his vet to WalMart for service and drives 55 in the fast lane ken ahh.ok.. how's this ? === you must first take out MYUGLYSISTER to email me privately === > DAVE number TWO----You may wish to change your name in this group as > there is another dave (one fast1970vette on webtv)that everyone here > ignores as a fundy idiot who takes his vet to WalMart for service and > drives 55 in the fast lane > > ken >1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum >2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative >3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter >4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes >5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. ... 1.Although my wife receives her pension check from Alcoa..I'll stick with the current material they use for the Body..(it is not fiberglass btw). 2.Personally I for one am Not interested in a Northstar tyoe of engine good old pushrods.... ok.. I could live with a little new Tech... 3.This I could live with (vbg)...but I would still order a 6 speed..even if they charged more for it 4.YOU GOTA BE FRICKEN KIDDING .... 5.I would not stop using a wind tunnel I would just give up some aero effeciency for better and more agressive looking styling... ============================ I would make the car much less of a "cruiser"...I do not need a ton of the standard "options" now offered... I would also like to see the car shrink down in size ..at least get closer to the size of a Miata.. lol Just my opinions... Bob 64 72 76 79 & 95 Corvettes... > I would make the car much less of a "cruiser"...I do not need a ton of > the standard "options" now offered... I would also like to see the car > shrink down in size ..at least get closer to the size of a Miata.. lol I think you're on to something major there. Something closer to the size of the Ferrari 308 would be nice. >>1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum >>2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > Bob > 64 72 76 79 & 95 Corvettes... Actually I think all 5 were a load of crap and something a magazine reader would propose. Back to basics might be a good thing, no more gadgets. SignatureDad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd > Actually I think all 5 were a load of crap and something a magazine reader > would propose. Back to basics might be a good thing, no more gadgets. > -- > Dad > 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 > 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd You mean like drum brakes and no power steering? >> Actually I think all 5 were a load of crap and something a magazine > reader [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > You mean like drum brakes and no power steering? What's wrong with that, my 72 is so equipped and no power on the brakes either. SignatureDad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd > 1.Although my wife receives her pension check from Alcoa..I'll stick > with the current material they use for the Body..(it is not fiberglass [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Bob > 64 72 76 79 & 95 Corvettes... Agreed, it wouldn't be a terribly difficult decision on the part of GM to get back to a "real" car at least from a technical standpoint. Forget all the hung on crap ... errr creature comforts and toys. I'd buy a new one every few years if they'd remember why these cars came by their reputation ... "THE American Sports Car"... not "The American immitation of a sports car because we added so much junk" Sports cars by their very definition have always been lacking extra toys as shown by some of the best examples such as Ferrari's Enzo. Hell, they don't even have a basic radio... but they go like stink and handle incredibly! Just a little overdone for my pocket book though. As far as I'm concerned GM could cut the heads up display, multi speaker stereo, keyless entry, dial up handling and jsut about everything else they've thrown in. horse power, HOLY SH** torque, a decent box, tight-a.s suspension, amazing brakes, decent looks and a seat that doesn't kill my butt are mostly what makes a legend. The rest is crap. However, regardless of what each of us may think or even want, GM will continue to destroy the perception of a smart looking basic vehicle, with plenty of go power and excellent handling, instead adding more gizmos than any purist wants. GM has the ability to wow the masses but.... Money talks... 'till the next company comes along with the real deal as happened, albeit minimally, with the Viper. If Chrysler had the noodles to put this on the production line and keep it simple it'd be 1/2 it's current price but they'd probably sell 5 times as many... and possibly make more money per unit. Cheers Richard "dealing on his 3rd Vette in the garage.. a tidy '53" One early photo I have is where GM actually made a Vette based on a Ferrari 308Gt..they should have stayed with that....photo shows a Ferrari and the Vette copy together. My Vette ( 1993 ) has a remote that locks and unlocks the doors when you walk away from it or approach it..HOW LAZY CAN YOU GET...don't even have to push the remote buttons...do we need this..added $$$$..??? >1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum Huh??? NADA Why not just change the name too? LOL >2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative Double Huh?? Not Bloody Likely (500hp pushrod engine LS) Screw a Northstar >3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter Should have both options. Seems myopic to take that choice away. Many physically need an automatic. >4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes Triple Huh?? Troll post?? hehehe >5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. Depends what you mean by this..... kinda wondering with 1,2 & 4 coming from ya. LOL > SignatureRic Seyler PAINT -- PAINT -- PAINT !! The orangepeel on showroom C6s and XLRs is gross. Someone in Bowling Green must believe that clearcoat is a leveling agent. Paul. > 1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum No. > 2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative No. > 3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter No. > 4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes No. > 5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. Yes. Bring the curb weight back to 3000 lbs. Bring the size back down to under 175 inches in length. Bob's idea of a Miata is good, but they can't get a V8 in a body that small, and have America passengers. (maybe Italian or Japanese) Pull off the bells and whistles and put them on the option list. Make each engineer that designs go out and do a full maintenance on the car and major work like pulling the engine, pulling the transmission, and pulling the rear suspension. Have them do the minor repair stuff, too, like replacing a fuel pump, replacing a water pump, etc. Inside stuff, too, like changing the radio, lights on the dash, etc. After they bleed and cuss each other out like I have, then maybe they will have an idea of how to design a good car. Then take 5 protos to Arizona to the GM track and run them 12 hours flat out a day, for 5 days. Make them do NASCAR-style pit repairs, and see what they missed in their first educational exercise. Hire stylists that love cars, and if any think the Avalanche looks good, shoot them on the spot. Have them design the look from the heart, then refine it in the wind tunnel so it is good to 160. Anything faster isn't much use anywhere, regardless of what we think. Very few track days guys get any courses like Daytona that permit faster speeds. Even if you do track days events on courses like Roebling Road, IRP, and so on, most will rarely get over 160 and will usually only hit 160 for about 20 seconds at a time. (20 sec * 234 ft/sec = 4680 ft. - not many courses have any straights that long that you don't have to brake hard at the end) Hide the headlights. . >Make each engineer that designs go out and do a full maintenance on the car >and major work like pulling the engine, pulling the transmission, and >pulling the rear suspension. Have them do the minor repair stuff, too, like >replacing a fuel pump, replacing a water pump, etc. Inside stuff, too, like >changing the radio, lights on the dash, etc. ======================== Hey Tom.... I know you are very knowledgeable about Corvettes... So I know you know that the 1st rule when doing any repairs on a Corvette is to disassemble the entire car.... My next door neighbor who was until last year, when he retired, Was a Factory Rep ..for of all things ..GMC Trucks.. Plus he was a "car guy"...which according to him was common 30 years ago BUT not now.. the newer reps act more like insurance adjusters..and accountants..oh well !. BUT Over the years the two of us have had many long discussions about the subject of working on our vehicles.... and the problems of "getting to" a lot of the parts.... Basic explanation... Those engineers are handed a design from the "art" department... and given the task of stuffing everything INSIDE the envelope so to speak... IT would be a hell of lot nicer if those engineers did their thing...then handed their finished work to the styling department and gave them the task of WRAPING the package...with a body Ain't gona happen... so I just keep a supply of Band aids in the toolbox so I can deal with all my scraped knuckles .. ========== Another Poster asked if Drum brakes and Power Steering were "gadgets" that could be removed.... Well on that score I have to admit that I like Disc brakes ( have added them to the front of both my 64 Vette and to my 68 Chevelle) but I do not really need power brakes ... Power Steering is another thing I live without on both of these cars (the Chevelle is a Tank btw) ... and I have seriously though about fixing the chronic leaking power steering control valve on all 3 of my sharks by just removing the power steering components...and be done with it... Bob G. 'How would you improve the Corvette? ' REPLY: Make it look more like a C3 with some lines. I gotta agree with "Tom in Missouri". Build a corvette you can work on. Climb under the hood. One, your not forced to haul to a GM Goodwrench mechanic. GM would sell more parts. The aftermark is where the money is. Dump the wind tunnel, and bring back the Mid-years rear end. One that doesn't look like your flashing your a.s at someone; when you by. Most corvettes I see are every day drivers; not driven on race track. GM needs to build a corvette that can compete curbside on 10 ft two lane city street infested with potholes. That's reality. *** Sent via http://www.automationtools.com *** Add a newsgroup interface to your website today. #1. less weight #2. fewer gimmicks I.E. no traction control, keyless entry, ABS, etc as standard equipment. Remember the Capri's that were the same as the mustang gt's if you ordered them right, but a few hundred pounds lighter?) so you could get a light weight base model #3. the ability to order AWD #4. better (higher numerical gearing options) i mean when was the last time the most of use went much past 120? #5. more power options with out having to get the Z06 #6. Smaller overall #7. more factory parts for hi-po use, at a competitive price. it would be nice to be able to build a big inch motor with factory parts, with out having to go out and buy a Dart or a World products block, which are less than a bowtie block #8. little things, like bosses in the intake manifold for drilling nitrous fogger nozzles. #9. a hood that opens like the c4 does. #10. lower cost >1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum >2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative >3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter >4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes >5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. I think the biggest thing GM can do is go ahead and step up to the plate when it comes to the same things breaking on the car. Rocking chair, targa tops peeling, etc. I like the C5's. If I hit the lotto I'd probably get a c6, I must say though when the same things go up on both of my C5's, it makes me start having that wandering eye. Other than that: Add the following options from the factory: Headers Blower Lingenfelter Cam/Heads Electronic cut outs (somebody stope me..) RK Sport style hood (ram air style but maybe even taller) MP3 Player or at least a jack on the radio Built in garage door opener in the visor Hood to open like C4 (somebody said this..but I second it) -Stan > 1. Dump the fiberglass body for aluminum > 2. Retire the LS* and replace with a Northstar/Aurora derivative > 3. Replace the auto with a manumatic shifter > 4. NO convertibles! Just targas and coupes > 5. Stop letting the wind tunnel dictate design. |
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