Javelin wrote:
In reply to novaderrik:
Uh... sorta. The Caprice and the new SS are actually the Holden Commodore LWB, so they are a longer version of the Pontiac G8. The Camaro is loosely based on it, which is the "next gen" version of the GTO, which was a Holden Monaro, which started life as a much smaller platform we know as the Cadillac Catera. So all of these cars share some greasy bits, but they are distant cousins unlike say the fox platform where nearly everything interchanged.
the new Camaro is a descendent of the Caddy that zigs?
novaderrik wrote:
one thing that does bug me about the design of the car is something that bugs me about most new cars- what the hell is up with the trunk openings? they make them so damn narrow down where the trunklid meets the bumper.. it just makes it so you have to jam stuff into the corner of the trunk and makes it harder to load in larger things that will physically fit into the trunk if the opening went straight down from where it is at the top of the opening... why does every car company do this?
It makes the rear stronger so the car can meet the latest safety standards. It's only going to get worse until some exotic materials become affordable enough to put in everyday cars.
novaderrik wrote:
one thing that does bug me about the design of the car is something that bugs me about most new cars- what the hell is up with the trunk openings? they make them so damn narrow down where the trunklid meets the bumper.. it just makes it so you have to jam stuff into the corner of the trunk and makes it harder to load in larger things that will physically fit into the trunk if the opening went straight down from where it is at the top of the opening... why does every car company do this?
The original Dodge Neon Concept had a great trunk design. The entire top of the trunk opened. If you look closely, the shut lines for the trunk are where the tan sheetmetal meets the black bumper. That whole rear piece, taillights included, opened up. I wish I could find a photo of it open, it was cool. (of course, all the doors slid open like minivan doors too.)
I was wrong, the top piece stayed in place, and the bottom part slid out like a big drawer. OK, that's just weird.
GameboyRMH wrote:
novaderrik wrote:
one thing that does bug me about the design of the car is something that bugs me about most new cars- what the hell is up with the trunk openings? they make them so damn narrow down where the trunklid meets the bumper.. it just makes it so you have to jam stuff into the corner of the trunk and makes it harder to load in larger things that will physically fit into the trunk if the opening went straight down from where it is at the top of the opening... why does every car company do this?
It makes the rear stronger so the car can meet the latest safety standards. It's only going to get worse until some exotic materials become affordable enough to put in everyday cars.
why do they need "safety standards" for the trunk area? so you don't break the eggs when you get sideswiped on the way home from the supermarket?
or is it one of those Euro regulations- to protect someone that has been stuffed in the trunk by the Eastern European mafia.. makes as much sense as any other reason..
gas tanks tend to be farther forward in the area of the rear axle and not at the very rear of the car like a 71 Pinto, so that's out..
why can't they just put a beam in the trunk lid that ties the 2 sides together if it's that important?
Most of these new cars make me yawn. Sure, they have LS engines and six speeds, but they're heavy, they come with massively complex electronics, and are heavy. Did I mention they're heavy? They're heavy.
curtis73 wrote:
Most of these new cars make me yawn. Sure, they have LS engines and six speeds, but they're heavy, they come with massively complex electronics, and are heavy. Did I mention they're heavy? They're heavy.
is it any heavier than our impalas? because they're freaking heavy.
i'd drive one but i would never replace my 95 with it.
patgizz wrote:
curtis73 wrote:
Most of these new cars make me yawn. Sure, they have LS engines and six speeds, but they're heavy, they come with massively complex electronics, and are heavy. Did I mention they're heavy? They're heavy.
is it any heavier than our impalas? because they're freaking heavy.
i'd drive one but i would never replace my 95 with it.
my 94 Caprice 9C1 weighed 4100 pounds on a grain scale with 200 pounds of me and i can't remember how much gas was in the tank.
the new cars weigh about the same as the last of the old rwd Impalas, but they have a lot more technology crammed into that same curb weight.. also, more power..
i remember that the first of the fwd Impalas (2000 or so) weighed around 3400 pounds or so.. i think the average weight of the new Impalas is around 3800, with the new rwd cars being over 4000 pounds..
makes me chuckle that I spent all day driving a 4-door RWD sedan today with a trunk big enough to fit four wheels/tires easily, plus a race jack, plus a cooler.
And it weighed (in stock trim) 2400lbs or so.
4000lbs in a car just seems so heavy, even if it isn't much more than "the norm" these days. Even my wrx feels heavy to me sometimes, and it's only 3300lbs or so.
patgizz wrote:
curtis73 wrote:
Most of these new cars make me yawn. Sure, they have LS engines and six speeds, but they're heavy, they come with massively complex electronics, and are heavy. Did I mention they're heavy? They're heavy.
is it any heavier than our impalas? because they're freaking heavy.
i'd drive one but i would never replace my 95 with it.
Not much more weight, but a 65 Impala with a big block only weighs about 3700. Our last-gen Impalas did have a lot of extra weight compared to the older versions, but I'm shocked at how heavy these new cars are.
I started a project of putting an STi drivetrain in a 73 Maverick. People thought I was nuts putting a little turbo 4 in such a heavy car. Turns out, they are the same weight. 73 Maverick with a 302 = STi, so I was actually shaving a couple hundred pounds from an STi by putting the boxer in my Maverick.
My wife's Scion xB weighs 2400 lbs. Its an econobox based on a Yaris. Its a 1.5L engine for cripes sake. A Pinto weighs less than 2000 if you take out the rear seat.
The Holden Caprice Police cars are are blinking joy to drive. Weight or not. The SS is based on the next gen car and should be spectacular.
i got behind a guy friday on the highway that had a totally civilian looking new caprice. are they even for sale or was it a cop car with nice wheelcovers? it had civilian plates and he was in a suit. it was decent but looks too much like a wimpala from the back.
the Caprice cop cars are finding their way out to the civilians already- some fleets bought a bunch of them and are selling off the excess. some are already a year old and are being replaced... some dealers are playing weird shenanigans to sell them directly to civilians... i don't know why Chevy doesn't just let anyone buy one...
Neither the 9C1 or 9C3 are available for sale to the public. However as resales they are slowly trickling out. I may know where a few verrrrrry low mile 9C3 (Detective) cars are about to be available. I personally like the Q ship appearance.
