While I don't necessarily agree, there are some reports that say GM may go outa business if certain conditions take place. Obviously they aren't doing well right now based on what I read.
What happens to parts for Corvettes if GM goes down the tubes? If I recall one of their suppliers is in bankruptcy now but they may have different suppliers for different inventory (I dunno).
And it might be interesting to see what happens to GM car values such as the Corvette if they go outa business.
On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 09:00:33 -0600, M Smith puked:
There's already a healthy aftermarket industry in place. Not to mention, I would imagine it's pretty easy to get parts for a Cutlass and whatnot...
-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
Don't bet on any turnaround! The sale of a large chunk of GMAC mortgage (big cash cow) to Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts (KKR) was the first shoe to fall. Most or all the $ 9B from that sale is already earmarked for employee buy-outs and the big, deep Delphi hole. Any bailout for GM will come after the carcass is picked clean.
The Wall Street 'cherry pickers' will dismantle the better pieces of the pie. Marques like Cadillac, GMC and Corvette may be the better pieces of the pie. Pieces like Powertrain, Allison and Delphi become just individual global suppliers.
Who's the buyer for Corvette? How about a Chinese buyer for Holden and Holden buys Corvette--that might work. Then we don't have to learn pictograms--at least, not right away.
As long as we are willing to pay for parts, Eckler's, MidAmerica and others will be there to supply us. They keep track of where the drawings are and they know niche suppliers and manufacturers. Where production runs aren't sufficient, we'll make the parts ourselves, rebuild from the junk yards or, do without. Getting a crate engine will be tough five years from now.
Guessing on future car values is a fools game but being a foolish old man (threw away $50 in Vegas 10 days ago), I'd hazard: If production stopped, C5's and C6's would depreciate more slowly. If Holden or someone else can't keep it going, team racing will stop and the younger crowd will seek out other marques. Corvettes would then hang around the front drives of 'old money' like the Jaguars of the 1960's & 70's do today.
-- PJ '89 Hookercar '02 e-blu coupe
Or the Japanese will buy the Corvette unit and integrate it with toyota, thus giving us vettes that give great gas mileage... and lower the price so that every tom dick and harry can afford one...
wouldn't that be a nightmare ??
I have read where Japan will not allow importation of any GM cars before they are completely inspected for workmanship...as produced it appears that GM cars do not meet Jap standards for quality...
Sorry to say I must agree with them..the interior workmanship on my Vettes stinks..crappy carpet fitting loose door parts rattles,squeaks, all sorts of crummy little problems...car shakes with roof off ( another engineering half assed design..could they not forsee that..???) and we all know about the optispark..don't we.?
My brother in law went to a GM dealer and the showroom car he looked at had the door handle come loose as he closed the door..he bought a Chrysler 300.
I still have my 82 Delorean and yes I can still get parts although a new RHS front fender can cost $3000.( buy the way the Delorean is even a worse car than the Vette but it has those great doors.)
The Japanese do not have a hammerlock on quality. A year or so ago I drove a Lexus IS-300 loaner for a day while another Lexus was in the shop. The shift knob split in half and fell off in my hand. There was a rattle behind the dash. There was a piece of plastic trim lying loose in the rear floor area. Whenever the AC compressor engaged at idle the engine surged and the car tried to jump ahead against the brakes.
I think the Japanese carmakers really did their homework when they set out to overcome the former (cheap and disposable) rep that went with "made in Japan" in the early transistor radio days. As their auto industry matures, maybe their bean (tofu?) counters will exercise more clout and the cutting of corners will show.
I've heard that their dealer networks, once an example of the best in customer care, are already going into the dumper.
Thoughts from owners of vehicles from japan?
A friend has a Saab Turbo which I drove the other day. Not my kind of car, but the quality of workmanship was impressive, and not even a Lexus!
I have read where Japan will not allow importation of any GM cars before
appears that
engineering
Chrysler 300.
Perhaps something the DMC in Texas who bought all of the parts from the Delorean factory would happen with Corvette
I think for Corvette, this would probably be the best way for them to go.
UGH!!!!!! Bad, bad thought! Can't go to sleep tonite afta reading that!
my bet would be Art Morrison (or the like) frames and fiberglass repros of C-1 & 2s for the most part. And just driven by us old guys, the kids will be racing turbo 4cyls JMHO and $.02 kickstart
If GM folds, then GM licensing will go out the window and everyone will be making Corvette parts again. Some good, some crap, but there will be a lot of them. The Corvette aftermarket and hobby (?) is too big to fold due to the loss of the manufacturer, since quite frankly, we only depend on them for NEW Corvettes and a limited number of parts.
It is like Star Trek, there is this fanatical group out there that will support the aftermarket suppliers.
this isn't a Chevy van going away.
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