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Comments
I can assure you that you can get the base Impala with true buckets, floor shift, split rear seats and the 3.4L engine without going to the 3.8L. I have one in my driveway. These are the codes for my car:
-Base Impala
-1SB, Select-a-Unit 2 (basically cruise control on the steering wheel, heated mirrors and the like, interior security)
-AR9, Front Bucket Seats (driver's powered, custom cloth, 60/40 rear split)
-CJ3, Manual dual zone A/C
-UP0, AM/FM stereo with Cassette and CD, RDS with security
-UQ3, 8-speaker performance enhanced
So, it can be done. This car was not easy to find but it had what I wanted in my price range: about $4,000CDN less than the LS. For that, I can live without the tach.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=223638&a=1656230&p=37188538
In 1970, auto accident deaths were 54,633.
In 1998, auto accident deaths were 41,200.
( Source: World Almanac 2000 )
You can bet most of them were really moving.
Biggest contributing difference - lowered speed limits.
24 percent fewer deaths despite a 30 percent increase in population.
The facts speak for themselves.
*************************
Better driver education ? Yup, that'll make high speed driving safe.
Teenagers (many fresh out of driver ed) have a higher serious accident
rate than senior citizens. Check the actuary tables.
Anyone ever watch a "Jay-walking" segment on the TONIGHT SHOW
where Leno asks the simplest questions of people on the street or on
a college campus ? Amazing isn't it.
Those are the other geniuses you're on the road with.
Blow a tire or hit a deer at 85 and you'll have a new appreciation for the unexpected.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=37194073&Sequence=0&res=high
Teo. Thanks for the various references. I am learning very quickly about 60 and 90 degree V6s. A few simplistic observations; the 3.8L looks bigger than the 3.4 as it should but much greater than one would expect for a 400cc (27 cubic inch) difference. It is the 90 degrees that would seem to give the appearance of size. The 3.4L engine that was used in the Lumina was apparently a DOHC version. Was it just the heads that made the difference? Was the block the same? Why was it dropped? Finally, the 60 degree 3.4L started as a 2.8L. I remember that engine in S-10 pick-ups and Blazers. However, with that amount of increase in displacement the water jacket walls must be getting pretty thin. Reminds me of the 400cid Chev V8 small block which started as 265-283-302-327-350. Things internal were very thin in the 400.
Now I truly enjoy driving the Impala S.
The rest of you, have fun driving, and keep the hammer down!!
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=36036073&Sequence=0&res=high
Now I truly enjoy driving the Impala LS.
Cobra
Anyway glad to hear from you both.
Cobra:: feel free to jump in if you see me in trouble..
McDill:: How much is the Cabin Air Filter? Is it hard to replace? I am nearing 15,000 (Around Feb '01) so I would like to take care of that as soon as possible. I was thinking of having the dealer do the cabin filter replacement, but with their inflated hourly labor rates, I think I can do it myself.
For some reason I find the Impala an interesting an ejoyable car to do little things around to it by yourself....I just wish I had my own garage...well the joys of condo living..
Notice that this is the first Pontiac (Aside form the Grand Prix) that doesn't have tacky plastic cladding or Batman inspired looks (Aztek, Bonneville, Grand AM).
I think GM is genuinely making the effort to make a strong comeback in the market..if this is the new direction and attitude of the General, I think We'll be coming back to GM for more....my wife loved the looks of the Vibe...may be a perfect vehicle candidate replacement for her reliable but again '97 Mercury Tracer.
Check it out at the 2001 Los Angeles Auto Show link at the main page here in Edmunds!
Go GM!
the US is finally getting some decent roads to go along with the decent cars available today. what's the harm in opening them up a little now and then? I'm not saying you should be able to go 80 in a school zone, but on the straight roads, with light traffic & sunny skys, 70, 80, 90; it's all good.
as for a deer jumping in front of me here in Minnesota, my Governor had a little talk with them, and they promised not to run in front of moving cars anymore... :-0
http://www.edmunds.com/roadtests/comparison/2000/familysedan/place9stereo.html
Again, the highly inept 'editors' at Edmunds.com can not get it straight with a simple car radio review....imagine the accuracy of their so called tests and reviews on cars....what a joke!
The radio reviewer is complaining becuase his Impala system has a 6-CD disc changer instead of an In dash CD player....what the heck??? Since when the Impala offers an In-dash 6-Disc CD player or even a trunk mounted unit?? (There are not even aftermarket trunk cd changers for the current Impala)DUH! The Impala stereo only offers an in-dash single CD player.
Then he goes onto saying that the front door mounted speakers don't have tweeters!! Another flat out lie! We all know that the 'premium' System has 8 speakers...4 tweeters and four coax speakers..DUH!
Then he continues to rant that the Radio has poor ergonomics (Doesn't even mention the duplicate steering wheel controls)and that it is as bad as the rest of the car...what??? This guy is probably an idiot that can easily get lost on a telephone keypad!
He claimed that the sound sucks...oh well Mr. Edmund's genius...haven't you been to the 'Impala Radio' forum where about 7 months ago Humahuma came up with the final and most cheap solution......THE AMP TRUNK BYPASS! DUH!
The only accurate thing (And that was probably a strike of luck)that he said is that the FM reception in this radio is pretty poor...well the joys of glass mounted diversity antennas VS. steel masts.
I think the reviewer has either smoking serious weed that day or is a certified Edmunds idiot...take your pick!
EDMUNDS REVIEWERS SUCK!!!!!!!!
Frank
The are selling a leftover 2000 Firebird Trans Am rather cheap.
If you like them, why not get one? You can replace your '98 Malibu with a nice Trans AM (remember that GM will discontinue the F-body cars after '02) and have it along side your awesome Buick GS....2 door for the weekend and the Regal for everyday driver..not bad eh?
The F-bodies are very reliable cars and are also RWD platforms. Downsides of buying those Pony cars is the hefty cost of insuring them (Specially the V-8 models)and gas expenses. After 2002 they will be classics!
Some time ago I read a "Espionage" novel titled "Red Rockets, Red Glare" that narrates the story of an American citizen that went to live to then Communist USSR and took with him his Pontiac TransAm along to drive across Russia..the adventure of a lifetime...well the dude's journy turned sour when he started to run into the brickwalls of Communist Russia and soon he finds himself in the middle of an international mess...
Very enjoyable novel and the part that narrates the TransAM road trip in Russian highways is second to none!
The author portraits the Trans AM as the "Russian dream car", hence I guess that your admiration for them come from the time you lived back In Russia and getting one of these cars was nothing more than a good wish...
..My point is Yurakm....if you can have it now..go for it!
Let me know..;-)
Also, my window aerial sucks. Living 40 miles from the big city means a lot of cut outs. I would assume a back right fender mast aerial is the only thing I can do. My ex Lumina LTZ had one & the reception was great.
Has anyone else installed a mast aerial and if so where - front or back?
There must be a more cleaner solution....may be we could use the uselss trunk amplifier to gain strength on the FM signals. The AM signals are always clear and crisp but FM is another story....
Well, possibly existed one, in Latvia, built before the country was occupied in 1940. I am not sure.
There were several "almost highways" near Moscow: the Moscow Ring Road and the very first kilometers of couple of main roads from the city. With two-level road intersections, etc. But even they were not "limited exit": buses had stops on the roads, and pedestrians crossed the roads often. Any case, all of them together were at most 100-150 miles long.
This means, the novel you mention is a pure fiction. Even not-scientific one.
2. Do Russians like Trans Am?
Well, it is impossible to answer for whole nation, even more so diverse as Russian. Additionally, a lot of peoples of other ethnic nationalities live in Russia. There were more than 150 ethnicities in USSR, according to census returns, and most of them are at least "represented" in the Russia proper.
Yet, I have serious doubts. After 1991, when a lot of people became suddenly rich and often obscene rich, they imported a lot of expensive cars. I saw legions of MB sedans in Moscow (predominately 600 and 320 model), BMW (half of them 500 and 700), Volvo, Audi. Tens Lincolns and Mercury Grand Marquise. A bit later a lot of Jeeps, Explorers, Suburbans. Passates, Mondeo...
Saw several Porshe, hadful Ferraries, odd Jaguars and RR. Couple of Corvettes. But never saw a Firebird not Camaro before immigrating to USA.
3. Would I buy a Trans Am? Definitely not.
First of all, our 98 Malibu completly suit my wife and me now. It was build only 3 year ago, and most probably will serve us another 6 years. Good car overall, especially with new tires, and even more with our short, 5.5-mile commute. I like it and do not see any reason to replace a good car. At most, will install a MP3 player.
Second, we have much more pressing needs. Want to buy a home, to save for retirement, to provide a good education for our son. I immigrated in mature age, am almost 50 now, and have no so much time for savings.
Third, I would not buy Trans Am even if could afford it easy.
My wife and I are Northerns, and we do not like get attention. The Regal is an ideal car in this respect. You can stumble across and still not notice it. I could tell four stories about the subject.
On the other hand, Firebird attracts a lot of unneeded and unwanted attention. From friends, from colleagues, neighbors, passer-by. And from car thieves.
Additionally, the car would be a lighting rod for road police, even if cruising 10 mph below speed limit. And, of course, everybody around would think I have a mid-life crisis. :-)
Though, I would like to have the 5.7l engine in my next sedan. Did you hear any news about Impala SS?
by driving an average of 70 mph instead of 60 mph.
"Average" speed would include food, fuel and comfort stops -
not actual driving speed which would be considerably higher,
depending on number and length of stops.
And what would you speeders do that is so important with
that hour? Would you remember a week later what you did
with it? Would it matter at all that you ever "saved" that hour?
Please don't answer - it's a rhetorical question intended to
develop some mature perspective and longer-term thinking.
Are they really talking about the same audio unit we
have in our cars?
My FM reception is pretty good most of the time.
Have you compared your FM reception to another Impala in the
local Chevy dealer's lot (not showroom)? Your particular radio
might have an individual problem.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=29882351&Sequence=0&res=high
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=37222812&Sequence=0&res=high
-snow
-splashguards
-snow
-Base Impala with buckets/floor shift/custom cloth interior
-window sticker with Canadian prices and options
-snow
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=223638&a=10790790
The "reviewer" makes 3 clear mistakes:
* Claims the Impala radio comes with a standard 6 CD disc changer and loudly complaints as to why in the world GM didn't installed a single cd in dash player??
* Claims the "premium" system has only 6 speakers and that the front mounted ones don't have tweeters...wrong again as you very well know (Youhave taken the speaker covers out) that in fact the front units have one small tweeter wired to the main speakers...
* Claims that the radio ergonomics are poor, yet fails to mention anything about the available and easy to use steering wheel mounted controls..
And I could go on and on...fails to mention the RDS feature, the programmable driving environment accomplished from the radio head unit,The AMP Bypass solution that was first brought up almost a year ago.. etc, etc.
It is clear that this reviewer intentions was to put down the Impala at any cost, even by fabricating lies about the car....makes you wonder about their so called integrity and knowledge in the subject????
My FM reception has improved since I bought the car, but I ocassionally get some hissing signal noises or the reception is not very good in some stations...but when I go out in a road trip, the FM and AM reception are very strong and clear...remember I live in the city sorrounded by big buildings, antennas,etc so the possibility of interference is even greater. Since I did the by-pass I am very happy with the performance of the radio.
Shame on Edmunds!
Yurakm: Thanks for the explanation...never been to Russia so again a Novel is a Novel if you know what I mean. The Impala SS is still scheduled for release in 2003 and no further info has been given..I'll keep you posted!
My radio face plate buttons are intact as I don't used them often thanks to the steering wheel duplicates. However, I do heavely use the VOL, UP and DOWN, preset and mode buttons but the paint hasn't come off yet. I do notice the labels do tend to get dirty but haven't cleaned fearing that the letter's paint might come off on the cleaning cloth.
I now some Cadillac owners have also complained about this problem....may be it is a GM issue.
I was kinda hoping that you had a set that actually fit the '01. *sigh*
preset buttons.
I thought that might happen. Maybe you could use some clear coat
krylon plastic and paint over the buttons using a small flat artists' brush
to preserve the other buttons on your radio before they too fade away.
Maybe try it on just ONE of the damaged buttons before attempting to
save the others.
Funny that they don't mention that the Impala also has some of the same things, and more. Extra power point in the rear, extra storage in the center console (fit's my CDs nicely), removable rubber mats in the aforementioned storage area and in the armrest, HUGE trunk, the vents under the front seats to heat/cool back seat riders, etc.
It's also interesting they didn't mention some of the negative points that I have on the Impala. The trunk lip is too high. I always want to rest stuff on the rear bumper (and risk scratching the paint). The glove compartment is too small. Owners manual, OnStar manual, map book and that's it. The plastic side molding is too low. I imagine Chevy included it to protect the doors from dings. However it is not at the widest point of the car. Should have moved it higher or removed it all together.
And how, exactly did the 94-96 Impalas have a "sleeper look?"
When I was looking for a car, I really wanted a 96 Impala. I wanted the V-8 power! Rear wheel drive! Bad-A** look! When I found out the Impala line was canned, I was totally bummed out. Chevy said they were coming out with a new 2000 Impala but had no info. I gave them my name to send me the info when they got it. So I set my sights on the Saturn LS. My wife had a SL and we were really happy with the car and the service department. Also the plastic panels were a big plus. My previous car was a 69 Camaro. Love the car, but was always fighting the rust.
I got the Impala brochure in the mail. V-6?? FWD?? And what's with the full width red plastic tail-light housing? I was totally dissapointed. Then I found this group and read your impression on the Impala, I saw the safety ratings on the Impala and the Saturn (how come Edmunds' doesn't mention that?) and I got a "Test drive a Chevy and get $40" card in the mail so I went to test drive the Impala, still not considering it for purchase.
Saturn a seventh and Impala a ninth? No way! I took the Impala over a speed bump at 40 mph, didn't phase the car. Hit the gas and you could feel the car pull hard. No torque steer, great stopping power, smooth ride. It totally changed my mind.
I also looked at the Tarus. Blech. Still looks awful and they canned the SHO package.
I am thinking that Edmunds drove a totally different car.
Ken
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=223638&a=10790790&p=36036073
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=223638&a=10790790