2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

b4z

August sales put the Impala into the Top 10, but just barely. 17,5XX units.
Incredibly the Buick Century had 6,000 more sales in August.
Impala is still way ahead of it YTD, and should remain in the top 10 for the rest of the year.
We should still see 200,000 for the Impala this calendar year.
To put this into perspective the Honda Accord sold over 48,000 cars in August. 10,000 more than last year.
Honda sells almost as many Accords as GM does wioth it's entire Wbody car line.

charts2

September 9th the CAR CONNECTION reported sales to date for the first 8 months of this year. They indicate that the Impala's sales are down the first 8 months of this year compared to last year at this time. Buick Century, Cavalier, Cadillac CTS, Corvette, and Grand Prix all had gains compared to last year.

For years Chevrolet Impala was #1 in sales year after year. Top 10 isn't that important especially when you ad into that mix, Impala Police vehicles, fleet/rentals, taxis etc and 0% financing for the past 12 months on Impalas. Toyota Camry is #1 in sales in the US so far this year bumping Honda Accord to second spot. Ford Taurus has sold 195,000 vehicles for the first 8 months.

Ford has outsold Chevrolet so far this year 521,000 to 467,500. For years Chevy outsold Ford by 50%. GM has to get its act together if it is important to them to compete with the ever increasing market share of so called Japanese cars. GM sold as many (money making trucks) so far this year as Cars. Most car lines bring in very little in profit. When GM can make upwards of $8,000 to $10,000 for every Suburban or Avalanche they sell. Why spend time and effort on the car lines when they bring in very little profit.

charts2

I believe last year at this time Impala was #7 in sales.

kirbstoy

This month's Motor Trend has one sentence in its description of the '03 cars that says in the last half of the model year, the Impala SS will be available with the supercharged 3,8 L V-6, 240 HP. I hope the SS package has some decent wheels instead of what the LS has now.

jbenda

I am having my '01 Navy Blue repaired next week after being hit by a bread truck. While in the shop I planned to have the roof strips fixed. Does anyone have a copy of the TSB for this or know what they do to fix them. Are there new roof strips that are curved to fit the roof better or do they just use more adhesive and a big hammer? I was also considering having the new water deflectors installed. Has anyone had these installed and is it worth it. Thanks for any input.

[Deleted User]

I hope it was fresh bread. That day-old stuff could've really caused some damage. (I wouldn't even want to think about day-old bagels, God forbid.)

b4z

Impala is #8 this year, so it lost a place.
There is a huge difference between #1 and #8.
300,000 cars.
I think Chevy has made a big mistake in raising the MSRP of these cars so drastically. $2,000 in 2 years is absurd.
They should have raised it $500 a year.
It seems we are paying heavily for the rebates and incentives.

charts2

Garypen: I hope you are not going to make this into the Fishes and Loaves story next from 2000 years ago. I can only stand so much corn ball humour. IMPALA !

phollan

I had the roof strips replaced on my black 01 LS. This was done in April and it made it through the summer without peeling, so it seems to be fixed. I don't have a TSB, but I know they put new strips on. I think the adhesive was the problem, but I don't know if any other work was needed.

hvan3

If Chevy sold that many Impalas, why is it that I see more BMW X5 on the road compare to the Impala? Strange.

[Deleted User]

I live in the BMW capitol of the US, and I definitely see more Impalas than X5's. OTOH, the 3 series far outnumber Impalas. But, that's probably because none of the local PD's use Impala's...yet.

hogboy

Teo had responded with a fix for this problem last October. The suggestion was to go to a auto glass shop like Safelite and instruct them to put a bead of urethane under the ends of the strips and let it cure for 24 hours and that fixes the problem.

kirbstoy

I've read several repair comments about the Impala's engine cradle and radio problems. Have these problems been addressed and corrected by GM? Thanks...

nosirrahg

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the bulk of those problems (which weren't major) were related to the earlier 2000 models. Some of the early engine cradles had some noise/weld issues, but I believe those were addressed by 2001 and later models. The only radio issue I can remember had to do with the amp in the 2000 models with the "improved" stereo system - apparently the amp does more harm than good. This was also addressed by GM, and a different amp was installed (I forget when, but I think it was during the 2001 run).

I think the only other recurring problem of note is probably the intermediate steering shaft (ISS), but this is a GM problem (not Impala specific).

FWIW - I spotted a 2000 Auburn NIghtmist LS the other day - first one I'd seen that color in about a year (may have been the same one I saw before).

spider717

It was silver. I must say I really like the tailight treatment. Wonder how it would look on my navy blue.

kirbstoy

Hi...Thanks for the information. I'm going to wait for the '03 supercharged SS due in the spring. Thanks again.

craigindc

I agree with you completely regarding Consumer Reports and their obvious bias against American cars. I was just having that same conversation with someone yesterday so I was pleased to see your post. Ironically, I am a gay atheist - but NONE of the other things you listed in your post. If there are any gay atheists over at CR, it must be the left-wing radical socialists and commies responsible for the anti-American bias.

nosirrahg

3.4 engine - I think I remember reading somewhere that the 3.4 liter engine in the Impala is the same from the Venture vans, and not the one that appears in other GM sedans. Anybody else have any info to support/deny this?

Oil Change - I switched to Mobil-1 Synthetic and Mobil premium filter at my last oil change earlier this year. However, I'm approaching 6,000 miles now, and the "change engine oil" light has yet to kick on. I'm not too terribly worried, since synthetic oil doesn't break down as quickly, and the owners manual suggests changing oil at 7,500 miles. But I don't think I'd EVER go this long if I had dino oil in there. If the light doesn't come on within the next month or so, I think I'm going to go ahead and change it anyway. I did end up adding 1/2-quart a couple of weeks ago, BTW.

Glass etching - My old Celica had this; they etch the VIN number on each piece of glass - I think the theory is if the car is ever wrecked and pieced back together, it is doubtful that someone would replace perfectly good glass. So I suppose when buying a used car it might not be a bad idea to look at the glass and see if the numbers match.

[Deleted User]

You're obviously a gay athiest Republican. That's completely different.

b4z

IMPALA!

[Deleted User]

There ya go!

(Quick. How many did they sell last week?)

hvan3

I saw the new 2003 Accord. The rear end looks as nasty as the Impala. With 240 hp for the Accord, GM better start introducing ALL LS with 240 hp. Having the SS with 240hp is inadequate.

Last thing I want is a grandma next to me in her Accord kicking my rear end at the light!!

garyw

Ok - let me share my dilemma for input. I love the Impala or more importantly what it can become. I have a $4000 GM Card rebate to spend before they take it all away from me.

Yesterday I looked at a loaded '02 Navy Blue/Tan leather or Black/Tan. All options out the door for $22K before my discount. Plus a trade for a net of about $9K w/4.9% for 60 months.

Knowing the re-design is next year with supercharger or V8 and a new interior (badly needed). So do I hold off or take a sweet deal.

I spoke to the dealers ProShop and the supercharger from the Grand Prix is not compatible. They will install a cat-back exhaust and Thrasher system with full support. I expect that it will run $700-$800 for the additional 15-25HP. It would at least be unique. Plus I would out 17" rims on it.

Let the opinions fly...

b4z

When you say fully loaded do you mean it has the sunroof also?
You might be able to get it down into the 21K range if it doesn't have the roof.
Anyway your payments are next to nothing.
i would go for it as the '03 is much more expensive. For instance the drive side door airbag is $350.00 now.
Onstar is also optional.

SLP has a 1.8 rocker arm for the 3800 engine.
There is also another company that makes a higher lift camshaft, but those are all sold out now.

[Deleted User]

If you can still use your GM card when the '04's come out, I'd wait. They're most likely gonna still have the huge rebates and/or finance incentives, because, let's face it, nobody is going to pay $30K for an Impala.

You'll get the car with the power and comfort you really want. OTOH, if you will lose that $4000, go for the sweet deal on that '02. IMO.

johnclineii

The rear end of the Impala is ugly?

Sez who?

b4z

I don't consider it ugly, but it is certainly not pretty.
It was my biggest objection to buying the car.

garyw

Good input on both sides - went and looked at it again today. Love the ride and decided that I like black vs. blue on color. The Black car has the Sport App. Pkge w/grey leather. I really want black/tan. The tailight covers really help. Does the Sport pkge. come only with grey leather? Throw some 17" wheels it will be a head turner.

Still don't know what to do...they really want the 02's gone. GM is not providing any insight on the re-do for next year. I suspect it will be next summer at the earliest before it hits the market. If I can strike a solid deal on black then I may bite. I'll keep you posted and please keep feeding me input...especially if you info on the re-do for next year.

mediumfry

I'd take my 200hp 3.8 over the accord's 240hp any day. Look at the torque curve. Any DOHC engine revs higher and gets better HP numbers as a result. Who the heck wants to drive at 5400RPM to feel the power? The 3.8 reaches 200 lb-ft of torque at 1000 rpm and its peak torque is 215lb-ft. Nice, smooth pull throughout the range.

Let gramma have her accord.

atbear

Hey, man.. go with the '02!!! You will get wayyy more bang for your buck. The '02 is the best Impala made yet and for '03+ some features are not available/cost extra. There will be no body redesign until atleast '05. '04 will be the same Impala, only with the supercharged option/SS package. In my opinion you should jump on the '02 quick! The '02 is much better bang for your buck than the '03s. The only reason you should wait is if you "have to have" the supercharged option. This is my opinion... There *might* be a V8 in '05 but definately no time sooner. You'll have to wait til then to get anything drastically different. Go with the '02 with discount!

mediumfry

I'd take my 200hp 3.8 over the accord's 240hp any day. Look at the torque curve. Any DOHC engine revs higher and gets better HP numbers as a result. Who the heck wants to drive at 5400RPM to feel the power? The 3.8 reaches 200 lb-ft of torque at 1000 rpm and its peak torque is 215lb-ft. Nice, smooth pull throughout the range.

Let gramma have her accord.

hvan3

If you can get the black/tan on a 02 LS for $22K (full options), I would definitely jump all over it. If you wait for a new model redesign, you'll be hestitant to buy the first year model anyway. So assuming the redesign Impala will be introduce in July '04 for the '05 new model year, you'll probably wait another year before the bugs are fixed. The '06 will be introduce in July of '05. Are you going to wait 3 years from now to buy a new car? Good grief! Buy it now when GM is desperate to move their inventory!!

[Deleted User]

That's also my favorite combo at the pub!

But seriously, wouldn't a black interior look cool with a black car? I wonder why they don't offer black interiors? I see they offer blue leather now, with some exterior colors. Why not black interiors too?

b4z

They are hot! Especially in leather. Here in the South black interiors are a hard sell.

b4z

If you had ever driven a intrigue with the DOHC engine you would know why the Accord's 240 hp was appealing.

They are a little soft off the line but the rush you get at 3500 rpms is like a rocket taking off and the engines are silky smooth.

The Impala actually has 225 ft. lbs of torque.
The intrigue was 234 ft. lbs.
The Honda is 213 ft. lbs.
But the Honda has Vtec so there is a braoder torque band, but still less on the low end.

The Honda is heavier than the Impala though.

If Chevrolet were to ut a DOHC engine in the Impala ,I would trade my '01 Impala tomorrow.
Thats how much I liked my DOHC intrigue.

jeffreyw1

Could someone tell me if there is an online website store that sell the Stoner Trim Shine or is there another product out there that is equivalent to it? I just want my Impala properly taken care of. Thanks!

b4z

I read somewhere that rubbing alcohol will take the wax off the plastic mouldings.
Doesn't Pep Boys carry Stoner?
I have also seen it advertised in the backs of car mags.

spider717

When we folks had problems with our old amps, there was scouring all over for upgraded amps as replacements. Some people sifted through junkyards looking for the coveted "103" amp. A few times there was a webpage posted where you could search through junkyards. I was wondering if anyone knew it offhand. I am looking through old messages, but anyone that could save me some time

Thanks in advance.

[Deleted User]

Doesn't Pep Boys carry Stoner?

I'm not sure. I know they employ them.

sweigard

Includes info on distributors or order on-line from them.

NB: they will not ship aerosol outside US.

http://www.stonersolutions.com/

mediumfry

I drove the intrigue with the 3.5. It seemed like it took FOREVER to wake up (at about 3500 RPM). When it did, it was pretty quick. But I had to get the thing to downshift every time I wanted to go somewhere. I just don't drive my cars in that high RPM range that much. I guess that's why I like the low end torque better.

I drove the Acura CLS with the 250-some-odd HP motor. I think my wife's sewing machine has a better motor. But again I don't like to wait for 3500-4000 RPM to roll around before moving out.

Turbos didn't take hold because of turbo lag among other things. DOHC engines seem to have the same lag.

That's why there are different options for different people.

[Deleted User]

I guess we made the better decision by getting the base CL then. Plenty of pep out of the box with that guy. Your wife must have a kick [non-permissible content removed] sewing machine.

b4z

3500 rpms is exactly where the 3.5L takes off.
The '99 Intrigues had the 3.29 gears. While the '00s and later had a 3.05 gear. The '99s are noticeably stronger off the line.

jbk5

Anyone here ever have the light on the OnStar system turn red? The light on mine goes from green to red every once in a while, then eventually turns back to green for no apparent reason. It doesn't seem to be related to where I am driving at the time. The dealer isn't being very cooperative (what else is new?). They are trying to tell me it's because it isn't getting a strong enough signal. That's strange because I never had any problems with it for the first 5 months I owned the car and I drive the same highways all the time.

[Deleted User]

There must be a whole chapter in the dealership service training manual on various ways to say, "That's normal. They all do that."

jeffreyw1

For the information you posted about the Stoner Trim Shine. I live where there are no Pepboy stores. So, I ordered a kit from the Stoner company by calling their toll free number I found on their website.

[Deleted User]

I live where there are no Pepboy stores.

Then where do people in your area buy their imitation sheepskin seat covers, under car neon lighting kits, and chain link license plate frames?

tpken

I thought those items were easily romoved from one car and installed on another under cover of darkness! lol

[Deleted User]

Oh sure. In high crime areas like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, that's true.

In NY and CA, we don't see those types of shenanigans, horseplay, and tomfoolery perpetrated by hooligans, ruffians, and ne'er-do-wells.

bluechevy

Anyone from Montreal ?
Thanks.