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When i was at the dealer yesterday i opened the rear door and there are no welds anywhere.
My intrigue has a large weld where the back half of the car and the front half come together at the rear door sill.
This explains why the impala feels more solid than the intrigue. It would also explain its better crash ratings.
The impala also has a 1 inch longer wheelbase the intrigue. It is amazing to me that these are both wbody cars but are so different in construction.
On another note, did you guys notice how the colors in the 2001 brochure aren't even close to what the colors actually look like..
Mellancamps wife's name is Elaine by the way, and she did a pretty good job with the pace car, considering she spent so much time out on the track. The race experience was once in a lifetime I think, I don't see driving there again, I might go some time but not drving as far as I did. The trip out was longer than expected because we went a different way than I had plotted originally and it added 300 miles! I blew it on that one. On the way out we passed thru, Az, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas,Missouri,Illinois,then Indiana. On the way back we decided to see Graceland and go to Beale St. in Memphis so we went thru Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma Texas and then NM and finally Az again.
I saw many Impalas along the way, mostly I was passing them though, seems the ones I saw were mainly driven by seasoned citizens... I saw Yellow Taxi's in Indy as Impalas, and in Memphis the cruisers were Impalas. On Beale St. I talked to an officer who was watching a Pepsi Challenge commecial being filmed in front of BB King's Club and he said he wasn't happy with the car at all... didn't think it was going to hold up very well. I looked inside and saw dark blue cloth bucket seats with no center console. The back seat was a hard plastic bench(easy to wash out after drunks have been placed into custody I guess)He did say he thought it would be fine under normal use though, and not driven over curbs and generally abused.
I very happy with the way the car drove the whole trip, very comfortable (the last leg was driven yesterday and I spent 14 hours in the car!) the only complaint would be that there is no lumbar support on the passenger side, which can cause some fatigue. I did have a lumbar pillow from my former car though and that helped some.
I did notice a whistle from the front right side of the car on those rare occasions when the cd player wasn't on, but it went away, I half thought it might be the K&N but the sound was on the wrong side, also it continued even when stopped for a light getting off the highway, maybe a wet belt? Anyone else notice that? It rained almost the whole trip, practically everywhere we went, and as Bdime said, we were really glad we could get the whole race in considering the storm that blew thru Indy on Saturday which washed out our Golf game!
Sorry for droning on for those of you still reading! I'll post mileage later on.
I finally saw two base Impalas in the vaunted Medium Bronzemist Metallic color. Very nice color but a bit dark. Still much better than last year's Austin Power's inspired Nightmist Auburn Metallic.
Has your dealer finally located a new '01 LS for you?
Check out the magnesium beam or 'Magbeam' that runs the lenght of the windshield and it is mounted right behind the dashboard assembly. This indeed also contributes to the solid feel of the car.
Interesting to find out about those visible differences in terms of the welding construction of the Impala vs. the Intrigue. The Intrigue is a very nice car but it always felt 'flimsy' to the touch and not very well finished IMO. The poor safety scores and the complaints of owners of this model line just reaffirm one of the many reasons for the demise of Olds...great product concepts, lousy execution and high prices.
PS: check out my photo and quote on page #16 of the 2001 Impala brochure.
Wanted to share this with all. I noticed some buzzing coming from the driver side door area when playing the radio or a CD. Basically the great, deep bass was resonating through the door.
I isolated the buzzing to the window control console area. It rests on the door handle ledge and I can move it a bit. I loosened the forward torque head bolt that rests in the handle area for the door. About a half of a turn seems to have resolved the buzzing. I played some bass heavy CD's and only on one occasion did I hear a slight resonance.
The bolt is a T30 size.
Thanks!
RR
Sticker on my LS was $24,574. I got the LS Model w/ the (UPO) Stereo/CD/Cassette "Premium" Sound and the (1SB) LS Equipment Group. Invoice is apparently $21,971. I got it for 21,931, but that was with a 750 dealer rebate passed on. They "Robbed Peter to pay Paul" on my trade in, giving me 200 more for my trade-in then negioated and then jacked the price up on paper for the Impala. Heck I was glad I got what I got for my '95 Nissan Altima. I bought it used and beat the tar outta it putting on over 80K in 3 years.
Still, even if I did get it $2643 under MSRP (or $2443 if you look at the "official signed P/O), think I could have done better? Lowest I could get anyone to go around here in Milwaukee is 21700, but then again I didnt' play it out long like I could have - from teh time I really started pricing until I picked up my car was 12 days.
1 - Has anyone installed the MacNeil Weather Etch window visors yet and do the back window ones install with "clips" or just slide into the window channels?
2- Has anyone heard of or installed a "bug defector" yet?
3- Any updates on when the CM mud flaps will be available for the 2001?
4- Suggestions for floor mats?
We just picked up our new 2001 LS last night in Galaxy Silver. Build date 4/01. No extra frills besides the upgraded radio. Decided on this over Buick, Toyota, Honda & Pontiac. After looking at everything, in my OH, in this price range nothing matches the size, safety features, comfort or gas mileage this vehicle offers. Thanks in advance for your responses.
Anyway they replaced the steering shaft and actually replaced the whole engine cradle. I know there was a TSB on the engine cradle but that did not involve replacing it. I guess that there is a change in procedure for this.
So far this is the only warranty work I have needed. Alan
For those of you interested, I have a complete set of Helms factory manuals for the 2000 Impala/Monte Carlo. I have them on ebay item # 591908677. You can buy them thru ebay or contact me directly.
Price $100.00 plus UPS.
Still waiting on the Avalanche, seems to be on a transport truck somewhere in Dallas for the past week.
Lumbar pillow for the passenger seat? I hope someone else was driving and you did not have the car on cruise to take a nap...LOLOLOL
I don't travel well on long trips. Even on airplanes I could very easily ask the pilot :"are we there yet????"
Tony
hunter39 - They have an additional $1000 dealer rebate in the Southeast. Don't know if they have that in AZ or not. They don't in South Central. Glad you had a nice trip. My dad and brother went to Indy 500 in 1977 and saw A. J. Foyt win.
So far they have been a pleasure to work with. I will let you guys know tomorrow if the deal actually transpires.
I am sure you'll be much happier in the Impala!
Keep us posted.
Unrelated, those interested in the amp/booster saga please switch over to Impala Radio fourm for updated info regarding possible warranty replacement...
THX
Has anyone heard the sound on the new amp and the old amp??
Does the new amp eliminate the following problems:
1) Having to crank up the volume and bass to FULL before hearing a tiny bit of bass??
2) poor reception?
3) good sound and bass at low volumes?
From what I recall someone in this forum had a y2k Impala, but GM bought it back and gave the person a brand new '01 Impala with the GOOD amp!
Who was it again?
Has anyone succeeded in getting the GM people to replace the old amp with the latest one?
Now I'm looking at the Impala Insignia Floor Mats and some of the "Mudflaps" for the vehicle as well.
Anyone else have some cool add-ons for their '01?
B
And yes, the new AMP installed on 'mid-year' 2001 production Impalas solves all the problems listed in your post.
The stereo on my new '01 LS is a total blast!
Been using mainly Chevron Techron 89 Octane with excellent results...the engine is smooth, powerful as ever.
It does appear that if your service manager is not willing to listen you will have a harder time convincing them of your problem. One of the first questions he asked me was if I bought the car from him, my afirmative answer had him springing into action. They very much want that positive feedback that comes with a satisfied customer, which they will get from me, as I'm a letter writer and will definately praise them for excellent service, they can expect the same for poor service as well... I have nothing better to do anyway
Before treating the finish, I used the Cali Duster and all it did was move the dust around.
I used Zaino products which reduce the static charges the car may have had on it.
Makes a world of difference.
RR
...the first application of the Zaino seemed to eliminate the static, and hence, dust from the car. I have washed it one time since and applied the Z6 spray after - still no dust.
I guess it somes down to how the charge gets on the car itself... anyone know?
RR
Thanks,
Tim(Gotta have an Impala)
Having owned leather seats before (Darker color) leather has its advantages and disadvantages...easier to clean, looks more 'luxurious', keeps the car interior warmer during the winter, etc. But the downsides are cracking, peeling, folding and so on.
Leather seats demand a lot of care to keep them looking nice for years. You can buy a variety of leather treatment products for this purpose and these need to be applied on a regular basis. Also the durability of the seats also depends on the quality of the leather and the color dyes applied to it.
In many ways, I think cloth seats are easier to upkeep and better suited for hot climates. One noted problem with cloth seats are the sudden static discharges; however, I have not experienced those frequently on either 2000 or my new 2001 Impalas.
Also to give you a 'vague' idea on the looks of leather seats after years of use, take a peek into a car with them....make sure that you'll still be comfortable paying the extra $625.00 for the leather after checking the looks of the upholstery after a time of regular use.
Indeed, the Neutral leather is very sumptous, but make sure you are getting your money's worth.
However, I imagine an off the shelf product like 3M Scotchgard for the carpets and any leather treatment will keep the seats protected.
Can't argue with the beautiful neutral leather. It is the best IMO!
Good luck hunting down your Impala!
RR
Congratulations!
In my opinion, leather seats are nicer when they are old and broken in (just like old denim jeans).
Don't settle for less....get the leather seats!! Your rear end deserves first class treatment. LOL
As for leather, I have six months experience with the light gray leather in my Impala. The driver's seat, which gets used by far the most, shows a little dirt every 2-3 months or ~5000 miles. I have beige leather furniture and have a cleaning/conditioning kit I received with it. I use the cleaner (water with a MILD detergent) followed by the conditioner every 3 months. The seats (and furniture) clean up VERY EASILY with the cleaner, and are noticeably soft and supple when I get done. I'd get leather again and again, though I plan to treat them 3-4 times a year. I also love the seat heaters. What a great feature in cold weather!
One issue I had with my family is my desire to take the Impala on long trips though we also own a Plymouth Grand Voyager Minivan. Finally I got the family to agree to take the car (yahoo!) IF...I could figure out how to install the 9" TV/VCR combo in the car for the trips. I don't have pictures, but I did find it fairly easy. Specifically, if you slide the TV from the back seat forward between the front seats on top of the center console compartment lid (with the TV facing the back seats), it slides in about 1/3-1/2 way and wedges in snugly. I fashioned up a flat piece of wood with a makeshift wooden stand supported by the 'hump' and set the TV on it. The TV plugs conveniently into the power outlet at the back of the console, as if it was supposed to be that way. A simple 1/8" stereo plug splitter and two sets of headphones keep the wife and kid surrounded with full-blown two channel mono (the TV isn't exactly HiFi) and Dad up front smiling from ear to ear. The back seat is extremely comfortable and the TV is in great view to two passengers.
Up front, the TV only touches the back of my right shoulder, something I can fix by shifting only a half inch or so to the left. Quite acceptable.
I wonder if folks are glad to see me writing tomes again...It's been a thousand posts or so since my last excruciatingly long one...