IF GMC's are Professionally Engineered, how come no one buys them....?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,407
8,595
126
the chevy/gmc full size truck is the best selling vehicle in the US... they probably sell chevys in 2:1 ratio but thats still ~250,000 gmc sierras.
 
Apr 5, 2000
13,256
1
0
Originally posted by: ElFenix
the chevy/gmc full size truck is the best selling vehicle in the US... they probably sell chevys in 2:1 ratio but thats still ~250,000 gmc sierras.

It's the best combined selling vehicle but since they care to make the distinction between the two the F150 is the best selling vehicle.
 

AgentBehemoth

Senior member
Jun 13, 2003
236
0
0
Yes the F150 is THE best selling truck for 26 straight years.

My 93 has 171,000 and still powering strong.
 
Apr 5, 2000
13,256
1
0
Originally posted by: AgentBehemoth
Yes the F150 is THE best selling truck for 26 straight years.

My 93 has 171,000 and still powering strong.

You better put your flamesuit on....all the asshat import fans will be in here in a little bit saying how crappy domestics are
 

AgentBehemoth

Senior member
Jun 13, 2003
236
0
0
Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello
Originally posted by: AgentBehemoth
Yes the F150 is THE best selling truck for 26 straight years.

My 93 has 171,000 and still powering strong.

You better put your flamesuit on....all the asshat import fans will be in here in a little bit saying how crappy domestics are


Well then I'll tell them to come over and I'll take them for a ride in the Karmann Ghia or the 914. :)
 

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
3
81
A lot of interesting info in here...


-As for the Engine, I worked on a windsor.....I was a while ago so i got the numbers mixed up.



Also, what can be said for the realiability of GMC trucks? How long can they be expected to run?


 

Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,158
59
91
Locking rear-differential
This is pretty cool(even better than limited-slip)

They are the same thing. All Limited Slips, Posi Tracs, etc. are locking differentials. Some go about doing the locking in different ways, but they accomplish the same thing.
Limited Slip, Posi Trac, Saf T Trac, Traction Lok, etc, are just catchy names manufacturers come up with.
 

Paulson

Elite Member
Feb 27, 2001
10,689
0
0
www.ifixidevices.com
I had a chevy truck with 152,000 miles on her and she was rock solid... I at the time wanted something a little different though..

My dad's car has 221,000 miles on it (88 buick park avenue 3800 engine) and my mom's car has 189,580 miles on it (94 dodge intrepid 3.3 liter)

Both have original engines, transmissions, and re still rock solid vehicles...
 

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
1
0
Originally posted by: halik
90-96 300zx twin turbo and 3kgt/stealths tt had all wheel steering

So did the S13 240SXs, it had the same active rear-wheel steering as the 300ZX. The first gen Altimas had passive rear-wheel steering, where the rear wheels would basically toe out during hard cornering.
 

DanFungus

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2001
5,857
0
0
my friend had a 240sx with 'HICAS' where the back wheels would turn the opposite direction if you went over a certain speed...that was pretty cool
 

d33pt

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2001
5,654
1
81
early 90's preludes and accords had them too i believe... so did the mitsubishi 3000gt and it's dodge counterpart, the stealth
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,949
575
126
So why don't people buy these things? I thought American trucks were the best, and it seems that even their crappiest truck is competetive with For and chevy's offeringss...If anything GMC should be outselling Chevy trucks...
What are you talking about?

GMC division has logged several 'best ever' sales quarters between 2000 and 2002. The GMC Sierra moved into the Top 10 Best Selling Trucks in 2002 (at #10).

GMC and Chevrolet have an unwritten agreement that they will not target each other's market or overtly compete for the same market share. This is why GMC uses their distinct marketing pitch as a 'professional grade' (commercial/work) truck, to appeal to a different buyer than Chevrolet, which has 'first rights' to the consumer truck market. GMC is a much smaller division than Chevrolet and probably produces 1/4 of the trucks that Chevy does. To compliment this market position, GMC has light and medium duty trucks that Chevrolet does not.

This is by design, for the reasons stated above. GMC has historically been a commerical light and medium duty truck division and Chevy has been the consumer 'light' truck division. Obviously there are some 'grey' areas where the lines are blurred between their light truck markets, but generally GM doesn't want GMC and Chevy to compete with each other. Or rather, Chevy doesn't want GMC to compete with it, and Chevy has the most corporate pull because it sells the most vehicles of any GM division.
 

cavemanmoron

Lifer
Mar 13, 2001
13,664
28
91
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
A lot of interesting info in here...


-As for the Engine, I worked on a windsor.....I was a while ago so i got the numbers mixed up.



Also, what can be said for the realiability of GMC trucks? How long can they be expected to run?

i own 3 GM /Chevy vehicles.

1967 Camaro RS

1990 Chevy 4x4 1/2 ton pickup with 135,000 miles

1995 G-20 {3/4 ton cargo van} with 270,000 miles on the original engine/tranny /rear end;
this was a company truck fot 6 years,and the oil was changed evry 6to 7,000 miles; the tranny fluid was changed at about 50,000 mile intervals

Any vehicle should last a long time as long as maintained.

 

The Sauce

Diamond Member
Oct 31, 1999
4,741
34
91
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
I've heard on these forums that Fords have a tendancy to die after 100,000 miles...is that true?



So how would you rate GMC is reliability and performance?

I've heard on these forums that ALL GM/Mopar cars have a tendancy to die after 100,000 miles...
 

mss242

Senior member
Aug 7, 2001
504
0
0
Originally posted by: AgentBehemoth
Yes the F150 is THE best selling truck for 26 straight years.

My 93 has 171,000 and still powering strong.

That is a really misleading stat. Everyone knows that Chevy and GMC ae basically the same thing, and if you add 1500 sales from both lines they top f-150 sales by a lot.
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
1
0
Originally posted by: Mani
Originally posted by: Lifer
4 wheel steering is not new.
I believe some other cars have had over a decade ago, maybe late 80's early 90's, or possibly even earlier.

Prelude

That's a completely different thing. Four wheel steering on the Prelude, 3000gt, 240sx, was just a little thing that angled the rear wheels to a max of like 3° in the same direction as the front. I believe GM's system is ACTUAL STEERING. At low speed, like parking lot speed, it actually helps the steering by turning in the opposite direction from the front wheels. "
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
1
0
Originally posted by: DanFungus
my friend had a 240sx with 'HICAS' where the back wheels would turn the opposite direction if you went over a certain speed...that was pretty cool


Pretty cool and useless!
 

NogginBoink

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
5,322
0
0
Goosemaster, it's quite possible to professionally engineer something that nobody wants.

Cuecat, anyone?
 

mastertech01

Moderator Emeritus Elite Member
Nov 13, 1999
11,875
282
126
Actually GMC had a 351 in the early 60's, but it was a V-6.. 4 9/16 inch pistons.. just a little FYI for the trivial. :)
 

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
1
0
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
I've heard on these forums that Fords have a tendancy to die after 100,000 miles...is that true?



So how would you rate GMC is reliability and performance?

my merc sable is about 140k miles, still chugging.
 

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
1
0
Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Originally posted by: Mani
Originally posted by: Lifer
4 wheel steering is not new.
I believe some other cars have had over a decade ago, maybe late 80's early 90's, or possibly even earlier.

Prelude

That's a completely different thing. Four wheel steering on the Prelude, 3000gt, 240sx, was just a little thing that angled the rear wheels to a max of like 3° in the same direction as the front. I believe GM's system is ACTUAL STEERING. At low speed, like parking lot speed, it actually helps the steering by turning in the opposite direction from the front wheels. "

ummm...The Super HICAS system in the 240SX also turned the rear wheels in opposite directions at slow speeds, and at higher speeds it moved in the same direction. You are right about the angle though...the wheels turned a max of about 6 degrees I think.
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Locking rear-differential
This is pretty cool(even better than limited-slip)

They are the same thing. All Limited Slips, Posi Tracs, etc. are locking differentials. Some go about doing the locking in different ways, but they accomplish the same thing.
Limited Slip, Posi Trac, Saf T Trac, Traction Lok, etc, are just catchy names manufacturers come up with.
You sure about that?
I always thought that Positraction was a 'limited slip' and a locking rear differential was 'no slip' or locked.

 

ViperMagic

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,260
0
0
My house swears by GM, and we've got a bunch of their cars, and they've all been great:

1996 Pontiac Bonneville - 105,000 miles, only thing its needed besides fluid changes is new plugs and wires, after 100k

2000 Chevy 3/4 ton Pickup - Awesome truck. Vortec engine, it'll pull a car trailer without complaining at all.

1991 Pontiac Grand Am - Car was abused by last owner, needed a new interior and paint. Mechanically very sound.

1985 Corvette - General Corvette upkeep... new water pump, injectors needed reconditioned (Though I've heard about half the cars on the road today need to have thier injectors reconditioned). All around a great car!

We've also had an S-10 Blazer, a 1/4 Ton pickup, and a few various other products. None of them have had any problems at all. Once we had a Mercury Cougar (I dont remember the year, mid 80s or so - we bought it new) that constantly blew head gaskets :)