Mowgli1647545497

Did I see you on sawmill this weekend?

So I have a question: How much can you make on a weekend or on a good night of bettable racing? 500 bucks? A grand? Two grand? I'm curious. Folks seem focused on money/scamming instead of just having fun, IMO, so I'm curious what level of money we're talking here that makes it worth the trouble.

How'd it go and when's the next? I'm at 3k miles - gimme a month or two and I'll be at 6k or 8k, loose enough for a baseline. Now that we got March out of the way for all the impatient types tongue.gif can we plan a May date?

36 ain't geezer. 38 is geezer. Welcome. graemlins/thumb.gif

Not domestically. In 2003 (the most recent year anyone has totals for - well 2004 might be out by now) Ford sold more F Series trucks than Toyota sold of its whole vehicle lineup. Worldwide, yeah in 03 Toyota edged by Ford with 6.78 mil vs 6.72mil. Both closing in fact on GM's 8.6 mil. If rates keep up Toyota will pass GM worldwide by 2009. %$^&-ing search on here never works when you want it to. [ 25. March 2005, 12:41 AM: Message edited by: Mowgli ]

GTO sales On the upside, the crappy sales performance motivated GM to do something to rescue the launch: dump in the new stronger engine and "re-launch" the car in 05. Which they did. (I credit Lutz. Pre-Lutz, GM would have just lurched along with its head in the sand.) Seems to be working - sales are starting to climb up in 05. Of course they'll easily beat the "refactored" expectations for 05, giving GM some much needed press release opportunities in the next few months. But press releases aren't dollars. 200% sales increase over the same month in the previous year sounds great. But when its 800 units vs 400 units, that ain't so great. Its gonna play out like I laid out. Neither Pontiac or Buick is gonna make thier numbers and when they're deciding which to send to the gallows, Pontiac is the brand with the following. Adios Buick.

So here's how it'll go down: ---------------------- GM's given notice, fired the shot across the bow - "make money or sink." Pontiac responds by pushing their new products almost ready to hit streets or newly on the streets. But doesn't post the numbers. G6? Ain't selling. GTO? Ain't selling. Solstice? May make a bit of a splash but it'll be too little too late. Across the street at Buick they've got nothing coming down the pipe worth a spit or different in any way. They go into overdrive trying to redo their image thru the sheer power of marketing. Buick Lacross? Yeah it sucked the first time they released it as the Oldsmobile Aurora. Buick too doesn't post their numbers. Big meeting mid year up at GM. Restructuring plan made to reposition the brands like I outlined in my above post. Fall - announcement made: Division XYZ is getting the ax. This time next year: great deals on leftover Buicks. ---------------------- Sorry - but thats just how its going to happen. Lets see how close I guessed it - meet me here next year.

Honestly I think Buick is in the bigger trouble of the two. It doesn't have a unique selling point. Exact same problem Chrylser had with Plymouth and Chrysler and Dodge: whats the difference between the three divisions? At best- they're cannibalizing their own sales. Chevy - affordable family do-it-all productline Cadillac - upscale luxury (and now) technology Pontiac - the "performance" division (ala Chrysler's repositioning of Dodge). What's left for Buick to be that doesn't bite into the other three's image? GMC - no reason to exist. Badge difference only from the Chevy trucks. Chevy can sell the trucks just fine. People aren't stupid - the owner-loyalty ones who want to rebuy will know where to go. After all - look at Ford. Ford doesn't need a "FMC" or somesuch psuedo-division to sell its trucks alongside Ford selling the same trucks. And Ford sells more trucks than all the other truck makers combined. 54% marketshare. Ford sells moretrucks than Toyota sells of all its stuff. And thats just the F series. GMC could go and not hurt GM at all. But it doesn't look like its on the chopping block.

*zing* ...and a violation flies right by Spellcheck.

Agreed - they should have consolidated these brands in the 70s. The divisions have been cannibalizing their own sales for 30 years now.

...and joins Oldsmobile in the big Parking Lot of Dead Motor Brands in the Sky. Lutz' got balls. I give him that. He' making the tough choices. But the right ones. GM's had WAY too much redundancy for way too long. Here's the Announcement. Can we get a pool started here? My bet's Buick. If he wants my opinion he should kill off GMC while he's at it - the brand serves no purpose as a standalone entity.

I agree, but all in all better rear overhang then front overhang. There is never anything good about front overhang, unless you WANT massive understeer while still clipping every entrance on any parking lot you go in and out of I guess.

Heck most of you weren't alive in the 60s so its not retro to you, its new. And along that same note: 1980s cars weren't cool, hot, retro or good. They sucked. I know I was there. They sucked. All of them. Cars today are better across the board. (Oh and 1960s cars too)

Capoeira? Is that some kind of ointment?

MAN, WACKY NON-PC DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS ARE SO MUCH FUN!

20 grand huh? IMO Matchbox cars were always better than Hotwheels cars ever were. Hotwheels were always too over the top. Cept this one. Hmm, I'd have called this a Matchbox until I turned it over.

Um yeah. And right after that car becomes available for purchase you'll be able to buy this: http://www.speedracer.com/media/pic_mach5.gif Yeah. And monkeys will fly out of my butt.

Thats a homage to the originals, the offside Cobra thing.

Nevermind that if the Cobra comes in under 40 and the new Z06 lists in the 70s that you could near buy two Cobras for the price of one Z06... I'd take the 6.

x hp FI > x hp NA true story.

+1 And I can see another $7 part (pulley) slapping on 50hp for a clean 500, just like last time. Ford knows their supercharging.

Wheels won't be the same. OK so is there some law against putting a decent lip on a new car wheel these days? DAMNIT I MISS MY LIPS

OMG MAKE THIS THREAD DIE!

Hmmm Autoweek article

Its still open, but its in the interview stage. I could maybe still present you if we get it done fast. Send me a PM.