Camaro

If you love cars, this has been a tough week. The General (GM) is getting rid of Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac. Saturn should never have been created. We got rid of Oldsmobile for Saturn??? You're kidding me. As far as Hummer goes, cool rig but it was built at the wrong time or should have been built as a limited edition through GMC. That brings me to Pontiac.....

Let's see we are going to get rid of Pontiac and keep Buick??? The only time I want to see portholes on my ride is if I'm on a cruise ship!!! Pontiac was trying with the G8, Solstice, and the G6. Granted they botched the GTO. I think that was more a corporate mistake than a Pontiac mistake. I remember growing up to names like GTO, Grand Prix and Firebird. These are cars that inspired young men and a car division that was all about excitement. Somewhere along the way they went corporate and that's what has cost us another nameplate. Lesson learned. Don't try to be something you are not. Pontiac was never about family cars like the four door Grand Prix or the four door Grand Am. It was about Widetrack and muscle. When it lost that niche, the bean counters could make the case to get rid of the excitement and fun.

So while I am mired in the loss of Pontiac, I get an email from my buddy Oz. He ran across a torch red Camaro RS at a local dealership. For those of you that don't know Oz, he and I are in the same 12 step program for car lovers. Our ideal home is a single wide with a 5 car garage and an indoor wash bay. Heck just put a bed, tv, microwave and bathroom in the garage and we're good. The single wide is only there to entertain the wife's friends. More mischief has been created by Oz and me after the car show than we will confess to without immunity from prosecution. That being said, here are Oz's pics. They will surely put a smile on any car lovers face. You may have to click on the photos to read the editorial comments.





Here's to hoping that Fiat, I mean Chrysler, doesn't go bankrupt and get rid of the Challenger in the process.

Later,

Rod

The New Camaro

I remember a time when it was a big deal to go to the car dealership in the fall to see all the new cars. It was one of those traditions, along with football, the start of school, and raking leaves that confirmed that fall was here. Now that car manufacturers are introducing cars throughout the year that tradition has gone the way of station wagons with rear facing seats. (Yeah, I know they were death traps but as a kid we didn't know better).

Today, I was blessed with the excitement of seeing a new car. This was a sentiment I had not felt in at least a decade. It all started when I was leaving my office to run a quick errand. My buddy John came out of his office and yelled, "Rod, Sunset Chev has the new Camaro." My response, "Dude, you're crazy it's not supposed to come out until the fall!!!" John: "I know but I saw not one but TWO this morning. An RS and SS." Needless to say, John and I found a way to get out of our daily responsibilities and make to Sunset Chev in Sumner,WA.

I am happy to report the new RS/SS and RS Camaro's are in. One in blue and one in silver. Here are the pics:

The SS (or as the salesman described it RS-SS package), with the big V8!



The RS:



If you're interested. Call Paige at Sunset Chev. (253)503-9472. Tell him Rod sent you.

Later,

Rod