When is a W-Body no longer a W-Body

[Stevo]

Just doing my rounds of maintenance when I started thinking. Are the newer GranPrixs and Montecarlos and their ilk really W-Bodys anymore???

 

What is it that makes a W-Body an actual W other than keeping it's predecessor's name, % of class parts, engine class, sales slot.

 

I my opinion. The GP is no longer a W since it's size seems larger, almost luxury class in size other than full size. The monte Carlo and Impala seem quite large as well. and Buick? The Regal is officially dead as Oldsmobile itself. Just try to buy new parts for these cars already seems a task alone apart from the every day parts (brakes, lights, plugwires etc.)

 

1.So do you think W's are dead?

 

2.What do you think makes a W no longer a W?

[Justin]

1. W's are hardly dead. There are GM platforms that have lasted much longer than the W, the Corvette Y body has lasted from '53-present. The GM10 platform that our cars are based off of are very much dead though, even the newest cars were built 10 years ago.

 

2.

 

No longer a W.

[Crazy K]

I agree. i have trouble considering the new impala a W, after I drove one

[stevegasm]

IIRC, the W-Body plant is being closed sometime in 2008, to be replaced with Zeta

[GutlessSupreme]

I think that a "W is no longer a W" when the fourth digit of the VIN isn't a W anymore..

 

but maybe that's just me...

[black_97_ls]

W is no longer a W when it's riced, made into a RWD drag car, or wrecked/unrecognizable.

[stevegasm]

I think that a "W is no longer a W" when the fourth digit of the VIN isn't a W anymore..

 

but maybe that's just me...

 

x2

[Cam'ron]

IIRC, the W-Body plant is being closed sometime in 2008, to be replaced with Zeta

 

i dont think it is closing... i am lead to believe that the monte carlo is ending production in favor of the camaro being built there... impala stays as far as i can tell.

 

and technically the new impala and MC is still a dubya body

[intern8tion9l]

 

No longer a W.

 

haha, for real. i'll race him

 

 

i dont think it is closing... i am lead to believe that the monte carlo is ending production in favor of the camaro being built there...

 

the new camaro is friggin ugly

[dakiln]

IIRC, the W-Body plant is being closed sometime in 2008, to be replaced with Zeta

 

i dont think it is closing... i am lead to believe that the monte carlo is ending production in favor of the camaro being built there... impala stays as far as i can tell.

 

and technically the new impala and MC is still a dubya body

 

 

No, Oshawa Canada will be closing approx 1/2 of the plant. It was announced by GM that it was becoming too expensive (Which makes no sense whatsoever, it is one of their newest facilities). They are going to upgrade a few of the US plants to produce vehicles in a more efficient manner. I have heard that eventually it will completely close but it is hard to tell when.

[GnatGoSplat]

Just doing my rounds of maintenance when I started thinking. Are the newer GranPrixs and Montecarlos and their ilk really W-Bodys anymore???

 

What is it that makes a W-Body an actual W other than keeping it's predecessor's name, % of class parts, engine class, sales slot.

 

I think what makes a W-Body an actual W is that GM still calls them W-bodies!

 

Yeah, GM10 is dead. Long dead. The gen 2's are the MS2000 platform. Even the newest ones are just MS2000 cars with new skin. Also, the Regal is dead, but Lacrosse/Allure is still around. Those are the current W-body Buicks. "W-Body" will be around as long as the MS2000 platform is still being used. They are definitely larger though. The Impala is bigger in dimensions than fullsize imports. I'm not really sure why some places still rank them as "midsize".

 

[Brian P]

Just doing my rounds of maintenance when I started thinking. Are the newer GranPrixs and Montecarlos and their ilk really W-Bodys anymore???

 

What is it that makes a W-Body an actual W other than keeping it's predecessor's name, % of class parts, engine class, sales slot.

 

I think what makes a W-Body an actual W is that GM still calls them W-bodies!

 

Yeah, GM10 is dead. Long dead. The gen 2's are the MS2000 platform. Even the newest ones are just MS2000 cars with new skin. Also, the Regal is dead, but Lacrosse/Allure is still around. Those are the current W-body Buicks. "W-Body" will be around as long as the MS2000 platform is still being used. They are definitely larger though. The Impala is bigger in dimensions than fullsize imports. I'm not really sure why some places still rank them as "midsize".

 

 

Werent the '95-99 Monte and '95-01 (02?) Lumina considered "GM-10"?

[GnatGoSplat]

Werent the '95-99 Monte and '95-01 (02?) Lumina considered "GM-10"?

 

Yep, that's right, duh! Lumina always the lone straggler!

 

[Brian P]

haha well they did make use of that sheetmetal redesign at least

[5speedz34]

IMO, its just a body designation. W's will be W's till they stop making them.

 

Honestly though, I mean what defines a W? That's what you have to look at and them make your decision.

[97loudcut]

when they stop lasting till 150,000+ miles and/or you run under a 14 at the 1/4

[fastbird232]

I think that a "W is no longer a W" when the fourth digit of the VIN isn't a W anymore..

 

but maybe that's just me...

 

Yup. Whether or not it "feels" like our outdated, original GM-10 cars is irrelevant. The VIN digit says "W," GM says it's a w-body, so it's a w-body.

 

As to whether they have anything in common with our cars, well, no. After the second-gen redesign, they really became different cars.

[Pontiac6KSTEAWD]

When you can say this about your car, its no longer a W..

 

Heck, my guage cluster, trasmission, body, and engine all have different milages on them

[Stevo]

I think the VIN # is irrelevant. There are so many former interchangable parts for these cars that are no longer available. Even 3rd party W-specific tools are not as available as they used to be.

[MonteCarloChick]

The VIN is the only that IS relevant

[GnatGoSplat]

I agree, compatibility is irrelevant. GM is the one that names the cars, so it's a "W-body" as long as GM says it is. As long as they keep putting that "W" in the 4th digit of the VIN, it's a W-body.

 

"W-body" is rather generic. If you want to get into platform specifics, the proper names for that are GM10 and MS2000.

 

[97loudcut]

Two page thread on when a W-body is no longer a w-body?

 

WTF?

[Crazy K]

when they stop lasting till 150,000+ miles and/or you run under a 14 at the 1/4

x2

[Stevo]

The nature of this thread was to discuss the past of the W-Body in relation to current technology for the same class.

 

The metamorphosis of physical components that make for imcompatability. The modifications that people perform that, outside of vin identification make a w-body vehicle no longer resemble it's kin.

 

I guess if one were to look at it from my perspective. A person who has had 2 rear wheel drive G types and now 2 front wheel W class cars would technically say is a frontwheel drive CS really a CS anymore?

[fastbird232]

Again, it is, because GM said it was. Like how Mercury made RWD Cougars for decades, then inexplicably turned it into a FWD chick car. It was an abomination of the Cougar nameplate, but it was still a Cougar.