Ways You'd Improve the 1st Gen W

[GP1138]

It's 1986 - you've been transported to the past, and miraculously, you're on the GM-10 project, that is supposed to help revitalize GM's image, and bring them back from possible financial ruin. Knowing all you know now about how the cars have aged, what are some things you think would improve the overall quality of these cars in fifteen years? Do you think they survived the years they were meant to survive without falling apart terribly?

 

This is with an understanding of both quality control's effect on the bottom line... it's hard to keep these things on a budget. Also I'm aware that GM did fix these things in the newer "1.5" gen W's.

 

I'd do the following:

 

Strengthen the brakes - less problematic rear calipers

Use different materials to cover Lumina and Cutlass dashpads

Design the turn signal switches differently in the square columns (I'm not an engineer, but perhaps better quality metal on the contacts)

Glass headlights throughout the line, no plastic that can fade and discolor

 

I'll think of more, but I figured it was an interesting idea to write on.

[ZoomZoomFan]

The first thing that comes to mind for me is rust/corrosion protection. Engineers knew/saw the effects of the elements on cars, they should've done more to keep the 1st gens from rusting apart (literally).

[IRONDOG442]

or you could just call an Intrigue a gen one car and its perfect!!!

[Andrew]

all my ideas revolve around a Z34 since its the only 1st gen ive owned....

 

so, everything john said, +

 

- improve on the 4t60-e greatly, maybe offer an LSD

- build a shit ton more 5-speeds, and make them rebuildable

- replace the LQ1 timing belt with a chain

- fix the issue that causes the LIM's to go bad so frequently

- strengthen the glove box door so it doesnt sag and look partly open

- stronger sway bars

- use the 3.1's much cheaper EGR

- larger offset on the wheels

- cupholders!

- hardtop convertable option!!!

 

thats all i can think of for now

Edited July 22, 2010 by Andrew

[Addicted To Boost]

Make the TGP for more than just 89 and 90, make them come from the factory with a manual, rear wheel drive( ) come with the T3 turbo from the prototype.... I know I'm forgetting a lot more...

 

Everything else- better brakes front and rear, test the PMIII more and release a better version for production, coilover suspension on all 4's, instead of a leafspring, R&D the doorhandles on the two-doors MORE, keep the mascara trim around the headlights and fogs on the GP's, use HAND ebrakes instead of foot ones, on GP's make the seats FULL leather, instead of half leather with cloth backsides....

There is a lot more, but I'm having a major brainfart at the moment.

[Andrew]

use HAND ebrakes instead of foot ones

oh yes !! X 5165751321654654

 

i knew i was forgetting one of my pet peeves with these cars.

[White93z34]

my biggest thing is find the guy who is responsible for the rear calipers and have him shot.

 

that and really... pot metal door handles......

 

i could go on... but those are my biggest ones.

[per0781]

continue to make the g-body

[1990lumina]

FUCKIN CUP HOLDERS!

 

Better paint/primer

Better brakes

Subframe retainers/bolts issue (aluminum subframe?)

Door handles

Electrical (alternators)

BETTER SEATS

CD player that doesn't require me punching it for it to work

Eliminate piston slapping/ticking/top end valvetrain noise in engines

 

I could go on forever..there's so much in the Lumina I can't stand now that I've driven something much better

[Euro]

continue to make the g-body

 

AMEN!!!

[BCM]

or you could just call an Intrigue a gen one car and its perfect!!!

 

 

[89GP_SE]

FUCKIN CUP HOLDERS!

 

AMEN!!!

[Euro]

or you could just call an Intrigue a gen one car and its perfect!!!

 

Well then the w-body would've died even quicker.......

[Grand Moff Joseph]

FUCKIN CUP HOLDERS!

 

AMEN!!!

 

AMEN X1000!!!

 

Other than the cup holders...

 

-A much higher strength 4T60 for all cars...one of this 3-speed crap like I'm stuck with

-E-brakes that actually work

-Hang the brake guy from GM for his poor design...Our brakes need calipers, NOT slip-n-slides!

-Change dash pad materials for less curling

-Fog lights for the Luminas

-Change the 3.1 block to take out the distributor totally...not just put a plug in the block that will eventually leak

[ns87]

An engine bay thaT doesnt require rotating engine to change rear plugs!

Headliner glue that lasts more than 6 years

UB3 standard

Fog Lights Standard!!

[mra32]

I think that, from GM's standpoint, only a few things could be improved upon to do the job that GM wanted the platform to do. The job was to sell an asston of cars and I can only thing of a few things that would help them do that.

 

-Cupholders (Except I dont know where they would put them in the luminas)

-Better Brakes

-I'm not so sure about the hand-operated parking brake. Cars without a console would look dumb with one and its cheaper to have one style of parking brake per platform than another. either way, whatever they put in there should work.

 

All the other issues mentioned didnt really affect the car, for the most part, till the cars were redesigned and to the consumer, thats essentially a completely different car.

 

You guys are worried about rust? Have you seen import cars from the same era? Ive seen bumpers being rusted off and quarter panels completely riddled with rust holes and holes in floors. RUST HOLES IN SUBFRAMES!

 

I think the 1st gens did pretty well. Think about a platform thats essentially the same but had interior and body differences and how it appealed to such a diverse demographic. And thanks to their success, we have plenty of cars to take all the replacement parts we need.

[joey b]

these cars were released in an era where most cars didn't make it past 150K miles. A lot of these problems develop after that. I've yet to have a W that didn't reach 150K

[kuwaitliberation]

these cars were released in an era where most cars didn't make it past 150K miles. A lot of these problems develop after that. I've yet to have a W that didn't reach 150K

Except the e-brake. The brakes. The plugs on the backside of the LQ1.

 

Now, as far as the transmissions go, they hurried the trans along and didn't pre-plan the whole thing. Remember, the LQ1's original HP output is 275. They had to "dumb it down" to 210 because that is all the trans could handle over the long haul. Up until this point, they were pretty much making all RWD trans. The only FWD trans was for tiny 4-cyl cars like the Pontiac Phoneix (anyone remember those).

 

Now, they have much better transmissions. I want one of the auto 6s from the G6. Slap that thing on and un dumb these things back to 275 HP. Find a better e-brake. Change out the entire brake system.

 

Cup holders? Cars didn't have cup holders then. Everyone had those things you hang on the inside of the window.

[Euro]

I agree with everybody on the brakes, also they should've thought more things out. Like the turn signal stalks, 2 door coupe door handles, hood latches breaking. A lot of the little stupid things.

 

 

Then there's the almight 3.1's lack of high end power...

[Psych0matt]

either I'm lucky, or toward the end of the run of 1st gens, because I havent had most of these problems. the door handles could have been made better, even though mine have held up fine, and the turn signal stalk should have been made a little better.

 

stronger automatics and/or more manual

[pwmin]

i think the brakes are pretty damn good for this era. i am, of course, talking about the newer style rear calipers, not the older style. the paint and clearcoat they used was just crap. there are a lot of cars of their era, though, that have similar problems.

 

ive never broken a door handle. hand brake would def be nice. i think the biggest problem is the auto trans. i love the 3.4 and am probably going to get some flack for this, but instead of putting all that engineering into pretty much a worthless power gain was stupid. they should have just put the L67 and 65 in (if the 65 was available then). which, come on, the 60 could have easily have been made strong enough. more 5-speed wouldve def been nice. i think they shouldve just used the 282 and build it stronger for the LQ1 (282-HD) and LSD too.

 

everything else i can think of that isnt great about these cars seems to be discounted by the fact that they do last a long time and not all the technology was there to make them better. and, as for rust, i havent had much surface rust on either car, let alone rusting out. that has a lot to do w/ climate, but i think they were pretty good for cars of their era.

[digitaloutsider]

continue to make the g-body

 

You're joking right? The idea was to save GM, not drive them further in the hole. By 1988, the G-body was horrendously outdated and body-on-frame cars were not exactly all the rage at the time. The market was advancing toward cab-forward, unibody, aerodynamic designs. Continuing the G-body any longer than they did would have ruined GM (save for the speciality cars; GN, SS, etc.)

 

On the note of improvements to first gens: Cupholders first and foremost, more 5-speeds (possibly LSD's), more highly-optioned cars, give the Lumina interior SOMETHING to look at, give the Regal GS the L67 starting in 1992, continue the 284 into the 94+ models, a less lethargic Cutlass convertible, cooler special editions (maybe a supercharged/turbocharged LQ1, AWD, anything!)

[White93z34]

i dono, 97% of car owners are not for manual transmissions, performance or anything so it probably would have been done in vain to try and make more performance oriented cars

[GnatGoSplat]

Iron door handle levers.

Pillar mounted seatbelts.

Airbags.

Better crumple zones and stronger safety cage.

Amber rear blinkers on Cutlass, Lumina and Regal like Grand Prix had.

Amber bulbs and clear lenses on Grand Prix rather than clear bulbs and amber lenses.

A turn signal switch which has NO brake light circuits going into it (not needed with amber rear blinkers) which would eliminate probably 99% of the turn signal switch problems.

Hinged calipers for easier service.

Postpone ABS availability until the non-integrated design was ready to go.

Hood release as a standard pull lever on the kickpanel rather than the stupid lever on the floor.

Handbrake on the console for cars equipped with floor shifter.

Better placement of A/C vents (on Cutlass Supreme).

Actually, better interior design in general, the interiors were dated looking even for 1988 compared to my 1986 Mercury Sable.

Sunload sensor for the auto climate control.

More use of composites and aluminum in doors of coupes to reduce weight.

Longer wheelbase to reduce overhang, especially in the front end.

Lower stock ride heights, stock, these cars look like 4x4's.

Rounded wheel wells that are the same shape as wheels, I hate the squared off wheel wells on first-gens (Cutlass excluded, it was the only one with round wheel wells).

Real cornering lamps instead of that stupid fake one on the Cutlasses.

Smoother body cladding rather than ribbed.

Optional spoilers rather than trunk racks (I can't believe people even ordered them with trunk racks).

Fuel pump access panel.

 

Although it would have cost a lot more and been impractical in those cost-cutting times, I think the cars should have been RWD with optional AWD. Longitudinal drivetrains with standard 4L60 trannies and a small transfer case and front diff to drive the front wheels on cars equipped with the option. Then you wouldn't have to rotate the engine.

 

Hmmm, I've got a pretty long list. Now why do I like these cars again?

 

As far as rust, these cars are better than most. Better than my 99 Silverado even. My truck is badly rusted out while my Cutlass is rust-free. GM seems to have taken several steps backwards when it comes to rust prevention.

 

[CNBZ34]

I think I have one a lot of us forgot.....

RELOCATION OF THE FRIGGIN ALTERNATOR ON THE LQ1'S!!!!!!!!!!!

What dumbass came up with that idea??????

That and timing belt replacement process. PITA!!!

Everything else...I can deal with since my 92 Z is ready to roll 200K. Not my engine/trans but the car itself.