Pontiac Aztek (Page 2/3)
rbell2915 APR 27, 06:10 PM

quote
Originally posted by ls3mach:


You are at least the 2nd or 3rd person to say something to this effect. None of you have elaborated. It flopped and got discontinued and I easily suggested a better car that was in production at the same time with styling that almost all prefer and better performance. More readily available primary component parts. Toyota build quality is as I've always known vastly superior to GM. I drove a Tundra as a work truck (I chose it over the Cadillac SRX that we also had). It was dead solid. One of our guys liked it so much he went and bought one too. Having said that, the owner did buy his mommy a matching SRX.

What are these innovations, that clearly weren't futuristic enough to overcome the public opinion that it was hideous? I mean at least the Scion xA and xB were cheap and again Toyota quality.



One of the first crossovers in America, wasn't it?
ls3mach APR 27, 06:45 PM

quote
Originally posted by rbell2915:


One of the first crossovers in America, wasn't it?




Was it? Rav 4 was here years prior. No idea how much of an innovation that is exactly. I thought you meant things that really attractive cheapskate/poor people buyers. I am not saying people who can afford whatever wouldn't buy this... Let me elaborate. I personally think Dodge does the innovation best. Cheap ass plastic feeling vehicles with super cool radios, plug in ports (before they were standard), under seat cubbies, neat cargo spots, etc. Things an uniformed buyer would jump at. I have had plenty of friends take me with them when buying a vehicle. If they even touch the radio to see how good it is, I lose patience rapidly. It is the first thing they always do. If you are buying a new vehicle maybe, but used? Turn that off so we can hear what is going on. A friend bought a Nitro and it had all kinds of stuff my much nicer than my more expensive truck had. All of it felt cheap in her car. It all felt cheap in my buddies pretty base model RAM that still had lots of stuff my more expensive more capable truck didn't have. Piddly crap breaking on both of the Dodge vehicles the whole time. Another friend has a RAM 2500 and it is powerful and looks good, has all those cool gadgets, but still overall feels cheap. I don't know if he has had any thing break. I have another friend who just sold his 1 ton, his was premium trim and it felt good, but nothing impressive for the cost. I think I just saw it listed used at like 55k and it is 6 years old now.

I haven't owned a Ford CAR in almost 20 years. I drove a new Festiva or similar and it all felt garbage cheap and still didn't have the options the Dodge of years prior I had seen. I test drove a Ford 500 and it looked premium, but also felt cheap. Still didn't have the cool Dodge stuff. It was weirdly a 5 speed. The last Chevy car I rode or drove was everything felt like crap and it had no cool gadgets at all. I have to think about what model it was, but I constantly was fixing simple things for my friend. Latches. Mirrors. Her seat belts locked on only 1 side after a mild accident (that I was told was insanely expensive to replace vs value of vehicle.

That is why I am asking, what was so innovative?

I'd like the gold on the wheels maybe if they were like the Fiero spoke wheels. I think black wheels or chrome and a much simpler pattern would look better though.
williegoat APR 27, 06:57 PM

quote
Originally posted by ls3mach:

I'd like the gold on the wheels maybe if they were like the Fiero spoke wheels. I think black wheels or chrome and a much simpler pattern would look better though.


I think he was going for the "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans Am look, with Snowflake wheels.
ls3mach APR 27, 07:06 PM

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Originally posted by williegoat:

I think he was going for the "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans Am look, with Snowflake wheels.



I have never seen the movie. I knew that was the look he was going for, but I didn't know until I just looked that was what the wheels where.

The Fiero ones I thought were called "snowflake" or was it "lattice"? I have heard the original premium called "turbofin" Then the basic steels.
williegoat APR 27, 07:20 PM

quote
Originally posted by ls3mach:


I have never seen the movie. I knew that was the look he was going for, but I didn't know until I just looked that was what the wheels where.

The Fiero ones I thought were called "snowflake" or was it "lattice"? I have heard the original premium called "turbofin" Then the basic steels.


I don't know what the Fiero wheels are called. Although some people call them Snowflake, that is not correct. People also confuse Snowflake and Honeycomb wheels all the time.
ls3mach APR 27, 07:23 PM

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Originally posted by williegoat:

I don't know what the Fiero wheels are called. Although some people call them Snowflake, that is not correct. People also confuse Snowflake and Honeycomb wheels all the time.



I think "honeycomb" is what I have also heard them called and is the correct term.
williegoat APR 27, 07:28 PM

quote
Originally posted by ls3mach:


I think "honeycomb" is what I have also heard them called and is the correct term.


This is a Pontiac Honeycomb wheel:



This is a Pontiac Snowflake wheel:

[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 04-27-2022).]

82-T/A [At Work] APR 27, 07:50 PM

quote
Originally posted by williegoat:

This is a Pontiac Honeycomb wheel:

This is a Pontiac Snowflake wheel:





And my favorite... the classic PMD...




Which are technically called Rally-2 wheels.


I also have a nearly flawless set of these 13" Fiero aluminum alloy wheels also. I don't even remember where I got them from, but the intent was to rally a Fiero with them.



This image is obviously not mine, but the set that I own is stashed away in an attic of my rental house, which I haven't lived in for over 5 years. I don't particularly need them, so I haven't bugged the tenant to let me in there. Kind of odd, I don't even know why I left them in there. But whatever.

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 04-27-2022).]

williegoat APR 27, 08:01 PM

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Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:

And my favorite... the classic PMD...

Which are technically called Rally-2 wheels.



Yep, that's what I have on my Goat and my GP, 14x7 all around.

[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 04-27-2022).]

82-T/A [At Work] APR 28, 09:35 AM

quote
Originally posted by williegoat:

Yep, that's what I have on my Goat and my GP, 14x7 all around.







The GTO is nice... but for some reason, I have an affinity for Grand Prixs. That's a sweet GP.

My favorite GP... and you'll laugh, are the ones from the years 1976-1977... there's just something about them. I'd want one fully loaded with all the options. You'll consider this blasphemy... but I have this waiting to drop into it when I eventually find a suitable car to drop it in.



~430hp/600ft-lbs of torque per build specs. But who knows. I had it built by a professional machine shop... spent like $7 grand JUST on machine shop costs back in 2009. I've literally never started it. Just sits on a stand as you see. I put an extra 4 quarts of oil in it, and shoved it in storage. Haven't even moved the crank by hand in like 6 years... so I don't even know if it's still good. Sits in a storage unit next to my VW Bus which hasn't been started in 11 years... I haven't even seen it in 5 years... so who knows what I'm making storage payments on... LOL.


Anyway, I'd either like to put it in a GP, or I eventually get some kind of Delta-88 Brougham 2-door


EDIT: see... something like this is perfect: http://classiccardb.com/pon...tiac-grand-prix.html

I don't even know if it's still for sale, but it has a Pontiac 350 V8. Great... by 1976, it's like a 1.8L in a Corolla. I could drop my Olds 455 big block, and do it up like an Oldsmobile engine bay... maybe even put a 4L80E automatic on there, and some decent gears... and probably a computer controlled Holley EFI square-bore so I can still have an open-element air filter, get more power and better efficiency. It'll be awesome. Only problem is finding parking. Those Grand Prixs (as you WELL know), are larger than the Crown Victorias of a few years ago... and usually do not fit in most garages.


[img]classiccardb.com/uploads/postfotos/1976-pontiac-grand-prix-1.JPG[/img]

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 04-28-2022).]