2001 Monte Carlo SS

 

The turn of the millennium was a time that involved a lot of change. Major terrorist events took headlines but the significantly less interesting back story was the slow fall of the American auto makers. The big three (GM, Chrysler, Ford) have been losing market share consistently for a long time. Each auto maker would begin implementing long over-due plans to rehabilitate there company over the coming decade. In 2011 we can see Ford's solution was most successful as both General Motors and Chrysler entered a form of bankruptcy requiring government aid to stay alive. 

The 2001 Monte Carlo SS was produced from a struggling General Motors. The peculiar thing is that its build quality isn't where I encountered any issues. I found the cars short comings to be evident in its design. I remember when the car was brand new it was a desirable, sexy car and even a status symbol. Perhaps my perception of the car suffered along with GM's public reputation. The design is the polar opposite of timeless as it quickly became dated in looks and feel. It was no longer cool to drive a big comfy low slung car(Ford Thunderbird revival failed to further that point) when SUV's were made in so many variations. The Monte might have fared better if it had a sporting nature to suit its coupe styling but it didn't. It really was a car aimed at pleasing people partial to big late 70's-early 80's coupe's. It's a very comfortable car and could corner adequately but the under-steer at the limit and the flat un-supportive "luxurious" leather seats don't work well in sports driving situations. The power was decent at 200hp and 225ft.lbs fed from a 3.8 OHV V6 to the ground through a 4 speed automatic transmission. The transmission is another source of agony for anyone looking for a hint of performance from their "SS" model. It is slow and squishy(like the suspension) almost certainly aimed at pleasing the now elderly spines reminiscing about the SS models of the 60's. The car surprisingly returns great gas mileage. I was consistently finding myself getting 20mpg in primarily city driving and along a long road trip when the car was 10 years old & had 130,000kms I still received an honest 30mpg. Incredible numbers considering the car's size. Credit goes to the 3.8 Series II V6 engine which is arguable the most reliable engine GM produced to that date. The real cause of the great highway mileage must have something to do with NASCAR inspired aerodynamics. The one real issue with this car resides in how it is not as advertised. Along with a lot of SS models of this generation(Cobalt, FWD Impalas) the SS badge is used to sell a few performance improvements. In previous generations the SS badge represented something that was a world away from the standard car. The extra 20hp you get in the 01' SS monte only manages to compensate for the extra weight added over the base LT model with leather, Bose stereo, and a sunroof. The Monte Carlo SS isn't by any means a performance variant but merely the top "luxury" model. To the cars credit, so long as it is considered in a different light it is a successful bargain luxury coupe.

The upside to owning the confused Chevy is that it is a reliable efficient land yacht. It really should read "SS Monte Carlo" on the Bow and not the other way around! I point out the cars size because as a coupe it is massive. It shares platforms with the full size Impala and as a 2-door has the wingspan of a mastodon! Be careful in parking lots. The trunk space is great, and you and your date could potentially fall witness to morning sickness after exploring the back seat head room together. It is also a comfy car almost designed specifically for long road trips. The only inconveniences you might find in owning the car day to day is as follows; rear seat entry(exit's worse), huge doors for tight parking spots, low ground clearance, approach angle and it is relatively boring to drive. The luxury features are all present if a bit second rate. The plastic dash and door panels steal from the feel of the interior but you do get all the bells and whistles possible for a $30,000 car in 2001. The list includes, stability control(futuristic at the time), automatic headlights, cruise control, Bose Hi-Def stereo, leather, heated seats, available OnStar, fog lights and power seats/mirrors/windows/sunroof.

Surprisingly from a then failing GM the Monte Carlo was a great car, suffering only from mistaken identity and a quickly dated design. I would recommend this car to a friend under the right circumstances. The car would have to be well taken car of and have low mileage given that it would be 10 years old at this time. I give the car a 7.5/10.

1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero [Part 1]

1984 Fiero showroom poster

        In the mid 1980's the North American market was absent of any domestic small sports cars. The Fiat X1/9 had an interesting niche market all to itself as Porsche/VW had stopped production of their somewhat affordable mid engined "914" in 1976. The oil crisis of the late 1970's set the wheels in motion at GM. They wanted a car that could be marketed as an exciting yet economical sports car. This would mark the first mass produced "mid engine" American car. An all fiberglass body was a goal for production. The fiero essentially became the test bed for what would become GM's new division "Saturn" and their full line of fiberglass cars.

 

In 1984 The Official Pace Car for the Indy 500 was a 4cyl. Fiero!
[ohioindy from Pennocks Fiero Forum]

       This release of the Pontiac Fiero came to light in September 1983. The "Iron duke" 2.5 4cyl OHV engine chosen to power the Fiero was chosen because of its fuel mileage. Along with great fuel economy servicing the cars was simple and cheap, due to the number of components shared with other common GM vehicles. The rear sub-frame which included the entire drive-train as well as suspension and brakes was a slightly modified version of the front clip from a J-Body GM(Pontiac Sunbird/Chevrolet Cavalier). The three models available in 84' were as follows; the base model "2M4"; the optioned "SE" and a limited production "Indy Pace Car Replica" model. The drive-trains available for all models consisted of the 92hp/135ft.lb four banger fitted to either a 3speed slush box or a somewhat satisfying Muncie 4 speed manual. Fiero owners were happy with the way the car felt to drive. It wasn't a speed demon, which kept insurance rates down, but it handled great. This handling is attributed to the Fiero's weight of just under 2500lbs. For the time its sub-11 seconds zero to sixty acceleration was decent and with 35mpg available on the highway the Fiero was impressive. Initial acclaim for its nimble composure and handling was a welcome sight. It seemed like the little car was living up to what it had promised. Over 135,000 Fiero's were sold in it's debut year.

84' Fieros all had 92hp 2.5L OHV 4cyl.

New for 85' 140hp 2.8L OHV V6

         The car was receiving some criticism as it was being heralded as a "secretaries car". The fact was the Fiero appealed to women quite well and a considerable chunk of its new owners were women. The idea of a bigger engine was considered to be a remedy and was already in the works. In 1985 Fiero SE models and the all new GT models were available with a 140hp/160ft.lb 2.8L OHV V6. This added some weight to the rear of the car but answered the call of the people who expected more from a mid engine sports car. Sales dipped lower in 1985 after reports of engine fires surfaced in the media. The cause of the engine fires was due to a mechanical failure when oil levels were low in the 4cyl. The bad media badly hurt the car's reputation and it would never fully recover. The positive news for this model year remained. The introduction of a true performance version in the GT was garnering respect amongst gear heads. The body panels were improved over 2M4 models and likened the car to the "official pace car" models. This would be the last year the GT was available in what would later be referred to as the "notchback" Fieros. The 4cylinder Fieros received a new 5-speed (Isuzu variant) transmission.

1988 "Fastback" Fiero GT

       In 1986 the Fiero was now available in 2 completely different body styles. The GT introduced the "fastback" Fiero to the world. Its was a remodel of the rear of the car and a true update to the overall look. The new tail-lights were accompanied with new "C-pillar sails". The new C-pillars did without artificial black Plexiglas rear side windows. Instead they were purely for aesthetics as they extended farther from the rear of the cabin for the illusion of a bigger car with more space and aerodynamics. Drive-trains remained the same with the exception of a 5-speeds becoming available mid year for the V6(Getrag variant). The Fiero was entering its 3rd year of production and news of the vehicles reliability issues were surfacing. With the previous bad media, the Fiero's days were numbered and sales would never again reach as high as they once were.

        Some Fiero aficionados today consider the Fiero's last year in production to be the car it should have been from day one if it was to be destined for success. It's a good argument because vast improvements were made in 1988. The suspension was re-designed along with the steering knuckles. The stance of the car also improved accordingly, helping its aesthetics. The option code for the improved suspension, might be recognized by fans of Pontiac's most successful sports car: the Trans Am. By checking "WS6" in the order form buyers received the best handling car the General had ever made with the exception of the new C4 Corvette. As a treat for minimalists Pontiac also offered the 1988 Fiero GT's performance features in a "notchback" body in the Fiero Formula.

        By this time the 1980's were winding down and the trend of the 1990's was expected to be larger SUVs and a resurgence of Trucks alike. Gas prices had loosened their choke hold on society and small cars would take a back seat to any larger models in development. In it's final year of production the greatest Fiero model year ever, a total of less than 27,000 units were sold.

To be continued...