Any thoughts on reviving the "Chevelle"

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Jan 21, 2004 | 12:25 PM

#16

Darth Xed

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Joined: Dec 2000

Posts: 8,504

From: Ohio

Quote:

Originally posted by PaperTarget
Yeah, I see what you mean, but I guess when I see retro concepts, they DO seem retro to me. Production vehicles like the PT Cruiser and Mustang don't really push it too far IMO. The same could be said of "futuristic" vehicles. Mach III, SS, GT90 and several other concepts come to mind that really push the outside of the envelope. But when AND IF those types of concepts make it to production, they are toned down quite a bit to look "modern" or "contemporary". Personally, I still own my 1967 Mustang and I see quite a bit of difference between it and the 2005 Mustang's front end. Here's a bad analogy, but gets my point across. If you're an asian guy, you can probably see all the differences in asian people quite easily. They basically don't look alike to you. But if you're a white/black/red guy who's never seen asians before, they might all look the same to you. I think the Ford guys see the differences quite easily where as the Chevy/Dodge guys don't. JMO.

Well, I certainly can not tell you "you're wrong" with your view of the car...

I will say this, though, I agree that the front of the 2005 Mustang does not follow the 67/68 theme that much of the rest of the car does... it is more of a 64 1/2 to 66 front clip... right down to the little 'gills' on the grille side of the headlamp pocket.

Jan 21, 2004 | 02:36 PM

#17

90rocz

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Joined: Feb 1999

Posts: 2,947

From: Springfield,OH. U.S.A.

Quote:

Chevrolet's Chevelle was the mid-size low priced family car till the car's downsizing in 1978 given the Malibu name (formerly trim levels of the Chevelle).

Exactly, Malibu was a Chevelle trim long before then, that's why I didn't comment on it.(..selective memory, not amnesia..) And like the Nova, the Malibu came back as a cute little compact type car, not even a SHADOW of their former selves. It's no wonder why the Malibu and Nova(Tercel) got bashed..

Quote:

It's pretty amazing and baffling how the names of some cars have been twisted in some people's minds the past few years to the point where cars that were once run of the mill grocery-getters are now known as some type of historic all muscle performance car that has to be brought back from the dead.

It's just as amazing to me how, after just a few short years of 4-cyl & V6 daily's, people forgot the real GRUNT these BIG V8's boasted...The problem is, that "run of the mill" then(pre-'71) was a big torquey V8, that usually pulled weekend track duty. But today it means a 150hp compact commuter car that gets 30+mpg.
I mean I'd love to have had a 454/450hp or even 375hp/396 run of the mill grocery getter back in the day...Or even a 350hp GTO/(Chevelle) today..
Just for the record(..on my part..) I don't think cars like the GTO should be faster than the Corvette, the Corvette should be faster than the Corvette...

And forget looking like it did back then, cars like the new Monte Carlo(2nd..Impala) is just plain "Butt-ugly", I mean I don't think I could come out every morning and have to look at one in my driveway...

And since "vanilla" seems to be the "term of the day", I'd say that the only problem I see with the GTO's looks are that they're too plain "vanilla"..

Maybe they should let these Nameplates "rest in peace", and produce a NEW model that revives them in "spirit" only..

They could show one of the Old Muscle cars to which it would be compared in its commercial..

Last edited by 90rocz; Jan 21, 2004 at 07:20 PM.

Jan 21, 2004 | 03:18 PM

#18

Z28x

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Joined: Jan 2000

Posts: 10,285

From: Albany, NY

Monte and Impals should stay FWD but offer optional AWD.

Chevelle should be a 4 door version of the Camaro/GTO or be built off the Kappa platform.

This way there will be no product overlap, you will have a:

Sedans:
FWD/AWD Impala (V6/V8)
RWD Chevelle Sedan (V6/V8)
FWD Malibu (I4,V6)

Coupes:
FWD/AWD Monte Carlo (V6/V8)
RWD Camaro (V6/V8)
FWD Cobalt (s/c I4)

Jan 21, 2004 | 07:12 PM

#19

JoeliusZ28

Registered User

Joined: Aug 2003

Posts: 2,925

From: Detroit

Im for it, if and only if they do it right... and right = v8 rwd, with good styling, retro or not.

Jan 22, 2004 | 05:57 PM

#20

CaminoLS6

Registered User

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 929

Quote:

Originally posted by guionM
The GS was actually a performance car!

Now, if you had said the Skylark was a great performance line, I'd probally be banging my head against the wall at this moment.

And the Chevelle LS6 wasn't a performance car?!!

Jan 22, 2004 | 08:38 PM

#21

z28luvr01

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Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 54

Quote:

Originally posted by guionM
Chevrolet's Chevelle was the mid-size low priced family car till the car's downsizing in 1978 given the Malibu name (formerly trim levels of the Chevelle).

Does SS396, SS427, or SS454 mean anything to you? Chevelle was MORE than just a nameplate for midsized family cars.....probably why they used a 66 'vert in the American Revolution commercial. Your ability to denounce the Chevelle name while conveniently forgetting factual evidence astounds me.

Quote:

Go to a classic car show and tell people that you own a Chevelle. Watch their eyes light up. The whole world isn't delusional....the Chevelle name means a lot of things to a lot of people, whether you like it or not.

Quote:

Next up:
*Someone writes why can't Ford bring back the Gran Torino or the Ford Granada as a cheap high performance line up or have a new high performance Granada, or replace the Mercury Marauder with the Mercury Monarch! Not to be outdone, another Ford fan wants the Maverick name to return!!

*A Chrysler fan wants Chrysler to bring back it's historic muscle-car, the Dodge Dart and make a special high performance car with the Plymouth name.... the Swinger! Hey, someone else says, what about the Dodge Coronet! Those things rocked on Adam12!

*But wait, let's get Chevrolet to bring back the Chevy Nova and the Chevrolet Chevelle! Those were also uncompromising performance cars too!!

........oh wait.......some people already have.

Excellent...you've graduated from the Matthew Perry School of Sarcasm. Now tell me, is bringing back a name from the past any worse than adopting a silly naming scheme (F-F-F-F-Ford) or using one that people can't say or spell (Touraeg)? I don't think so. A carmaker can change a car's name simply by sticking another badge on the trunk (2003 Malibu->2004 Classic). It's not that big a deal if the car can stand on its own merits.

Quote:

* Excuse the truckfuls of sarcasm, but after some of the really stupid rewrites of GTO history (1 complete idiot swore GTO was a different body than the Tempest

), and the general amnesia that the Malibu was never a performance car, and another dimwit that felt the Nova was once an all conquering performance car that should be brought back has really made the whole historic car name issue sour to me.

Painting the Chevelle line as nothing more than cheap family transportation isn't too far behind any of those.

Quote:

That's without including the Impala name (twisted after Chevy used it on the sinister looking repainted 94-97 Caprice).

The Caprice name originally was attached to a less extravagant Impala bodystyle. So what's the problem with the Impala coming back later on as a more extravagant Caprice bodystyle?

Last edited by z28luvr01; Jan 22, 2004 at 08:56 PM.