Make way for 3900? R.I.P. 3800?

[paart]

For quite some time, GM has had the arrogance, and stupidity to blatantly ignore the desires of their customers, and build vehicles that they think you should be driving!
Examples:
At the time the RWD Olds Cutlass (same as the Buick Regal) was discontinued, it was the best selling car in the US.

The RWD Buicks and Chevys that were discontinued in 1996 were and still are very popular. In this brilliant display of marketing prowess, GM effectively cut itself out of the "police cruiser" market.

The 3800 engine that's now been phased out was an excellent engine in all respects. Those who owned them, often did so because of the economy, performance and reliability of this remarkably good engine.

Is it any wonder that GM is in such a sad situation. Their decision makers have been bailing water into the sinking ship for years and years!

 

[redmondjp]

Bingo, paart, GM made so many stupid decisions that it boggles the mind.

Killing the 3800 was most certainly one of them. I had a 1988 3800, and now have a 2001. And even then, GM screwed up a good thing with the plastic intake manifold--hmm, took them what, a DECADE to decide to go back to aluminum? The very first time somebody blew a hole in the intake due to a backfire (common if you get off the key too soon while cranking a cold engine), they should have said "That's it - we're going back to metal!"

You're also correct on the police car front. GM would OWN the police/taxi market today even if they were still making that same Impala/Caprice in one GM plant dedicated to that single model (why not? Tooling all paid for and the plant could have built that car for decades, like Checker Motors did). Granted there were some deficiencies (weak brakes & front suspension components, flaky digital dash cluster, etc) that could have been designed out over time.

My favorite most recent examples (of GM stupidity) are with the resurrected Camaro and the Chevy Volt - both cars that GM had NO INTENTION of ever bringing to the market! They were both intended as gee-whiz look-what-we-could-do car-show vehicles. When GM CEO Rick Wagoner was asked at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show when the new Camaro would be coming out, he gave reporters that "deer in the headlight" look. I mean, that's about the biggest no-brainer decision that any 5th grader could have made for GM, years after Ford once-again scooped the domestic market with its retro-Mustang (and is still on-target with the latest updates).

 

[bill57]

Now that GM has officially buried Pontiac (RIP), I thought I'd rake this old thread to the top, and ask now, if the killing of the 3800 has proven to be a good move, after all? Got some history since this thread was started.

 

[Johnnyred]

So is the 3800 canned now for the new 3900?

Cani take a 3900 engine out of a 2009 impala and replace the 3800 engine in my 2003 bonneville I got all the boxes and computer?