1985 was a bad year for quality- Air Cleaner Washer

[pagrunt]

Funny how my GM Performance/Spectra 14" air cleaner came with a all rubber washer but none of my GM carbed cars have one.

 

[McGillicutty]

My SBC Cutlass didn't have a washer either. Don't know if it was left off at the factory or lost by a previous owner. I put on a metal washer after I painted the air cleaner...guess I should watch out for a rubber one.

 

[69hurstolds]

My SBC Cutlass didn't have a washer either. Don't know if it was left off at the factory or lost by a previous owner. I put on a metal washer after I painted the air cleaner...guess I should watch out for a rubber one.

If you had a SBC, according to the parts book, you wouldn't have one. Or with a VIN Y. Apparently, the only time they used this was the VIN 9 chrome lids and the diesels and 4.3 V6. That's some weird sh*t.

 

[69hurstolds]

Not sure about the size as I forgot to measure, but it appears this might be close...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763DKD72/?tag=gbody-20

 

[PBGBodyFan]

I'll take the newer stuff any day as far as quality. This is coming from a guy who has owned GM and Ford stuff for 30 years.
I have had several newer Grand Ams with over 300k miles on them (still have an 05 GT)
Several Chevrolet Berettas with 200k plus as well as several trucks with 200k.
But the 70's and 80's were a very bad time for GM. I have a friend who retired from GM when Saturn shut down the Springhill assembly. I heard plenty of assembly line stories.

After owning a 90’, 02’ and now 07’ GM’s as daily drivers, I’m not saying they are worse than the older stuff, but I don’t know how much better either. Depends on the line/drivetrain largely, every era has some crap and some good and pros/cons with every model.

 

[fleming442]

Not to deviate too far from the discussion, but after watching my neighbor's kid attempt to do a heater core in a newish F150, I don't see any reason for me to buy anything that new.
The washer dealy is interesting; some accountant probably needed to save a few bucks in the budget, so they quit ordering them for production.

 

[motorheadmike]

Yeah, I don't sweat originality for reasons just like this. Too much room for debate and disappointment. But, when your invincible unionized unskilled workforce was drunk and high on the line most days - are you really surprised?

By modern standards my wife's 2015 Colorado is a POS and my TBSS had a lot of issues too (that I fixed on my dime while old-GM went t*ts up) - by GM's historical record both a good reliable vehicles. Not sure what we are going to do next?

 

[olds307 and 403]

sh*t gets missed at the factory and predelivery inspection. Someone missed the horn not working on our 17 Challenger GT. Other than that after 20,000+km, almost no issues.

 

[olds307 and 403]

As I sit reading this thread and thinking how many of us drive a non GM as a daily driver.

and we wonder why GM is closing down plants & have lost market share ?

It is not just the quality issues. It is styling done by the blind and the elimination of any brand I actually wanted to buy cars from them. Buick will never see a GS or GN replacement and they would make it ugly anyway. As an Olds guy, why would I want a chebby? They went and cried to GM so many times. They killed the F88 and Olds Hemi. Screw them, especially now with their greedy attitude.

 

[CaliWagon83]

I still daily a (used) GM. Actually, if my wife is home (we both work from home) I usually drive her Escape, since it gets double the fuel economy of the Avy. Just spent $3,400 on a trans rebuild on her car with only 48,000 miles (unfortunately, out-of-warranty. More than 5 y/o). Other than replacing the alternator, the Avalanche has been rock solid. Currently at about 174,000 miles. And now that I have the gas gauge working on the wagon, that one's eminently more driveable. Gutless, but driveable.