Problem is once you have invested money in a non special version, you will take a loss selling them, plain and simple. There plus is full frame, rear drive 2dr that came in with the last Olds V8's. The A and B bodies had much better suspension than the G's garbage metric suspension. Terrible wiring, handling and garbage 7.5" rear end plus mostly aniemic factory motors.
Sometimes I think that taking a "loss" is an overused term. You take a loss on everything that you buy that you don't sell for a profit, if you get anything at all. I don't hear people talking about taking a loss on their beer tab for the year....or a vacation....or whatever tickles their fancy that they blew thousands of dollars on in a calendar year. I know guys who used at least $200 up a month in ammo at the range...it's always something because thankfully we are blessed enough to have discretionary income.
This thread has gotten too long to look through, so excuse me if this has been said....
Sonic welded taillights. Especially those on Malibu sedans and coupes. The boat-sized ones.
Brian has replacement lenses -- only the big red ones, for some reason not the little clear ones. They are a brighter red than the originals, and lack tabs that the bezel locks into. To use them you must somehow remove your old lenses, because there are no replacement housings.
Junk housings always have broken studs. If you can find a pair with good lenses, you might do better sawing off the stud mounts and gluing in threaded rods with spacers and washers to replace the original studs. Might be quicker than somehow removing the lenses for future re-use.
It can be done -- eventually -- but it's a fool's errand. The kind that makes you question what the @#$% you are doing.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, Brian's lenses are the 81-83 style only, with the little backup lenses (that he doesn't have) in by the license plate.
Sometimes I think that taking a "loss" is an overused term. You take a loss on everything that you buy that you don't sell for a profit, if you get anything at all. I don't hear people talking about taking a loss on their beer tab for the year....or a vacation....or whatever tickles their fancy that they blew thousands of dollars on in a calendar year. I know guys who used at least $200 up a month in ammo at the range...it's always something because thankfully we are blessed enough to have discretionary income.
Why would anyone spend money on a painting? Because they like it. I learned to drive in a 1980 Malibu, and I have had several of them over the years. When I picked up the wagon a few years ago, as I sat behind the wheel, there was an instantaneous feeling of 'home'. Familiar surroundings, despite 10 years since I had one to drive.
Fixing a G-body is a like a jigsaw puzzle you put together your way. The degree of 'custom' in entirely up to you. If you hate something, change it. If you hate it enough, why did you buy the car?
Let's all agree that there is little design flaws ect what we would change but we all share the same love of a Gbody it was my first car and will always be with me
Why do people come into this thread arguing with the posts that people have made that answer the topic? I don't think that was the purpose of the thread, was it? That's why there are too many posts to read through before deciding whether yours will raise a new point. Most of the posts don't really have a point that falls under the topic.
Brian has replacement lenses -- only the big red ones, for some reason not the little clear ones. They are a brighter red than the originals, and lack tabs that the bezel locks into.
In addition to lacking the tabs, I might add, these lenses aren't quite sized right. They're a tad too small. Push down on one corner, another pops up.
The frame could be a little stronger...
The weather seals on the doors and t-tops are junk
Drip channel? What's that!?
Rear suspension geometry...why couldn't it have been correct from the factory? It was so close!
Those bumpers on the early cars....wow...did they even try to style them?
That HVAC system that I have sitting in the thrash can.
Lumpy floors make race seat mounting fun...
Rear fender lips a mile wide and near impossible to roll without hacking.
The rear frame could have been just a touch narrower!
Seatbelt reels getting stuck or being sticky...
Fusible link in the interior light and trunk light circuit.
Everything about the electric windows.
That 7.5" rear....and what people ask for the 8.5"!
Use of aluminum and plastic to make the hood and inner fenders lighter...and 1,000,000 lbs of steel for the trunk lid!
Vague and loose steering.
The list of likes is much shorter, but more important.
Cheap to obtain.
RWD.
Two door with a back seat and giant trunk.
4-link rear.
Light weight.
Accepts the SBC and therefore the LS motor.
These cars were made to transport a family in relative comfort and trouble free with proper maintenance for a probable lifespan of less than 10 years. They had their design flaws but for the purpose these cars were made the flaws would most likely never be noticed during it's intended lifespan.
Ha I just read all the posts on the thread and oh I had a few chuckles... people arguing over cars that are 35plus year olds and never were intended to last this long... the newer they get the cheaper they are built and quicker they wear out... I can't wait to hear about all the bitchin and complaining about how the 2015 volt doesn't hold a charge anymore, geez after all these years you think GM would make a battery to last 35 yrs...
just imagine 20 yrs ago when all the parts you needed to get for your 1971 vega were not available at your local jegs or summit and you didn't have the world wide web... wait a second? the world at our finger tips hasn't always been there??? how the heck did we find parts??? we waited years and went to swap meets after swap meets and wrote letters and searched parts books page by page...
I just wish that we had the internet back in the 1900's, just to listen to old Bill Durant and the Dodge brothers bitchin to good old Henry about why he wouldn't paint it any other color than black! and those wooden wheels are gonna be a b*tch to balance
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