1990 Pontiac ASC/McLaren Turbo Grand Prix

KHummel66 · Post by **KHummel66** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:31 am

Platform sharing goes back to the 30's and 40's. Look at a '40 Ford and a '40 Mercury. Even the 55/56/57 Chevy's/Pontiacs/Olds/Buicks - they are all the same basic car in shape and style, but to differentiate them required sheet metal changes in the front vs. just a different mold design for the bolt on plastic bumper covers that became commonplace in the 80's. 60's & 70's GTO, Chevelle, Skylark, Cutlass - same car underneath and essentially the same body too (look at the 66 & 67 hardtops - identical roof backglass designs across all brands).

GM just got cheap and lazy in the 80's. While Ford designed different fender and qtr panels in addition to noses and taillights for Mustangs vs. Capris; GM kept everything the same except for the plastic nose and tail covers. Think about the Cadillac Cimmeron - you could put a Cavalier nose and tail on it and never know it start out badged as a Caddy.

Kentennis · Post by **Kentennis** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:22 am

Oh God. I forgot the Citation. We had one. What a piece of junk!!

ChuckG · Post by **ChuckG** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:20 am

Long history of Chev-o-llacs: Seville=Nova; Cimmaron=Caviler; Escalade=Denali; XLER=Corvette; Catera= Vaxhaul Omega

Why did GM go bankrupt again......

shelbyscarab · Post by **shelbyscarab** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:50 pm

Kentennis wrote:Oh God. I forgot the Citation. We had one. What a piece of junk!!

Pontiac Phoenix......... I forgot that one....... I'm sure I'm leaving others out. Wow, there were some big winners in the 80s......

Sandy assists: Olds Omega & Buick Skylark Cadillac Cimmaron

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:04 pm

I have to agree with 98% written, above....BUT,
It's just unGodly expensive to make a totally different set of cars, (one in each price/size grouping) and make the Olds version totally different than the Pontiac version and not give Chevy or Buick THAT car, BUT give Chevy & Buick a totally different car.... in THAT same catagory, and then Cadillac screams "Where is ours?"
They all do it. Chrysler did it (Horizon/Omni and all the way up the chain to the Imperial - New Yorker Brougham. Ford? Hello Mustang & Capri, Crown Vic & Grand Marquis, Granada vs Monarch.
Foreign Cars? Toyo is recalling Camry AND Lexus, 'cause they are the same. I cannot fault the manufactures for doing this.
Can you imagine if a dedicated Oldsmobile was a monester hit outta the ball park, how the other divisions would be howeling at Mother G.M.?Where's OUR version?!?!?!?

The last REALLY exclusive automobile, not shared with frame, wheelbase, and made on a dedicated & exclusive line woulda been the 1956 Continential, the 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and the 1959 Imperial Crown LeBaron. None of these were mass produced for the masses.

ChuckG · Post by **ChuckG** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:50 am

'57 T-Bird? Corvettes, before that XLR debacle?

There's family resemblance then there's the laziness we've seen in too many cars.

I really like my Jag X-Type, but it's a Jaguar-ized Mondeo that isn't offered here and has many unique touches well beyond badging. Trust me. I have to buy the rotors and they're anything but common Ford parts

tfs2121 · Post by **tfs2121** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:18 am

lol jag x-type aka ford taurus

my fav dead car that should have never lived is the pontiac parisienne i worked on one last year. i yelled at my boss he always gives me the cars that were built befor my parents even got together! good god what a bad name. how do you sell a car with a name like that?

Kentennis · Post by **Kentennis** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:30 am

The Parisienne was only sold in the USA for 3 years. Before that and after that it was a Canadian car with a Chevrolet drive train and interiors. It was sold in the US 1983-86.

Compared to today's monstrocities, it shouldn't have been too hard to work on. Of course every nut and bolt would be frozen!

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:25 pm

Chevy Caprice with Pontiac Body, Yes? I think so.

ChuckG · Post by **ChuckG** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:29 pm

tfs2121 wrote:lol jag x-type aka ford taurus

Actually, not a Taurus anymore than it's a Mustang. It's based on a third-gen Mondeo, a car not sold in North America but Jag redid the sheet metal, interior, added AWD, and revised the head & cams, making a contribution beyond simply a different badging.

ChuckG · Post by **ChuckG** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:36 pm

Kentennis wrote:The Parisienne was only sold in the USA for 3 years. Before that and after that it was a Canadian car with a Chevrolet drive train and interiors. It was sold in the US 1983-86.

That was the old 1962-71 "Acadians"- Chevy IIs & Chevelles that were kinda Chevy/Pontiac hybrids because the Tempest and LeMans weren't offered in Canada at that time.

We see them occasionally in Michigan. Funny to see something that looks like a Chevelle with GTO trim and a Chevy motor.

ChuckG · Post by **ChuckG** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:36 pm

Sandy wrote:Chevy Caprice with Pontiac Body, Yes? I think so.

From 1976 to 1987, the Pontiac Acadian was a version of the Chevrolet Chevette sold by Canadian Pontiac-Buick dealers.

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:46 pm

'Ya, I knew that. Actually even once saw one, here in NJ riding around with Canadian tags on it. I did a triple take

tfs2121 · Post by **tfs2121** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:49 pm

Kentennis wrote:The Parisienne was only sold in the USA for 3 years. Before that and after that it was a Canadian car with a Chevrolet drive train and interiors. It was sold in the US 1983-86.

Compared to today's monstrocities, it shouldn't have been too hard to work on. Of course every nut and bolt would be frozen!

i can deal with todays cars. its the 70s and 80s cars with 1000 vac lines all over that i hate. i had to work on an 83 linc cont with TBI the other day for a no start. i hated everything about it. todays cars are so simple and easy to fix.

Kentennis · Post by **Kentennis** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:32 am

Actually the Parisienne's were a Bonnevile equivilent and not even remotely related to Chevelle's.

ascMcLaren Enthusiasts

1990 Pontiac ASC/McLaren Turbo Grand Prix

Yes, but..........