[net.auto] GM X cars

Finney@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ken Finney) (07/15/85)

I have never owned one of the X cars, but I did read 
once that the braking problem had to do with the
parking brake.  If memory serves, the cars were originally
designed with only bucket seats and a hand operated parking
brake between the seats.  Shortly before the cars were
introduced, Marketing found out about the "bucket seats
only" and went through the roof.  It appears that 70% of
GM cars are sold with bench seats.  Having a bench seat
option required relocating the parking brake, and there
wasn't any place to snake the parking brake cable through,
but they finally managed.  The problem became that the
new parking brake couldn't exert enough force, and they
had to make some further modifications to the brakes, all
at the last moments before the cars went on sale, and 
didn't have time to test them properly.  I'm not sure,
but I think the X cars with bucket seats were somewhat
immune from the braking problems.


			-Ken Finney-


"I know the world is hollow, for I have touched the sky."