kiessig@fortune.UUCP (07/26/83)
Here's the letter. I'm interested in feedback. BTW, a fact
not quoted here is my insurance rates. I'm paying about $1350/yr.,
for $1000 deductible, through Royal Globe. Pretty outrageous.
Corvette Project Manager
General Motors Corporation
30007 Van Dyke
Warren, Mich. 48090
Dear Sirs,
My first three months of owning a 1984 Corvette have
been both interesting and educational. I'm writing this
letter to let you in on some of the things I've come across.
I purchased the car on May 5, 1983, and picked it up
from the dealer the day after it arrived via train. My
dealer is Key Chevrolet (20955 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cuper-
tino, CA 95014, 408-253-4000). Before I picked it up, I was
told the car was going through "standard preparation", which
included things like checking fluid levels, alignments and
doing a general cleaning.
After I picked up the car, I noticed some oil marks on
the dash, and what looked like thin strands of nylon (prob-
ably from the carpet) spread on top of the dash (I have
since cleaned them away several times, and they seem to have
stopped coming back). The car was in pretty good shape oth-
erwise, and I left the dealer feeling very good.
I drive about a hundred miles every day. And I've
driven a fair number of different kinds of sport cars. The
new Corvette is my all-time favorite car to drive. It han-
dles fantastically, has great pick-up, and it's comfortable!
I also love the displays on the dash, and the Bose stereo is
really nice.
In the interest of moving towards perfection (espe-
cially since I intend to purchase another one of these cars
in a couple of years), I have a few comments. Some of my
suggestions don't fit in with the "Less than $20,000" sports
car idea. However, the trend seems to be in the other
direction, anyway. My car listed for about $25,000, and my
dealer ended up charging me $30,500. Some of the new
features I'm suggesting would make $30,000 seem much more
reasonable.
_1. _S_e_a_t_s _a_n_d _S_e_a_t _B_e_l_t_s
I have the leather seat option. Since I spend a lot of
time in the car, I notice that not having a lumbar support
for my back is a problem. I know this is available on the
"Sport Seats", but from what I've seen most cars are pre-
July 22, 1983
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ordered with the leather ones.
I've also noticed a potential safety problem. I'm
about 73 inches tall, and I have to adjust the seat all the
way back, all the way down, and with the front tilted
slightly upward. In that configuration, my head can hit the
roll bar if I stop too quickly. In a rear end collision,
such an incident could be fatal. Perhaps some padding on
the roll bar, or (even better), allowing the seat to be
adjusted further downward should cure the problem.
Most passengers who have ridden in the right hand seat
have also complained about not being able to adjust the seat
up and down, and they also miss having a lumbar support.
I like the "cinch" feature on the lap belts. The
shoulder belts could use something similar - their "feature"
of ending up loose most of the time (any reach forward - to
the radio, for example will loosen them) isn't real nice.
_2. _R_e_a_r _W_i_n_d_o_w & _M_i_r_r_o_r
The optical clearity of the rear window is very bad.
Cars seen through the rear view mirror are distorted and
distant ones are sometimes almost invisible.
The rear view mirror's mounting is also not very
stable. On all but the smoothest highways it jiggles, mak-
ing all but rough vehicle location assessment possible. The
side mirrors have to be used if any real details are needed.
_3. _S_i_d_e _M_i_r_r_o_r_s
Both of the side mirrors get out of adjustment too
easily when I close the doors. If the windows are rolled
down, it's not quite so bad because the doors can be closed
more softly.
I've also noticed that the side mirrors scratch very
easily.
_4. _R_i_g_h_t-_h_a_n_d _D_a_s_h
Nearly every passenger who sits in the car asks about
the big black rubbery pad on the right side. I don't know
what it is, and it's not explained in the owners manual. My
best guess is that it's some sort of pad to guard against
head collision with the dash. My passengers all wear seat
belts anyway. I think I would have preferred a small glove
box, if that is indeed the function of this thing.
July 22, 1983
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_5. _D_r_i_v_e_r'_s _D_a_s_h
The bar speedometer does not seem to be related to the
digital one on a one-for-one basis. Sometimes it shows big
changes when the digital shows only one or two MPH declines.
It's also a little hard to read at a glance. What I really
want it for is to guage how fast I'm speeding up or slowing
down. Perhaps lighting the digits as the bar passes them
would highten that effect. I also don't see any reason why
the scan rate for the digital speedometer shouldn't be
higher. I have come to a complete stop and had the digital
speedometer read 6 MPH. It takes several seconds for it to
come down to 0.
The range indicator should always show a monotonically
decreasing number. What seems to in fact happen is that the
range is based soley on the accuracy of the fuel guage, plus
the latest average MPG. I suggest that the numbers be bal-
anced a little based on the number of miles actually driven
(i.e. if I drive a mile, the range should drop by a mile).
When large differences are noticed between the amount of
fuel actually remaining and the corresponding range, an
adjustment could be made when the instant MPG drops signifi-
cantly below the average. The range should only go UP when
a large change is noticed in fuel level, or possibly when
the "reset" button is pressed for the MPG guage.
With all of the digital-ness of the console, I would
have expected a more accurate fuel guage. I am most
interested in how much gas I have left at the very end of
the tank. I want to know if I can make it home on what I
have, or whether I'm going to have to stop and fill up. The
difference might be only a quart or less. Perhaps the fuel
guage could change color and expand to show the last three
gallons or so.
I have also noticed that the "Miles since on reserve"
is not always remembered after I turn the engine off. It
should be.
_6. _O_w_n_e_r_s _M_a_n_u_a_l
I was very dissappointed when I read through the owners
manual. It looked like a boiler-plate for some other GM car
with a few raw facts about the Corvette thrown in. Several
important things are lacking. In particular, the informa-
tion displayed by the digital guages on the dash is not
nearly as useful as it could be, simply because I don't know
exactly how the numbers and displays are arrived at.
Answers to questions like "How much fuel is left when I go
on reserve?", "Exactly how is the range number determined,
and how accurate is it?", "How are the instant and average
MPG figured? (are they measured or estimated?)", "What kinds
of numbers (for all of the guages) should I expect in
July 22, 1983
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typical driving?", etc.
I've also heard that there are some tricky and
interesting things about the engine in this car - computer-
controlled, etc. There is nothing about this in the owners
manual. Perhaps it's in the shop guide?
_7. _C_e_n_t_e_r _D_a_s_h
The radio controls should be closer to the gear lever
when in "Drive". Many drivers rest their right hand on the
gear lever and tune the radio - it's now almost impossible
to reach the radio buttons this way.
The directional arrow lights for the cassette tape on
the Bose stereo does not dim with the other lights in the
cabin. This is a little annoying when driving at night with
a tape playing.
The owners manual says that a "demonstration tape" is
supplied with each and every car for the Bose. I never
received such a tape.
A "lamp test switch" is needed for the lamps in the
center display. Even now I'm not sure I know what all of
the lamps are. Perhaps they could all come on and then fade
off, like on the speedometer, tach & "seat belt" lights.
The air conditioning on the car works very well. My
principal complaint about the ventilation system is that
there should be a way to get fresh air up above, and heated
air down below. BMW has done a very good job with this, and
all GM cars seem to have the same, poor fresh air ventila-
tion systems.
_8. _R_e_m_o_v_a_b_l_e _R_o_o_f
With a little practice I find I can take the roof off
and put it back on again in about 5 minutes. The little
tools works well. However, the tool could be built such
that it doesn't scratch the seats when loosening the rear
bolts. Also, I've noticed that one of the rear bolts (on
the driver's side), is coming out of it's little holder, and
is in danger of getting lost. I would encourage dealers to
stock spares. I don't use the rear storage compartment for
the roof tool. It's easier just to let it fall into the
deep part of the center console.
I've also noticed that, at least on my particular car,
the little black bolt on the left hand side that holds the
rubber molding to the frame, up where the roof contacts the
car - right where you might put your left hand if you were
driving with the roof off - this bolt has come loose, and
cannot easily be re-installed.
July 22, 1983
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_9. _E_x_t_e_r_i_o_r _P_a_i_n_t
The paint I've seen on two or three cars, including my
black one, has an "orange peel" texture. I've been quoted
$600 to have it water sanded. When the car left the dealer
it also had many swirl marks in the paint (very unattrac-
tive), and what appeared to be just a coat of liquid wax.
The dealer has told me they will fix this part for no charge
(although I'm a little doubtful of their capability to do
so).
_1_0. _P_a_r_k_i_n_g _B_r_a_k_e
The location of the brake lever is fine. However, the
brake indicator lamp on the center dash does not extinguish
all the time. Sometimes it will go out, and then light up
again after the lever is bumped slightly by my leg. Seems
to me like the switch there could have a little more "posi-
tive action" to it.
_1_1. _D_r_i_v_e _T_r_a_i_n
I am very pleased with what some people would call the
most important part of the car - the drive train. The way
the engine starts, its performance when cold, the accelera-
tion and handling - all really good. And although I've
never owned an automatic before, this one is really nice.
It does seem like there are some "extra shifts" in there,
but as the owner's manual explains, this is a "feature".
Because of that, though, some sort of visual indication as
to which gear I am actually in would be really useful at
times. It would help me know whether or not to downshift,
for one thing, or how early to apply power for maximum per-
formance cornering, for another.
I have also found that the engine is remarkably quiet.
I've driven Porsche's and Ferarri's which were so loud as to
be uncomfortable (largely due to their rear engines, I
guess).
My only complaint about the wonderfully arranged engine
compartment is that one item I get to often is a little hard
to reach - the oil filter. If there were a way to have more
easily accessable, that would be great. I change the oil
once every 3000 miles, and use Pennzoil 10-40W, with Fram
PH30 filters, by the way. And my oil temperature seems to
hover around 235 deg F.
_1_2. _S_u_g_g_e_s_t_e_d _E_n_h_a_n_c_e_m_e_n_t_s
I would like to see some indication of brake tempera-
tures. If one of the brakes is heating unduely, I want to
know about it. Possibly a digital guage with 4 lamps, the
guage showing the temperature, and a lamp lighting to show
July 22, 1983
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which brake is hottest.
An "Estimated Time of Arrival" indicator, based on
miles to go and current average speed, would be useful. On
long trips I am continually wanting to know when I'm going
to arrive, and if I speed up or slow down a little, I'm
curious as to how that's going to affect my arrival time.
A temperature-oriented air conditioner and heater would
be very nice. It would save much knob-fiddling. Also use-
ful would be a simple interior temperature guage. It's nice
to know if the car got so hot as to damage the film in the
camera I accidentally left in the car, for example, or if
I'm going to burn my legs when I sit down on those hot
seats.
The oil pressure could be displayed instead of the oil
temperature when the temperature is too low. I'm most
interested in the pressure right after I start the engine,
anyway, and the temperature as I'm driving. This change
seems like it would give me the best of both.
If I could improve the Bose stereo in any way, I would
allow people to listen to the radio while tapes are rewind-
ing, and I would have an option to tell the radio "station
scanner" to ignore certain stations forever (up to 8, let's
say).
_1_3. _S_e_r_v_i_c_e
Having recently gone through the recall for the brake
caliper bolts, I must say I'm very disappointed. Everything
had been going so well. Several rear bolts were broken on
the first day in the shop. It took 3 WEEKS for the replace-
ment bolts to arrive, and they were supposedly ordered VIP
from the factory. If I'm going to have to wait that long
every time I get service, I'm afraid this isn't the car for
me, regardless of how well it drives and feels. I just
can't afford the possibilty of being without transportation
for that long. Perhaps dealers could be encouraged to
increase their spares stock. From what I can tell, they
carry almost no spares. Not even tires (and I've got those
Z51 goodies, which are probably only available from the fac-
tory).
I am also disappointed that the car was extremely dirty
when it was returned to me. The carpets were filthy, and
the outside was covered in grime. There were also a number
of small scratches in the paint which were not there before
the service.
I'm confident I can work out these kinds of problems
with my dealership. However, they also need support from
the "home office". Information, at least. If I knew there
July 22, 1983
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was a design flaw in the rear brake caliper bolts, for exam-
ple, and you were having trouble making them for ANYONE, I
could understand a little better. However, if the problem
really is just getting the request to the right person at
the manufacturing plant (much more likely, in my opinion),
and if all he has to do is Federal Express a few bolts
out.... Well, you get the idea. More feedback, please!
I'm looking forward to the clear roof screens being
available, and I've also heard something about a turbo-
charger. I would appreciate someone letting me know about
these when deliveries start.
On the whole, I'm pleased with the car. I realize
there are some bugs in the system, and I hope I've contri-
buted something through this letter.
Richard Kiessig
P.O. Box 50174
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Cc: Michael Lamm
Owners' Report Editor
Popular Mechanics
P.O. Box 283
Spring Valley, NY 10977
July 22, 1983dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer) (07/27/83)
One speaks of the rear window's "clarity", not "clearity". "Guage" should be spelled "gauge". "It's" is not the posessive of "it". "Its" is.
luigi@hplabs.UUCP (Luigi Semenzato) (07/28/83)
Who is this guy who corrects other people's spelling mistakes, and doing so introduces new ones? In the sentence "It's" is not the posessive of "it" "posessive" should be "possessive". -- Luigi Semenzato HP Labs Palo Alto, CA 94304
billh@hp-pcd.UUCP (Bill Hunt) (07/28/83)
#R:wivax:-1846800:hp-pcd:2400017:000:388 hp-pcd!billh Jul 27 17:20:00 1983 Does the net really need to see spelling corrections when they do not affect the meaning of the note? Most people (myself included) fit into one of the two following catagories: 1: They notice the misspelling (and therefore know the intended meaning and probably the correct spelling) 2: They couldn't care less In this case, I fit into both 1 and 2 above... - Billh
dyer@wivax.UUCP (07/28/83)
Hoo boy, are you ever right! When I reviewed my message (after it had been sent out) I noticed the misspelling. Just desserts, I guess. On the other hand, I propose that there's a difference between a quick slip of the finger in a netnews article due to haste and a LONG, thoughtful review just rife with misspellings. Remember, his letter was going to muckymucks at GM who, we should assume, can spell. Even as I admit my own slip, I really feel that there's little excuse to subject the public to misspelled words. It's the lexicographic equivalent of having your fly open in public. Hell, since we all have "spell" on-line, there's even less excuse. Steve Dyer decvax!wivax!dyer
michaelk@tekmdp.UUCP (Michael Kersenbrock) (07/29/83)
I hate to extend the spelling discussion (it has been going on too long on too many net groups). . . I don't think that it seriously *bothers* anyone to see misspellings. However, the number and severity of the misspellings reflect upon the person who wrote the message, and therefore affects the seriousness to which that person's comments are taken. If a person does not take the time to correct massive gross spelling errors, how can that person be expected to correct or organize his/her thoughts? A person should want to spell correctly as possible -- not to please the readers, but simply to gain greater creditability for him/herself. Correction of another's gross misspellings usually does not gain anything for anyone. Mike Kersenbrock Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products Aloha, Oregon