GM test cars

[94BULLITT]

Chris should have said go to a salvage yard. That is where you see all the old rusty Dodges.

 

[Cpjlube]

The rear wheel wells on my 01 F150 Supercrew are in superb condition (fiberglass). The rocker panels, not so good.
Everything seems to rot in Ohio. I could have slowed it down by continuously washing the underbody all winter but I didn't.
It does have 170k being used as a truck not a station wagon so it comes with the territory.

 

[wawajake]

Chris should have said go to a salvage yard. That is where you see all the old rusty Dodges.

Your right..........the thirty year old Dodges are at the salvage yard with the twenty year old Fords........the twenty year old Dodges are driving back and forth to the hardware stores (Lowes) ....they may have some rust but still running.

 

[Egon]

Followed some advice yesterday and looked around the parking lot for old Ford p/u's. Could'nt seem to find any. Lots of old Dodges though. Usually with an old Fellar driving.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Followed some advice yesterday and looked around the parking lot for old Ford p/u's. Could'nt seem to find any. Lots of old Dodges though. Usually with an old Fellar driving.

They nickel and dime you so much you can't afford to get rid of them.

Chris

 

[94BULLITT]

Rusty Dodge? | Post a pic of your rusty Dodge and feel better about it (not really)

Dodge also is still having problems with clear coat paint. I see a lot of trucks in the 2000's with the clear gone.

02 dodge ram 1500 4x4 "price dropped"

 

[94BULLITT]

Your right..........the thirty year old Dodges are at the salvage yard with the twenty year old Fords........the twenty year old Dodges are driving back and forth to the hardware stores (Lowes) ....they may have some rust but still running.

The old Fords keep going. 36 years old

 

[300UGUY]

I worked at the GM Milford Proving Grounds for almost 40 years as a Test and Development engineer. I drove company cars as part of my job for evaluation, mileage accumulation and durability needs and also as a benefit. In the OP's picture, the key identifier is seen on the dash. It's a form of a decelerometer used by the test driver to put a controlled amount of braking force into the vehicle. This is done for durability and brake wear tests. It's heat, pad life, traction and ABS control stuff (stability control algorithm etc.). It is not uncommon to have GM owned competitive produced vehicles on test, too. (Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Fords and Chrysler, etc. This is done for performance evaluation baselines and comparisons.

The M plated cars are licensed for on=public highway test operations. The driver must fill out a log book entry to account for ever mile showing on the odometer. A non-test PEP car (Product Evaluation Program) has a civilian plate and a special sticker on the front windshield identifying it as a GM owned vehicle with a GM Fleet Operations. Blue is usually Engineering Staff. White is Divisional or supplier staff.

The purpose of the bras, covers, Tupperware, checkered decals is not necessarily to hide underneath new styling parts. Its to discourage the auto press from distorting the images that they want to publish as 'spy shots'. They stretch, patch, shrink, narrow, lower and modify their lunch-time photos to present their incredible secret discoveries as exclusive magazine lures.

Good example is the recent Lincoln ad comparing it to a Cadillac. The Caddy images have more Adobe botox in them than a 12 foot snake in order to make the car look more unattractive.

If this particular car was a CTS-V, then its possible that it was run on the 'Ring. But heck, you can pay $5 and run a bicycle and get a sticker. Sorta like going to an amusement park. A Corvette on the 'ring gets a lot of respect from the BMW's, Audis and Ferraris. We often teased a motorcycle on that road and left it in the weeds. The bikers always were amazed that it was just a production car and not a specially prepared one of a kind. Even a CTS-V rental car can smoke just about any car over there. Yes, it takes a driver with some nads...

I assume you are retired? I hope you do well in retirement, and have a happy holidays.

 

[Egon]

They nickel and dime you so much you can't afford to get rid of them.

Chris

There are some of us with only a nickel and dime income. It's all we can afford. No way the cab off rebuild is within our grasp.

Where's all those old parking lot Fords though?

Poor Paint job?? Mine surely does go in that category.

 

[94BULLITT]

I saw a couple more GM test cars today. The one was a small convertible possibly a Cadillac XLR, it was covered to disguise it.

I got a couple pictures of this one. I'm not sure if the little Lexus in front of it was running with it or not. I saw them both up ahead they were together and they both turned onto the same road.