Chevy Impala 2004 Redesign - READ ONLY

233 messages, Last post on Sep 10, 2003 at 7:13 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Impala, Sedan

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#106 of 233 DUDE! by atbear Feb 26, 2003 (11:29 pm)
"It weighs more because the engine is a dated design that needs much more displacement just to equal that of a pedestrian Accord. Its bigger because the engine is bigger than it should be and therefore they have to bloat the size of the car to find enough space to put the engine." DOHC engines are much bigger than Pushrod engines, and they weigh MORE! There goes your argument! Do a little research! "True, however, they had to blow the darn thing to get it to that power level. Kind of an add on or band aid to get the hp when it would seem to make more sense to redesign the thing with modern tech and maybe they wouldn't have to resort to a blower to make it above average." Why don't you realize that it takes a little engineering to supercharge an engine at the factory and still offer the warranty and have it fully reliable (remember, this is a roots blower, not a turbo, CSC). "Nissans and Maximas in particular have reputations of very high reliability." I have friends who drive Maxima's and that particular Nissan engine needs to be in the shop every couple of months. It's documented too, go look. ""I know people with completely stock GTPs who ran 14.4's in the 1/4 mile!!" Who? and where?" Go to www.ClubGP.com "a lot of folks became accustomed to GM powerplants destructing prematurely and when GM finally put out one that had respectable reliability" Are you crazy man... if anything, this is backwards.... GM's quality was sky high from the 40s-early 80s.. late 80s-early 90s it slipped.. that's where you come in. It's back. Did you know the 3800 is based off the late 1970s Buick 231ci block? It's been refined to what it is now. Funny how nobody I know.. nor anybody I know with a Grand Prix has this manifold problem.. it's not a large issue, it's scattered. "It takes 4 years to put a blower on the cars they already have." The engine's been out since 1995 dude... what was Honda and Nissan doing then? huh? The 3800 puts out 265HP/295TQ now, and that's tops buddy... what other car beats that? And finally, do a little research on DOHC engines... learn something..
#107 of 233 by atbear Feb 26, 2003 (11:55 pm)
And, no I don't think the 3800 is the best engine in the world, or the most powerful in the world... but it's damn good.. super reliable, and very torquey, and that's what I want. It's a fine engine and it's so good, it's held it's own for more than a dacade.... and that's what we're trying to get across....
#108 of 233 Speed Limiter by 02lssport Feb 27, 2003 (4:52 am)
Hmm, maybe it was 105. I only glanced at the speedometer quickly. Ya know I was watching the road! lol That DHP PCM wll fix the limiter yes? Well that could be a bad thing for me. Atbear check the radio secion. I want to ask you something about your new rear speakers.
#109 of 233 atbear by alpha01 Feb 27, 2003 (5:25 am)
more than a decade? I remember reading a Car and Driver article for the Intrigue, I beleive, stating that the 3800's basic architecture dates back to 1962. I'll try and find the exact exact issue at home tonight. After 40 years, it should be reliable. ~alpha
#110 of 233 by atbear Feb 27, 2003 (8:44 am)
I believe it's back to 1978, but not sure about that exact date. The 3800 used today is based off the Buick 231 block. It's gone through many revisions...
#111 of 233 regfootball et al. by formersuver1 Feb 27, 2003 (10:20 am)
I've just finished over 3 years with the 3.5l. dohc in the Intrigue--never had a problem with the car itself, almost 40,000 miles. I've had Acura Legends (Sterling), Volvo, Mercedes turbo diesel, Camry, etc. etc. I've now gone to the Buick Regal, largely because of the 3.8 engine. It's very torquey, utterly reliable (I've no idea where you get the alleged manifold problems--GM did have a problem, according to my brother-in-law for part of the 1999 model run, with the sealant used in the gasket installation, but that was relatively limited and quickly fixed, although I suppose some could still be showing up--usually happens at around 15-20,000 miles (my brother-in-law is a service manager at a large Buick-Pontiac dealership). He said the very few problems he's ever seen have happened because people paid no attention to coolant level....anyway, I prefer the pushrod because of it's very flat torque curve. I do a lot of merging from around 30 mph and need to get up to speed (around 50-60) fairly quickly. The 3.8 is a nice even strong pull-- The dohc would do it, but only when I stomped on it. If I wanted to accelerate from 75 mph to 85 mph, dohc wins hands down--but let me count the times I ever wanted to do that....never! Remember, it could be a lot worse, we could have bought a Taurus!!
#112 of 233 this topic by vcjumper Feb 27, 2003 (6:10 pm)
Isn't it kind of obsolete since the only "redesign" is sticking the 97-03 GTP motor in the 04 Impala? Whats all this engine talk? There is always going to be a small vocal minority of people who prefer large displacement pushrod engines just as there are people who prefer cruising in Harleys over zipping around on a crotch rocket. Is flooring an automatic car and driving in a straight line the complete measure of car's performance? What about the twisties!
#113 of 233 by atbear Feb 27, 2003 (6:28 pm)
You are correct on all points, vcjumper.
#114 of 233 by 02lssport Feb 28, 2003 (5:03 am)
Just to show how reviewers can have such different views and numbers... From New Car Test Drive... "Since you can get the big 200-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 as an option in the lower-priced base model, the Impala becomes the least expensive GM car powered by this gutsy pushrod engine. Chevy claims it will accelerate to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, which is quick for this class." "When the Impala was introduced as a new model in 2000, Chevrolet was aiming for a car to carry the heritage behind that famous name. The result is a capable, quick, and fun car that drives nothing like Impalas of old. And that's good news. You can bet there was debate whether to dredge up the image of old ill-handling Impalas by resurrecting the name, but for younger generations who never knew the older versions of the car, "Impala" will mean something entirely different. The Impala delivers excellent value among mid-size sedans, with decent handling, immediately recognizable design cues, and a long-list of amenities."
#115 of 233 vcjumper and others like you by 02lssport Feb 28, 2003 (5:34 am)
Go learn something: http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-gmmot- ors4dec04.story GM will continue to use OHV engines and continue to improve the design to keep up with OHC engines. These OHV engines from GM will continue to produce more HP (as in the Corvette V8 compared to the likes of the Mustang V8 or BMW v8) and continue to be less expensive to produce, lighter, and more fuel efficient. Why don't you head over to the Vette forum and inform them that the engine design in their #1 rated sports car is old outdated technology and that they are part of a small minority. Huh?