All corvettes are RED
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 218
Likes: 11
From: Portland Maine
All corvettes are RED
Hi guys!! Just finished reading the book All Corvettes are red. what a great insight on the story of how our generation of corvette was born. I learned so much not only about the story of it all, But all the reasoning behind the technical innovations our vette uses.
Are there any other books about the 5th generation corvette out there that are worth reading?...
Thanks guys!! Happy driving!!
P.S. I love that quote..."all corvettes are red... the rest are mistakes!"
Are there any other books about the 5th generation corvette out there that are worth reading?...
Thanks guys!! Happy driving!!
P.S. I love that quote..."all corvettes are red... the rest are mistakes!"
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 4
From: Broward County Florida
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: South Jersey
OK, I've got a question for you since the book is still fresh in your mind... Do you recall why GM decided to use the "Oldsmobile/Corporate"
style door handles on the C5? I read the book years ago and just
skimmed thru it again after I got my C5 a couple of months ago.
I could not find an answer but I did notice that these door handles
were used and decided on very early in the design process according
to the pictures of the book, even before the final design of the C5
was finalized. Other than the cost-savings, anybody have any
answer on this?
It really bugs me to see the C5 door handle on Olds, Malibus, and the
other day I noticed it on one of the last Buick Rivierads circa 1995.
The door handle is the first thing you touch on your C5! Of course,
the corporate GM steering wheel on the C6 bugs me too, and that's
what you're using all the time when driving.
Did not mean to hijack this thread but ...
Jerry
style door handles on the C5? I read the book years ago and just
skimmed thru it again after I got my C5 a couple of months ago.
I could not find an answer but I did notice that these door handles
were used and decided on very early in the design process according
to the pictures of the book, even before the final design of the C5
was finalized. Other than the cost-savings, anybody have any
answer on this?
It really bugs me to see the C5 door handle on Olds, Malibus, and the
other day I noticed it on one of the last Buick Rivierads circa 1995.
The door handle is the first thing you touch on your C5! Of course,
the corporate GM steering wheel on the C6 bugs me too, and that's
what you're using all the time when driving.
Did not mean to hijack this thread but ...
Jerry
Pro
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 732
Likes: 2
From: Baxter MN
As I recall, the "breakthrough" technology for the C5 was the "Backbone" design of the tunnel and the largest (for their time) hydroformed frame rails in the world. This technology was extremely expensive to engineer and tool up for. At the same time, GM was hemoraging money in the late '80s - early 90's so any cost saving was essential to getting the car out in the 1997 time frame. On top of that, since our car uses a unique to itself platform, body material and suspension design/components, any item where GM could save a quarter or a dollar were welcomed by corporate.
Glen
Glen
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Is it any wonder that GM has gone into bankruptcy.
While reading the book, my thoughts were how does this company ever get anything done. The constant delays due to the seemly random movement of key personnal was just amazing. The C5 would probably still not be done if they had not back doored some of the developement.
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Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 76
From: Florida
I liked the book very much. It was as much about the bureaurocracy at GM as it was the C5. The three things that really stood out were how screwed up GM has been for decades (little wonder they finally are in the shape they are in today), how dedicated, resourceful and talented the people were who designed the C5 were and how advanced the design of the car really was. When you consider all of the new pieces and processes that went into the car including the computer systems, a brand new motor and even the frame rails it is just amazing the cars turned out to be solid, reliable and essentially unchanged through a long production run. This is really a great book for any Corvette enthusiast or anyone who is curious about GM in general.
I don't know of any other book out there that has a great deal of information about the C5. This forum is probably the best source of C5 information going today. There are some amazing posts here and there are a lot of very knowledgable people who answer almost every question posted.
I don't know of any other book out there that has a great deal of information about the C5. This forum is probably the best source of C5 information going today. There are some amazing posts here and there are a lot of very knowledgable people who answer almost every question posted.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: South Jersey
OK, I understand that car design and development is always a
compromise. I understand why GM made many decisions one way
or another or just compromised. The lightweight BOSE Speakers,
the lightweight OEM Battery, the whole debate of analog vs
digital dash settled with the DIC and later HUD.
Maybe they just used the corporate door handles on the clay mockups
because they were around, but I still wonder how these made it
into final production. I never liked them in 97 and I think they really
date the overall exterior design of the car today.
The other day I went to a car show, and a bunch of different era
Vettes were all lined up. A Riviera pulls up next to us and I had
to comment to the owner that it was ok to park next to us since
he had the same door handles as us.
Jerry
compromise. I understand why GM made many decisions one way
or another or just compromised. The lightweight BOSE Speakers,
the lightweight OEM Battery, the whole debate of analog vs
digital dash settled with the DIC and later HUD.
Maybe they just used the corporate door handles on the clay mockups
because they were around, but I still wonder how these made it
into final production. I never liked them in 97 and I think they really
date the overall exterior design of the car today.
The other day I went to a car show, and a bunch of different era
Vettes were all lined up. A Riviera pulls up next to us and I had
to comment to the owner that it was ok to park next to us since
he had the same door handles as us.
Jerry
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 218
Likes: 11
From: Portland Maine
I totally didnt want the book to end... I think one of my favorite things was how they masked the alpha cars by building "cormaros"... and C4s with C5 powertrains?...my god such brilliant thinking.... god ive wanted a red corvette my whole life...even the last 4 years of owning one?...i still cant get enough.....
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,908
Likes: 735
From: Southwest Kansas
2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Unmodified
2021 C6 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
The book is extremely informative. Door handles, interior pieces, whatever they could use from the GM parts houses to save money. I think that most people just don't understand how close we were to not having a C5 Corvette at all. I feel lucky to own one....flaws and all. Well the HUD was first used in 92...but not in a Corvette, but in the Pontiac Bonneville...I had one in my 92 SSEi.
