Sky hurting Solstice

[Ahnuld]

Sky sales rallying, Solstice waning

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/24/w...lstice-waning/

[GetAboutRL]

I like both Kappa styles and would proud to own either!

But it is a limited addition vehicle with limited trunk & seating capacity.
They both are soooo beautiful and fun to

[SkyMan 08]

Originally Posted by Ahnuld

Sky sales rallying, Solstice waning

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/24/w...lstice-waning/

Remember also the Solstice had a 6 month head start on the Sky, Plus the actual Sales of the Sky were limited (not as many being produced, and now having to share the body parts with Opel and Daewoo) so the demand for the Sky is still up while Most of the excitement for the Solstice has calmed down. In other words, Many that wanted a Sky still do not have one, but most that wanted a Solstice already have theirs.

[KappaMan]

As prognosticated previously, this is totally expected. The Kappas are flexible enough that volume can be adjusted - thereby avoiding the "OMG let's increase manufacturing to 115,000 units (because that is the demand)..." then ending up with waning demand and the need to kill it (remember the Fiero?).


The last year of the Fiero (not a complete production year) was still around 26,000 cars... but the VERY FIRST YEAR was 126,000 and they were flying off the lots...


Thank goodness that GM didn't go hog wild and ramp up kappa production to 100,000 a year - that simply isn't realistic to sustain in a primary US market for such a niche vehicle.

This means there is hope for GM - they are learning how to do fun, well-engineered (the basic platform is very strong, in spite of some of the quality issues) NICHE vehicles without having unrealistic expectations or thinking like a big slow-moving company.

[mbeardsley]

Hey now...don't you be dissing the Fiero...or me and my buddy lorenerol will have to take you down.

[KappaMan]

Originally Posted by mbeardsley

Hey now...don't you be dissing the Fiero...or me and my buddy lorenerol will have to take you down.

Hey - I'm doing no such thing. I own two... like MANY fiero owners. Seems like we can't just own one...

They are GREAT cars!

[mbeardsley]

I had an '85 that I then traded in on an '88 GT.

I had the GT for 12 years, until it got hit.

The Fiero gods still haunt me though...

I had just bought my Celica in 2000 (because my 88 Fiero GT got hit, and totalled). I was sitting in a pizza place (waiting for my pizza to be ready) and was looking at my new car. Just as I was thinking, "I like this Celica, maybe I won't miss my Fiero so much.", another 88 Fiero GT drove through the parking lot right in front of me.

And then, this morning on the way to work, I'm in the Sky with the top down, thinking "I think I like this as much as my Fiero". Five seconds later, a beautiful red 88 GT pulls up along side of me !

There aren't that many Fieros around anymore, but whenever I start to think I can be happy without one, somebody drives by with one to say "No, you can't."

Though I have to say, it didn't hurt as much this time, as when I had the Celica.

[lorennerol]

Originally Posted by KappaMan

I own two... like MANY fiero owners. Seems like we can't just own one...

That's because they only run 50% of the time, so having two gives the owner reasonable odds of having one roadworthy at any given time.



That said, I'm still trying to figure out how to affordably garage my 87 GT before my wife reminds me that I was supposed to sell it when the Redline arrived.

[SkyMan 08]

Originally Posted by lorennerol

That's because they only run 50% of the time, so having two gives the owner reasonable odds of having one roadworthy at any given time.



That said, I'm still trying to figure out how to affordably garage my 87 GT before my wife reminds me that I was supposed to sell it when the Redline arrived.

I have owned 3 Fieros, and only had one of them die on me, and that was when the timing chain broke, but I knew before it was about to go from the noise it was making. I kept putting off changing it out until one day
I was driving along and it just died.....
otherwise they have always proven to me to be very reliable...

note: all mine have been V6 models 86 SE, 88 Formula, and an 85 GT.

[mbeardsley]

The only problem I had (before the car got totalled), was the manual transmission blew apart at 59K miles.

They replaced the whole thing under the 60K power-train warrenty!

It ran fine for over 60K more miles until its end.

[lorennerol]

At 112,000 miles and being driven infrequently, I've had mine in the shop quite a lot ($3000 last year alone). It's missing on one cylinder again now and needs to go back in.

The good news is that I found a place to park it today!

L

[KappaMan]

Well, the iron duke - no matter what you do to it - is nearly indestructable. I have seen this motor outlast TWO late '80's FWD bodies (both grand ams) at over 225,000 on the motor...


I have that motor, and fear the same thing... sure, the body is plastic, but the clearcoat molts off the panels

And they made the brake lines out of... mild steel. Last I knew, mild steel in the presence of salt and condensation OXIDIZES! (RUSTS).


Yep - just recently, I pushed on the brake pedal and PFFFFFFF!, it goes to the floor, and I have only half the braking system. Got it home, put some fluid back in it, and pushed on the pedal - under the car, I can hear a "pssssssss.... pssssssss" every time I hit the pedal. A small pool of brake fluid appears under the car.

now, I gotta replace lines. I was lamenting these tales with another friend of mine, and he said "I should check mine too" (he ALSO has an 88 with the iron duke). Sure enough, the other day, I got a call.

"DUDE! You JINXED me!" Same thing, looks to be in a similar place. Rusted thru brakeline. He was pushing on his brakes to check it to make sure they seemed to be working, and they went "POPSssssss!".

So, lorennerol, CHECK YOUR BRAKE LINES TOO!

I think I'll replace mine with stainless mandrel-bent tubing...

[lorennerol]

Originally Posted by KappaMan

So, lorennerol, CHECK YOUR BRAKE LINES TOO!

Thanks for the heads up- the brakes on that car are bad enough when they work. Thankfully the car hasn't been anywhere where salt is used on the roads since the winter of 1990.

L

[SKY Spy]

Just so you all know, this weeks allocation of 3 SKYs where ordered WITHOUT having anyone ordering them. THis is the 1st time since the SKY was made available that we get to place an order for a SKY, any SKY that did NOT had a prospect individual behind it's specifications... A sad day indeed for us. We have fulfilled our back log of SKYs and we will have a few come in in the next 2 months WITHOUT any owners already assigned to them... Shame!!!

Regards,

BA...

[SKYRCKT]

Originally Posted by SKY Spy

Just so you all know, this weeks allocation of 3 SKYs where ordered WITHOUT having anyone ordering them. THis is the 1st time since the SKY was made available that we get to place an order for a SKY, any SKY that did NOT had a prospect individual behind it's specifications... A sad day indeed for us. We have fulfilled our back log of SKYs and we will have a few come in in the next 2 months WITHOUT any owners already assigned to them... Shame!!!

Regards,

BA...

Man that's hard to believe based on the comments that I get about the car. I have personally been responsible for three sales since I got my car in May; got the lead money from the dealer to prove it too!

[OlSkyDriver]

Originally Posted by SKY Spy

Just so you all know, this weeks allocation of 3 SKYs where ordered WITHOUT having anyone ordering them. THis is the 1st time since the SKY was made available that we get to place an order for a SKY, any SKY that did NOT had a prospect individual behind it's specifications... A sad day indeed for us. We have fulfilled our back log of SKYs and we will have a few come in in the next 2 months WITHOUT any owners already assigned to them... Shame!!!

Regards,

BA...

I don't find that sad at all. It just means that some lucky buyers will not have to wait months to be driving one of the most fun cars GM has made in years. I bought mine off the dealer floor last Dec. Just in the right place at the right time. Heard the dealer had one in his showroom, but that it was sold. Called anyway, and learned the buyer could not get financing for it. Gave him my credit card # to hold it, and picked it up the next day. The dealer was 85 miles away, but I didn't care. Had a beautiful new car, with no wait.

[Rick Tinley Park]

Originally Posted by SKY Spy

Just so you all know, this weeks allocation of 3 SKYs where ordered WITHOUT having anyone ordering them. THis is the 1st time since the SKY was made available that we get to place an order for a SKY, any SKY that did NOT had a prospect individual behind it's specifications... A sad day indeed for us. We have fulfilled our back log of SKYs and we will have a few come in in the next 2 months WITHOUT any owners already assigned to them... Shame!!!

Regards,

BA...

It does not surprise me TOO much. Face it there is a finite market for this car (estimated at about 120,000) and with the competition dividing up the market (Miata, pre SOL/SKY accounted for 40% of the market), saturation would hit. Now does that mean NO MORE SKYs will be sold? Of course not -- but some areas had 07 backlogs and some places I bet are still working on them. The word is still out there - but other than a quick appearance of a SOL in a Pontiac commercial, it is strictly word of mouth. So it’s natural that once the clamor is done (I suspect things will settle by end of 08 model year) that Sky will find how much of the roadster market they claim. The big thing is to keep it. For a new car model that is tough. Say 25,000 are sold in the first three years. Most likely there will be minor trade-in for at least 2 years. Once a car hits 5 years it is more likely to be traded. So any additional sales AFTER 3 years will be new customers (advertising etc) and people upgrading.
I don't know what the % of market GM feels is right (let us say for arguments sake 10% or 12,000 units a year). I'd have to say even in the best of markets sustaining that for the 2-3 years after the initial sales will be hard. The REAL test is at 5 years. Will people trade in - rebuy? Will more and more people defect from the "old school" models and pick up on the new kid?
It will be interesting to see...

[Ahnuld]

Originally Posted by SKY Spy

Just so you all know, this weeks allocation of 3 SKYs where ordered WITHOUT having anyone ordering them. THis is the 1st time since the SKY was made available that we get to place an order for a SKY, any SKY that did NOT had a prospect individual behind it's specifications... A sad day indeed for us. We have fulfilled our back log of SKYs and we will have a few come in in the next 2 months WITHOUT any owners already assigned to them... Shame!!!

Regards,

BA...

I think a new wave of buyers will come in.... the "If ya want one be prepared to wait 6-9 months" comment has become legendary, to the point of turning away buyers before they show up at the d-ship. If a few are sitting on the lots.. people will start coming into the showrooms and grab'em