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Let's start up Geo manufacturing!
Topic Started: Jan 17 2011, 10:38 AM (664 Views)
BillHoo
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From the warped mind of BillHoo......


Once upon a time, there were 3 car manufacturing plants, joint venuteres by General Motors to learn how to make cars "the Japanese way".

One was in the cold north where GM teamed with CAMI Automotive
The other two in sunny California where GM worked with the NUMMI sisters.

Among the three, they made Geo Metros.

Throughout it's years of operation poor CAMI was the ugly stepsister that didn't make all the money that the NUMMI made. They were working on fancy projects with Toyota and Saturn, while CAMI worked with lumberjacks and people who said "eh" a lot and drank Molson beer.

One day, Papa GM took ill and could no longer feed the NUMMI factories that then withered and died. Only CAMI was left.

In the 2005 Harbour Report, CAMI was ranked No. 3 in truck assembly in the Small SUV category of the 45 auto assembly plants in North America.

CAMI currently manufactures the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain crossover utility vehicles for General Motors.

CAMI Automotive currently employs 2,772 employees. There are 570 acres (2.3 km2) of property as well as 1.7 million sq.ft. of floor space.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAMI_Automotive

How much money would we need to convince them to start cranking Geos on a private basis. Everyone has a price.

Figure if a new Geo cost $10K on the dealer floor, it must cost them about $3K to make right out of the factory.

We could request a run of four thousand 1989 XFi models for around 12 million dollars US.

Among our 4000 forum members, if we each contributed $3000.00 we would achieve that goal and each get a factory fresh Geo Metro to take to the next Geopalooza!

In the process, we could make them with stronger, rust resistent frames, plastic body panels that resist dents, more fuel efficient gearing and aerodynamic boat tails.

Anyone?
Edited by BillHoo, Jan 17 2011, 10:38 AM.
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bogs
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Duct tape heals all wounds

Well, considering the gauge of the metal used for the parts on a Metro, for 3k you could probably make all the parts that need to be replaced yourself :lol My guess is that it would cost you less than that to do a full rebuild on the engine /transmission, and you have the advantage of doing it over time so it doesn't take 3k out of your wallet.

From GM's point of view, it wouldn't be worth it at all.
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BillHoo
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Yea, but it would put 4000 more metros out on the road!

The visibility gets people thinking. Then they might want one too.

From what I've read, Geo Metro sales only went down when they rebadged the cars from Geo to Cheverolet. After which it wasn't worth it for GM to make the car.

In light of their recent financial woes, I would think that 12 million wouldn't be anything for them to sneeze at.

Just let us run the factory on weekends. I'm sure it's mostly automated and we can get enough forum members to volunteer in the building process.
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Jim-Bob
Junkyard Engineer

As wonderful as that all sounds it wouldn't work. If you make a new road-legal car for US roads it needs to pass US safety and emissions regs. The Metro can't pass muster with the current regulations. Also, it was not only CAMI that made parts for the Metro. There were several suppliers like Denso and Mitsubishi that also made parts for the cars. Thus, they too would need to get back in the Metro business ( unless they already were making these parts for the Pakistani Suzuki Cultus.)

We COULD have new body shells made though. Just be warned that it would not be cheap due to the cottage industry nature of the volume involved. Look at what BMH charges for a Mini shell-and British-Leyland/Rover gave them all of the presses and dyes when they stopped production of the originals! You could also look at Dynacorn (the company that manufactures new Camaro shells in the Far East). I think they get $15k for a new shell.
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superduty5.9
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Metro Defender

I don't think it would ever fly BillHoo, but if it were possible then I'd be right behind you! Also I thought the Metro was cut cause it couldn't meet up coming safety standards.
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jeff


Really like to see a KIT for a Metro.
One that would replicate the LOREMO.
Utilize OEM wiring loom & drive train componets.
Hey.......in Ohio there were Willys/S-10 kits.
Why not something for our Metros?
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