Hidden Gremlins

One of GM's engineering marvels in the 60's were hidden headlights, or more specifically, hide away headlights. Starting in 1963, Chevrolet used them on their newly restyled Corvette and they became more or less a styling fixture for the car. Prior to the hide aways found on '68 Pontiacs, GM offered them on the 1967 Camaro. The main difference between the '67 and '68 systems is that the '67 systems were equipped with electric headlight door motors, versus vacuum operated for '68 on up. A lot of work went into engineering these early systems, as anyone who has ever worked on them can attest. I can now put myself into that latter catagory, as I recently had the pleasure (?) of diagnosing and repairing a hidden headlight system on a '67 Camaro.

They look great all closed up which is the way these wanted to stay - permanently.

The first thing I had to do was track down a wiring diagram for the Camaro's headlight system. This is easier said then done. Wiring diagrams or schematics are essential in helping to diagnose problems and locate components. After some heavy duty searching I managed to locate a really nice schematic drawing of the 67's unique hide away headlight system. Pouring over the diagram I discovered that it contained no less then four relays and two breaker type fuses. These "fuses" are unique because instead of blowing out like a conventional fuse, they act more like a circuit breaker in a house electrical panel. When the load across them becomes too great it heats up a bi-metal spring contact which separates and breaks the connection. After some initial testing for voltage at the headlight motors, I decided I would start with these fuses, as it seemed to be a power problem (or lack of) that was keeping the Camaro's headlights from working.

As it turned out, one of the fuses was bad. These puppies were rated at 30 amps so they can usually handle a load pretty well. I took it apart and it looked like it got really hot on the inside, almost like it was shorted out. Because these are a stud type breaker you can't exactly find replacements at the local parts store, so I had to get creative. I used a heavy duty, weather tight, 30 amp spade type fuse holder and crimped an eyelet on each end to go over the studs on the breaker. The breaker might not be any good anymore but it would serve as a mount for the inline holder. I ruled out a short in the system so what could have drawn over 30 amps to cook the original breaker? The only component capable of doing that was the headlight motor, but the owner told me they were both brand new. Now what?

More testing was needed to determine what caused the breaker to fail. Plus, after installing the new fuse, only one headlight motor started working. Well, at least it was half way fixed! After I applied 12 volts directly to the non-working motor it still wouldn't work, so I had no choice but to remove it. The only problem is that in order to get to the electric motor you have to take out the entire headlight bucket assembly. Now I know why shops charge so much for electrical work! I also realized that I don't charge enough...

Once the motor was out and on my work bench, I took it apart to see if maybe one of the brushes broke or something. Everything looked good inside the motor but I knew it didn't work so something had to be wrong. I decided to test the armature and that's where I found the problem. The motor was either shorted out or got stuck while under power and it burned up the thin wires going from the commutator to the armature windings. With the breaker taking the brunt of this it's no wonder it failed. A new motor was ordered and on it's way, but would that solve all of this Camaro's headlight problems? In a word, no!

Once the new motor was hooked up I quickly discovered what burned up the other motor. You see, on the 67's headlight system there are limit switches, two per side. Their purpose is to kill the voltage to the motor (via the relay and aforementioned fuse) when the headlight door is in either the open or closed position. On this particular side the limit switch for the closed position was out of adjustment causing the motor to run continuously. The original motor probably overheated and the resulting amp draw damaged the breaker and fried the motor's armature. After the limit switch was properly adjusted, the Camaro's headlight system worked perfectly - well, almost. In my experience, electrical systems usually have more then one problem and this one was no exception.

 The last item the car suffered from was a dim headlight, one that I was told had plagued the Camaro for awhile. Changing out the headlight did not work, so I had to go back to the drawing board, literally. After pouring over the schematic and double checking all the connections, I discovered a ground lug that had been cut from the headlight harness. Apparently someone was in a hurry when they removed it at one time or another and never bothered to hook it back up. A word to the wise - grounds exist for a reason! Hook them up and don't feed the Gremlins!

New Old Stock

I am sure most of you have heard the acronym "NOS". To some folks it stands for the popular power adder Nitrous Oxide Systems while others know it as New Old Stock, as referenced in auto parts. The only difference is you say the letters individually instead of as a word. NOS parts are old, original parts that happen to still be new. New is a relative term here because with NOS, it just means that is was new back when it was originally made. In the case of, lets say a Pontiac, this means a GM badged part ( Delco, AC, PMD, Harrision, etc.) that has a GM part number on the box. In spite of being brand new and unused, a NOS part could be in any condition, due to shelf wear, age, weather damage, poor original quality, or other circumstances. As we all know, not all parts stay "new" with age. Some deteriorate and others are replaced with superior, and sometimes safer, designs. NOS also has a little brother named NORS, otherwise known as New Old Replacement Stock. This is a brand new, unused part made by (or boxed as) someone other than the vehicle's original manufacturer. For the Pontiac example, this would mean a non-GM part. Having worked as a parts store counterman for over 15 years back in the day, I am very familiar with aftermarket replacment parts. From time to time I would even find an OEM part in the box! This was because the aftermarket companies would buy their parts from the OEMs when they were unable to get it from their regular supplier. In some instances, the replacement part may be of higher quality than the original GM part due to more modern materials or a superior design. Old merchandise from the attic or back room of the local auto parts store (such as Moog, TRW, Fram, etc.) is considered NORS.

Imagine if you could buy your favorite classic car as NOS. Yeah, I know, you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery then finding an NOS vehicle. Sure, there have been "time capsule" cars go across the auction block with a few hundred miles on them, but how many of those rare finds would qualify as "new old stock"? Most of these cars have hundreds if not thousands of miles on them and obviously have been sitting a very long time in who knows what kind of conditions.

Here is an example of a "time capsule" car discovered recently by the auction house Gooding & Co. I think this would also qualify as a barn find, albeit probably the last all original, un-restored 1964 Shelby Cobra literally sitting in a barn!






Photo: Gooding & Co



Yes, I would have love to discovered that Cobra, even though it's not NOS. Although it is pretty darn close, with less then 1000 original miles purported to be on it. I'm leaning toward barn find on this one because when I think of a "time capsule", I feel that the object should be in a sealed container or sarcophagus or something. While on the subject, undoubtedly the most famous time capsule car was the '57 Plymouth Belvedere that was buried in a concrete tomb back in 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, when the car was unearthed, it looked like the stearn section off of the Titanic. Apparently, the lid of the concrete tomb that was built for the Plymouth was porous concrete instead of structural concrete. This makes a big difference when it comes to keeping the inner contents dry. My guess is they were trying to save weight because the lid had to be hoisted into place. Gee, a couple 5 gallon buckets of Henry Roof Cement would have done a world of good here.

 
 
 
 
 
The same car.... only rustier!



(AP Photo)





 
 
 
 
 
See, what did I tell you? Titanicville! The only thing this boat is missing is coral.
 
 
 
 
(AP Photo)


It seems to me that time capsule vehicles don't exactly live up to their name, unless the final objective is dirt and rust! I doubt that I will ever find a true NOS vehicle, so I guess I'll have to settle for the next best thing. What's that you ask? Well, it's what I call "NOD", as in New Old Design. Currently, there are three NOD cars being made, and unless you have just landed on this planet, you have either heard of or seen all three.

First on the list of NOD vehicles is the 2011 Ford Mustang. Way cool retro styling combined with high horsepower and good gas mileage make for a great combination. I'm talking 19 city / 29 highway miles per gallon from a 3.7L V-6! 305 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at and the 6 speed automatic gives you the best of both an automatic and manual trans. Want a 5.0? It's back and meaner then ever with double overhead cams, 32 valves and 412 horsepower. When you sit in the drivers seat the view of the instrument panel is pure 1967. Totally classic.

NOD vehicle number two is the Chevrolet Camaro. Chevy started the horsepower war last year with their 300 horse V-6. Not to be outdone by Ford in 2011, Chevy upped the ante of their 3.6L V-6 to 312 horsepower. MPG is rated at 17 city and 28 highway. A 6.2L 16 valve V-8 is also available with 426 horsepower. Ironic horsepower number, isn't it? Unfortunately, when you sit in the drivers seat the first item that you seem to notice is the overly chunky steering wheel and then the squarish instrument pods that look somewhat like a 1969's dash, only throughly more modern. To me, the new Camaro looks only vaguely like the '69 model that inspired it.

NOD number three is none other then the Dodge Challenger. Dodge has done an incredible job designing (or should I say coping) the new Challenger. Out of all the NOD vehicles, the Challenger looks the most like the '70 model that it was designed after. This car is so close to the original that it could almost pass for a time capsule car. V-6 engine specs are almost identical to the Mustangs, but the claim to fame here is the legendary Hemi engine. None of the other production V-8's even come close to the optional 6.4L Hemi's 470 horsepower and 470 foot pounds of torque. Out of all three cars, the Challenger is the most expensive, but nobody said horsepower was cheap.

As you can tell, I did a bit of research on today's modern muscle cars. Partially for fun but mainly because I was in the market for a new vehicle. With the kids now being young adults, I felt like it was time for a sportier car, and I managed to narrow my choices down to the three aformentioned vehicles. I guess I was a little burned out on SUVs and four doors. Like all of my vehicle purchases, I throughly investigated my potential acquisition, although this time I had to factor in that my better half would be driving this new car the majority of the time. So which NOD muscle car won out?

Behold the new 2011 Ford Mustang









This car totally reminds me of my red '67 Mustang fastback that I use to own many years ago...

My 1967 looked just like this one except mine was a 390, 4 speed car. It's total déjà vu when I drive the 2011 Mustang, maybe not so much on the torque side, but the horsepower is about the same! You gotta love technology.






Ford sure has done their homework on this one. My only complaint about the Mustang is that I don't get to drive it enough. If I'm lucky enough I will remedy that situation later this year with the addition of another Mustang. That's right, I am so impressed with the new Mustang that I would buy another one! Or maybe I'll buy a restored '67 fastback just like the one I use to have. Or maybe I can find an NOS Mustang that has been buried with a dehumidifier in a time capsule that was coated in roofing tar. Hey, you never know, it could happen. They found a Shelby Cobra buried in a barn, right? I better go check my lottery tickets...

Wine Me, Dine Me, 1969 Me

OK, I know what you're thinking so get your mind out of the gutter. This blog is G rated and it's all about what I consider to be one of the greatest years in the muscle car era - 1969. To start things off and also make me feel sorry for myself, here are some '69 models that I use to own at one time or another:


1969 Chevelle Malibu (3 total)

1969 Chevelle SS 396, 4-spd

1969 GTO w/400, 4-spd

1969 Firebird Convertible w/400

1969 Grand Prix model SJ w/428

1969 Mustang Grande w/390

1969 Camaro (2 total)


I wish I would have had the hindsight to keep at least one of these, but that's the way the valve spring bounces. You know what they say, if we only knew then what we know now. Well, at least I can write about them. Let's take a trip back to 1969 and see what was offered.

1969 was a banner year for automakers. Believe it or not, only the AMC Ambassador and one model of Cadillac came standard with air-conditioning, even though it was ordered by the majority of buyers that year. This was also the year for major safety developments. Ford designed it's chassis so that its front would crumble at a controlled rate in an accident, protecting the occupants prior to the so-called "second collision". We now refer to this as crumple zones.
GM's safety contribution was guard rails that were imbedded in the sides of their full-size cars which were designed to deflect penetration by another car. Other less known facts from '69: Chevrolet offered an optional headlight washing system along with rear window defrosters on several makes, Pontiac offered the first radio antenna to be embedded in the front windshield, and several nameplates could be ordered with factory electric sunroofs, albeit at a substantial cost.



Here are some highlights of what was "new" for 1969 mid-size and sport coupes as compared to their previous year models:



1969 Falcon - Smaller fender lights, more spartan interior, and addition of a front disc brake system option. Top engine offered: 302 cid (210 hp)



1969 Nova - A pair of transmissions including the Torque-Drive, simulated fender scoops, instrument cluster, ignition lock, and no more Chevy II moniker. Top engine offered: 350 cid (300 hp)



1969 Rambler - No more convertible, "suspended" accelerator pedal, cable throttle linkage, and no more hard rubber batteries, as the transparent polypropylene battery case makes its debut. A Hurst option was also offered in mid-69, complete with big block power, 4-speed and ram-air induction. A plethora of performance options were available under "Group 19". Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)



1969 Valiant - Full width grill, front disc brake option on all models, single tail lights, and door lock relocation. Top engine offered: 318 cid (230 hp)



1969 Belvedere - A convertible option, longer wagons, 2-way tailgate, a special ram-air package for the Hemi and 440, a "mod-top", 15 inch styled steel wheels, and a redesigned front end. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)




1969 Chevelle - Precision molded plastic grill, wider bumpers, ventilation for rocker panels, and power door locks. Top engine offered: 396 cid (350 hp)

1969 Coronet - Driver controlled ram-air, 318 cubic inch V-8, bucket seats that could be adjusted 160 different ways, and automatic speed control; AKA cruise control. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)

1969 Fairlane - Long stroke 6 cylinder, vinyl roof, "Cobra" performance package, two styles of wheels, trunk mounted battery, and "comfort weave" interior. Top engine offered: 427 cid (390 hp)

1969 Montego - A new grill, second generation emission control, dual action tailgate on station wagon, torque box on each wheel, 60 pounds of insulation and a locking differential. Top engine offered: 427 cid (390 hp)

1969 Cutlass - Turbo hydra-matic 350 transmission, 4-speed option and 2-way tailgate for station wagons, grills specific to each series, and no exhaust manifold heat valve. Top engine offered: 400 cid (360 hp)

1969 Rebel - New plastic grill, larger tail and back-up light package, "command air" ventilation system, redesigned instrument panel, and America's only overdrive. Top engine offered: 343 cid (280 hp)

1969 Special - Three grills for Special, Skylark and GS, 4-way power seats, GS 350 performance package, no vent windows, and a pedestrian warning light system. Top engine offered: 400 cid (340 hp)

1969 Tempest - A "wider track", new bumper, tail light and grill design, full instrumentation with hood mounted tach, functional ram-air scoops, special "Judge" option, ram-air IV engine available, and Hurst linkage no longer offered. Top engine offered: 400 cid (366 hp)

1969 AMX - Aluminized dual exhaust system, wide oval tires, larger 8000 rpm tachometer, 140 mph speedometer, and 4-speed transmission standard. Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)

1969 Barracuda - Numerous changes in the grill, hood, and rear deck design, rectangular running lights, "Formula S" and "Cuda 340" performance packages, and a yellow flower print vinyl top option. Top engine offered: 383 cid (330 hp)

1969 Camaro - A little longer and wider then previous Camaros, new front grill design, 4-wheel disc brake option, torque drive semi-automatic transmission, engine block heater, rally wheels, simulated rear brake scoops, "endura" front bumper used on RS option, and an all new instrument panel. Top engine offered: 396 cid (350 hp)

1969 Charger - A "non-tunnel" fastback model called the "500" with a Hemi engine, 6-cylinder engine option, wood paneled dash and round gauges, electric sun roof, and a full choice of axle ratios. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)

1969 Corvette - Blacked out grilles, restyled tail lights, 4-wheel disc brakes standard, only production engine built that exceeds 1 hp per cubic inch, and a factory installed burglar alarm. Top engine offered: 427 cid (435 hp)

1969 Cougar - All new sheet metal, new grill, larger trunk and gas tank, fail-safe headlight covers, a convertible option, and a special scooped hood with hood pins when you ordered the ram-air option. Top engine offered: 428 cid (335 hp)

1969 Firebird - Redesigned front end, simulated air exhausts on front fenders, new instrument panel, full ignition locking system, "Sprint" option with an SOHC 6-cylinder engine, first year for "Trans Am" option, and a rubberized "endura" front bumper with a chrome center section. Top engine offered: 400 cid (340 hp)

1969 Javelin - Trans-Am inspired suspension, cable throttle linkage, Hurst transmission linkage, bigger V-8 available, and factory speed equipment available at the dealerships. Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)

1969 Mustang - All new exterior sheet metal, dual headlights, ventless side glass, "Mach I" and "Grande" options offered, 3 inch wider interior, trunk mounted battery option, and new "traction-Lok" differential available. Top engine offered: 428 cid (335 hp)

That about wraps up my trip down memory lane. I know I left out the full size cars but I thought my list was pretty extensive as-is. Besides, I didn't want to bore you to death. Next up, you can look forward to my latest article titled "1979 - The last year of non-computerized cars" Just kidding, it's actually called "Front wheel drive performance machines of the 80's - Why you can't do a Rockford in a Citation" LOL!

If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now

Wouldn't it be cool to go back to High School knowing what you know now? Kind of like Michael J Fox did in Back To The Future. Street racing? I would have taken it to the tracks. (back then there were plenty) Auto shop? I would have paid more attention to my teacher, Mr. Love. Sports? I would have actually played some to remedy my dislike for them today. Cruising on Saturday night? I would have stayed out later and had more fun. Friends? I would have made more, lot's more. Heck, anyone got a Delorean they want to sell?

Sad to say I have only stayed in contact with a few friends that I knew when I was in High School. Ironically, most of them did not even go to my High School. One of my best friends was a fellow gear head like myself, and also a Pontiac lover. I have owned almost every make of car but my favorite by far has always been Pontiac. Many, many years ago my dad owned a '58 Starchief and I have a picture floating around somewhere of me sitting on the rear quarter when I was about 7 years old. Right after the picture was taken I actually remember breaking off the antenna! Boy was my dad mad!


In my youth, my life was void of Pontiacs until my friend Duane showed me his dad's '67 GTO. It had been stored in his Grandfather's garage for upteen years just waiting for when he turned 16. Can you imagine giving a 1967 Pontiac GTO, 400 V-8 with a 4-speed to a 16 year old? Yea right, ain't gonna happen today. We lived in a different world back then and things were just different. (they were, weren't they?) If my memory serves me right, I don't think the original motor lasted very long after Duane took possession of it. I'm sure it was old and wore out and had nothing to do with the fact the the driver was 16 years old. Really... honest... it could happen. Anyways, the motor needed rebuilding and we needed the experience, so out came the motor.

Back then rebuilding motors did not seem like that big of a deal. I remember putting every paycheck into my motors. You know what? They would get done real quick. Maybe it was the fact that we didn't have any real bills so most of our money could go right into our projects. When Duane's motor was done I was there to help install it. Putting in a new motor always brought everyone together. The more hands the merrier, especially if you were dealing with headers.







Believe it or not, that's me circa 1980 standing on the fender of my friend's GTO! Oops, I don't think any of us would do that today.







Live and learn. These cars were almost a dime a dozen back then. We use to see literally dozens of them in the local junkyards. Imagine running across junked GTOs, engines intact, some still sporting their tri-powers! Yes, we removed quite a few tri-powers from junk yard cars. You don't even want to know about the '69 Judge that got turned into a dirt track car, or the '69 GTO that I scrapped out just because I got tired of seeing it in the yard... My '67 factory 400, 4-speed Firebird that I traded for a Plymouth... My '68 GTO 400, 4-speed car that I sold to a friend on payments... all the tri-powers... Ram Air motors... 421 Super Duty factory cast iron headers... excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick.






We finally got the motor all in and hooked up. Awww, there is nothing like your first rebuilt motor. Believe it or not, my friend still has this GTO.








Although my first car was nothing to brag about, my second car was the one I wish I still had. I went from a 4 cylinder Triumph motor to a small block Chevy. The first time I mashed the pedal down on that 307 V-8 I was hooked. Talk about a cream puff, the car only had 28k original miles on it when I bought it. I literally bought it from a little old lady, only she wasn't from Pasadena, she was from down the street. I remember it still had the original spark plug wires, cap and rotor. This car was so grandma stock it was sick. After years of extracting as much horse power as possible from the 307, I decided to put a big block and a Muncie 4-speed in it. The engine of choice was a .030 over 396, better known as a 402. This was one wicked sounding big block. I'll never forget the night I got it running. In my haste to make it to the local cruise spot, I left the hood off and just bolted the mufflers directly to the headers. Man was this thing loud! I had also managed to tuck P295/50/15 BFG Radial T/A's under the rear on special offset Weld Racing wheels. These were the largest radial tire made at the time and it made the car look like it was mini-tubbed. I don't know what got more attention, the engine or the rear tires.
As I pulled into the Gemco parking lot it seemed like everybody turned to look at my car. (in reality there was probably a car load of half-naked chicks behind me) I had 90/10 shocks on the front and Moroso springs so all I had to do was goose the throttle a few times. With the big tires and all that available torque, it didn't take much for the front end to lift. No air but it sure looked good. I'll never forget the song that was playing on the stereo either. It was Loverboy's Working For The Weekend. Funny how we can relate songs to certain times in our lives.

Other cars that I wish I still had and could kick myself in the ass for selling include:
1970 Plymouth Road Runner, 440 with a 727 torque flight.
1969 Camaro, factory Hugger Orange with hocky stripes, 350 with a TH350.
1969 Chevelle SS396 with a 4-speed.
1968 Chevy II Nova SS 350 with a 4-speed
1967 Chevelle L-79 car, 327 with a 4-speed
1967 Chevelle 396 with a powerglide.
1969 GTO, 400 with a TH400 and his and hers shifter.
1968 GTO, 400 with a 4-speed.
1967 Firebird, 400 with a 4-speed
1967 Mustang, 390 with a 4-speed and a 9 inch rearend with a detroit locker.
1957 Chevy Belair hardtop, 327 with a 4-speed.
1955 Chevy Belair post, 396 with a Hooker conversion kit and a Muncie 4-speed.

Gosh, I never realized how many it was until I saw them all listed, and this doesn't even include all the varients of these cars that I owned. The last count was well over the hundred mark. Now I really am going to be sick. It's just like the title says: If we only knew then what we know now.




Here is my friend's car today. Still intact and recently running again with a fresh motor. Time has not been to kind on the exterior but the Pontiac is still wearing it's original paint. Duane suggested we recreate the original photo of us putting the motor in. I told him that I didn't want to crush his fender!









The car is safely tucked away from the damaging rays of the sun, rain, and prying eyes in a private hanger. Like all projects, time and money will determine when it's completed. As far as selling it, forget it. If it one thing we have learned it is the value of these muscle cars, and perhaps even more the value of our memories in them, which just might be priceless.

Have You Driven a Ford... Lately?

That tag line was one of the most popular that Ford Motor Company ever had. Not that I'm ever going to meet Mark Fields, but if I did I would tell him it's time to bring that slogan back. The timing is perfect for it, as are the current models. Have you seen the new Ford Taurus? How about the Mustang? Ok, so maybe you've seen them, but have you driven one? What are you waiting for, Chrysler to go bankrupt? Besides the "driven" slogan, I would also resurrect "Ford Has a Better Idea", complete with the light bulb that turns on. But instead the the old incandescent bulb, I would replace it with a compact flourscent so that it fits in the current green scene.








Check out this bad-ass Ford Taurus. Anyone wanna drive to the grocery store?

Now I have owned quite a few Fords over the years, but I'm not exactly a fanatic. The first V-8 car I ever drove just happened to be a '66 Mustang, and my first legit muscle car was a red '67 Mustang fastback, 390 with a top loader 4-speed and 9 inch rearend equipped with a Detroit Locker. My oldest vehicle was a '39 Ford pickup that I had inherited from my dad. He gave it to me on my 25th birthday and like an idiot I sold it a few years later. I also had a '64 Falcon Sprint that I bought from my Uncle. It was equipped with a 260 V-8, 2-speed auto, bucket seats and a factory tach. Throughout the years there were various Ford trucks and Mustangs, and I even had a Torino for awhile. Currently my stable is void of a Ford, but I hope to remedy that soon.

The new Ford Flex really caught my eye, it is one bitchin station wagon. Sorry, I don't consider it a crossover, FUV (family utility vehicle), or sport utility. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's usually a duck, or in this case a station wagon. My only complaint about the Flex is that Ford didn't name it Fairlane. I had heard that was one of the names they were considering, and given how square the vehicle is, it makes perfect sense. They could have also done a retro Fairlane look like they did with the Mustang. A two door Flex, how cool would that be?

So I will be looking for a new car in the near future, and it looks like it might be a Ford. Yes, a 2010 Camaro would be cool, but it looks to me like GM is going to have to declare bankruptcy. If I am laying out my hard earned cash for a new car I want to make sure the company that built it is going to be around for awhile, and not broken up into a million different entities. Also, I don't think the deal with Fiat and Chrysler is going to fly either, as there's really nothing in it for Fiat other then a failing dealer network to distribute their cars. Déjà vu anyone?