GM's Campaign Against Aluminum

[FishOnOne]

Pretty interesting marketing strategy...

Link

[Bedlam]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
In fact my 11 RAM Dually had a very high trade in value. Paid $51,560 and was given 38K with 65K on the clock. So owning my truck for 3.5 years and drove it for 65K and it only cost me 13K+ ain't too shabby.

You put a big smile on my face after I read your post. I sold my 10 year old F250 6.0 PSD with 110K+ miles for $13k less than original purchase price even after tax and license fees (it was not financed). I understand you got a larger percentage back of your purchase than I did (I'm not knocking your resale), but my cost of ownership made this worthwhile purchase for me.

Sorry for the derailment and back to the topic of Alcoa based trucks: Isn't GM insulting their own customers by trying to highlight the inferiority of aluminum over steel cages in their commercial? I've seen plenty of aluminum structures that would prevent the bear from getting to them yet weigh much less than their steel counterpart - Isn't that the real point?

[Ryan_Elli1]

So does this mean GM will go back to using cast iron for many of their engine blocks and heads?

[hone_eagle]

DirtyOil wrote:
Ford says they use "Military Grade Aluminum"... what grade is it that they use?

6061 T6 I believe , most common in marine applications.

[LowRyter]

Fordlover wrote:

LowRyter wrote:
Corvette has an aluminum frame. Makes me wonder why Ford didn't use aluminum on the new Mustang.

I don't know, but I suspect it has something to do with price.
Mustang starts at about 24 grand. Vette starts around 55 grand, well more than double the base mustang price.

To OP.
The ad by GM is genius marketing. Just hope it doesn't turn out like Ram's commercials in ~2012 when they were bragging their trucks didn't need DEF. Then, a few months later the 13's required DEF.

Ram Commercial

Then are Ford trucks $55k?

[DakotaDad]

DirtyOil wrote:
Ford says they use "Military Grade Aluminum"... what grade is it that they use?

Near as I can tell... 😉

[DirtyOil]

Ford says they use "Military Grade Aluminum"... what grade is it that they use?

[FishOnOne]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Fordlover wrote:

LowRyter wrote:
Corvette has an aluminum frame. Makes me wonder why Ford didn't use aluminum on the new Mustang.

I don't know, but I suspect it has something to do with price.
Mustang starts at about 24 grand. Vette starts around 55 grand, well more than double the base mustang price.

To OP.
The ad by GM is genius marketing. Just hope it doesn't turn out like Ram's commercials in ~2012 when they were bragging their trucks didn't need DEF. Then, a few months later the 13's required DEF.

Ram Commercial

And RAM sold a lot of trucks to people that did not want DEF. Don't see the big deal.

In fact my 11 RAM Dually had a very high trade in value. Paid $51,560 and was given 38K with 65K on the clock. So owning my truck for 3.5 years and drove it for 65K and it only cost me 13K+ ain't too shabby.

That's not too good either!

The big deal was this jerk was down playing DEF when the RAM 4500/5500 truck had it and the '13 were going to be rolling out with
DEF as well.

Link

[Cummins12V98]

Fordlover wrote:

LowRyter wrote:
Corvette has an aluminum frame. Makes me wonder why Ford didn't use aluminum on the new Mustang.

I don't know, but I suspect it has something to do with price.
Mustang starts at about 24 grand. Vette starts around 55 grand, well more than double the base mustang price.

To OP.
The ad by GM is genius marketing. Just hope it doesn't turn out like Ram's commercials in ~2012 when they were bragging their trucks didn't need DEF. Then, a few months later the 13's required DEF.

Ram Commercial

And RAM sold a lot of trucks to people that did not want DEF. Don't see the big deal.

In fact my 11 RAM Dually had a very high trade in value. Paid $51,560 and was given 38K with 65K on the clock. So owning my truck for 3.5 years and drove it for 65K and it only cost me 13K+ ain't too shabby.

[FishOnOne]

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
Who makes a Titan truck? new name for me.

chevman

I thought you were the "chevman"???

never heard of or maybe even looked at that truck. It would seem to be hard on the body sitting over the tires. The other post explained it so I thank him. Someday I will know everything.

chevman

First person at a wreck for sure! Air ride seat helped. They had a wrap around dash that came around and down the center of the cab. Quite advanced for it's day. Chris

These trucks are new to me too. I do recall GM had their own "General" branded trucks IIRC.

[Me_Again]

larry barnhart wrote:

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
Who makes a Titan truck? new name for me.

chevman

I thought you were the "chevman"???

never heard of or maybe even looked at that truck. It would seem to be hard on the body sitting over the tires. The other post explained it so I thank him. Someday I will know everything.

chevman

First person at a wreck for sure! Air ride seat helped. They had a wrap around dash that came around and down the center of the cab. Quite advanced for it's day. Chris

[Terryallan]

Me I don't care. I can't afford any of the new trucks. 40+K for a truck is just stupid. I have my last truck. I just hope it lasts as long as I do

[ksss]

thomasmnile wrote:
I drove a number of aluminum body fire apparatus. Emergency One of Ocala, Florida introduced them to the market in the mid 1970's. In the beginning, I recall issues with paint adhesion to the body panels, corrosion issues with fasteners where the body panels attached to the steel truck chassis, and cracking of the hose body section of the truck. Over time all have must have been addressed since E1 is still in business and sells a lot of fire apparatus. My former department has been purchasing them for over 30 years now and they hold up well.

Think GM is just trying to stop the bleeding in their half ton market share since all the auto media I read says Ford can't build F-150's fast enough to meet demand.............

You may want to catch up on current events. Market share is increasing and they are currently putting the wood to Ford in sales.

[mosseater]

You can take this for what you paid for it, but my salesman at my dealership keeps me supplied with the latest Ford market info and he says Ford is in deep with aluminum. They have a complete facility from Bauxite to finished product and they have jerked the supply rug out from under several other producers.

[hone_eagle]

link

"If Iam a GM engineer Iam saying to the marketing people you know we are working on a alloy body too right?"

[FishOnOne]

Here's another funny video. Chevy is definitely on the attack campaign like it was against Fords "Man Step" and RAM "Heated Steering Wheel" before the bail out days which were hilarious too. A few years later GM introduces a "Step on the Bumper" and a "Heated Steering Wheel".

Link