Years ago I read ceramic engines would become a reality, I've read the U.S. military or govt. if you will has technology that's at least 50 years ahead of what the public gets. They seem to just release it slowly to the public. At any rate an aluminum block dissipates the heat better than a cast iron block but they are not as durable, but we'll call that progress.  Cadillac dropped the ball with the HT 4100 engine but they addressed the issues with that design and made the great 4.9L version but the N*star engine was a dud, why they deep sixed that engine design ? Just use the Corvette engine and keep the camshaft in the block were it belongs, the KISS principle ? I had one in a 1993 ETC and they made great power but they don't last for high mileage, decades ago 100K from a car was high mileage and a N*star engine will last that long but that's not progress, they made them better near the tail end of production. Don't get me started on the Ford Triton engines - they were junk but Ford dealt with their poor engineering issues, once they get it right it goes out of production - time to move on to another failure prone engine design. I was surprised to learn Chrysler had that plastic " thermoquad " carburetor and they will use plastic for any application they can but plastic has very little longevity, it breaks down eventually but who cares ? All products are " junkaway " in these times. I've seen patents for an incandescent bulb in 1900 or so that would last for 2,000 hours, make them last less hours and sell more product, keep the factory running.

 I don't think any new car has a cast iron block anymore. These day the engines aren't intended to be rebuilt IMO but like elbows everyone has one so that's just my opinion.

Porter

Ford ha an all plastic engine in the 80's that was under development. With the composite materials that we have today it will just be a matter of time until they hit the market.

GJ

Some stunningly beautiful body styling, that was always GM's / Cadillac's bread and butter if you will plus superior technology. Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell knew that styling sells cars. I've seen black Kia's and Hyundai's that look like a MB. BMW has their signature grille as Cadillac does but BMW has tons of plastic junk under the hood that all fails in due time ! WTH are they doing ? It took a long time to make reliable aluminum block engines, same deal with the plastic parts - plastic intake manifolds ? When will they come out with the plastic engine ! Don't laugh and don't be surprised if they do. The funny thing is the 1926 Cadillac hearse guy the original engine in that car had an aluminum block ! They had OHV engines 100 years ago, I'm not sold on the OH camshaft design myself.

GM was on the respirator and they got a new lease on life, they had to get back on top of their game in order to survive. You have to be a world class player in these times to sell your product, GM has been working hard to get there, only the strong survive in these times. GM has restored their perception of world class quality and they really lost that for awhile, Delorean saw the writing on the wall with GM, building junk just to drive profits, that's a plan for extinction in these times.

Porter

 Oh that CT-6v!

 Mike

Unleashing the new body styles like the show cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXNNuFGtG8w

Porter

The intake manifold is dry and secured by 10 bolts at 89 in. lbs. (known to require periodic tightening); the gaskets are normally re-usable.  The passenger side can be tilted-up to gain access to the wiring harness for repair.  Some manage to do starter replacements in under an hour and without disconnecting any fuel lines.  This generation of Northstar has a flexible coupling between the intake and the throttle body that's known to develop splits in the bottom area over time, resulting in a vacuum leak, so I may replace this inexpensive part as preventative maintenance when I get around to it.  The P0327 doesn't cause any driveability issues, and if an emission test was required, passing would be no problem since the knock sensor signal test is only triggered at over 3000 RPM.

 How tough is it to get that out to repair?

The car is also nice to look at.

RON

 Elizabeth Taylor

Bill Mitchell took over what Harley Earl created, great styling and that sells product. Once they put Roger B. Smith in charge the bean counters took over, GM was basically selling appliances at that point. They bought an H. Ross Perot company and gave him a seat on the board, he told them they were going in the wrong direction so they got rid of him, GM lost Six billion dollars in 1990 ! and even the Corvette was considered to be dropped from the product line, Perot was incensed that they showed the CEO Bob Stemple the door and Perot said Stemple was a fine engineer.

Anyway I liked the last model Camaro before they dropped that, and the first new retro version was nice but I don't care for the latest version, all the new cars have angry nasty looking front ends. You can't touch these new front " bumpers " if you want to call them that without damaging them ! Huh, what is the point ?

I think the new cars are over styled but all look alike with the wind tunnel styling for MPG, too complicated and over engineered, but after all its a junk-away appliance now.  The new cars are like a home entertainment center now: Nav screen, satellite radio, OnStar, bluetooth, remote start, memory seats, key fob or push button starting, video screens, electric sliding doors and folding seats, cameras, fly by wire throttle, magnetic suspensions,  etc. what did I miss ? Wait another 10-20 years and it will get insane. Slowly they have made the new cars electronically controlled, the electric drive if the final frontier, maybe that's a good thing.

Porter