Parts Bin Car Challenge

"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
09/23/2016 at 20:42 • Filed to: None

So I guess everyone knows, the Solstice is a parts bin car, pretty much built with whatever GM can find off the shelf or ordered too many that week.

Some of the parts used:

Overall structural design is a shrunken Y-Body with a Cadillac CTS Sigma rear end

Engine, wheel bearings came from the Chevy Malibu

Transmission came from a Chevrolet Colorado

Body accessories came from the Fiat Barchetta (mirrors), Opel Corsa (seat frames), Chevrolet Cobalt (door handles, steering wheel, radio), Hummer H3 (air conditioning controls), Saab (forgot which model, but it was the cup holders), Pontiac Grand Prix (turn signals and fogs), GMC Envoy (reverse lights)

So I thought, this might make a good challenge for Oppo: if you were a car company executive designer, and was tasked at building a car as timely as possible using off the shelf parts only for an occasion, say an anniversary special for enthusiasts, how would you build one and what parts/components/platform would you use?

Only rule here is, you can pick one manufacturer (because you work for one employer), but can ONLY use parts from their existing cars (because the beancounters don’t want you working on this), and the design must be “sensible” (because you want it to be a viable product), i.e. no shoving Hellcat engines in Fiat 500s, which obviously won’t fit and no way to make the suspension able to handle it.

Get creative, Oppo....

DISCUSSION (16)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > 404 - User No Longer Available
09/23/2016 at 20:49

V6, awd, 2 door civic si.

Basically an acura sh-awd stuffed into a civic hatch thing. Compete with the RS and call it the CRX. Done. You’re welcome honda

404 - User No Longer Available > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/23/2016 at 20:55

Interesting idea, but won’t the V6 make it super nose heavy?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 404 - User No Longer Available
09/23/2016 at 20:55

Omega platform from CT6

High feature V6 and LT1

Chevy styling components and prices

10 speed automatic transmission form ZL1

Big comfy seats from the fullsize trucks

Call it the Caprice

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > 404 - User No Longer Available
09/23/2016 at 20:56

Maybe? The rear drive train would help some right.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/23/2016 at 21:01

It’s border line blasphemy to call that a CRX

404 - User No Longer Available > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/23/2016 at 21:02

Nice homage to the B-Body there... but seems like Omega might be too expensive for this application. I would probably throw in a column shifter too.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 404 - User No Longer Available
09/23/2016 at 21:04

Chevy uses Alpha from Cadillac so I don’t see why they couldn’t make omega work.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time
09/23/2016 at 21:04

I realize it has nothing to do with the old CRX but....... just work with me here.

404 - User No Longer Available > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/23/2016 at 21:08

I suppose it could work, assuming sufficient CT6s are sold already and development cost is recovered. I think that’s what happened before Chevrolet even got hold of Alpha.