Is Chevy Simply buying its Silverado sales gains?

[Jaybridge88]

Like several guys here - I shopped at least … six different Chevy Dealers {plus 3 different Ford Dealers}. The 3 Ford Dealerships were pretty good to deal with, but none of them could find the exact configuration that I wanted. Double Cab with 6.5’ bed, the right engine and drivetrain, the right Trailer Towing options. The Chevy Dealers with one exception - were staffed with Rank Amateurs and/or complete assholes. The one exception was at the Dealership in St.Petersburg, FL. Great to deal with, but the problem was his Dealership didn’t have the exact truck I wanted to buy.

 

Finally - I arrived at Chevy Dealership number 7. Completely different story. Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton, FL. Every person at that Dealership that I came into contact with - was excellent. From the first contact with their Internet Sales Manager, to the Salesman that met me at the Dealership and took the time to show me every truck in inventory.. LOL - to the Sales Manager that put together an Out The Door Price on the truck I selected - to the Receptionist on the Showroom floor, the F&I guy and the Service Manager… every person happy, bright, knowledgeable and helpful - and most of all - really GLAD TO SEE ME.

 

I picked out a truck that the Dealership had already installed a bed liner in - and running boards on. I didn’t want them, and they took them off at once. No hassle, no BS no problem. After the sale was completed and I was waiting on the truck - - I decided to walk over to the "Get Ready Shop: or "lot Detail Shop"? where they were removing the unwanted parts. … Strike That - - I started to walk over to the Shop - when one of the Salesmen saw me… he rushed up on the Golf Cart, picked me up and took me over to the Shop.. dropped me off. {it was about 400 yards away from the Showroom}. Even the guys in the Detail Shop/Get Ready area were sharp.. As they worked on the truck - we talked about different “Detailing Approaches” … for these new finishes, different products they were using there and at home on their own cars. All really sharp guys - helpful, friendly and really glad to talk to me about my new truck.

 

The entire experience at Cox Chevrolet was a pleasure.. A team like this takes a lot of effort to put together, and stay on top of - it only comes from the Top Down - hats off to Chris Cox and his team. It was well worth the 30 minute drive to get there… The other Dealerships? I don’t see how they stay in business.

http://www.bradentonchevy.com

 

BTW - If your VIN starts with “1” your truck was made in the USA. If it starts with “3” it was made in Mexico.

My post is about what you posted about Vin. I was curious so I checked mine. It starts with a "1". I know it was assembled in Indiana, but the window sticker states it was built with 51% parts from Mexico. With the remainder being from USA/Canada. So is the "1" just an indication of where it was assembled?

[Jsdirt]

Yep - that's how I've always understood it.

 

Mine starts with a "2". Final assembly at Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

[MikeNH]

VIN only indicates point of assembly. It has no means of tracking part content, that's pretty much only shown on the window sticker when new. It is sad to see the drop as my 2011 was 70% US content I think.

[Jsdirt]

Mine didn't have that window sticker when I bought it. Just the traditional one with the options, price, and fuel economy ratings.

 

Just judging by the parts I've replaced, and what I've seen on stickers on various components from front to back, I'd say my truck is 70% Canadian - if not more.

[[email protected]]

So any way you look at it - the highest total "content" of the combined parts and labor that make up a Chevy truck - - would still come in a truck "assembled" here. Yes/No?

[MikeNH]

Mine didn't have that window sticker when I bought it. Just the traditional one with the options, price, and fuel economy ratings.

 

Just judging by the parts I've replaced, and what I've seen on stickers on various components from front to back, I'd say my truck is 70% Canadian - if not more.

 

It had to be there. Been law since 1994.

 

 

So any way you look at it - the highest total "content" of the combined parts and labor that make up a Chevy truck - - would still come in a truck "assembled" here. Yes/No?

 

I don't understand what you're asking, sorry.

 

Labor may not be as much as you think. The truck is put together here (if your VIN starts with a 1) but honestly GM doesn't make that much of it. They make powertrain components, body panels and maybe the frame but most of the components are farmed out to suppliers and they can be anywhere.

[Doug_Scott]

So any way you look at it - the highest total "content" of the combined parts and labor that make up a Chevy truck - - would still come in a truck "assembled" here. Yes/No?

 

If I understand what you are asking, you are thinking too much. It is very simple, the first digit in the VIN indicates where the vehicle was assembled. Assembled as in where was the vehicle when it first rolled out the door after combining a drive train to a chassis, with a VIN attached. The part about what percentage of content came from where was added to account for where the contents came from. I think this was a reaction to the argument that sure the truck was assembled here, but where did the parts come from that arose after the free trade crap started happening.

[Jsdirt]

 

It had to be there. Been law since 1994.

 

 

 

....

Never saw it. Dealer may have threw it away when I took delivery. At this dealership it wouldn't surprise me if it was never there to begin with. They've been out of business now for 4 years or so.

[Jaybridge88]

Never saw it. Dealer may have threw it away when I took delivery. At this dealership it wouldn't surprise me if it was never there to begin with. They've been out of business now for 4 years or so.

Mine wasn't a separate sticker. It was on the window sticker with price, options, estimated mpg. It was down the bottom in a boxed off section clear as day. My wife's grand father bought a double cab also which stated same parts break down as mine. I've talked to a couple people that have said their crew cab has a majority of US parts.

I don't know. To some this may not be a big deal. To me it kind of is. It surprises me less and less though. My brother bought a brand new Harley road glide. He says a lot of parts on his bike are from China. Seems all American brands are going down the drain. I am pleasantly surprised about the U.S. parts content I've seen from Ford though. Growing up my dad would make me hold an emblem off a ford in one hand and a hot coal on the other so I would associate ford with bad. Hahaha. (Obv joking) but I don't know if I can ever drive a ford. Only time I've ever touched a ford was a mustang my buddy had. Was helping him do a tune up. Fin spark plug broke off in the engine! Never seen that happen before. Guess they have two piece plugs or something.

[Jsdirt]

I still have my window sticker. No info regarding parts - just final assembly location, and the usual crap ... and MPG claims that nobody can touch, at least not in this part of the country.

 

[[email protected]]

MPG is measured and reported using Gasoline. If you use gasoline blended with Ethanol - your mileage will go down between 10 and 15%. A few more Gas Stations around here are now selling gasoline with no Ethanol - although they charge a premium price - you do get better MPG's in return.

[Jsdirt]

Tell me about it. Up here they swindle everyone with 20% ± ethanol content, even though pumps are posted at 10%, and nobody says a word. Drives me nuts! We're getting ripped off at every turn up here - this is just one more way ...

 

Whenever I leave the state I gain 3 mpg and a TON of torque just by filling up ethanol free. Stuff should be used for making whiskey, not diluting gasoline.