I love the lines of the early 1970s GM pickups, probably because my dad had a 1972 GMC for a shop truck. I learned to drive a column shifter on that beast, and mastered the art of retrieving customer’s broken down cars with a push bumper mounted on the front.

In 1964, Chevy offered the Impala SS in two door coupe and convertible models. Buyers could opt for any engine in the Impala lineup, ranging from the 235 cubic inch ‘Turbo Thrift’ inline six up to the ground-pounding 409 cubic inch ‘Turbo Thrust’ V8. The SS name referred to the appearance package (which included an upgraded interior and machine turned aluminum trim) and didn’t necessarily indicate that the car was a threat at the drag strip.

First it was Toyota, offering 0% financing for many of its cars and trucks. Next came GM, also offering 0% financing on most trucks and selected cars. Apparently Ford doesn’t want to be left behind, because they’re offering 0% financing with terms as long as 72 months on select 2010 models. This includes the 2010 Mustang GT (with the 4.6 liter, 315 horsepower V8), so if you’re in the market for a bargain pony car and can live without the extra 97 horsepower of the 2011 model, get down to your local Ford dealer.

General Motors has announced the recall of 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac models sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The recall was prompted by complaints of power steering motor failure, and effects the following vehicles:

2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5
2005 to 2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada)
2005 to 2006 Pontiac G4 (Mexico)

A power steering motor failure would not result in a loss of steering, but it would increase steering effort at low speeds. A failure is indicated by a warning light and chime.

GM is targeting older models first, as the failure usually occurs after 20k to 30k miles of driving. As you’d imagine, it will take GM some time to build up parts inventory before they can begin accommodating all customers.

An Aveo you won't be embarassed to drive

Here are the official pictures of the 2012 Chevrolet Aveo, based on the Aveo RS concept car shown in Detroit. The good news? The exterior receives a complete re-do, complete with “angy samurai” grille and really big headlights. The four door body style shown here won’t offend anyone, and the car might be mistaken for the latest Volvo since the lines are somewhat S40ish. The interior looks decent, sporting a two tone dash and door panel combo. The half digital, half analog instruments make the Aveo look like a more expensive car than it really is.

15 years ago the terms Pro-Touring and G-Machines didn’t even exist. There were simply new cars and old cars, but then something happened. Those old cars started to become cool again, I mean don’t get me wrong, they were always cool, but beginning in the mid-90’s a trend started to develop whereby classic muscle cars were being turned into some pretty serious street machines. Over the next few months Ridelust.com is going to be profiling some these uber updated G-Machines to give people not only a glance, but a little bit of insight, as to how these cars are built, who the owners are and why they decided to zig as opposed to zag.

The first car to be showcased in the new Corner Carvers section is Jerry Forthofer’s 1977 Chevrolet Camaro.

GM has opened several plants that will use non-UAW employees to build components for the upcoming Chevy Volt and future electric vehicles. Delphi, a major supplier of components to GM, has also announced that their new Kokomo, Indiana plant will hire non-union employees to build parts for the Volt. Final assembly point of the Volt will be GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which utilizes a UAW workforce.

1975 Cosworth Vega

The mid-70s were bleak times for any American who considered himself a car enthusiast. The original gas crisis was still fresh in the public’s mind, and it left consumers demanding better mileage over more horsepower. Air pollution was a growing concern, forcing car makers to develop complex, horsepower-robbing emission control systems. Consider this: in 1975, the base Corvette only put out 165 horsepower. The Camaro Z28 had been discontinued, and the biggest motor remaining in the Camaro lineup was only good for 155 horsepower. A good zero to sixty time was anything below ten seconds, and things would grow even worse with the introduction of exhaust-system-clogging catalytic converters in 1976.

I want to preface this list by saying that there were many factors going into the reasons as to why each one of these cars made the cut. Some of you will agree with my choices and others will not. You see, when I do a list like this I don’t just go with who’s got the highest hp numbers, or which is the best car from 60-0. I try to be objective and look at things like, everyday usage, price, reliability, performance and roominess. I look at these cars from the vantage point of using them as an everyday driver, which means 24/7/365. Yes, some will be pricey and deservedly so and others will be more budget oriented. So, now that you know the parameters, lets get down to business.

I had to give equal time to the US equivalent of the Holden ad. Watch ‘em back to back, and you realize it’s the same add with different stock footage and lyrics. Look for some truly horrific mid-seventies bowtie products like the Chevette, Monza and (gulp) even a Vega. Although I do have a strange lust for Cosworth Vegas…