1955 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Leveling kit now available for Chevy Colorado, but not yet for GMC Canyon

In various bits of news this year concerning the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, we kept hearing about a front leveling kit. GM Authority found a few details in early order guides in January. In February, the kit came up in relation to the Canyon's AT4 Off-Road Performance Package, and again with AEV's upgraded Colorado Bison. After three months of waiting, GMA has more info. The kit eliminates the trucks' raked stance by raising the front by one inch, using an electro-coated upper spacer and a polyurethane lower spacer in order to maintain the proper suspension geometry. Installation is a bolt-on job with low-profile nuts, but the task will require a spring compressor. Fitted properly, the kit doesn't void GM's new vehicle warranty on the Colorado. Why do we only mention the Colorado? Because for some reason, the kit isn't available for the Canyon yet as a standalone component; the GMC stays raked without one of the aforementioned option packages. For Chevy, the leveling kit is compatible with any trim in four-wheel drive except the ZR2. It cannot be installed on two-wheel-drive trucks, nor any truck wearing wheels that are 20 inches or above. The kit is available now, ordered through any Chevy dealer for $150. There is a treat in store for GMC buyers, though, but it requires spending a lot more money. GM Authority discovered that the 2021 Yukon will offer the brand's first illuminated emblem. Priced at $475 as a dealer-installed option, a backlit glow will show off the GMC logo in the grille. The brand makes the logo in red and black, it's thought the red logo will get the nod, at least at first. Only the front logo earns the spotlight, not the one on the tailgate. GMA says the tchotchke will be available on all four trims when the new full-size crossover goes on sale in a few months.

GM laying off more than 4,000 workers Monday morning

According to reports from Automotive News, The Detroit News, and CNN, General Motors plans to begin laying off more than 4,000 salaried workers starting Monday morning. In a statement to AN, a spokesperson for the automaker said, "We are not confirming timing. Our employees are our priority. We will communicate with them first." We've been expecting layoffs at General Motors since November, 2018. At the time, the Detroit-based automaker announced it would seek to shed 8,100 salaried employees, shut down five assembly plants in North America, and kill off several slow-selling models. One month earlier, GM offered buyout packages to 18,000 workers and said it would seek to cut its global workforce by 25 percent. A spokesperson said at the time the moves were "proactive steps to get ahead of the curve by accelerating our efforts to address overall business performance." The cost-cutting moves are expected to save GM up to $2.5 billion in 2019 and as much as $6 billion by 2020. David Kudla, CEO and chief investment strategist of Mainstay Capital Management, referred to the impending culling as "Black Monday" and told The Detroit News that the layoffs would begin around 7:30 a.m. and continue in waves throughout the coming days and weeks. GM plans to deliver on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings report on Wednesday. President Donald Trump plans to deliver the annual State of the Union address a day earlier on Tuesday. We expect to hear plenty more from both sides over the next several days.

Chevy donates first 2015 COPO Camaro for wounded vets

Want to get your hands on a new COPO Camaro? Only 69 will be made this year before it's phased out ahead of the next Camaro's arrival. And the very first one will be auctioned off this weekend in Palm Beach. That's where Barrett-Jackson will be selling the hand-built drag-racer with the serial number 2015COPO001. The vehicle is being donated by Chevy, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a charitable organization that helps disabled athletes, especially veterans of the armed services. Introduced last fall at SEMA, the 2015 COPO Camaro is built specifically for drag racing with a 350-cubic-inch LSX racing engine with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. It's got 555 horsepower, a three-speed automatic transmission (it's a drag machine, not a circuit racer after all), all the requisite safety equipment, special suspension setup, unique livery and a quarter-mile time in the mid-eights. Look for this unique example to cross the auction block at around 5 PM on Friday, April 18, when we hope it will raise a princely sum for a good cause. 2015 COPO Camaro No. 1 Sale to Benefit Disabled Veterans Top bid from Barrett-Jackson goes to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans DETROIT – Chevrolet is selling the first 2015 COPO Camaro race car to raise money for Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded veterans participate in marathons and share their success within a supportive community including their families. The hand-built car carries serial number 2015COPO001. It will be sold on Saturday, April 18, at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a non-profit organization that helps disabled athletes, including veterans, gain access to races, equipment, and training dedicated to improve their physical abilities. "This sale gives the highest bidder the opportunity to buy the first of only 69 factory-assembled 2015 COPO Camaro race cars, the final year of the fifth-generation Camaro," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "Chevrolet is excited to offer this milestone Camaro to help a very worthy organization." Chevrolet introduced 2015 COPO Camaro No. 001 last fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it has been featured in Chevrolet Performance advertising and other marketing initiatives.