It has been quite a long time since my last update on The Great GM Experiment. Prompting me this time is the recent recall announcement on my car, for an apparent lack of padding on the doors in the event an unbuckled person hits their head on it. As recalls go this one seems pretty trivial, I never drive unbuckled and anyone who does is probably not going to be deeply affected by serious head trauma. Strangely though, this recall has gotten huge media coverage – it seems to be everywhere – they even posted it on the DCX intranet! Oddly enough, I still have yet to receive any notice from Chevy or my dealership. No mail, no email, nothing. The conspiracy theorist in me says this is another good example of the pile on GM doctrine.

The odo just crossed 53,000 miles, and yes the car is still only 14 months old. Considering those miles, my little Cobalt has performed very well. Other than this so-called recall I have had exactly zero mechanical problems. In fact, my previous aborting CD player problem has mysteriously cured itself! I guess they call that a break in period. A few minor demerits: the finish on the CD player is wearing off! On all the major buttons the black is literally gone in large chunks leaving whitish voids that just don’t look very nice. Fuel economy seems to be getting worse, I previously averaged approaching 34 mpg, but now am hovering closer to 32. It could be the winter weather, and I have new tires which are another variable. Still these are minor complaints, and overall I am quite satisfied with the scrappy little Chevy.

Quick Update – just received my notice on the recall from Chevy – a mere 3 months from the recall date.

Picked up one of these little gems the other day, it can be yours for about $25 at any hardware store. The Stanley Classic Vacuum Thermos is just one of those perfect products, the basic design has been refined slowly for over 90 years. The look of the classic field green model pictured here dates to 1953. Keeps stuff hot or cold for up to 24 hours, rust resistant “unbreakable” exterior, and an easy-pour screw top that works so well (it never dribbles) its a sight to behold. While being totally retro, it works better than any modern thermos I’ve seen.