Postal Service Stamps Celebrate American Muscle Cars

America's romance with classic muscle cars is rooted in a desire to push the envelope. With the U.S. Postal Service's new "Muscle Cars (Forever)" stamp series — on sale now — people can celebrate that nostalgic notion on an envelope. The series features five iconic cars: the 1966 Pontiac GTO, 1967 Ford Shelby GT-500, 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda and 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS.

The Muscle Cars stamps are sold in self-adhesive sheets of 20, including four of each design. They're Forever stamps and always equal in value to the current first-class mail 1-ounce rate. Artist Tom Fritz said he based his oil-paint depictions of the cars on his own memories of them while growing up in Southern California. The muscle-car stamps are the third issuance in the "America on the Move" series, which also includes " '50s Sporty Cars" from 2005 and " '50s Fins and Chrome" from 2008.

USA Today reported that NASCAR racing legend Richard Petty made an appearance at the Daytona International Speedway a few days before the Daytona 500, which was held on Feb. 24. He promoted the stamp series on behalf of the Postal Service, posing for photos with his son, NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, in front of a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona.

"I've been around racing and muscle cars all my life," USA Today quoted Richard Petty as saying. "These stamps bring back the memories."

See more Muscle Cars series stamps below.

Recall Alert: 2003-04 Pontiac Vibe

General Motors is recalling 135,749 model year 2003-04 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks due to an electrical problem that could cause the airbags to deploy, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, manufactured between Jan. 18, 2002, and April 27, 2004, the supplemental restraint system circuits are susceptible to internal electrical shorting; this may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat, which may damage the circuits. The problem could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front airbags or seat belt pretensioners, increasing the risk of a crash.

General Motors will notify owners, though no notification schedule has been specified. Dealers will install a supplemental harness containing an electrical filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness for free. Owners can call GM at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Today's recall follows Wednesday's recall of 752,000 model year 2003-04 Corolla compact sedans and Matrix hatchbacks; the Pontiac Vibe is related to the Matrix and was produced during a Toyota-GM partnership.

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Recall Alert: Certain 2007-2009 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn Vehicles

GM is recalling 40,859 model-year 2007-09 versions of several Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn vehicles due to problems with the fuel pump, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were originally sold or are currently registered in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma or Texas and include the following: 2007-09 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007 Chevrolet Equinox, 2007-09 Pontiac G5, 2007 Pontiac Torrent and 2007 Saturn Ion.

In these vehicles, a plastic part in the fuel pump could crack, causing a leak. This could lead to an increased risk of a crash.

GM has not yet provided an owner notification schedule, but dealers will replace the affected parts free of charge. Owners can call GM at 800-521-7300 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Recall Alert: 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6, 2007-2010 Saturn Aura

GM is recalling 426,240 model-year 2008-10 Chevrolet Malibus and Pontiac G6s, along with model-year 2007-10 Saturn Aura sedans due to problems with the automatic transmission, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles are equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission with a faulty shift cable. The tabs on the cable may fracture, so the shift lever and the position of the transmission may not match. This could cause the car to roll away if the driver thinks it’s in Park and it isn’t, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM has not provided an owner notification schedule, but dealers will replace the affected parts free of charge. Owners can call GM at 800-521-7300 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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How Much Cupholder Can $126,000 Buy?

Porsche should be pleased to hear there aren’t many shared features between the 2012 911 Carrera and my 1998 Pontiac Trans Am. Go figure. The Carrera’s $4,650 Premium Package Plus costs more than what I paid for my mullet-mobile.

I was, however, reminded of my project Pontiac after popping out the Porsche’s retractable cupholders. A similar slide-out cupholder lives in my Trans Am’s center console. It holds beverages as proficiently as a cranky infant, leading to a “no drinks” policy in the TA. Surely the cupholders in Porsche’s $126,000 911 Carrera Cabriolet would be an improvement, right?

Recall Alert: 2008-2009 Pontiac G8

General Motors is recalling 38,444 2008-2009 Pontiac G8s because of the increased risk of head injury in smaller adult females when the airbag deploys in a collision, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The G8 doesn’t have adequate protection for women who weigh about 108 pounds and are 4-foot-11 or shorter. When the front passenger seat is positioned fully forward, there could be a delay in airbag deployment, which could increase the risk of head injury in smaller adult females. The risk was identified when testing the 2012 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle, which is related to the G8.

GM dealers will reprogram the sensing and diagnostic module free of charge. For more info, owners can call Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

What Are Pontiac Owners Buying Today?

Has it been nearly two years since General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection? Yes indeed. The automaker filed Chapter 11 in June 2009, and with that, the fates of Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac were sealed.

The most important of those shuttered brands was arguably Pontiac because of its size. In 2008, Pontiac was the 12th most popular brand in America, slotting between Kia and Mazda. So where is the Pontiac diaspora migrating? They’re mainly going to other GM brands, according to a recent study by RL Polk & Co.

In 2010, of the 57,641 former Pontiac owners looking for a new ride, nearly 53.3% of them purchased another remaining GM brand. Historically, nearly 60% of Pontiac owners have remained loyal to GM, so the figure is slightly down.

GM Plays Matchmaker for Pontiac, Saturn Owners

Saturn and Pontiac were officially dissolved at the end of October when GM terminated all franchise agreements with its dealerships for the brands. To keep Pontiac and Saturn owners in the GM universe, the automaker has set up websites that play matchmaker for them and their next car.

On each site, GM will match your current ride with a new vehicle. The catch is it will only match you with a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle, which leads to some interesting matches. For instance, selecting a Saturn Aura will match you to a Chevrolet Malibu, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal and Cadillac CTS. The Malibu and Regal are the closest to the Aura in terms of cost. If you have a Pontiac Montana, the website will suggest GM’s large to midsize crossovers such as the Chevy Traverse and GMC Terrain. GM currently has no minivan offerings.

Recall Alert: 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe

GM has confirmed that the 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe is included in the previously announced recall of 1.3 million Toyota Corolla and Matrix models. About 200,000 Vibes are included.

As we stated in the earlier recall alert: “The engine control modules in some of these vehicles is defective and can lead to harsh shifting, stalling, or the vehicle could fail to start. Dealers will inspect the part to see if it is one of the defective units and replace it if necessary free of charge to owners."

There is no fix for the defect yet, and owners will receive a preliminary notification in mid-September. When the necessary replacement parts are available, Pontiac owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to an existing GM dealer, where the service will be conducted free of charge.
 
Owners can contact the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

GM Recalling 1.3 Million Cars Over Steering Defects

GM announced today it is recalling 1.3 million cars worldwide for a faulty power-steering system. In the U.S., about 905,000 2005-2010 Chevy Cobalts and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5s are included. The problem is with the power-steering system’s motor, which can make turning the car at speeds below 15 mph harder.

GM says owners will be able to steer the car and that a chime and warning message of “Power Steering” should illuminate. The company says this is more likely to happen as the cars age.

Unfortunately, GM doesn’t have a remedy in place to fix the problem for so many vehicles. It will likely include power steering motors being replaced. GM will contact owners when it has a plan, and we’ll make sure to update our readers when they can get their cars serviced.

Concerned owners can contact GM’s owner center at www.gmownercenter.com or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.