Rick Jacobsen celebrates 1 year in sales at Ron Westphal Chevrolet

Today is my 1 year anniversary @Westphal! Working till 9pm

Posted by Rick Jacobsen on Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Congrats to Rick Jacobsen! He has been employed in the sales department at Ron Westphal Chevrolet for 1 year and he’s killin’ it! We are proud to have him on our sales team.

Rick loves trucks and owns a 3/4 ton Silverado himself but he also sells new cars, suvs, vans and used vehicles too. He posts frequently on facebook and loves to share recent trade-ins pics and inbound units.

Rick is always upbeat, friendly and he has learned a whole lot of Chevrolet product knowledge in the past year.

We congratulate Rick on all his accomplishments and look forward to many more successful years at Ron Westphal Chevrolet.

You can reach Rick Jacobsen at the dealership at 630-898-9630.

The GM strike is officially over.

The longest auto workers’ strike in 50 years is officially over.

We have new 2020 Chevrolet models coming in daily. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call our customer care team at 630-898-9630.

General Motors employees voted overwhelmingly in favor of a deal struck by the United Auto Workers union and company executives. Nearly 48,000 workers who were on strike will return to work on Saturday.

The vote ends a painful work stoppage that has lasted six weeks, costing GM nearly $2 billion in lost production and employees nearly $1 billion in lost wages.

“Our members not only joined together in solidarity but felt the support of their whole community throughout this important stand,” Terry Dittes, the lead UAW negotiator at GM, said in a statement.

The final deal isn’t terrible for workers, but it’s hardly a victory. In fact, the tentative four-year contract would give striking workers four small wins and one major loss.

“This is not a slam dunk by any means,” Art Wheaton, a labor relations professor at Cornell University, told me earlier this week. “No one is going to be running back to work excited about what they got. But it’s something you can live with.”

The strike surfaced a decade of employee frustration with the company, which severely cut back benefits and pay for workers during the Great Recession. Employees felt jilted once the automaker began profiting handsomely. The new deal does little to change that dynamic but it does make some progress.

Four small wins for workers

Pay raises: Workers are guaranteed a 3 percent pay raise and 4 percent lump sum increase in alternating years. That’s not great, considering that employees got the same thing last time they negotiated a contract in 2015, without going on strike. One big difference is that GM agreed to lift the $12,000 cap on profit-sharing, so there’s no limit to the cut workers can get from GM’s profits. Right now, they each get $1,000 for every $1 billion the company earns.
Factory investments: The Detroit-Hamtramck factory was one of four slated for closure before the strike began. It will now stay open, and GM will build electric trucks and vans there. That’s a $3 billion investment in 2,225 jobs. The company will also invest $1 billion in two other factories — one in Tennessee and another in Michigan — to build mid-size SUVs.
Temps and transitional workers: There is now a process for temporary workers to become permanent employees after three years on the job and for newer hires to earn the full pay rate in four years instead of eight. That top wage rate was increased from about $30 to $32 per hour.
Health care costs remain the same: The cost of workers’ health care plans, among the lowest in the nation, was left untouched. The company had announced plans to increase premiums but backed down during the strike.

Permanent workers will also get an $11,000 signing bonus and temporary workers will get $4,500. This isn’t really a win for workers. It basically covers the wages they lost during the strike.

For more information, view Source: The GM strike is officially over. Here’s what workers won and lost. – Vox

Crosstown Oswego Panthers versus Wolves Contest

It's almost Crosstown week!! Our supporters at Ron Westphal Chevy are hosting a competition and it couldn't be any…

Posted by OHS All Sports Boosters on Sunday, September 29, 2019

2020 Chevy Silverado Midnight and Rally editions

Take a guess as to which one features all the black accents.

If there’s one thing today’s modern pickup trucks prove, it’s that variety makes the world go ’round. Chevrolet slotted two more cogs into the 2020 Chevy Silverado‘s configurator with the Silverado Midnight and Rally editions.

If the names sound familiar, it’s because they are. Both special editions appeared for the previous-generation truck and largely follow the same theme. The 2020 Silverado Midnight edition goes for an all-black look, while the Silverado Rally edition takes a sportier route. What kind of Silverado each applies to is different, however.

The Midnight edition looks will only be available on the Silverado Custom Trail Boss and LT Trail Boss models. Thus, the Midnight edition package handles the off-round side of things. Meanwhile, the Rally edition will pair with the Silverado Custom and RST trims for a more street-focused appeal.

Those digging the blacked-out looks of the Chevy Silverado Midnight edition will find the dark elements extend to the grille, badging, bumpers and even the exhaust tips. Red recovery hooks offer a splash of color amid the dark palette. Since this package is exclusive to the Custom Trail Boss and LT Trail Boss models, you can get either a 5.3-liter V8 or 6.2-liter V8. The former comes with a six-speed automatic, while the latter provides a 10-speed transmission. Standard Trail Boss gear applies here too, including the 2-inch factory suspension lift and the Z71 package with Rancho shocks.

If off-road cred isn’t on your shopping list, the Chevy Silverado Rally edition spruces things up, too. Chevy will offer the truck in red, white, silver or black and each comes with rally stripes on the hood and tailgate. Black badging and a body-color grille also separate the pickup from other Silverados darting around town. With availability limited to the Custom and RST trims, three engines are offered: a 2.7-liter turbo-four, 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8. The 2.7-liter and 5.3-liter engines sport eight-speed automatic gearboxes, while the 6.2-liter V8 gets a 10-speed unit.

Chevy didn’t dish out prices for the special editions, but look to pay a minor premium for the looks. Order books open in October before the Midnight and Rally editions go on sale later this year.

Source: 2020 Chevy Silverado Midnight and Rally editions go dark and sporty

Chevrolet May Be Planning to Destroy the Ford Raptor

Ford’s toughest truck, the F-150 Raptor, has controlled its own niche in the pickup truck market since it debuted in 2010. Chevy may change that.

For the last decade, Ford’s F-150 Raptor has largely owned the badass full-size off-road pickup truck market. Ram has its Rebel and Power Wagon, but neither delivers quite the same level of high-speed terrain-crushing capability; like the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, those rigs are made more for traditional off-roading than the free-wheeling fun that is the Raptor’s milieu. Chevrolet has the Colorado ZR2 and ZR2 Bison, but while they offer Raptor-like off-road upgrades, the Colorado is a full size smaller than a regular F-150, let alone the wider, beefier Raptor.

Looking for a new Chevy truck? Call the Ron Westphal Chevrolet customer care team at 630-898-9630 or visit our website.

The Raptor’s reign as the fiercest predator in the pickup ecosystem may be about to end, however. A new report claims Chevrolet is currently hard at work developing a version of the Silverado designed to take the fight to FoMoCo’s toughest truck.

According to Muscle Cars and Trucks, the new all-terrain truck will be called the Chevrolet Silverado ZRX. If the name reminds you of the ZR2, well, that’s likely intentional; MC&T‘s report suggests that the new truck will largely use the same sort of recipe GM applied to its midsize off-road truck. The Silverado ZRX will reportedly pick up a rock-hopping suspension featuring the same sort of delightful Multimatic DSSV dampers that deliver a remarkable blend of comfort and capability in the ZR2, as well as locking differentials for both front and rear axles, and a host of other upgrades and changes to improve its capabilities beyond the pavement, including tweaks that improve approach and departure angles.

really need them to battle the Raptor; the Silverado’s current top-tier engine, a 6.2-liter V8, is a variant of the engine found in the Camaro and Corvette, cranking out 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet. (It’s also tied to the same 10-speed automatic used in the F-150 Raptor, as that transmission was a joint Ford/GM project.)

That motor would put the ZRX in a similar league as the Raptor — though the Ford’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 still would have the edge with its 450 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque. Then again, given that the ZRX is reportedly slated to arrive for the 2022 model year, GM has plenty of time to squeeze a little more power out of its fabled small-block.

If all this is true — and it sounds like a solid money-making gambit to us — Chevrolet won’t be alone in pursuing Ford’s ferocious truck. Ram is currently hard at work whipping up a Raptor-fighter called the TRX (get it?) that combines off-road goodies with the supercharged Hellcat motor that makes a bare minimum of 707 horsepower everywhere it goes. Rumor has it Ford may ultimately counter that by packing the Raptor’s engine bay with its new 7.3-liter V8 known internally as “Godzilla,” thus pushing the saurian one-upsmanship about as far as it can go.

Source: Chevrolet May Be Planning to Destroy the Ford Raptor

The GM Strike

If the GM strike lasts more than a few days, it could impact far more than the company and the thousands of UAW workers walking the picket line

What’s going on with the GM Strike?

If the General Motors strike lasts more than a few days, it could impact far more than the carmaker and the thousands of autoworkers who are walking the picket line.

The GM Strike is not currently affecting Ron Westphal Chevrolet. We have a large inventory of parts/accessories in stock. And, we have an extensive variety of new vehicle inventory in stock, ready for immediate delivery.

“It could be a surprisingly significant impact,’’ says Harley Shaiken, a professor in U.C. Berkeley’s graduate school of education who specializes in the study of labor.

Striking workers may hold onto their reduced pay a little tighter, meaning that local businesses, from the dry cleaner to the movie theater, could see their profits dip.

“If it turns into a more prolonged strike, which may well happen, well then you’re going to have tens of thousands of workers with less … probably being a lot more careful about what they purchase,” says Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business who closely follows the auto industry.

UAW workers must wait for smaller wage: UAW workers picketing GM must wait for $250 a week in strike pay

Source about the GM Strike: For every GM job, up to 7 other jobs are generated. Here’s how a strike affects the economy

Things you might not know about the 2020 Corvette c8

As the first media outlet in the world to test the production mid-engine Corvette C8, we had to check for Easter eggs. Here are six things we found!

Every second with the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is precious. We were the first media outlet in the world to test the first production mid-engine Corvette, but aside from how it drives, we had a chance to see other important bits and pieces.

Would you like to order a 2020 C8 Corvette? Ask for Joe Fosco at 630-898-9630 for details.

We looked around the new Chevy Corvette C8 to find any kind of Easter eggs or cool features, and just as we expected, six caught our attention. With the sports car arriving to customers’ hands at the end of the year, here are three cool features and two Easter eggs to look for in the new Corvette C8.

Corvette Logo Hidden On The Speaker Between The Seats

The center speaker located between the two seats bears the Corvette logo, but you’ll have to search to find it. The holes of the speakers are drilled so that you can see the flags from certain angles, and it’s actually easier to see them when you’re standing outside the car. You won’t be able to see the logo when you’re sitting inside, as the pattern is only visible from a certain distance.

Open The Frunk From The Front

Given that the engine is behind the driver and passenger, the Corvette has enough space in the front for what we call a frunk, or front trunk. Instead of opening the frunk with the remote key or from inside the car, there’s a button hidden on the front fascia just above the left air vent that will open the frunk. Just like the rear trunk, the frunk has a proximity feature, so it can be opened when the car is locked and you have the key in your pocket.

Hold The Unlock Button On The Key, And The Windows Will Open

Just like other Chevy products, if you hold down the unlock button on the remote key, the windows will automatically lower. Although this is technically not an Easter egg and it’s something we’ve seen in other Chevrolet products, it’s a nice feature to have on hot days.

More Flags On The Rear Window

Continuing with the tradition, the Corvette C8 also has a pattern of black flags on the rear window that fades downward. This started with the Corvette C7 and continues in the mid-engine car. The flags are a bit narrower and have more of a V shape, following the C8’s updated logo.

The Trunk Is Soft-Close

You don’t have to slam the trunk to close it. Gently close the hatch, and the soft-close system will make sure it closes properly without you having to push on it.

Top Can Be Secured In The Trunk

Removing the top is quite easy, and once you take it off, the glass, body-colored, or carbon-fiber top can be secured in the trunk. Two latches (one on each side) keep the top secured. Although trunk space is significantly reduced, you can still store smaller items if you need to.

Source: Exclusive: 6 Cool 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Easter Eggs

2019 CHEVROLET COLORADO WT: WHY I’D BUY IT

2019 CHEVROLET COLORADO WT: WHY I’D BUY IT — KELLY LIN

I learned to drive in an old 1995 Ford Ranger. It was dependable, and it lasted forever, but this was the era when pickups really felt like trucks. The ride was firmer, handling was more distant, and I’m convinced it wasn’t meant for someone 5’2″ because I couldn’t see out the front windshield without sitting on a phone book or cushion. Fortunately, smaller pickups have become much more livable since then, to the point that they can make solid active-lifestyle vehicles for those who don’t want an SUV.

Looking for a Colorado? Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit us online.

The list of competitors in the space keeps growing, with the most recent newcomer being the Jeep Gladiator, which is a bit expensive for my budget at $35,040 and above. Other strong rivals include the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline, and recently revived Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger. If I were in the market, I would choose the Colorado, in part because it has one of the most compliant rides of its competitors. The Ridgeline also excels in this category, but to be honest, I don’t love the look of the unibody Honda. And I’m not tempted by the Colorado’s more upmarket twin, the GMC Canyon.

The Colorado also benefits from sharp handling. It feels smaller than it really is, and it’s easy to maneuver into small parking spaces. When you need to haul, the 5-foot bed swallows up your gear better than many rivals with the same bed size, as we learned in our recent midsize pickup comparison test, which the Colorado won with flying colors. It maintains a solid ride when loaded, and a handy bed step makes it easy to unload at the end of the day. While I wouldn’t be filling the bed with bales of hay, I would make use of the bed for sports gear.

Since I prefer a car-like feel to the trucks I drive, acceleration is important. When equipped with a V-6 gas engine, the Colorado is quicker and more powerful than competitors. Packing 308 hp, a Colorado Z71 we tested reached 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, making it much peppier than gas and diesel four-cylinder Colorados we’ve run in the eight- and nine-second range. The V-6 is the engine I would pick, as the extra quickness comes with a relatively small sacrifice in fuel economy—18/25/20 mpg city/highway/combined compared to 20/26/22 mpg with the four-cylinder gas engine. There aren’t too many diesel pumps in my area, so I wouldn’t consider the fuel-sipping Duramax version.

Managing my needs for passenger and cargo space, I would opt for the crew cab and short box. When paired with the sprightly V-6 engine, the base Work Truck model has everything I need. That includes a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four-way power driver seat, dual USB ports, and rearview camera. Prices for this version start at a reasonable $29,280.

Words: Kelly Lin

Photos: Manufacturer

Photos: Motor Trend Staff

July 09, 2019

Cool Car Accessories

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Check out GM Accessories

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD Faster at 0-60 Than Ram HD

The United States is in the middle of a great war, one that isn’t being fought with military power or tax payer’s money. Of course, we’re referring to the pickup truck war currently taking much of Ford, GM, and Ram’s human and financial assets—one that’s about one-upping the competition and rolling out bigger and “badder” TV and YouTube ads. The latest victim of this ruthless war: Ram’s new Heavy Duty pickup truck.

Looking for your very own beefy Silverado HD? Call our customer care team at 630-898-9630 or visit us online 24/7. According to a presentation made by Chevrolet during the recent introduction of its all-new heavy-duty pickup truck, the Silverado HD can out-accelerate the also all-new Ram Heavy Duty while towing an 18,000-pound trailer.

To be specific, the data gathered (as shown in the photo below) explains that a Silverado 3500 DRW (dual rear wheel) accelerates faster from zero to 60, 25 to 60, and 40 to 60 miles per hour than a Cummins-powered Ram 3500 DRW. Why does this matter? Because the Ram boasts a higher torque figure than the Silverado, which—in theory—should make it more capable at towing. The Silverado offers 910 pound-feet of torque on tap, while the Ram reigns supreme with a staggering 1,000 pound-feet.

There are other differences besides torque, of course. The Silverado delivers 445 horsepower while the Ram gets the job done with “only” 400. When it comes to transmissions, the Silverado boasts a fancy 10-speed automatic, which offers four more gears than the Ram’s old-school six-speed. Lastly, despite the differences in torque, the Silverado claims a maximum towing capacity of 35,500 pounds, while the Ram is rated at 35,100.

According to Chevrolet, upgraded drive-line components help the Silverado achieve maximum torque in first gear without needing to electronically limit torque. On paper, 910 pound-feet of torque isn’t best-in-class, but yet through clever engineering they were able to obtain the current best-in-class towing number.

During the presentation, Chevy explained that they compared both vehicles at the Milford Proving Grounds, where they attached to an 18,000-pound trailer to both of them and performed the acceleration tests. At the end of the day, the Silverado reached 60 mph a whopping 2.6 seconds quicker than the Ram with the more powerful, high-output diesel engine.

Of course, the two weigh different amounts and there is different gearing on each truck (and the gearing delta is different by design), but Chevy claims they are able to do more with the additional four gears in the 10-speed transmission compared to the six-speed in the Ram.

While we can’t talk about actual driving impressions of the new Silverado HD yet, Chevrolet’s own testing data seems to make a case for higher/better gearing over a pure torque figure.