OT The dirrection of the American automakers in the next 4 years.

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Kind of lame considering all the auto video is of European auto makers.Nice try throwing in a few buzz names like Kennedy,pelosi. Would be much funnier if you used Mike Steele,bouncing Rush limpballs,Newt or any of the Bush group that got us here. I see where you want to go It just isn't working.

Reply to
Rusty

Rusty,

Do you really believe the dems had nothing or little to do with our current situation? If so you are a fool. Both teams were involved up to their asses.

cm

Reply to
cm

The Kennedy/Chappaquiddick reference was superfluous as were other obvious low hanging fruits of Dem bashing. It did, however, touch on all those things which are likely to happen should congress get involved with the actual R&D of Government Motors. So, aside from the few chuckles, the video just wasn't all that clever.

Now what would happen if republicans were to design cars....oh.., wait... we have Hummers and Ford Explores and Cadillacs already.

Reply to
Robatoy

Apparently you did not realize that "I" had nothing to do with the video.

Reply to
Leon

Had you been involved, it would have been funnier.

Reply to
Robatoy

I was reading a rather long article on MSNBC about the GM car that is getting the most up front coverage at the moment. The journalist seemed rather surprised that GM was pushing the Chevy Camaro V8 over the Chevy Volt and or other Hybrid vehicles. We went on to say that one of the higher ups with GM drove a gas gusseting Corvette. That was when I quit reading.

Had the journalist done some research he would have found that the Corvette actually gets pretty darn good gas mileage. My neighbor has a newer model Corvette and took it on a road trip from Houston to Florida. His average gas mileage was just over 29 MPG.

GM builds/built what sells/sold. Unfortunately the cost of labor was way way way in excess of fair market value, as were the benefits packages for it's employees. Unfortunately the quality was not up to par as a result. It will be interesting to see how the labor unions will position themselves, come contract renegotiation time, when its flock owns 30% of the company.

You can thank the price of oil, and reckless consumer spending on items they could not afford in the first place, for the fall Detroit. IMHO, like periodic "stock market corrections", past consumer purchases are now going through a correction period.

Veering of on a tangent now,

What a majority of the American people need is a healthy shot of "how to handle your money". I blows me away that there is no public education on why you should walk away from a 30 year home mortgage and only consider a 15 year or less home mortgage. If you can't afford 15 year mortgage payments you really should be considering a more affordable house. If you cant afford a car loan for less than 4 years you really should be considering a more affordable vehicle.

Reply to
Leon

Had you been involved, it would have been funnier.

Why thank you there, Robatoy. ;~)

Reply to
Leon

Huh? You GOT wheels, don't you?

Reply to
Robatoy

So you were that clown on the 401 last week. ;-)

Reply to
FrozenNorth

Well, I was kinda hoping for a water ski tow rope option or something like that. :)

Reply to
Upscale

snip

Have you tried getting a car built for yourself? Labor priced in excess of the whole Domestic car i'm sure. Roush, Saleen or Shelby

Reply to
Rusty

I was speaking of typical mass production cars?

Reply to
Leon

You can always order all the parts and try putting it together yourself if you think there time isn't worth it

Reply to
Rusty

Don't play the part of a fool. Surely you know that mass production as I have mention in the previous post brings down the cost. One offs exaggerate the cost. I could build that "1" car cheaper than "1" union worker would get paid to build that "1" car.

Simply put, if Detroit were not paying "x" times too much for labor and benefits as compared to Toyota, reorganization would not be going on right now.

And again, no, the Union built Detroit vehicles are not worth the labor cost to build them. Having retired from the automotive industry and dealt with warranty and repairs on GM vehicles and GM reps, I do know what I am talking about. I'll buy foreign now and will continue to do so until American automobile makers can compete in price and quality. They think they are doing so now but the economy and the letter I received from the CEO of GM would indicate otherwise.

Reply to
Leon

I was thinking more like the CEO's drained the company of cash and run it on debt. Didn't CEOs give themselves and other board members increases in pay from 200 000 to like 10 to 20 million plus bonuses another 10 or so million? Overpaid salesmen. As for the American quality I think your referring to the

1980s, the cars coming of the lines today are pretty good. Japan's cars well you don't see to many of the older ones driving around (disposable units as most of the mechanics I know call them) especially the cheap units. Really your going to buy foreign, Just cause you think it will screw your union neighbour. You must hate your country.(joke) As for the playing the fool I'm not the one running around saying the sky is falling more like cup half full just a little bit of tooling away from making greener cars and a giant broom to clean out the CEOs. The labor force already gave concessions and now make what the Toyota plant workers make.

By the way I think Toyota (oh god of car manufacturers) is undergoing reorganization too

Let me know if you see a 1980's Toyota driving around I know there are 1 or

2 out there.
Reply to
Rusty

they were indeed over paid but those bonuses really did not have much effect on the cash flow. They were setting a bad example more than any thing.

As for the American quality I think your referring to the

I was in the GM dealer end of the business in the 70's, 90's. and 90's. None of them were proud years for quality in retrospect. My particular GM service department would take in around 100 vehicles every Monday and those vehicles were in a constant line to get in. Tuesday another 70-80 vehicles, and at noon on Wednesday whe had to stop promising that the vehicles would be out by Friday of that week. 50% of the work being done was warranty work and 95% of the time it was the same repair over and over again, week end and week out, year after year. The same parts that were going bad in large numbers in 1978 were still being replaced in large numbers in 1995. My last GM vehicle a 97 chev Silberado continuesd to have the same problems. I replaced the for "certain to go bad", alternator 1 time with after market, GM water pump 2 times, GM intake manifold gasket 2 times, GM blower motor 1 time, the GM heater hose and fitting 1 time and the final time with an aftermarket hose and fitting, a GM window regulator motor on both doors, interior and exterior dirvers door handles, and add an AC air deflector. And this was the best GM vehicle I ever had out of 5 differnt ones and might I add all the others had at least one or two of the same problems.

Really

No, I really could care less about the unions, I have given them a fair chance and not I am going with dependability now, I am tired of being screwed. Of the 8 new foreigh vehicles that I have bought the 6 Japanese vehicles combind have not given me as much trouble as the last GM I mentioned above.

You must hate your country.(joke) I don't hate my country, I hate what it is becoming, a load of cry babies that depend on others to help carry their load.

As for the playing the fool

The labor force already gave concessions and

What are their retirement benefits comnpared to the Toyota workers? ;~)

Not in the courts.

Come to Houston, I can show you thousands of them, daily, right beside Hondas.

Reply to
Leon

What cash it has all been funnelled away? Bad example lmao It is thieft

So you were a saleman that explains alot i'm thinking you were the overpaid one.

I have also owned Japanese that started to fall apart after the first 5 years Everything breaking at once. Toyota rusting away.The Volvo was nice Favorite one is Ford 4x4

I believe they gave up all there benifits they are exactly the same as Toyota workers.

Niether is Ford

I have never seen a honda civic with over 150 miles on it lol i'm guessing your full of BS

Reply to
Rusty

I drive a 1987 Nissan Bluebird with over 150,000 miles on the clock. Body is starting to get a few rust patches but the engine and mechanics are fine.

Reply to
Bob Martin

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