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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 08:12 AM by GamerGal
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The Chevy Volt is Chverolet's only chance. But it's not scheduled until 2010. Maybe a bail out to last until then? As for the rest... They still
need it. But I can't believe the blind eye here. Freddie Mac literally runs the GOP. McCain? His staff was FM Lobbysits. FM also "donated" 2
million dollars to the GOP... Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and
trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.
www.abovetopsecret.com... And now they get 700billion. Ford doesn't bribe, er, donate to the GOP and didn't run
McCain's campaign and... get nothing.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 08:24 AM by darkelf
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I don't know about American cars being unreliable. I drove my 1986 Camaro for 14 years until I threw a cam bearing and blew the engine. My husband
recently sold his 1980 Jeep Grand Cherokee and my 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport is still running great.
On the other hand, I hate paying more for a used vehicle than my parents did for their first house.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 09:17 AM by zman
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My most reliable american car is a Jeep Cherokee 1991. It has over 240,000 miles, 4 wheel drive, and the only thing I ever had toget for it was a
starter, and regular things like tires and breaks. I owned a forign car, a Mercedes 500 SEC. , nice and comfortable, but a pain to repair, and very
very costly. I got a 500 dollar 1989 Jeep cherokee and traded in in for a Jeep liberty, 2004. The 1989 Jeep cherokee I got 2500 from the dealer for
it. This Jeep, will run until the body falls off.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 09:51 AM by buddhasystem
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I've driven brands like VW. Mercedes and Saab and I can't say they are overly reliable -- oftentimes, they are not, especially VW and Saab. The VW
problems went away after a few expensive overhauls and it just works. But I shouldn't be paying all this money.
Now, American cars don't handle as well as European, that much is true. I hate the "dead air" on the steering wheel. Some new models (Chrysler for
one) just lack performance. Didn't drive too many Japanese cars, but these seem to be decent.
Overall Detroit lost on merits and the management betting on SUVs, which was no different than the mortgage crisis, in that regard.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 10:13 AM by crmanager
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reply to post by GamerGal
Oh my, read the news.
In 1996 the American Auto industry sold 16.1 million cars, 1 million to rental companies.
In 2004 the American Auto industry sold 16.1 million cars, 5 million to rental companies.
They saw this coming and refused to change.
$2600 of every GM product is health care for workers.
$300 for Toyota.
American companies created a model that can't be sustained.
They slit their own throat. Let them go.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 10:31 AM by tjack
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Originally posted by crmanager
reply to post by GamerGal
Oh my, read the news.
In 1996 the American Auto industry sold 16.1 million cars, 1 million to rental companies.
In 2004 the American Auto industry sold 16.1 million cars, 5 million to rental companies.
They saw this coming and refused to change.
$2600 of every GM product is health care for workers.
$300 for Toyota.
American companies created a model that can't be sustained.
They slit their own throat. Let them go.
Right! There's no way that 6 months of moderately expensive gas "killed" Detroit. Except for the few shares of GM stock that I thought I was
getting on the cheap at 6 bucks, I agree we should leave them to their fate. Just like we should have done with the bank bailout.
In every case, BLIND GREED is the downfall of these companies.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 11:54 AM by sos37
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Originally posted by conspiracy nut
reply to post by GamerGal
don't forget that american cars are notoriously unreliable!
why bailout a company that makes unreliable gas guzzlers?
they should have been focusing on reliable, hybrid type cars instead of
huge trucks, suv's and crappy cars that would do you no good unless you are a mechanic!
Hold on there - here we go with the blanket statements again. Not all American cars are notoriously unreliable. Some are, yes.
Lately, however, as in the last few years, Ford has drmatically increased their reliability ratings on all of their vehicles and even surpassed
Toyota's record of reliability (which was lowered due to lots of problems with the Tundra pickup).
In my experience, though, Dodge and Pontiac are by far the worst of the American cars, with Chevrolet running a close second.
From the cars I've owned: Dodge Shadow, just about everything went wrong with this horrid car from the wheel frame breaking in half to the trim work
and paint peeling off; Pontiac Sunfire- bad problems with electrical system, AC system constantly on the blink; Chevy Lumina - Alternator problems at
just 15,000 miles supposedly caused by a short in the electrical system! Returned to the shop more than 7 times and finally returned under Texas's
state lemon laws.
The only Fords I've owned so far have been F-150 trucks and they've been fine thus far. My only beef with them is the crappy gas mileage, but hey,
it's a large pickup. Can't expect Prius efficiency.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 12:20 PM by another_lurker
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Originally posted by darkelf
I don't know about American cars being unreliable. I drove my 1986 Camaro for 14 years until I threw a cam bearing and blew the engine. My husband
recently sold his 1980 Jeep Grand Cherokee and my 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport is still running great.
On the other hand, I hate paying more for a used vehicle than my parents did for their first house.
I'm with you darkelf, I currently own 4 camaros (from 71-97) a 2001 chevy pick-up and a 92 chevy blazer. My 87 camaro went strong for 240,000 miles
before I had to replace my motor and transmission. The parts weren't overpriced and I still see it on the road sometimes. I traded it in for 91
model. Yes, my husband and I are Chevy car/truck collectors.
They run good, as long as they are maintained. I'm a woman that can change my own plugs and do my own oil changes. I think that has a lot to do
with it. Most people buy cars and expect them to just run forever and be reliable without maintenance.
Prices are crazy for parts on some vehicles, others are cheaper to come by.
A_L
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 12:25 PM by chickenshoes
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Originally posted by jibeho
I read the following article the other day and I couldn't hold back the laughter and the tears.
biz.yahoo.com...
This article also brought back fond memories of the the Gremlin, Pacer, Omni/Horizon, Chevette/t1000, K-cars, Stratus, Tempo/Topaz, Fairmonts and
Granadas. I could go on forever.
It also dredged up the memory of the era of the Big 3 buying up foreign auto makers. Jaguar, Volvo, Mazda, Land Rover, Saab to name a few. At the
time the big three went on a buying spree they should have focused on their own inadequate products. Ford simply killed Jaguar and Land Rover.
They got greedy and arrogant. They couldn't run themselves but thought they could run the competition. Do they really need a bailout?
You forgot this one:
[edit on 11/18/2008 by chickenshoes]
[edit on 11/18/2008 by chickenshoes]
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 12:27 PM by jibeho
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 12:35 PM by GoalPoster
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Christ . . . even the Simpsons saw the automotive industry for exactly what it had become . . . don't forget the episode where Marg gets a Canyonero
. . .
Can you name the truck with four wheel drive,
Smells like a steak, and seats thirty five?
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down
It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Hey, hey!
Twelve yards long, two lanes wide,
Sixty five tons of American pride!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Top of the line in utility sports,
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
She blinds everybody with her super high beams
She's a squirrel-squashin', deer-smackin' drivin' machine
Canyonero! Canyonero! Canyonero!
Whoa, Canyonero! Whoooooaaaa!
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 12:35 PM by chickenshoes
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reply to post by jibeho
Yeah, my first car was sort of kin to a pacer, a '79 chevette.
The speedometer was broken, so the only way I could tell how fast I was going was by the pitch of the motor. Fortunately, I'm a musical person, and
though I don't have perfect pitch, I could get a rough estimate that way
My parents must have had to strap on the depends every time I left the house. 
LOL squirrel squashin' deer smackin drivin' machine
[edit on 11/18/2008 by chickenshoes]
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 01:03 PM by deadcatsrule
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1985 mazda rx7 gsl-se .I drive it every day 60 + miles who needs pistons.
a bit off topic.but still a fun and cheap(28 mpg) car to drive
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 01:03 PM by jibeho
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I love this Classic SNL skit. I miss Phil Hartman. I still howl when I see this one.
Adobe
Spokesman.....Phil Hartman
Spokesman: These days, everyone's talking about the Hyundai, and the Yugo. Both nice cars, if you've got $3,000 or $4,000 to throw around. But, for
those of us whose name doesn't happen to be Rockefeller, finally there's some good news - a car with a sticker price of $179. That's right, $179.
The name of the car?
Adobe. The sassy new Mexican import that's made out of clay. German engineering and Mexican know-how helped create the first car to break the $200
barrier. At this price, you might not expect more than reliable transportation - but, brother, you get it! Extra features: like the custom contour
seats, or the beverage-gripping dash. And the money you save isn't exactly small change!
Jingle:
"Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
The little car that's made out of clay!
We're gonna save you some money
that you can spend in some other way!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Adobe!"
[ show Adobe driver get into a fender-bender. She casually steps out of the vehicle and uses her hands to mold her bumper back into its proper shape,
in under six minutes! ]
Spokesman: Adobe. You can buy a cheaper car. But I wouldn't recommend it!
Announcer: Not approved for street use in some states. No warranty either expressed or implied. All sales final.
SNL Transcripts
snltranscripts.jt.org...
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 01:23 PM by chickenshoes
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reply to post by jibeho
Yeah, the adobe was a great one.
The best part for me was that my parents drove a Renault LeCar, which the adobe appeared to be modeled after.
I drove a '91 Honda Civic for a while, and it may as well been made out of adobe. I remember once I backed up in the parking lot at work and kind of
side hit a car parked by the building. Her car was fine, but my front left fender pretty much crumpled in. I showed my husband after work, and he
took his hand and beat the dent out of it 
I was a little scared to drive it after that
Ok, back on topic, sorry 
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 01:39 PM by Anonymous ATS
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reply to post by GoalPoster
After reading through those 6 myths, which basically say that Asians are doing the same things that the Big 3 are doing, why then are the Big 3
failing?
If they're outselling Asia, have comparable MPG and quality, what's left is poor management and employee salaries. This is where the UAW is killing
the Big 3. They're "waged" themselves out of jobs. They either have to somehow make it through a strike or they have to pay the workers inflated
wages to keep them happy. Add to this rising medical costs for all of the current AND past employees plus pensions plus...
I'm not union bashing; I understand their purpose. But I believe this is where most of the problem lies.
Just my $.02.
EVH
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 02:52 PM by jibeho
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One more classic that could help Detroit right now.
Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 3: Episode 1
77a: Steve Martin / Jackson Browne
Royale Deluxe II
Spokesman.....Dan Aykroyd
Spokesman: Introducing the 1978 Royal Deluxe II. A luxury name and a luxury ride at a middle-range price? Impossible? We've come to Temple Beth
Shalom in Little Neck, New York, and asked Rabbi Mayer Taklas to circumcise 8-day-old Benjamin Kanter while riding in the back seat of the elegant
Royal Deluxe II.
Performing circumcision is demanding. It requires a sure hand and a steady cutting surface. [ the car takes off ] To show you that our ride is the
finest, sweetest in the world, we've deliberately picked this road because of its rough, uneven surface. This was an actual demonstration. Speed: 40
MPH.
The stylish Royal Deluxe II rides smooth because we built it right! [ the car drives over potholes ] Unique hydrodine suspension system, rack and
pinion steering to ensure outstanding durability and control. And every new stylish Royal Deluxe II offers, as standard equipment, power front disc
brakes.
[ a toy ball bounces into the street, as the car brakes sharply and we hear the baby cry after the Rabbi makes his final snip ]
Rabbi: Poifect!
Spokesman: You may never have to perform a circumcision in the Royal Deluxe II, but if you do, we're sure you'll agree with Rabbi Taklas..
Rabbi: That's a beautiful baby.. and a beautiful car!
Announcer: Royal Deluxe II. A beautiful car.
snltranscripts.jt.org...
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 03:25 PM by Finn1916
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I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they should have added the newer version of the GTO to that list. Why? cause after so much hype it looks
like a dran am coupe with a v 8, and it's tarded looking. number twelve would be the charger. We got pictures of a nice sweet looking car that had
four doors, but the back two were the little hidden ones that odn't look like doors. What we were offered was the magnum wagon cause dodge wanted a
nascar car with the charger name. I'm glad at least chrysler is now squandered for desecrating the charger name like that.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 03:39 PM by Jdubbas1
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Paulson, says no bailout funds are to be given to the "Big 3."
finance.comcast.net...://76.96.38.13/data/news/2008/11/18/1117859.xml
But he is still defending the $700 billion bailout package for banks.
P.S. Gamer Girl is hot as hell.
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reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 03:51 PM by pieman
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just for my 2c, american companies fall down on a few issues,
the biggest is that they don't make a car for every segment of people, they uasually seem to release 3 or 4 models and facelift them for 20 years.
this leads to the feeling that an american car is always a compromise.
they don't bother updating their technology, even when they can. why does the new focus ST have a ground breaking front suspension to improve it's
front wheel drive handling and the ford mustang have an iron bar for a rear axle to make it handle like a wayward barge?
they didn't do what they do best for the past 20 years, build cheap rwd muscle cars unlike european and, especially, japanese makers. both have
promoted thier performance models strongly. these cars act as flag ships for the whole company and engender brand loyalty.
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