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02-24-2023, 10:56 PM | #1 | |
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The trouble with American automobiles.
From the 1950's through the 1980's, the Big Three had big, roomy, stylish, comfy, zoomy and flashy boats. In the 1990's, they really started to be lackluster in style. These classic Ameri-cruisers were comfy, that is, until they broke down to leave you stranded in the desert or mountains.
The trouble was: 1. they used too much gas 2. they were overpriced for what they really were 3. they lacked Japanese longevity and mechanical reliabilty 4. they lacked European solidity, fit and finish and quality of body, trim, paint and interior materials 5. their dealerships were often not nice to customers: they lacked the sunny disposition of foreign-car dealerships; Big Three dealers wanted to take your money and never see you again 6. some Big Three cars were downright dangerous as the Corvair and Pinto 7. Big Three companies were fiercely profit-driven
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02-25-2023, 09:19 AM | #2 | ||
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
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6. (amended) If American drivers were more up on tire pressure maintenance, Corvair would have been fine - unless pushed to its utmost limits. |
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02-25-2023, 10:52 AM | #3 | ||
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
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And then there was THE quintissential import car, the VW Type 1. It was tougher than an M1A1, never killed it occupants with carbon monoxide once the Reynolds Wrap heat boxes rusted out (about 6 months of use), and was the first car to drive itself (like the Tesla?) whether it wanted to stay on the pavement or take a hike through the woods. Datsun 210? Suzuki Swift? Yugo? How many more examples would you like?
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02-25-2023, 11:06 AM | #4 | |||
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
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All of those had forced recalls for rusting through in less than three years. The Toyotas had frame failures, and of course, that couldn't possibly present any kind of safety or durability issues. The Hondas just fall apart, providing visual clues to the driver that either the fender on your driveway or fuel tank hanging from under the vehicle is like a flashing light on the instrument panel. A clever bit of Japanese engineering, that was.
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02-25-2023, 11:21 AM | #5 | |||
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
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Mitsubishi has been around even longer in everything from electrical products to cars, ships, aircraft, machinery, and foods. They actually controlled some of the Japanese Imperial Ministers through their influence. Of course, they had no capital to do that because they didn't have any profit from their operations.
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02-25-2023, 03:35 PM | #6 | |
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
Admittedly, no automobile ever made was perfect. At one time or another, each and every car ever made by man had one or more of the following shortcomings:
1. expensive to buy new and sometimes even expensive used or preowned 2. expensive to own, repair and/or upkeep 3. looked ugly and/or cheaply-made 4. hard to park 5. had inferior materials 6. had a bad design 7. was made with bad workmanship 8. lacked room 9. lacked comforts 10. used too much gas 11. broke down a lot 12. was prone to premature rust 13. had limited options 14. had limited colors 15. had too much tech crap 16. bad body, paint, interior and/or trim quality 17. lacked longevity 18. wasn't the safest car in the world 19. lacked resale value 20. was expensive to insure 21. was a cop-grabber 22. was bad for the ecology 23. was difficult to find OEM parts for 24. was subject to recalls 25. had limited warranty backing 26. was sold by unpleasant dealerships 27. rattled and/or was noisy 28. was difficult to drive 29. was not a pleasure to drive 30. did not handle well 31. lacked mechanical reliability 32. lacked longevity 33. was boring to drive 34. lacked utility 35. lacked practicality 36. was prone to interior water leaks 37. shook at idle or on rough roads 38. had a rough ride 39. hard to find a shop who knows how to fix it 40. ran on fossil fuels which will not last for much longer on earth
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There was a time we drove cars and trucks and not VEHICLES. Last edited by Jon Bailey; 02-25-2023 at 06:30 PM. |
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02-25-2023, 05:09 PM | #7 | |
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
And if you're thinking of reverting to a horse, it can get even worse/more costly.
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02-25-2023, 06:05 PM | #8 | |
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
How about an ox cart or even a Flintstonesmobile? Pill in gas tank full of water? Solar panels on roof? In the late 1970's when solar energy was suggested as an alternative for fossil fuels my grandfather once remarked that "you cannot pump the sun".
Seriously folks, what will happen for transportation when all fossil fuels are gone? Somebody had better think of something. Battery technology not looking good so far. It won't be long before all gasoline cars become antiques. https://youtu.be/XWq-Mq1Uqpw
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02-26-2023, 02:53 AM | #9 | |
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Re: The trouble with American automobiles.
I try not to burn any more gas than I really need to. I drive a 1995 Corolla DX. 31 MPG highway still after 110K on the clock.
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