Jump to content
TEAM SHELBY FORUM
ABOUT TEAM SHELBY

UAW leader says blame economy for Detroit 3 woes

GT500-07

Recommended Posts

svtkeith Team Shelby Legal Resident

svtkeith

Posted
Posted
That's a perception, not a fact. My Cherokee work vehicle has 180,000 on it and still has nearly the same compression it did when it was new. I drove it straight through to Dallas from Orlando last year averaging 80-90 MPH and it never even flinched. You can barely hear it running. There are millions of high mileage American cars and trucks out there. Pretty much any car will last if you keep the oil clean.

 

 

WOW.. did I ever pee in someone's cereal.... :hysterical:

 

 

No, it's not a perception. It's a fact. And here I'll give you my rundown...on my experience with vehicles.

 

No.1 - my personal vehicles (meaning cars and trucks) for domestic use. Since 1975, I've had Fords, Chevs, and yes even one Dodge. As far as my "everyday" cars, I've had everything from Cadillacs to Chyrsler New Yorkers.

 

In the early 1990's, I decided to try a Toyota product, which was a Camry, the car worked flawless - right up until 345,000 kilometers (roughly 215,000 miles) - absolutely trouble free, I may add. I gave this car to a needy family - this car is still running today - trouble free.

 

In 1997, I purchased a new STS Cadillac - great car - for the first 3 years - at 82,000 kilometers wich is only 51,000 miles - the engine seal let go, computer that regulates brakes let go - struts which were $1300.00 a piece let go. And too many other items to list.

 

So, I went back to a Toyota product - a Camry. Again, the car worked flawless until I gave it to my oldest son with over 200,000 kilometers on it. He still has the car and only uses it during the winter months. Not sure exactly - but I believe he has over 300,000 kilometers on it. Again trouble free.

 

I stayed with Toyota product, this time Lexus - again trouble free right up until last year when I traded it on a new Lexus. And it is to date - the 2 best vehicles I have ever owned.

 

I will not even "go there" with the '91 New Yorker - it ain't worth the effort to talk about it.

 

But I will say this - I bought a new Mustang Cobra II in 1977 and I put 96,000 trouble free miles and that time I was young and crazy and they were not easy miles. So one up for the American made car. :happy feet: Oops, I spoke too quickly, my '07 Shelby has to get transmission work done in the spring at a whopping 3500 miles. :banghead:

 

Now I'm going to go to my company trucks....

 

I started my company in 1989 - Heavy construction - let's just put it this way - these vehicles were not babied by no means and in all weather conditions.

 

Started out with the Dodges - Couldn't keep universals and front ends in the Dodges in 1991 and the Dodges still seem to have that problem even now with the new ones (2007) but there is no diesel out there that is as tough as the new Turbo Cummings --- bar none.

 

Went to Fords - I had problems with the engines and transmissions and the turbos gave me problems on the Fords.

 

Then I went to Chevs - 6.2 Chev Diesel was crap. 6.5 was a little better but not the best. But since I have the Duramax Diesels (newest one being an 05) the engine problems have been cured to a great degree, I still have some problems but not like before. The Alison transmission is damn near indestructible.

 

The company now owns 8 trucks - 6 are Dodge Rams with Cummings Diesels.

 

2 are Chevs DuraMax Diesels.

 

Bottom line is - for a work truck - nothing beats the Dodge Cummings Diesel.

 

Oh and by the way, back to my personal trucks - I've had 2 - Ford F150's and 1- Ford Ranger 4x4 - I went to Toyota Product - Toyota Tacomas since 1999 and just purchased an 08 Tacoma. And from my experiences I will not go back to any other product but Toyota for my personal vehicles.

 

This is based on my own personal experiences, which I could have touched on alot more since 1975 but I do not know if I could stay awake that long. :hysterical:

 

Again, you can flame away but that's been my experience over the years. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 76
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Boss Doctor Team Shelby Enthusiast

Boss Doctor

Posted
Posted
Well you know the old story.....You always hurt the ones you love. :hysterical:

 

Keith: Honda Accords are supposed to be rock solid too, but I had one in which I had to replace the transmission within 56,000 miles. My former boss replaced her Accord's transmission before 80,000 miles. I think it's easy to find good and bad in any car company's products.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
stormeaston Team Shelby Member

stormeaston

Posted
Posted

No matter what happens as far as a bailout or whatever, there are still going to be massive lay-offs because new car/truck/suv inventories are at there highest levels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
svtkeith Team Shelby Legal Resident

svtkeith

Posted
Posted
Keith: Honda Accords are supposed to be rock solid too, but I had one in which I had to replace the transmission within 56,000 miles. My former boss replaced her Accord's transmission before 80,000 miles. I think it's easy to find good and bad in any car company's products.

 

 

Hey Doc, I hear ya, go into a service department of any brand vehicle and you will find mechanics working on problems, I don't care what vehicle it is, but on average Toyota and Honda will and does outlast any of the big 3 car for car, just like your Honda Accord, don't know what year it was but if you compared it to a Chev or Ford of the same year and a comparible model after a certain amount of milage the Chev and the Ford are rattle boxes, but your Honda Accord still rides like a newer vehicle and is worth more on a trade in or sale.

 

But again like I said before, this is based on my own personal experience with vehicles since I had my first one back in 1975, to date the best vehicles I ever owned were Toyota products. :shrug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RUFDRAFT Team Shelby New Member

RUFDRAFT

Posted
Posted
Hey Doc, I hear ya, go into a service department of any brand vehicle and you will find mechanics working on problems, I don't care what vehicle it is, but on average Toyota and Honda will and does outlast any of the big 3 car for car, just like your Honda Accord, don't know what year it was but if you compared it to a Chev or Ford of the same year and a comparible model after a certain amount of milage the Chev and the Ford are rattle boxes, but your Honda Accord still rides like a newer vehicle and is worth more on a trade in or sale.

 

But again like I said before, this is based on my own personal experience with vehicles since I had my first one back in 1975, to date the best vehicles I ever owned were Toyota products. :shrug:

This is a completely different angle. The Asians have a much different philosophy toward manufacturing (and education) than we do. It's not just the cars that last longer. They're kicking our butts in American universities - in technology production (computers - cameras - TV's - etc). Why haven't American companies looked at that and use that data to improve our quality and productivity? :lurk:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Boss Doctor Team Shelby Enthusiast

Boss Doctor

Posted
Posted
This is a completely different angle. The Asians have a much different philosophy toward manufacturing (and education) than we do. It's not just the cars that last longer. They're kicking our butts in American universities - in technology production (computers - cameras - TV's - etc). Why haven't American companies looked at that and use that data to improve our quality and productivity? :lurk:

 

But they have those small hands to make such small things!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SpeedRacer Team Shelby Member

SpeedRacer

Posted
Posted
Even as Detroit's Big Three teeter on collapse, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Saturday that the problem is not the union's contract with the automakers and that getting the automakers back on their feet means figuring out a way to turn around the slumping economy. "The focus has to be on the economy as a whole as opposed to a UAW contract," Gettelfinger told reporters on a conference call, noting the labor costs now make up 8 percent to 10 percent of the cost of a vehicle.

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081115/auto_bailou...ttelfinger.html

 

 

The Union is acting like Alcoholics--they will never get better until they admit they have a problem.

 

Management is also a problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
08GT500KR Team Shelby New Member

08GT500KR

Posted
Posted
I'm sure that the auto makers would argue otherwise. I think the point is, every percentage helps. As Obama has said, everyone needs to give up something to make all this work out.

You can't blame the unions at all if the execs are still getting million dollar bonuses, and that is a fact, buy american and we won't have this problem, that goes for a products.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ejrail Team Shelby Enthusiast

ejrail

Posted
Posted

I work in the hospitality industry at a major ski resort. My retirement plan is shot, I lost a 10% raise, layoffs have tripled my work load :banghead: What the :censored: else am I supposed to give up ?:shrug:

 

 

 

Okay UAW and/or Mr. Obama, I haven't heard your plans for fixing any of this. :mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hotrodric Team Shelby Member

hotrodric

Posted
Posted

Add in the health & welfare, pensions, money purchase and other costs and it is more like $60 to $70 an hour to sit in a job bank because your job has been eliminated (outsourced) . Boeing has been fighting with the IAM over this very issue as well, its called job security. My possition is my job is only as secure as the free market system allows it to be. The gurantees have to go IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...
...