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Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

18081 messages,  Last post on May 23, 2013 at 5:44 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum.

What is this discussion about? Car Buying

With parts coming from everywhere, does "Buying American" have much meaning anymore? Is quality and price the bottom line?

Messages Page 1440 of 1808

#14391 of 18081 Re: lemko [fezo] by andre1969

Sep 21, 2012 (12:40 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Sep 21, 2012 12:34 pm)
There was a lady at work who had an Eagle Vision. 1994 I think. It was a base model with the 3.3 V-6. It actually wasn't that bad of a car. She got it to around 160,000 miles and then gave it to her son, who ran it into the ground. I know it had some electrical issues...sensors, warning lights that wouldn't go off, and an occasional stalling that took the dealer awhile to fix.
 
The 3.3 was a good, sturdy engine, so I'd expect that to last. But I was pleasantly shocked to hear that it never needed a new transmission. That must have been a bit of a rarity for that era!

#14392 of 18081 Re: lemko [andre1969] by fezo

Sep 21, 2012 (12:46 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 21, 2012 12:40 pm)
My next door neighbor has this theory that the 3.3 doesn't kill the transmissions and buys used Caravans with the 3.3 and puts 300K on them. Gets as much for his dollar in vehicles than anyone I know.

#14393 of 18081 Re: lemko [gagrice] by berri

Sep 21, 2012 (1:40 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (Sep 21, 2012 5:44 am)
I liked the looks of the 49 Ford. In fact, I thought Ford looked better than Chevy from 49-54. But I seem to recall that the 49 Ford had some kind of suspension issue that gave it a propensity to roll (maybe that Explains those Explorer's - it was in their lineage).

#14394 of 18081 Re: lemko [andre1969] by berri

Sep 21, 2012 (1:43 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 21, 2012 6:17 am)
I think Hal Sperlich was a major player in the original Mustang and then when Iacooca took him over to Chrysler, same thing for the minivan.

#14395 of 18081 Re: lemko [berri] by andre1969

Sep 21, 2012 (3:30 pm)

Replying to: berri (Sep 21, 2012 1:43 pm)
The main thing I know the Hal Sperlich name for is the Mopar R-body! So yes, he's one of my automotive heroes!

#14396 of 18081 Re: lemko [andre1969] by berri

Sep 21, 2012 (5:58 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 21, 2012 3:30 pm)
The key exec that got the Mustang through the Deuce was Don Frey who went on to become CEO of the old Bell & Howell (movie camera's and trade schools like DeVry Tech). I think Iaccoca maybe sometimes took some very liberal credit for things in his career, but he was a consummate marketeer. Of course the same can probably be said for the designer Raymond Loewy of Studebaker fame.

#14397 of 18081 Re: lemko [berri] by uplanderguy

Sep 24, 2012 (9:52 am)

Replying to: berri (Sep 21, 2012 5:58 pm)
Of course the same can probably be said for the designer Raymond Loewy of Studebaker fame.
 
For sure. He was great at getting management to buy into some new stuff, but the well-regarded '53 coupes were largely the work of Bob Bourke and the Avanti was the work of Tom Kellogg, Bob Andrews, and John Ebstein. I met Kellogg a couple times and Ebstein once. Both are deceased.

#14398 of 18081 Re: lemko [uplanderguy] by fezo

Sep 24, 2012 (11:26 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 24, 2012 9:52 am)
Odd one here. My daughter's boyfriend is going to school to be a union electrician. While he has a car (a story for another day) he's driving his dad's Sentra. Since it's not UAW/CAW it's not allowed in the union lot. He's told further down the road this will be a bigger issue so when he buys next to stick to the list. OK so far. I'm familiar with the UAW lists. For 2012 a Fusion is not on the list but a Mazda 6 is which makes sense for what they are trying to do.
 
The odd thing to me is he tells me one of his fellow students bought a new Dart and was told to trade for something else. It is assembled by UAW labor in Belvidere, IL. I Google the list and there are no listing for 2013 cars at all! I think she got caught on that since I have not seen cars off the list because of high out of US content (in the Dart that is considerable since all engines and transmissions are imported).
 
I don't suspect he's up to buying new yet anyway. I told him to work out a deal with my other daughter's boyfriend. He has a Cruze. Only problem is that it sucks. Nice enough car but has been a warranty nightmare.

#14399 of 18081 Re: lemko [fezo] by bpizzuti

Sep 24, 2012 (11:28 am)

Replying to: fezo (Sep 24, 2012 11:26 am)
Interesting story, mind if I share it with a few people I know?

#14400 of 18081 Re: lemko [bpizzuti] by fezo

Sep 24, 2012 (12:13 pm)

Replying to: bpizzuti (Sep 24, 2012 11:28 am)
Go right ahead. Here's the 2012 list.

Messages Page 1440 of 1808

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