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Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

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

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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 1699 of 1809

#16974 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [tlong] by fintail

Feb 20, 2013 (12:57 pm)

Replying to: tlong (Feb 20, 2013 11:11 am)
Hours worked isn't really equal to work ethic, though. I see the latter as productivity, which some systems embrace more than others - many who work less hours are more productive.
 
It's not that we consider 80 hours to be sweatshop level - 80 hours IS sweatshop level. Even thinking anything different is nothing more than devolution and shouldn't be tolerated in a modern developed society. The same for losing vacation and other benefits. Just racing to the bottom.

#16975 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [fintail] by tlong

Feb 20, 2013 (1:07 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 20, 2013 12:57 pm)
It's not that we consider 80 hours to be sweatshop level - 80 hours IS sweatshop level. Even thinking anything different is nothing more than devolution and shouldn't be tolerated in a modern developed society. The same for losing vacation and other benefits. Just racing to the bottom.
 
I think I remember Gary mentioning he had worked very long hours in Alaska. And unionized, too. Don't know how that happened. Certainly not like the UAW.
 
It's interesting how the US manufacturing model has shifted from D3 all UAW, to a much more diverse (geographically, makes, etc.) mix. I think I remember reading here that more US cars are made than ever before. Of course the market is larger, too.

#16976 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [tlong] by fintail

Feb 20, 2013 (1:19 pm)

Replying to: tlong (Feb 20, 2013 1:07 pm)
Gary worked in a well compensated field installing infrastructure. It's pretty detached from the normal job market, especially those in manufacturing.
 
The US has become a lot more flexible and productive than the "offshore at all costs" traitors want to admit. The multinational automotive production isn't a fluke. It might not be perfect, but if one is not penny wise and pound foolish, it's not the worst place to operate.

#16977 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [fintail] by ateixeira

Feb 20, 2013 (1:31 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 20, 2013 1:19 pm)
Hence we're seeing so many transplants. Caveat - in non-union regions with a lower cost of living.

#16978 of 18081 Re: Ram 1500 diesel [dieselone] by roadburner

Feb 20, 2013 (1:48 pm)

Replying to: dieselone (Feb 20, 2013 9:49 am)
Regardless, I'm not going to be stuck w/o a car, so I will definitely buy something when the time comes.
 
Last summer my son decided that driving a 37 year old '02 without A/C constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Fortunately, my wife had been driving her 2004 X3 since 2005 and we were discussing trading/selling it when my son said he'd be happy to drive it since "If I get something fast I'll get into trouble." Win/win- I even told him that he could drive my Club Sport at our chapter's HPDE this summer.

#16979 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [gagrice] by roadburner

Feb 20, 2013 (1:46 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (Feb 20, 2013 10:16 am)
My new Michelins on the Sequoia are great. Far better than the OEM tires.
 
I won a set of any four Michelins tires up to 22"(!), so I wound up getting a set of Pilot Super Sports for the Mazdaspeed. As I said on another forum, I've run out of nerve before they have run out of grip. We'll see how they do on the track this summer...

#16980 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [ateixeira] by fintail

Feb 20, 2013 (3:00 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 20, 2013 1:31 pm)
And still not working 80 hours a week for social and environmental criminals in glorified slave labor conditions. Funny how it works, even if things are "relative".

#16981 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [steve_] by fintail

Feb 20, 2013 (3:02 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Feb 20, 2013 9:28 am)
Fun retort from Montebourg:
 
" the company you manage is 20 times smaller than Michelin, the genuinely international French leader, and 35 times less profitable."

#16982 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [fintail] by steve_ HOST

Feb 20, 2013 (3:25 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 20, 2013 3:02 pm)
The only tire company bigger is Bridgestone (more employees anyway).
 
And they're Japanese.

#16983 of 18081 Re: buying American tires [fintail] by tlong

Feb 20, 2013 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 20, 2013 3:00 pm)
And still not working 80 hours a week for social and environmental criminals in glorified slave labor conditions. Funny how it works, even if things are "relative".
 
I guess we should fly some 1%-er off to Europe to rent a big car and gauge the "relativity" in France vs. the US.

Messages Page 1699 of 1809

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