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Comments
"Purddurdurdurdahdahdahdahdahdah..." Blech.
Yes, Lemko definitley likes his big rides, and there is absolutley no problem with that. But to make a blanket comment like that about something he knows nothing about is just silly. It would be like me pointing out how all Sony recievers are overrrated junk even though I've never listened to anything but Marantz or Pioneer systems. :confuse: How could I know?
oil and filters .. total cost : $ZERO ( every 5,000 miles )
air filters ( cabin and engine ) .. total cost : $210 ( $35 every 15,000 miles )
tires rotated and/or balanced .. total cost : $300 ( $30 every 10,000 miles )
engine and inverter coolant replaced @ 105,000 mi : $95
Outside of replacement tires and a couple of wiper blades the total cost of maintenance is about $600 for 105,000 miles. Yes, I work there. No, this isn't an 'employee special' - every buyer gets the same deal on service.
Doesn't their opinion/experiences count?
I've had bad domestics too. Never had a negative experience with ANY of the imported cars, both Japanese and European. Like pf said, why switch?
Anyway, I have no problem with the handling of any of my domestic cars. Heck, I can drive my '88 Park Ave very aggressively without any problems. Jerky nature of the throttle? Heck, I like that little "kick in the butt" when I hit the gas. That's a characteristic of pushrod engine cars in general. I didn't get that with my last two DOHC Cadillacs and I miss it. As for the exhaust note, I don't notice a difference between pushrod or OHC/DOHC except if the car is a 4, 6, or 8 cylinder and it gets nicer with each step up. Haven't been priviledged enough to hear a 12.
Yep I had GM and Chrysler products in the bad od' days. However there just is no reason to switch back yet. In fact after driving the last 100,000 miles in the awkward-looking Prius there's simply no chance that any other vehicle maker can win my business unless it offers a comparable ultra-high-mileage vehicle that's comfortable ( to me ) and flexible. To consider going backward to getting 'only' 30 mpg and thus spending unnecessary money to drive it is not in the cards. The TCH and FHH would be in the running but frankly I don't like the seating position of the Camrys as much as I do the Prius. The new Fusion hybrid needs to be investigated when it finally appears.
After driving Camry's from '89-'05 I prolly will be in the Prius of various models for the next 10-20 yrs.
A 1967 Cadillac Eldorado is a stunning car, but many people today just aren't willing to put up with the compromises of its design - very long and heavy doors, cramped back seat, limited trunk space, so-so visibility and exterior dimensions that make it hard to park in may urban areas. And many people don't want to bother strapping a child in a child seat jammed in the relatively cramped back seat of a coupe.
Another trend I've noticed is that, even in suburban areas, parking spaces are getting smaller. It seems as though store and mall owners want to cram more vehicles in the same space, which makes parking more difficult, especially for larger vehicles.
If that sorry attitude was commonplace in GM's engineering and design departments, it would go a long way toward explaining why their smaller offerings were so consistently pathetic over the years. :sick:
Only problem for Ford is that, like almost everyone else, we're trying to get as much mileage out of our current vehicles as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB9C1HdvXWE
Only problem was that the build quality and reliability didn't match the looks.
You brought back memories of college where our favor saying was "fat chicks need love too".
I've found that both domestic and foreign dealerships are expensive and tend to push over maintaining a car. The days where a Toyota or Honda cost more to fix because parts are not readily available is 1980's. Styling is a personal preference. Lemko likes his bigger American cars. To each his own. I just hope they are still around when you need to buy your next one.
Funny how they call a small ADDITIONAL increase a 'slowdown'.
Debt is ticking down this year, so buying cars we don't need is mostly gone. Debt is tied to net worth and that ain't coming back soon. People may not return to 2007 car buying for ten years. The cars they buy are smaller and cheaper. Maybe a $35k pickup is replaced by a $25k Malibu. Then the profit also is down from maybe -2% on the truck to maybe -8% on the car.
LOL! It is very ironic you say that. In April 2008 we traded an '07Avalanche (bought in May '06) for a '08 Malibu.
I agree GM must shrink; but to lose it would be a blow in the long term - not just for the manufacturing-base also from a psychological standpoint. I think the big 3 should get the loans they need until the economy recovers somewhat. In my first-hand experience (backed-up by the automotive press) with the products of the past few years, GM and Ford have actually made major strides, and each now has at least a few models that are deemed the equals of the Japanese brands, with more to follow. I think it would be ironic in the most tragic way to lose either one of them now. Chryslet may be beyond saving sadly as their product line has not yet made the kinds of changes needed to make the vehicles competative - at least not on the same level as Ford and GM.
At the end of the day it'll come down to the product.
Respectfully,
Misha
I am looking forward to the NEW U.S. Auto manufacturer.
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
I don't really see Americans jumping into Fiats, so I think this proposed link isn't going to save Chrsyler. Mitsubishi products certainly didn't do much for them.
Toyota and Honda aren't just waiving the flag when they talk about concern for the US auto business. If GM tanks, there will be real ramifications to the transplant businesses as well. It won't be insurmountable by any means, but it will add a lot of cost pressure to their operations as they have to find new vendors or go overseas for parts. Either of those options will add time and cost. Eventually the US car buyer will pay higher prices if that happens. So I'm OK with helping GM for awhile whether it is loans or a government backed bankruptcy reorganization. A sudden GM failure will probably very badly impact unemployment, government tax revenues, stock and bond prices and world confidence in the dollar. That will hurt working Americans, not just the unemployed and the ramifications may very well exceed the monies we are providing them through loans or bankruptcy support. Personally, I'm not sure a GM failure will hurt every bit as much, or more than if Citigroup goes belly up and we're pouring a hell of a lot more dollars into the that bank than into GM.
You might have one quite soon.
Regards,
OW
It's not just about shrinking right now. Reducing labor and production is a normal reaction to slowing sales. This is why our unemployment is at 8.2%. GM needs to change their business model. The Malibu is a great car but they have some lousy cars and will need 5-6 years to change over their lineup. Time they don't have and more importnantly, they don't have the money to develop these cars. The plant to build the Volt has been put on hold. They delayed the 4.5L diesel engine. GM is running on government money. No one will do a debt swap because they don't believe GM will survive. The only thing they can do is file for bankruptcy. Even in this lousy economy, there are plenty of firms that would buy GM if they have to liquidate.
BTW, Chrysler should start selling. They have no chance at survival.
This whole thing is like a long drawn out soap opera.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Bend over, here it comes again! (BOHICA).
You are showing your lack of knowledge.
DETROIT -- Oscar Gray achieved the good life during 28 years of hard work at Delphi Corp. -- a six-figure income, a nice home in Holly and two vehicles.
Gray has been losing overtime. His gross pay was cut $16,000 one year, sliding to $87,000, and may dip again because Delphi is considering a Chapter 11 filing.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0509/18/A01-318432.htm
Unless Oscar was lying to the Detroit News. And 10,000 UAW members have not filed for bankruptcy. That tells me that UAW workers do not know how to live on $87k per year. Poor babies...
PS
If you want to subsidize their decadent lifestyle, YOU send them the bailout money.
At $28/hr, base pay drops to $58,240. If he was working 12 hrs/day, 7 days/wk, with NO DOUBLE TIME, he would rake in a whopping $96,000 IN OT, ON TOP OF the $58k in base salary!!!!
At $20/hr, working 12/7, he could still gross OVER $98K/yr.
At $20/hr, working 12/7, he could still gross OVER $98K/yr.
You gotta add holiday pay too. That is usually double time and a 1/2 plus 8 hours or at least it used to be.
My FIL has told be about guys back in the late 90's that would basically live in the steel mill doubling every day and making around $120k year.
You are correct though, you should treat o/t like a bonus and either save it for retirement or save it to pay cash for what your buying. Having payments based on o/t or bonus money is a recipe for ending up broke.
30-40% of our income is from bonus. I've never used our bonus income to be factored in our loan to value or mortgage apps etc. We save a portion of salary and bonus and the left overs are used for toys etc that are paid with cash.
When the new business model takes shape and it is firing on all cylinders ( read:everyone is happy and motivated, predominantly the CUSTOMER), we should get some great cars again.
Regards,
OW
Accounting (Loosing track??) and UAW running design, quality and profits into HUGE LOSSES can do that, don't you think?
Regards,
OW
That's what I'd like to see instead of the current state of affairs where we have the D3 saddled with excessive debt and employee obligations. Until these issues are cleared up we'll probably never have a successful auto industry.
Regards,
OW
You guys want to make it sound as if he was getting 6 figures for a 40 HOUR WEEK.
And MY figures didn't include double time or holiday pay.
It is exactly what you get when you give an unskilled, uneducated person that much money. They have no clue how to save. They were brought up believing they were special because they were BORN into the UAW. It is very hard on those that learn it was all built on lies and deception. Just common sense should tell a person you do not incur debt based on OT. That should be taught in school by the 6th grade along with economics 101. Instead they teach multi-culturalism and crap like that.
The real issue is not only Oscar filed for Bankruptcy. The legal department as part of the UAW package handled 10,000 bankruptcies in 2004. I am sure many had lost their jobs and that is sad. I do not feel for the ones that just lost OT and were over borrowed. They are just plain STUPID. And we pay the bills with higher credit card interest. I see the banks are after 30% of those that are late.
100%!!!
I will beg to differ on the forklift operator being unskilled. Personally, I think someone like that, operating it in a factory no less, MUST be skilled, competent, and mature to do that job. My FIL works on them, and IIRC they weigh close to TWICE what their capacity is. Therefore, a 5000# fork truck weighs close to 10,000 lbs EMPTY!! Anybody operating that should be well trained in the same light as someone with a CDL.
BTW, I would think that they should be limited to the number of hrs behind the wheel. DOT regs limit you to 70 hrs a wk behind the wheel, I believe, in a vehicle that has a gvw of 10,000lbs or more.
I can't imagine someone being allowed to just tool around in that type of equiptment carrying a significant load that may topple in a confined space on a coworker w/o being well trained, experienced, mature, and therefore well compensated. Again, that also means being mature enough to understand that you can't be on that machine all day every day too.
THAT is just plain mismanagement, allowing someone to work on a day where there is no work.
Gary may well remember being forced to work Sat, Sun, and holidays repairing phone lines, only to be told their isn't much work AFTER you get in. Most people in that situation would say screw you, you got me in on Sunday for 12, now your gonna pay me for 12!!
Our factory fork-truck operators are Grade 2-4. To get your license there's a class for a few days, and my company pays the $14/hr and sends people to the class. Basically anyone can be taught that skill in a few days - thus the low Grade and pay.
When we're talking skilled people, I think of people who can use CAD, diagnose electronic problems, licensed electricians and plumbers, or the top 10% quality of roofers, and construction people.
Having a "skill" - a skill can be defined as most anything, is not worth a lot if I can hire someone off the street and train them to do the same thing in a few days.
".....When we're talking skilled people, I think of people who can use CAD, diagnose electronic problems, licensed electricians and plumbers, or the top 10% quality of roofers, and construction people."
Maybe I misspoke. While technically, you're right about the skill level, I believe there comes a great RESPONSIBILITY with the privelege of maneuvering a 10,000 pound machine with 5,000 pounds of stock, equiptment, etc. around a warehouse where other people are walking around and working. The skill set may not be any more difficult than driving a car, but I believe they have the same responsibility as a commercial driver of a 53' tractor trailer.
My second job at Pacific Telephone in 1962 was warehouseman where you loaded and unloaded trucks with a fork lift all day long. I had just turned 19 and it paid slightly over minimum wage. My first job was delivering telephone company mail from San Diego to San Clemente every day. Much higher stress job driving Interstate 5. I will say my boss in the warehouse got promoted after he drove the forklift off the loading dock. I am with Kernick $15 per hour seems plenty for that level of skill. I don't remember any more than 5 minutes training to turn the propane off when you parked it and the levers for up down and tilt. Highly over paid UAW job. Along with most of the others. It just proves what you can extort out of a company with a gang of thugs running the Union.
PS
Pac Bell had a reputation for high safety standards. Seat belts installed before they were ever offered in vehicles on the road. You would be fired for taking off without a seatbelt buckled.
I don't disagree with you. I just find it funny as we have truck drivers coming up from Mexico into the US with who knows what kind of training. One accident a few years ago was a tanker overturned exiting the Freeway. It caused one heck of a big fire and shut down the highway for hours. It was a 19 year old driving. Nothing says that the age or skill level in the UAW fork lift operator is any higher. He was just lucky to get the job 28 years ago. With that kind of income there was no incentive to get a better education and more stable job. So he and 10,000 other UAW bankrupt workers cost the tax payers money.
Otherwise, the costs multiplied many times over for cars that aren't selling? You figure it out!
Exactly that.
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW