Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

fintail

The cat is out of the bag. Pandora's Box has been opened. It's too late now. I don't know why you would assume otherwise, but some good jokes have been made about assuming :P

But we don't have to allow "free trade" on our shores with those who don't practice fair trade, for one.

Or here's a question, why should we slit our collective throats so the consolidating fortunes of the few can continue to grow?

tlong

But we don't have to allow "free trade" on our shores with those who don't practice fair trade, for one.

I'll agree with that. But it seems our government officials have no spines in this area. Or have been bought off. I know you and I agree on that one!

fintail

I'm sure we agree on volumes more than not. Corporations get the justice they pay for, and they have a lot of our "elected leadership" in their pockets.

stever

ABC Tackles Automotive Globalization, Crowns Camry Best for U.S. Jobs (Straightline)

lemko

...workin' out for ya?

Weak Economy Drives Theft of Copper Wiring

Not only does it interrept power and telecommunications, but is a threat to public safety and national security.

robr2

Suprisingly, when the economy was going gangbusters copper theft was a big issue as well. IMHO, it's not so much a weak economy that but the fact the copper is at such high prices.

andre1969

uprisingly, when the economy was going gangbusters copper theft was a big issue as well. IMHO, it's not so much a weak economy that but the fact the copper is at such high prices.

Yeah, it's nothing new. Heck, I remember an old episode of "Sanford and Son" where someone ripped off all the copper pipes from their house and then sold it back to LaMont!

marsha7

Maybe that is what caused the changeover to PVC pipes...

stever

We replaced 100 year old galvanized pipe a couple of months back and went with PEX as much as we could.

Speaking of old American iron.

IL Track Tested: 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 6MT (Straightline)

anythngbutgm

Link isn't working for me. No biggie, I'll find it anyways, looks like a great read!

stever

Sorry, the photo link was fighting me and I forgot to check the article link. Should be okay now.

Wanna read about the 0-60 in 4.7 eh? :shades:

anythngbutgm

I'm mostly excited to hear a proper manual tranny is offered in this beast!

fintail

What year is it? What an honest and ethical system, no reason we shouldn't aid and submit to it!

I wonder if the upholstery on the cars our globalist sheeple want to see in this market can be tainted with anything. Asbestos, lead, what else?

cannon3

I opened the paper this morning to find a full page ad for the Kia Sorento. In one point that is made in the ad it says "Built in the USA"* Notice the asterix sign. Many Americans are not smart enough to know what an asterix means. I do know. At the bottom of the page in very small, fine print it states. Assembled by some forgien and domestic parts. It doesn't tell you what percentage or any other information. WE must educate people where and when we can. There is a huge differrence between "Built" and "Assembled". Demand made in the USA goods and services. If you have the intelligence to THINK about what your forgien purchase is doing to your future.. We may have a chance in this country.

robr2

It's not misleading - the information is right there for those who care enough to read.

The Sorrento is made of 60% US parts and 40% imported parts and 100% US labor at a plant that built in the US.

No vehicle is going to be 100% made in any one country anymore. It wouldn't suprise me to see Hyundai opening an engine plant in Georgia soon.

stever

Cheaper than a Fiesta or Fit. "The Sonic will be the only subcompact car currently built in the U.S. after the company spent $545 million to retool an assembly plant in Orion, MI."

Production begins this fall.

New Chevy Sonic Subcompact Starts at $14,495 (AutoObserver)

iwant12

I think what he's saying is that most folk won't read beyond the *.

cannon3

That is exactly what I am saying. Most Americans don't read past the *.
I would also like to know where you got the 60% U.S. parts from for the Kia Sorento. I am also willing to bet all the labor is not American. Many of the higher paying/technical/Managerial/Supervisoryl jobs are probably Korean. Also, I bet the tooling/parts for this plant are also Korean. How do I know this is a good bet? I have had the opportunity to tour 3 forgien transplants and have seen this for myself.

stever

"The number of Americans filing for first-time jobless benefits during the week ended April 29, for instance, surged to a 37-week high of 478,000, in part because of layoffs at Japanese-owned U.S. car factories."

How Japan's Recovery Could Help U.S. Stocks (WSJ)

Fukushima happened on March 11. Auto parts from Japanese suppliers dried up and we lost jobs.

circlew

That's what Ive been trying to convey...we're all connected. This global economy depends on everyone, not just keeping it in the U.S.A.

Fact. Live with it or deny it. The USA needs the rest of the world just as the opposite is true.

Regards,
OW

anythngbutgm

Designed and engineered in Korea, just like the Snuze. Engine is sourced from Korea or China as well. Good news it'll be built in the US but doubt it will break into "the list"

link title

lemko

Wonder if the working conditions are like this Chinese cell phone factory:

"A report released last week by Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM), a Hong Kong-based workers’ rights non-profit created in 2005, details the exhaustion caused by 12-hour shifts, alienation from not being allowed to speak to co-workers, and a rapid just-in-time production model that has workers putting in a phone motherboard every seven seconds to meet the global demand for high-priced gadgets."

robr2

That is exactly what I am saying. Most Americans don't read past the *.

I realize that but do you expect them to trumpet "of US and foreign sourced parts?" It's called marketing.

I would also like to know where you got the 60% U.S. parts from for the Kia Sorento.

Here you go:

http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/13171225-2011-Kia-Sorento-SUV

Many of the higher paying/technical/Managerial/Supervisoryl jobs are probably Korean.

That we don't know but they are all jobs in the US creating a tax revenue stream for the local and national economy. Don't forget as well that many suppliers are located nearby and are creating jobs and revenue as well.

Also, I bet the tooling/parts for this plant are also Korean. How do I know this is a good bet? I have had the opportunity to tour 3 forgien transplants and have seen this for myself.

I's sure they are as well - Hyundai is one of the world's leading robitic manufacturers. You'll probably find their robots in GM and Ford plants all over the world.

We live in a global economy - we may not like it but that's the way it is.

Personally I do my small part by avoiding WalMart. It's not much, but its what I can do.

motorcity6

Well said!!!!! The USA will never be the same for the "Great Industrial Complex" has been fractured or better way of putting it "Destroyed."

Our younger generation will learn the meaning of "Global Economy" and realize that our "Standard of Living" is being trashed..

It's been quite popular to trash the "Big3" for lousy cars, high paying jobs of the UAW, and praise the "foreign nameplates" for their superior offerings. As the housing market panned, the Big3 followed down the drain and now we have the "Global Excitement" and I am sure as time passes you will realize our status of a world leader has been diminished..

Nothing remains the same over a long period of time unless it is well planned and nurtured to survive over the natural economic cycles..Our standard of living is falling with the our "dollar" demise and you can place the blame wherever you want..

Enjoy driving your "foreign nameplate" extolling it's outstanding features while the our own auto industry imports most of the major components from outside the USA in order to compete..Our politicians have disassembled GM and Chrysler, and I am sure Ford will be the next target of our govt..Didn't Ford lose a lawsuit last week for a couple billion???

Didn't the Toyota fiasco kinda disappear???

Without a solid manufacturing base it will be impossible to defend ourselves in the future.. Maybe China or Russia will supply us with weapons??? Freedom is never free..

3 hoaxes, Global Warming, Rising sea levels, and 2nd hand smoke kills..

imidazol97

$1,000,000,000 deal for Nissan taxis for NEW YORK CITY to be built in US Mexico.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110503/CARNEWS/110509961

Think how much this could have meant to the US economy to have built them in the _US_ by Nissan. Shows what Nissan thinks of the US. Keep on buying those MAximas, etc.

robr2

Well the only companies that submitted bids were Ford (Transit made in Turkey), Nissan (made in Mexico) and Karsan (Turkey based but said they would consider a plant in NY).

I think the NY plant would never have happened and the NYC taxi market is so small that building a facilty in the US wouldn't be cost effective. It's 15K vehicles total that get replaced on a 5 year cycle. It's 3K cars a year - not even close enough for the investment in a local plant.

I'd like to see the $1 billion dollar revenue math for the 10 years.

lemko

Good God, what an effeminite excuse for a cab!

THIS IS A TAXI!!!



Not that wimpy foreign minivan thingy that looks like it would be driven by some mousy soccermommy. What self-respecting cabbie would wanna be seen in that thing?

Even this is an exponential improvement over that wussy Nissan box:

fintail

I wonder how that van will cope with slamming into curbs and the general Beirut-like pavement conditions of much of the NY area.

lemko

Maybe NYC should've considered this as an alternative?



Heck, if they can withstand third world conditions, they could withstand NYC!

lemko

Even New Yorkers can't stand the idea of this stupid minivan becoming the next NYC taxi!

New York's New Taxi Freakin' Sucks!

cannon3

naive to think EVERYTHING should be made here in the U.S. However, when we go from importing under 10% of what we consume in the 1960's to over 65% in present day, there is something very wrong here. The future of this country is in deep you know what.. We are used to having low unemployment rates of under 5%.. Those days are long gone, get used to 15% - 20% REAL unemployment numbers. Not what the government wants you to believe. As long as Americans are kept stupid by shopping at Walmart and buying what they "want" on credit.. we are doomed as a nation. EDUCATE our young people. Let them see what buying that BMW/Toyota/Kia really does for them and their future job prospects and/or future financial stability. Yes, we are all connected in this new Global economy, however, we are even more connected in our own economy. I sat down and had a great conversation with a Doctor. Of course a very educated person. He had some good points about importing goods/services, however, I made him think about how connected we all really are. I asked him if people could not find work, therefore not have insurance.. How is he going to buy his Mercedes? Hmmm....

fintail

The fact that such cars are actually still in commercial service says everything. The drivers just keep a rebuilt engine or two waiting to go, and swap them out every 250K or so.

One of these would even be more practical:



The fact that even in advanced Germany, today, 2011, there are W123 taxis still in service says an awful lot. Maybe these things could be bought up and refurbished and put back into use...wouldn't employ Americans in a typical sense as the vehicle is old, but the renovation industry could employ many. I'd rather ride in one of those than a homely van.

imidazol97

Are they usually that color like the one in the picture? That's a good color. It's stands out, but isn't obnoxious.

fintail

Yep that's the classic German taxi color that has existed for decades. Apparently regulations are being changed so it isn't mandatory, but I doubt the tradition will die off anytime soon.

Here's a photo I took of taxis waiting at Nuremberg central station:



Behind the B-class at right is a W124 wagon, another ~20 year old car still in service.

lemko

Checker ad from 1971:

lemko

1979 Ford LTD with the single headlamps:

fintail

One for Lemko...1980s Caprice doing taxi service in Zurich, photo taken less than 2 years ago

lemko

Cool! Check out the export-spec taillamps with the amber turn signal lenses! My first new car was a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic similar to the one in the pic. Mine was black, sans vinyl roof. It had the same wire hubcaps.

fintail

I'm guessing the export spec US made GM passenger car market has just about dried up, especially now that Australia in particular simply makes cooler fullsized GM cars than the US. I know back in the day loads of those Caprices went to the middle east, and oddly enough, the best place in Europe to find 70s-90s era American cars in regular service is Switzerland. I wonder how it got there, but I suspect it was simply a local new car purchase.

andre1969

I'm at a motel just outside of King's Island in Ohio, and I swear I've never seen so many domestic cars in my life! Of the 22 cars I can see out in the parking lot from my room, the only import is the 2006 Xterra I arrived in! Don't tell Dieselone, but there's even a new-ish Grand Prix out there! :P

iwant12

The Xterra 4X4 was on my "long" list a few weeks ago, I really like it's mean looks. But I never made it past the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first vehicle that I test drove.

imidazol97

Welcome to SW Ohio!

There are lots of foreign cars sold here. But you're sampling the traveling public's choice.

Are they Ohio license plates staying to visit Kings Island or the other activities in the area? Or are they out-of-staters?

Hope you're not at the motel with a waterpark inside. They are the one that had lots of respiratory problems in their guests after they first opened.

berri

King's Island in Ohio

You ought to head up north to Sandusky and Lake Erie for Cedar Point while you're in the Buckeye state. Great park for roller coasters.

dieselone

Don't tell Dieselone, but there's even a new-ish Grand Prix out there!

LOL, speaking of the Grand Prix........ Just kidding.

Hope your having a good time. It's been a while since I've been to Kings Island, probably 15 years.

andre1969

You ought to head up north to Sandusky and Lake Erie for Cedar Point while you're in the Buckeye state. Great park for roller coasters.

Actually, we just came from there! Hit Cedar Point Saturday evening, all day yesterday, and a bit this morning. We're gonna do Kings Island all day tomorrow, and then head back home Wednesday. I'm sure my body's gonna be really beat up after 5 days of these amusement park rides, plus 1000+ miles of my buddy's Xterra, which ain't the smoothest thing in the world! Now we're back at the hotel (King's Island Resort, dunno if it has a waterpark or not), chilling out, trying to find something to watch on tv. "Family Guy" is an episode I've seen a million times, but hmm, here's something called "Spurs and Leather". hmm, must be a western... :P

Oh, as for the vehicle count, now there's a new Hyundai Sonata out in the parking lot, and an older model Kia Sorrento which, surprisingly, is starting to rust! That's one thing I've noticed out here...lots more rusty cars than back in the DC area where I live. I guess they're a lot more liberal with salt and chemicals come wintertime? Back home, it's rare to see a newer car that's rusty. Usually you have to go back a good 20 years or more. But out here, it's a lot more common, and on much younger cars.

stever

My first winter's impression of upper Michigan is that they use way too much salt on the roads. But then I usually don't have to drive when the weather is bad. But there sure are a lot of rust buckets here and on cars aren't all that old. I'm going to have to get in the habit of washing my cars, something I rarely did in Boise.

tlong

Enjoy driving your "foreign nameplate" extolling it's outstanding features while the our own auto industry imports most of the major components from outside the USA in order to compete..Our politicians have disassembled GM and Chrysler, and I am sure Ford will be the next target of our govt.

This is laughable.

1 - GM and Chrysler disassembled their own companies.
2 - The politicians bailed them out, or they would not exist as such at all.

circlew

I enjoy everyone's opinion but what do we all really know? I know one thing.

Change is happening faster than perceptions can be made. We are connected even closer than ever.

"Pretty much by any measure, and by factor of three, people are saying the U.S. is where they want to invest," Goolsbee say.

Among the highlights of the CEA survey:

At $3.1 trillion in 2009, the U.S. received the most foreign direct investment (FDI) of any country in the world. America's tally was three times that of France or the U.K. and more-than six times the FDI in China.

Foreign firms like Siemens and Toyota employed 5.7 million U.S. workers in 2009, accounting for 5% of the U.S. private workforce and, with over 2 million workers, about 13% of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Foreign firms account for more than 18% of total U.S. merchandise exports and, at $40.5 billion, over 14% of total U.S. private investment in research and development.


Foreign Investment

Regards,
OW

dieselone

older model Kia Sorrento which, surprisingly, is starting to rust!

That's the midwest for ya. It's not unusual around here to see an early '00 Silverado with the wheel well areas completely rusted through. I've been noticing the same era f150's rusting through. My '07 Expedition is developing a case of the mumps on the rear tailgate.

lemko

Whatever happened to Ziebart and Rusty Jones? My uncle had a 1977 Dodge van that he had rustproofed by Ziebart and it never rusted after 177K+ miles, 15 years, and parked outside in Boston.