AMERICAN car? buy a piece of crap?

[Monolithic]

i never bought shitty american cars in the first place

 

[nullvalu]

I've really had nothing but problems with GM's. I own 2 Fords right now and have been very happy with them so far. Although I have been thinking about trading one in for an '08 Charger. Anyone own one? I've talked to some other owners who mostly like them.

 

[acptulsa]

i never bought shitty american cars in the first place

My first car was a 1969 Charger. It's a damned shame that building and selling a new one of those today would be illegal, isn't it?

 

[JaylieWoW]

My husband has been fretting ever since his daughter turned 16 on buying her a car. Now, this may sound like "spoiling a child" but our situation is unique. Rather than bore you with the details of our life, both my husband's ex-wife & my husband's son have cancer. My husband's daughter really plays with a stacked deck balancing school work with having to take care of her mother (she is the SOLE caretaker for her mother at the young age of 17). In other words, she deserves and NEEDS a reliable car.

I own a 2000 Saturn that has been paid off for a couple of years now. Recently, my husband's income increased dramatically. So, once again, my husband started looking around for a car for his daughter. Because neither of us like having a car payment our intent was to put a substantial down-payment on a new car for me and to give my Saturn to his daughter.

I, however, was very reluctant to give up my Saturn (evil me lol ). So, my husband, knowing my particular affinity for sports cars, decides to see what he can find on Craig's List for me.

We ended up paying $3,000 cash for a 1990 Nissan 300ZX (OMG it is so sweet and almost in mint condition, even still smelled slightly new) that we found on Craig's List with 78,000 original miles . I am now the proud owner of a "classic" AND a proud owner of the ALL TIME best selling sports car EVER. Matter of fact, according to my car's VIN number, it was number 867th off the assembly line (the first 1,000 of the new Z32 body style ever made).

My point being (other than to brag about my new cool ride), is that I bet, unless you purchased it from a "collector" (mine was purchased from a college kid), you would be hard pressed to find a 20 year old American made sports car in such good condition. I think "best selling sports model of all time" puts it into perspective as to what we had coming for the American auto industry. Nissan did a remarkable job with the 280/300 series because they produced a sporty RELIABLE automobile at an affordable price.

PS: Picture below is EXACTLY what my car looks like

 

[Brian4Liberty]

I kinda like the new Camaro. Won't buy one, but it's an eye-catcher.

Erin Burnett was just on CNBC making fun of the Camaro and anyone who might buy it. Elitist sl*t. Chevy dealers can't keep them in stock, and they can't build them fast enough.

 

[angelatc]

yep, easy and relatively inexpensive to work on.

I don't think there's anything wrong with driving newer cars, but I always sort of wonder when people say things like "I bought my first <insert manufacturer here> and it is the only car I've ever owned since! I have never had any trouble with them," and I think "Gee - I'm still driving the same Ford that I bought around the same time you bought your first <insert model here> though!"

Plus my insurance is cheaper than dirt. That's reason alone not to drive a car you have to carry full coverage on.

 

[angelatc]

Earlier I said that I wouldn't buy another American car, but I have heard that Ford has not sought federal assistance (yet). Is that true? It is going to become a lot harder for Ford to compete with GM and Chrysler. Rest assured that the federal government will make up any number of new restrictions and regulations on what safety and environment-friendly features must be incorporated into automotive engineering, with the goal being to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Help save capitalism. Boycott Government Motors.

Yes it is true that Ford has not taken any TARP money. It is also true that being forced to compete with the government will certainly take its toll on Ford.

We can boycott all we want, but I suspect the military and government will soon be ordering fleets.

 

[Dreamofunity]

I buy used.

 

[Derek Johnson]

Excellent video.

I'm looking at this the same way I looked at the approximately $4 Billion Suntrust Bank got at the end of last year:

If these companies can go to the federal government and take my tax dollars by force, why should I voluntarily continue to support them?

The answer is: I shouldn't support them, and I won't.

That makes two of us

Earlier I said that I wouldn't buy another American car, but I have heard that Ford has not sought federal assistance (yet). Is that true? It is going to become a lot harder for Ford to compete with GM and Chrysler. Rest assured that the federal government will make up any number of new restrictions and regulations on what safety and environment-friendly features must be incorporated into automotive engineering, with the goal being to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Help save capitalism. Boycott Government Motors.

The government needs to knock it off with the environmental this and that, and they need to keep the "regulatory standards" completely out of the executive and legislative machine [yeah right]. Pollution can be solved by lawsuits, but now we have a retarded supreme court deciding that CO2 is a pollutant. Give me a break, show me the science.

Btw, my 1990 F250 w/a 7.3 International Diesel is still running strong at 200k miles w/no overhauls...only an occasional battery, alternator, filters, plugs etc. If American cars were built like American trucks [UAW aside], they would not be in this mess. Big ups to Ford, if they prove themselves against Honda/Toyota at the 150k-200k litmus test...I'll buy new Fords, no problem there. Chryslers still seem like total garbage to me, if they want to survive, they had better step it up.

 

[PatriotLegion]

I just bought an '09 Malibu. Car is awesome, I had an '04. I got a great deal on the car BTW and they need to sell there cars so deals and discounts are great. I never had any problems with our Malibu I have owned 2 and my parents have one. All still running and they are around great cars, in my opinion of course. What hurt GM is they over-sized POS's and the UAW. But UAW has been hurting the US car industry in whole because for Honda and Nissan to have factories in the US and pay there workers $30 an hour (no union) but Ford or Chevy to pay there workers $80 an hour (UAW).

That is why they are f**ked!

I stand by my American car. - For now till they out-source.

 

[FindLiberty]

Maybe US automakers just need to spice up their advertising (in the USA) to better compete with fine Japanese steel:

This is a Ford Venezuela Ad

 

[ceakins]

It will be so nice for our military to have to get parts for the hummer from a Chinese company.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1902478,00.html

 

[chadhb]

Most likely gonna' be a piece of crap...

Grew up under the hood of GM cars... I even re-built an automatic transmission or two. BUT, the last straw was the pathetic EFI module on our 1976 Eldorado...

Then I bought a new top-of-the-line Toyota that changed everything for me. I even took it all apart to see the guts up close - what a fine machine it was (early 80's)! It only required oil and filter changes - NO TROUBLES. (no more weekends tinkering with the GM automatic choke unloader, funky GM crankshaft ign timing sensors, you name it, etc.)

THREE DECADES later, it's still only high-end Toyota's for me. I can never go back to GM*. American union labor / Auto's have no chance at all IMO. Of course there will be laws and funny money "help" for them to match the competition that's already at a disadvantage 'cause it's shipped over here from the other side of the world (or snapped together here from sub-assy's sent from over-seas), but American cars will still come up short(er), possibly even made worse by all the new "help".

Toyota (or Honda) had/have much better engineering and QC compared to either GM or Ford. Maybe they should "buy" GM and then run the new company.

*I don't wish to come across as negative, I just don't want to witness the embarrassment of another American car even if I don't own it, or to personally make the mistake of buying one and then having to cope with all its shortcomings.

You lost me at 1976 eldorado. You old fart, you don't know crap!

 

[anaconda]

I would love to have the 2009 Jetta Diesel:

YouTube - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Full Test

 

[Kludge]

Maybe US automakers just need to spice up their advertising (in the USA) to better compete with fine Japanese steel:

This is a Ford Venezuela Ad

Nothing is quite as erotic as breast cancer awareness organizations.

 

[Sandman33]

BASH American cars all you like. But here's the facts,

GM cheap models - are CHEAPER than civics or corollas and absolutely run WELL past their warranties but not as long as the japs.....but they ARE much cheaper to begin with!

The cheapest new Corollas and Civics are 20k...while the competing U.S. markets are at 13-16k.

As a consumer purchasing a USED vehicle I would surely aim for the japanese market.....untill I saw how much used japanese cars go for....its ridiculous. Yeah the U.S. product is going to need a little more work at 90k but SO WHAT! Its CHEAP! and the car is HALF the price. The powertrains themelves are still running just as well...its the littel bullhshit maintenance that the U.S. cars need...sensors, etc.

And lets step aside from cheap ass transportation to power and fun.

There's NO better sports car for the money than the Corvette...NONE....not even CLOSE. The Corvettes power and handling are seriously unmatched by any competitor anywhere NEAR its price range. And guess what...compared to other sports cars the Corvette is unbelievably reliable and cheap to maintain! It truly is a daily driver....while others trying to best it are twice its price and rarely driven daily.

And the Ford Mustang is build incredibly well. Try and find another car thats as fun to drive with over 300hp and rear wheel drive anywhere NEAR its price...you cant. And it's also quite cheap and easy to raise that 300 hp to 340 with just a few bolt ons...and 550 plus with a supercharger......and yes, still driven daily.

 

[acptulsa]

You lost me at 1976 eldorado. You old fart, you don't know crap!

Well now. Let's conduct a thought experiment, shall we? It's 2013, civilization as we know it has failed completely, and you can't get an engine control computer at any price to save your life. Furthermore, little oil is available, and you have your choice of vegetable oil and pure grain alchohol. Hell of a deal. Now, your car's injectors probably can't handle the alchohol and your computer won't last forever. Are you going to call someone who knows what 'rejet a carburetor' means and can rig up a points-and-condenser distributor with both centrifugal and vacuum advance an old fart and tell him he doesn't know shit? Because if you do, he's liable to drive away and let you continue on your nice, long walk...

Ya insolent little whipper snapper.

 

[angelatc]

It will be so nice for our military to have to get parts for the hummer from a Chinese company.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1902478,00.html

THey're not selling the military HumVees - those aren't even made by Chrysler or GM.

 

[angelatc]

What hurt GM is they over-sized POS's and the UAW.

People keep saying that, but the big vehicles are the money makers. If people were buying itty bitty weenie cars, they'd sell them.

 

[JohnnyRebel]