The H2, H3, Toyota FJ and that Bronco concept all have the same disease ... awkward fugliness syndrome.
Best looking truck line? Nissan, I think.
--- Bror Jace
Best looking truck line? Nissan, I think.
--- Bror Jace
I'm sure they will work fine, it's a matter of aesthetics though.quote:
Originally posted by ScottB:
For cryin' out loud. I think the US has big problems on their hands, and it's not exposed hinges - which can work just fine, BTW...quote:
Originally posted by Auto-Union:
Exposed door hindges? Is this 1930 or 2006?
I believe you hit the nail on the head.quote:
Originally posted by chewbacca:
The domestic auto makers (you all who know who "they" are) are going to have to learn the same thing Harley Davidson did in the late '70's, mid '80's. They must all learn that you cannot make junk, ignore market trends and most of all, never, ever underestimate your competition!It is unfortunately, almost too late. It may take government intervention as it did with H-D.
The unions are agents for the manufacturers' healthcare and retirement system. The employee is envolved, though, he/she makes up the body count. They are very important, because it's the dues they pay, that generates the union income. Makes the manufacturers look pretty stupid. They have to buy factories, machines, raw materials, sigh performance contracts and administrate everything. The unions just collect dues, have expensive lunches and vacations. They need a couple of office building and a bank account. They have to find management people that are willing to give up working for a living and become union officials. They usually have to accept hugh pay raises and generous benefit and retirement packages. It's hard to find honest people that will give up work and take the salaries that come with these union positions. It could wreck long term planning because you may retire before your 50 and find out you have so much money there is no point in continuing to work. So, don't think that employees are worthless. They are the ones that pay for all this, and are happy to do it, because the union protects them. You would not want these members to be forced into a job where they compete with others in the free market. No sir. You job is based in time on the job and the union is there to protect that. It makes a bank robber look like an honest man. At least he exposes himself to risk and shows the teller a gun, before the takes the money.quote:
the unions only care about lining their pockets and not about the employee!!
You had to bring up that self-destructing Taurus transmission, didn't you? I had one of those, in a 1991 Taurus, and knew about this fault a few years into my ownership. This was my low mileage car, not my commuter, and the mileage piled up slowly. I knew about the extended warranty, to 5 years or 60,000 miles, but my transmission did not fail until 1999, at 61,000 miles. I had been having the transmission serviced at least yearly, regardless of how few miles I put on it; one year it was serviced at only the 3300 mile mark. Didn't make any difference, it failed at 61,000 miles. At the time, I was a 3 Ford family, having a Taurus, a Thunderbird, and a Ranger. I am now a no Ford family.quote:
Originally posted by brianl703:
Unions also don't engineer **** like the TFI-IV and the self-destructing Taurus transmissions.
Incidentally, I suspect that usage of thermal tape instead of thermal grease between the TFI-IV module and the distributor would have prevented many of the failures.
Ford blames traffic conditions in Virginia on that plant closing. They say that it makes it difficult to get supplies to the plant in time.quote:
Originally posted by CBDFrontier06:
Sadly, my brother, a 29 year assembly line veteran at Ford's Norfolk VA F150 plant is about to become a casualty of Ford's mismanagement.
Both of mine have manual transmissions.quote:
Originally posted by 1999nick:
I am now a no Ford family.
Huh?quote:
Originally posted by brianl703:
I'm just glad I don't have to compete with the workforce that lives 20 to a house.
I jus have to pay the taxes to support them.