The entire industry is a mess

[Vizzy]

 Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Some time starting in the 50s and completing with the rise of the Japanese carmakers in the 80s, cars turned from being "durable goods" to use-once-and-throw-away fashion statements. That's fine so long as consumers can continue to buy new ones every 2-5 years. But when the economy gets tight and people realize, "duh, I don't HAVE to have a car payment every month!" it goes to [censored] in a handbasket for an industry that's made itself dependent on rapid product turnover.

My thoughts exactly. This applies to other "durable goods" as well. Greed is NOT good..... in the LONG run.

 

[hone eagle]

And yet they are more durable than ever,nothing from the 50-60's would be around unless it has been completely rebuilt.Back then the engine was in selfdestruct from first start and would be on life support in 3 years ,but it didn't matter as the body was already well on its way to falling off the frame due to corrosion. Now 200,000+ on a engine, and perfect body is expected,yet we change cars like our pants.

 

[OVERKILL]

 Originally Posted By: hone eagle

And yet they are more durable than ever,nothing from the 50-60's would be around unless it has been completely rebuilt.Back then the engine was in selfdestruct from first start and would be on life support in 3 years ,but it didn't matter as the body was already well on its way to falling off the frame due to corrosion. Now 200,000+ on a engine, and perfect body is expected,yet we change cars like our pants.

I don't know about cars, but I do know about boats. We had a boathouse FULL of antique boats and engines; probably 30 or 40 engines from a variety of manufacturers. There were a LOT of original engines from the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's that still ran great. A few examples: 1940's Chris-Craft sedan. Chris-Craft I6, all original. The boat was sold in 2004 to a guy in Michigan for restoration. 1930's Seabird. Gray 4-cyl, never rebuilt. Two Chrysler Fury 190's 1972 Century Coronado with a 440 Dodge in it (my dad's boat) (this one is funny) 1930's tug. Decapitated. Powered by a 50's Ford 312 Interceptor, never rebuilt. This old girl is still going. Valvetrain sounds like something out of Jeepers Creepers but it still works well 1938 Chris-Craft 18' double-cockpit. Engine was finally rebuilt for when the boat was restored in 1998. Engines not in boats that I can think of off the top of my head were: 3x Ford flatheads 1x Lincoln V12 2x Chrysler I6's 1x Chrysler I8 2x Chris-Craft I6's 1x Gray Fireball Also had a Fordson Tractor and a 9N (my grandfather was an avid collector of all things antique). I was quite surprised by some of the longevity of engines made during that era, but I don't know how well that translates into the world of cars.....

 

[Vizzy]

 Originally Posted By: hone eagle

And yet they are more durable than ever,nothing from the 50-60's would be around unless it has been completely rebuilt.Back then the engine was in selfdestruct from first start and would be on life support in 3 years ,but it didn't matter as the body was already well on its way to falling off the frame due to corrosion. Now 200,000+ on a engine, and perfect body is expected,yet we change cars like our pants.

I would agree that up to a point probably the early to mid 90's or so reliability has been going up. BUT recently with cars since maybe the early 2000's It seems to me like the robustness of cars has been declining. I would bet my bottom dollar on the fact that with advanced computer modeling engineers can precisely duty cycle a part(s) and tell you within a narrow time frame when that part will fail. It's planned obsolessence. Same can be seen in all "durable" goods over the past decade or so. Sure you are paying less most likely BUT you are getting a product that will wear out earlier as well.

 

[440Magnum]

 Originally Posted By: Vizzy

 Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Some time starting in the 50s and completing with the rise of the Japanese carmakers in the 80s, cars turned from being "durable goods" to use-once-and-throw-away fashion statements. That's fine so long as consumers can continue to buy new ones every 2-5 years. But when the economy gets tight and people realize, "duh, I don't HAVE to have a car payment every month!" it goes to [censored] in a handbasket for an industry that's made itself dependent on rapid product turnover.

My thoughts exactly. This applies to other "durable goods" as well. Greed is NOT good..... in the LONG run.

Its more than just simple greed- the whole philosophy that growth is necessary for profit is unstable and unsustainable. It applies to cities that think they MUST keep attracting population and businesses at the expense of quality of life just as much as it applies to companies that have to sell more every year to remain profitable. There *has* to eventually be a collapse like we are going through... or worse.

 

[Gary Allan]

 Quote:

Its more than just simple greed- the whole philosophy that growth is necessary for profit is unstable and unsustainable. It applies to cities that think they MUST keep attracting population and businesses at the expense of quality of life just as much as it applies to companies that have to sell more every year to remain profitable. There *has* to eventually be a collapse like we are going through... or worse.

Yes, 440. The whole physics of the machinery keeps putting any finish line further and further out. You've lost when you start. You end up (as we can see if you add all things up) interpreting success as how much less you lost than others. It happens to all but the most conservative enterprises.

 

[Benzadmiral]

 Originally Posted By: mstrjon32

 Originally Posted By: Tosh

Laugh it up. How is that relevant? It's not illegal to have a RHD car here. And pretty much anyone (besides NASA) knows how to convert units. Chances are your own speedometer already has km/h on it.

The speedo in my Monte Carlo lets you change from MPH to Km/H, you select which measure you want and it actually moves the needle to reflect the units, pretty cool. Also changes the MPG readouts to KM/L.

In mine it also changes the Lying Robot, the outside temperature readout, from Fahrenheit to Centigrade. I wish I could turn it off, or choose to have it tell me the interior temperature instead of the exterior. I sometimes flick it over and pretend that instead of 92 F. outside, I'm actually driving in 33-degree winter conditions! It's thin entertainment, but mine own.