I laugh when I hear about GM build quality. My ex-brother-in-law worked for GM. They had a 17% or so failure rate at the end of the assembly line.
Maybe the team that designed the Falcon 1&2 should seek employment with GM. KJG says he has one with 7 million on it. Our dealership has an F1 with 3 million. Share your Falcon story!
Z

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 313ZD,

Tech's dream. Everything is accessible and rebuild-able. Good quality, reliable with very few secrets.

By the way, I'd blame the UAW, not the product for GM's demise.

Maybe the GM engineers helped design the
color task alfa series

quote:

Originally posted by 313ZD:
I laugh when I hear about GM build quality. My ex-brother-in-law worked for GM. They had a 17% or so failure rate at the end of the assembly line.
Maybe the team that designed the Falcon 1&2 should seek employment with GM. KJG says he has one with 7 million on it. Our dealership has and F1 with 3 million. Share your Falcon story!
Z

I was born in the 50s and grew up in the 60s back then there was not all of this big corporations it was more of a time for the Mom and Pop store. Anything that came from Japan was cheap junk and everyone bought American back then. I am more like Clint in the Grand Torino it makes me sick to see everyone buying non American cars. Thanks to Nafta it is hard to find anything American anymore. I buy American when I can and I buy local when I can. I am one of those guys that never shop at Walmart and feel good about it. With the birth of Online in time I am wondering how many store fronts will be able to stay open. In time perhaps our business will be disposable with the next big company setting up shop. Watching the inflation index as of late with the things that we need everyday we are living in trouble times and feel sorry for the people that will have to try to have to earn a living and provide for a family in the future. One thing for certain if gives me joy to bring my kids into the Mom and Pop stores and have the clerks and owners remember our family as it was for me when I was growing up.

great topic 313ZD love ur post techboy...i second ur sentiment...



DUMMIETEK...i love to see more people buying american...but please dont build no more ugly MALIBUS...

quote:

Originally posted by WeBeJammin:

By the way, I'd blame the UAW, not the product for GM's demise.

I AGREE! When will Washington wake up, oh I forgot the current administration loves Unions!
Yes, the UAW and it's ethics are surely to blame for the certain demise of GM as well as the destruction of Ford and Chrysler. I predict Chrysler will do good since all the greenies want family's of 5 to drive cracker boxes. Someone google a fiat if you haven't seen an 09 model yet!

My ex-brother-in-law and his crew used to drink their lunch across the street from the plant at a biker bar by night/low class hooters by day establishment. Some coworkers and I went in one day for lunch where I saw them doing shots and drinking pitchers of swill. I asked him if they were off and he said no, lunch. If they were caught it was 2 days home with pay. So where is the incentive to do a good job?
Japan has been a blessing in that it has pushed US companies to be better, unfortunately the UAW has stifled car companies with apathy and poor work ethics. Not to mention a government that pushes unnecessary rules and regulations in the name of safety.

I like Jay Leno's statement, "I took public transportation today, I drove a GM"

Techboy I like your thoughts but I'm afraid it's getting harder and harder to buy American, hell it's hard for most to be proud to BE American especially when we have a first Lady that is on record stating she was never proud of her country until her husband was the Democrat choice for President. Members of Congress making public statements that we deserve what we got in 9/11, out President apologizing to other Nations for being free and saving the asses of their 3rd world ****holes! ........ok, I'm going to stop now and get off my soap box. Maybe we can all enjoy the 4th of July one more year before we have to pay taxes to observe it!
Z

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 313ZD,

Happy 4th

These boxes are built so well that we find it hard to upgrade customers to newer equipment. The 7 million that I mentioned earlier is not the exception. We have several falcon 1's and 2,s over 3 and 4 million. Very few issues mechanically if we are on our toes service-wise. My hats off to the engineering team who came up with these machines. I remember seeing these for the first time in Dallas back in 02 (i believe) and being highly impressed. I'm not easily impressed by many machines. We have all but steered away from Kyocera color from what we have seen at schools on the front end. Some machines are just not worth the headache and loss of credibility with the customer.

As far as auto manufacturers go, a foreign name does not guarentee reliability. My 2002 nissan altima which I purchased new is a glaring example of bad engineering. Nissan just dropped the ball on designing the 4 cylinder engine on these. I have experienced nealry every problem you could google, to the tune of 3000 dollars just in the past year. I was a loyal 14 year repeat nissan owner up to this car. Nissan has lost my busineness and they know it.

It only takes one bad model and one bad decision on how to employ effective countermeasures to loose customers permentaly!

Sometimes countermeasures need to be taken up by the dealerships who sell the equipment so as to keep business rather than letting long term revenue go elsewhere.

Back to the falcons, I'm sure these will be still be out long after Kyocera puts them on the dead list. I wish I could say the same about my wife's altima. I'ts going to be a Honda real soon......

good post KJG ...but you still getting an import...



DUMMIETEK...enjoy ur 4 of july...

Hey KJG Not upgrading is NOT necisarily a bad thing...Just continue to up the click charges/Pm kit prices by 10% nnuly and you see a more profitable service margin...sales aren't really proffitable anyway unless you're reselling off lease boxes. New box sales just keep the quotas up and the salesmen cocky.
As for the car issue...Nissan traded price for quality yars ago...I'll stick with my Toyotas. but check out the Pontiac Vibe. It's a rebadged Toyota and you can get one now for a song. -Cope

What kills me is that people buy these jap junk cars and then wonder why our economy is so bad.

I live in a Farm Ranch community that is also a major hub for state government town. Most of the people you see here drive that drive trucks either drive a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. I have noticed the ones that drive by that have a dog in the vehicle it is usally a hunting lab or some kind of a cow dog in the vehicle. When you see a foreign truck they usually have something like a fnn poodle in the vehicle. This brings me to my next set of thinking, I then begin to wonder what is the percentage of democrats vs republicans that buy American. Is it more young people than old buying foreign merchandise. I have always thought this would be an interesting study.

Maybe we should not buy Jap Copiers or printer also ?

quote:

Originally posted by Mark B:
What kills me is that people buy these jap junk cars and then wonder why our economy is so bad.

If they where made here also that is what I would recommend.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark B:
If they where made here also that is what I would recommend.

That's just the thing...Toyota's ARE made here...GM's and Fords are called American car companies but fail to mention they mean SOUTH American...not to mention the fact that they used so many forms of engineered consumability you have NO value left when the car is finally paid for...I can think of 12 Toyota's off the top of my head that are still running strong with over 200K miles on their original engines and transmissions. I own 2 of those vehicles and I am HORRIBLE to my cars...They average 35-40K city miles per year, I run the tires until they start losing air, one of them is at 6500 miles right now since the last oil change, they are parked outside, and they hardly ever have time to warm up before being shoved out into 50mph+ stop and go brutality. I replace belts, bearings, half-shafts, and brake pads as they are needed and I tap the dents out with a rubber mallet when I can but they continue to consistantly get me from one office to the next at 30+ miles per gallon. I would LOVE to be able to afford the comfort of buying American, but as an economics decision it would be suicide for the benefit of Union executives...NO THANK YOU. -Cope

I hear you COPE, I purchased a Civic LX for my wife with more standard features than a Cobalt or a Focus. Dodge, lol, what does Dodge have?
I paid the same price for the Honda as I would have after all the BS rebates the others offer and have more car. I too would LOVE to buy an American made car. I 'may' buy a Fusion instead of an Accord.
I was interested in the Chevy Volt until GM screwed that up by straying away from the original design and shoving it into a Malibu body. Oh, but we can all smile that the new Camaro is here (cough..choke..).
Please, the Government should have not bailed these assholes out and let the companies survive or fail on their own.
Hmmm, here is a thought, maybe someone could have bought out Saturn and opened up shop in a right-to-work state, bypassed a union contract and made an affordable American car that would have undercut the foreign competition.
Just a thought.
Z

quote:

Originally posted by 313ZD:

Hmmm, here is a thought, maybe someone could have bought out Saturn and opened up shop in a right-to-work state, bypassed a union contract and made an affordable American car that would have undercut the foreign competition.
Just a thought.
Z

You mean like somebody who already has a major dealer network in place and knows how to run a successful business? Like maybe Penske? I'd love to see it, but it's going to take some good old fashion hard work...and you know how uncouthe that is these days...Only time will tell. But if ya REALLY want to stimulate your economy and make a real impact, focus on and encourage others to focus on buying local whenever possible...rather than going to Walmart for your random cheap china made crap, look for a locally owned and operated mom and pop store to spend your money at...rather than taking your car to Costco for a set of tires look at the locally owned tire shop down the street. Spend in your community FOR your commonity and do the same with the ballot boxes and we can actually see a change for the better rather than the changes that have been being promoted by the scam artists in Washington. -Cope

I like the vehicles that have come off a lease. I prefer to pay cash because I hate to make payments. Everyone has to make their own decisions on what they buy and what they finance. I just know that I feel better every time I can buy local and I feel better every time I can shop at a Mom and Pop store. I just think its sad to see the economy all screwed up because of some dumb fnn aholes buying houses they could not afford because some greedy realstate agent said he had a banker that would give him the loan because he knew he could resell the worthless loan to some fnnn stupid ass wall street guys figure they could bundle up all these worthless loans and sell their big piles of crap because they thought the value of Realestate would never go down. When I look at the news it seems that most of these loans were given out that were bad Arizona, California, Nevada and Florida. We have not seen any forclosures here in Sdak.

I had this forwarded to me and it sounds like it could work but will not probably happen because it's too simple.

Subj: Patriotic Retirement Plan

This is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday.

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy.
Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.
You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. - Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!

4. SO, If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

If you think this would work, please forward to everyone you know. If not, please disregard.

Sounds like a good plan!!!!! I just got a bug up my butt because for 14 years we had company cars that were chevys and dodge vans now we have these suzki's they are junk mine has 80k on it and has been to the dealership 9 times I have never been to a dealership for repairs before in my life. My wife bought a suzki grand vitara 2005 (I could not talk her out of it she wanted a small 4 wheel drive, could not beat the price) It has a recall on it because the frame could be rotting out we have to take it to the dealership every year to have it inspected. I would not like to been in the first couple of cars that sparked that bulletin. We relearned what we already knew. I have had a 1995 chevy truck since it was new and have not had any major problems with it. My sister-in-law had a toyota truck that got recalled because the frame was rotting out. thay actually gave her a 4 runner instead. I am glad I was not in any of those first trucks that sparked that recall. The bottom line is that these foreign vehicles are not better they are cheeper, but it does hurt our economy buying them.