Imported from Detroit

[walkeraviator]

Im with Mhall. Chevy Trucks are the best money can buy. You dont hear horror stories about chevy trucks having issues with spark plug sleeves departing teh engine block (triton V-8)...

As for chrysler being junk, i suggest you go check some of the new ones out. If it werent for the FACT that consumer reports are in teh pockets of the Japs, then Honda would actually be getting a run for tehir money on intial quality scores.

I was a die hard import guy for a long time, thinkin that "ill spend my money on whats best, whetehr it is american or not." Then I realized how SELFISH that though process is. I should want to buy from american companies, so they can in turn spend money in america and help grow the economy... Then I found out that i wasnt buying anything better by buying Honda's afterall... the media had lied to me again (shocker i know)... I will put my two Jeeps (chrysler products) against any vehicles in their class right now....

[DJD]

Im with Mhall. Chevy Trucks are the best money can buy. You dont hear horror stories about chevy trucks having issues with spark plug sleeves departing teh engine block (triton V-8)...

As for chrysler being junk, i suggest you go check some of the new ones out. If it werent for the FACT that consumer reports are in teh pockets of the Japs, then Honda would actually be getting a run for tehir money on intial quality scores.

I was a die hard import guy for a long time, thinkin that "ill spend my money on whats best, whetehr it is american or not." Then I realized how SELFISH that though process is. I should want to buy from american companies, so they can in turn spend money in america and help grow the economy... Then I found out that i wasnt buying anything better by buying Honda's afterall... the media had lied to me again (shocker i know)... I will put my two Jeeps (chrysler products) against any vehicles in their class right now....

JMO.....Man I'm direct opposite of that. For one, not everyone can buy new so the majority of us on here drive used or will buy used. I would not buy MOPAR because of the guys I know that have them and the problems they have. I have a Chevy truck from 95' and it does very well. The bailout of GM tarnished me on that company so I'll stay away from them.

I'll always buy whats best for me and I don't care one bit who made it. I also own a Harley (love the sound and it can't be duplicated), two Mercury motors, some american made guns and other stuff. My ATV is Honda since IMO it's the best out there. All my electronics are not american made as well as 99% of you on here.

The fact that alot of american companies don't exist anymore is because they sukked at making the product. It didn't happen overnight either. It took decades of mismanagement and incompetance to drive those companies into the ground. Either UNIONS drove the cost up or the research and development of other companies was just better. Maybe the imports invested better into long term business models?? The Japanese didn't hoodwink anyone. They worked harder, longer and smarter than the fat american companies. They took their lumps and built small affordable cars for many years and the american auto giants laughed and refused to jump on board for how long?? The Japanese just build a better product day in and day out than most american competition. I'm talking Autos, electronics, ATV, Snow machines, Motorcycles, wave runners and whatever else I forgot. JMO.....

To me the best bang for the buck gets my dollar. Buy american? American what? How much of a car or truck is american? Why not buy Toyota or Honda? Most imports are built here in the US, they pay thousands of workers wages and taxes. Mechanics, dealerships, ancillary businesses are supported that make wheels, tires, seats and such. The days of that "Buy American" mantra are gone for me....it doesn't exist. Americans want quality and the Imports provided that when the blowhard american auto's could not or would not. The american manufactures stepped there game up and prolly are equal in some aspects but not enough for my taste. I like the originators not the copy cats.

Here at work we have changed over to imports because of all the problems with GM, Ford and Dodge vehicles and it's worked. The only vehicles in the shop now are our ford, dodge and chevy vans. The toyota, Lexus, Honda and Hyundai keep running along...not problem free but better than the others.

BTW...Germans are imports as well but for some reason folks don't seem to mind spending money on their junk...

[mhall]

Awe now don't get me wrong I'm not one of those that only buy American even though I do try to. I have a Yamaha on the back of my boat. Was gonna go with Mercury but at the time they only offered 1 year warranty and I had some buddies not happy with theirs. I have owned a Toyota car and it was a good one. Unions killed the car industry and hopefully they have learned a very valuable lesson and move on from here and make good with it.

I haven't given up on American made products just yet....... Touchy subject and everybody sees things in their own way and that's fine........that to is the American way

[greenriverman1]

"Imported from Detroit" ? When did they leave the continental US? Are they declaring the product an import hoping the city will get "foreign aide". ?

The commercial said to me "We have had a rough time because we have been to dumb to diversify like other cities, so out of pity, buy my car".

They didn't tell me anything about the car, performance, prices, safety, and they bearly even showed a picture of the product they hoped I'd identify with.

JMO, but they were selling a second chance for Detroit, not a car. And declaring it to be an import, tells me you now need a passport to get into Detroit. Not a bad idea, because having been there, I think atleats 1/2 the population ought need a passport to be let out.

I have also been there Bob. I think your right on the passport idea.

[DJD]

Awe now don't get me wrong I'm not one of those that only buy American even though I do try to. I have a Yamaha on the back of my boat. Was gonna go with Mercury but at the time they only offered 1 year warranty and I had some buddies not happy with theirs. I have owned a Toyota car and it was a good one. Unions killed the car industry and hopefully they have learned a very valuable lesson and move on from here and make good with it.

I haven't given up on American made products just yet....... Touchy subject and everybody sees things in their own way and that's fine........that to is the American way

Mark,
I re-read my post I didn't mean to come off as a defender of Imports and Walker I wasn't aiming anything at you either brother.

Man....I kinda got a chip on my shoulder about that stuff and one day if we sit down and have a beer I can tell you stories of growing up in a little redneck town outside of Orlando in the 70's with everyone knowing my mom is Japanese. Talk about taking some grief over that!! Kids are cruel.

It just ironic that this has come up since we just discussed this at my buddies shop the other day. We all got fired up (I guess I still am) but when we got past the buy american idea we realized that it was tough to name major american made stuff. The Germans and Koreans seem to get a pass on these topics?? I find that interesting.

I agree it's very complicated and in fact you have to discuss politics, corporate america and Unions when you really get to the meat of this topic.

Hopefully noone takes offense to my previous post because none was intended. Peace.

[mhall]

I knew what you meant Don, I also agree with alot of what you are saying. I think the old Steel Mills in Pittsburgh might be a good example. Those were hard working Salt of the earth folks and really kinda got the shaft do to this free trade stuff. Yes I agree Unions can be evil. But just because something can be made in another country by child labor sometimes for pennies while Americans suffer is wrong. That does go on and that may be a bad analogy for this topic but there is truth there none the less. I'd much rather buy from Japan then I would China or Korea.

The guy right down the road here at Ford from me that they had an average of 77 dollars per hour in counting benny package and everything is just frickin nuts. Now they are hiring some in down here at 14 dollars an hour and competing with foreign markets and making money bigtime again. The Unions are very Mofia like. The upity smucks in those Unions make salaries that are staggering and the idea that, ''Screw the company our people need to make more money'', just about was their demise.

I feel you bro and understand, I just want to get back to the old school mentality when my Dad and your Dad was young. Where they did an honest days work and took chest pumping pride in it and felt nobody could do it better. That's what I want to see again, and call me an eternal optimist if you want but we can see that again in this country if people dedicate themselves to making it happen.

[walkeraviator]

Funny sidenote to this conversation... Ford is taking Ferrari to court because Ferrari just named their ne F-1 car the F150...

[GeoFisher]

The reason they got the loan from the government/taxpayer was that they could no longer find a bank that would let them have more money. If they want to get upset about being cheated, get upset at the guy at the top who was paid millions in salary and bonuses yet led the company into the hole the taxpayers had to bail them out of. Perhaps that guy will feel so guilty that he will refund some of that salary and bonuses back to Chrysler so they can payback the loan from the taxpayer. JMO

The guy at the top is pennies on the dollar compared to what the UNIONS raped the company for.........GM went broke not over the guys at the top, but rather over the crazy salaries, crazy benefits, and crazy UNFUNDED pensions. NOTHING ELSE.

Later,

Geo

[HURRICANEBOB]

Funny sidenote to this conversation... Ford is taking Ferrari to court because Ferrari just named their ne F-1 car the F150...

Does in come in a 4X4 version and boat hitch.......I'm in! Honey, you need to get a second job......I found a truck.....er.......car?!?!?!?!

[HURRICANEBOB]

The guy at the top is pennies on the dollar compared to what the UNIONS raped the company for.........GM went broke not over the guys at the top, but rather over the crazy salaries, crazy benefits, and crazy UNFUNDED pensions. NOTHING ELSE.

Later,

Geo

Which really confused me, case the unions got the employees all that money, and the city still went broke. Thought the higher pay would me more taxes collected. Good points Geo, sometimes a short-term benfit translates into a long term dry spell.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Dude are you drunk? I got a Chevy truck with a million miles on it and it still yanks my sled up and down the road. I had a Ford before this truck and it wouldn't have pulled a wet fat girl out of bed......To each his own but I would hardly call Chevy junk...........

I own a Ford, and that's why I always take "DRY, SKINNY" girls to bed. Even then, sometimes I have a hard time making them leave

[DJD]

I own a Ford, and that's why I always take "DRY, SKINNY" girls to bed. Even then, sometimes I have a hard time making them leave

Bob just let the air out...they will fly away. Sorry bout that right there.