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People are still bitching about GM vehicle from the 90’s time to move on people.
Funny thing, one of the best vehicles I've ever owned was one of the late 80's GM vehicles. And it was a full size car that got 19-21mpg back then. I sold it with 170k miles on it and I heard that person drove it to something like 260k... not sure what happened after that.
And this is comparing to all the Ford, GM, Chrysler and VW products I've owned since then to date. Nothing has come close.
Funny thing, one of the best vehicles I've ever owned was one of the late 80's GM vehicles. And it was a full size car that got 19-21mpg back then. I sold it with 170k miles on it and I heard that person drove it to something like 260k... not sure what happened after that.
And this is comparing to all the Ford, GM, Chrysler and VW products I've owned since then to date. Nothing has come close.
They did have some good ones. My aunt had an ‘87 Olds Eighty-Eight with the 3.8 that ran over 200k miles. I know of some V6 Cutlass Ciera’s that were really good cars as well.
That's called poverty. And the fact that many more Big 3 were sold in Iowa than imports in the 1980s.
They sold a lot of Japanese cars back then. They weren't uncommon.
You'd also think the poor would rather have an old Japanese car since they don't break.
But nope... they have a ratty old Mk1 Cavalier. Sometimes the best ability is availability.
FINALLY, at least a couple people agree with me on the fact that American companies CAN AND VERY MUCH DO build quality vehicles!!! As I mentioned before, about the Big Three colluding with the U.S. government to kick all foreign carmakers OUT of the country, and having ALL foreign cars CRUSHED at OWNER'S EXPENSE!!! ESPECIALLY if you own a hybrid foreign car, the owner(s) of the vehicle should face an EXTRA $7500 payment to both parties, which are the Big Three and the government, as mentioned!!!
That means if you were to buy a brand new, fully-loaded Lexus LS hybrid (around $120,000), you will be nearly $130,000 in debt!!! MORE SO if you have two or more foreign cars in your driveway!!!!
They did have some good ones. My aunt had an ‘87 Olds Eighty-Eight with the 3.8 that ran over 200k miles. I know of some V6 Cutlass Ciera’s that were really good cars as well.
Exact year of the car I'm talking about. It was an '87 Chevy Caprice, with the 4.3 V6. Bought it from my grandparents since I needed a winter car (driving a 10 second Mustang in MI winters isn't fun) and ended up keeping it for years. Absolutely great car.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,737,417 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eaton53
They sold a lot of Japanese cars back then. They weren't uncommon.
You'd also think the poor would rather have an old Japanese car since they don't break.
But nope... they have a ratty old Mk1 Cavalier. Sometimes the best ability is availability.
But you keep on painting that rosy picture...
I grew up farming in Iowa. I would have to disagree with you regarding Japanese cars. I never saw a Japanese car dealership until I went to college. So, no, they didn't sell a lot of japanese cars in Iowa in the 1970s and 80s. But they did sell a lot of junk GM cars. Case in point. Was graduating from college so thought I would buy a new car to replace my old beater Buick. Went to the local dealership to try out the Cavalier Z24. Sporty, looked good. Broke on the test drive. Had to be towed back to the dealership. I think that car had all of 20 miles on it. Test drove a Lumina Euro 3.1. Seemed like a good car. Sporty and all. Bought it. Within the first 2 years it had 2(!) engine replacements, 1 transmission replacement, multiple sensors, brake calipers locking up, and started rusting. Everything but the rust was fixed under warranty but I lost confidence in the vehicle. Bought a used Toyota Land Cruiser and didn't look at GM again until I needed a heavy tow vehicle in 2004. That ended in disaster as well.
On a happier note, my dad had a 1977 Chevy Caprice that ran well and lasted until 1990 before he sold it with 200k miles. It did have it's share of issues, including rust in the gas tank of his brand new car that caused drivability issues till fixed, and lots of transmission issues, but he stuck it out 13 years with that car.
I grew up farming in Iowa. I would have to disagree with you regarding Japanese cars.
Then how did I end up with two of them? Quite a number of my co-workers had them as well.
Either you didn't get off the farm very often or more likely you're just telling stories that fit your anti-domestic agenda.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IhateCA
FINALLY, at least a couple people agree with me on the fact that American companies CAN AND VERY MUCH DO build quality vehicles!!!
Well...
Actually, you've pretty much gone off the deep end.
I've owned all kinds of different kinds of cars... American, Japanese, European.
They all have their plusses and minuses.
Today I own one of each.
People who who run around saying "X is the greatest, everything made by X is crap" are IMO, goofs.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,737,417 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eaton53
Then how did I end up with two of them? Quite a number of my co-workers had them as well.
Either you didn't get off the farm very often or more likely you're just telling stories that fit your anti-domestic agenda.
Where in Iowa were you? Des Moines? Iowa City? Maybe Cedar Rapids or Davenport? Other than that, it was Ford and Chevy with an occasional Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth or AMC/Jeep. IH sold at the Coop or tractor store (great trucks and SUVs). In small towns in central and northern Iowa there were zero Japanese car dealers at that time. I didn't even know anyone who bought one until the Accord Hatchback came out and people in town just stopped and stared at that car.
I have no anti-domestic agenda. I do have an anti-junk agenda, especially when it's my money I'm spending. And there has been a huge amount of junk coming out of the big 3 over the years. I can now afford to buy any car I want and, other than a Ford C-Max I own, I haven't seen any reason to buy another GM, Ford, or Dodge. Spent decades working in the auto design, manufacturing, and OEM businesses, including worldwide at GM, Ford, Nissan, Land Rover, Honda, Subaru, and Toyota. I've seen it from the inside with GM and Ford, especially the cost cutting and poor decisions that are absolutely not customer focused. They are share holder focused. Toyota does not have this problem.
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