Is Ford Running on Empty?

Joe wrote:
> <snip>
> Better to figure out the reasons for change, rather than just imagining that
> everybody who changes does so by becoming more ignorant. That's not very
> likely.

Actually it is the reverse. Most people that switched to foreign cars
got smart. The trouble for Detroit is that the Japanese know how to
keep a customer coming back and they don't.

"Whitelightning" > wrote in message
news:%buug.5299$Ss2.973@trnddc01...
>
> "lymee" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Because GM cars are dull.
>> They look dull.
>> The colors are boring and the styling looks like they took 1970's/80's
>> notchback cars like the Buick Regal, Monte Carlo etc and rounded off the
>> corners. The insides still scream OLD FART CLUB (of which I am a proud
>> member of at 46yo) even though the motors are starting to come back.
>>
>> What rocket scientist put the fire breathing V8 in a FWD car, the
>> MonteCarlo?
>
> Why not, lets see, Olds Tornado, Caddilac Eldarado, Coupe DeVille, STS,
> Buick Rivera to
> name a few.
>
Those things drove poorly, though, you have to admit if you've had the
pleasure. 80/20 weight distribution isn't going to be the hot ticket, and
they've all bit the dust. The Seville is still around, back to rear drive.
I had a couple of Toronado daily drivers for years. Nice car, but drove
like a pig.

I agree with the general direction of lymee's post - GM makes too many
jellybean-type rental cars. Bad for their image, at least in my mind. Ford
makes a lot of them too, to be fair. When the big 3 bought their rental car
companies back years ago, I guess you could say there was an image cost to
that.

I think you better just give up this whole line of reasoning.

I'll take 400 net horsepower over a 426 any day. Even if the superior
performance of new Chryslers is all tires, I'll take it just because of the
tires too. And the gas mileage, and the build quality, and the electrical
system, and the air conditioning, and the body stiffness, and the handling,
and the durability, and the emissions, and the seats, and the radio. Can't
think of a thing about the old Hemis that was actually better. I never even
liked the styling.

"Mike Hunter" > wrote in message
...
> Apples to oranges. How about a Barracuda with an old hemi?
>
>
> mike hunt
>
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Mike Hunter wrote:
>>> If you own a new hemi, if I were you, I would not bet your title that
>>> you
>>> will 'walk away' from any old Hemi. LOL
>>
>> Don't laugh. Find me an original road test where a normal production
>> Hemi car posts a trap speed of 109 mph. You don't have to bother
>> looking because you won't find any. 105 is it, with most posting trap
>> speeds closer to 100. And if you've been a subscriber to Hemmings
>> Muscle Machines magazine you'll have noted a few times where they've
>> stated the old Hemi cars aren't as fast as the new SRT Hemi cars, or
>> more like not even close to as fast.
>>
>> Me... I'd bet the farm on the a new SRT Hemi...
>>
>> Patrick
>>
>>
>>> > 1) The modern 6.1L Hemi is NET rated at what the old 7L Hemi was rated
>>> > in GROSS HP.
>>> >
>>> > 2) And a modern SRT Hemi car will walk any old Hemi car.
>>> >
>>
>
>

"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
...
> Joe wrote:
>> <snip>
>> Better to figure out the reasons for change, rather than just imagining
>> that everybody who changes does so by becoming more ignorant. That's not
>> very likely.
>
> Actually it is the reverse. Most people that switched to foreign cars got
> smart. The trouble for Detroit is that the Japanese know how to keep a
> customer coming back and they don't.

Actually, American car makers know how to keep costumers coming back.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have costumers. No one who has owned a foreign car
will go back and buy American ;-)

Seriously, a lot of people who own Chevies or Fords will replace the cars
with the same make.

Jeff

Jeff wrote:
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Joe wrote:
>>> <snip>
>>> Better to figure out the reasons for change, rather than just imagining
>>> that everybody who changes does so by becoming more ignorant. That's not
>>> very likely.
>> Actually it is the reverse. Most people that switched to foreign cars got
>> smart. The trouble for Detroit is that the Japanese know how to keep a
>> customer coming back and they don't.
>
> Actually, American car makers know how to keep costumers coming back.
> Otherwise, they wouldn't have costumers. No one who has owned a foreign car
> will go back and buy American ;-)

GM, Ford and DC's market share drops every year and it has happened for
several years running. If they don't stop the bleeding it is just a
matter of time before Toyota will become the top seller in the US
market. I want to buy American but every time we look at a new car I am
get closer to choosing something foreign. I don't think the domestics
are horrible but they have this stigma with the American public they are
fighting of which some is deserved and some isn't. The Japanese makers
build very good cars across the board and provide service that gives the
buyer no reasons to not make their next purchase another Japanese car.

Here's my reason that the next car we buy (exclusive of a Mustang)
probably won't be a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury. We purchased a Sable off the
lot after our son totaled the T'Bird we drove for several years. The
car we wanted had a slight warp in the front brake rotors and the dealer
agreed to replace them before delivery of the car. We picked up the car
and everything seemed fine. Then at a little over 12k miles the rotors
warped again. I thought this was a slam dunk warranty fix. I was dead
wrong. Come to find out the dealer only resurfaced the rotors at
delivery instead of replacing them as agreed. Now they said we would
have to pay for the fix (i.e. new rotors). I contacted Ford corporate
and they sided with the dealer. Needless to say, you could have fried
an egg on my forehead at this point. I am still ****ed over this two
years later. After buying Fords for two decades this is what I get for
my loyalty. Somehow I doubt a Toyota dealer would treat a loyal
customer this way. I'm sure I wouldn't get treated any worse.

> Seriously, a lot of people who own Chevies or Fords will replace the cars
> with the same make.

Every year that group of people gets smaller.

"Joe" > wrote in message
...
>I think you better just give up this whole line of reasoning.
>
> I'll take 400 net horsepower over a 426 any day. Even if the superior
> performance of new Chryslers is all tires, I'll take it just because of
> the tires too. And the gas mileage, and the build quality, and the
> electrical system, and the air conditioning, and the body stiffness, and
> the handling, and the durability, and the emissions, and the seats, and
> the radio. Can't think of a thing about the old Hemis that was actually
> better. I never even liked the styling.
>

How about this? A new hemi Charger is worth what, about $35-$40K? A '60s
vintage Mopar in decent shape with a hemi is worth well over $100k.

Eisboch

Whitelightning wrote:
> "Mike Hunter" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I can only assume you never owned one of those car if that is what you
>> believe LOL
>>
>>
>> mike hunt
>
> Obviously he never drove one. There is a hell of a difference between 350
> cid, and 426 cid.
>
> Ahh those were the days,Chrysler's 426 hemi's, Ford's 429 cobra jet ala 1970
> Torino, and Chevy's '63 409 cid, and the later 427 cid engines, and last but
> not least, the '70 Buick StageI with the 455 cid, 510 ft pounds of torque,
> at 2,600 rpm.
>
> Whitelightning
>
>


Next to women, this is the next best thing

Jeff wrote:


> Actually, American car makers know how to keep costumers coming back.
> Otherwise, they wouldn't have costumers.


Who cares about the wardrobe people: what about the ones who buy the
tickets? You know, the customers?


Jack

"588" > wrote in message
y.com...
> Jeff wrote:
>
>
>> Actually, American car makers know how to keep costumers coming back.
>> Otherwise, they wouldn't have costumers.
>
>
> Who cares about the wardrobe people: what about the ones who buy the
> tickets? You know, the customers?

They keep coming back. Otherwise they would have no costumers.

Some of the American car brands do have high loyalty rates.

Jeff

>
> Jack

"Jeff" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> "588" > wrote in message
> y.com...
> > Jeff wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Actually, American car makers know how to keep costumers coming back.
> >> Otherwise, they wouldn't have costumers.
> >
> >
> > Who cares about the wardrobe people: what about the ones who buy the
> > tickets? You know, the customers?
>
> They keep coming back. Otherwise they would have no costumers.
>
> Some of the American car brands do have high loyalty rates.
>
> Jeff

~Whoosh~