kevinb120

An older fella pulls up next to me in traffic today, I have my windows down.

He stars saying:
"bright red, 3 on the floor,(I know this is comming), pony red leather, 1965"

I say "6 or 289? you still have it?"

He says:
"no, best car I ever had though, had it for 10 YEARS'

I say "so what the heck are you doing in that SUBARU, go to a Ford dealer NOW its a nice day!"

He says:
"well, its a good car"

I say "well when was the last time someone rolled a window down and asked you about it?-go get yourself an American car(with a smile though, joking and not as mean as it sounds)"


green light, Vroom.....

Jerk I know, but I am really starting to seethe about imported cars again. Car was only a few years old and looked like 10. Come on people get with the program. Have a little faith in this country. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/patriot.gif[/img] I'm really getting sick of it and have no sympathy for someone buying an import anymore. Dont get me started on 'they build em here' either, considering tax payers here pay most of the bill for Japan to make more money.

gt5000

Sut up and let people buy what they want, its there choise, not yours. If they want a japanese car then let them buy one.

dcpirani

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>
Have a little faith in this country. I'm really getting sick of it and have no sympathy for someone buying an import anymore. Dont get me started on 'they build em here' either, considering tax payers here pay most of the bill for Japan to make more money.
[/b][/quote]

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/patriot.gif[/img] Right there with you brother!! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/patriot.gif[/img]

Knight

Yeah i wish more people bought american cars. It was the american car companies faults that the general public lost faith in their products.

I think thats what GM and Ford needed to wake up and doing somthing about it.

I have owned all american cars except 1 and that is my subaru legacy that i currently own. There wasn't a car for the money that was a sedan got good gas milage and had AWD which i love. I will probabaly replace my subaru when ford offers AWD in the fusion.

mr-mstng

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gt5000 @ February 3, 2006, 6:19 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Sut up and let people buy what they want, its there choise, not yours. If they want a japanese car then let them buy one.
[/b][/quote]

You could have said it a little nicer.

buzz_s281

You could have said it better and typed your response better also.

Zastava_101

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kevinb120 @ February 3, 2006, 12:18 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I'm really getting sick of it and have no sympathy for someone buying an import anymore.
[/b][/quote]

Nobody said you have to. Why would you care what somebody else is driving?

scottie1113

We live in a global economy and people are going to buy what they want no matter where it is made. Some considerations are quality,price and variety. Even in the glory days of the Big 3 people bought foreign cars. I was one of them. I've owned Ford, Mercury, Dodge, Chevy, Jaguar, Mazda, Volvo, Fiat, BMW, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Kia and Alfa Romeo. All of them were the right car for me at the time. I don't care where a car is built if it suits my purpose for owning it. That's what choice is all about.

I doubt that the Big 3 will recover their dominance in what's left of my lifetime. They've really improved quality and are getting better every day. But they've got to offer more attractive cars and get away from their reliance upon sales of SUV's and trucks.

I don't mean cars that we here on this forum like, ie Mustangs, Corvettes et al. I'm talking about the cars mainstream America buys as daily transportation. Yes, the Camry and the Accord are boring, but they sell every one they build.Why? Quality and value for the money. Perceived quality perhaps, but that's what keeps the buyers going to the dealers time and time again.

My 1986 MR2 was the most trouble free car I have ever owned. My Alfa? Ha! But it was the most fun car I've ever had and I'd buy another if I could find a good 69-72 GTV.

And the Big 3 must get rid of the UAW. I said that about the UAW 40 years ago and I'll maintain that position until I die, or until the car companies do, which they surely will unless they get rid of this millstone around their necks.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm all for buying American products when they fill my needs, but it's nice to have a choice when they don't offer what I want. You all will hate me for saying this, but I've also been known to buy French wine and rent French cars when I've visited there. 10 years ago I rented a Renault Twingo for a week in Provence. The car was quiet, comfortable, and got 40 mpg. I think Detroit is learning a lesson by looking to Europe and the Far East for ideas about small cars. We may love thundering V8's but we realyy don't need them for daily driving. With the price of gas these days a lot of people are coming to the same conclusion.

The profit margin may be smaller but quantity could make up for that.

Long rant.

Oh, and Kevin, don't worry about it. We're all jerks sometimes. Even me...

MilStang

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scottie1113 @ February 4, 2006, 3:02 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>

And the Big 3 must get rid of the UAW. I said that about the UAW 40 years ago and I'll maintain that position until I die, or until the car companies do, which they surely will unless they get rid of this millstone around their necks.

[/b][/quote]

I agree completely with this statement. This is why the foreign car makers, building the cars even here, can make more money per car than the big 3 can. They don't have to deal for the most part with the UAW unless one of the companies they get parts, build supplies etc do.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>
Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm all for buying American products when they fill my needs, but it's nice to have a choice when they don't offer what I want. You all will hate me for saying this, but I've also been known to buy French wine and rent French cars when I've visited there. 10 years ago I rented a Renault Twingo for a week in Provence. The car was quiet, comfortable, and got 40 mpg. I think Detroit is learning a lesson by looking to Europe and the Far East for ideas about small cars. We may love thundering V8's but we realyy don't need them for daily driving. With the price of gas these days a lot of people are coming to the same conclusion.

[/b][/quote]

Ok, I'll let that slide because I like ya!

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

Svtstinger

Imports have been increasing their sales since the 1950's/1960's according to a book I read, that's what gave the Muscle car's a boost. The big 3 started to make the Muscle Cars to compete with increasing sales of imports and ended up competing with each other, which led to their glory days. I say they should keep doing what they are doing, don't try to imitate european cars. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's what led to their fall in the 1970's, Ford tried to give European looks and style with the Mustang 2 and it was a one of the biggest mistake they ever made (not trying to insult any Mustang 2 owner).

As for people buying Imports, let them buy what they want. We all have different views, different things we like and hate. If everyone buys American cars, then nothing is going to be special about them, you would see way more Mustangs. By people buying imports, they and you could feel better, there is a bigger variety of cars. Imagine how it would be if everyone bought american cars, especially with our growing population. A equal balance of Imports and American Cars makes every car more unique and special because their would be less of each than just having one of them dominating.

kevinb120

Heh, I love the controversy.

Back to more import car/US car chat. Does anyone here realize there is no longer a tariff on Japanese imported cars although Japan has a ghost tariff on American imports by manipulating the yen conversion rates on American goods to greatly inflate the price. And our taxpayer money also greatly subsidises to the tune of $60,000 or more per job 'created' here in the US helping Japan build factories here. Not to mention union and pay/benifit advantages that an American company does not have here. Basically we pay Japan to build factories here at uncompetitive labor rate advantages to further undermine American companies and their workers, gotta love how cheap a company can buy a politican. Continue....

Oh here's a couple threads:
http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1253

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1315

There's a few blogs that detail governement grants to subsidize "American built import" plants .I'll try to remember what the site's names are. Its pretty disgusting

05GT-O.C.D.

Just skimmed the posts...

Global economy? ... yes.

build 'em here? ... sometimes.

Who cares. It reminds me of a saying I heard once. Buy American or apply for Japanese Social Security.

I respect and appreciate people who only buy Made in the USA, but it's getting hard to do. The problem isn't with the American buyers, but with the American companies in many cases. I'll do everything I can to support fellow Americans, but these companies need to run a good business too.

Kevin, you weren't being a jerk. You've got every right to speak your mind and encourage people to buy American. Others have the right to argue too.

"Sut up and let people buy what they want, its there choise, not yours. "

Sentences like that prove there's also a problem with American schools. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nonono.gif[/img]

Zastava_101

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(05GT-O.C.D. @ February 5, 2006, 3:15 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I respect and appreciate people who only buy Made in the USA
[/b][/quote]

Does that include owners of Toyota Camry?

05GT-O.C.D.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Red Star @ February 5, 2006, 5:43 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Does that include owners of Toyota Camry?
[/b][/quote]

Respect, yes. Appreciate, no.

For example, I was in Sears the other day and this older gentelman really surprised me. He was buying shoes, and his number one concern wasn't how they looked, how they felt, or how much they were. He refused to buy anything that didn't have the "Made in the USA" tag on the inside. That impresses me. Most consumers buy whatever's best for them and not what's best for their country. I've got tremendous respect and appreciation for "The Greatest Generation". We're a generation of US consumers who haven't lived through a (major) war or a depression and we take a lot for granted.

scottie1113

Members of this forum span a few generations so you really shouldn't generalize like that. None of us lived through the Great Depression and I don't think anyone here fought in WWII or Korea, but as a group we've in every skirmish or war since then. I did, and I think that gives me the right to choose.

My dad was a PT boat skipper in WWII and saw combat against the Japanese. He also spent some time in Korea and Vietnam. During the course of his 30 year career in the navy he was stationed in Japan 3 times for a total of 10 years. He loved the Japanese and owned both American and Japanese cars. His last 2 cars were Subarus, but the two before that were Chevy's. Please don't even begin to suggest that his choices in cars were un-American.

Cars come to this country from places other than Japan. If anyone chooses to buy something from Korea, England, Germany, Sweden, Italy, et al, they don't need to apply for Japanese social security.

Let's look at from a foreigner's perspective, and I include our Canadians brothers in that since they're outside our borders. Ford also builds cars and engines outside the US and the profits flow back here. How do you think the folks in other countries where they build Volvo and Jaguar and others, or in Mexico and Canada, or even Poland view Ford? As a foreign car car company siphoning off profits or as a provider of jobs? I'm inclined to believe the latter. And last time I looked Ford owned a big chunk of Mazda. Maybe turnabout is fair play.

It comes down to this. If we in the US can build a quality product at competitve prices then we'll do OK. If not, it's our own dang fault.

05GT-O.C.D.

Are you just deliberately taking what I say and trying to make an arguement???

"Members of this forum span a few generations so you really shouldn't generalize like that."
The only generality I made is that the people in their 80's did a lot more hard work for this country than many other generations." [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/headscratch.gif[/img]

"Please don't even begin to suggest that his choices in cars were un-American."
Is this even directed at me??? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif[/img]

"Cars come to this country from places other than Japan. If anyone chooses to buy something from Korea, England, Germany, Sweden, Italy, et al, they don't need to apply for Japanese social security."
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/doh.gif[/img] No kidding, I thought that the USA and Japan were the only countries in the whole wide world that made cars. Re-read what I said... it's and expression I heard once.

"It comes down to this. If we in the US can build a quality product at competitve prices then we'll do OK. If not, it's our own dang fault."
EXACTLY! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img] You and I are obviously on the same page, so why reply to my post and try to twist what I said to mean stuff it didn't?
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nixon.gif[/img]

Don't mean to come off as flip, but I don't want someone to read your post and think that my post was meant the way you took it.

scottie1113

05GT-O.C.D.-That wasn't an attempt to start an arguement with you or anyone else. None of my comments were directed specifically to you. It was just version of opinions I've expressed in this and other threads. That's why it's called a forum. No offense meant.