*****!

AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES ROCK!

for sucking gas, that is.

"Rudy Canoza" <rudy-can...@excite.con> wrote in message

news:fEGQh.134148$_73.62239@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...

"U.S. carmakers lose ground to Asian rivals"

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/04/03/us.auto.sales.reut/index.html

DETROIT, Michigan (Reuters) -- General Motors and Ford Motor posted lower
March U.S. sales on Tuesday, dragged down by weak truck demand and
expected cuts to car rental companies, while Asian rivals led by Toyota
Motor continued to make inroads in the market.

General Motors sales fell 7.7 percent and Ford's were off by 12.4 percent,
as its critical F-Series pickup truck sales dropped 15 percent.

Chrysler Group, the troubled U.S. unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, also
reported a fall of 8 percent in March, when adjusted for the number of
sales days in comparable periods.

Toyota, which is expected to overtake GM as the world's largest automaker
as soon as this year, posted a 7.7-percent increase in March on the
strength of its sedans, including the Prius hybrid car, and crossovers or
car-based sports utility vehicles.
...
All three U.S. automakers are restructuring North American operations

--------------------------------------------------

The American car manufacturers can "restructure" all they want. It won't
make any difference. They make ***** cars, and people with any sense of
discernment don't want them. It's not a question of "business structure",
it's a question of SHITTY automotive engineering resulting in SHITTY cars.

The foreign manufacturers just have a different, and better, conception of
what a car is supposed to be and do.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

*****!

AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES ROCK!

for sucking gas, that is.

"Rudy Canoza" <rudy-can...@excite.con> wrote in message

news:fEGQh.134148$_73.62239@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...

"U.S. carmakers lose ground to Asian rivals"

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/04/03/us.auto.sales.reut/index.html

DETROIT, Michigan (Reuters) -- General Motors and Ford Motor posted lower
March U.S. sales on Tuesday, dragged down by weak truck demand and
expected cuts to car rental companies, while Asian rivals led by Toyota
Motor continued to make inroads in the market.

General Motors sales fell 7.7 percent and Ford's were off by 12.4 percent,
as its critical F-Series pickup truck sales dropped 15 percent.

Chrysler Group, the troubled U.S. unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, also
reported a fall of 8 percent in March, when adjusted for the number of
sales days in comparable periods.

Toyota, which is expected to overtake GM as the world's largest automaker
as soon as this year, posted a 7.7-percent increase in March on the
strength of its sedans, including the Prius hybrid car, and crossovers or
car-based sports utility vehicles.
...
All three U.S. automakers are restructuring North American operations

--------------------------------------------------

The American car manufacturers can "restructure" all they want. It won't
make any difference. They make ***** cars, and people with any sense of
discernment don't want them. It's not a question of "business structure",
it's a question of SHITTY automotive engineering resulting in SHITTY cars.

The foreign manufacturers just have a different, and better, conception of
what a car is supposed to be and do.

AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES ROCK!

Bought the car when it was 2 years old and had 18,000 miles on it. Here are
some of the results of good old American engineering:

It had a 5.0L V8. Fast in a straight line but put a little water on the
pavement and the backend would try to pass the front end. Big time
oversteer. In one case I managed to do a 180 going about 15 mph (seemed
like I could get out of the car and walk while it was turning). It hit the
curb and broke and axle. Later found out the next owner did the same thing.

The engine had to be unbolted from the car and jacked up slightly in order
to change one of the spark plugs.

At 22k the lobes on the cam shaft went "round" taking out the lifters,
damaging the pistons and timing chain/gear. At that time the bill was $475
which was a lot of money for me back then. I took GM to small claims court.
I showed up at the 1 p.m. scheduled appearance when the court room was full.
Their lawyers said they were too busy and had it rescheduled for 2 weeks
later. The second appearance was the last one of the day. There was me on
one side and 3 lawyers (1 of which was flown in from Detroit), an "expert"
(from 60 miles away) and a rep from the local dealership on the other side.
They stalled until everybody left the courtroom. Their expert was a joke.
She had less training than a barber receives. I asked her questions and
their lawyers kept objecting. The Judge overruled them. Then I took the
stand. I stated I religiously changed the oil every 3000 miles and that I
was an automotive industrial arts teacher. They wanted to know the type of
oil I used (Quaker State) and then insinuated the oil was the problem.
Anyway I lost the case. Outside the courtroom they were all smiles. At
least until I told them I was going to ship the cam and lifters to the FTC.
I also told them this was the last GM car I would ever buy (it was).

Behold!!!! The FTC was in the middle of an investigation regarding soft
cam shafts on GM's 5.0L V8 engines!!! I wrote them a letter every month and
asked how the investigation was going. I copied GM corporate.

I moved across the country a year later and one day got a call from GM.
They wanted to know how much of a settlement would make me happy. I told
them $475. They paid $600.

Before the Monza I had a Buick which caught fire (in fairness I sold it at
120k and the engine was still running like a champ) because the amount of
rust under the car let the exhaust touch the interior under the rear seat, a
Chevy Impala which needed a complete motor overhaul at 60k and a Mustang
which burned as much oil as gas at 38k.

Never will I buy an American car again. When somebody says they always buy
American I tell them buy something which gives them bang for the buck i.e.
Camry and send a check to the U.A.W. to calm their conscience.

I have always driven north american trucks. The two i currently own
are lemons spending more time on the tow truck hook then the road.
GM, you fooled me once.
I would gladly buy a toyota tundra or honda. Problem is my GM products
are near worthless in the resale market and the import dealers don't
want them on trade (who is gonna buy a diesel from GM with its litany
of engine problems?)
Blame corporate greed. GM execs paying themselves millions while
losing billions and refusing warranty work on the flimsiest of
reasons. My next vehicles will be jap or chink but they will never
again be GM.