Ford Posts Loss of $5.8 Billion, Worst Since '92

The American government kept Chrysler afloat. Over night Dodge replaced the jeep built 5/4 ton truck with an over rated under powered dodge, those that served will remember the M880 and M890 series trucks as the junk they were.. Ford Mavericks disappeared out of the TMP Motor Pools and were replaced with Dodge Aspens. Ford Medium duties disappeared and Dodges came in their place. Iacoca took a stripped down Simca 1100 design, slapped a VW 1.7 ltr engine in it to get it through emissions and sold the snot out of them, along with the K-cars that followed. Damn things didn't even have automatic brake adjusters on the rear brakes. Dodge Diplomats became the number one cop car.

Whitelightning

Sorry my friend, I can't use the word good and Snoman in the same conversation.

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:40:48 GMT, "Jeff" wrote something wonderfully witty:

Yes they do, but the Federal government also wastes just to damn much. How many Billions to Iraq? How much is wasted in social programs that has just led people to become dependant on public largess? Social Security dollars dumped into the general fund to be squandered year after year with no return on investment. I was a soldier, a career one matter of fact. At no time during my entire career did I ever really feel I was really defending the country. I could go on, but the only point I am making is that it is a two-sided coin with worth that has grown a little to large for its britches.

Yeah I guess my old ass could bike 20 miles each way along a major highway, but I think I'll pass. I do motorcycle in good weather though. Does that count?

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:54:41 GMT, "Jeff" wrote something wonderfully witty:

Ther are times & vehicles that are cheaper to buy new then used, oh and yes if you are flexible on the options it does make a difference. Case in point I originally want to buy a 2/3 year old pickup to avoid the initial depreciation hit. Most of the ones available for sale in my area were fully equipped XLT/LT models in the $18k range with about

If their used pricing was a trick to get me to buy new it certainly worked in my case, but what are they going to do with that used vehicle?

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 23:45:24 GMT, "Whitelightning" wrote something wonderfully witty:

The government certainly did a lot to help keep Chrysler out of the dumpster, but so did a lot of other people. Chrysler pushed a lot of technology into the American marketplace at that time as well. Pretty much inventing the concept of the minivan and bringing the concept of frontwheel drive vehicles into the big threes frontal lobes. While both cars may not have been much. They certainly sold the hell out of them. Chrysler has been sitting on the sidelines through the entire SUV war until now just bringing out the Aspen which may be to little to late for them in that market segment. I'm surprised they've waited this long to compete in that area.

I know. It is not like they bought a company that makes SUVs. Wait, they did. They bought Jeep. Plus, they made a ton of money on the Durango.

Jeff

and lets not forget the Dodge Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailduster.

Whitelightning

How about front wheel drive is cheaper to build. That's the only reason every manufacturer that has jumped on that band wagon has jumped on it. a transaxle is 40% cheaper to manufacture than a transmission assy and rear differential assy. The rear suspension is cheaper to manufacture because it doesn't have to be strong enough to handle the torque of moving the vehicle. which means the chassis doesn't have to be as strong ether. Its got nothing to with technology and everything to do with cost. I don't see Mercedes jumping on the front wheel drive band wagon. And with the exception of the Mini Cooper I don't see BMW doing it ether. But beyond that, Chevy had the Citation out in 1980, and it was Motor Trends car of the year in 1980. GM actually had the car in 1979 wanting to race it as the X-11 in the SSB/SCCA class. Ford was actually working on the front wheel drive escort with its European counterpart in 1978 as replacement to the rear wheel drive Escort MKII. Sad really, I had a 1975 Escort MK I, the last year for the body style, its was a real runner and embarrassed more than a few muscle cars on the autobahn, and in the mountains.

As to the mini van concept, I think the VW Micro bus and the Chevy Corvair Greenbrier Van both predate chrysler's mini van entry by about three decades. Not to leave out the entry in 1961 of the Ford Falcon Van, the Chevy Sport Van in 64, , and the1964 Dodge A100 for that matter

Given the number of Yugos imported, Yugo sold the hell out their cars too. They were cheap. Mitsibishi sold the hell out of the Precis, and Hyundai its clone of it, the Excel. I wouldnt wish none of them on anyone, well maybe on one or two people. The fact they sold so many just proves the point that there are too many idiots that would rather buy a piece of junk new car, rather than a dependable used car.

Whitelightning

It is all relative, I guess. In 1955 the median income was $3,200. I bought my first HOT car, a Black/White 1955 Buick Century 2 dr hardtop for around $3,900. My wage at the time a quite respectable $1,84 an hour, about $3,800 a year.

When I was in college in 1947 I worked in a gas station for the minimum wage of .25c an hour and gas was .17c. Today the minimum wage is around $5.70, and going up, to over $7 and gas is down to 2.10 here ;)

mike hunt

You are off by a lot. The minimum wage was not a quarter of a cent, but rather 40 cents.

and gas was .17c. Today the minimum wage is around $5.70,

Actually, the minimum wage varies by state, but the feds set it at $5.15 an hour.

Whatever, but I know I was paid a quarted an hour and 5c on each can quart of oil ;)

mike