Posted on 01/19/2014 10:57:43 AM PST by cicero2k
Quality is something we all want when it comes to cars, especially older used ones. But how do we get it?
I have been studying this question in one form or another for nearly 14 years now. I began my automotive career as a car dealer, buying and selling hundreds of vehicles a year. As time went on, I became an auto auctioneer, a remarketing manager and a part-owner of a wholesale auto auction.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
I shop for cars a lot as I drive $2000 vehicles and need a new one about every three years. Worst reviews I ever read was for the ford contour.
I think you’re talking more recent episodes.
MB took over the account, LOL.
What year is that LOL?
I think in the last 2 years.
Sometimes you will see them in an Escalade but the show pixelates the logos.
Anyone who buys a used european car is just asking to suffer.
We have a new Mercedes SUV that I almost refuse to drive. Like moving from a station wagon to a race car. ;)
What a great story!!!!!! Classic!!!!!A good cop!!!!
Mine was three tone before a drunk driver killed it dead.
Yellow, rust and primer...
It did have that fancy red piece of plastic between the bumper and the gas tank.
Don’t know how that was suppose to prevent fires ....
Buying a brand new car is usually cheaper in the long run. Finance it for 60 months and all you really need to deal with maintenance-wise is oil changes and maybe a couple tune-ups and set of tires. Then you get another brand new car.
With used cars, you are always dealing with repairs that are over $1,000 so you don't really save any money over buying new.
The British, all the way back to the 50s, could have ruled the automotive world had they been willing/able to incorporate the quality principles of W. Edwards Deming.
They always had the design concepts done very well.
The Japanese learned from Deming and became very successful selling far less capable vehicles.
Funny as hell
He called another brother in dark brown.
I opened the hood abd showed them what we had done.
Couldn’t believe I used a coffee can to compress the rings.
The tool for that was reeee dick U Luhs dollars.
Figured a coffee can and a hose clamp would do the same thing.
Just pounded the piston through the compressed coffee can until it seated.
Voila!
Things have changed, that’s for sure.
The old rules were, get loan approval from your bank/credit union first, then buy low-miles used.
Now, prices on those low-miles useds are very high, and dealers sometimes CAN get better financing!
The world is upside down!
The American made Audi is one of the worst and fix up cost even brand new are really expensive. Stay away.
Still have original brakes.
However I do agree that the rotary RX-7 platform was decent. I know a couple that still run as well although they have to be fed a quart of oil with every tank of gas. Small price to pay - you’re out of the car anyway.
Now a TR-7, that’s different matter, A great car unless you wanted the electrics to like, work ;)
I enjoyed my Chevy Vega and never had a problem with it until the engine threw a rod at 100,000 miles. I was in Germany at the time and left it there. I bought the large radiator that was for the A/C version but didn’t get A/C, thus had sufficient cooling. I remember the german mechanic who replaced the exhaust system said that Chevy should have put the Opel 4 cylinder engine in it instead of the aluminum one they did. I replaced it with the Chevy Monza version when I got back to the states. And drove that car for 14 years and 180,000 when all of the oil seals went after a 800 mile day long drive.
Dual axle in the rears, wooden deck, and poly-fiber junk plastic for the box.
Every other day or so, I'd have to add about a quart of 10w40 to the engine and every couple of weeks a half gallon of water to the radiator.
I drove that thing like a sports car. It was obviously high mileage, but could take a beating like a female protagonist in a Lifetime made-for-tv movie and never had any major issues.
I came out one morning and checked the radiator, only to find it was frozen (by this point there was only ever water in it - no antifreeze). I added a little bit of cold water and started her up and let it idle for about 15-20 minutes, still ran like a top after that.
Say nothing bad about the Geo. Gave one to my son with 100K and he did everything to it that your mind can think of. After a total of 350k miles it was still running and he sold it to one of his friends for $500.00. It went on for another year before it gave up the ghost and died.
Suicide Bombers like Pintos, except they have to BACK into the target. :-)
Was it the Suzuki kind or the Toyota kind or the Isuzu kind?
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