mgg wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:26:36 -0800, "mgg" wrote:

Yup! We have an 01' Chevy Tahoe, and an '03 Dodge Ram, and they've had
nothing done to them except fluid changes, brakes (one set each),
and tires.

--Mike

I have an 01 Ford truck and a 97 Honda Prelude that we haven't done
much to. I am not even a fanatic about fluids.
We try to get to the oil once a year or so.
I traded a 85 F150 on the clunker deal that had plenty of life left in
it but the $4500 was an offer I couldn't refuse.

I do think the Japanese drove the US into a push for quality in the
80s, then the Chinese made us race to the bottom since the 90s.
I am not sure anything would have stopped it but trade policies from
the 90s expedited this decline.
The only bright spot is in the boat product business. Salt water makes
cheap junk totally useless in a very short period of time so we still
demand a certain level of quality but we pay for it.

It was do or die for the big 3, that's for sure.

We also have an '88 Mustang (convertible), but it only gets driven
about 1000 mi/yr since I married it in '97. g It was my wife's daily
driver until out 1st kid. Now it only comes out of my warehouse in the
summer when it's not too hot. Even a convertible is no fun when It's
100 degrees outside. Same deal with that car... fluid, brakes, one
clutch (5 speed), and tires. AAMOF, when I had the clutch done at
about 120,000 miles, I told the mechanic, that it was the original
clutch. He said that it was impossible... until he pulled it and saw
the markings.

Back in '01 when we bought the Tahoe, the dealer offered us $5,000 for
the car as a trade. It's a black, mustang convertible GT, in very good
(not mint) condition, with 125,000 mi on it. I told him that we'll
keep it. I've been offered 10k for it numerous times. I wouldn't sell
it for twice that... it's a FUN car.

I have no problems with "American made."

--Mike
Storing cars is worse than driving them. I know from first-hand experience.

The same is true with boats - back on topic!

Larry