<VV> VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 46, Issue 21

[RoboMan91324 at aol.com]

Bruce,
 
Excellent point.  Back when our Corvairs were being made,  the quality of 
American made cars was not good.  The cars out of Japan were  better quality in 
the 60s but suffered from the poor quality reputation of the  Japanese products 
made immediately after WW 2.  Back then, the phrase,  "Made in Japan" was 
used to indicate anything of low quality.  Now it means  just the opposite.  The 
Japanese kicked the US manufacturer's butts on  quality and fuel economy back 
then but no more.  The US cars are as good as  any in the world but we suffer 
from the poor quality reputation that we deserved  up until maybe 10 years 
ago.  What goes around comes around.
 
Now, if only the US manufacturers could learn management and  labor relations 
lessons from the Japanese, they might not need a  bailout.  Keep in mind that 
most Japanese vehicles available in the US are  made here by US labor so you 
need to identify the real differences.  Buying  a Japanese vehicle will not 
send jobs overseas immediately (eventually, yes) but  it does send profits 
overseas.  Those profits pay for research and design  as well as investment in 
modern equipment which are sorely needed by US  manufacturers.  Didn't GM recently 
announce a hold on new  development?  Talk about eating your seed grain.  If 
US manufacturers  don't have profits and keep up with innovations and 
modernization, they will  eventually fail.  A bailout may be necessary but it will add 
to the stigma  the US manufacturers suffer in comparison to the Japanese.
 
As far as the Firestone tires are concerned, the "Buy US"  debate doesn't 
matter.  Firestone is a wholly owned subsidiary of  Bridgestone which is a 
Japanese company.
 
Doc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a message dated 11/8/2008 7:46:24 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:

Message:  8
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 21:26:46 -0500
From: Bruce Schug  <bwschug at charter.net>
Subject: Re: <VV> Tires
To: Virtual  Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID:  <CF0D7BE9-8A9D-4DB2-AF80-0F799AE8BA50 at charter.net>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed;
delsp=yes


On Nov 8, 2008, at 4:27 PM, Ken Lundy (Home)  wrote:

> I recently bought the Firestone tires mentioned in the  Communique. I?m 
very happy with them.

The good thing about the  Firestones is that they're made of rubber, not rice.

If you don't  understand my comment, what I'm referring to is buying products 
made by  American companies as opposed to companies in other countries. Half 
the  people I know, probably more, drive Toyotas, Hondas, etc. Now look where  
the Big Three are. American companies make tires, cars, and other  products 
that, in most cases, are as good as any. If they're not as good,  they're 
usually good enough for me. They say any new car has better  quality than any car 
did ten years ago.

Within the next few weeks we'll  probably see the government loan or give 
billions of $$$ to GM, Ford, and  Chrysler or they will go out of business and 
our economy will probably  collapse. (Remember this is billions - 
$1,000,000,000s) This will be OUR  tax money at work. Everyone that buys Toyotas, etc., 
should think about  this.

Pardon my somewhat political comments, but Firestone makes  excellent tires. 
>From what I understand, Hankook tires are just fine too.  Ya pays yer money 
and ya makes yer  choice.

Bruce

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