Hey Mark Bernard...........

[larryg]

Hey Mark. I understand where you are coming from and I don't want to turn this into a huge debate, but as someone who works as a technician for a foreign car dealership, I have to say this...

Foreign car companies employ many thousands of US citizens on US soil, from the manufacturing plants such as Honda, Toyota, and BMW...to all of the sales, parts, service, and office personel at dealerships...how about the coporate level positions that support everything from warranty claims to filling the replacement parts supply lines. And this doesn't even scratch the surface of other industries, such as construction, that benefit from them being here as well.

Yes, NAFTA f'd up a lot of things for a lot of people but that does not make foreign car manufacturers the root of all evil.

As someone who personally got f'd by corporate downsizing and moving jobs off shore, I hope you do make it 30 years and your retirement with the same company. I only wish more companies were that dedicated to their employees.

Just my $.02
Larry

[Mark Bernard]

Well put Larry, You have a valid point. But as I have learned. There are two sides to every coin.

Everyone has there opinion. Just as I have mine. It goes much deeper than I would really like to get into.

I have no problem with Dan. I just woke up crabby and got some what bent out of shape over Dans comment.  ;) Mark!

[Burt Munro]

Mark,

Just so you know where I'm coming from, my father owned nothing but Chrysler products his entire life.  He loved the engineering innovations that Chrysler produced in the 50's (Torsion bar suspension, TorqueFlite Transmission, Slant 6, etc.)  That said, my first new car was a '76 Plymouth Volare wagon.  It got totalled 18 mos after I bought it and I wasn't too upset.  Several years later I bought a K car wagon.  Nothing but problems, overheated several times and had to have head work done twice.  Again, not sorry to see it die.  Sometimes it was just little things that you notice.  Like on my Aries wagon the 'Dodge' name plate that was above the tailgate latch came off.  I started to look around and noticed almost all of the cars similar to mine had the same problem.  I'm not blaming the assembly workers here.....  more of a problem on the design side.

Sorry, making this a long story - but here's my question:  Have you yet, or do you think you'll soon see any engineering changes from the D-B influence that are directed at improving the overall quality, reliability and durability of Chrysler products?  Is this just a case of Chrysler doing the same old thing of juggling the cost vs. benefit equation?  I guess my opinion is somewhat biased as I'm thinking that Chrysler has to cut some cormers to manufacture cars that are price competitive with imports.  They could build higher quality cars - but they would be more expensive to the point of not being cost competitive.

Again, this is not a dig at the guys working in the factory - you can only build what they give you to work with in design and material.

Just curious.  I will have to tell you sometime about my discussion in a bar with a guy that I worked with who used to work for GM.  Let's just say I ended up with a beer dumped on my head! ;D

Rick

[cornercamping]

Here's my official opinion on Domestic car quality, not that anyone really cares....  ;D

Chrysler is at this point and time manufacturing vehicles with "better" components, electronics, and such primarily because of the Dailmer Benz influence.  The new Pacifica, 300, Magnum, and Jeep Grand Cherokee show that.  What they are doing is bringing Mercedes parts and putting them in Chryslers.  For instance, in my wife's Pacifica, the door switches are from Mercedes, and the exact same as in a new MB E-Class.  Therefore, Chrysler has an advantage to all the other domestic manufacturer.  They're making nicer, and better designed cars.  GM is stuck on stupid, and will be for another 3 or 4 years (Trucks for example, same thing for 10 years, different headlights) and Ford, well, we won't go there.  Anyways, that's my take, and I see it all day long.  MB influence now drives Chrysler design.  That's why I started buying (leasing) Chrysler products.  First the RAM, then the Pacifica, and next a 300.  The RAM however, has no MB influence in it what so ever, and is a piece of..........

[HandleThis66]

this has nuttin 2 do with carz...just wanna say hi to bernie.  hi bernie,  :) . k, c yah soon - ciao, rhiannon :-*

[Mark Bernard]

this has nuttin 2 do with carz...just wanna say hi to bernie.  hi bernie,  :) . k, c yah soon - ciao, rhiannon :-*

NeaNea.... You make me smile!   ;D Whats up?

[Mark Bernard]

Mark,


Sorry, making this a long story - but here's my question:  Have you yet, or do you think you'll soon see any engineering changes from the D-B influence that are directed at improving the overall quality, reliability and durability of Chrysler products?  Is this just a case of Chrysler doing the same old thing of juggling the cost vs. benefit equation? Rick

Yes I see that the Damler group are incorperating alot of there powertrain and drivetrain into our caes in the near future. Good things are happening at the company with products and quality.

The quality had always been a main focus at our plant. As a matter of fact, our plant holds the highest level of quality of any Daimler Chrysler plant in north America.

New products and innovation changes are in the making. It's too early to tell just what's gonna happen with our product line up in the near future.

Its too early in the morning... I need coffee!

To be continued......

[cornercamping]

GM offers buy out to employees..

http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/4016390/detail.html

[251am]

Could give a list of probelsm we had with suburbans when we got them drop shipped from GM.

    Alright, well, I'll give your referral slip to someone else.

[HandleThis66]

bernie, r u gunna b at tha banquet?  we shood catch up there.  i'm glad i make u smile, thatz sweet.  u got mah #, u shood kall me and let me know how u r. therez not much on this end, just riding a lot and havin fun!  ciao - rhiannon  :-*

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Here's my official opinion on Domestic car quality, not that anyone really cares....  ;D

Dan do you realise all Nissan and Toyota trucks sold here are built HERE as are those MB suv's? ;D





Todd, we had problems with the Expeditions and Durangos we did too, just not many and nothing like a brake line NOT being connected or loose lugs. (BTW the problems we had with SUbs/Tah's were the 93-00 body (400 series if I remember the body designation correctly). When they went to the new body it was 100 times better.

[cornercamping]

Dan do you realise all Nissan and Toyota trucks sold here are built HERE as are those MB suv's? ;D


 

Yeah, I know, but the MB isn't, atleat not the AMG model.  Those are Stutgart or something.