never bought new mainly because new cars are cheaply built, over rated, ugly vehicles and I wont buy one. But doesnt change the fact that if I had to buy one I sure as hell wouldnt buy a import (they build mostly small cars that are way uglier than the domestics).

Filing for that is the fault of Obama. Obama as you said told them that they HAVE TO MERGE or they wont get any money and they will haveto file. Point is Obama shouldnt be telling automakers how to do their job when hes incompetent himself. He blaims bush still because all the money he threw at the problem (that others have said was a stupid idea) has done nothing but made things worse.

Obama could have given them the money and let them use it how they wish to stay afloat and let them do their thing. I mean hell Obama is giving us money down here for our ****ing light rail which is basically a glorifed transit train/trolley we had back in the 1900`s and did away with cause of the deaths (so far multiple cars have been hit by this silent trolley).

Either way though I think more needs to be done to afloat the big three over keeping the banks afloat. After all Roosevelt created jobs and fixed the economy by not spending money like Obama is. He got people work platning trees and building stuff and their pay was warm food. Why cant obama use his head and think of a way to resolve things over spending more money putting us more in debt.

But heres what you said.

"Stick to demestics? GM is close to bankruptcy, Chrysler will be fortunate to make it to May 1st."

You are basically saying dont buy domestic cars buy imports by saying that. If we did as you saidit would drive a nail in and end the domestic cars for sure.

 

At the rate we are going, it looks like everything will be made in China by 2020. Check out the new cars China is planning in introducing to be sold in America. I am sticking with my old american vehicles and hope that Edelbrock and Summit will keep making more parts to keep them running at least until I die off.

 

FMC I dont know but I know the majority of parts on new cars ive seen didnt say Made in USA on it.

To be honest its very hard for me to find a new car that says Made in USA on any part of it.

I gladly pay the $10 - $20 more for restoration parts that says Made in USA on it cause they fit better than those cheaply made import models that never fit right or look right.

Hell I had one I got it was a wheel well trim cause I couldnt find any other repoduction. 2 month later it hazed up and got foggy like the 46 year old anodized aluminum on my 63 and this was kept out of the weather.

 

On my 72 ford truck, and my other old vehicles, all the parts I have replaced say made in USA, only problem is that I have to order from Summit and wait till parts get here. The upgrades are making them better than new. I try not to buy products made in other countries, but it is becoming harder and harder by the day. The quality of stuff made elsewhere by US companies located there is getting worse.

 

thats why I hate to see GM go under. GM Restoration parts are great but I dont know if they will stay around if they go under. Like wise Ford has a restoration parts division also.

But there are some things you cant get that says Made in the USA on it. But thankfully lots of the older cars has reuseable parts that can be rebuilt so thats a plus.

 

I am not saying any such thing...because you are taking what I said out of context.

I was replying to the OP who wanted to know which automaker: Ford, GM, or Toyota, is in the best financial condition.

The answer is...sadly...Toyota.

You better read some history inre to FDR, who spent BILLIONS of US dollars putting America back to work.

Do you honestly believe that the CCC, WPA, and all the other New Deal programs FDR began didn't cost anything but warm food?

For example...who paid for Hoover Dam, and Boulder City built especially to house the workers to build it?

Who paid for the TVA? Who paid for the 1000's of buildings erected by the WPA?

Who paid for all the new highways? Who paid all the workers involved in all these programs (they didn't work for nothing)? Who paid for the warm food?

The US Gov't paid for all of it...and who is the US Gov't? The American taxpayer.

FDR also gave over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS of US made products as foreign aid to the Allies before and during WWII.

How many of those countries repaid their war debts?

ONE = Canada.

GM may go bankrupt, but GM is not going under. Chapter 11 is a re-organization of debts.

The bankruptcy court will try and find buyers for GM's moribund brands: Hummer, Saturn. SAAB, Opel.

GM has already stated that they have been trying to find buyers for these brands, and put SAAB into Swedish bankruptcy court months ago.

The German Gov't has refused to bail out Adam Opel AG, which GM has owned since 1931.

 

By the way my last two vehicles I have purchased 2001 F150 and my new favorite 2006 charger daytona r/t have style and fun to drive, they brake better and handle sharp turns much better than my 70's vehicles. But my 70's vehicles sound better, hand down. I was like you, Rusty I did not care for the newer cars, They lacked style, but some of the newer vehicles that Detroit is putting out: mustang, charger, camaro, challenger, f150,corvette,cadillac they deserve a look, they are fun to drive. Only problem it seems like most americans are going for boring cars like Prius. I rather walk than drive a Prius.

 

Don't worry, GM will be around, they only need to file for bankruptcy to get rid of the retirement plan and health insurance and other non sense cost that the rest of the "NEW" world corporations no longer give their employees. GM sells more vehicles to other countries than they sell in the US. They are second to Toyota in world sales.

 

Hey Rusty, I see that you own a 1988 Escort Gt, you wouldn't happen to need a hood. I used to own a 1989 escort GT. I was going to replace the hood at that time, but my sis wrecked it before I got the hood on.

 

Yep Spider thats where their biggest problems are coming from is that people are living longer so Ford, GM and Chrysler are paying more and more retirement money for longer periods of time. That is where most of their money is going. But long as GM Restortion parts stays around to keep the one Chevrolet I have together and the Ford restoration parts stays around to keep my multiple fords on the move ill be fine with it.

The new cars are okay. I like the 2009 Mustang (think the 2010 Mustang looks ugly) I like the 2009 Challenger (like the manual transmission option one more) and as far as the camaro goes what kills it for me is the flat top round tail lights they look like half closed eyes. Got the chinese eye 59 chevys and now the half asleep 09 Camaro.

Nope dont really need anything for the car just need to do body repairs where some dumb idiot speeding down the street wasnt paying attention hit the back bumper of my truck in the driveway and drove the truck bumper into the back end of the car. Got a new tail light lens but need body work. Only thing I really need is a new dashpad and apaint job. Oh yea and to figure out why the engine starts up and dies when you release the key. If I hold it slightly towards Run the engine stays running. I dont know if its the starter relay or if its the ignition switch behind the dashboard.

 

My dodge coronet had the same problem engine would start and the car would die out when you made turns or for no apparent reason. Found the problem that had puzzled me for years, It was the key cylinder.

 

this one here it doesnt do it driving it.

Cant drive it

What it does is turn the key to start the engine starts and when you let go of the key back to Run the engine dies. If I hold the key slightly foward it stays running. I just dont want to pull that plastic dashboard apart with age. I got a starter relay I planned on putting on when I had time hopefully that fixes is.

My 63 did this and i resolved it by running my own wire from the solenoid up to the coil and it worked. So hopefully thats the problem with this

 

Which truck is doing this?

Whatever the problem is..it will not involve taking the dash apart.

And it's most likely not the ignition cylinder or the starter relay that's causing the problem.

 

not a truck and thats the only two things it can be. Car sat for a while but it runs if you hold the key forward its something electrical.

But its on the 88 Escort GT I got.

I am just going to replace the starter relay and go from there. Thats the orignal one that came with the car.

 

When you turn the key, it activates a rod that runs down inside the column.

The rod operates the ignition switch...which is easily accessible at the bottom of the steering column.

Directly below the ignition cylinder in the column's flange is a brass gear, flat bearing and snap ring.

The brass gear is what operates that rod. And...

....That brass gear is notorious for stripping. When that occurs, the rod will not properly engage the switch.

Which means...you have to hold the key in the START position so the engine will keep running.

IMO...it's the brass gear or the ignition switch itself...possibly both.

If the relay was defective, it would just go click click click.

The 1982 truck you have ...has the exact same setup the Escort does.