Farewell:

[Kentennis]

Farewell to Pontiac vehicles after 84 years! Once the great styling and horsepower leader for GM, it is now 'kicked to the curb.'

It joins many other American brands in 'Automobile Heaven.'

Wonder when anyone's going to notice that the US deficit spending and borrowing, to run our country, is going to be the demise of the USA as we know it?

[shelbyscarab]

Farewell to Pontiac vehicles after 84 years! Once the great styling and horsepower leader for GM, it is now 'kicked to the curb.'

It joins many other American brands in 'Automobile Heaven.'

Wonder when anyone's going to notice that the US deficit spending and borrowing, to run our country, is going to be the demise of the USA as we know it?

that Pontiac is finished. They produced some great cars through the years (and a few big duds) They needed to clean house with their designers 25 years ago but they never did. and double for Mercury going away. Ford said they were committed with Merc a few years ago, but from what I've seen they only went half-ass into it as far as effort goes. Wonder who will be next...... Would much rather see Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Mercurys, & Plymouths on the road than the crap thats out there now.....

and I hear ya. Hard to believe that so many people don't get the problem with deficit spending. both parties did it, but one decided to shift into high gear with it. We can't afford half the things we are spending money on. I gotta stop before my blood pressure goes up......

[Kentennis]

If you check the actual facts on the deficit increas in the past 35 years, you're in for a surprise. The smallest increase in the deficit spending was:

Clinton. 4.4% oer year.

Carter (surprise): 10.9% per year.

GW Bush. 11.1% per year

GHW Bush. 13.9%

B. Obama. 15.6%

and finally, the king of them all: Reagan at 23.9% per year.

Kind of a surprise for those of us that thought the GOP was the 'conservative' party.

[Sandy]

Don't make me growl & show my crooked teeth! What is kiling the Domestic cars is the "understood" myth spread about by those that know little to nothing about cars! They have been hood-winked that All imports are faultless supreme perfections of motordom. (Why then, I ask, do foreign car dealerships have SERVICE departments ? Why then when I call my local C.D.J dealer to fix a smal problem on our Cherokee, they tell me to bring it in tomorrow morning and when my next door neighbor has a problem with his Nissan they set him up for a week from tomorrow??

Whom we have lost, since 1993:

IMPERIAL
PLYMOUTH
OLDSMOBILE
PONTIAC
SATURN
MERCURY

SIX BRANDS !!! "WE" only have left"

CADILLAC
BUICK
GMC
CHEVROLET
CHRYSLER
DODGE
JEEP
LINCOLN
FORD
9 BRANDS !!! N I N E !!!!!!!

Count the # of FOREIGN brands ! it's deep into the twenties - possibly the low 30s.

The Asian Countries wil NOT allow OUR cars over there, I want you all to know that!

Think it's tough out there now? Wait until the domestic automobile industry collapses.

Some say it will never. Never say never. Did YOU ever thinkl you'd see sll of those American brands GONE ??

Put it this way: We have 9 BRANDS

Just Toyota has 9 MODELS, Toyota alone !!

[Kentennis]

And if American women knew how the Asians treat their women, they'd never set foot in a Japanese or Korean car!

I know I won't and neither will the wife.

[Sandy]

'Ya they would. 90% of all Women are totally "Cardumb" and wish to remain that way.
When I sold cars, I hated When women came in alone.
Why? They don't trust car salemen, and they don't believe
any of our answers to their questions and they are waaay to scared to make their mind up, about any & everything, Very tough sale.
I never would lie to them and took loads of time explaining everything, and tried to be friendly and helpfull, but they were always very stand=off and seemed ultra timid. I even had some that had been driving their car for 7 years....and had no clue what their car's MODEL was!!! I asked "What year, make & Model wou be trading in" & was told, "Oh............ it's a 1993 Ford. Then I would ask "What model is it?" Often they would reply " A FORD" I'd say, yes, but I mean is it a Mustang or a Torino, or a Taurus or.... ?
I dunno, it's a Ford. That's all I know.... (They had been driving it for 7 years !!!
I had one that replied "Oh...it's Dark Green!" I said okay but I wanted the MODEL . "Oh, she said..... you mean the Serial Number?

But they never much believed me about anything.

But later they would tell me that my price WAS TOO HIGH.
This from, someone who didn't even know the model Ford she was driving for 7 years. How does one sell such persons? They are too much in the dark, to even recognize a great deal.

[Kentennis]

Better watch yourself. You're talking about our wives, mothers, sisters etc.

I didn't say you were wrong. I just gave you a warning. LOL.

The easiest person to sell a car to is a former car salesman. He comes in equipped with knowledge of what he wants, what he's willing to pay and reasonabe expectation of what his trade is actually worth.

It took me almost all day to buy the Expedition but feel I was treated fairly, got good value for my trade and a reasonable deal. I'm happy and so , probably, is he. Plus he has a Cobra. High blood pressure, diabetes and is 18 years my junior. A true car salesman.

[tfs2121]

it must be the other way around for car repair. most woman are an easy sale. most men ask lots and lots of questions and are harder to please.

the one i get most is no one knows what year there car is. i mean its not like its on your reg and ins cards. most think its newer then it is. i like to brake the good news when they think its older. sorry mam your car is not a 2000 its a 2003! i mean look at that you got your brakes fixed and a 3 year younger car!

I had one that replied "Oh...it's Dark Green!"

lol woman always know what color there cars car.
me: what kinda car do you have?
customer: its a 2005 VW.
me: ok what kind is it?
customer: its champagne. (note how she knew the exact name of the color haha)
me: no not the color what type.
customer: car 4dr
me: ok just give me the keys...

[negusm]

Actually, between the bank and auto bail outs, the government is set to make a nice profit.

As for the other spending, every major economist says it was enough to avoid a depression. Doing nothing would have been disasterous. The problem is that they're going to put the brakes on it too soon and a decade long stagnating economy may be the result like Japan had.

Of course when things turn around, they'll spend even more. "HEY WE HAVE PROJECTED A 10 YEAR SURPLUS!". The obvious wisdom is to tax and save (cut back on projects, entitlements) during the good times to spend it later to get out of the rough spots. But you know how that goes.

-Mike

[avmtdan]

And here I thought politics were taboo...

[shelbyscarab]

And here I thought politics were taboo...

Well, I thought this one was about car makes that are gone......

[lightning95sc]

Peter, the one I like is, "The brakes JUST started making noise yesterday", and then the rotor falls apart when you take the wheel off.

At that point I always think, "Yeah, they just started making noise.....when you turned the radio down".

Chuck

[tfs2121]

haha i had one like that last week. the brake pad was gone. it was caliper piston on rotor. "it just started doing it last week" sure....