5030
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 28,967
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
I disagree. Built by the same crew that really don't care... I could tell you stories about their 'race to the bottom' but it would take pages. I got to witness it first hand. Our yard and terminal was next door. Nothing has changed in that respect. Extremely comparable.
They build the engines for most of them at 'Global Engine' in Dundee, Michigan, which is about 7 miles due east of the farm. Same deal there. I put a lot of the complacent or should I say lazy attitudes on the UAW and their contract. Fords is no different and neither is GM but, in the case of GM, GM workers learned the hard way what happens in a downturn like went down in Flint some years ago. They have a bit different attitude about the products they build. I got to see all of it first hand, delivering steel to all of them. Keep in mind that with Fiat especially, a lot of their engines come over in a shipping container from Italy or wherever and are not even built here, just 'installed' here.
Same applied to my Focus RS. The engine I have in mine was built in Germany and came over in a container and was 'installed' at Wayne Assembly. The engine was 100% offshore made, but I will say that the Germans take a lot more pride in what they build than their American counterparts. Not that they are without issues. You don't build a 2.2 Liter motor that outputs over 320 ponies that transmits power through a ZF 6 speed single dry clutch transmission that is without issue. People flog them and don't maintain them and then issues arise. Key word there is maintain properly and prior to purchasing it, I researched the vehicle very carefully including who the original owner was and it was a black female so I knew she didn't flog it too much. If it had been a younger male, I would have never considered it. Only thing was, all the pre sets on the radio were 'soul stations' and that got changed immediately. Too bad Fords decided to discontinue the Focus, especially the RS Turbo model as it's really a supercar. I can very handily blow off a 5 liter Mustang in a drag anytime I want to, which is very rare because at 74, I'm not a racer, I'm an old man.
Nice thing about it is, at least here in Michigan, it insures as a 'station wagon' with no mention of the high performance engine or suspension so it's a relative cheap date to insure. 4 wheel drilled and vented rotors with 4 piston calipers and Koni remote reservoir shocks, limited slip front wheel drive and huge 50 series tires. Fun car that gets 40 mpg so long as I drive it sanely, which I do 99% of the time. Only roller skate I ever drove that can literally peg the speedo on any e-way on ramp and it has a 150 mph clock btw. No problem merging with traffic...lol. I don't do that regularly but I can if I want to. Most times it gets short shifted and driven like the econo car it's supposed to be...
I do like it and today, I don't worry about it getting stolen either as most car thief's cannot drive a 6 speed manual anyway.
We live in a PRNDL society today. No Valet parking for us, they cannot drive it... If we go to a fancy beanery, we take the Burb anyway. They can drive that...lol
I don't much care what you purchase, your money, not mine and no, we don't buy offshore made (even if made here but owned by an offshore entity (and that includes 'Jeep' vehicles. You'll only find Ford and GM products in this driveway and the only Ford products we own were recommended by my BIL who is a high level engineer at Fords in Dearborn and he knows, he was the main designer of the new Fords 10 speed slush box and no, I won't have one of them either. If you do own one, his suggestion is, service it at half the recommended service intervals.
Why I bought an off lease Focus RS Turbo. It has the 6 speed manual, single dry clutch box, not the troublesome dual plate servo shifted trans which was and is a bomb when they get some miles on them and my wife has a Suburban LTZ with the bulletproof Allison under the floorboards. We always purchase off lease vehicles, no exception, preferably with some balance of the factory warranty left on them and then we extend that but only with the OEM extended warranty, not any aftermarket one.
These new smaller displacement engines and multi speed transmissions require conscientious service, gone are the days where you can 'put it off because'. This new stuff with their high output small displacement engines and complex transmissions require that or they will fail and fail in a spectacular way and that really applies to the Ford Eco Boost engines which I'm somewhat familiar with, same applies to their 10 speed slush box.
They are all over priced IMO. Why we buy only off lease dealer maintained vehicles. Why should we take the depreciation hit, let the original buyer, leasor pay that. We ale also careful as to what dealer it is as well. Like my wife's LTZ. It stickered for 100 grand and she got it off lease for half that. First thing I did to her Burb was I deleted the troublesome cylinder deactivation. Not only is it mechanical issue but it caused the engine to consume oil. Wasn't too difficult but required pulling the intake manifold and the valley cover and replacing the electronic controlled lifters with mechanical ones. Since I did that, it quit using oil and the fuel milage didn't decrease, not that it gets good fuel mileage in the first place. it's a big vehicle and heavy and mileage sucks but she don't care and I don't fuel it so I don't care either.
Same way with my Focus RS Turbo. Stickered for 26 and I got it for 11. Always cash, we don't 'romance the finance' ever. Only thing we finance is the farm equipment because we can depreciate it and write it off. That is it. Vehicles, no way.
BTW, I just bought and paid for an F2880 Kubota diesel front mount 72" mower that came from the local Fair board and was always maintained by my dealer and he went through it before I got it. All fluids and filters changed, new blades, new rollers and caster wheels and it's a side discharge btw and very complete and no paint scuffs or anything on it either. They bought 2 new ones and I bought one of their old ones. Even the seat is pristine. Was always parked inside, out of the elements and he took my CC M60 Tank in trade. Probably paid too much for it but, maybe not. Only money right. Cash again. I trust my dealer 100%. One, he is a personal friend of ours and two, I work for him part time delivering tractors and stuff and fiddle in the shop, helping out when needed. He has a pile of new Kubota's out front too. All different models as well. Just not too many of the really big ones, but a few. Must have counted at least 50 new loader buckets lined up out front. Maybe the economy isn't so hot, but it's hot up there. All I know is, not only myself but he's also delivering them as well and mostly all new equipment though he does have some older Kubota's out back. Got my eye on an ancient B with a hydrostat and front wheel assist in nice condition (could stand a paint job as it's faded like all Kubota's seem to do). Has good rubber on it (turf tires) and a mower deck. Was my first Kubota many, many years ago and always has had a warm place in my heart for it. I may buy it just for kicks and grins, who knows. Take it apart and completely restore it and park it in the shop. Keith ( the owner) collects them as well.
I really don't care what you drive or how you pay for it. All over priced and I see no point in paying finance charges, ever. Enjoy them I say.
