Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Perhaps. But I've recently seen it suggested that the reason that
there's so many 40s and 50s Willys vehicles coming out of barns with
30,000 miles on the clock is that they were underpowered, unreliable,
broken down, were parked and forgotten as not worth the bother.

Consider this: How often do you need to tune a modern
computer-controlled ignition, fuel-injected engine? How often did you
need to tune a points-and-condensor ignition?


calcerise@hotmail.com wrote:
> I believe American cars were much better relative to the rest of the
> world when we had both the majors and the independents. It's no
> accident that the most reliable and toughest fifties and sixties
> vehicles made in America with the highest percentage still on the road
> and with loyal actitvist owner's clubs are Studebaker and International
> Harvester. (Jeep was part of an independent then too.) In the late
> sixties and early seventies American cars sucked. The Vega was a rust
> ball with an engine that self-destructed in some cases in nine months,
> the Pinto would explode if rear ended (but ironically had some good
> drivelines!), on and on.
>

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Perhaps. But I've recently seen it suggested that the reason that
there's so many 40s and 50s Willys vehicles coming out of barns with
30,000 miles on the clock is that they were underpowered, unreliable,
broken down, were parked and forgotten as not worth the bother.

Consider this: How often do you need to tune a modern
computer-controlled ignition, fuel-injected engine? How often did you
need to tune a points-and-condensor ignition?


calcerise@hotmail.com wrote:
> I believe American cars were much better relative to the rest of the
> world when we had both the majors and the independents. It's no
> accident that the most reliable and toughest fifties and sixties
> vehicles made in America with the highest percentage still on the road
> and with loyal actitvist owner's clubs are Studebaker and International
> Harvester. (Jeep was part of an independent then too.) In the late
> sixties and early seventies American cars sucked. The Vega was a rust
> ball with an engine that self-destructed in some cases in nine months,
> the Pinto would explode if rear ended (but ironically had some good
> drivelines!), on and on.
>

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Perhaps. But I've recently seen it suggested that the reason that
there's so many 40s and 50s Willys vehicles coming out of barns with
30,000 miles on the clock is that they were underpowered, unreliable,
broken down, were parked and forgotten as not worth the bother.

Consider this: How often do you need to tune a modern
computer-controlled ignition, fuel-injected engine? How often did you
need to tune a points-and-condensor ignition?


calcerise@hotmail.com wrote:
> I believe American cars were much better relative to the rest of the
> world when we had both the majors and the independents. It's no
> accident that the most reliable and toughest fifties and sixties
> vehicles made in America with the highest percentage still on the road
> and with loyal actitvist owner's clubs are Studebaker and International
> Harvester. (Jeep was part of an independent then too.) In the late
> sixties and early seventies American cars sucked. The Vega was a rust
> ball with an engine that self-destructed in some cases in nine months,
> the Pinto would explode if rear ended (but ironically had some good
> drivelines!), on and on.
>

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

That's what I've been getting, three alternators, three starters on
my '78 Bronco with three hundred and fifty thousand miles. '89
Thunderbird three starters, no starters, and of course they didn't need
chains. And of course they've never left me stranded anywhere, like all
these Japanese cars I see stopped on the side of the road.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Only 100K for an alternator ?? Give me the german ones any time then. But
> then again, you probably had to deal with the crap that AC Delco produced
> ...
>
> And 70K is pretty good for a timing belt ; Ford requires you to change
> theirs at 30K and as they broke reliably at 35 on their 2.5 diesel engines
> people play it safe and change at 25K. Timing chains are obviously a
> different story..
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

That's what I've been getting, three alternators, three starters on
my '78 Bronco with three hundred and fifty thousand miles. '89
Thunderbird three starters, no starters, and of course they didn't need
chains. And of course they've never left me stranded anywhere, like all
these Japanese cars I see stopped on the side of the road.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Only 100K for an alternator ?? Give me the german ones any time then. But
> then again, you probably had to deal with the crap that AC Delco produced
> ...
>
> And 70K is pretty good for a timing belt ; Ford requires you to change
> theirs at 30K and as they broke reliably at 35 on their 2.5 diesel engines
> people play it safe and change at 25K. Timing chains are obviously a
> different story..
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

That's what I've been getting, three alternators, three starters on
my '78 Bronco with three hundred and fifty thousand miles. '89
Thunderbird three starters, no starters, and of course they didn't need
chains. And of course they've never left me stranded anywhere, like all
these Japanese cars I see stopped on the side of the road.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Only 100K for an alternator ?? Give me the german ones any time then. But
> then again, you probably had to deal with the crap that AC Delco produced
> ...
>
> And 70K is pretty good for a timing belt ; Ford requires you to change
> theirs at 30K and as they broke reliably at 35 on their 2.5 diesel engines
> people play it safe and change at 25K. Timing chains are obviously a
> different story..
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

That's what I've been getting, three alternators, three starters on
my '78 Bronco with three hundred and fifty thousand miles. '89
Thunderbird three starters, no starters, and of course they didn't need
chains. And of course they've never left me stranded anywhere, like all
these Japanese cars I see stopped on the side of the road.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Only 100K for an alternator ?? Give me the german ones any time then. But
> then again, you probably had to deal with the crap that AC Delco produced
> ...
>
> And 70K is pretty good for a timing belt ; Ford requires you to change
> theirs at 30K and as they broke reliably at 35 on their 2.5 diesel engines
> people play it safe and change at 25K. Timing chains are obviously a
> different story..
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Actually I always put Delcos on imports. They don't last as long, but
they put out a lot more current and you get "lifetime guarantee" on
them. That was on the old V-belt engines. With serp belts, conversion
is a more complicated affair.

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Actually I always put Delcos on imports. They don't last as long, but
they put out a lot more current and you get "lifetime guarantee" on
them. That was on the old V-belt engines. With serp belts, conversion
is a more complicated affair.

Re: Detroit Vs Japan
 

Actually I always put Delcos on imports. They don't last as long, but
they put out a lot more current and you get "lifetime guarantee" on
them. That was on the old V-belt engines. With serp belts, conversion
is a more complicated affair.