From: bqueiser@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Brian J Queiser)
Subject: Re: Whining about buying American cars
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:03:39 GMT

atovorni@engr.UVic.CA writes:

>kiel_jeff@macmail1.rtsg.mot.com () writes:

>>I am really getting sick and tired of all the whining by those who say that i
t
>>is patriotic to buy American cars.  I own a Japanese car and am as American a
s
>>anyone else.  I pay taxes, watch baseball once in a while and like apple pie
>>but I do not drive a Chevy.  What really makes me mad is that I can come up
>>with several ways that it is "American" to buy a Japanese car.  Here is a
>>short list:
>>
>>1.  Japanese cars are more economical.  If you can save money on repairs and
>>gas then you can spend more money on the economy which HELPS America.  I have
>>two examples which prove my case.  My first car was a '69 Buick with 80,000
>>miles which I inherited from my parents.  I had nothing but problems with
>>this car:  the brakes needed to be replaced, the muffler went out, it needed
>>tune-ups all the time.  It was a nightmare to own a car like this.  However,
I
>>have not a single problem with my Japanese car which has nearly 10,000 miles
on
>>it.  It starts every morning and NEVER breaks down . . . well almost.  I did
>>have to have the cruise control fixed twice, the stereo replaced and one
>>electric window motor died. . . and it does OCCASIONALLY starts a little roug
h
>>but you just give it a little gas and eventually it smoothes out . . . but th
is
>>is MUCH better than that '69 Buick piece of junk.  My second point is:  just
>>look at fuel economy.  My '69 Buick was lucky to get 10 mpg while my new
>>Japanese car gets almost 30 mpg.  That's almost THREE TIMES BETTER!  You see
>>what I'm saying . . . all this money I'm saving I can put right back into the
>>good old American economy.

>Hold on, buddy! Why not compare a '69 American car with a '69 Jap car?
>My '87 Pontiac V8 gets over 20 Mpg in city driving and 26 cruising at
>highway speed limits (65). All it needed in the last 3 years and 50K miles
>was a new alternator, battery, muffler two tires and a water pump. All of
>these things are normal wear and tear items. My cruise control has never
>been touched, my power everything is original and has never been touched,
>and the engine is always happy to purr smoothly when I turn the key. Not
>only that, I have not touched the engine except to change the oil in three
>years. NO TUNE UPS IN 50000 MILES!!! The car now has 75000 miles on it and
>it will go past 200000 with no major problems. Routine maintainance is the
>key.
>
>I suggest that all ignorant fools think before they post. How can you compare
>a new car with an 80000 mile car that was likely neglected by your parents?
>
>I dare you to drive that Japanese car past 200000 miles. I've done this with
>three Chevrolets, one Buick and am doing it again with a Pontiac...All V8's!!!
>
>>2.  Buying a Japanese car puts money into the American economy.  Let's say yo
u
>>are buying a $20,000 luxury Japanese car.  The salesman certainly makes money
>>on this deal.  Let's say he gets a $200 commission on the deal.  Before your
>>$20,000 check is mailed to Japan, he gets his commission!  That's $200 he can
>>spend on the US economy.  Let's say Japan sells 50,000 of these cars in
>>America.  That's $200 x 50,000 or 10 million dollars into the good old US
>>economy.  That's no small change!  Besides, if we did not buy these Japanese
>>cars, that salesman would be out of work!  What would he do - sell American
>>cars?  Of course not - no one buys American cars.  That's my point - buying
>>Japanese cars adds millions of dollars to the US economy and puts people to
>>work.  Definitely good for America.
>
>Total Bullshit!!
>
>>3.  Buying Japanese cars fosters competition.  And what is more American than
>>good old competition.  Buying Japanese cars and putting US auto workers into
>>the unemployment line forces the American companies to build better cars.  Th
e
>>Japanese supported their auto companies in the 60's and 70's when their cars
>>were junk and what did that get them?  Better cars for us!  Just look at
>>minivans.  Some people buy Japanese minivans even though every review that I
>>have seen has stated that the Chrysler minivans are far superior.  These peop
le
>>are truly Americans because they are forcing the American auto companies to
>>work even harder at making their products even better.
>
>Piss on that noise!!
>
>>4.  Buying a Japanese car is best for ME.  What is more American than looking
>>out for your own self-interest?  A higher percentage of upper class Americans
>>buy Japanese cars than lower class Americans.  Obviously these people know ho
w
>>to look out for themselves.  How else do you think they became rich - looking
>>out for others?  Yeah right.  This is America.  Be American and look out for
>>yourself - no one else is.
>
>High class people generally buy European cars, you MORON!
>Am I a low-life scum-sucking pig because I drive an American car?
>
>>5.  Buying a Japanese car is "American".  Many people think buying an America
n
>>car is American but they are wrong.  First, look at Japan in the 60's and 70'
s.
>> Their cars were junk but the Japanese still bought these cars instead of
>>importing the better American cars.  They supported their auto companies unti
l
>>these companies were able to improve their product to the level they are at
>>today.  Many of these Japanese consumers would not even think of buying an
>>American car because it was "anti-Japanese" and anti-patriotic.  So being
>>patriotic is a Japanese thing.  So those who say to buy American are patrioti
c
>>and therefore very much like the Japanese in the 60's and 70's.  And being li
ke
>>the Japanese is definitely not American.  Therefore, those who state that you
>>should buy American are definitely not American.  Therefore, buying Japanese
>>cars is definitely American.  See?
>
>It's very Japanese to buy American and European cars these days because even t
he 
>Japanese don't trust the shit they produce. You are the foolish victim of a
>Teenage Mutant Ninja Kamikaze marketing strategy from hell. Bet your car's a
>Honda...Serves you right!
> 
>>6.  Japanese cars are "in".  It is definitely "cool" to drive a Japanese car
>>and what is more American than being "cool".  I miss my teenage years so bein
g
>>"cool" is definitely important to me.  So a Mitsubishi Eclipse is "cool" whil
e
>>an Eagle Talon is not.  See?  Some Japanese cars are even cooler than others.

>>Look at the Acura line.  This is definitely a cool line of cars.  Take the
>>Integra.  So what if its just a Honda Civic with different body panels at twi
ce
>>the price.  It's still an Acura and therefore definitely cooler than the Hond
a
>>and definitely more cooler than any American car including the Talon.
>
>Oh grow up!
>
>[more idiotic nonsense deleted]
>
>>So stop your whining.  Buy a Japanese car like the rest of us and if anyone
>>starts an argument with you, just pull out this list of justifications and yo
u
>>can beat them at their own argument!
>
>You look like the biggest whiner of them all judging by this
>stupid post. I hope you're joking.


He is.  I almost bit at the original post myself.  But I have thoroughly
enjoyed the backlash from the five or six so far who did.  My favorite
response so far is Torque Monger's "Piss on that noise" and "Oh, grow up"
included in the response above.  People are starting to stare at me now in
this terminal room, I'm laughing a bit too much, I guess... :^)

Regards,

Brian

bqueiser@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am the engineer, I can choose K.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Engineering Mechanics
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.driving