OttoNP

When I was younger I didn't think it mattered as much, but as I get older I think it is more and more important to buy American (engineered and bought).

I recently started my own side business, my first product is a small molded plastic part that I can sell for around $15. If I mold this product in the U.S., it will cost about $14,000 for the mold and about $4 a part. My competitors build theirs in China. If I build mine in China it will cost $3000 for the mold and about $1.50 per part, my competitors probably pay even less. If you figure it out, if I go the American route I will have to sell 1273 parts before I make a profit versus 207 if I go the route of my competitors. It cost me about $1000 to develop this product as well and I will use the money I make to pay for the development of future products, which I will compete with same competitors on. In reality, I can probably only sell about 600 a year, so after year 1 if I go the American route I will have $-7400 but if I make my product in China I will have $5100. I can use that $5100 to develop 5 more products. After three years I will made $5800 if I have it built in America versus $21,300 in China. Keeping in mind that my competitor will have at least that $21,300 in there budget, what should I do?

For me this is a very simple system and if I face this I can't imagine the difficulty the U.S. automakers face. I haven't decided what I'll do, but I think I'm either not going to do it or have it made in China, that's the only way I could compete. This is similar to the trends we're seeing in the automotive industry along with many other things the U.S. automakers are doing. Delphi is working to cut wages of union workers from $3X to $1X or less while GM and Delphi are cutting retiree and current health benefits, retirements, etc... Right now every car sold by GM has $3000 going into American health care, foreign cars have none. No company can continue to compete with that large of deficit. In order to survive, they will have to change there cost structure to be similar to the foreign companies, which means no more high payed union workers and less health care, which in the end will affect everyone. In the end it means a lower standard of living, starting at the blue coller level and working its way up. The standard of living in the U.S. will continue to drop as it has while the standard of living in foreign countries will rise until it equals out; however, there is one problem with that. In some foreign countries the standard of living is not increasing, the extra money is kept by the government and elite, which means the standard worldwide will drop to that level.

I also don't think you can get enough people to care enough to make a difference either. In the example of my part, If I change my price so that I'd make the same, I'd have to charge around $36 versus their $15, people will just buy what is better for them and get the $15 product. Only way to stop it would be import taxes.

lemans06conv

Whatever floats your boat. I would feel like a fool riding a Yamaha, but I don't ride bikes anyway.

JFTaylor

Thanks man - can't read - just watch movies, Ralphie

JFTaylor

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

That explains why this is the only car I've owned that's a crapshoot everytime I start it as to whether the radio is going to work or not.

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

Blind patriotism is what has allowed GM & Ford to survive so long being so poorly run. Maybe if we had spent the last 25 years demanding a "quality product" instead of an "American product" they would be where they are.

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

How has this not been moved to Politics, Religion, and Controversy yet? Did the mods fall asleep?

TheJimer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe0121
It's built by Americans and is an Icon of not only the American dream but good old American know how.

SomeoneTakeTheWheel,
If that’s how you feel about the car; then why did you buy one? And if that’s how you feel about the American work force; then why bother living in America?

Save the Wave

Jim

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

No, no, no, I don't think that about the American workforce! What I'm saying is that a lot of us are having minor and major problems with our C6's, so saying that a C6 is a great example of America's abilities is not exactly the biggest compliment.

I bought it because I heard very, very good things about the C5 and C6 reliability, and after a nightmare experience with a C4, decided to take the plunge again. Unfortunately, my C6 experience hasn't, so far, lived up to the hype. But I'm holding out hope that it will.

Cheers!

TheJimer

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your C6! I guess it just must be the luck of the draw; I am on Vette #8 and the only one that I ever had any problems with was a 1959 on which I finished the restoration; so I guess I only had myself to blame for the quality of labor!

Hope you get the kinks straightened out and begin to really enjoy your car.

Save the Wave

Jim

Thinker

Check out mbworld.org. Pick any category. Try the CLK or SLk. You'll find quality problems there too. Wanna have fun - try www.my350z.com -> Those guys are long suffering.

I think enthusiasts report problems. While in general, I think GM has more problems than Lexus - I think there's a lot of grey area in between.

- Thinker

Thinker

Case in point. This is a fresh post on the 350z - a japanese car.

=========================

You guys werent kidding about the rattles....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the time i hear people saying the 350z has rattles everywhere.... I was pretty surprised since mine didnt seem to have any... Then i realized I drive with my music pretty loud, and decided to turn it off...


WELLLLLL.... long story short i not understand what everyone was talking about... One really really really annoying one seems to be comming from the gauges as if the pin is bouncing around.... now that I know there is a rattles it will bother me until i get it fixed...


Im sad
__________________

FunDriver

Only in that it had that great American muscle. I was upgrading from a C5 so it was just a natural move. But I have a Lexus,too, so I also look for different things in different cars.

When I got an an NSX when it first came out and had it for six years, it was a cool car (still is) and was great quality...but it didn't have the brawn of a Corvette. I've had 2 C4's, a C5, and now a C6.

So to me it's what the car is, not where it was built.

Thinker

To be fair - my question was limited to the decision to purchase the C6 and how important (or not) the country of origin matters. Hence - I think it belongs in C6 General.

GTC

It was until GM screwed me over.

oak3x

ABSOLUTELY! Harley Davidson and Corvette...American Icons!

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

I think TheJimer is right, it's the luck of the draw. I put 25,000 miles on my 350Z and never had one issue. Not even a single rattle. And mine was one of the first 500 off the line, so I certainly expected it.

To get back to the earlier point though, I don't think any car should be used as the example of "American know how." How about Medtronics pacemakers? Near perfect reliability - after all, they HAVE to be - and every one made in the USA.

steveo242

Exactly. I thought about a 911, or a G35, but the vette was the best you can get for the $$$ all things equal.

Just so happens to support GM,

SomeoneTakeTheWheel

I agree. I loved my NSX, bulletproof reliability and good speed when pushed. I autocrossed mine like a madman, and never worried whether it would be able to drive me to work the next day. I'm still cautious about putting my C6 on the track.

2LT-Z51

first car was a chevy and a bunch in between - wish i kept my chevelle
had a bunch of toyotas though the years (cars and trucks) - nothing like feel of a V8!!
71 Chevelle
77 Cutlass Supreme
73 Chevy one ton long bed pickup
70 El Camino
72 El Camino
80 Cutlass Supreme
87 GMC 4x4 Sierra Classic
87 GMC 4x4 Jimmy Classic
03 Blazer Xtreme
04 Chevy Tahoe
06 Corvette Coupe