Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

[MyFirstES300]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Hacker, I enjoyed reading your post, especially about the Toyota owner turning to SAAB. You are right, the irony there!

[Calais]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

I think the Martin the "Master Detailer" videos are worse. The way he uses 800 grit paper and the edges of wool pads on the rotary always makes me cringe.

[Tuck91]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Did somebody mention Dodge?

Yep, I love the Power Wagon

[rusty bumper]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

If you like Chevy, you like Chevy
If you like Ford, you like Ford
If you like Dodge, you like Dodge


Find something you like and drive it often....

Did somebody mention Dodge?

[hacker-pschorr]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Question to Mark and all others:

Do you think it's normal maintenance to replace transmissions, head gaskets, fuel pumps, etc? Do you believe that this is all part of owning a vehicle? Some people actually do! How many of you do?

OR, how many of you believe normal maintenance does not go outside the realm of oil/tranny/coolant changes, brake pads/rotors, wiper blades and tire
replacement/rotation?

• My fathers F150 - recently sold with over 175,000 miles. I have every service record, nothing more than regular maintenance.

• His previous Aerostar went over 300,000 miles. He did blow a transmission around 175k - he also liked to tow well over the rated weight.

• My friends Taurus, about to cross 150,000 miles (he purchased new). Only issues are a recall on the rear springs fixed free of charge.

• My other friends Contour SVT, recently sold to a friend with over 150,000 miles on the odo. Bullet proof except for the syncros went bad. I should mention he regularly autorcorssed and tracked the car at Road America. He's not nice on his equipment. He goes through brake pads like a pregnant woman with pickles. This was after a big brake kit was installed.

• Another friend of mine sold his F150 with over 200,000 miles on the odo to another friend three years ago. It's still on the road running like a top (I drove it a few months ago).

• My mothers 1997 Jaguar KX8 (Ford years) is about to turn 145,000 miles. She purchased the car with 60k on the odo. To date nothing but oil changes and a transmission selector switch. I actually brought this up recently and changed the radiator hoses (they were original) and coolant for her.

If I keep going it's going to be a very long list.

You do NOT want me to share the service records / opinions / stories I have from three independent import repair shop owners I know about Lexus. One of them has actually talked about refusing them for service he's so sick of working on them and dealing with Toyota. He was recently charged $250 by the dealer to reset the tire pressure warning system after changing a flat tire..........that was after the service discount.

Heck, my co-worker feels the Camry is the biggest piece of junk ever made after the two he owned. Guess what he drives now? A Saab - there is some real irony there.

For the record I'm a german car buff - the only Ford I've ever owned is in my Avatar.

[Scotty89]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

I heard that some new paint formulas have some kind of kevlar integration to help prevent severe stone chipping - I don't think this is the same idea, but that taurus was quite impressive, I won't lie.

With that aside, I am not very familiar with Lexus, but it didn't look like a 2010 model lexus.... I'd like to have apples compared with apples.

[MyFirstES300]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Question to Mark and all others:

Do you think it's normal maintenance to replace transmissions, head gaskets, fuel pumps, etc? Do you believe that this is all part of owning a vehicle? Some people actually do! How many of you do?

OR, how many of you believe normal maintenance does not go outside the realm of oil/tranny/coolant changes, brake pads/rotors, wiper blades and tire replacement/rotation?

[HealthyCivic]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

What it is is that the Silverado outsells the F-150 when compared strictly to each other in the light-duty truck market. However, the F-SERIES outsells the Silverado in the full-size market. Lastly, Tuck91 is correct in saying that when combined, the Sierra and Silverado do indeed outsell the F-series. Don't believe me?

Click here and here.

All that and I don't even own a truck.

[Andrew C.]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

I hear the Chevy SIlverado and GMC Sierra when combined together outsell the F-150. The Silverado and Sierra are almolst identical.

But I guess its not a fair test when you combine them.

Just a guess, I have no idea for sure, but that maybe was before the new model 2009 F150 came out, which I believe hasn't been out for a year yet, but maybe it's just so far in the time period that the 09 F150 has been out, it has outsold them.

[Tuck91]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

More F150 has been sold than any other pickup trucks in America since the start of the release of the 2009 models.

I hear the Chevy SIlverado and GMC Sierra when combined together outsell the F-150. The Silverado and Sierra are almolst identical.

But I guess its not a fair test when you combine them.

[the_invisible]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Now, as history in business repeats itself, innovation is coming from the #3 guy, not the #1 or #2 guys, and Ford is being projected by Wall Street Journal and others to become the unchallenged number one automaker in North America within 2 years and beyond. I would be willing to bet my life that Ford is going to be taking over...I am in one of their upcoming products, I know what Ford is capable of when they truly try, and once the rest of the country realizes that there will be no stopping Ford.

Mark my words

You are correct. Ford is, and has always been in the last ten years, leading the way in quality among American cars. I cannot say if that is true in the ninty's.

Anyhow, here is an excerpt from a business magazine:

Warren Buffett quips that when the tide goes out, you can see who's not wearing a bathing suit. And he's right: Recessions separate weak companies from strong ones.

The companies that handle a downturn best, particularly in the hardest-hit industries, are likely to lead when the economy rebounds.

Few sectors have been hit harder than the U.S. auto industry, making Ford Motor -- so far -- one of today's most obvious odds beaters.

Ford is the only major U.S. automaker that hasn't needed a bailout or gone into bankruptcy, because it was smart enough to raise a lot of cash a few years back. And there's another key factor: "Over the past couple of years, Ford has made a lot of improvements

Lest we forget the bailout loans. All Americans know about GM's request for money from the American Federal Government. Little do they know that they've also borrowed one billion dollar from the Canadian government to keep their Canadian factories going. This news has been covered relatively little in America due to the issue of dignity.

More F150 has been sold than any other pickup trucks in America since the start of the release of the 2009 models. That's gotta mean something. I am not a big supporter of any company in particular, I only support quality and performance. So far Ford seems to be on the right track, although they are going to have to work really hard to get there.

[CieraSL]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Interesting bit of info for anyone who is interested:

NISSAN DEVELOPS WORLD'S FIRST CLEAR PAINT THAT REPAIRS SCRATCHES ON CAR SURFACES

TOKYO (Dec. 2, 2005)-- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has developed the world’s first clear paint that repairs scratches on painted car surfaces, including scratches from car-washing machines, off-road driving and fingernails.

“Scratch Guard Coat” contains a newly developed high elastic resin that helps prevent scratches from affecting the inner layers of a car’s painted surface. With “Scratch Guard Coat” a car’s scratched surface will return to its original state anywhere from one day to a week, depending on temperature and the depth of the scratch.

The water-repellant paint also has a higher resistance to scratches compared with conventional clear paints. A vehicle painted with “Scratch Guard Coat” will have only one-fifth the abrasions caused by a car-washing machine compared with a car covered with conventional clear paint. Scratches from car-washing machines account for the majority of scratches to painted car surfaces.

“Scratch Guard Coat” is effective for about three years.

“Scratch Guard Coat” will be applied for the first time on an SUV model that is scheduled for a partial makeover in the near future. The paint will be applied to the car’s chassis, bumpers, door mirrors, among other parts.

Car painted with “Scratch Guard Coat”

New scratches

One week later

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2005/_STORY/051202-01-e.html

MSNBC article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10333350/

Hopefully they can tweak it so it lasts longer than 3 years.

[chris328]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

wow that video is what i feel like during the 7 mile highway stretch on my morning commute ... =/

[Reg]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

Doesn't Infinity use a special kind of paint now that is somewhat resistant to scratching?

[zigzagg321]

Re: Most horrifying video ever? You decide...

I dont even have the "detail bug" and that made me cringe... IT also looked like the kind of vid than a year from now, Ill see and think $$$dollars.