Getting Worried about Chrysler, thinking about an F150

[J.BURCHFIELD]

blackbear. when Chrysler was in trouble you had a real man that you could count on, Lee Iacoco, I know I spelled his name wrong but you know who I mean. Were he still there, there would be no problems. When he arrived at Chrysler there were 35 Vice Presidents and 34 were out playing Golf. Only one was at his desk, that one he kept and the 34 he fired. He knew how to run a company which was evident by the success. I did not like the "K" car but I guess it made money. I too am on a fixed income and fortunately only disabled enough to be walking with a cane. I like to say my income is not fixed, it is broken. I like my 98 12v after all the upgrades and will keep it. I am pushing 81 but I plan to live to be 100 and get shot by a jealous husband.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly I don't know about the F250 you owned. Now for me it's Chrysler products Dodge trucks, Plymouth cars I've never had any luck with them, and it's been way more than just one. My dad has been a Chrysler fan all my life so I should be biased towards Chrysler like you but they just have never worked out for me. After the experiances I've had with Chrysler vehicles I'd rather take a beating than own another one.

I also had a Furd Explorer SUV that I inherited. It too was as miserable as my F250. After spending a wheelbarrow full of money fixing it, I sold it because it was one problem after another. Most of my friends who owned Furd's had the same bad experience with them. It's a small wonder they've stayed in business this long. We all know the horrible experience they've had with diesel engines and I don't know of any gas engine's they've produced that were any good.



I can't speak for Chrysler and Dodge cars since I've never owned any, but I'm sure there not any better then American made Furd and GM. What sets our HD Dodge/Cummins trucks apart is that most, if not all, are made in Mexico and not by UAW.



I know you're a die hard Furd fan and it's your money. That's fine, you have to deal with there blunders, not me.

 

[HBarlow]

When Yugos were sold in the US many bought them and thought they were good cars. I haven't seen one in almost 20 years. Many also buy Hyundai cars and suvs also. Their resale value used to be about as good as stale bread or black bananas.

Ford has sold thousands of 6. 0 diesels and now 6. 4 flamethrowers and some remain loyal even after several engine replacements or Ford buybacks and trying another bad ford. If someone prefers to buy Fords that's fine with me.

Personally, I'm going to keep driving Cummins powered Dodge duallies whether Chrysler remains a viable car manufacturer, or not.

There is a website for loyal Ford owners.

 

[Grizzly]

When Yugos were sold in the US many bought them and thought they were good cars. I haven't seen one in almost 20 years. Many also buy Hyundai cars and suvs also. Their resale value used to be about as good as stale bread or black bananas.



Ford has sold thousands of 6. 0 diesels and now 6. 4 flamethrowers and some remain loyal even after several engine replacements or Ford buybacks and trying another bad ford. If someone prefers to buy Fords that's fine with me.



Personally, I'm going to keep driving Cummins powered Dodge duallies whether Chrysler remains a viable car manufacturer, or not.



There is a website for loyal Ford owners.

That's what I like about you Harvey. You lay it on the line and tell it like it is.

 

[AHarris]

Whatever happens with Chrysler (or Chryiat, Fiasler, or whetever it will be now that it is merging with Fiat), even if it goes flat broke anyway someone will pick up the Dodge truck line and the Jeeps. That was the best of Chrysler anyway.



I don't expect big increases in quality at Chrysler based on Fiat's last visit to the U. S. marketplace. I wish they would have merged with Nissan like they were talking about before then there would at least have been some hope. Even worse than Fiat is knowing that the government will be involved in making Chrysler decisions.



I can't help but think that we would all be better off if the government would stick to things like the military, roads and bridges, etc and leave the private enterprise to... well... private enterprise!! If Amtrak and the US Postal Service ar any indication, I wouldn't expect great things from the USG running Chrysler and General Motors. And don't even get me started on the mighty "O"!

 

[hwebster]

No matter what happens Furd isn't in my future. If Chrysler goes tits up, someone will pick up the Dodge Brand!

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

I joined the USAF in 1948 and was in Japan when Korea started. Was in Korea the next day and witnesses first hand the gross stupidity that only the Military and our Government is capable of. Fast forward to 1983. After 30 years in private industry I needed a job so went to work for the USAF as Civil Service worker expecting to see improvements. No such luck. Everything possible to reduce efficiency was done, in fact insisted upon. I LOVE MY COUNTRY--BUT-- My Government is completely incapable of making good decisions for the people. WHY because the decisions being made are being made by criminals posing as politicians so they can stuff their pockets. There may be a few good politicians but they are grossly outnumbered. I have no respect for a Bank Robber but they have the guts to take a chance. Politicians are not only criminals, THEY ARE ALSO COWARDS. They hide behind the laws. If anything good happens in this administration it will be a huge accident. They are hell bent on destroying our freedom and free enterprise. They have their incompetent noses in everything they should stay out of. They have overstepped the boundaries of their authority and if they continue it will lead to the end of America and of course GM and Chrysler. Everything they touch will be mismanaged and Ford will probably be the only one to survive if America survives. From all I have seen throughout my lifetime I can't see much hope until this administration is thrown out of office and then it could be too late. What goes around comes around--I can't wait.

 

[HBarlow]

Burchfield, I very strongly disagree with your uninformed statement about gross stupidity in the military. As a junior enlisted man you may have thought your sergeants were stupid or incompetent but that is pretty common for someone of very junior rank to think their superiors are stupid. You simply don't know what you are talking about.

When you issue broad criticism of the military as you did above you are also criticising me. I take personal offense at your words.

I spent almost 30 years of my life proudly serving in the United States Navy. The officers I worked for and the chief petty officers I worked for in my early days were very bright, very capable leaders with very few exceptions.

I served from age 17 to age 45 and was admittedly naive about the rest of the workforce. I thought most organizations and most supervisor/managers knew what they were doing. I was amazed after the Navy at the gross incompetence and total lack of leadership skills I experienced from several civilian supervisor/managers I worked for.

I do, however, completely agree with your comments about the new socialist administration.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

HBarlow, It is your right, which I respect, to disagree in a free country which you and other Military personnel fought for to keep it free. For how much longer I don't know. My statement is as informed as possible, I was there, I saw. When the N Koreans in a big push got below the 38th parallel our stupid Officers somewhere high above ordered us to turn in our ammunition. We had had Infantry training because we had joined when it was still the Army Air Corps. When the N Koreans got pushed back to the 38th parallel we were ordered to go to Supply and get back our ammo. In my entire life this was the most stupid thing I ever saw. I don't care what opinion anybody might have about it, I will stick to my opinion. The USAF was reorganizing and made a lot of mistakes but none so blatant as I just described. I probably know more about the United States Navy than the average person and it was a fine outfit and was well organized. In Nov of 1943 at the age of 15 I and 31 other Americans were taken aboard the Narwhal No. 167 off the North Coast of Mindanao, P. I. and 7 days later went ashore at Darwin Australia. The Air Corps flew us to Brisbane and we waited there under the care of the American Red Cross along with other War Refugees for a Ship ride to San Francisco. I thought about joining the Navy when I joined the Air Corps and maybe I should have. I had the opportunity to go to Flight School and become a Pilot and maybe I should have but I was so disgusted I turned it down and finished out my enlistment as an Instructor. You took offense needlessly. I am sure you saw your share of nonsense. The United States Government and the Military has not been a good example of how a well run organization should be. When I see what the Army and Marines go through in Iraq and Afghanistan I can see right away it has been something I could never have done. They have my complete respect and admiration as do the WWII and Korean and Viet Nam Vets. We can never pay our debt to our Heroes that came home in a Coffin. These were our only heros, they paid for our freedom with their lives and now there are those that would take our freedom away as soon as possible. This is beyond stupidity, it is insanity. -- email address removed --

 

[HBarlow]

Your story of the event that you describe above that you claim occured in Korea in the 1950s, if true, only shows your lack of understanding. General officers don't make decisions to halt a war or turn in ammunition and quit the battlefield, civilian political leaders make those decisions.

I was only 10 years of age in 1952 so admittedly all I know about the Korean Conflict comes from history books, other writings, and documentaries but it was the Communist Chinese troops who stormed across the 38th Parallel and it was President Harry Truman, who didn't want another World War, this one with China, who ordered the end of fighting. If you wish to criticise civilian leaders for that decision you are free to do so but I tend to agree with the president's decision.

I never served in the Army or the Army Air Corps and certainly not in the 1950s but I find your story a bit odd that you claim the Army Air Corps was on the ground on the battlefield near the front lines with rifles and ammunition. It is ground troops, combat infantrymen, who fight on the battlefield, not aviation support personnel.

You may be taking a few liberties with your memories of where you were and what you saw in the 1950s. Your stories are entertaining though, for what that's worth.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

HBarlow It was called it a Combat Zone and there were 2 Air Bases K-1 and K-2. I was at K-2. 49th Fighter Bomber Group. The Army Engineers laid down a 10,000 foot pierced steel planking runway and we had no buildings at first, we had our shops in tents and we slept on cots in other tents. We worked daylight to dark, blackout at night. We were required to carry the Carbine and 90 rounds of ammunition. It was nuisance and interfered with our maintenance procedures. We of course had no choice and it was more reason to be annoyed when we had to turn in our ammo. I don't care who made the decision. I don't care what is in the history books. I know it happened because I was there. Your right to disagree if you choose. You saw what you saw from where you were and I saw what I saw. I see no purpose in questioning the truth. You took offense, which I did not intend. We have all seen stupidity and we have all talked about it one way or another. In the Military and out of the Military. We will always have stupidity in one form or another and it seems to get worse instead of better like it should. These are tough times right now and everyday life is not as pleasant as it should be. It makes it easier to get upset. We are being jerked around as the saying goes. I have hope things will improve for everybody but it will take time. It takes only minutes to destroy something and sometimes years to correct it. We are seeing our country being taken away from us and it is going to take everyone working together to put the right people in charge that will stop the nonsense and stupidity. Best Regards... ... .....

 

[Tractorat]

Guys,

This has been an interesting thread that I've been following here about Korea, etc. I wasn't born until 1951. But, here is what I've heard from the history books, as well as documentaries I've seen on tv. When the North Koreans crossed over the 38th parallel, we were caught with our pants down. I've heard of many stories of non-combatants (cooks, truck drivers, etc) being given a rifle and thrown on to the line. If there were Air Force personnel on the ground, they would have had the same thing happen to them.



As to the "stupidity" of the military? Come on, there is no more stupidity in the military than in private life. Same people. And in some cases, some people get promoted past their competence level.



BTW, the UN didn't pull the US into Korea, we pulled the UN in. The Russians got ****** off when we brought it up at the UN, and walked out. That is why we were able to get the UN involved.



And don't forget about politics. MacArthur wanted to land behind the Chinese and attack from the rear. I think I remember hearing that he thought we could march all the way to Peking. But, they were afraid of esculation and bring Russia into the way. (They had nukes by then)



Just my 2cent

TRat

Sgt, USMC 1970-1973

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

It's a stretch, I know - and won't ever happen - but it might be sorta neat if Dodge eventually became a truck-only division - from the smaller econo-boxes for the suburbanites and others needing that type, clear on up to the 6500 class - maybe bigger!.



Seems the passenger vehicle business is a loser to some makers at present anyway - so why not specialize, and build what is really needed and DOES still sell well?

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Tractorat, I can't speak for other outfits but nobody in our outfit (the entire base) did anything except their normal duties. Your observation that people are promoted beyond their ability is quite accurate. Not only in the Military but in private industry, I have also found. You or anyone else can believe whatever you choose. I know what happened and I know what to believe about it. I chose to believe it was a stupid decision (to take our ammo until the danger was over) which is my right. A lot of good men died in the Korean War. I can't help thinking that it could have been fewer. Some choose to call it the Korean Conflict or a Police Action. I hope that worked, I hope by calling it something less than War that our Military Personnel did not die quite as dead. I am not bitter, I just like to stick to the facts. Best Regards... ... ... ... ...

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Gary - K7GLD, While I agree that it would be a nice idea there are too many fingers in the Pie. At least enough that nothing good can happen. The US Gov. and Labor Unions have no experience building vehicles. If we could sit in on the Board meetings it would not be pretty and I don't hold out much hope for the success of the arraignment. Fiat will get disgusted and pull out first. I want Chrysler to succeed but it appears to be an Unholy alliance. Done right producing only Dodge Rams, I too believe would work. Best Regards... ... ...

 

[Tractorat]

J. Burchfield,
I'm not sure if I got my point across. Yes indeed. If they took away your ammo until the danger was over, that goes well beyond a stupid decision. Someone should have been court marshalled for that. But that was not because the military is stupid, that was because someone in the military made a very stupid decision. It was a long time ago. You were there and I wasn't. The fact that the order was actually carried out at the unit level while in a combat zone certainly shows some incompetence at that level as well. But, as you said, you were annoyed at having to have the ammo with you while you were doing your job. So, maybe the danger wasn't as immanent as it could have been. And carrying all that ammo may have affected your work performance. Which would have been the most important issue at the time. Another possibility is that, if this was just days after the North came down, ammo was probably in short supply in theater. In which case, they may have had to give your ammo to the actual front line combat troops. I don't know, I'm only guessing. You were there, I wasn't.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Tractorat, I agree, it was long ago. I had no intention of stepping on any toes. As far as I am concerned I would answer any question I could but there may be no point in discussing it further. I hope for those of you that want Chrysler and or Dodge to succeed that it does. I like my Ram. It is a vehicle that should always be available. If most of those involved get out of the way and let the Market Forces work there could be success. Too much greed for money as well as for power will lead to failure. That is true of any business and most of them know it. It will be interesting to watch.

 

[Excessive Force]

I don't expect big increases in quality at Chrysler based on Fiat's last visit to the U. S. marketplace.

you should look up who fiat owns, cars- ferrari, mazerati, alfaromeo, lancia, just to name a few, agricultural line includes- case, new holland, kobelko, and alot more its not just a crappy car

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Excessive Force. I think you are right. My experience with a Dodge Ram has shown me that Chrysler is not as quality conscious as we would like. I knew this before I bought my Ram. Had it not had a Cummins in it I would have not bought it. As I replace the light duty parts with heavy duty it improves the quality. Also all the upgrades improves the truck. I have the 98 Q cab 12v. 24 valve was causing problems at the time, they were 98 1/5. All the computer stuff scared me. I like the mechanical pump. from 1966 to 1982 I was on the road driving 18 wheelers and was somewhat familiar with diesel engines and the cummins. Most trucking companies wanted the equipment on their engines that would shut them down when they overheat or get too low on oil and save the engine. A lot of drivers would know something was wrong but did not want to wait for a mechanic or tow truck and would try to get to the terminal and ruin the engine. I understood there was a limp home mode where power was cut 50% to save the engine. One of the reasons I quit driving was the use of on-board computers that timed everything you did. It also recorded how hard you applied the breaks. I never drove with an on-board computer. I took the position that if they did not trust me they could hire somebody else. I had 2 other trades so I went back to one of them. The first 10 years was as an Owner Operator and the last 6 driving for a company. In 1966 Diesel and reg gas was 19. 9 per gal. When it got to aprox 50 cents I sold out, not enough money left over for me. Then it went to a dollar a gal and I said for once I did something right. I had 4 trucks one at a time. the last one had a Cat and that was the best. Somewhere along the way I have heard Ford owns Cat. Why then did they not use a cat instead of that V-8 444 gas conversion sometimes called a Power Joke. There are small signs the economy is picking up so hopefully good new Rams will be produced. For all TDR Members I hope so. I plan to keep my old Ram. (DAMN RAM)