Favorite / Most Hated Car

[teekin]

Merc-Benz North America is Daimler Chrysler as far as I know, though I am just talking about engines now. When the new high efficiency Diesel's were introduced all sorts of claims were made about how solid , reliable and fuel efficient they were. Yah, wrong on all accounts. Not only that but getting the parts and information to fix these damn things was near impossible.

Long story short, the engines that were sold to Transport companies in order to do Longhaul were Never designed too do that job. Now Merc-Benz Europe was not involved in this fiasco, it was their North American interests that decided to rebadge the mid-size diesels as being capable of North American long haul. The failure rate and downtime of these engines was staggering. Merc-Benz engines were villified for failing to do a job they were never designed for. Too bad for the people who bought them.

I honestly know nothing about the car chassis' or who makes those.

Lori Minkus

 

[Rich Parsons]

Merc-Benz North America is Daimler Chrysler as far as I know, though I am just talking about engines now. When the new high efficiency Diesel's were introduced all sorts of claims were made about how solid , reliable and fuel efficient they were. Yah, wrong on all accounts. Not only that but getting the parts and information to fix these damn things was near impossible.

Long story short, the engines that were sold to Transport companies in order to do Longhaul were Never designed too do that job. Now Merc-Benz Europe was not involved in this fiasco, it was their North American interests that decided to rebadge the mid-size diesels as being capable of North American long haul. The failure rate and downtime of these engines was staggering. Merc-Benz engines were villified for failing to do a job they were never designed for. Too bad for the people who bought them.

I honestly know nothing about the car chassis' or who makes those.

Lori Minkus

So why is GM being a poor corporate citizen in this case?

 

[teekin]

Ooooppps. Cause I said GM instead of Chrysler. My bad.:uhohh: For some reason I think there is a link between GM and Merc Benz engines. Hmmmmmmm, Sometimes my mind will mush together different stories that have things in common. :erg: But I'm sure there is somehow an obscure link.

Lori

 

[Rich Parsons]

Ooooppps. Cause I said GM instead of Chrysler. My bad.:uhohh: For some reason I think there is a link between GM and Merc Benz engines. Hmmmmmmm, Sometimes my mind will mush together different stories that have things in common. :erg: But I'm sure there is somehow an obscure link.

Lori

Lori,

I know GM in the past has sold Transmissions to Rolls Royce (* not since Ford bought them and I think sold them *), and to BMW as well as others.

I know we have had some discussions with newer companies for engines for osme of the startups in California looking to build Hybrids. Those discussions fell through not on Engine hardware but on the controls and the fact that these newer companies thought they could come to us or one of our suppliers and have them do a brand new program in 3 to 6 months time frame.

But I know of no Engine relationship between MercBenz and GM.

Now both GM and Chrylser did get TARP monies in 2009 but each had different deals with the government and the court cases. i.e. Chrysler sale to Fiat and GM being owned by US/ Canada-Ontario/ UAW and a very small portion to the old bond holders.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[CoryKS]

Most hated car would be my first car: a black 1973 Monte Carlo which I nicknamed The Antichrist after the jeep in The Gods Must Be Crazy because it was falling apart piece by piece and only ran when it wanted to.

Favorite car is the same: I have a lot of fond memories of times spent in that car. When it deigned to run, of course.

 

[Steve]

My favorite car has to be my '74 Karmann Ghia, although I've owned and loved 3 VW Beetles, too. I bought my Ghia from the original owner with 75k miles on it and restored it to mint condition (well, almost... it was a very clean daily driver).

My least favorite car would be my first, a '77 Mustang II (gold).

Another great car was a 2006 MINI Cooper S convertable. Technically, my wife's car, but I loved driving it.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I have really enjoyed my Truck for is function and play options in bad weather and snow.

I have also really enjoyed my Convertible as I really enjoy driving with the top down and have driven all over this country.

But my most favorite car would have to be my 1975 Chevelle Malibu Classic - 2 Door with a 350 2 barrel Carb. It was rust brown and living on a dirt road it fit in, also when I started replacing parts from fender benders and other incidents I was able to find cheap parts that I could swap myself. I had lots of fun from trips to just hanging out to some road playing. We did lots of crazy stuff back then, and I really enjoyed sitting on the hood laying back on the windshield and talking with others while looking at the stars or waiting for the sun to rise.


My most hated car is something I have not found.