Where the World's Unsold Cars Go To Die

[Principal Skinr]

Maybe it just seems off balance to me, pay in my field of work has been pretty much stagnant for those same 15 years. Many places it has actually gone down. Guess I should have went to college. Cost of everything goes up, pay stays the same=major suck.

Mine too. I haven't had an increase in income in many years. Of course, everyone around here will be uplifted to hear that, since I work in a public school.

 

[churchmouse]

Ya got me but I do know the transmission cases are getting bigger.

They would have to.

As to active engine control...Cadillac was doing this trying to copy Mercedes system. It was done with oil pressure and and they lacked a proper control unit.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

They would have to.

As to active engine control...Cadillac was doing this trying to copy Mercedes system. It was done with oil pressure and and they lacked a proper control unit.

Ya got me on that too!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Ok, so $25k 15 years ago....actually, I bought a 99 Silverado Z71 that was loaded, and with my Dad's GM discount, I paid closer to $28k. Take, say 3% inflation each year x 15 years, and you get $43,260. Sounds about right, except you can get into one like I had for under $35k, with discounts and rebates, at the right time. Things haven't changed as much as you think, price wise. Looking at the quality, technology, capability, and features, and today's truck is probably a bargain compared to the 99. It will tow more, rides better, gets better mileage, is quieter, and has more power, and a MUCH better stereo.

Btw, my '99 Silverado was an outstanding truck. I sold it to my secretary's husband when it had 120k miles. It now has 200k miles and runs great. He's replaced a few things, but hasn't had to do anything major to it. It has a bit of rust on the rocker panel, but that could be fixed, if he wanted to do it.

I bought a 2012 Ram 4x4 Express brand new, and it was under $30k even with sales tax, tags, etc. 390 hp through 6 speeds, quiet as a church mouse, comfortable as a Lincoln, 19mpg highway, etc. etc. Today's trucks are WAY more competent than the ones I grew up with. No way in poo would I want to go back to hauling a trailer of hay behind a straight 6 and 3 speed stick or drum brakes all the way around.

 

[churchmouse]

Ya got me on that too!

Just remembered a few friends that bought the caddy's with the 4/6/8 cylinder system. They really sucked. Mercedes did not do it long either IIRC.

 

[churchmouse]

I bought a 2012 Ram 4x4 Express brand new, and it was under $30k even with sales tax, tags, etc. 390 hp through 6 speeds, quiet as a church mouse, comfortable as a Lincoln, 19mpg highway, etc. etc. Today's trucks are WAY more competent than the ones I grew up with. No way in poo would I want to go back to hauling a trailer of hay behind a straight 6 and 3 speed stick or drum brakes all the way around.

 

[Leadeye]

Make cars people really want to buy, better styling, colors and more power works for me.

 

[churchmouse]

Make cars people really want to buy, better styling, colors and more power works for me.

With the tight CAFE regs they are putting mini motors in the cars and shaping them to cheat the wind. Only so much you can do with a aero shape.
Cars have lost personality in the standard offerings.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Just remembered a few friends that bought the caddy's with the 4/6/8 cylinder system. They really sucked. Mercedes did not do it long either IIRC.

Oh I thought you were talking about the new systems. The newer GM pickups, for example, have cylinder deactivation systems. I'm not sure how they work but they've had them on their V-8's for several years now.

 

[Leadeye]

Sad really, back in the 60s cars had individual style, swagger and power. Modern muscle has certainly caught up performance wise but I wonder if this era is coming to an end. The 67 GTO, 68 Charger, 69 Mustang, very different appearance but all with terrific styling.

 

[CathyInBlue]

Assuming you managed to cram 4 physical gear sets in the transmission case, that's 24 permutations of gearing ratioes from the torque converter to the output shaft.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I bought a 2012 Ram 4x4 Express brand new, and it was under $30k even with sales tax, tags, etc. 390 hp through 6 speeds, quiet as a church mouse, comfortable as a Lincoln, 19mpg highway, etc. etc. Today's trucks are WAY more competent than the ones I grew up with. No way in poo would I want to go back to hauling a trailer of hay behind a straight 6 and 3 speed stick or drum brakes all the way around.

Don't be nocking the straight 6's...there is a good reason almost all semi trucks out there run straight 6's. So does my Dodge.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Sad really, back in the 60s cars had individual style, swagger and power. Modern muscle has certainly caught up performance wise but I wonder if this era is coming to an end.

Modern cars haven't caught up, they've blown them away, performance wise. You can even turn and stop in the new ones, and pass the occasional gas station. Even with the AC on! I love the old cars, too, but let's remember that time separated the wheat from the chaff. There were plenty of losers, also rans, and plain jane cars back in the day as well. Not many people are going to wax poetic about their Maverick.

The new Challenger, Corvette, Mustang, etc...they look good, they run good, and they are so dang comfortable you forget you're driving something with enough horse power to peel your eyebrows off.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Don't be nocking the straight 6's...there is a good reason almost all semi trucks out there run straight 6's. So does my Dodge.

Wasn't talking diesels, although they've come along way as well in terms of performance, sound levels, etc. Last diesel I owned was a 7.3 Super Duty, and it'll pull anything, but it made a lot of racket doing it.

 

[PaulJF]

The first memories I have of new car prices are from The Price Is Right. I remember $3,000 to $4,000 cars

 

[ModernGunner]

Yeah, performance in almost mind-boggling now for 'regular' production cars. Ya can get a Challenger with 470 ponies, a Camaro with almost 580 ponies, and a whopping 663 in a Mustang. NONE of those cars had anything close to that with the 60's models. AND the new versions handle better, are quieter, more fuel efficient (!), and more reliable to boot.

As far as the surplus cars, that's easy. Lower the price, LOL.

 

[Tsigos]

The first memories I have of new car prices are from The Price Is Right. I remember $3,000 to $4,000 cars

Same here. I remember a showcase showdown in the 80s where the contestant won a new Corvette, a new Lincoln Towncar and a garage door opener. I believe the actual retail price for the package was $50,000.

 

[KLB]

You really think major investment firms wouldn't notice the balance sheet issues created by building cars to "recycle" or let sit and rot?

Exactly. The losses the manufacturers would incur doing this would far outweigh any supposed gain in price from the cars they do sell.

If they didn't need to make more cars, they would shut down their lines for a while. They wouldn't just keep making more cars.

 

[Rookie]

More gears than that are coming soon.

We are building eight and nine speed right now. Plans are in the works for a twelve speed.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

We are building eight and nine speed right now. Plans are in the works for a twelve speed.

I guess it's the quest for marketing edges and fuel economy.