Seniors? Look, I know what the calendar says, but I just don't feel I am in that group yet. Prior to my VA visit last October, I hadn't been to a doctor since 1964. So I, of course, have no PMH (previous medical history) - because I was never sick. Good food, good wine, good dog(s), good woman and lots of natural stuff, being outdoors in all weather did the trick for me. But the VA Docs, God bless 'em, assign me to a GP to just check up on me while they tout me as a poster boy for cancer survivorship. So far, no pain, no problems, but when they want to check up on me I have to go to the "Geriatric Clinic". Ouch!

Too bad I didn't start to look into this situation a couple months ago. We could have had a great chance to make the public aware of just how FCA is treating the Crossfire and Crossfire owners at the Woodward Dream Cruise. We could have put my car on a flatbed with the hood open and an "SOS" sign or something better. I can tell you that if FCA doesn't step up and fix this situation PDQ they are going to learn what the power of the press is all about, and what exactly "tenacious" means.

Don't forget - this is an international problem - young and older owners all over the globe are affected by this failure on the part of FCA to provide these parts. We should be allowed to drive and enjoy our cars in our "Golden Years." I've built and repaired all kinds of cars. A '32 Ford rod when I was in high school, a '50 Olds convert that I pulled the hydro out of and put in a LaSalle floor box. Two '40 Ford converts, both hopped up, one with ARDUN heads. A '56 300B. A 1954 MB 220A convert I was driving on the Kurfurstendamm when I heard the news on Kennedy. A bunch of Citroens - DS, SM, lots of 2CVs - one of which I bought in Cambodia and drove to Amsterdam on a one year trip around the world. I once owned a '53 aluminum-bodied Porsche Americka that was the first car I took my wife out in, when in college. I've restored basket-case hydraulic Citroens and still own a '56 Nash Ambassador Custom - one of the few that came with the 352 Packard V-8. I know a little about cars, but this problem is not about what I call cars. This is about electronics, things which most of us can't delve into unless we want a second career. The companies that put these systems into the cars they sold us must support us and provide what we need. If they don't, it's a swindle.

I will not take this lying down. We cannot be just ignored. They can't disown their responsibility. Not without a fight, anyway.

And that brings up another point - economic incentive. One would think that selling parts is profitable. If I had to buy all the parts to assemble my Crossfire it would probably cost half a million dollars. We paid good money for these cars, want to buy some parts to keep them running, can't afford to just let them sit outside as useless ornaments. If you have an old MB, even very old, you can get parts for it. Siemens makes the part, MB dealers have it, but because Chrysler keeps the secret codes to themselves, they have been able to sell these units at a much higher price. Now they just don't stock any, render our cars useless, and ignore us. That's a sad story with legs. It stands up and walks on its own. If negative publicity deters just a few buyers FCA loses. If they solve this snafu, I'll work just as hard to tell people that their new CEO heard us and took much-needed action. FCA SUCKS or FCA GOOD GUYS HELP OWNERS IN DISTRESS. If they have common sense they should remedy this situation, and any others, PDQ All it takes is ordering a batch of parts that already are made by their former supplier. They just need to hear about it and do the right thing.