At least we're not #1.


Top 10 Automotive Failures of the Last 15 Years

 

DJ, I am trying to contact you for RCM repair

Mary

 

Emailed ya.

 

Crossfire, Thunderbird, XLR and SSR are all future collectables IMO, how far into the future is yet to be determined. One of those Honda Insights came up my street last night, first one I have seen in a loooog time.

 

I wonder who did the test driving for Edmunds? Everything I've read from them is crap, they know not what they are talking about but, you know, everything on the internet is true! Pretty much, everything they wrote is wrong, irresponsible journalism.

 

If they had gone back 25 years they could have included the Reatta. I've had quite a few cars that were "flops" and some wound up quite valuable.

 

Well said, they couldn't even get the production numbers right which if you go by the actual production number, the Crossfire is the clear winner in that group.

 

I went into one of the local Ford dealers today to inquire about a used car and they had two of those Thunderbirds sitting in the showroom.

 

Failures? Most of the interesting cars I have owned were produced in the hundreds not thousands.

Thunderbird owners, unlike many of the Crossfire owners on this site which seem to celebrate the negative, have an above market valuation for their cars based on my experience gained while considering them. The Crossfire delivers much more car in all aspects than the Thunderbird, in my opinion, with the Thunderbird being more compromised and of a lesser pedigree.

I agree the vehicles on the list will likely become collectables. Ten years is usually the low point in value for collectables.

 

That being said, I hope to see our cars start to go up in value, it would confirm our faith in these wonderful cars. None the less, I love this car, it gives me so much pleasure, both driving and tinkering that it's hard to put into words. Pull into any place there are people and it's an instant conversation starter. It's has enhanced my social life immeasurably.

 

It is beyond me to understand how the heck Les and hustler316 ( and various auto-crossers ) manage to do so well on the road courses with that "antiquated" recirculating ball steering.

 

I totally agree ALA.

 

I don't care what others think, I love the looks of these cars. I always get nods and people stare at them and wave. Pretty much like I do when I see a Bricklin or a Delorean. Car people recognize the unusual. As for resale, since I am not selling it does not matter.

 

I found quite a few on that list that I would buy, but what gets me is how all these experts seem to miss the obvious reason that the Crossfire wasn't successful. IMO it was that Chrysler couldn't advertise the fact that they were a Mercedes. Even on the SRT6's, how could Chrysler advertize the hand built AMG motor coming out of Mercedes Racing division?

All the problems mentioned in that article could have been corrected and the sales still wouldn't have changed.

Dave

 

If I read one more article devaluing our car because of recirculating ball steering I'll just ==it! Even the much lauded rack and pinion steering is power ( either hydraulic or electric) assisted which eliminated much of the road feel. The Alfa Romeo 4C is the only sports car that I am aware of with no assist, mostly because it's only 2500 lbs.

 

Yea, that's why the steering wheels used to be so BIG, you needed leverage when you didn't have PS.

 

From everything that I've read, most cars are going to electric assist and there is very little feedback, so maybe it's not so bad to have the type of steering that we do. They act like it's a stick with ropes attached, when in reality, it's pretty sophisticated.

 

a) Fiero's had no power assist and even though 2600 lbs & rear-mid engined were a bear to park. Corvairs were heavier but were five turns stock and quick steering arms were popular for people with upper body strength.

b) Recirculating ball vs rack and pinion are two different types and have nothing to do with whether manual or power or electrohydraulic, both can be any.

The major difference is that it is easier to make a RB linkage (the drag link) go around an engine than a rack which must be essentially a straight line across the engine bay.

When you add in a relatively narrow car with a wide front engine monted low and between the shock towers it becomes difficult to put a rack in front of the engine and with front engine/rwd even harder to put it behind (my Reattae have a rack on the firewall behind the "powertrain module" - one reason they have long noses) and "interesting" steering column linkages.

Also power assist does not need to be numb, is more of a trade between "power" and "feel". The sans coulottes do not care about feel they just want power.

Back in the day the car mags praised Pontiac for adding feel to the power steering in the TransAm. Could not have been a cheaper possible mod, they just had Saginaw Steering put the assist spring for a 4 cyl F body (Vega, Sunbird) in the heavy 400 engined T/A's power steering box. Instant "feel".

So don't chide MB for using a RB, its not like they had a choice. Automotive engineering deals in a lot of trades. And when you get right down to it there is nothing wrong with a good RB system if you make it strong enough, there are just more vertical forces/joints to deal with while in a rack it is almost all horizontal and doesn't need idlers.