Re: [AMC-list] almost OT: small trucks

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Labor cost is a big issue, but UAW won't budge on anything. Let the suckers go out of business. Oh, I forgot! The UAW has lobbyists in congress who won't let that happen!! 

You can get stripped vehicles through fleet sales, but rarely see one on a dealer lot. As someone else said, too much greed... err... "incentive" to add lots of things on. I'd like a basic stripper with an AM/FM/CD and AC. Those are the only two options. Would make a nice work truck! That's about what I plan on for the J-10 I'm building, stick too. Really want a five speed, but will settle for the four speed for now. Back in the 70s people who couldn't afford a new car for a second vehicle (or first) would buy a mini pickup, since they were 20% or more cheaper than even the smallest cars at the time. As soon as dealers and corporate noticed that, they jacked up the prices on small pickups and started dolling them up a bit to justify the added price. 

You know, both auto companies that pulled back into profitability since the 1960s have done it the same way, but no one seems to notice or remember. AMC did it with the 63 Classic/Ambo, followed by the 64 American. Maximum parts interchangeability and a trim model line. Chrysler followed the same pattern in the 80s -- everything based on the K-car platform and a trimmed down model line. Now Chrysler has four different lines with little to no interchangeable parts (the big car... Magnum et. al., Neon/PT, the Sebring and derivatives, and the mini vans). All that careful product integration went out the door, though I'm sure there are some parts correlation -- the mini van might use the Sebring drivetrain? It took AMC less time to loose it though, but that was because Abernethy took over and wanted to compete model for model. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't think the idea would have looked good to me no matter what! I'm too much like Romney, I guess. 

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Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:42:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Joe Fulton <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>

I would think that the what, $2.00/hour wage rate?  in India would make the greatest difference in price between U.S. built and India built truck.  As far as stripped down, how stripped do you want it?  Go to the GM website for instance and look at the base level Chevy Colorado pickup.  I believe it will have rubber floor mats and will be all one color inside with vinyl seats.  Think CalTrans truck.   

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
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