Reader: I've had it with this manufacturer bias crap. In Four Wheeler (Aug. '04), it seems everyone came together for one foul [sic] swoop of knocking anything that's not "Made in America." Do none of these people have an understanding of how the economics of the world work? When Dodge sends its plans over to Mexico to have its vehicles made, it is not only saving money so those savings can be passed on to us, but it is also helping Mexico's economy flourish. We may lose jobs here in the U.S., but those jobs will be picked up doing something that we are better at doing, like creating new ways to fight cancer or alleviate the progression of old age.
As far as pride goes, pride of country or pride of American products, pride of manufacturing their cars in the U.S. is no longer a good investment for the car manufacturers. If I could buy an engine from Mexico for $2,000 or buy the exact same engine from the U.S. for $5,000, I would be completely retarded not to buy from Mexico. That's the way the car manufacturers see it. Pride in our country is for us to take advantage of every opportunity we are blessed to have to increase our standard of living. If that means we make our cars in different countries or we drive better cars built in other countries, then we do it, and in doing so we raise our standard of living by having a multitude of awesome vehicles to choose from. Today it is impossible to buy any product in the U.S. that does not contain components made in some other country-either across one of the ponds, or to the north or south. From your Craftsman tool made with metal recycled from Japanese cars to your Levis made with cotton from Mexico, all the way to your oranges from Florida sprayed with chemicals from Europe. No matter where we turn, the world is going to work together to make living in this world a better place.
Michael Foley
St. George, Utah
Editor: Actually, the saying goes, "one fell swoop," and no, we don't exactly know what that means, either. We do suspect, though, that knowledge of how the world works is less impressive than having a job to go to every day, so we can understand folks' sensitivity on this topic. Fight cancer? Alleviate the progression of old age? We're all for those goals, and would love to see jobs developed that take aim at those problems. And we're also real curious to see what responses your letter generates.
Reader: I read with great interest "Weak Links, Strong Fixes" (May '04) on Chevy/GMC pickups. I'm in the process of renovating a '73 Chevy 1/2-ton shortbox that had a rear shock absorber problem. One shock on the passenger side had even torn out a jagged hole in the frame, and the bolt hole on the driver side was egg-shaped, indicating a loose shock bolt problem.
On '73-'87 Chevy/GMC pickups, the rear shock has a semi-molded in-cone area for clearance, and the frame is 3/16-inch thick in this area. My fix: I went to the salvage yard and located an '85 GMC longbox 4WD frame that was damaged, and had the salvage yard cut out the section about 6 inches fore and aft of the shock bolt area. I got both driver- and passenger-side sections for $50. Then I re-cut, using a plasma cutter, the shock area just inside the indented cone edge, allowing about 1/2-inch of the frame-edge right angle, just above the shock absorber bolt hole. I then overlaid my frame section, made sure it fit, then re-welded it in place, making the frame 3/8-inch thick in the shock bolt area. The shocks still cleared just like it was stock.
I did discover after removal from the donor vehicle that the driver-side bolt hole was also egg-shaped, or enlarged, so I had a machine shop re-weld and drill a new hole. This indicates that one should check the donor vehicle before cutting the frame, and perhaps even unbolt the old shock bolt to critique the bolt hole.
Wayne A. Adams
Payette, ID
Reader: I am shocked by how people are so blinded by labels after reading the Import vs. Domestic dispute amongst your readers. Is your truck made in America? Are you a traitor because you buy a foreign vehicle? I personally feel that a vehicle should be bought based on performance, fit and finish, fuel economy and price, regardless of the country it came from. Some manufacturers just keep on producing the same boring products year after year, hoping that these brand loyalists keep buying into them just because of the emblem on the grille. The other manufacturers are the ones willing to change the market up a little bit and take a chance, with such things as introduction of new diesel engines in smaller trucks (Jeep), hybrid powerplants in fullsize SUVs (Toyota) and new types of suspension components that enhance the four-wheeling experience (Lexus). I will gladly spend my American dollar for one of these vehicles knowing that the manufacturer will only attempt to make a better product for the future.
Regardless of where it comes from, I will be the first in line to buy a diesel Jeep or an electric Tacoma. This way I can laugh as I pass up all of the H2s at the gas station. Just my opinion.
Derek Bonpietro
via fourwheeler.com
Reader: All of this fighting over whether a company is American or not bugs me. My opinion is that it doesn't matter where a vehicle is made. A truck is a truck and it doesn't matter where the money goes. I grew up a big fan of Dodge vehicles and was really upset when they were bought out. What matters though is the quality of vehicles that they produce. My father still drives a Dodge. So do I, because they are still good, quality vehicles. That company was founded and built in America, so as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter who owns them now. What about certain things in America that are well known, like the Sears Tower in Chicago, that have been owned by foreign countries? Is it wrong to still consider that building an American icon? So it doesn't matter. It just boils down to quality and history.
Glenn Glidden
Michigan