Buying American

[FastPauly]

I remember being "threatened" to learn the metric system back in school in the sixties.....we were told that the conversion was scheduled to happen in the US. It never did completely happen.......my thoughts...it should have.

 

[mjncad]

Exxon gets demonized for "excess profits" when oil is high. Apple on the other hand is lauded for having huge profits and more cash than any company in the history of the world. Exxon hires a lot of Americans. Apple employes 90% Chinese. Figure this...

That's because Exxon is headquartered in the backwater oil patch, and Apple is headquartered in the land of fruits and nuts near the seat of the so called enlightened intelligentsia.

The US is the only country in the world using ONLY the ENGLISH system of mesurements. All other countries in the world use the METRIC system. England is dual. The use of "imperial mesurements" does not help exports.

For the most part the auto industry here is all metric including tractors. It's the implement manufacturers and modifiers like me that have yet to jump on the metric bandwagon. Actually I would go all metric with my mods; but it's still easier to get the imperial fasteners locally, along with taps.

I remember being "threatened" to learn the metric system back in school in the sixties.....we were told that the conversion was scheduled to happen in the US. It never did completely happen.......my thoughts...it should have.

Jiminy Peanut (Jimmy Carter) tried to get the country to go metric, and it failed miserably. I wish we were a solely metric country as I thoroughly hate our system of measurement. I'm just so used to using imperial measurement from 24-years in the engineering business where imperial measurements were the norm for our type of work.

The scientific community uses metric as its norm.

 

[kensnelling]

I remember being "threatened" to learn the metric system back in school in the sixties.....we were told that the conversion was scheduled to happen in the US. It never did completely happen.......my thoughts...it should have.

I remember that too. Seems like they started teaching it in 5th grade, then in junior high (7th & 8th grades) they hit us pretty hard with metrics. Then in high school (9th grade 1971) except for science classes and a little in advanced math classes metrics were forgotten.

Another poster said former President Jimmy Carter pushed hard for the metric system. I recall that the nationwide implementation of the metric system was to happen in 1975, a year before he was elected. Anyone else remember what year the metric system was supposed to be formally adopted in the U.S. ?

Ken

 

[ultrarunner]

Metric System officially sanctioned for use since 1866 in the United States.

 

[Redneck in training]

When USA decided to go Metric the world was about equally divided between Metric and English system. Since USA intended to go Metric all countries converted but at the end USA didn't.

 

[tractorshopper]

Where I work, we use both, depending on what the customer orders (lbs/kgs, etc). All foreign sales are in metric and about half or more domestic sales are also in metric. The rest are hold outs. I can honestly tell you that I wish we'd just go entirely in one direction because things would be so much easier, and I'd even say that while being an extremely patriotic American and "used to" the imperial system, I wish we'd just go metric. It's easier to work with on the whole and for various volume to weight conversions and all. At home, I'm tired of having two sets of tools and trying to find the right one and I find that I use metric wrenches more than anything in the end, so I actually go there first usually. Was different in the 80's where I usually went to the fractional inch wrenches first.

 

[Renze]

Hmm you guys have the metric vs. imperial debate...
In the late 60's there was the DIN vs. ISO debate in Europe. For instance on my 1967 Zetor 3011 the M8 bolts need a 14mm spanner, where any M8 nut you buy today, needs a 13mm spanner. Also the Fergie 133 i got for my 16th birthday, with a 4 cylinder Standard motors Diesel, had 14mm heads on M8 bolts.

Did you know that before the Metric system, every major city had its own weight, length and volume measurements ?? they were named by the same units, but it had no standard.

...And did you know that it took a little French jackass named Napoleon Bonaparte, to get all Europeans to adopt a single, standardised system of units ???

Typical compared to the title of this forum, but sometimes it takes a little dictator to get such things through...

 

[rsewill]

Another poster said former President Jimmy Carter pushed hard for the metric system. I recall that the nationwide implementation of the metric system was to happen in 1975, a year before he was elected. Anyone else remember what year the metric system was supposed to be formally adopted in the U.S. ?

Ken

It was supposed to be a gradual implementation beginning in the '60's. Carter pushed it which meant it became a campaign issue in 1980. There was a lot of resistance among people who didn't want to learn something 'foreign' so Reagan seized upon it as a wedge issue, calling the metric system un-American and promised not to implement the conversion if elected. Once in office he kept his promise. This cost the USA an estimated $20 billion dollars in lost exports at that time but the easily manipulated were made happy. Sadly this same result by the same people for the same reason would occur today if a push was made in Congress to convert to the metric system.

 

[murphy1244]

Jiminy Peanut (Jimmy Carter) tried to get the country to go metric, and it failed miserably. I wish we were a solely metric country as I thoroughly hate our system of measurement. I'm just so used to using imperial measurement from 24-years in the engineering business where imperial measurements were the norm for our type of work??
President Nixion disbanded the Metric commission. The gas company's wanted to sell gas by the liter so they didn't have to add a digit on the pumps.It was the Auto companys that fought it here.

 

[rsewill]

was the Auto companys that fought it here.

And now they are all metric as the auto companies are making 'world cars.'

 

[ultrarunner]

The Tool and Die shop where I worked after graduation would get "Metric" jobs because the owner had learned his trade in Germany as well as most of the master die makers working there.

They all had to learn the inch system to work here and none complained... they were also able to work the metric system...

The problem was the old equipment was not graduated in metric... so every dimension had to be converted...

Not nearly as big a problem today as most equipment has digital readout and it only takes a flip of the switch to convert...

I have no problem with the gradual changeover...

The problem comes when something is forced...

I work with old equipment and enjoy having the special tools... like the 21/32 used in some early Fords or the square sockets needed for Model A main bearings...

 

[mjncad]

Did you know that before the Metric system, every major city had its own weight, length and volume measurements ?? they were named by the same units, but it had no standard.

...And did you know that it took a little French jackass named Napoleon Bonaparte, to get all Europeans to adopt a single, standardised system of units ???

Typical compared to the title of this forum, but sometimes it takes a little dictator to get such things through...

Never mind champagne; the metric system is probably the greatest contribution to civilization the French have ever made.

 

[superduty59]

I am a proud American. I fly my American made flag year round. I can't always buy American made but I try my best. I'm proud of what we make as a country. I couldn't do that driving around in a foreign truck. Anyway japs don't make a 4 wheel drive 4 door crew cab dually diesel pick-up. If I were japanese then maybe I would drive and be proud of a toyota but I'm not so I drive my Chevy.

One thing that ticks me off is seeing an American company buying foreign trucks to do business. Around here Dish-Network installers drive Toyotas. I had Dish-Network installed a few years ago and the guy pulled in my drive with a Toyota truck. Before he could even get out I told him to come back in an American truck or don't come back. They did finally send another guy out a week later and he was driving a Chevy van.


Be proud of our country!! Love it and support it or leave it!!

 

[MasseyWV]

Be proud of our country!! Love it and support it or leave it!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

I am a proud American. I fly my American made flag year round. I can't always buy American made but I try my best. I'm proud of what we make as a country. I couldn't do that driving around in a foreign truck. Anyway japs don't make a 4 wheel drive 4 door crew cab dually diesel pick-up. If I were japanese then maybe I would drive and be proud of a toyota but I'm not so I drive my Chevy.

One thing that ticks me off is seeing an American company buying foreign trucks to do business. Around here Dish-Network installers drive Toyotas. I had Dish-Network installed a few years ago and the guy pulled in my drive with a Toyota truck. Before he could even get out I told him to come back in an American truck or don't come back. They did finally send another guy out a week later and he was driving a Chevy van.


Be proud of our country!! Love it and support it or leave it!!

Just need to point out Toyota Trucks were till last year made by United Auto Workers in Fremont California and have been for decades... over 5000 people lost their jobs when the plant closed.

The plant was a joint venture between GM and Toyota with the UAW blessing and ultimately closed due to GM's financial trouble... production was moved to others plants in the US and one in Canada.

Chevrolet, Pontiac and Geo were made on the same line as the Toyota Corolla and Matrix and the truck line did only Toyotas

Toyota also makes plenty of Diesel Trucks with Quad Cabs... they are sold all over the world except here...

After my Dad died... Mom bought her first and only new car... a 2002 Toyota Corolla and we were invited to spend 6 hours at the Fremont Plant to watch her car being made and see it start for the first time... it was really a highlight for both of us...

 

[wrooster]

I couldn't do that driving around in a foreign truck.

What's a "foreign truck" to you?

Do you mean a Toyota Tacoma that is currently made in Austin, Texas, and previously was manufactured at NUUMI in California?

Or do you mean a Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, or GMC Sierra -- which are all manufactured in Mexico?

Or do you mean any truck from Chrysler, which was previously owned by Germany-based Daimler and is now owned by the Italian conglomerate FIAT? Yes, the same company US taxpayers spent US$12.5 billion floating out of bankruptcy is now two-thirds owned by a foreign company.

I think you need a more complete set of rules besides the catchall of "foreign truck". The automotive manufacturing and corporate ownership environment is much more complicated. It's not 1950 anymore -- hasn't been for some time.

Wrooster

 

[wrooster]

Around here Dish-Network installers drive Toyotas. I had Dish-Network installed a few years ago and the guy pulled in my drive with a Toyota truck. Before he could even get out I told him to come back in an American truck or don't come back.

Many DISH Network installers are independent contractors, not employees of DISH directly. They purchase vehicles based on needs, TCO, etc -- just like you would if you were in that line of work. Holding it against someone because they purchased a certain brand of vehicle to do their job is silly.

Btw, if the installer was driving a Tacoma or Tundra he was in an American-made truck. I wonder what the DISH installer thought of your comment after he hooked your new satellite receiver up to your foreign-made TV.

Wrooster

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am a proud American. I fly my American made flag year round. I can't always buy American made but I try my best. I'm proud of what we make as a country. I couldn't do that driving around in a foreign truck. Anyway japs don't make a 4 wheel drive 4 door crew cab dually diesel pick-up. If I were japanese then maybe I would drive and be proud of a toyota but I'm not so I drive my Chevy.

One thing that ticks me off is seeing an American company buying foreign trucks to do business. Around here Dish-Network installers drive Toyotas. I had Dish-Network installed a few years ago and the guy pulled in my drive with a Toyota truck. Before he could even get out I told him to come back in an American truck or don't come back. They did finally send another guy out a week later and he was driving a Chevy van.


Be proud of our country!! Love it and support it or leave it!!

I would buy a Toyota anything before I bought a Chevy like you. Toyota has added tons of jobs to my state while GM has made well over 60,000 disappear in the last 12 years. So what is American Made? I know my Nissan Titan is.

Chris

 

[superduty59]

I would buy a Toyota anything before I bought a Chevy like you. Toyota has added tons of jobs to my state while GM has made well over 60,000 disappear in the last 12 years. So what is American Made? I know my Nissan Titan is.

Chris

What's a "foreign truck" to you?

Do you mean a Toyota Tacoma that is currently made in Austin, Texas, and previously was manufactured at NUUMI in California?

Or do you mean a Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, or GMC Sierra -- which are all manufactured in Mexico?

Or do you mean any truck from Chrysler, which was previously owned by Germany-based Daimler and is now owned by the Italian conglomerate FIAT? Yes, the same company US taxpayers spent US$12.5 billion floating out of bankruptcy is now two-thirds owned by a foreign company.

I think you need a more complete set of rules besides the catchall of "foreign truck". The automotive manufacturing and corporate ownership environment is much more complicated. It's not 1950 anymore -- hasn't been for some time.

Wrooster

I live about 20 minutes from the Honda plant in Marysville. I know plenty of people who work there. They claim their cars are American made. I say they are foreign cars made by Americans. I would never, never, never not even consider buying one. For the folling reasons.
1) I'm a PROUD American.
2) They don't even look good to me.
3) they couldn't even come close to the reliability of my American vehicles.
I've had several Chrysler Town & Country's with 350,000 miles and only minimal replacement parts. I have had several Chevy and GMC trucks with 200,000-400,000 miles.
4) see # 1

Like I said I buy what I can American made. Obviously I can't buy an American made TV.

I'm also not saying foreign made is always junk. Most goods made in Germany is well engineered and so is Japan. It's mostly made in china that's a pile of crap. I do like chinese take-out though! If I were Japanese I would be proud to drive a Toyota, I guess.

Also nissan and toyota may make a four door truck, but I'm talking about a real truck (full size) 4wd dually and a diesel truck that make a lot of power. A truck you can hook a 28' goose neck to and haul almost anything you want.

This is just my opinions!! Everybody has their reasons for buying what they buy. I perfer American and to support my fellow American workers!!!

 

[MasseyWV]

It's mostly made in china that's a pile of crap. I do like chinese take-out though!

Food is about the only thing that China hasn't managed to screw up. As for anything else made in China, I avoid it at all costs, with varying degrees of success.