And Ford Stands Alone ...

By BRAD SEARS

What a decade this has been for the auto industry! We have seen the best sales years ever, with over 17 million new autos taking the road in the U.S.; and then the following year, we have seen an almost 50% reduction in new vehicle units. We have seen the once mighty General Motors, having had as much as 65% of the American market, reduced to the indignity of bankruptcy after its market share fell to less than 35%.

Chrysler, after it too sought bankruptcy protection, now belongs to the U.S. Government and Fiat, the Italian car-maker. That puts Fiat back into the U.S. market, after being forced out of the market in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to severe rust problems with their cars. During the 1980s Fiat tried a back door approach to the U.S. market again with the ill-fated Yugo.

Mercedes, while owning Chrysler, made the decision to axe the Plymouth brand line. Plymouth was the low price line introduced to the Chrysler line-up in 1928 as an entry level car. The little Plymouth that was to go head-to-head with Ford's Model A and Chevrolet boasted such advanced engineering features as hydraulic brakes, while the others still ran the older mechanical linkage.

GM has axed Saturn, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and is in the process of dumping Saab. It has also sold the Hummer line to a Chinese organization.

Pontiac had taken over a slot in the GM line-up, displacing the Oakland brand in the late 1920s. Oldsmobile was the oldest brand line in the U.S., founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897.

Volvo is also on the block to be sold by Ford to the Chinese; and Jaguar, while still assembled in England, is owned by an Indian company. Yes, sir, this decade has really changed the face of the auto industry; and has left Ford the only maker that has used its own business acumen to survive the down-turn and to remain its own company.

ABOUT the AUTHOR ...

Brad Sears put one of his first cars together, piece by piece, while living the other side of the fence from an auto salvage yard. That was about 60 years ago. If anyone's still looking for those parts, he's hiding out in Florida this winter. During those decades since, he wasn't hiding. He began as "the kid with the hands" at his parents' Needham MA Gulf station, troubleshooting auto challenges and performing a lot of routine service for a growing customer base. He went on to a pioneering automotive-related career in radio, television ("Last Chance Garage" on PBS), auto racing and its media coverage, newspapers (Auto Writer, Manchester Union Leader, syndicated), automotive service consulting, and Automotive Technology Instruction, from high school to corporate to auto pro workshops. Tony at AutoWorks has been one of his attentive students in professional clinics.

The values of customer service and consumer confidence have guided Brad Sears's work in the auto industry, whether it be with his neighbor's car or a sit-down conversation with an automotive company president. Currently, he can be found on RV.net and AllExperts.com, answering questions, exploring auto electronics challenges and "wheels" of all sorts, histories, and sizes.

On Limiting Your Vehicle's Salt Diet

BY BRAD SEARS

I was flipping through a newspaper the other day and found a Letter to the Editor regarding the life of the average automobile. The writer was commenting on the recycling of cars by replacing the engine rather than trading the car, if the engine goes sour.
The writer turned out to be the executive director of the Engine Re-power Council. His message was simply, “Smart shoppers, like smart motorists, make better decisions when they know all the options. When it comes to a car engine, engine repair and engines in general, one option is often overlooked. Many consumers facing major engine damage think that buying a new vehicle is the only solution; when in fact, installing a worn-out used engine that has been re-manufactured can save money and provide environmental benefits by saving energy and new material resources. Explore this site, http://www.enginerepower.org/, and learn the facts about re-powering your car or truck with a re-manufactured/rebuilt engine.“ His logic is sound providing the rest of the car is sound. Here in New Hampshire the old horseless carriage has a basic enemy that more often than not signals the end of the useful life of a vehicle. That enemy is rust. The rust is caused by the product spread on wintry roads. Salt. That salt substance makes it more safe to drive in snow and ice. During the winter months, washing the salt from the underside of the car or truck periodically could stretch the life of the vehicle. Then making major repairs on the car, like installing a rebuilt engine, becomes a viable option. However, it also has been my experience in over 50 years in the auto service industry that proper maintenance is also the key to getting the most service life out of your "set of wheels", a.k.a. your automobile, without the need for major service. Then, there's the salt-free option. Our current family car has over 220,000 miles on the odometer and is still running strong. But, it has had the advantage of being just like its owners, it's a snowbird car, wintering in Florida and other warm climates in recent years, being sure to keep it out of the ocean.

ABOUT the AUTHOR ...
Brad Sears put one of his first cars together, piece by piece, while living the other side of the fence from an auto salvage yard. That was about 60 years ago. If anyone's still looking for those parts, he's hiding out in Florida this winter. During those decades since, he wasn't hiding. He began as "the kid with the hands" at his parents' Needham MA Gulf station, troubleshooting auto challenges and performing a lot of routine service for a growing customer base. He went on to a pioneering automotive-related career in radio, television ("Last Chance Garage" on PBS), auto racing and its media coverage, newspapers (Auto Writer, Manchester Union Leader, syndicated), automotive service consulting, and Automotive Technology Instruction, from high school to corporate to auto pro workshops. Tony at AutoWorks has been one of his attentive students in professional clinics. The values of customer service and consumer confidence have guided Brad Sears's work in the auto industry, whether it be with his neighbor's car or a sit-down conversation with an automotive company president. Currently, he can be found on RV.net and AllExperts.com, answering questions, exploring auto electronics challenges and "wheels" of all sorts, histories, and sizes.

WINTER IS ALMOST HERE ... ARE YOU AND YOUR CAR READY?

There was a day in the auto business when October and April were the two busiest months of the year in the shop. The cars back then required more attention than the new models. If you did not get the points in the distributor changed, as well as the spark plugs, before winter, chances were close to 100% that you would not get though the winter without a service call from the local garage. So, in the fall, you scheduled the points and plugs servicing. At the same time, you got the anti-freeze changed, the snow tires installed, and a few other service items checked off.

Today, with electronic ignition and spark plugs that last 100,000 miles, those periodic visits to the local garage are fewer and farther between. But that does not mean that you can ignore the auto and have trouble-free driving. It is a good idea to get the car into a shop for check-up services, to make sure you will get through the winter without surprises. Most cars now require maintenance at specific mileage intervals. And the owner's manual recommends some seasonal services, like checking the condition and freeze point of the anti-freeze. Some cars recommend a winter oil and a summer oil, depending on the outside temperatures.

And there are the tires. Sure, the tires supplied with new cars today claim to be all-weather and are rated M&S, 'Mud and Snow'. But, for those driving in heavy snow a more aggressive tire is desirable to make sure you are one of the ones who can, and will, go when the weather is challenging. So, fall auto service is not a thing of the past. There are not as many items to check, but if left to chance, you may find yourself sliding into a bigger problem this winter.

Be well,
Drive well,
Winter well,
.... Tony, your Auto Service Professional
Autoworks Unlimited, Inc.
603.226.0255