"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
| On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, James C. Reeves wrote:
|
| > | The AA-body (Spirit, Acclaim, LeBaron sedan, export Saratoga) 1989-1995.
| >
| > If so, one would think that there would still be these models on the
| > road now. I don't see them very often.
|
| I see lots of them, and I'm right in the salt belt (Toronto). Perhaps they
| didn't sell well wherever you are.
|

Could be. Plus, for whatever reason, this marked has become very bad for older
used vehicles. It's possible that those that get put back into the resale
market get shipped elsewhere where they will sell better.

"RPhillips47" > wrote in message
...
| "James C. Reeves" wrote:
|
| >The 300C is the wrong car for the wrong time. Gas will be at $4.00 to $5.00
| >a
| >gallon in a few short years with China (and other "emerging markets")
sucking
| >
| >up oil at a 30%+ per year growth rate with supply channels already at full
| >production. So, most of them will be left parked in the driveway along with
| >the SUVs. Too expensive to drive and no one will want them (so no one will
| >buy
| >them off of you). They may be good...(yet to be seen), but part of being
| >good
| >is that it fits the times. I wouldn't touch one with a 10-foot pole...it
has
| >
| >"loosing your shirt" written all over it!
|
| I guess that is why you are you and the rest of us are glad we aren't.

See you in retirement. Oh, wait, old 300C owners from decades back will be
retired and living in their car by then. (I know, that a little of a
overstatement...maybe) ;-)

However, I lived and drove through both the 70's oil crisis (73 and
79)...waited in 2-3+ hour gas lines, etc. many times. It reinforced the lesson
I already knew watching others. I even knew better back then (not being much
older than a kid at the time)...people with gas guzzlers lost a LOT of money.
They were basically stuck with BIG cars they could no longer afford to drive
and couldn't sell because no one else wanted them either. It's coming
again...the signs are there plain as day (no matter if Kerry or Bush are
elected). The news just today, inventories of distillates (gasoline, fuel oil,
diesel) are well below projected need for the winter with production capacity
still below consumption rates (so inventories will get even worse!) But, hey,
knock yourself out. The only part that actually makes me angry is that I may
have to wait in gas lines just because people buy these unnecessary fuel
wasting vehicles. But I am partly consoled to know that they will be in line
with me.

"RPhillips47" > wrote in message
...
| "James C. Reeves" wrote:
|
| >The 300C is the wrong car for the wrong time. Gas will be at $4.00 to $5.00
| >a
| >gallon in a few short years with China (and other "emerging markets")
sucking
| >
| >up oil at a 30%+ per year growth rate with supply channels already at full
| >production. So, most of them will be left parked in the driveway along with
| >the SUVs. Too expensive to drive and no one will want them (so no one will
| >buy
| >them off of you). They may be good...(yet to be seen), but part of being
| >good
| >is that it fits the times. I wouldn't touch one with a 10-foot pole...it
has
| >
| >"loosing your shirt" written all over it!
|
| I guess that is why you are you and the rest of us are glad we aren't.

See you in retirement. Oh, wait, old 300C owners from decades back will be
retired and living in their car by then. (I know, that a little of a
overstatement...maybe) ;-)

However, I lived and drove through both the 70's oil crisis (73 and
79)...waited in 2-3+ hour gas lines, etc. many times. It reinforced the lesson
I already knew watching others. I even knew better back then (not being much
older than a kid at the time)...people with gas guzzlers lost a LOT of money.
They were basically stuck with BIG cars they could no longer afford to drive
and couldn't sell because no one else wanted them either. It's coming
again...the signs are there plain as day (no matter if Kerry or Bush are
elected). The news just today, inventories of distillates (gasoline, fuel oil,
diesel) are well below projected need for the winter with production capacity
still below consumption rates (so inventories will get even worse!) But, hey,
knock yourself out. The only part that actually makes me angry is that I may
have to wait in gas lines just because people buy these unnecessary fuel
wasting vehicles. But I am partly consoled to know that they will be in line
with me.

"James C. Reeves" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> n.umich.edu...
> | On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, James C. Reeves wrote:
> |
> | > | The AA-body (Spirit, Acclaim, LeBaron sedan, export Saratoga)
1989-1995.
> | >
> | > If so, one would think that there would still be these models on the
> | > road now. I don't see them very often.
> |
> | I see lots of them, and I'm right in the salt belt (Toronto). Perhaps
they
> | didn't sell well wherever you are.
> |
>
> Could be. Plus, for whatever reason, this marked has become very bad for
older
> used vehicles. It's possible that those that get put back into the resale
> market get shipped elsewhere where they will sell better.

I think they get shipped here.

"James C. Reeves" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> n.umich.edu...
> | On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, James C. Reeves wrote:
> |
> | > | The AA-body (Spirit, Acclaim, LeBaron sedan, export Saratoga)
1989-1995.
> | >
> | > If so, one would think that there would still be these models on the
> | > road now. I don't see them very often.
> |
> | I see lots of them, and I'm right in the salt belt (Toronto). Perhaps
they
> | didn't sell well wherever you are.
> |
>
> Could be. Plus, for whatever reason, this marked has become very bad for
older
> used vehicles. It's possible that those that get put back into the resale
> market get shipped elsewhere where they will sell better.

I think they get shipped here.

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, James C. Reeves wrote:

>>> If so, one would think that there would still be these models on the
>>> road now. I don't see them very often.

>> I see lots of them, and I'm right in the salt belt (Toronto). Perhaps
>> they didn't sell well wherever you are.

> Could be. Plus, for whatever reason, this marked has become very bad
> for older used vehicles. It's possible that those that get put back
> into the resale market get shipped elsewhere where they will sell
> better.

I noticed that when I lived in Michigan -- it was damn near impossible to
find a good, inexpensive used car. You could find good *or* inexpensive
used cars, but NOT both at the same time. The dynamics of the used-car
market are highly variable region-to-region.

DS

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, James C. Reeves wrote:

>>> If so, one would think that there would still be these models on the
>>> road now. I don't see them very often.

>> I see lots of them, and I'm right in the salt belt (Toronto). Perhaps
>> they didn't sell well wherever you are.

> Could be. Plus, for whatever reason, this marked has become very bad
> for older used vehicles. It's possible that those that get put back
> into the resale market get shipped elsewhere where they will sell
> better.

I noticed that when I lived in Michigan -- it was damn near impossible to
find a good, inexpensive used car. You could find good *or* inexpensive
used cars, but NOT both at the same time. The dynamics of the used-car
market are highly variable region-to-region.

DS

"Ted Azito" > wrote

>... What was the last good Mopar?

I'm sure this isn't his choice but I'll tell you what mine is. My 1984
Horizon 5-speed. Ran like gangbusters for 10 years of road-warrior commuter
duty through Ontario winters. Never needed to be towed. Used very little gas
and cost chicken feed to maintain. Paid off my mortgage. Needed fewer
repairs than the Camries and Accords that my friends were driving at the
same time, and even at the end when the body was rusting out it could blow
the doors off cars with engines twice the size.

Astonishing interior room to boot - helped several people move.

I don't get insulted when I hear people say that Omni/Horizons were bad
cars. I just smile.

"Ted Azito" > wrote

>... What was the last good Mopar?

I'm sure this isn't his choice but I'll tell you what mine is. My 1984
Horizon 5-speed. Ran like gangbusters for 10 years of road-warrior commuter
duty through Ontario winters. Never needed to be towed. Used very little gas
and cost chicken feed to maintain. Paid off my mortgage. Needed fewer
repairs than the Camries and Accords that my friends were driving at the
same time, and even at the end when the body was rusting out it could blow
the doors off cars with engines twice the size.

Astonishing interior room to boot - helped several people move.

I don't get insulted when I hear people say that Omni/Horizons were bad
cars. I just smile.

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004, Geoff wrote:

> You can't swing the dipstick from a dead Chevy without whacking into an
> AA-body, even here in rust-ravaged Detroit.

....and one of them in rust-ravaged Detroit used to be mine. It's a
remarkably clean, unrusted silver '92 LeBaron sedan with big black
European-spec mirrors, glass European-spec headlights, and round
European-spec side turn blinkers just behind each front wheel. Bought it
for $1200 with 125k miles on it, put on an exhaust system, shocks and
struts and a set of brakes, and drove it 45,000 exceptionally dependable,
economical and inexpensive miles before impulsively selling it for $2100.
The new owner didn't know much about cars, but got 15k miles out of it
before failing to tighten the radiator draincock after having loosened it.
The coolant level dropped below the head and the engine cooked.

When I heard about that, I did a search via the Secretary of State,
figuring I might buy it back inexpensively, refurbish it and keep driving
it (or at least snag the Euro-spec lights and mirrors out of whatever yard
it wound up in). Nope, someone had already dropped in a used engine and
sold it on -- its registration is current; it's still driving around, now
probably working on its third hundred thousand miles.