Out of the ashes of Holden rises the Chinese dragon

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Outlaw Yogi
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Re: Out of the ashes of Holden rises the Chinese dragon

Post by Outlaw Yogi » Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:12 pm

European cars (especially Italian) are over priced and defective junk.
Germans used to make quality gear, now they've gone the way of throw away corporatism - volume/sales rather than quality.
Volvo are the only ones that still make decent motors, but those who buy Volvo cars are usually the most inattentive and dangerous drivers on the road. That's why bike riders often display "Volvo aware rider" stickers on their bikes.

In the 70s til early 80s (AMF era) Harley Shovelhead motors were crap, and it was commonly known amoungst ethusiasts that when you bought a brand new Harley you took it home and rebuilt the motor with after market (S&S or Andrews) components.
I mentioned that to a Ducati rider and he said "Yeah well years ago when you bought a new Duke you took it home and got the frame straightened.

I worked in the wheel and tyre game for a while and when I saw the back of a Cromadora wheel (standard on Ferrari) I was appauled that a hand made 1/4 of a million dollar car had sand cast wheels on it. Alfa Romeos handle well but have constant electrical dramas.
I went to a car show in Darling Harbour. Frazer Motorcycles had a stand so I went over to view the then latest Harleys and Dukes.
I was amazed by pitiful welding on the Ducati frames and commented "I'd never buy anything off these dodgey Italians".

Until recent times French cars were just plain ugly, but that sastified the French's need to be different.

The Koreans make decent cars, but the best quality cars these days are Japanese. With Honda probably being at the top of the pile. Generally anything Honda, car, bike, generator, brush cutter is bullet proof. You just can't kill 'em.

For my fifth birthday I was given a 5 year old 50cc Honda Mini-trail. I rode it till I was 12, my brothers rode it, my cousins rode it, just about ever kid that went to my grand parents farm rode it. 30 years later the seat was taped on foam rubber and had to be roll started, but the motor just kept going, and it hadn't even had a set of new piston rings put in it.

The Chinese might make decent cars one day, but they've got a lot of (technological and quality control) catching up to do yet.

Personally, even though bog stock they handle like a boat I love the shape/styling of late 70s onward Corvettes (way ahead of their time), and those Chev V8s like Hondas go forever.
If Donald Trump is so close to the Ruskis, why couldn't he get Vladimir Putin to put novichok in Xi Jjinping's lipstick?

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