| Author |
Message |
Nomen Nescio
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:20 pm Post subject:
GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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Every car GM makes needs a ton of expensive special tools to do repair
work.
Hasn't anybody from GM ever travelled to some of these poor countries? If
they have they would see all the primitive repair shops. A lot of them are
nothing but lean-to sheds in front of the mechanic's house like the one
with a sign that says "Billy-Boys Hydromatic Trashmission Exshange".
Except for a few shops in the bigger cities, there is nothing that compares
to anything in America.
Not only do these limited maintenance facilities not have all the special
tools for all the models and the new ones yet to come, they don't even have
a complete selection of expensive universal tools or even complete
assortment of ordinary hand tools. Snap-On just isn't sold in these places
because their handtools look like fine jewels and wouldn't last 5 minutes.
The typical third world mechanic has tool box full of rusty New Britain
socket tools and a couple of open or box ends, some screwdrivers and a
crescent wrench. Maybe a claw hammer he swiped off a carpenter or a
hacksaw he got from his local Tools R Us. If he's lucky, he works in a
shop that has an assortment of screws, bolts and galvanized pipe from which
he can (try to) fabricate all the special tools he might need if ever a GM
car shows up for its annual major overhaul.
Lack of expensive tools and shop equipment is the only reason in my opinion
why GM has no market penetration in these secondary markets that are
completely dominated by the Koreans who have recognized the problem and
face up to it. Kias are everywhere GM is not. Its not because Kias don't
need special tools for service - they do, but they don't need special tools
because they never need service. That's so, not because Kias are built to
greater precision than GM - they both grind their crankshaft mains to plus
or minus 1 mm; its because Kia says the next oil change is at 100,000 km,
while GM says take your car to the dealer after the first 500 miles. See?
Its all in the Owner's Manual, the car itself having nothing to do with it.
My key point is this: What a POWERFUL SELLING FEATURE it would be if GM
actually designed a Third World car. Simple, free of electronics and above
all, minor and major repairs doable with just a rusty slip joint pliers
left over from World War II that you might find laying in the jungles of
Borneo.
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Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:26 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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| It is too late |
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aarcuda69062
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:51 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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In article <c8bfb66465bed219a0f55b4c74a0e2bd@dizum.com>,
Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Every car GM makes needs a ton of expensive special tools to do repair
work.
Hasn't anybody from GM ever travelled to some of these poor countries? If
they have they would see all the primitive repair shops. A lot of them are
nothing but lean-to sheds in front of the mechanic's house like the one
with a sign that says "Billy-Boys Hydromatic Trashmission Exshange".
Except for a few shops in the bigger cities, there is nothing that compares
to anything in America.
Not only do these limited maintenance facilities not have all the special
tools for all the models and the new ones yet to come, they don't even have
a complete selection of expensive universal tools or even complete
assortment of ordinary hand tools. Snap-On just isn't sold in these places
because their handtools look like fine jewels and wouldn't last 5 minutes.
The typical third world mechanic has tool box full of rusty New Britain
socket tools and a couple of open or box ends, some screwdrivers and a
crescent wrench. Maybe a claw hammer he swiped off a carpenter or a
hacksaw he got from his local Tools R Us. If he's lucky, he works in a
shop that has an assortment of screws, bolts and galvanized pipe from which
he can (try to) fabricate all the special tools he might need if ever a GM
car shows up for its annual major overhaul.
Lack of expensive tools and shop equipment is the only reason in my opinion
why GM has no market penetration in these secondary markets that are
completely dominated by the Koreans who have recognized the problem and
face up to it. Kias are everywhere GM is not. Its not because Kias don't
need special tools for service - they do, but they don't need special tools
because they never need service. That's so, not because Kias are built to
greater precision than GM - they both grind their crankshaft mains to plus
or minus 1 mm; its because Kia says the next oil change is at 100,000 km,
while GM says take your car to the dealer after the first 500 miles. See?
Its all in the Owner's Manual, the car itself having nothing to do with it.
My key point is this: What a POWERFUL SELLING FEATURE it would be if GM
actually designed a Third World car. Simple, free of electronics and above
all, minor and major repairs doable with just a rusty slip joint pliers
left over from World War II that you might find laying in the jungles of
Borneo.
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Another third world post from a third world brain.
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Al Bundy
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:59 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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Nomen Nescio wrote:
| Quote: | Every car GM makes needs a ton of expensive special tools to do repair
work.
Hasn't anybody from GM ever travelled to some of these poor countries? If
they have they would see all the primitive repair shops. A lot of them are
nothing but lean-to sheds in front of the mechanic's house like the one
with a sign that says "Billy-Boys Hydromatic Trashmission Exshange".
Except for a few shops in the bigger cities, there is nothing that compares
to anything in America.
If they can't read and can't afford to maintain a car then they can't |
afford to purchase one either so who at GM should care? Let em' use
horse drawn Yugos. |
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Jonathan
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:08 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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Danger - Do Not Feed The Trolls!
Another post that is on-topic for the group, but remarkably lacking in both
facts and basic understanding of what he is talking about.
"Nomen Nescio" <nobody@dizum.com> wrote in message
news:c8bfb66465bed219a0f55b4c74a0e2bd@dizum.com...
| Quote: | Every car GM makes needs a ton of expensive special tools to do repair
work.
Hasn't anybody from GM ever travelled to some of these poor countries? If
they have they would see all the primitive repair shops. A lot of them
are
nothing but lean-to sheds in front of the mechanic's house like the one
with a sign that says "Billy-Boys Hydromatic Trashmission Exshange".
Except for a few shops in the bigger cities, there is nothing that
compares
to anything in America.
Not only do these limited maintenance facilities not have all the special
tools for all the models and the new ones yet to come, they don't even
have
a complete selection of expensive universal tools or even complete
assortment of ordinary hand tools. Snap-On just isn't sold in these
places
because their handtools look like fine jewels and wouldn't last 5 minutes.
The typical third world mechanic has tool box full of rusty New Britain
socket tools and a couple of open or box ends, some screwdrivers and a
crescent wrench. Maybe a claw hammer he swiped off a carpenter or a
hacksaw he got from his local Tools R Us. If he's lucky, he works in a
shop that has an assortment of screws, bolts and galvanized pipe from
which
he can (try to) fabricate all the special tools he might need if ever a GM
car shows up for its annual major overhaul.
Lack of expensive tools and shop equipment is the only reason in my
opinion
why GM has no market penetration in these secondary markets that are
completely dominated by the Koreans who have recognized the problem and
face up to it. Kias are everywhere GM is not. Its not because Kias don't
need special tools for service - they do, but they don't need special
tools
because they never need service. That's so, not because Kias are built to
greater precision than GM - they both grind their crankshaft mains to plus
or minus 1 mm; its because Kia says the next oil change is at 100,000 km,
while GM says take your car to the dealer after the first 500 miles. See?
Its all in the Owner's Manual, the car itself having nothing to do with
it.
My key point is this: What a POWERFUL SELLING FEATURE it would be if GM
actually designed a Third World car. Simple, free of electronics and
above
all, minor and major repairs doable with just a rusty slip joint pliers
left over from World War II that you might find laying in the jungles of
Borneo.
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Al Bundy
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:41 pm Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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We are still allowed to post to trolls at times Jonathan, just as you
did.
I don't even think it's off topic in this case. Land Rovers are the
vehicle of choice in third world countries for a reason. Simplicity of
tooling and repair are valid issues. |
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192.168.1.1
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:39 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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GM can't turn a profit on cars it sells in the USA. How are they going
to make money selling to countries with a smaller GNP than my hometown? |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:19 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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The plants and value of assets are wildly over rated
Gm is going downhill and fast
GM is just the best example of the problems the Big3 all face
- an inability to understand what people want,
an inability to make a completely reliable car line,
an apparent inability to look beyond immediate profits.
I think the internet has hurt the Big3, because they can
no longer depend on someone walking on the lot and being able
to convince him to buy that day.
Rather, consumers these days research,
try things out, and aren't so vulnerable to the hard sell these days.
And the Big3 just don't make a good enough product any more. Too bad. |
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GRL
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 10, 2005 8:17 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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Sell 'em Chevettes.
"Al Bundy" <MSfortune@mcpmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133992748.577019.310690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: |
Nomen Nescio wrote:
Every car GM makes needs a ton of expensive special tools to do repair
work.
Hasn't anybody from GM ever travelled to some of these poor countries?
If
they have they would see all the primitive repair shops. A lot of them
are
nothing but lean-to sheds in front of the mechanic's house like the one
with a sign that says "Billy-Boys Hydromatic Trashmission Exshange".
Except for a few shops in the bigger cities, there is nothing that
compares
to anything in America.
If they can't read and can't afford to maintain a car then they can't
afford to purchase one either so who at GM should care? Let em' use
horse drawn Yugos.
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James C. Reeves
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:16 am Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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<gosinn@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1134073178.646981.224300@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | The plants and value of assets are wildly over rated
Gm is going downhill and fast
|
At the moment, yes they are. Bleeding cash at one hell of a clip!
| Quote: | GM is just the best example of the problems the Big3 all face
- an inability to understand what people want,
|
Definately agree. And they completely ignore customers willing to take the
time to tell them what they want and what they think are some of the
anti-customer issues.
| Quote: | an inability to make a completely reliable car line,
|
I somewhat disagree with this one. Most of the lines are actually fairly
reliable these days. he average person won't have a significant problem
with their GM vehicle (although my last one was not very good, I don't think
it was typical)
| Quote: | an apparent inability to look beyond immediate profits.
|
What profits?
| Quote: | I think the internet has hurt the Big3, because they can
no longer depend on someone walking on the lot and being able
to convince him to buy that day.
|
Agree.
| Quote: | Rather, consumers these days research,
try things out, and aren't so vulnerable to the hard sell these days.
And the Big3 just don't make a good enough product any more. Too bad.
|
Plus they lurk in newsgroups and blogs to glean customer experiences. Best
to keep the customer as happy as possible since "word-of-mouth" means more
now than ever! |
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Majestyk
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 6
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| Posted:
Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:39 am Post subject:
re:GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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| Quote: | | Lack of expensive tools and shop equipment is the only reason in my opinion why GM has no market penetration |
| Quote: | | Its not because Kias don't need special tools for service - they do, but they don't need special tools because they never need service. |
There's a contradiction here somewhere. So are tools the problem or not? |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:
Re: GM Design for No Special Tools for Third World Markets |
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It is interesting that the big companies are very often similar to some
communist countries
Now in the news:
"North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il has forbidden internal talk about his
naming a successor to the world's only communist dynasty,"
This could as well have been the chairman of GM or IBM talking to his
managers |
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