Things that make you go "hmmmm":

[logboom]

Stellantis Says Chinese Were Looking at Purchasing Brands

At the 2024 Paris Motor Show, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann and CEO Carlos Tavares addressed recent speculations and made their intentions clear: the company is not considering any mergers or acquisitions at this time, despite interest from other automakers. Elkann and Tavares emphasized that...

moparinsiders.com

If Stellantis merges, sales or spins off Chrysler, Dodge Ram to the Chinese , I will sell my truck and never look back!

 

[azzx]

I am with you -- seriously, the French/Italians don't understand the US truck market. They make dog **** like Fiat, Citroen, Renaualt, Vaxhaul and other crap.

Chrysler needs to be bought back by some one(s) in the US.
It has been a blasphemy to the Dodge Brothers since MB bought Chrysler.

 

[azzx]

BYD - supposedly has made a full-size truck. It is sold everywhere except the US.

Warren Buffett owns 7% and GM owns about 4% of BYD -- Per Google!
If this happens - then there is a work-around for importing BYD trucks/cars to US.

 

[logboom]

Trump's tariffs will keep anything BYD out of the U.S.

 

[SD Rebel]

Trump's tariffs will keep anything BYD out of the U.S.

Unless they build it here, hence buying RAM?

 

[Biga]

I am with you -- seriously, the French/Italians don't understand the US truck market. They make dog **** like Fiat, Citroen, Renaualt, Vaxhaul and other crap.

Chrysler needs to be bought back by some one(s) in the US.
It has been a blasphemy to the Dodge Brothers since MB bought Chrysler.

I will say MB was the only merger that went reasonably well at least in terms of the engineering upgrades to platforms including the Durango, Charger, 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Challenger which allowed them to run those platforms over 10 years, also the ZF Transmissions were a substantial upgrade to junk Chrysler transmissions they had in the past.

 

[azzx]

Edit -- removed the last comment that may come across as a partisan statement.

That is their point of buying Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Dodge. Research the data about the Japanese, Germans, and ..... the rest when they opened factories in the US to bypass the Chicken tax!
Half of all Japanese brands are made in various places in US.

Tariff means that it is coming out of our pockets if we are going to buy the products from elsewhere that have a sanction/tariff against them!
Research who is paying for the tariffs. It is not China, Timbacktu, or elsewhere --- we the American consumers are paying for it.

 

[azzx]

I will say MB was the only merger that went reasonably well at least in terms of the engineering upgrades to platforms including the Durango, Charger, 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Challenger which allowed them to run those platforms over 10 years, also the ZF Transmissions were a substantial upgrade to junk Chrysler transmissions they had in the past.

Yes - the ownership of MB has brought us the best interiors!
In 2019 when I was looking for a full-size truck, I narrowed down my choice to a Thundra. then on the way home to get the checkbook I stopped at the RAM dealer. When I saw the RAM, my jaw dropped down to the ground, It was better looking than my S560. The rest is history

 

[Montana_]

Did you sell your previous Dodge when the Stallantis merger took place too?

 

[Willwork4truck]

Seems to me that from haunting the Dodge/Chrysler minivan forums for the 2008 plus generation that the consensus was that MB de-contented the pee out of the vans... I don't think that crowd were fans of MB's acquisition in 1997 and the subsequent bleeding of Chrysler.

From 2003 on, several used to be standard features on the vans were made optional or dropped altogether. Here's a Chrysler minivan forum post from 2008: "Hi All, I'm about to replace my beloved '98 T+C LXI AWD (130K), simply because if I wait any longer, clean '04s with AWD will be very scarce. The van still runs great, and I love it. I finally found a nice '04 that fits the bill, but I was really astonished by all the de-contenting! I knew they started in '03, but WOW...
Right side power seat no vertical movement, visors have no variable light adjustment and only one light, stereo doesn't sound nearly as good as my '98, only one flood on the tailgate, no instantaneous gas mileage readout on the VIC, no pull handles on the ceiling lights, no windshield deicer grids, leather seems cheaper. Some of this stuff is not too bad, but I'm wondering...Is there anything else I'm missing?"
An answer:

• The body side moldings on the long-wheelbase models extend beyond the back of the sliding doors in 02. In 03, they end on the door (they are the same as the short-wheelbase moldings).
• Interior door panels may be cheaper.
• At some point during the 03 model year, they switched from having a bin with a lid in the third row on the right side, to just having a slot.
• The door for the jack is more flimsy in my 03 than in earlier models I have seen
• Sometime after 03, they may have reduced the number of models that had multiple power ports in the dash. My 03 has 2 (plus one behind the second row seat on the driver's side).
• AWD was not available after the 04 model year (it looks like you know that already)
• the 05 models no longer have the "eyebrow" above the instrument cluster; The high-beam indicator and turn signals are integrated with the other instruments.
• Sometime after 03, the insulation attached to the underside of the hood was no longer offered.
• Starting with the 04 model year, each taillight has only one bulb, which combines turn signals and brake light functions, whereas previous years had two bulbs, one for turn signals and one for brake lights. End of copied portion of thread.

Not sure about Dodge trucks but I doubt that MB understood North American needs for torquey V8's. Sure they had the over-complicated AMG motors but who'd want one of those in a truck for reliability and repair costs?

 

[azzx]

Did you sell your previous Dodge when the Stallantis merger took place too?

Stellantis ownership of CDJR did not mean jack **** to me 2 years ago.
It means more now since RAM is owned by a mediocre garbage corporation looking for Chinese sugar daddies to save their incompetent asses.
CDJR is in the same cesspool as FIAT, Renault, Waxhaul, and the other **** that no one in the civilized world ever buys.

It is the same sad story of many brands in the past 30 years or so that have been killed by incompetent corporations.
I am not saying that RAM will be going out of business.
However, the path that Stellantis is taking can be a detriment to CDJR.
Back to my point, If I win the lotto, I will be an investor to buy this company back from the incompetent garbage that owns it now.

 

[boogielander]

Stellantis ownership of CDJR did not mean jack **** to me 2 years ago.
It means more now since RAM is owned by a mediocre garbage corporation looking for Chinese sugar daddies to save their incompetent asses.
CDJR is in the same cesspool as FIAT, Renault, Waxhaul, and the other **** that no one in the civilized world ever buys.

It is the same sad story of many brands in the past 30 years or so that have been killed by incompetent corporations.
I am not saying that RAM will be going out of business.
However, the path that Stellantis is taking can be a detriment to CDJR.
Back to my point, If I win the lotto, I will be an investor to buy this company back from the incompetent garbage that owns it now.

if you do win, can I be the CEO? lol
I'll putting V8s in everything and even dig out the V10s to put them in things as the "premium" option LOL

 

[azzx]

America is V8!
Yes you will be CEO - someone who understands V8s.
There have been so many great V8s in the '60s, ('70s until 71).
Focusing on Hemi only -- 426, 440 six-pack, 426 Wedge, 392, 6.2 Hellcat, etc. etc. GM, Ford, and AMC had great V8s also.
My first car was a 1971 454 Chevy Malibu SS - It had crap brakes, and could not handle anything besides a straight line, but man, I loved laying rubber for hundreds of feet.
I guess suckes to be old (for me) these days!

 

[boogielander]

America is V8!
Yes you will be CEO - someone who understands V8s.
There have been so many great V8s in the '60s, ('70s until 71).
Focusing on Hemi only -- 426, 440 six-pack, 426 Wedge, 392, 6.2 Hellcat, etc. etc. GM, Ford, and AMC had great V8s also.
My first car was a 1971 454 Chevy Malibu SS - It had crap brakes, and could not handle anything besides a straight line, but man, I loved laying rubber for hundreds of feet.
I guess suckes to be old (for me) these days!

v8 or bust. i like all kinds of V8s lol
currently driving an European V8 (S65 from BMW) and the 5.7Hemi

 

[Willwork4truck]

Watch this YT vid from a Charlotte NC small used car dealer. He wont say who he is (car lot name), he just puts out industry stuff.

Car Questions Answered is the channel.
The video is “proof (new) car dealers are desperate”.

I enjoy what he puts out and he dogs everyone, no fan boy of any brand.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Stellantis ownership of CDJR did not mean jack **** to me 2 years ago.
It means more now since RAM is owned by a mediocre garbage corporation looking for Chinese sugar daddies to save their incompetent asses.
CDJR is in the same cesspool as FIAT, Renault, Waxhaul, and the other **** that no one in the civilized world ever buys.

It is the same sad story of many brands in the past 30 years or so that have been killed by incompetent corporations.
I am not saying that RAM will be going out of business.
However, the path that Stellantis is taking can be a detriment to CDJR.
Back to my point, If I win the lotto, I will be an investor to buy this company back from the incompetent garbage that owns it now.

I heard on YT (TK’s garage I think it was) just yesterday that the Chinese BYD co. Is trying really hard to buy Chrysler. Upped their last offer. With Stellantis’ current problems, might just work.

 

[Willwork4truck]

if you do win, can I be the CEO? lol
I'll putting V8s in everything and even dig out the V10s to put them in things as the "premium" option LOL

And go back to a lifetime max care warranty. Sales would soar.

 

[Willwork4truck]

“The Ford Motor Company is recalling 2021-2023 Ford F-150 pickup trucks equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy-duty axle built between Jan. 28, 2020, and Dec. 25, 2022. The recall involves 112,965 trucks. There is concern that the rear axle bolt may break, leading to wear within the axle. This can have an impact on the power transfer to the rear wheels and can result in unintended movement when a truck is in Park. ..” consumereports.org

As a former Ferd owner it seems that they can build F150’s just about as fast as they have to recall them.

 

[dajogejr]

America is V8!
Yes you will be CEO - someone who understands V8s.
There have been so many great V8s in the '60s, ('70s until 71).
Focusing on Hemi only -- 426, 440 six-pack, 426 Wedge, 392, 6.2 Hellcat, etc. etc. GM, Ford, and AMC had great V8s also.
My first car was a 1971 454 Chevy Malibu SS - It had crap brakes, and could not handle anything besides a straight line, but man, I loved laying rubber for hundreds of feet.
I guess suckes to be old (for me) these days!

Counterpoint. And to be clear… I am a get off my lawn, old school ways of simpler like you.

However.
The trends and what people by majority want today…is not in line with how we think.
People want to pinch pennies for gas and be loaded up with tech from the time they unlock their vehicle with their phone, while they plan out their route via GPS, listen/stream via their subscriptions, and have life automated so major choices are no longer theirs to make.

Do you know many mechanics anymore that can properly tune a carb? Me neither. Damn shame.
That being said.
Would I want to go back to manual steering, non power drum brakes, and having to pull a choke when I get in a truck/car? No, not really…

 

[Willwork4truck]

Speaking as a married man, I wouldn’t want the missus to go back to “Armstrong” steering and manual chokes, points that burn out every 12K and a steel dash (1974 International 100 series pickup), but I do miss being able to open the hood, sit on the fenderwell, see the ground and find the sparkplug wire without a complete rats nest of wires, cables and hoses.

The International didn't do well on gas (345 ci and a 3 speed auto) but with the 2 speed transfer could pull a house. I replaced it with a 72’ F100 302 4 speed that got an honest 18 mpg highway. That one had ps/pb so was easier to drive..