The guy next to me in a brand new gigantic Dodge Ram Extra Cab Pick Up rolls down his window and yells..........." Hey Buy American" and then peels out.
Funny, I always thought a Miata had a free pass on that kind of thinking.......sort of like an early VW Beetle or MG/Triumph. There's about one hundred things wrong with this picture but I won't get going on it. Anyone have any similar experiences in their Miatas?
I was in one of my Miatas one day (don't remember which one) when I pulled up to a light. 2 guys in a car pulled up next to me, pointed at me, laughed and then did the universal Bob Costas sign of the tongue between 2 fingers sign. Lovely.
Per Schroeder
Technical Editor/Advertising Director
4/17/12 5:37 p.m.
In reply to Feedyurhed:
Chances are, his truck was built in Saltillo Mexico. :shrug:
In reply to Per Schroeder:
Yep, my '96 Dodge Ram was hecho en Mexico
Javelin
UltimaDork
4/17/12 5:42 p.m.
Hey Jimbob didn't say "buy United States of American", he said "buy American", which is a continent or two and includes the great state of Mexico (as well as the great state of Canada, eh).
Love how they take off and run after saying something as stupid as that.
Not only was his truck made in Mexico, the company he bought it from hasn't been American owned in at least a decade.
Oh, and you can laugh at the sound of his engine sucking down $4/gallon gas as he peeled away so proud of his ignorance.
The thing that gets me about this; I'd be more than happy to buy an American car, if only they made products anywhere near as inexpensive, fun, economical, reliable, well-engineered and competitive. But they don't...
I think this is changing slowly, and maybe in another 10 years I'll be able to get a solstice or a CTS-V or a Coyote mustang or something like that for the price of a Miata or an E30...
In the mean time. You have to be pretty silly to think that there's any real choice. Would that idiot in the truck prefer a 1990 convertible Cavalier or Lebaron to a Miata? I don't think so.
(For the record I don't own a Miata, but I still think this guy is crazy)
Will
Dork
4/17/12 5:50 p.m.
Here's a question I've posed to my "Buy 'Merican!" friends.
Which is more American--a Toyota built in Ohio, or my Camaro, built in Canada?
I'll buy American if and only if the big 2.5, or whatever that number is now, builds cars I want to own.
Feedyurhed wrote:
The guy next to me in a brand new gigantic Dodge Ram Extra Cab Pick Up rolls down his window and yells..........." Hey Buy American" and then peels out.
People still do that? Last time something like that happened to me was 20yrs ago. My ex's dad was pissed that I talked his daughter into buying a Civic--I told him that to a Southern Boy, a car from Detroit was just as "foreign" as one from Japan or Germany.
EvanB
UltraDork
4/17/12 5:57 p.m.
Will wrote:
Here's a question I've posed to my "Buy 'Merican!" friends.
Which is more American--a Toyota built in Ohio, or my Camaro, built in Canada?
I'll buy American if and only if the big 2.5, or whatever that number is now, builds cars I want to own.
That's what I say. They usually reply with...well it's an American company and that is what is important.
So I say, all the jobs at the Honda plant in Ohio don't matter? Those people aren't spending their money here in Ohio?
Some people just won't admit they are wrong.
wrek496
New Reader
4/17/12 6:20 p.m.
Reminds me of my boss seeing me in my Celica GT and calling it "a gay little car". Jeez.
Those are the people you ignore. Its a waste of stomach acid to do anything else.
wrek496 wrote:
Reminds me of my boss seeing me in my Celica GT and calling it "a gay little car". Jeez.
Let me guess...drove an Acura or Lexus.
What is American and what isn't has been a little fuzzy for a while.
In 1995, I got to tour the Ford/Mazda assembly plant in Flat Rock Michigan. Three models were produced there; the Ford Probe, the Mazda MX6 and the Mazda 626. They were all built by the same UAW employees with 80% domestic content (by government definition of domestic content at the time).
Was the Ford produced there more American?
I've been toying with getting a bumper sticker for my F250 diesel that says "I'd rather be driving my Miata"
I think that would confuse some of the rednecks around here.
I got the same treatment one night in my old supercharged 95 Meotter, except for the couple homophobic slurs they threw in for good measure.
It was juvenile, but I responded with a 4000 rpm clutch drop on the green, and leaving them in my dust. Did I mention that car ran low 14 second quarter miles when I bothered to take it to drag night?
I think the Hemi goobers were taken aback. :D
Feedyurhed wrote:
The guy next to me in a brand new gigantic Dodge Ram Extra Cab Pick Up rolls down his window and yells..........." Hey Buy American" and then peels out.
Funny, I always thought a Miata had a free pass on that kind of thinking.......sort of like an early VW Beetle or MG/Triumph. There's about one hundred things wrong with this picture but I won't get going on it. Anyone have any similar experiences in their Miatas?
So, the guy driving a truck built by a company owned by Germans was telling the guy driving a car built by a company owned by Americans to buy American.
Got it.
You still see plenty of those bumper stickers that read "Out of a job- Keep buying foreign" around here. I smile when I see them on Mexican built vehicles, or Canadian. The "Imported from Detroit" Chrysler 300 commercials also induce a smile. Maybe I should print up some "Imported from Brampton" stickers for those cars.
jrw1621
PowerDork
4/17/12 7:52 p.m.
I just tell them that I only buy used.
You have to buy new if you are trying to help 'build one more."
Do you live in the Midwest? I still see these attitudes. I asked our Detroit based CFO if I had to buy one the big 3 for my car allowance. No she said, then she said that nobody in the Detroit office owns a "foreign" car.
I guess my 80% domestic content Ohio built Honda Accord is more foreign than all the Chryslers and Impalas everyone has.
jrw1621
PowerDork
4/17/12 8:00 p.m.
Here it is..
This link will take you NHTSA's "Domestic" percentages
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Act+%28AALA%29+Reports
You should have told him to stop compensating for his small penis....
Knurled wrote:
Feedyurhed wrote:
The guy next to me in a brand new gigantic Dodge Ram Extra Cab Pick Up rolls down his window and yells..........." Hey Buy American" and then peels out.
Funny, I always thought a Miata had a free pass on that kind of thinking.......sort of like an early VW Beetle or MG/Triumph. There's about one hundred things wrong with this picture but I won't get going on it. Anyone have any similar experiences in their Miatas?
So, the guy driving a truck built by a company owned by Germans was telling the guy driving a car built by a company owned by Americans to buy American.
Got it.
I actually purchased the Miata under the Ford employee A plan program. At the time Ford owned a percentage of Mazda and as previously mentioned the two had a joint venture in Flat Rock Michigan producing vehicles that shared most of the platforms.
...but the mx-5 (Miata?) is listed as 95% Japan manufacture (2012 reporting)
Link to Reports
Cotton
Dork
4/17/12 11:02 p.m.
I was in my 911 and had a guy yell "take Daddy's car home" ....had I been in my 454 ss Chevelle he probably would have gave a thumbs up. I don't care either way anymore... I have too many different types of cars and bikes to worry about the stereotypes......berkeley them.
Sometimes I'd where a Trans Am shirt to euro club meets just to stir up the bitches.