Date:         Thu, 19 Dec 2002 23:58:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Jack <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jack <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Mercedes 5cyl 300TD in vanagon?
In-Reply-To:  <f05100303ba28617ce1ed@[203.167.181.139]>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Well, sorry, but it apparently *IS* possible it was before your time.  But
I am thinking mostly of the 60's.  The first Datsun overhead cam with IRS
came to the USA a year or two after the BMW 1600.  Lots of similarities.
Of course, there's the earlier postwar story of "Zippo" cigarette lighters
from Japan - the inside of the metal shell still had the Budweiser silk
screening.  I can't guarantee that story's true now, but it fit what was
happening at the time.

It seemed as if the better steel was rationed to those parts where good
steel was an absolute requirement.  I had a Honda motorcycle - had to keep
a box of phillips head screws on hand as the heads stripped.  I tried to
do some work on a '74 or '76 Honda Civic.  Promptly twisted off 2 bolts
mounting the carb. - I was used to working with German steel (VW & BMW).
After that I refused to work on it - better things to do with my time.

The paint was microscopically thin with poor undercoating on some of these
cars; I really admired their manufacturing skill in being able to apply so
little paint & make it look so good - new.  But accidentally ding it with
a ring finger & tomorrow there will be rust.  I can't believe many of
these cars survived to be collected.

That the post war Japanese cars & products in general were poor quality is
a matter of record.  As is the fact that they aggressively copied any
product they thought they could sell (they were doing what they had to do
to recover).  It will depend on how far back you go and which product, of
course.

But the point I really tried to get across was how well and how quickly
the Japanese got their quality under control (with American help) and then
became the world leaders.  As far as I know, they still are.

//Jack


On 20 Dec 2002, at 19:43, Andrew Grebneff wrote:
snip
> Before my time? hardly. I've been a car nut for 30 years (or more if
> you include my preteens).
>
> Hmmm... the KE20 Corolla of the early 70s was no junkheap and there
> are still a few around... neither was the KE10 Corolla Levin of the
> 60s... these even had DOHC engines, 5-speed trans... the late-60s
> Datsun Bluebirds had a good name too, and had IRS.
>
> My 1970 Toyota Crown coupe was a heavy solid car, with thick
> sheetmetal. The soft plastic dash was undistorted, the electric rear
> windows worked, the upholstery was good, as was the carpet. This
> despite the careless previous owners.
>
> Japanese cars were NEVER copies. The early-60s Bluebirds were based
> on a Morris Oxford (design hugely improved) under license. The 50s
> LandCruiser was what the LandRover ought to have been.
>
> Old Japanese cars are now collectable.
>
> Early Japanese cars were cheap but they were NOT nasty.