In a message dated 11/1/99 5:23:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, microdoc@apk.net
writes:
<< Your story is a perfect example of why MG's and other LBC got such a bad
reputation for reliability. The dealers were irresolute idiots and
incompetent
too. The fact that many of us rebuilt and maintain our MG's to a state of
utter
reliability causes me to suspect that if there were a moderate number of
trained
dealer mechanics to service the cars way back then, the cars would have
earned
the reputation they deserved instead of the one they got. It is clear to me
that
the big revolution the Japanese brought to automobiles was not that they
could
design and build a better car; it is their requiring the training and
certification of the dealers' mechanics and service departments. >>
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OOPS! You just hit a sore spot, Jim. I'm not so sure that the dealer's
mechanics were incompetent back then, although I'm sure some were. I really
don't think enough R&D was done before releasing new designs. Now we have
computer simulations that allow much better R&D at lower cost and in less
time.
As far as Japanese manufacturers training their mechanics better. Forget it!
I just had the head gasket replaced by the Mitsubishi dealer where I bought
my Expo. I have NEVER seen such a mess as the engine compartment after I got
that car back. there was so much coolant spilled on the radiator that I
thought it was punctured. It steamed for about 50 miles. If I spill
coolant, I rinse it off! The entire engine was covered with grease and oil.
My $85.00 Magnecor plug wires were covered with grease, and a plug wire loom
was broken. No attempt was made to clean the oil off the engine, and the oil
leak is why I took the car there.
I took the car back after reaming the service manager and they gave me
another car to use while they made it right. But they should have done the
job right in the first place. This was probably a mechanic they hired right
out of tech school, and I paid a premium price to have the dealer do this
job. No specially certified technician would have been so sloppy.
I'll take an old Brit Car mechanic any day. And when I owned LBCs as my
daily drivers back in the '60s and '70s, they were reliable, probably because
I did the required, regular maintenance! I also had two great mechanics,
Buzz Marcus Motors where I bought the cars, and a former racer, Dick
Stockton. In addition, there was a really good BMC dealer, Maginnis Motors,
not far away.
All of the above is IMO!
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
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