Why is Chrysler sitting at the free money trough with Ford and GM?

Question 1
Why is Chrysler sitting at the free money trough with Ford and GM?...  Ford and GM are publicly traded companies and their stock is subject to impact average Americans and their retirement plans. I don't agree with a bail out, but I see why they are at the table begging. I can't believe no Senator or Representative in either of these trips to Washington asked Chrysler why they were there also. They are a private firm held by a private company that has plenty of money. If they need money shouldn't they just ask the parent company for it? Are we really going to give a few billion dollars to a hand full of guys that already have a few billion dollars in the bank?

Answers
1)   Ok first of all FORD has taken no money at all! GM and Chrysler are the one's that got the bailout. Ok the reason they need the money....GM alone have well over 250,000 retired employee's, they get full health benfites and average 4k a month. Do the math for 250,000 people and it add up to ALOT of money. SO do you want GM to say the hell with the retired employee's and not pay them anymore? They are in alot of debt. They dont have billions like you think they do - BlueDog

2)   Ford did not take any bailout or taxpayer money. - Kenny

3)   Interesting that you have this chat well after the hearings etc. Ford did not take any government loans. GM and Chrysler were bailed out because the size and scope of their total collaspe would have thrown the country and world into a deeper financial bind. Considering the auto suppliers which would have been dragged down by their failures, all auto production would have ceased for awhile in the U.S. - C-Tech

4)   I'm sorry. Did you have a question? - Dave

5)   Yeah, the big 3 have the govt buffaloed.

All 3 are cash strapped. Chrysler is a fairly new company that is privately held and does not have the backing of a huge number of stockholders. Daimler still holds 20% of Chrysler, but Daimler is not interested in putting any more money into the company. Chrysler's intent is to eventually buy out Daimler.

But Ford and GM need Chrysler to keep out of monopolistic charges. For example, if there were only 2, and one of them did not offer a specific product, the other company could claim monopolistic practices and the lawyers would get rich at our expense. Back in the '60s, GM financed Chrysler's greater warranty program in order to keep Chrysler afloat.

If the car makers were smart, they would crank out a high quality model and private lable it to the other car makers. Like Toyota Matrix does for the Pontiac Vibe. Why should each company produce very similar models? All cars are going to look virtually alike because fuel economy dictates a shape that moves through air efficiently. - Kelsie

6)   Chrysler is not a private firm,lona. They have stock holders just like the other companies. And they don't have a parent company either. Chrysler wouldn't be there if they hadn't got caught up in the recession like everyone else. But if you remember the company went through this before Lee Iaccoca took over in the late 70s'. After that time Lee asked the government for 4 billion to keep the company from going bankrupt. Chrysler repaid the loan with about a year and a half to spare. One reason the big three got in the mess wasn't really their fault either. People wanted big stuff to drive. SUVs' big 4 door trucks,etc... And all these got terrible gas mileage. The Big Three had to build them to compete or loose business. Then gas went to $4.50 a gallon and stopped the sales of the big stuff. The recession was the last straw to a troubled auto market. Ford hasn't asked for a bail out....yet. Remember lona, every coin has two sides. And so does every story. - Jackolantern

7)   The way they ended up with money was to sit around in nice suits and convince other people to let them use their money. It’s called using other People’s Money, or OPM. In that business you never leave any cash on the table. Other People’s Cash. If legislators are dumb enough to stack the thousand dollar bills to the ceiling, no Wall Street type is going to leave a dollar on the table.

And they don’t have that much money either. You see money is *all* they have. Once that is gone the show is over. No more yachts and cigars. And if you publicly blow all your money on a bad investment, the OP are somewhat reluctant to let you manage any more of their M. - cerbberi

8)   management of these companies without restrictions who screwed up and, in the case of Bank of America, won't give a loan to that company where the employees are picketing. And all of those bonuses and golden parachutes that are being paid to those executives with our money. Who is protesting against that? Not enough people that I can see. But I do believe this feeling against the Big 3 is a backlash.

The loan (not bailout) is being given to the Big 3 so that our last manufacturing base in this country (thanks to the Bush administration) does not go under. Manufacturing cars has always been a tremendous industry in our country, and in WWII the assembly lines converted to war production and helped us win the war. This is a gift to main street, the hourly guy who breaks his back everyday for maybe $28 per hour (not the $72 talked about). If we allow them to go belly up, there are about 3 millions jobs across the U.S. that will go under because they are small businesses that get their income from the auto industry. You are talking of crippling Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. This will tip us over into a real Depression. This is a lot like locking the barn after the horse has run away. You think things are bad now, just let the Big 3 go under.

I admit that the public is disgusted with the previous bailouts, but the emphasis on punsihing the Big 3 for the others, is unfair. The automobile companies are guilty in the past of riding the gravy train, but so was everyone else, the American public for instance. How much have you charged to credit cards? Can you pay your mortgage? Let's get real.

I come from Michigan and know how much the Big 3 supports the Mid-west. My family is still there and things are so bad now with layoffs that there are a rash of home robberies going on now. People are afraid that if the Big 3 goes down, the state will become a welfare state and crime will become rampant.

But, as I said, this loan affects main street, not corporate executives, and we have enough people floudering because of the home failures, let alone adding a 3 million job loss to the burden that Obama will take over in January.

To put things in perspective, Bush just bought a $2 million house in Dallas where he will reside after his presidency. He gets us in two wars, bankrupts the surplus, in debt to China, and leaves us with a near disaster of an economy. Why isn't anyone angry about that?

It's smart business to save the Big 3, and it's a loan people not a bailout. - Aryana

9)   From the Wall Street Journal:

Lawmakers last week questioned Chrysler Chief Executive Robert Nardelli on Cerberus's commitment to the company. In one exchange with Mr. Nardelli, Sen. Robert Corker (R., Tenn.) criticized the firm. "Cerberus has cash, lots of cash, that it is unwilling to put into this company," Sen. Corker said.

I'm not sure if Senator Corker was the only one to actually ask the question (I was at work, and am relying on media reports), but plenty of others are objecting to Chrysler getting money. In fact, it's bipartisan opposition:

If the Senate fails to pass a measure to aid the industry, the House will not act.

That would be fine with Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton. He opposes providing money to Chrysler, which is owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP.

Admittedly, Rep. Kagen's opposition sounds personal: Another of Cerberus' companies closed paper mills in his district, but refuses to sell the facilities to investors who want to have a go at running them. But he's urged other Members of Congress not to give Chrysler any money at all.

It looks like there are Congresscritters who support giving GM and Ford help that object to giving Chrysler help. Whether they're enough to change the outcome remains to be seen. - delouse


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Question 2
Dodge/Chrysler reliability?...  Is a chrysler 300 awd and dodge charger awd reliable. About how long will they last and is one more relaible then the other?

Answers
1)   Dodge/Chrysler reliability cant say the two word and say Dodge/Chrysler neither are reliable

can look that up there about 33 or more better
they stop making cars that was better than any Dodge/Chrysler
you can get a 20 yrs old ford or chevy thats better than any new Dodge/Chrysler

cant say this any better want a car that last without many problems dont look at any Dodge or Chrysler - kelly_f_1999

2)   They are the exact same car with a different body and interior. Both of those cars are pretty reliable too. - emiller1998

3)   Some people just repeat what other have claimed with no personal knowledge. The 2 cars you ask about are fairly reliable. Very few are towed in for engine, trans, or electrical failures regardless of the engine and trans combinations that are in them (an improvement over the Concorde and Intrepid). The only common failures I've seen are egr valves at about 70,000-100,000 miles, carbon build-up on the valves in the 3.5L V6 when then are heavily driven in stop-n-go traffic, and the self inflicted problems by the so-called customizers who don't know how what they are doing. For the money it is probably the best full-sized car you can buy. I have seen them used by salespeople (especially the Dodge Magnum) and go well past 100,000 miles in less than 3 years. - C-Tech

4)   The chrysler 300 and charger are very reliable vehicles. What you need to know is they share mercedes benz parts. - Jacob


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Question 3
what is the easiest way to tell if the timing belt broke on a 2004 sebring?...  

Answers
1)   The cam shaft will stop turning causing a piston to strike an open valve, and your engine will IMMEDIATELY stop running. Expect MAJOR repairs. - Peedlepup

2)   if you look in the engine bay the belt will be broken. - mitsukid124

3)   Take off the oil cap and you should be able to see a few of the rockers. Have someone crank the engine and if the belt is intact you will see the rockers move. If they don't move you have a broken belt. And probably some bent valves.
Best of Luck! - Dave


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Question 4
where is the big red button to reset the fuel pump on a 1990 plymouth sundance?...  

Answers
1)   That car does not have a fuel cutoff switch. Check the fuse and relay. You may just have a failed pump. Very common. - Dave

2)   You can tear the car apart and you'll never find a fuel reset button. You drive a Plymouth, not a Ford (and Ford only used it for a short time, and then started using a relay). If you have a buddy, or someone else who you know that is telling you there's a reset button, they don't know what they're talking about and are leading you in the wrong direction.

Your car has an ASD relay that controls spark and fuel, and shuts it down when it detects a certain rate of deceleration. It may be bad, or the pump relay, or the pump itself is bad. You need to see if the pump is getting power at the connector, if it's getting power, the pump is bad, if it isn't getting power, it's either a relay, bad ignition switch, or a broken wire somewhere. - Mark B

3)   No reset button, you got a fuse, relay, pump, oil pressure switch and engine controler that has anything to do with the fuel pump running. Big red button? only at office depot "that was easy" - rick b


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Question 5
how much does a727 transmission for 68 Plymouth weight?...  

Answers
1)   For some reason 125 pounds comes to mind, but I have nothing to back up that figure. That figure is less torque convertor and fluid. - Don't know everything !

2)   As I remember it, about 75 pounds less the converter. - badbill1941

3)   I would say it is upwards of 100 pounds, what is your reason for asking? Are you planning on pulling it out for rebuild or looking to loose weight on the car. The 727s do weigh more than the 904s but are much more bullit proof. Many guy's build the 904 for racing because of the ALUMINIUM, takes some time of the passes.
AL - Alan S


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