Are you blinded by loyalty?

[jphanna]

I don’t think I am loyal to a brand of anything, but I recon my dad was blinded by his loyalty to his Ford. He used to work for Chrysler in the 60’s and 70’s and bought 2 valiants as a result of that, but after valiants went out of production in 1982, he bought a new XE Fairmont. I don’t ever remember the valiants ever being off the road with repairs etc as a kid, but the XE had a major transmission failure in the first year. The airconditioning compressor failed and it had an serious engine problem which I wasn’t sure of exact details and the power steering pump failed and got replaced. I bought it off him at 73,000km in 1991, so it wasn’t what you call a high mileage car.

After he sold me that car he bought…..the EA in my Avatar. He threw so much money into that car, he could probably have bought an EB GT and still had change left over, and there is no end in sight to money being spent on it by me, as I took it over after he died last year.

He kept that car in a brick garage built into the house. No heat, dust or water could get in. there was carport was tacked onto the outside of the house exposed to everything and when he bought mum a new corolla worth $25,000, he kept that in the carport and left the ‘worthless’ EA in the garage. I said to him that the EA should be outside and mums car in the garage……NO WAY was the reply.

That is loyalty. Would you do the same?

[MITCHAY]

Nope not loyal at all. Be sure after they take your money, they don't give a stuff about you.

[pottsy44]

Oh yes people are blinded by loyalty. I did my dissertation at uni last semester on marketing in building certification and loyalty made up a large component of it.

I'm conducting my research part of the thesis this semester and i expect loyalty to show strong results.

[Mr Hardware]

No way at all. A car is a damned depreciating expense that should be treated with utter contempt until it can prove its worth as an asset and not just a damned liability.
Every expense with a vehicle should be minimalised without endangering safety.
I am loyal to my employer as they are an asset to me, I am only loyal to cars which save me more money than cost me. I am loyal to my AUII as it has been my friend and confidant for three years and has brought me to safety many a time. The AUI is a tool and will not be treated with any love until it has proven its worth in real life.

[sgt_doofey]

Nope. The last car we bought was a Peugeot, so only the one Ford as a daily driver.
Having said that, I'll replace the EL with either another Falcon or something like a Ranger as I still want that large rear wheel drive car with towing capabilities.
Buying a car comes down to what needs I have to fulfill. The Peugeot was bought as we wanted a smaller, more efficient car and also needed a second car. I want a larger car as well mainly for towing, hence the Falcon.

[snappy]

I dont think it matters I love my ute and cant imagine selling it and its hada its fair share of issues .
For what ever the reason your old man loved that car why is not important . Maybe the reason that your old man loved it so much was because it needed him to repair it all the time who knows.
Hypothetical - If your wife got sick do you boot her out and replace he with a newer one . I know what your all thinking its a car not your wife but my point is if you love somthing it does not matter what shape,size or how well it works you just love it.

[EgoFG]

I am loyal, but not blind.

the car that belongs in the garage is the one you want to keep the longest - if that is the cheaper one, that is ok - it may then become 'self fulfilling'.

I will only buy a Ford if it is the best buy for my purpose. If a Holden was the best buy - I would probably defer - that has not yet happened.

I have purchased
XT Falcon
73 CJ Chrysler by Chrysler (5.9)
77 Corolla (wife)
77 CL Chrysler Regal (5.2 - a nippy little car after the CJ)
87 Mitsu Colt (Wife)
88 Nissan Skyline
96 EFII futura
95 Mazda 626 (2.5 v6)
2006 BFII Fairmont Ghia

Only the two Chryslers were purchased out of bias - all the others were best for the job at the time.

[jphanna]

[QUOTE=snappy84]I dont think it matters I love my ute and cant imagine selling it and its hada its fair share of issues .
For what ever the reason your old man loved that car why is not important . Maybe the reason that your old man loved it so much was because it needed him to repair it all the time who knows.


i just wonder how much happier he would have been if he had a falcon that was put together properly, at least that love and loyalty would have been justified.

[Kamshaaft]

I'm not blinded by loyalty, however my sight is good enough that I know what to avoid. Of course, it's still a car by car basis for me. I am the biggest valiant nut, but I own a Ford and a Holden at the moment. And like both of them. I'm critical of everything to begin with though, so I guess that puts me in a slightly better standpoint than someone who blindly puts every Ford on a podium and thinks nothing can touch it, let alone be possibly superior in any way, or every kid who thinks mid 90's Commodores are so much better than mid 90's Falcons in terms of performance, build quality, security, etc. or that Fords are unreliable. A lot of the EA and EBs maybe, but not every Ford.

Yeah, sure. Generalisations as a whole are pretty dumb. Same people think things which I can't even describe on this board. Most of the time it's ignorant generalisations at work there, usually from absolute inexperience.

[blueoval]

For me, the only reason I buy fords is that I know them better than any other car. I grew up with fords, my dad had em, and some of my other family members had em too. I know they arent worth peanuts due to depreciation but its the satisfaction you get from spending time with it, and the joy you get back when you drive it that makes it worth it. Not saying I will, but if there was a decent commodore that would do a better job than the ford, I would no doubt enjoy that. (puts flame suit on)

[snappy]

i just wonder how much happier he would have been if he had a falcon that was put together properly, at least that love and loyalty would have been justified.

Most likely would of been happier .
But hard to say when ive never meet your father . But im guessing the reason he loved that car was because of the time and care he would of put in to it . It was not just somthing he bought that went from a to b that the corolla was.

Jeremy Clarkson (love the beast) - A car with flaws shows its human quality's it no longer just a machine.

I cant remember exactly what he said but was very profound . An true .

I think your old man was not blinded but loyalty but by the love he had for that car.

[LeadFoot81]

I'm not blinded by loyalty to the blue oval, but generally I do prefer Ford Oz and Ford Europe's approach to making cars over Holden/Opels. To accept a car (or any machine/appliance) just because of its badge is ludicrous!

I can understand however, why people would love a car (or a boat, or a bike, whatever) in spite of the money it costs them. Its about the good times the machine provides, they're more important than the bad times (repairs etc)

[jphanna]

funny thing is when he died and mum didnt need 2 cars, i said i would take it over but if it cost .01Cent in repairs i am gonna dump it....i know the history of it and i am not like dad....

so far i have

1. tinted windows
2. did trans service (solinods still playing up in hot weather)
3. replaced water pump
4. tow bar installed

i cant let it go...

[snappy]

Originally Posted by jphanna

funny thing is when he died and mum didnt need 2 cars, i said i would take it over but if it cost .01Cent in repairs i am gonna dump it....i know the history of it and i am not like dad....

so far i have

1. tinted windows
2. did trans service (solinods still playing up in hot weather)
3. replaced water pump
4. tow bar installed

i cant let it go...

Dont let it go , I wouldn't even if it meant rebuilding it. Turn it in to a track car,show car what ever but from what you have there is a piece of your family's history or a piece of your dad.

[snappy]

I lost had lost both my folks by the time i was 17 , an any memory of them is a good one .
Or maybe im just to sentimental for my own good . But i would make it in to something you can enjoy.

[jphanna]

Originally Posted by snappy84

I lost had lost both my folks by the time i was 17 , an any memory of them is a good one .
Or maybe im just to sentimental for my own good . But i would make it in to something you can enjoy.

i hear ya man. its tough to lose both parents as well. i think apart from the tow bar (he swore against any car with a tow bar), he would be happy with the care im giving it. that shine in that crappy photo is not photoshop, i polished it at least 10 times!. it more shiny than my VE.

i will give it to my son next year when he get his learners. he can then put a whopper turbo and milo tin at the back if he wants.....like hell he can.

[Mr Hardware]

this thread is a glass case of emotion
i am a firm believer that every car has a personality. Just like people, there are ones worth knowing and ones not worth knowing. Like friends, a car needs to earn your respect. Obviously jphanna, your dad's EA has earnt your respect, and is now an asset, not a liability of which you thought of it in the first place.
I'm just hoping this AUI of mine doesn't become a friend to me because sentimental value leads to all kinds of crazy and illogical financial decisions.

[blueoval]

I hear ya Mr Hardware. I have gotten some emotional attachment to nearly everyone of my cars I've owned. Im a sucker.

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Nope not loyal at all. Be sure after they take your money, they don't give a stuff about you.

I agree. I had no end of trouble over my focus. I reported an issue to the dealer I bought it from a few days after taking delivery, and his answer was, "No idea, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about"

I bought another ford, but it's not because I'm loyal, it's because I like fords. It's also easier for me to spell as theres only 4 letters in Ford, and Holden has 6 or seven if you add an "S" to the end. _2:

[fordlova8]

Is there another car manufacturer other than Ford? when did that happen. :hihi:

[70caprigt3k]

Nah, until i can afford to buy an 04 cobra and bomb it i doubt i'd buy another Ford. Way too many other cars i'd like to drive/own first.

[Bmobile]

Yes I was blinded until recently.

I had brought a Kb laser at one stage because it was cheap to purchase and run, but I did not like it one bit. I was a Holden man before that and after. I got into 4 wheel drives a few years ago and have owned 3 Toyota Hilux's and the whole Nissin vs Toyota is ripe in the 4x4 scene. My daily driver since the laser days has allways been Holden. The last was a vn SS V8 which we kept for nearly 10 years and was a great car. We have recently replaced it with a 06 SV6 Commy which is nice to drive but the late modle stuff just shits me.
I have worked on, restored, and played with Holdens all my life with the exception of the laser and 3 Lux's. I've had HR, HJ, EH, LJ, LX, VN, HG, FJ, VX from daily drivers to full roll over jig resto's.

What do I have now you ask. Well thanks to a mate we have got hold of a 64 Xm Falcon. I must say after looking at these holdens over the years, I realy didn't even look at the fords. I have had a good chance to run my eyes over this baby and I like what i see. When compared to the 64 EH holden IMO it's better. I like the frontend better, I like the parts intercangability, I like the fact that there is lots of crome, I like the shape, I like the bigger 200ci engine and I like the engine bay all better than the EH.

I can't belive i have been blinded by Holdens all this time, but that's what I grew up on and what the old man and brothers have allways owned.

[jphanna]

while on the subject of loyalty, i havnt hidden the fact that i got one of each in my garage (holden and ford). i look at other forums (jet ski, wakeboarding, holden), and in the holden forum, the amount of posts where a guy who drives a commodore says something along the lines of

'i been a holden man all my life, but if i had to pay my money today for a new car it would be the new falcon, the FG gets many favourable comments as well as most BA-BF sports models XR6/XR8-GT'

if i seen it once or twice, then no big deal but i see comments like that regularly.

to have the 'opposition' pay homage to the recent/current falcons says a lot to me.

[EL_futuraistic]

Always was a brock holden fan as a kid, Until the ef-el series came out.... been a ford fan ever since, having said that my current daily is a 04 astra :

I think some people are blinded by loyalty however it starts somewhere maybe you purchased a Ford or a Toyota and like many have said it proved itself to you whether it be reliability or fun to drive, or awesome good looks but others its like a footy team and you simply follow family traditions. I think from ownership that some people simply become loyal to that brand because of its particular traits where as others its not so much the badge but the car and its personality.

You do become attached to a car, I think everyone will agree your first car is always the hardest to get rid of, and a lot of people don't. BUT it is true cars are a never ending pit of money, you will never get it back, they will never return you 12% over 3 years but the right car will bring a smile to your face on the darkest of days and I think thats the point.

[Daniel]

I can comfortably and honestly say I am not loyal to Ford in any way even though I have had 3 cars and all have been fords..

It has been entirely dumb luck.

1 - NFII Fairlane Sportsman: It was my dads and it was cheaper for me to take it than him sell it and I buy another.

2 - NL Fairlane By Tickford: I got this car only coz I ended up liking the Fairlane and figured it was really rare and cool; couldn't afford a big upgrade, just a small change.

3 - BF F6 Typhoon: I just wanted to buy the fastest new car I could afford.

4 - ?: Doubt it will be a Ford as times have changed and I've had my fast/cheap car lol.

[westoftown]

Originally Posted by EL_futuraistic

You do become attached to a car, I think everyone will agree your first car is always the hardest to get rid of, and a lot of people don't. BUT it is true cars are a never ending pit of money, you will never get it back, they will never return you 12% over 3 years but the right car will bring a smile to your face on the darkest of days and I think thats the point.

my car makes me smile when everything else has fallen to s*** because its the one thing that is ENTIRELY mine

PS: jphanna your threads are always very thought provoking, this is good!

[Auslandau]

After 30 odd Fords in a row with no dramas, I can almost say ..... without doubt ...... I am blind as a bat and as loyal as my dog.

Am I missing out on other good cars? Dont care as I enjoy what I have or had.



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[Gobes32]

I was never loyal to any of my cars until my EL, at the start I thought about selling it or trading it in nearly every second week. But in the last two years I have come to love my "Monty" and it would feel like desertion if I sold him. I have had him since I was 19, so six years now. Who knows how many more?

[jphanna]

Originally Posted by westoftown

my car makes me smile when everything else has fallen to s*** because its the one thing that is ENTIRELY mine

PS: jphanna your threads are always very thought provoking, this is good!

there have been times in my life when i spend every cent i had on my car, and didnt have the money to put any petrol to put in it, so i would go on a very short cruise to the beach or somewhere with scenery, and just sit in it for hours listening to music or talking to someone. i was in my world called a car and thats all that mattered at the time. when you are in a state of mind like that about your car......its not just A TO B transport......


this is why some women get upset when they have to compete with a boyfriend/husband who loves cars. they cant understand that its more important to us to buy a nice set of rims than it is to buy new curtains for the house....

[XD 351 Ute]

Originally Posted by auslandau

After 30 odd Fords in a row with no dramas, I can almost say ..... without doubt ...... I am blind as a bat and as loyal as my dog.

Am I missing out on other good cars? Dont care as I enjoy what I have or had.

I haven't had as many, and can appreciate other good cars but yeah, the above sums me up.

Ed