Return of the Stripper

[ATaylorRacing]

I just rechecked their web site and found that the base model is wired for a radio and has 4 speakers in it, just no radio. The base model and the next one up with AC come in only 4 colors.

[MazdaMatt]

Here's an idea... copy the japanese. Works for the Koreans.

Base model Honda Civic, base model Mazda3. Two strikingly incredible cars for the price. Base Mazda6 and base Accord - same deal, made for richer, fatter people.

The modularity idea is a good one. I am an electrical engineer and every new project I do is only about 30% new work built on old copy/pasted work. That goes for both the hardware and the software. Now and then I have a working old useless circuit and a non-working circuit that I need to delivery to a customer and I butcher the working one to fix up the non-working one... cuz they have the same parts. It also keeps our costs down to buy/stock the same parts.

I think that RWD is a more expensive proposition than FWD. You can just drop the car onto the engine and call it a day with FWD.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

I share SVO's sentiment....

Actually, Rick (RH77) wrote that one. (Good one, too!)

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Yup, as ATaylorRacing says, Nissan is getting into the stripper market. Not quite what Big Dave described (in terms of specs), but maybe it's an indication of the future direction of things.

It's all about the money. If the Disappearing 3 could figure out how to profit from motorized shopping carts, they'd be building them.

[IndyIan]

My only new car purchase has been a "stripper". My 03 tracker, last year of the 4 banger tracker for GM anyways. I miss the AC a few times a summer but other than that its been fine, AC turned into a $3k option.... We don't lock our doors at home or in the car unless I have something tempting inside so power locks are a non-issue.
Also choosing your own radio is a bonus! How would much you have to spend on a car to get a USB port, seperate subwoofer output, subwoofer, and internal adjustable crossover in the headunit? $40k?
When our old Neon finally dies something like a stripper Versa would be just fine, a new car and warranty for used car prices.
Also strippers tend to get better FE, no fake plastic crap hanging off them helps both the aero and keeps the weight down, my tracker is around 2900lbs which is as light as it gets these days for a ladder frame, and transfer case four wheel drive.
Ian

[metromizer]

For as much as I've spent on strippers already, you'd think I would already own one! sorry, bad joke...

I drive a metro now, so just about anything would be an upgrade LOL. In general I don't buy new cars, so my opinion counts less than that of a new car shopper. That may be true of 80% of those on this forum.

I'll say this, Detroit had better figure something out soon, or they may go the way of the American steel industry, which would be a dam shame.

I don't envy anyone in the board room trying to predict what cars Americans want to buy three years from now, given the roller coaster fuel prices and economy. Do they gamble and build only high FE tiny cars? If gas goes back down to $1.50/gallon, even if only for 2 years, that decision could kill the US auto industry. Do they spread their resources across a more diverse line up? They'd have too many poor sellers and not enough supply of the hot movers. Keep the same platforms but strip them? Little upfront investment and quick results. Seems like a safe bet.

I am PO'ed that my tax dollars are likely going to be spent on the big three's lost gamble. At the same time, If that industry goes away, you'd never be able to rebuild it in the US. There is precidence for government bail outs of the auto industry working; Chrysler came back with a vengence after being bailed out in the 1980's, I think they launched that revelutionary fwd mini van under Iacoca that was such a success that they paid off the loan, early.

[Christ]

I've been contemplating building an AWD car for winter use... but I'm not sure if I could make the viscous coupler and rear end from a 4th Gen Civic Wagon fit under a Metro/Swift or something similar. I may have to do it w/ a Civic sedan or something.

Frankly, every car I've had is a "stripper" for the most part. More recently, I tear the stereo out, remove most of the interior, etc.. they're all gutted. My wife's car is more pleasantly appointed... And it's not really anything special either.

[tjts1]

I'm not going to blow $10k or $15k on some poverty spec POS and the car makers know it. Every stripped out cheap car on the market has to compete with millions of slightly used yet much better spec used cars.

If you had $10000 to spend on a car which would you pick?


2001 525i 91k miles, asking $9900

Actually never mind. Most of you guys are nuts and don't represent the majority of Americans.

The stripper is dead. Good riddance.

[MetroMPG]

NUTS!? I resemble that comment.

I bet you're wrong though. Long live the stripper!

[Christ]

I personally would take the BMW. No, I wouldn't. Not that one anyway. If it was a E36, and only cost 2k, I'd take it. Frankly, for my 10g's, that car better not have 100k on it already.

Face it, there are actually very few cars that have been treated nicely enough to be worth buying after 100k miles. People say that Hondas last forever, so do Toyotas, etc... they're not really accurate in saying that... they don't last forever if they're not properly maintained... and they're not efficient after 100k miles, at least not without work. (as efficient as they could be)

I say, for my preferences, I'd still rather buy the new car, with the warranty and dealer service, rather than spend a bunch of money on a car I'll only have for 3 years before it HAS to be replaced. (I drive alot.. up to 30-40k a year, never less than 20k)

Between my father and I, we put a little under 100k on a car in just less than a year.. I think the verdict was 92k miles in 11 months. The last month was spent tearing the engine down to inspect and rebuild it, then deciding to part out the car, since so many people needed parts off it, and it wouldn't have passed inspection another year without some work.

That's obviously a worst case scenario, but even the average driver put 10k at least on their cars... another 60k on a 100k BMW would basically invalidate it.

Versus putting an initial 60K on a new car... and it's still in the dealer's warranty.

And you say WE'RE nuts. Use some rationale when attempting to insult the intelligence of others, so we don't all think you're .

[tjts1]

Well you may not like it but the reality is that many more used $10000 cars are sold every year than new. It's very difficult for any manufacturer to compete with slightly used cars and still turn a profit. I used the $10000 example because Nissan got so much attention recently for introducing a $10k stripper. It will fail just like every other stripper that came before it because customers know better. Anybody remember the Ford escort pony or the base 95 neon or the civic cx? No? Neither does the rest of the civilized world.