GM is closing plants, Tacoma Future?

GM also decided to shut down an Oshawa Ontario plant here in Canada. Apparently they did it after renegotiating the contracts of the auto union workers not 2 weeks ago. That is a dirty move... especially since the union knew that the market was in trouble, and basically gave in to GM's needs just so they would have a job to go to for the next few years. I couldn't imagine working there and thinking you will at least have some time to plan your future, rather than being tossed to the curb, and told sorry about your luck. It will be interesting to see what happens with them, considering they blocked off the plant trying to protest GM's choice to do so.

 

I isnt be noings what youse be talkin bout

 

Manure......

Tap into the energy of manure. We'll gain a valuable resource AND support our farmers.

http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/re_biomass-manure.htm

 

the 4 cyclinder truck is good in saving gas

but is not a truck... like a real truck man!!

*sigh*

 

does not and will not exist in our life time!!

 

Oh on the contrary-if you look back in history some of the TOUGHEST trucks had 4-cylinders in them doing the hardest jobs. Military vehicles like the jeep, the Mercedes Unimog, the Pinzgaur 712m (Swiss army troop carrier with air cooled 4-banger) that could haul a dozen guys or up to 3 tons!!! Hell even farm and construction equipment. All 4-cylinder applications. So put your 4-banger in a focused offroad situation and you;ll see t truck that can grunt with the biggest V8's

 

Only men with poor equipment in the crotchal region associate the size of their engine/truck with how manly they are.

I would drive a 4 banger Taco if they made on in Auto with the Off Road Package.

 

You're joking right????

 

the terrain sure has changed since back in the old days..

v6 domain now baby!! it can go anywhere and everywhere!!
I feel so little if I drive a i-4

 

I probably would too.... but when I see a v6 off - rd compare to a regular I-4

Man the v6 double cab looks so so good.... *drool*

 

He must be kidding. Otherwise we’d all have to consider him a knucklehead.

 

Well., I thought about7 a 4banger... But wanted the double cab. I need power. and the DC does look oh so sweet...

 

I used to feel that way too, but then I got over it. I look at it this way, Toyota has made a considerable investment in America and they are maintaining their presence in America even as the Detroit 3 are shipping jobs to Mexico and China.
Also, I look at how the Detroit 3 are using more and more foreign parts suppliers and are building more and move of their vehicles overseas. If the Detroit 3 arent going to be loyal to American workers, why should we be so loyal to Ameican automakers?
Ive had people guilt trip me in the past about Toyota, saying that people like me are going to run this country into the ground, and about not forgetting what they did to us at Pearl Harbor and whatever. Honestly, I dont listen to most of it, because its a bunch of nonsense...

 

...............................all really good points you made there-cannot disagree a bit but still bummed about it cause I'm all about cars and trucks. We made some badass machinery once upon a time. Hell in the 50's they named doowop bands after cars...the Caddilacs, the Skyliners(ford victoria) and made music about cars...."she's so fine my 409", "little deuce coupe", "hot rod Lincoln". Rather than just an appliance, cars were a part of our culture AND they had 'art and soul'. I think thats why I love this Tacoma so much-man they really studied us good when they designed it....muscular beltlines above protruding wheelwells, an actual GRILL with design, a slightly domed hood (street rod cue) stuff that they used to do that never look outdated.

 

I used to think that it was all the fault of the oil companies, but I have to wonder now. I keep hearing about futures contracts and commodities trading. I'm starting to think that oil companies are really just miners of a resource and that others are setting the price thru trading of future contracts and buying oil on the spot market.

I know the oil companies make tons of money... in the billions, but Russia, Saudi Arabia, all the other OPEC members; they're making the big bucks.

My understanding of the whole thing is imperfect, at best, so if anyone can describe the pricing scenario in a cogent way... that would be cool. Anyone here good with the financials of the whole thing? Can you explain it to us?

 

That is precisely the mentality that's put this country in the fix it's in.

I need REAL truck, with a BIG engine, MEN drive REAL trucks.

 

BINGO!

OPEC controls 40% of the world oil market. They set production levels or, in other words, control the supply of their product which also "indirectly" controls the demand side. Basically, they have a monopoly on 40% of the world's oil and, I might add, rightly so. It's their oil so they can do what they want with it.

I'm not a big fan of Wikipedia but this gives you a pretty good idea of how the commodities market works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_market#Oil

Oil is a traded commodity and therefore subject to large swings either up or down. Commodities are basically contracts so when you see "$122 per barrel of oil for July delivery" or something along those lines, that means that someone bought that "contract" for that amount. Obviously, you're going to want to pay as little as possible but if that's the going rate and you need it, that's what you pay.

Though I have decent understanding of how markets work, I'm by no means an expert. Most of what I say in regard to oil prices is opinion based on research and analyzing past history so keep that in mind.

 

The thing that saddens me most about the whole thing is the amount of folks who are now or who are about to be out of a job.....I don't know the financial particulars or whose fault it is,but I do know that there are a great deal of American and Canadian families who will suffer.