On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:50:17 -0500, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , "J. Clarke"
wrote:

As for European engineering in general, anybody who thinks that it's
all high quality hasn't fettled a brand new British-made Stanley
shoulder plane.

Or owned a Fiat...

I'm the original owner of my 1973 Fiat 124 Spyder. It was my only car until
recently. It has been driven down steam beds in Mexico, over mountains,
across deserts, etc. It still runs and looks great. Biggest problem I've
had with it is "mechanics" screwing up stuff; surprising since it is so
mechanically simple but they manage.

Many years ago I had a Fiat 124 Spyder. I called it the Fiat 124
Lemon. I did buy it used so perhaps it was just maintained terribly,
but almost every other week something went wrong. The alternator died,
the string operating the clutch broke, the transmission developed
problems, and just endless crap.

I guess it just depends on when it got put together.