dgk wrote:
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.

I used to have an X1/9. Lovely little car, only repair I ever needed to
make on it other than routine maintenance was the thermostat. I'd likely
still be driving it if some asshole hadn't stolen it. Not at all like my
one Toyota, that had a single scheduled maintenance item--at 10,000 miles
replace engine.