On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:02:11 -0500, 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 had a '75 Fiat 128 L Sport Coupe. Got it for nothing in 1978 after
it sat at a dealership for 2 years to have the engine replaced under
warranty, and the dealer went broke. The guy gave it to me for
installing the brand new- never run engine in his X19.

I put an aircraft generator and 8 golfcart batteries in it and it was
more reliable than any other 128 I ran across - and even it was no
heck.