
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 27, 1992                   TAG: 9203270467
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: OLIVER MAJORS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

U.S.-MADE AUTOS RELIABLE, OUTDO JAPAN'S

I AM NOT an auto mechanic or economist, so this will not be a scientific study. However, I want to add my experiences to James A. Hancock Jr.'s Feb. 22 article, "Wake up, America! Japan's winning without firing a shot."

I have had 31 American-made cars since World War II. Almost all were the very lowest-priced models. Twenty were company-owned, driven, 70,-80,000 miles.

I never missed as much as a half-day of work with a car in the shop. I had only two repair bills more than $50 (but under $70), in all those 40-plus years. One, a 1958 model, used a small amount of oil.

I have owned 11 cars, some bought used. One was run 17 years, around 100,000 miles. Another is 14 years old and going strong. Repairs were few and very far between. I recall only two bills around $40. Since 1980 I had one bill just over $150 (air-conditioner pump), a second just over $200 (radiator).

I hear of quality going down in the 1970s. I had eight cars built then. Seven gave perfect service. The air conditioner pump I bought was on a seven-year-old 1978 model. Why could I even think about buying Japanese?

Their cars do have to be repaired, and parts prices are sky-high. Their accident-repair parts are even higher. People come out of accidents poorly too. Their cars are not as safe as American, according to the studies I have seen. Are they really top-quality in every way? Call a radiator shop.

As a nation, we have many problems. If our huge trade deficit continues, we will not be able to buy cars. If Congress continues its excessive spending, the federal deficit will bankrupt the nation.

Our auto industry is hurt by labor costs. The average car-buyer makes less than $10 per hour. How can they buy cars built by $30-per-hour workers? Union work rules have cost the companies and consumers dearly too.

If we even speak of standing up for ourselves, we are called protectionists. Japan has been protectionist from Day 1.

Some say if we require reciprocal trade, we will start a trade war. How can we start something they started 40 years ago? They need us much more than we need them. We are their only friends in the world. Other countries hate them and stand up for their own interests. Japan will not change. We must. It's up to us as consumers.

Oliver Majors lives in Wytheville and is retired from Borden in New York.

by CNB