echostatic
Turbooo
I did, of course, light up the old ones for about 14 seconds before having them removed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUeMQ6SEbIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUeMQ6SEbIk
TurboTransAm.com
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Goodyear GS-D3 tires discontinued... What's a good replacement?
- Thread starter echostatic
- Start date
Yea! I understand.
Look, Goodyears are a rip off, your paying for the name. The best tire is Bridgestone but they are expensive. Actually, I used Yokahoma's (top of the line) for many years. Great grip but very soft. I bought a set every year. It was cool though cause my brother was the warehouse manager here in Houston. So I got them at cost. Check out the Yokahomas.
RatFink
TORQUE
nice burnout. :clap:
It is still possible to have a good selection of tires if you adjust the size slighly to one of the other factory correct sizes for our car. Our size has become passe, and the major brands don't offer their best products in our size. Mostly we get minivan tires and honda accord tires. A shame since when our cars were new they shared tires with Ferrari Testarossa. Now, not only can't we get Ferrari Tires, we can't even get Mercedes tires.
But remember, our wheel size is 16x8, and 3rd generation trans ams and camaros came with lots of tire sizes for these rims with this same offset. With these other sizes, there are tons of choices.
I have pictured at the bottom the best tires available today. There is a new Goodyear Gatorback there in our size for nostalgia. (I found it at a garage sale last week never mounted dated 1994!!) If you want new gatorbacks today, you can still get them 24 years after introduction, in 245/45/17 size!
Note, there are NO max performance summer tires available in our regular size anymore, but they are supposed to start making the GSD3 again in our size. They ARE max performance summer. See rant at bottom for explanation of MAX PEERFORMANCE SUMMER
For reference, our size is:
245/50/16 25.7" tire height
Alternate Sizes
215/60/16 26.2" height
Used on trans ams with our wheels in 1987 to 1992. I have used this size for about 300,000 miles. No one noticed unless I pointed it out.
235/55/16 26.2" height
was used on camaro Z28's (with Eagle GA tires) in 1991-1992 with 16x8 rims. The continental pro contact is available in this size, and they have no vibration at high speed, even with crude balancing techniques. It feels like a bmw at high speed with these. They last forever too. This size is only about 1/4" narrower than ours and they look the same width.
225/55/16 25.7" height
This size was never used by gm on 3rd gen f cars, which is strange, because it is the exact height as the 245/50/16. I guess gm wanted the extra height for their cafe requirements. This is what I would use today because of the first class tires available. and they look plenty fat. And if you are worried about performance, the added grip from the tires you can get in this size will compensate for the slightly narrower tread width.
This size has tons of good tires available. Even Acura NSX tires with 140 treadwear rating(Potenza RE040). This is a porsche size so it may be supported with good tires for years to come.
Available in this size:
Continental Extreme Contact DW (Max Performance Summer)
Pirelli P7 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich TA KDW 2 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich Potenza re040 (NSX tires) these are very soft, very sticky, and wear fast. Just what you want in a good tire. Pirelli P zero Asymetrico has the same treadwear of 140.
Rant at bottom:
The branding and advertising has become so convoluted these days that every tire is called a high performance tire. Because of that, they have had to make up these other catagories to show that there are better tires than the high performance ones, which are now the BOTTOM of the line. So they made up these catagories like:
High performance, 4th best
Ultra high performance, 3rd Best
Max performance, 2nd Best
Extreme performance, Best
and these are all broken down into seasons of use as well, all season, and summer. So, what used to be called a "high performance" tire, is now called Extreme Performance Summer. And what used to be called "garbage" is now called "high performance".
I think this is dumb, because these made up names don't have any discernable graduation or hierarchy. What is better? Ultra High Performance, Max performance or Extreme Performance? They all look like they could be the highest.
I remember going to the store to buy something. in stead of small medium and large, the sizes were jumbo, ultra, and mega. I had no idea what was the smaller or bigger or medium one. There was absolutely no indication on the product about which was which. Madison Avenue has gone INSANE!
But remember, our wheel size is 16x8, and 3rd generation trans ams and camaros came with lots of tire sizes for these rims with this same offset. With these other sizes, there are tons of choices.
I have pictured at the bottom the best tires available today. There is a new Goodyear Gatorback there in our size for nostalgia. (I found it at a garage sale last week never mounted dated 1994!!) If you want new gatorbacks today, you can still get them 24 years after introduction, in 245/45/17 size!
Note, there are NO max performance summer tires available in our regular size anymore, but they are supposed to start making the GSD3 again in our size. They ARE max performance summer. See rant at bottom for explanation of MAX PEERFORMANCE SUMMER
For reference, our size is:
245/50/16 25.7" tire height
Alternate Sizes
215/60/16 26.2" height
Used on trans ams with our wheels in 1987 to 1992. I have used this size for about 300,000 miles. No one noticed unless I pointed it out.
235/55/16 26.2" height
was used on camaro Z28's (with Eagle GA tires) in 1991-1992 with 16x8 rims. The continental pro contact is available in this size, and they have no vibration at high speed, even with crude balancing techniques. It feels like a bmw at high speed with these. They last forever too. This size is only about 1/4" narrower than ours and they look the same width.
225/55/16 25.7" height
This size was never used by gm on 3rd gen f cars, which is strange, because it is the exact height as the 245/50/16. I guess gm wanted the extra height for their cafe requirements. This is what I would use today because of the first class tires available. and they look plenty fat. And if you are worried about performance, the added grip from the tires you can get in this size will compensate for the slightly narrower tread width.
This size has tons of good tires available. Even Acura NSX tires with 140 treadwear rating(Potenza RE040). This is a porsche size so it may be supported with good tires for years to come.
Available in this size:
Continental Extreme Contact DW (Max Performance Summer)
Pirelli P7 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich TA KDW 2 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich Potenza re040 (NSX tires) these are very soft, very sticky, and wear fast. Just what you want in a good tire. Pirelli P zero Asymetrico has the same treadwear of 140.
Rant at bottom:
The branding and advertising has become so convoluted these days that every tire is called a high performance tire. Because of that, they have had to make up these other catagories to show that there are better tires than the high performance ones, which are now the BOTTOM of the line. So they made up these catagories like:
High performance, 4th best
Ultra high performance, 3rd Best
Max performance, 2nd Best
Extreme performance, Best
and these are all broken down into seasons of use as well, all season, and summer. So, what used to be called a "high performance" tire, is now called Extreme Performance Summer. And what used to be called "garbage" is now called "high performance".
I think this is dumb, because these made up names don't have any discernable graduation or hierarchy. What is better? Ultra High Performance, Max performance or Extreme Performance? They all look like they could be the highest.
I remember going to the store to buy something. in stead of small medium and large, the sizes were jumbo, ultra, and mega. I had no idea what was the smaller or bigger or medium one. There was absolutely no indication on the product about which was which. Madison Avenue has gone INSANE!
Attachments
Firestone Firehawk WIDE OVAL Indy 500. Not bad touch to have "Indy 500" on the side walls of the tires for the 20th Anniversary TTA Indy Pace Car. Just put two on "RAYDER" to begin it transformation. Great ride, quite and peak performer. I got the 245/50R16's, for now. The front tires are in good shape still. They come in 255/50R16's as well, which is a little bit wider, same price. Firestone has a sale right now, buy 3, get one free, or buy 2 and the 2nd is half off. I got two, and out the door was $280. $140 for a top performer was worth it to me.
I just asked tire rack about the GSD3's. They said that they will be in the warehouse on June 3rd. Our size will live to see another day!!!!!! Hurray!
Actually a premium tire in our size. What are the odds? Something must have gone wrong if they are gonna make something for us! And could be argued the natural heir of our original tires.
the zr50 begat
GSC, who begat
F1GS who begat
F1GSD3
Aside from an occasional production run of GSD3's, and a low grade all season michelin, we have been abandoned by the tire companies. Our cars came with the same tires as the Ferrari Testarossa. Today, not only can't we get Ferrari grade tires, we can't even get summer tires from michelin, pirelli, or dunlop in our own proper size. Our cars should have a tire with a soft tread. With a treadware of 120-220. These new tires with 360-800 treadware are way too hard. I remember the pirelli p zeros were 120 treadware. Soft like a sponge. You could press the tread in with one finger. Almost like mickey thompson sportsman pros. They stuck like glue.
Those mustang bastards can still get the gatorback zr45's in their size, some 25 years after the gatorback came out. What are the odds we will be able to buy GSD3's 27 years after they came out?
Maybe by then there will be repro tires for our cars like there are for older muscle cars. The only problem is, those repro tires were available for muscle cars when the cars were 18-20 year old. Now our cars are over 20 years old and no reproductions for us. Nor for the Ferrari Testarossa, The Corvette, or any of the other cars that used the Gatorback tires for all those years between 1984 and 1996 or whenever they faded away. (except for the mustang size which is still in production!)
Too bad we can't choose from premium michelins pirelllis and dunlops like we used to. I remember the michelin pilot xgtz (with all the triangles) and then the michelin pilot sx mxx3. Those were great tires. 140 treadware. Looked good too. None of this crazy new japanese inspired tread designs that look wrong on our cars. (I don't like tread pattern of gsd3 but we have no real choice of a super premium tire besides that)
Actually a premium tire in our size. What are the odds? Something must have gone wrong if they are gonna make something for us! And could be argued the natural heir of our original tires.
the zr50 begat
GSC, who begat
F1GS who begat
F1GSD3
Aside from an occasional production run of GSD3's, and a low grade all season michelin, we have been abandoned by the tire companies. Our cars came with the same tires as the Ferrari Testarossa. Today, not only can't we get Ferrari grade tires, we can't even get summer tires from michelin, pirelli, or dunlop in our own proper size. Our cars should have a tire with a soft tread. With a treadware of 120-220. These new tires with 360-800 treadware are way too hard. I remember the pirelli p zeros were 120 treadware. Soft like a sponge. You could press the tread in with one finger. Almost like mickey thompson sportsman pros. They stuck like glue.
Those mustang bastards can still get the gatorback zr45's in their size, some 25 years after the gatorback came out. What are the odds we will be able to buy GSD3's 27 years after they came out?
Maybe by then there will be repro tires for our cars like there are for older muscle cars. The only problem is, those repro tires were available for muscle cars when the cars were 18-20 year old. Now our cars are over 20 years old and no reproductions for us. Nor for the Ferrari Testarossa, The Corvette, or any of the other cars that used the Gatorback tires for all those years between 1984 and 1996 or whenever they faded away. (except for the mustang size which is still in production!)
Too bad we can't choose from premium michelins pirelllis and dunlops like we used to. I remember the michelin pilot xgtz (with all the triangles) and then the michelin pilot sx mxx3. Those were great tires. 140 treadware. Looked good too. None of this crazy new japanese inspired tread designs that look wrong on our cars. (I don't like tread pattern of gsd3 but we have no real choice of a super premium tire besides that)
Well, the GSD3 tires are in stock again after a hiatus of some 10 months or so. The are $205 each and made in, (get this) the USA. [For those of you just joining us, the USA is a place where stuff used to be manufactured. It was a wonderful setup which had the desirable benefit of providing a living wage to the citizens. A living wage, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is a wage which provides enough money with which to support a family without borrowing any money or using credit cards, meanwhile putting money in a savings account for use during unforeseen emergencies. Healthcare was paid by the employer, and roughly 80% of the citizens had a savings account which could see them through 12 months of unemployment.]
These are the only tire available in the original size and performance category. Whatever else is available is either an offshore bargain brand or a low level all season tire from a premium brand.
you would be well advised to buy these while they are available, even just to have them in stock. As soon as they are discontinued, their value will increase considerably. This is likely the last real performance tire ever to be available in our size. After these are gone, the only way to make our cars perform properly will be to change tire sizes. (to 225/55/16 or 235/55/16). Larger wheel sizes are not prudent on this frameless, roofless, flexible flier.
(you will recall that the turbo trans am came with the same tires as the Ferrari Testarossa, Lotus Esprit Turbo SE, and many other exotic super cars. it was the finest tire of it's time. Today, the only tire in the correct size that approaches that level of performance or quality is the goodyear GSD3, and it is the lone holdout, soon to be extinct. Not long ago there were Pirelli, Michelin, Dunlop, Bridgestone and Continental tires from which to choose)
There may be a time when they start reproducing the goodyear gatorback tires. Probably when the bearded NCRS guys decide to press the button. but when that time comes, they may only be available in corvette size, which is 255 50 16. These will function just great on our cars. The PAS people specified the corvette size, for the tta. I don't remember why they didn't use them. probably gm did not want to have to put a different stop in the steering. Anyway, plenty of people use them. They perform better but may rub in front on maximum steering lock.
At any rate, when (if?) they are reproduced 5-10 years from now, the prices will be at least $400 per tire, and most likely $500. The cost of reproducing tires is very high.
For example: they just released some goodyear radial tires for the trans ams and corvettes of 1978 to 1982. The Goodyear Polysteel Radial for ta/s and vettes, and the goodyear GT Radial for 78 vette pace cars. These sell for $315-$420, depending on size and type. They will also be reproducing original RWL Eagle GT's in 215/70/15 and 255/60/15. These will cater to various A body cars (grand nationals, monte carlos, etc) and even some early 82-87 trans ams with 15" wheels. These 70's vintage radials are much simpler to make than gatorbacks... so if and when the gatorbacks are reproduced, they will have to be very expensive if they are faithfully duplicated. In fact, they used laser holographs and all kinds of fancy stuff when they made those tires. Reproduction tire molding plants probably don't have this equipment. When the original gatorbacks came out in 1983, they cost $225. (that is $450 in todays currency). And there is simply no way a reproduction tire molding outfit can do it as cheaply as Goodyear could. So figure more than $450. Plus, if it is another 10 years away, inflation will make it more like $600 per tire.
That is why the GSD3 is a bargain at $205. It could actually be a better tire. And you are getting it for less than 1983 prices. I am buying 5 of them and storing them until my new GSC's wear out.
These are the only tire available in the original size and performance category. Whatever else is available is either an offshore bargain brand or a low level all season tire from a premium brand.
you would be well advised to buy these while they are available, even just to have them in stock. As soon as they are discontinued, their value will increase considerably. This is likely the last real performance tire ever to be available in our size. After these are gone, the only way to make our cars perform properly will be to change tire sizes. (to 225/55/16 or 235/55/16). Larger wheel sizes are not prudent on this frameless, roofless, flexible flier.
(you will recall that the turbo trans am came with the same tires as the Ferrari Testarossa, Lotus Esprit Turbo SE, and many other exotic super cars. it was the finest tire of it's time. Today, the only tire in the correct size that approaches that level of performance or quality is the goodyear GSD3, and it is the lone holdout, soon to be extinct. Not long ago there were Pirelli, Michelin, Dunlop, Bridgestone and Continental tires from which to choose)
There may be a time when they start reproducing the goodyear gatorback tires. Probably when the bearded NCRS guys decide to press the button. but when that time comes, they may only be available in corvette size, which is 255 50 16. These will function just great on our cars. The PAS people specified the corvette size, for the tta. I don't remember why they didn't use them. probably gm did not want to have to put a different stop in the steering. Anyway, plenty of people use them. They perform better but may rub in front on maximum steering lock.
At any rate, when (if?) they are reproduced 5-10 years from now, the prices will be at least $400 per tire, and most likely $500. The cost of reproducing tires is very high.
For example: they just released some goodyear radial tires for the trans ams and corvettes of 1978 to 1982. The Goodyear Polysteel Radial for ta/s and vettes, and the goodyear GT Radial for 78 vette pace cars. These sell for $315-$420, depending on size and type. They will also be reproducing original RWL Eagle GT's in 215/70/15 and 255/60/15. These will cater to various A body cars (grand nationals, monte carlos, etc) and even some early 82-87 trans ams with 15" wheels. These 70's vintage radials are much simpler to make than gatorbacks... so if and when the gatorbacks are reproduced, they will have to be very expensive if they are faithfully duplicated. In fact, they used laser holographs and all kinds of fancy stuff when they made those tires. Reproduction tire molding plants probably don't have this equipment. When the original gatorbacks came out in 1983, they cost $225. (that is $450 in todays currency). And there is simply no way a reproduction tire molding outfit can do it as cheaply as Goodyear could. So figure more than $450. Plus, if it is another 10 years away, inflation will make it more like $600 per tire.
That is why the GSD3 is a bargain at $205. It could actually be a better tire. And you are getting it for less than 1983 prices. I am buying 5 of them and storing them until my new GSC's wear out.
Even if I don't live in or were born in the US I tend to try to get the original US made items ... heck even got the Gibson SG guiitar made in the USA for my son .. however considering that the TTA (and any 3rd Gen for that matter) have tons of GM original parts form the factory made in Japan, Germany, England, Canada, Mexico and most likely other countries I'm not aware of; you would have to go back to the 50s and 60s for cars that were truly built in the US by US parts and suppliers only ... oh and not trying to start a long thread on this topic just that we do live in a global economy (being good or bad) and a world where global manufacturing and collaboration has become a standard not only in the automotive market but in any market these days.
Sorry, Should have said that. Tire rack has them for $205 and if you buy 4 they give you a $80 rebate to mail in.
I think they have the best price right now. you might check discount tires also. Sometimes they are cheaper.
Most places charge $220 or more for these. And of course, if you try to get them at a local tire store, it will be $350-$400 for the same tire.
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
Jan,
While there are a handful of products still made here, they are mainly just the ones that haven't left yet. They will be gone soon. They can't compete with firms using slave labor. There are some exceptions. Like firms that produce unusual niche products like $10,000 hand built stereo amplifiers, and oil paintings. Another exception is the firms who are given no bid government contracts. It is pretty easy to succeed producing $400 shoelaces for the government. The few factories that are left are not enough to employ our citizens, and not enough to provide us with durable goods for our lives. Items that used to be considered durable goods have been replaced with similar looking chinese versions which are disposable. A starter for a chevy 350, for example, used to last 10-20 years, and sometimes as much as 40 years. But, the chinese replacement for that starter lasts only 2-3 months. So during a 20 year period, instead of one starter, the citizen must purchase 80 starters. Usually they are under warranty, so he does not need to pay for them, but he still needs to pay for labor, and a tow truck for when the car leaves him stranded. Just figuring the labor at $100 each, this starter project becomes an $8,000 job and a continuous aggravation. Now, try to imagine dealing with all your durable goods on these terms. It becomes a full time job which requires lots of time and money. Durable goods were an important part of our lives. I miss them. It is not the fault of the chinese either. The chinese have had a society for 5000 years or more, and they can make some of the finest quality merchandise in the world. But the US corporations don't want fine merchandise. They order it made to pitifully low specification, and order the worst quality raw materials that are available.
I never said there was anything wrong with a global economy. That has been the case since the British East India company, and maybe longer. Hundreds of years it has been the case. It is great that the tta has all those different parts from different countries. The Bosch parts from Germany are probably some of the finest automotive electronics that have ever been produced. Quality was not compromised. Of course there is nothing wrong with collaborating with other countries and companies. But the way the TTA was built is an example of how it could be done while upholding a certain level of quality. (not rolls royce type quality, but certainly durability and reliability). Contrast this to the way gm operates today. Go to a gm dealer and buy a set of genuine gm parking lamp housings for the very same TTA, and you will find the assemblies to be made in china, from inferior brittle plastic, with dead bugs and dirt in the finish, and black overspray on the front of the lens where the light is supposed to come out. Put it next to the housings that were made in 1989, and it looks like the new item was made by a 3 year old kid. (Actually, that is a distinct possibility) I'd love to see them attempt to make a 200-4r transmission in china and see how long that lasts behind the lc2 motor. It is only the last 15 years that the US has decided to abandon its own citizens in order to further enrich its corporations. To allow it's corporations to use chinese slave labor for 99% of its labor needs. The corporations love this, and so do their shareholders. A side benefit for them is that these chinese products are so bad, they have to be replaced every few months. A vcr (or dvd player) that would have lasted 15-20 years made in japan, lasts only 8-10 weeks from china. (I have a stack of these on my tv table. I am collecting them to see how high the pile gets.) This way, the corporations sell the same products to the same customers over and over again. Customers have no choice in the matter, because there are no vcr's made anywhere but china. it is the same with car parts. brake rotors used to last 3 years. Now they last 1.5 months. Because they are made in china. I have not found any made in the US. If anyone knows of any, I would like to know about it. It does not have to be the US either. germany, england, france, italy, canada, mexico, any of those would probably be fine.
The problem is, the US used to protect themselves by taxing imports so that it's own citizens could have jobs with enough income to pay more than just one of their 10 bills each month. 1/2 of my friends can't get good a job even though they graduated from college. The jobs that are available do not pay enough wage to pay for health insurance. What I mean to say is that the health insurance costs more than the job pays. Not to mention food, shelter, electricity, insurance, petrol, cable tv (they shut off the free tv signal), telephone (they ripped out the public pay phones), heating oil, the mortgage, real estate tax, etc etc. I decided to skip medical insurance so I could pay other more immediate items like food and shelter, but if i lived in any number of other countries I would not have to die early because of my bad heart that I can't afford to get fixed because the us allows doctors and hospitals and drug companies to charge anything they want to. An MRI in Japan costs $150. In the us, the same MRI on the same machine costs $5,000. I have had 2 heart attacks and no treatment. If I go to the hospital the bill will be $50,000 minimum, and they will take my property if I don't pay. I'd rather die than let my property get taken to pay some crooked corporate hospital. This american dream is a nightmare. there is no middle class anymore. We have tent cities all over this country. Some of them with tens of thousands of people living them. These people had their own homes just 5 years ago. I am not complaining, mind you. Once my parents die and I don't have to take care of them anymore, I am going to make a couple million dollars and everything will be fine. I am one of the lucky few to be smart enough to make money on my own. I just can't do it while caring for my parents and paying their bills, because that takes all my time and money. One good thing is that people are so stupid here (because our education is so bad) that it leaves lots of opportunities open for entrepreneurs. As long as I can outlive my parents with this bad heart, i will be homefree. It is just strange because I remember a time when it was not like this. And I am not that old.
I think they have the best price right now. you might check discount tires also. Sometimes they are cheaper.
Most places charge $220 or more for these. And of course, if you try to get them at a local tire store, it will be $350-$400 for the same tire.
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
Jan,
While there are a handful of products still made here, they are mainly just the ones that haven't left yet. They will be gone soon. They can't compete with firms using slave labor. There are some exceptions. Like firms that produce unusual niche products like $10,000 hand built stereo amplifiers, and oil paintings. Another exception is the firms who are given no bid government contracts. It is pretty easy to succeed producing $400 shoelaces for the government. The few factories that are left are not enough to employ our citizens, and not enough to provide us with durable goods for our lives. Items that used to be considered durable goods have been replaced with similar looking chinese versions which are disposable. A starter for a chevy 350, for example, used to last 10-20 years, and sometimes as much as 40 years. But, the chinese replacement for that starter lasts only 2-3 months. So during a 20 year period, instead of one starter, the citizen must purchase 80 starters. Usually they are under warranty, so he does not need to pay for them, but he still needs to pay for labor, and a tow truck for when the car leaves him stranded. Just figuring the labor at $100 each, this starter project becomes an $8,000 job and a continuous aggravation. Now, try to imagine dealing with all your durable goods on these terms. It becomes a full time job which requires lots of time and money. Durable goods were an important part of our lives. I miss them. It is not the fault of the chinese either. The chinese have had a society for 5000 years or more, and they can make some of the finest quality merchandise in the world. But the US corporations don't want fine merchandise. They order it made to pitifully low specification, and order the worst quality raw materials that are available.
I never said there was anything wrong with a global economy. That has been the case since the British East India company, and maybe longer. Hundreds of years it has been the case. It is great that the tta has all those different parts from different countries. The Bosch parts from Germany are probably some of the finest automotive electronics that have ever been produced. Quality was not compromised. Of course there is nothing wrong with collaborating with other countries and companies. But the way the TTA was built is an example of how it could be done while upholding a certain level of quality. (not rolls royce type quality, but certainly durability and reliability). Contrast this to the way gm operates today. Go to a gm dealer and buy a set of genuine gm parking lamp housings for the very same TTA, and you will find the assemblies to be made in china, from inferior brittle plastic, with dead bugs and dirt in the finish, and black overspray on the front of the lens where the light is supposed to come out. Put it next to the housings that were made in 1989, and it looks like the new item was made by a 3 year old kid. (Actually, that is a distinct possibility) I'd love to see them attempt to make a 200-4r transmission in china and see how long that lasts behind the lc2 motor. It is only the last 15 years that the US has decided to abandon its own citizens in order to further enrich its corporations. To allow it's corporations to use chinese slave labor for 99% of its labor needs. The corporations love this, and so do their shareholders. A side benefit for them is that these chinese products are so bad, they have to be replaced every few months. A vcr (or dvd player) that would have lasted 15-20 years made in japan, lasts only 8-10 weeks from china. (I have a stack of these on my tv table. I am collecting them to see how high the pile gets.) This way, the corporations sell the same products to the same customers over and over again. Customers have no choice in the matter, because there are no vcr's made anywhere but china. it is the same with car parts. brake rotors used to last 3 years. Now they last 1.5 months. Because they are made in china. I have not found any made in the US. If anyone knows of any, I would like to know about it. It does not have to be the US either. germany, england, france, italy, canada, mexico, any of those would probably be fine.
The problem is, the US used to protect themselves by taxing imports so that it's own citizens could have jobs with enough income to pay more than just one of their 10 bills each month. 1/2 of my friends can't get good a job even though they graduated from college. The jobs that are available do not pay enough wage to pay for health insurance. What I mean to say is that the health insurance costs more than the job pays. Not to mention food, shelter, electricity, insurance, petrol, cable tv (they shut off the free tv signal), telephone (they ripped out the public pay phones), heating oil, the mortgage, real estate tax, etc etc. I decided to skip medical insurance so I could pay other more immediate items like food and shelter, but if i lived in any number of other countries I would not have to die early because of my bad heart that I can't afford to get fixed because the us allows doctors and hospitals and drug companies to charge anything they want to. An MRI in Japan costs $150. In the us, the same MRI on the same machine costs $5,000. I have had 2 heart attacks and no treatment. If I go to the hospital the bill will be $50,000 minimum, and they will take my property if I don't pay. I'd rather die than let my property get taken to pay some crooked corporate hospital. This american dream is a nightmare. there is no middle class anymore. We have tent cities all over this country. Some of them with tens of thousands of people living them. These people had their own homes just 5 years ago. I am not complaining, mind you. Once my parents die and I don't have to take care of them anymore, I am going to make a couple million dollars and everything will be fine. I am one of the lucky few to be smart enough to make money on my own. I just can't do it while caring for my parents and paying their bills, because that takes all my time and money. One good thing is that people are so stupid here (because our education is so bad) that it leaves lots of opportunities open for entrepreneurs. As long as I can outlive my parents with this bad heart, i will be homefree. It is just strange because I remember a time when it was not like this. And I am not that old.
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