The Old Days of Car Repair

In the November 1980 edition of The National Geographic there is an ad for the 1981 Chrysler Imperial FS (guess what the FS stood for). This is the time period after Lee Iacocca took over the car company and was attempting to save it from bankruptcy. In the ad, Frank Sinatra is interviewing Iacocca about the car.

A couple of items: the only feature that didn’t come standard on the car was a power moonroof and Mr. Iacocca is quoted as saying, “I wanted a quality automobile. I wanted to give it a basic limited warranty twice as long as the competition’s, two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. It covers all parts except tires, all labor and all scheduled maintenance. Our rust warranty lasts a full three years.

Sinatra responds, “I don’t even pay for an oil change?”

A lot has changed since those days. Remember how scary purchasing a new car could be? Everyone knew someone (or lived through the experience themselves) who experienced the aftermath of purchasing a lemon.

What was the car that almost single-handedly took Chrysler down? The Dodge Diplomat.

Imagine placing an easy chair in a garbage dumpster, adding a car engine and a steering wheel and driving that around. That would give you an idea what it was like to drive a Diplomat.

The car had a V8 but no power. There was no fuel injector, so stalling was a common occurrence. The car handled like a grocery cart that pulled to one side.

If you owned a Diplomat, you and your mechanic were on a first name basis. I’m sure that the existence of the Diplomat financed a number of auto mechanic’s college funds.

Now, three-year, 36,000-mile warranties are standard. Some car companies are offering warranties that extend to ten-years or 100,000 miles.

Back in the day, there was a huge demand for auto mechanics. Now, the demand has shrunk considerably. It can be difficult for a mechanic to stay in business.

Lament’s Auto Service and Repair, Inc. has been in business since 1973 and is still thriving. When other mechanics are struggling and closing shop, Lament’s has customers coming back year after year. That’s because Lament’s provides quality car care at affordable prices. They don’t sell you repairs your car doesn’t need.

If you would like to experience quality car care, contact Lament’s Auto Service and Repair today.