The Dog & Lemon Guide Book

[peasea]

Speaking as someone who was a car dealer for 11yrs, that book should be taken with more than just a pinch of salt EJK.

And I worked on all manner of vehicle for thirty years and I'd have to agree.

Working for various dealerships in that time (Nissan, Daimler, Ford, Holden, Toyota) I (and others) soon discovered that you get good and bad from the same production line. Mr Jones had a Nissan and it never broke down but Mr Smith had three and they all blew up, etc etc. You would also get what we termed 'Wednesday' cars, which drove better than the rest, went better than the rest and seemed to have fewer niggles. They were dubbed Wednesday cars because all the lemons came out on Monday (built by hung-over types who didn't want to be at work) and Friday (built by those eager to escape to the pub so as to return to build Monday cars). Tuesday and Thursday cars were so-so but the Wednesday cars had it all.

Much has changed since I started my apprenticeship back in early '73; these days you don't need to rip your cylinder head(s) off every 20-30,000 miles for a valve grind and very few cars and motorcycles need a drip tray under them.

Buy what you like, or can afford, and look after it. If it drives nicely, has good compressions and isn't knocking its arse off you're probably off to a good start.

[98tls]

Speaking as someone who was a car dealer for 11yrs, that book should be taken with more than just a pinch of salt EJK.

Agreed mate,8 years selling Fords/Toyotas,best money ive ever earnt fwiw.That guides about as relevant as Snow white and blah blah blah.

[EJK]

Agreed mate,8 years selling Fords/Toyotas,best money ive ever earnt fwiw.That guides about as relevant as Snow white and blah blah blah.

Speaking as someone who was a car dealer for 11yrs, that book should be taken with more than just a pinch of salt EJK.

Could you please explain further? I'd like to know more please (Outside of the book).
I'm not trying to criticize your profession but to have further understanding.

Cheers

[Pixie]

However,one of them had a much longer production span....something that is just normal for a Sir Alex design.

Only normal because the poms kept designs well past their use-by date,even when it caused their industry to collapse,and then the Indians buy the worn out tooling and continue to build the shit for another 50 years.Royal Enfield,anyone?

[cs363]

The author Clive Matthew-Wilson is such an annoying twat, that I struggle to read anything he's written.
Plus as others have said, whilst of passing interest it certainly isn't the most accurate guide around. Like any review it's only one persons opinion, so you have to balance his comments with your own experience and other reviews etc.

See: http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=586278

[FROSTY:Me]

The dog n lemon is a FANTASTIC marketing tool for --well the dog n lemon of course.I've found it exceedingly usefull as a doorstop and for propping up my old couch.
If the book was indepth and totally fair on all makes n models I'd be happy to say fair go. But the author tarrs entire model ranges because of one bad car. Its kinda like me saying the entire Toyota range of product is crap because i drove /know about the toyota cavilier/surf 2.4 diesel/estima 2.2 diesel

[neels]

I pride myself on the fact that every car I have owned is either not recommended or avoid like the plague.

I now have a 4wd (oooohhhh) that runs on diesel (eeeek) with a turbo (aaaargh), three things he seems to loathe.
The other 2 cars I own are both european which he also hates, one of which I have owned for 7 years and 60 thousand k's, the only problems have been water hoses and the parts are cheaper than for a toyota.

I will continue to buy vehicles that are not recommended or avoid like the plague on principle just because the guy is such a twat.

[Marmoot]

The author seems insistent on the intention of making everyone slower than him by discouraging any fast cars, powerful engines, engines with big displacement, and body type lighter than a four door sedan.

Anything that is not new, green, equipped with electronic stability and brake control, have an engine displacement between 1300-2000cc and probably come with air-to-air missile countermeasures seem to be given a bad rap with emotive review (e.g., bold typeface "Avoid" word, etc).

He certainly likes his lemons and hates dogs.

[MIXONE]

i've owned many of his not recommended cars over the decades and the one car he seems to love is a copy of the austin cambridge I owned as a first car.It looked like a brick,handled like a brick and went only slightly faster then a brick.Easy as to fix on the side of the road with a nail file a crescent and your girlfriend's panty hose but still a pos.Just like his opinions.