2002-01-27 Joe's comments about the auto industry bring up an important question. Are the industries that went metric 20-30 years ago still that dedicated to metric today?
I really don't think so. I've seen lapses that should send up flags. Concerning the auto industry, I have come across many instances where metric is not used. First of all, there is the every-now-and-then argument by Joe Home Automechanic that his 1999 whatever still has non-metric parts on it. How he can tell, except for nuts & bolts is beyond me. Just by looking at the car, how can anyone tell if the fender, or hood, or doors, etc are metric or not? But, most of all, they are referring to the nuts & bolts. Do they really know or are they assuming a bolt is non-metric because they can fit an English wrench on it? Second, is the after market parts makers. Do they adhere to metric when making after market parts? A few years back I was in line at the local auto parts store, behind a guy who wanted to return the after market part he bought because he thought it was defective. Seems the bolts wouldn't go into the threaded holes. The clerk tested the guys bolts in his unit and they fit, then into the new unit and it would not thread in. The clerk went over to his parts bin and picked 4 new screws and Voila they went into the after market part but not the OEM part. The old bolts were metric, the new ones were not. Third, a neighbour who works as an inspector for Ford Motor Company claims metric is not used where he works. Is it possible the drawings are "converted" for the sake of the Americans at American plants? I can't imagine hundreds, if not thousands of union factory workers of the same mentality as Jim Elwell's "plumber", happily using metric on the job. Somehow these people must be shielded from metric, but how? Since I have never seen an automotive drawing, I can't say for sure what goes on in these plants. If anyone knows, can they enlighten us? For whatever reason the auto industry went metric in those days, and other industries too, like soft drinks, one must wonder if the use of metric is still strong and uncompromising in these industries? Even though the soft drink industry introduced metric sizes in that era, we have seen reversions back to FFU since. When some of us asked Coke and Pepsi why they introduced 20 and 24 ounce bottles, all we got was that same old tired "market-forces" excuse. Let's face it, the people who worked in those industries 20-30 years ago and introduced those changes, are either retired or dead by now. The newer generations hired on since don't have that feeling for metric as the previous managers did. I'm sure many of the present work force would rather return to all FFU. I'm sure this new generation is not metric fluent and to them metric is a nuisance, and thus are more tolerant of contractors or vendors who don't stick to the strict use of SI. Any comments? John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, 2002-01-25 15:40 Subject: [USMA:17644] Re: Is joining USMA worth it?... > Ma Be's USMA 17641 moved me to think of replying "Put your money where your > mouth is", but I found that James Freysinger in his excvellent USMA 17638 > had already said it. > > Ma Be wrote: > > What happened to that effort that was shared with us in the automotive > >industry? Something that was vehicled here a few years ago? What > >happened to that? Did the authorities give up on that? > > > The automotive and agricultural machinery industries went metric about 20 > years ago because it was much easier, and much more efficient, to convert > their American production to metric than to convert their world wide > factories to inch-pound. They don't mention this in their publications for > the American market because they are interested in selling cars, not in > promoting the metric system. But ask any motor car mechanic if American > cars are metric. The authorities were not asked since the metric system > has been legal in the USA since 1866. > > Joseph B.Reid > 17 Glebe Road West > Toronto M5P 1C8 TEL. 416-486-6071 >
