Yes, I knew that what the auto mechanics handle is mostly metric now. What about other durables that the general public might face, like file cabinets, washing machines, lumber, picture frames, aluminum foil, carpets and rugs, all things Wal-Mart? What about all those replacement WOMBAT fasteners I see in hardware stores?
----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2003 6:21 PM Subject: [USMA:26171] Re: fasteners > Further to my reponse to Paul Trusten, USMA 26166, I found from my > archives that General Motors 1977 models were predomently metric. GM > decided in 1973 to go metric. The change was virtually complete by > 1982. The cost of conversion was $9 million, which was less than 1% > of the original estimate. Against this, one GM division decided to > examine its electric wire practices. Resizing and reduction of > variety resulted in a cost avoidance of $1.6 million annually. > > In 1980 White Motor Corporation in 1980 required that all new parts > be designed in hard etric. Chrysler reported that the company's > small pick-up truck would be designed in metric. Ford's 1980 cars > would be metric, and 17% of all truck drawings were hard metric. > Kenworth Truck in Seattle expected that 90% of its metric program > would be completed in 1980. Mack Trucks of Allentown, Pa., began > metrication in 1975. All new models were designed in metric. > Intenational Harvester in March 1975 issued a metric policy spporting > an evolutionary transition to metric during the 1980's. > > In 1977 IBM announced a target date of 1982 for complete metric > conversion, with full metric manufacturing capability by 1978. In > tha area of fasteners IBN reduced the number of these from 38 00 to > 4000. > -- > Joseph B. Reid > 17 Glebe Road West > Toronto M5P 1C8 Telephone 416-486-6071 >
