blog.marcwiesner.com

Frank went all out for his lil’ sis this holiday. A new jeep from the CJ line; seats two, FM radio, power brakes, electric, top speed of 5 mph and pretty purple and pink.

While Fisher Price’s Jeep is a frustrating thing to assemble, we got it together in less time than it would take to replace a head-gasket on a standard engine (though more time than an oil change and brake change).

The most frustrating was the misshapen screw we ran into. That’ll have to be replaced. Also, it would be a lot easier to get together if the screws didn’t look so much alike, but at least they didn’t have any strange torques.

Pictures!
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In case anyone missed the news, new numbers from China raise their economy’s rank to #4 in the world, surpassing Britain. Germany, the current #3 economy shouldn’t get complacent; China is attempting to make more of a presence in the global auto industry. Already an attractive site for foreign manufactures, China is poised to use its position within the WTO as a springboard for Chinese cars to be sold outside of China. Just as people scoffed at the idea of a Korean company successfully selling cars in the US, so too are people naturally sceptical of Chinese imports even showing up in American show rooms.

Remember, Japanese, German, and American car companies are already manufacturing cars and components in China. It’s a lot easier to replicate a product one’s you’ve already been part of the team assembling them.