Sprinters in the Dodge re-org

[johnpfree]

Anybody know what will happen to Sprinter distribution in the US in our new world of government-run auto companies?

I am getting my $$ together to buy one for a Sportsmobile conversion and I'm worried about availiability in the US.

as long as I'm here, and thoughts on Sportsmobile versus other ways to go would be appreciated also!

thanks!

jf

[stp57]

My Dodge service writer recently told me that after they sell what they have on their lots (his Spring Texas dealership is the 5th most profitable one that Chrysler has in the U.S) that there will be no more Sprinter's through Chrysler. Mercedes just recently sold off their remaining 20% interest in the Dodge truck division, but they still own a big chunk of Freightliner.
Steve

[sikwan]

This waiting to hear what's going to happen is killing me! :rant:

[glasseye]

This waiting to hear what's going to happen is killing me! :rant:

And me!:yell: Four yearsI've been waiting to buy a Sprinter and now, just as my financial stars begin to align, this MESS.:censored: :bash:

[autostaretx]

If you don't mind buying a Sprinter "off the lot", the prices are at a three-year low...
take a look at the recent "negotiating a sprinter price" thread.

--dick

[gerrym51]

If you don't mind buying a Sprinter "off the lot", the prices are at a three-year low...
take a look at the recent "negotiating a sprinter price" thread.

--dick

surprisingly enough i agree. If you want a sprinter-buy one off the lot or buy one sportsmobile
already owns.(they have some new waiting to be converted).

Servicing is a separate issue. [I] would thing freightliner could still service even if they
don't sell them.

gerry

[jdcaples]

The fate of the Sprinter in the USA and Canada is unpublished, insofar as anyone outside of Chrysler and Daimler knows (or has posted on Sprinter-Source).

Many members are watching closely, but no official word's been published yet.

I think conjecture - while entertaining - is just conjecture.

-Jon

[gerrym51]

The fate of the Sprinter in the USA and Canada is unpublished, insofar as anyone outside of Chrysler and Daimler knows (or has posted on Sprinter-Source).

Many members are watching closely, but no official word's been published yet.

I think conjecture - while entertaining - is just conjecture.

-Jon

Jon,

conjecture IS more entertaining than a "stick in the eye" (a duck is a duck)

gerry:bounce:

[BULBASOR]

BULBASOR Has an appointment at the dealer tomorrow - I'l see if i can get any dirt while I'm there (he's getting his 40K Sched Maint) so we will be ready for the summer travel and good times had by all!

I suppose it's going to be some kind of truck dealer in one form or another (the car dealers don't have the right lifts for the vans).

[glasseye]

I just had a word today with the only Sprinter-authorized dealer in my area (Western Canada) and the sales manager said words to the effect that MB still owns 20% of Chrysler and that the Sprinter biz is "profitable" and will "definitely continue". Who knows? Only time will tell, I guess, and by then it'll be too late.:thinking:

[BULBASOR]

Dodge Brothers were originally with Henry Ford. They split with Ford they tried to make it on thier own and started Dodge.

Then Dodge got bought by Chrysler.

Then Diamler Bought 'em.

Now it's Fiat.

Seems like more of the same.

[qualityair]

Ask them if you can order a 2010.

[pvsprinter]

Daimler has sold off it's remaining stake in Chrysler and bought 10% of Tesla Motors with the intention of using their technology in the Smart Cars.
Bob

[Altered Sprinter]

Daimler has sold off it's remaining stake in Chrysler and bought 10% of Tesla Motors with the intention of using their technology in the Smart Cars.
Bob
The statement is inaccurate as to using Telsa's technology.
I'd suggest you read this thread first. Telsa needed further refinement with it's product as to cash flow and Damlier both the finance and has has the technology with lithium batteries and sorting out the vibration issues with Telsa coupe.
There is a video takes time to load but it shows how Damlier is committed to the US sector.
Richard

Damlier's continuing investments to N/America (http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6397&highlight=telsa)

[glasseye]

Ask them if you can order a 2010.\

I did. They said, "Sure!". Canada, though.

[BULBASOR]

Oh please, give me a break - even the Chinese are lining up to get hummer at fire sale prices - Fiat grabbed Chrysler as fast as they could! I expect Toyota or Honda were ready to pounce on GM but Obama just could only let things go so far.

Too bad too, because I think Mecedes has been good for Chrysler, (not so good for Mercedes).

This is the modern era people! get used to it!

It's not like the old days anymore where you worked for the same company for 30 years and then retired.

Same for car manufacturing - it's going the same way as every other kind of manufacturing - overseas in various places with automation and less materials. Plastic resonators from some idiots injection molding shop in Austria, and front rotors from some crappy jappy machine shop in Matsudo! It all comes together somewhere and end up under your ass on the freeway! (That's pretty scary!:eek:)

That's just the way it is - (My new dodge caliber has a drivetrain from mitubishi!)

[jdcaples]

It's not like the old days anymore where you worked for the same company for 30 years and then retired.



My first full time, salaried job was 12 years. I've been with this company (2nd FT, salaried job) for nearly 40 Wall Street quarters.

The thought of doing 120 Wall Street quarters is.... depressing.

I keep trolling the bankruptcy pleadings looking for the fate of Chrysler Vans, LLC.

The only interesting things I've noted is that both Daimler and MB-USA, LLC have lawyers present, Sally Henry for MB-USA and Daimler AG, some guy named James L. Garrity Jr for Daimler.... I thought there was some guy named Frank for Daimler too..... Unfortunately, the Daimler AG and MB USA hired lawyers aren't contributing much to the paperwork, but they're there.

-Jon

[qualityair]

anybody seen something of Freight-liner/Sprinter.com ?

[BULBASOR]

BULBASOR and i just got back from the dealer for his 40K checkup. Claudio did not get mad at me so I guess I did okay. I think he is in a better mood because he says he will be able to speak italian at work pretty soon. (He thinks there are going to be selling Ferrarries too, so what does he know!?) That's like the time Iacocca came home with that Maserati LeBaron! I OWNED the one of first original 82 LeBaron convertables! (Factory order number #22!) It was my first new car.

Maserati was pretty hopping mad and Mercedes seems pretty ticked off this time too. Work at the dealer is that American hucksters have managed to sucker the Italians for another pile of cash. (When will they learn?) They told me there is a fight over the Sprinters, and the Jeep division seems to be a big point of contention too. It will be interesting but I'm betting money that printer and Jeep get rolled into one.

From the Company Web Site

Number one question on the minds of Dodge owners:

Q: When can customers in North America purchase Fiat vehicles?
A: The alliance allows for the potential distribution of Fiat vehicles through
Chrysler’s dealerships.

The big hullaballo at the dealer was the chinese take over of hummer and how it times with the new Wrangler roll out in 2011 (Jeep has aparantly got a super wrangler in the works thas rivals the hummer in size! (What's up with that?)

Truth be told the new frame is also supposed to support a "suburban" style truck model as a Dodge "RAMCHARGER" style Suburbam under the old name plate 'POWERWAGON' !!!!

HOLY SMOKES! If they bring back the power wagon i suppose that takes care of the US military contracts.

As usual these guys are full of great ideas but like most American car companies NONE of it will ever actually get BUILT!

Claudio replaced the fuel filter and the clamps - changed the oil and pretty much messed around with the computer thingamabob while the other guys worked on tire rotation and brake check. Did you know that you have to have a licence to be a Sprinter tech?? I did not know that. Cladio's licence number is 7309.

[veepster]

Greetings All,

I called a friend of mine who is the commercial rep at my local dealer here in CT to get his spin on this. He said that as far as he knows Dodge will continue to get Sprinters. Our beloved vehicles have done well for MB, and if they take them away from Dodge they will only be available through Freightliner. MB would lose a large number of sales outlets for Sprinters. There are probably 10+ Dodge/Sprinter dealers here in CT, but only 2 Freightliner shops. Obviously MB doesn't want them on their lots.:idunno: (sad they got away from trucks in the U.S....so much neat stuff)

Clearly if our Supreme Court blocks the Fiat deal and/or Chrysler goes Ch.7 all of this is academic. Let's see how long they'll pontificate over this one....

:2cents:
-Vic

[david_42]

Did you know that you have to have a licence to be a Sprinter tech??

Yeah, my little local garage has a trained and certified Sprinter mechanic. The local NA casino has a pile of them. Works for me, as he's 30 miles closer and 1000% smarter. Even follows the MB maintenance recommendations. Unlike the Dodge dealership where I purchased the van. They wanted to use the Dodge diesel intervals. Which would mean 4-10 times as much work and double the hourly rate.

I figure anything he can't handle, John over at Upscale can or the Portland Freightliner shop.

[nebep]

So, as we all do work on our sprinters, we need to mark mercedes part #'s that are usually pretty clearly marked on the parts - parts for sprinters can be ordered through a Mercedes dealer in the US - I've done it more than once.......and the prices weren't as bad as you'd think.....I'd consider them to have been comparable...

[jdcaples]

nebep,

Two local MB dealerships - and one online vendor - were unable to order some Sprinter-specific parts for me. The phrase was "com block."

Here's a test:

A 642 070 07 38 (the hose that goes from the fuel filter, under the left engine cover to a valve to drain water),
A 642 141 02 83 (an EGR associated molded hose for coolant (i think)),
A 642 070 20 32 (leak oil line).
A 642 140 17 60 (EGR valve specific to OM642.993 and - as far as I can tell, unique to NAFTA NCV3 Sprinters in the NAFTA region)


If your US-based MB USA dealership can order those parts, let me know, either via a post or private message. My guess is one or more of those parts will not be "orderable" by your local MB dealership. I hope I'm wrong. Let me know, please.


-Jon

[ctmcdaniel]

I'm going to try this with a Fiat place first...

Tom

nebep,

Two local MB dealerships - and one online vendor - were unable to order some Sprinter-specific parts for me. The phrase was "com block."

Here's a test:

A 642 070 07 38 (the hose that goes from the fuel filter, under the left engine cover to a valve to drain water),
A 642 141 02 83 (an EGR associated molded hose for coolant (i think)),
A 642 070 20 32 (leak oil line).
A 642 140 17 60 (EGR valve specific to OM642.993 and - as far as I can tell, unique to NAFTA NCV3 Sprinters in the NAFTA region)
If your US-based MB USA dealership can order those parts, let me know, either via a post or private message. My guess is one or more of those parts will not be "orderable" by your local MB dealership. I hope I'm wrong. Let me know, please.


-Jon

[Tonester]

This is still speculation, but I keep hearing that Dodge will carry the Sprinter until their contract runs out with DB. Then, they will start importing the Fiat Duchato, or Fiarino, and Scudo lines. Looks like a Sprinter, but comes in several sizes and models. Nothing is final, the whole corporation is still disorganized. See Allpar that confirms this possibility.
http://www.allpar.com/model/upcoming.html

http://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/cgi-bin/lcv.dll/LCV_UK/home.jsp

Right now their emphasis is on getting the small car line through crash testing and EPA. They are going through engines on the dyno and changing the mounts on the trolleys at the pilot plant for the small car preliminary build.

[BULBASOR]

Nah, the headlights are in the wrong place!

What about the peapod!

I want to know when we get the Peapod!? I still need a tow vehicals for BULBASOR.

[Tonester]

http://peapodmobility.com/splash

Peapods are available now in certain areas. You also get up to a $7500 tax credit for purchasing one. I prefer the utilitypod. They will also make large all-electric delivery vans.

The interesting part about the reorg is that every brand is now treated as its own business. Over 5,000 people left the company as of this last buy-out. Information is harder to come by as most engineering has been outsourced, assembly and parts plants back-filled by all new people. It will be strange here for a while.

[BULBASOR]

How much does a pea pod cost??? 7500 dollar rebate?? I thought these cars were going to be on the shelf at Walmart for 169 dollars?????:thinking:

[shanemac]

The Scudo model looks half way appealing the rest of them are just plain odd looking especially the Ducato:idunno: the interior looks half decent though, i get people looking at my sprinter all the time but its not in horror.:clapping:

[Altered Sprinter]

Interesting: BUT!:idunno:
After the re-orgy of bankruptcy, the question remains as to investments and credit, as too the normal criteria of a proceeding bankruptcy as would be considered normal, which as most folk would agree was totally flawed and unconstitutional,apart from the given excuse!well it was a cross over between the two evils, something had to be done.

Consider the size of the N/American sector, Sprinter, Iveco, neither have the technology to run long distance on electric power, as a stand alone unit.

Where are the investors going to come from? let alone take the risk of giving credit at normal commercial rates, say 10% think 25% knowing that if failure reoccurs. Alls lost.

Currently no share holder group at a general meting would allow a financial institution to OK a prospective loan, based on the new Chrysler groups true worth of nickels and dimes, when the nickels worth zip, and the dimes not worth a dime, and to date no fully implemented businesses model to look at, or even show a prospectus that makes valid a viable plan of sustainability back to profit.
No one is brave enough to give a future assessment as to a year?.

I have previously said this before, what happened was going to eventually happen, we all know why.

The issue at hand is that plans for new models that are fuel efficient, and produce less emissions as to the new CAFÉ requirements leaves one main obstacle left, to over come.

And this is not being pursued or effectively being seriously addressed,at this point of juncture.

Manufactures have to met the new EPA guidelines for incoming euro 4 euro 5 engines that is those that are imported or manufactured locally, using the technology.

This is based on Fuel technology: Nothing is being done to implement a strategy for refinery's to up date their products, the cost will be astronomically expensive.

There is only two refinery's that can economically upgrade, one is US the other is Alberta! And they are in no hurry to do it, as to the objections from pipeline operators refusing to transport the fuels via their lines.

2011 it can not be done even with fast tracking and immediate long term Government investment loans, for infrastructure to be re-built,that leaves one option yet to unfold..."NATIONALIZATION".

These engines can not run on 40 to 45 CN successfully.
Richard

[BULBASOR]

Well, I don't know about you folks in other countried but here in the United States we already have nationalized auto manufacturing.

GM (Government Motors)

I understand the next ne offering from GM will be the traubie (or maybe the peoples wagon).