Isn't it about time U.S. went metric?

What you experienced with the Granada/Monarch is classic and illustrates a massive problem with the NA automotive manufactures that still exists today. I'm not referring to the Quality issue as we have means to control that but the marketing driven decisions that have car variants multiplying like rabbits to offer consumers more perceived choice, this choice costs the consumer huge due to extra costs to make to nearly identical things instead of double the volume of one. At that time the Ford Granada, Mercury Monarch and the Lincoln Versailles were all basically the same vehicle with cosmetic differences. One of the craziest of these in my career was the Gen 1 Cadillac Escalade - it was fundamentally exactly a Chevy Tahoe with a bit better plastic, seats and badging at a cost difference of approx. $1,500 more for the bells and whistles but sold for $15 to $20k more. 
 
Woodn't It Be Neat said:
What you experienced with the Granada/Monarch is classic and illustrates a massive problem with the NA automotive manufactures that still exists today. I'm not referring to the Quality issue as we have means to control that but the marketing driven decisions that have car variants multiplying like rabbits to offer consumers more perceived choice, this choice costs the consumer huge due to extra costs to make to nearly identical things instead of double the volume of one. At that time the Ford Granada, Mercury Monarch and the Lincoln Versailles were all basically the same vehicle with cosmetic differences. One of the craziest of these in my career was the Gen 1 Cadillac Escalade - it was fundamentally exactly a Chevy Tahoe with a bit better plastic, seats and badging at a cost difference of approx. $1,500 more for the bells and whistles but sold for $15 to $20k more.
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And the Lincoln Navigator is nothing but a Ford Expedition in drag, with a huge price jump. 
 
In the '70's, I worked at the docks in Houston as a Longshoreman part-time, it paid really well for a kid... I had a "car job" one day unloading Porsch/Audi/Volkswagons. We would get in the car on the ship and drive it to a predetermined spot. It was uncanny how similar they all were. There were really just cosmetic differences (knobs, etc.) in places.

Shortly after Ford bought Jaguar, I got in one for a trip across Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc... I had recently been in a Crown Vic' in Houston. The similarity was striking.

Tom
 
When I was in high school(a long time ago) my math teacher said ," work in one or the other" this has always worked for me.
If the directions are in metric that is what I use ,if in inches I use that. The problems arise when you start to transpose the two. Today there are many metric rules around so that  should be no problem.
Personally I find the metric system superior
 
Many moons ago, i ran across an add somewhere and sent for the item right away. I do not very often order something thru the mail or internet from anywhere I do not know.  This item was too good to pass up. That was maybe 20 years ago.  Once i sent the order, i started to worry, but within a week i had the item. I liked it so much, I ordered a duplicate for my son. His eventually grew wings, but mine, i keep well hidden and never loan out any of the parts. 

The item:  Metrinch.  A set of wrenches and sockets that can be used with metric and inch nuts and bolts.  The set is not heavy duty, but I use the set often.  During my outdoor season, i store it under piles of pruning tools and seed bags in my truck.  If anybody is looking for a wrench, they would get worn out digging for that set.  I never leave it out in the open.  During winter, while working in my shop, only I know where that set is.  And/ I ain't telling'
Tinker
 
Tinker said:
Many moons ago, i ran across an add somewhere and sent for the item right away. I do not very often order something thru the mail or internet from anywhere I do not know.  This item was too good to pass up. That was maybe 20 years ago.  Once i sent the order, i started to worry, but within a week i had the item. I liked it so much, I ordered a duplicate for my son. His eventually grew wings, but mine, i keep well hidden and never loan out any of the parts. 

The item:  Metrinch.  A set of wrenches and sockets that can be used with metric and inch nuts and bolts.  The set is not heavy duty, but I use the set often.  During my outdoor season, i store it under piles of pruning tools and seed bags in my truck.  If anybody is looking for a wrench, they would get worn out digging for that set.  I never leave it out in the open.  During winter, while working in my shop, only I know where that set is.  And/ I ain't telling'
Tinker
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You realise you've just made your Metrinch set a much larger target than your garden gnomes to fun seekers all over the FOG [cool]
 
I just installed an Italian-made modern kitchen (don't ask too closely about the quality of details) where the drawings were solely in metric.  I ditched my combination tapes and used full metric measures for everything.  I AM IN LOVE!
Even though I can cut 3/8" on the miter saw without measuring, and though I can't yet cut 9mm without measuring, I am finding myself using the metric measurements for everything I can right now.
 
GPowers said:
You're just in the wrong industry.  The medical industry has been using metric for years.
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The US Aerospace industry (and aviation in general) still uses imperial and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.  The cost/benefit of designing a new airframe in metric is just to high for an industry that is as specialized as Aerospace.

And as long as I'm using imperial at work, its what I'm going to be using at home too.
 
I don't know about the rest of the US but, thanks partly to owning Festool, I'm continuing down the slippery slope of going metric in my workshop- purchased a Hulfators Talmeter 3M tape from Tool Home today.  It just seems to be the right choice as I continue to use my LR32 system more.  The total conversion will take some time (if ever)- have many Woodpeckers squares and other measuring tools in imperial that will be quite expensive to replace.  Will probably need to remain 'multi-lingual' in my measuring capabilities.

Regards,
Gerald
 
jaguar36 said:
GPowers said:
You're just in the wrong industry.  The medical industry has been using metric for years.
Click to expand...

The US Aerospace industry (and aviation in general) still uses imperial and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.  The cost/benefit of designing a new airframe in metric is just to high for an industry that is as specialized as Aerospace.

And as long as I'm using imperial at work, its what I'm going to be using at home too.
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm told even Airbus uses imperial hardware.
 
Jed: "Hey Clem, you'd wouldn't believe it .. an alien space ship crashed in front of the pickup on my way over"
Clem: "Wow! What happened?"
Jed: "Well, I got out and helped the alien get to his feet and we turned his spaced the right way up"
Clem: "Amazing, was he thankful?"
Jed: "Well .. initially I thought he was, he said that aliens shouldn't interfere with primitive cultures, but now that I'd seen him, he said he'd give me the plans to build an anti gravity device as a thank you"
Clem: "Heck! Show me!!"
Jed: "Nah, I threw the plans away - at first I was amazed, then when I started to make sense of them I realized all the dimensions were in some stupid and undecipherable base ten measurement system"
Clem: "Right thing to do too .. in fact I bet the stupid alien's spaceship wouldn't have even crashed if he'd build it properly - in INCHES!!!"
 
So I found these great Decorative Head bolts that are really handy for jigs and stuff in the shop. They come in 1/4"-20 and 5/16"-18 thread, in lengths like .471", .591", .708", and so on.

[attachimg=1]

They are advertised with 17mm heads... they need 4mm & 5mm hex wrenches... seemed unusual.

I got curious about the lengths, turns out .471" = 12mm, .591" = 15mm, and .708" = 18mm...  [doh]

It's enough to make a guy a bit psycho.

RMW
 

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I like those and for the life of me I can't find a supplier of something similar in Oz .. you'd think it would be easy!
 
Kev said:
I like those and for the life of me I can't find a supplier of something similar in Oz .. you'd think it would be easy!
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Google "type bb connector bolts" and see if that helps. Essentra has them in metric threads so they should be available somewhere.

RMW
 
Kev said:
I like those and for the life of me I can't find a supplier of something similar in Oz .. you'd think it would be easy!
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[size=13pt]Mmmmm, let me think?  [eek]
Oh yes, Home Hardware, Bunnings, Masters ....  You know Kev, those big Australian Hardware Chains that you drive past on the way to Northern Abrasives.  [big grin]

Look for the displays of Prestige Cabinet Connecters.

http://www.itwproline.com.au/default.aspx?FolderID=219

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[size=8pt][member=13058]Kev[/member]
 

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