Classic made out of left overs parts?

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BuschLatte420

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Does anyone wonder if ram still making the classic is just to get rid of spare parts? With the few flaws I found in mine getting taken care of by warranty and the dealer is being very nice, made me wonder because they didn’t clean my truck out that well & found a parts bin sheet from what year and bin my parts were taken from ranging from yearssss ago. Just wondering others thoughts! Nothings perfect these days regardless though!
 

Jeepwalker

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I doubt it. That would probably last a day, if that. Factories run on just-in-time procurement where thousands of parts, bolts, screws, paint, supplies, wiring, upholstery, brackets, springs, shocks, drivetrain parts, tires, etc arrive in concert from possibly over a hundred different suppliers from different parts of the world. All due to a ton of careful coordination set in motion by many people years prior ...and optimized over time to be as efficient and cost-effective as possible (this includes wages, leases, maintenance, on-going repairs, etc). It's kind of a miracle of modern engineering/production ...how to make something so complicated and keep producing it at such a high quality with few defects.

If one single key part failed to show up, (which it would), the whole assembly line would come to a stand-still. Union workers, plant foreman, engineers, etc would be standing around with their hands in their pockets wondering what's next. There would be Ram trucks in various stages of production from almost complete to just started ...just sitting there. Every plant manager and his staff knows EXACTLY to the dollar what their factory's cost-per-minute of lost production is. So having to shut down an assembly line as big as an auto plant's and restart or scrap the cars is NOT a good way to stay profitable. Usually there's a planned ramp-down phase.

So I doubt it. More like the other way around. They stop production, producing the last truck, then the rest of the parts in the chain may go to 'Parts'. But even that doesn't often happen. Car companies deal with numbers in "millions of dollars". They would most likely scrap parts that were still in the chain and showed up. It would cost more to have guys making $35/hr deal with them and box them up and get them to a parts warehouse. That stuff would just get tossed or recycled.

.
 
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Random_Walk

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I think it was a combination of factors... the biggest one? Ram is the only one of the Big Three that does not have a midsize or compact pickup (GM has the Colorado/Canyon, Ford has the Ranger and Maverick...)

Instead, FCA/Stellantis positioned the Ram Classic at a midsize price-point, which gets you into a half-ton truck for a midsize price. I'm willing to wager that they stole a TON of midsize buyers from GM (then Ford) by doing that, since a lot of midsize truck buyers only buy a midsize because they can't/won't afford the full-size trucks.

Next up, I believe that they already had the tooling, all the ugly bugs shaken-out (or at least somewhat mitigated), and it costs way less to just keep running a few 4th-Gen production lines than retool everything just to resurrect the Dakota. I mean, look at the logistical nightmare that Ford is dealing with just to keep up with relatively low-level demands for Rangers and Mavericks...
 
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BuschLatte420

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I think it was a combination of factors... the biggest one? Ram is the only one of the Big Three that does not have a midsize or compact pickup (GM has the Colorado/Canyon, Ford has the Ranger and Maverick...)

Instead, FCA/Stellantis positioned the Ram Classic at a midsize price-point, which gets you into a half-ton truck for a midsize price. I'm willing to wager that they stole a TON of midsize buyers from GM (then Ford) by doing that, since a lot of midsize truck buyers only buy a midsize because they can't/won't afford the full-size trucks.

Next up, I believe that they already had the tooling, all the ugly bugs shaken-out (or at least somewhat mitigated), and it costs way less to just keep running a few 4th-Gen production lines than retool everything just to resurrect the Dakota. I mean, look at the logistical nightmare that Ford is dealing with just to keep up with relatively low-level demands for Rangers and Mavericks...
Price for what you get is what sold me, and the fact that I think the classic is a way better looking truck vs the Silverado and ford currently (not just hating, I owned plenty of GMs). I love dark blue which ford and GM do not currently offer in the trucks as of the last time I looked. V8 low gears crew cab long box for 50,000$? Won’t find that with the other 2.
 

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Plus, buyers getting into 5th gen Rams are buying the premium product, priced at the highest profit margin.

Having two products is not exactly the same, but somewhat the same philosophy as GM having Chevrolet and GMC. But both called "Ram". It was kind of an an ingenious (although gutsy) strategy. I hope whoever spearheaded that initiative got a good promotion. I'm sure there were 50 "that's never been done before ...I don't like it" roadblocks to push it through.

I've worked for a couple fortune-75 companies ..and the Mrs works high-level at a big corporation. Believe you me, there are frequently very heated conversations at the high level amongst high-energy marketing people when it comes to doing 'out of the box' ideas like continuing with a parallel product. Which, in fact, cuts into other profitable products. You have VP's and Senior Directors who like each other and some who can't stand one another, are territorial with their own products, ..and a few leaders who are genuine jerks through and through ..who just won't go away. Corporate politics occur, it's all about alliances, tempers flare all the time. I'm sure at the end of the day there was a 'lets-try-it-&-see-how-it-goes' approach. They probably revisit production/profit numbers frequently (probably weekly).

I can almst assure you there are many people within Chrysler's top level who would pull the plug on the 4th gen in a minute and think it's a foolish idea. But as it goes in many companies there's a high-level corporate 'champion' with enough sway who says he doesn't care, and is driving and maintaining the 4th gen line regardless of what others think. That often happens. Personalities and power make all the difference at the high level. VP's and CEO's often have a "pet project" they are in love with which sometimes don't make sense to others around them. If they have enough sway it would take some really lousy numbers to get them off it. (think about the Corvette's history). That's corporate inside baseball. If such a person/s retire, quit or get promoted, the plug on the 4th gens could get pulled quickly. I'm surprised production has lasted THIS long.
 
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Docwagon1776

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Bro...they've been selling the classic for roughly 5 years. How many left over parts do you think they had?

Any company that managed their logistics so poorly would have been bankrupt before you had time to wonder why they had so many left over parts.
 
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BuschLatte420

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Bro...they've been selling the classic for roughly 5 years. How many left over parts do you think they had?

Any company that managed their logistics so poorly would have been bankrupt before you had time to wonder why they had so many left over parts.
Never know just thought it was interesting how they look were labeled by year manufactured it seemed like, like it didn’t make the cut for being perfect toss it in the bin, like my door panel that was defective and needs to get replaced under warranty so my parts fit properly in place.
 
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BuschLatte420

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Plus, buyers getting into 5th gen Rams are buying the premium product, priced at the highest profit margin.

Having two products is not exactly the same, but somewhat the same philosophy as GM having Chevrolet and GMC. But both called "Ram". It was kind of an an ingenious (although gutsy) strategy. I hope whoever spearheaded that initiative got a good promotion. I'm sure there were 50 "that's never been done before ...I don't like it" roadblocks to push it through.

I've worked for a couple fortune-75 companies ..and the Mrs works high-level at a big corporation. Believe you me, there are frequently very heated conversations at the high level amongst high-energy marketing people when it comes to doing 'out of the box' ideas like continuing with a parallel product. Which, in fact, cuts into other profitable products. I'm sure there was a 'lets-try-it-&-see-how-it-goes' approach. And they probably revisit the numbers frequently. There's obviously a high-level corporate 'champion' who's driving and maintaining the 4th gen line.
The 4th gen had what the 5th couldn’t provide me at the time, and that was non E torque. Happy it went that way I think I like the 4th gen better look wise. I am stuck in my old vehicle ways.
 

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just thought it was interesting how they look were labeled by year manufactured it seemed like,
That's not the year the part was manufactured but more than likely the year of the last revision of that particular part.
Production part numbers are different from replacement part numbers that you buy at the store. Some parts are the exact same and will usually have both numbers on it somewhere.
 
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BuschLatte420

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That's not the year the part was manufactured but more than likely the year of the last revision of that particular part.
Production part numbers are different from replacement part numbers that you buy at the store. Some parts are the exact same and will usually have both numbers on it somewhere.
I do notice that from time to time
 

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Economies of scale...Which is to say that the the longer you use the tooling for producing the needed parts, the cheaper they become to manufacture. Every part on that truck had a development cost, so the more you spread out that fixed cost, the less impact it has. If people want to buy them (demand) in such numbers that the variable costs are covered(real estate, utilities, labor, etc), they should make them forever. Demand will wane and production will cease...Eventually.
 
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BuschLatte420

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Economies of scale...Which is to say that the the longer you use the tooling for producing the needed parts, the cheaper they become to manufacture. Every part on that truck had a development cost, so the more you spread out that fixed cost, the less impact it has. If people want to buy them (demand) in such numbers that the variable costs are covered(real estate, utilities, labor, etc), they should make them forever. Demand will wane and production will cease...Eventually.
One thing I know is it seems like they sell like hot cakes see them everywhere
 

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Economies of scale...Which is to say that the the longer you use the tooling for producing the needed parts, the cheaper they become to manufacture....

That's true. However, I'm sticking to my Corporate Champion theory. They [Chrysler & car companies in general] could have (and often do) ship all that 4th gen tooling down to Mexico, Brazil, Chile, or Australia and continue producing legacy products in other markets. And tooling doesn't last forever. Stamping dies, molds, etc have a lifespan which need to be replaced.

Anyway, by getting rid of the 4th gen a very strong argument is (and has always been the case ...so we know that's how it usually goes) would be that by streamlining parts & costs ...expanding all models under the 5th gen model family. It would reduce workforce, combine supply-chain componentry, reduce plant costs, maintenance of old tooling, robots, etc, put all production under a single umbrella. That would reduce overall 5th gen production costs, help pay back product development [which includes tooling] sooner (i.e. making more models using the same 90% basic parts & tooling). It would also allow them to show higher new-product sales and give a boost to overall 5th gen profit numbers ...on paper (which is everything when releasing corporate figures to investors, every quarter).

Because it's such an odd and rare decision, there's got to be a high-up corporate Senior-VP who, for whatever reason, likes and/or wants to see the 4th gen Rams continue. At the marketing level you can create a argument just about any way using whatever production/cost/profit numbers you cherry-pick to justify a case. They do it all the time at the top levels. That's how you get your decision through. In absence of that, the case could be made tomorrow that it costs too much and eats into our 5th gen profits by continuing to produce two of the same basic products. But someone is saying, "Now hold on ...we're also capturing marketshare by ....blah-blah-blah". And that argument seems to be winning.

Or possibly, 4th gen production has just been a place-holder all along, until the compact pick-up can be produced at the same plant. But due to Covid and supply chain issues, the can has been kicked down the road longer than even Chrysler planned. But due to steady sales, they haven't tinkered with the formula (yet).
 
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62Blazer

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So the OP is talking about parts used by the dealer to do warranty work, correct? First of all I will say that the trucks are not being built simply by "leftover" laying around. As already mentioned manufacturers strive for the "just in time" inventory control which means you don't have large quantities of parts setting around and you only order what you forecast to be needed. They also simply do not have enough space to store that many parts. Along with that there are tens of thousands of individual parts they start out with to build that truck. I could see some of the parts having some leftovers but not all of them, and definitely not enough total parts to justify keeping a production line dedicated to that model truck. They are not going to jump through the hoops to make even a couple hundred unique trucks. I would like to know how many "Classics" they made.
 
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BuschLatte420

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This is what I am referring to, seems like different years for different parts that’s why I was curious.
 

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GTyankee

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I won't even try to explain the parts list

As far as the 4th Gen Rams is concerned
The Assembly Plant is in Warren Michigan

A bit more than 3 years ago, the person that was in the White House was working on a HUGE Tax Cut.
He was trying to get all the Corporations that were conducting business in Mexico, to move their businesses into the USA.

Ram agreed to move their Heavy Duty assembly plant up to the Warren Michigan property.
GM & Ford were also planning on moving some of their plants back up here.

None of the Auto manufacturers were going to move all of their plants right away, but there was talk about phasing stuff in.

I think it was Toyota was about to build a plant in Mexico, something in that Tax cut, made Toyota change their mind & they built their new factory in Texas instead.

I don't know why the Big 3 changed their minds
Maybe the Talking Heads in Washington DC, could not get their stuff together ?

All of the Big 3 Auto Companies have several old properties, that are being used as storage facilities in the USA & Canada.
They could move a lot of stuff out of Mexico, just give them the right incentives.

The Saltillo Mexico Plant was completed in 1995

 
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BuschLatte420

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I won't even try to explain the parts list

As far as the 4th Gen Rams is concerned
The Assembly Plant is in Warren Michigan

A bit more than 3 years ago, the person that was in the White House was working on a HUGE Tax Cut.
He was trying to get all the Corporations that were conducting business in Mexico, to move their businesses into the USA.

Ram agreed to move their Heavy Duty assembly plant up to the Warren Michigan property.
GM & Ford were also planning on moving some of their plants back up here.

None of the Auto manufacturers were going to move all of their plants right away, but there was talk about phasing stuff in.

I think it was Toyota was about to build a plant in Mexico, something in that Tax cut, made Toyota change their mind & they built their new factory in Texas instead.

I don't know why the Big 3 changed their minds
Maybe the Talking Heads in Washington DC, could not get their stuff together ?

All of the Big 3 Auto Companies have several old properties, that are being used as storage facilities in the USA & Canada.
They could move a lot of stuff out of Mexico, just give them the right incentives.

The Saltillo Mexico Plant was completed in 1995

Mexico, where my American hemi 5.7L was born, meh.
 

Jeepwalker

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US car companies routinely move old platforms to other factories in the southern hemisphere, not for the American market ...though the outer sheet metal may be slightly different (or not).
 

GTyankee

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Fun Fact ..

In some years, ( before 2018 ) ?, when Auburn Hills, Ram Headquarters had more orders for Ram 1500 Crew Cabs than Warren Michigan could build before the cut off date.
The assembly plant down in Saltillo Mx. usually has their quotas built at the end of the build year.
So Headquarters tells Saltillo to build X amount of CREW CABs.
So for some years, when this happens, there are some Ram 1500s Crew Cabs, that are built with 2500s parts.

One of the guys that helped me to get started in the Pilot Car business, had a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 that was built in Mexico.
He did not know it, until his right front suspension needed work.
The auto parts store looked at his VIN #, they could not believe it.
 

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As has been mentioned, ram doesn't have a stock pile of parts. They're continuing to build because it's still a cash cow. The tooling and assembly line has long paid for itself. Yes, new dies may need to be built so often, but the costs of those are a drop in the bucket compared to the money they're making off current built 4th gens. I think you'll see the classic line dropped as soon as a new mid-size truck comes to market. I believe they've already stopped producing rcsb trucks. The warlock trucks weren't built because they had excess rebel grilles and bumpers, they needed something to fill the gap of the rebel trucks. The rebel is a "premium" product line and makes sense to only sell the current gen version of it. With a new mid-size in the works, I'm sure the 4th gen classic will soon be cancelled completely, especially once the fully redesigned 2500/3500 trucks come online.
 
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