ZanatWork
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Posts posted by ZanatWork
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I'm seeing/hearing about a lot of customers that tried EVs, and went right back. They weren't impressed, and I can't blame them. I've seen far more articles regarding range disappointment and inconsistent charging experiences than not.
Mandated changes, especially ones that cherry-pick the science involved, always make me rebellious. When it involves cars, the thought of just updating a couple of good 1971 Fords/Mercuries to more modern brakes/ignition/etc gets increasingly tempting. -
As a Gen-Xer who was in the parts/service industry forever, this reminds me of the early emissions years.
Some of you may remember opening the hoods on the late-70s, early-80s nightmares, with miles of incomprehensible vacuum lines and rotting cannisters...extra valves and solenoids...vapor locking and a great deal of stuff that would mysteriously get "blocked" or simply taken offline by shadetree DIYers that got tired of crap that both choked their cars and broke regularly.
I don't miss those days one bit.
Now, I look around in traffic, and read auto news sites, and I see the Tesla wannabes (any electric car that the maker quit styling with the job half done) looking like impersonal blobs...while more stories come out about the fragile/failing business cases, how other approaches could have worked better/faster...
...and I can't help but remember opening a great big hood on an LTD II and knowing that somewhere, under all the hoses, cannisters, and valves, was a perfectly mediocre 351M.-
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I agree with politicization, to a degree, because the vehicle ARE being mandated along the granola coast and in increasing numbers of countries...before the tech is really a full-on replacement for ICE.
I am definitely among those that wonder why I'd ever take orders from "representatives" that supposedly work for...us...?
That said, with inconsistent charging stations, various tech gremlins, and the other (slow charging, expense, etc) issues that plague even fully-functional examples, I'm certainly not sold, yet.-
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Honestly...I'm a little disappointed. I know that Ford is shoveling most of the R&D money into EV efforts right now (even if not battery assembly pay, apparently), but the 2.3 and 2.7 have been at their respective outputs forever. Some "bumps" seem overdue, which would also have been cause for more positive bullet points.
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I'd love a "Dark Horse Shooting Brake", especially if I could have a manual and awd. For guitar nerds like me, always hauling music gear around, it'd be perfect.
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I can't like the nose. I hate the current trend of overly-busy front ends on trucks...they'll always look like contrived hipster "faux macho" crap to me. Yes, I prefer the bull nose, or even the mid-00's simpler front ends. I have a former police 2008 Expedition, and it's got a handsome, uncluttered face compared to that mess.
I just don't get the need to mess up a vehicle whose entire marketable lineage is about utility, work, dependability.... -
There's a lot of differences, including gross vs. net hp ratings (knock something like a third off gross for net), greater modern chassis rigidity that makes the car respond better...although all the safety innovations make them weigh more. Throw in the tires, the brakes, the ignition and fuel systems, etc etc etc.
It all does make a great case for doing a serious restomod based on one of those "body in white" shells. Have your '69 fastback, only brand new, with a Coyote, Brembos, rack and pinion.... -
If they actually combine the V8, AWD, and a manual transmission, I'm in trouble...because I live in an area with regularly slimy roads.
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I don't think it's a 5.0. It's missing the fender badges, the air dam, the tires look pretty skinny...so, I think it's a GL or an LX with a donor hood. Still a handsome car, though.
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I'm curious if it'll get done. I live in the PNW, with slimy roads much of the time. A Mustang with optional AWD wouldn't be the sacrilege to me that it is to others.
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24 minutes ago, Stray Kat said:
I agree the 80’s and early 90’s were a great time to be a race fan. There was coverage on all forms of racing.
I saw the Merkurs demolish the field at the St. Pete Grand Prix with little ol’ Pinto 4 bangers.
Nowadays racing is not so good. Many series have a spec engine and that engine is a GM LS engine.
That sucks.
I concur. I think the series directors, among others, lose sight of the personalities, loyalties, and bonds that come from racing fandom. I'm largely a Ford guy because my Dad worked for Purolator in the 70's, had a couple of Mercury company cars done up as Wood Brothers cars...and, as a kid, I asked a zillion questions, leading to Mercury, relationship to Ford (Starsky's Torino!), and so on. I've cheered for people like Pearson, Baker, Elliott, Martin, Schroeder, Ribbs, Pruett, Gordon, Allison, Trickle...and anyone ever in the Wood Brothers' #21. It's a lifetime kinda relationship.
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On 1/29/2022 at 7:22 PM, FordBuyer said:
Should be a lot of fun watching the Multimatic Mustang race. Still remember watching Parnelli Jones racing his Trans Am Mustang against Mark Donahue's Camaro at MIS back in the 70's. And lots of battles at Waterford between rear winged V8 Mustang and C5 Corvette Z06. Believe it or not, if Mustang got the lead, ZO6 couldn't pass it on short, very technical Waterford course. And finally tube frame racing Mustangs winning at Belle Isle. Always fun.
I didn't get to see the original BOSS Mustangs, but I was a car nut as a kid/teen just as cable went nuts on car racing in the 80s...and that meant getting to see the Roush SCCA/IMSA Capris, Mustangs, Merkurs, and Cougars for a good many years. One of the original Roush Capris was being restored in a fab shop hereabouts a few years ago, I very politely asked to get pics....
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Seeing Ford rated just barely above average does not make me happy.
Seeing Ford rated below Dodge makes me want to vomit. -
I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm kinda dating the ridiculously busy front ends on pickups, nowadays. My favorite pickups had that "honest day's work for an honest day's pay" look about them, which fits a lot of F-series and Rangers over the years.
I'm hoping it's very successful, but I'm also hoping there's a simplified facia option. -
On 11/4/2021 at 3:16 PM, akirby said:
There is a difference in “could be improved” and “looks terrible”.
Yep, and the current one falls under "desperately needs improvement, because it looks terrible".-
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I'm sad to say that it's been a common theme, at least since the 80's, for U.S. Ford fans to wonder why they give Europe (and formerly, Australia) vehicles that we can't get over here. I've seen those explanations/arguments for most of my life, now, and it always seems to go their way.
We get the Mustang and trucks, but they got so many vehicles/tech that we were flatly denied over the years....-
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23 hours ago, akirby said:
Well that’s a big part of the issue with sedans - there isn’t much you can do to differentiate the styling.Maybe, but this one seems to scream "bringing effortless luxury, with Heart and Seoul!".
The more I look at it, the more Elantra/Genesis I see. -
Kia called, and asked why a big, shiny grille is being slapped on their Stinger....
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I think it'll also have the Outback-kinda-thing as an additional model...and I hope we get that here.
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I hope that they're not strictly married to lithium batteries, as some tech nerds hereabouts keep talking about graphene having enormous potential.
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I'm still waiting for one of the majors to do a true test, but this is a start:
Autoblog on the Mach 1 -
I think that it could have a healthy market position if they get the details right. I'm unashamedly a mourner for the Flex, and would love an AWD car with low load-in and plenty of interior space. If I want off road ability, I'm willing to pay for another vehicle that's suited for that duty.
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Autoblog likes it, and they're usually close to objective.
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...right into the hull of Ford's quality ratings.
Mazda first, Explorer Worst.
2024 Tesla Cybertruck vs. Rivian R1T vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: The Only Comparison Test You'll Need
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted · Edited by ZanatWork
That gets into twitchy territory for me, TBH, the same way that I don't know if I could ever drop money on a brand new Range Rover or similar; I take my trucks/SUVs into actual dirt and that means I'd be better off buying an FX4 and the full Weathertech package.
I've never quite understood the point of "rugged luxury" vehicles. Tracking mud into delicate carpets and smearing goop on those massaging seat controls must make the detailer swoon.