blksn8k2

Two in a row (Vegas and Atlanta) along with the points lead. I believe he is still running the Boss 500 engine which had a lot of development help from John Force who Tasca ironically beat in the finals at Atlanta. https://www.nhra.com/news/2021/bob-tasca-stays-red-hot-beats-john-force-epic-championship-round-atlanta-dragway

Seriously though, even the early Broncos had an optional swing-away spare tire mount that attached to the right side rear corner of the body. If the license plate were in the center the spare tire would have at least partially obscured it. You might also wonder why the license plate wasn't mounted in a recess in the bumper. Had they done that then they probably wouldn't have been able to use the same bumper front and rear (which they did). Every now and then function and cost win out over form.

There's also a label tag on the soft top near the upper left corner. Needs another one on the right...🙄

Just happened to drive by one of my trail cameras a few days ago. I finally had the title transferred to PA and got the registration process started. I have a temporary tag on it right now but I am waiting for the paperwork to return so I can apply for an antique plate. https://youtu.be/0dk6pVEDKww

It's not as if it's anything new...

I have an '18 F-150 with the 5.0L with just over 21k miles and I'm not even sure I can describe all the embarrassing noises it makes, usually at cold idle but not always. I don't pay any attention to the "typewriter tick" anymore because of all the other, much louder rattles, taps and clangs. I assume they are related to the cam phasers, the timing chain tensioners, the high pressure fuel pump for the direct injection, the 12:1 compression ratio or the PTWA spray bore cylinder liners or a combination of all of the above.... or something completely different. Who knows besides Ford's engineers? Some of those were changes made between the gen 2 and gen 3 so those would be the most likely culprits. And BTW, every engine with individual fuel injectors has a "ticking" sound and so did the first two generations of the Coyote. The gen 3 (2018 and newer) makes other, more annoying sounds. I also have the 2000 rpm rattle which only happens when in gear and moving but usually not under heavy load. And I change my oil every 5000 miles or less and I also use Mobil 1 5W20 and a Motorcraft FL-500S filter. I honestly believe Ford knows exactly how to build an acceptably quiet engine but obviously doesn't believe it is a big enough issue to make any effort to do so with the Coyote. I also have to assume that the cost to redesign the Coyote to make it less embarrassing to drive would be prohibitive. Otherwise they would have done so by now, or at least I hope so. As long as people keep buying them, why bother, right? And yes, there are people who are willing to accept the sound of a diesel engine because they want the other things that a diesel does well. That was never really the case with modern, gasoline powered engines. It's called controlling NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness). Apparently Ford wants to change that with the gen 3 Coyote. I otherwise like this truck but there is something called "pride in ownership" which Ford has also apparently dismissed with the gen 3 Coyote.

If you consider the Coyote an evolution of the modular design Ford is now using cylinder deactivation on a mod motor. The 2021 F-150 5.0L has it. “The 5.0-liter V-8 gets a bump of 5 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque, to 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet,” said Dawn McKenzie, Ford Truck Communications Manager. “We’ve also added a variable displacement cylinder deactivation function to the 5.0-liter, helping fuel economy by reducing the number of cylinders receiving fuel during lower speeds and under light loads.” https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2020/10/2021-ford-f150-5-0l-v8-engine/

True, unless the plan includes using it in vehicles other than full-size trucks where packaging is not as much of an issue.

The only complaint I have with the gen 3 Coyote is the amount of nasty noises it makes. And I'm not referring to the exhaust. There are times when it absolutely sounds like a damn diesel. Rattles, clangs, ticks, you name it, it makes all those noises at times and at other times it is relatively quiet, but not very often. Ford says it is "normal". Bullshit! The only reason I would get rid of my '18 F-150 is because of the embarrassing sounds the damn thing makes. It certainly doesn't have the sound of a quality product. Not by a long shot. This particular thread on F150forum.com currently has 1798 posts about those issues and 744,469 views: Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans > Late Model F150s > 2015 - 2020 Ford F150 > 2018 5.0L - Engine Rattle Noise On Deceleration And/Or Acceleration ***TSB 18-2354*** The first few posts sound hopeful but it goes downhill fast after that. As far as I know there is no permanent fix other than earplugs. 2018 and newer Mustangs with the 5.0L have the same issues.

What are the odds Ford will actually add a pickup variant to the "big" Bronco lineup? I've read all the articles that were prompted by the design sketches from a Ford video but that was over a year ago and there hasn't been much, if anything, since. My ideal vision of a Bronco pickup would be a four-door hybrid model with a V6 EcoBoost and an optional onboard generator similar to the F-150 PowerBoost. It would have a minimum tow rating of 7000 lbs and be available with all the same options as the non-pickup Bronco, including a removable top. That I would trade my F-150 for in a heartbeat. Just make it available in the same classic Grabber Green metallic as my EB. And if Ford does decide to do one, how does that affect the Ranger?

Took a few pics of the Bronco in the wild today. This was near the ponds on my property. The larger of the two ponds is in the background of the third photo and the smaller pond is in front of the Bronco in the fourth photo. The last photo is of the larger pond.

I ordered some parts for the Bronco a few days ago from CJ Pony Parts, which is located near Harrisburg, PA. They shipped what they had in stock from Harrisburg on 3/29 using "UPS Mail Innovations". It first went to Bridgeport, NJ on the 29th and was in Columbus, OH yesterday where they supposedly gave it to the USPS so they can bring it back to PA. WTF? Doesn't sound very "innovative" to me... If they had driven all that distance, which I assume some of it was by air, they would have traveled approximately 750 miles farther than if they had just brought it directly from Harrisburg to my house. The parts that were not in stock a few days ago were supposedly ready to ship today. Probably via Alaska. 🙄

Since we seem to have moved into the wild-assed speculation phase, what if Ford decides to make the 6.8 in both iron and aluminum block versions? The iron block could be the replacement for the 6.2 in truck applications while the aluminum block version could replace the 5.2 in the GT500 and could also serve duty in the 2022 Raptor. It's not as if Ford hasn't done something similar in the past. Both the 4.6 and 5.4 mod motors were examples of very similar strategies.

Added a MasterCraft brand 4-point harness from Summit Racing on the driver seat today. I also ordered a set of shoulder strap pads but they haven't shipped those yet. Will do the same on the passenger seat. They're actually pretty darn comfortable even without the shoulder pads. I also like the single buckle design. Easy on and off.

Any details yet on the design of the bed cover? Every pic we have seen so far has it and they all appear to be a one-piece hard cover. Not sure how convenient that would be. My last Sport Trac had the OEM two-piece lockable hard cover which was great for keeping things secured in the bed but it was a real PITA if you needed to haul something tall that required a fully uncovered bed. It probably weighed about 50 lbs and was a bit of a handful for one person to remove and reinstall. Not only was it heavy but it was awkward to get everything realigned with all the spring loaded pins, etc.