Captainp4

Are they still doing Ruby Red? I liked that one on the mustangs. Painted my '95 F350 deep impact blue, but I think that one has been gone for a while. '96 F350 got hok brandywine, but it's similar to what ruby red was/is, maybe a touch darker, but similar flops in sunlight.

That torque tho 🤣

This is the concern I've voiced a few times on calling things commodity when the new wears off of them, sounds like Bronco and Bronco sport are turning into commodity products already if they can't command a premium anymore. Obviously the economy is playing a big part here, but if Ford can't keep the product fresh and "gotta have it" they aren't going to be able to generate the margins they want unless they can find more efficiency on the engineering/production side. Not saying the sky is falling or they're bad products or anything like that with a small amount of data, but it is a little concerning.

Weight would certainly be a drawback, but I imagine it's not of much consequence in the class truck they're building them for. Few hundred extra pounds is a drop in the bucket paid off with higher dependability and longevity. I think it's more about making these things survive in this weight class, all that extra weight aids in cooling and rigidity under heavy load. Diesel heads are usually pretty limited air flow wise at higher rpm (where gas engines usually live), but looks like they are mimicking the same or very close rpm range between gas and diesel with this one. All conjecture on my part, but it is an interesting engine.

I don't know if anyone has tried making a diesel engine a gas engine before, but it sounds like a way better idea than trying to make a gas engine a diesel. Diesel engines are way heavier duty, so should make for a very strong/reliable gas engine I would think. The hp/tq curves and the rpm they make them at are pretty crazy for a gas engine.

ecoboost v6 would probably start to create an issue with it being faster than the v8, especially in a light car where the tune can be a little happier. The 4 banger has more hp than the gt did until the coyote debuted, I think it's fine for the base model.

I've always had at a minimum an aftermarket cat-back on everything I own, but things started to change after I bought the completely stock 64 continental a few years back and just left it alone.. the quiet/smooth was really nice. I had plans of cutting it up, putting on air ride, big hp engine, etc. Cut to present day and I just added probably 100 lbs of sound deadening and insulation to my 96 F350 I'm almost finished restoring. Also converting all my mowers/weed eaters/blowers to battery for my lawn care business because they're quiet (well, and save money/good for the earth and whatnot). Also looking to swap out the 6.4 sooper poopy for a BEV pickup soon. Maybe I'm getting old 😅 Still like riding with the windows down when the weather permits though in the older ones - the new ones are trying to give you an ear clap when you try. I do agree that you rarely see people with their windows open on the road anymore, maybe some fresh air would help some of them not be so absorbed in their own bubble and stop being so oblivious to what's going on around them.

Article wasn't very clear, but this was my impression as well.

As a smoker (I know) and someone that just likes driving with the window open when it's nice out, this issue drives me insane in the newer cars. Really, really bad in the sooper poopy with one front window open and one back window open when I have someone else back there that wants to open the window, like it's beating your ear drum in.

Had no idea iPhone was that much of the market, I always assumed they were like Tesla.. people that have them love them, but everyone else finds them weird and foreign. Guess I learned something as a now smaller market share Android user lol. Have always liked Samsung and Android, but much like cars, everyone has an opinion on what's best.

I had it on my wall when I was still at the age where I printed out car pictures and stuck them to my walls in my bedroom lol

Clickbait headlines at work

It's hard to tell scale on the pictures/videos, but when they park them all together the Rivian looks a lot more Ranger/Tacoma sized than a half ton truck. I've seen a few around here, but they're pretty rare.. they do look midsize on the road too. Do you think the t3 will be in the Ranger class? or do you mean that in the "lifestyle truck" sense?

I agree they're wildly different takes on "pickup truck" and not easily compared. Rivian appears to be a very nice vehicle and it seems everyone that has one loves it, but it's a lot smaller than the other two and not really intended for work. I personally like the Cybertruck's uniqueness, but I am concerned it won't age well once the new wears off. They like to pretend they made it for the "working man", but side by side compared to the Lightning there are a lot of features and work truck things missing along with low visibility and terrible mirrors if you intend to tow (though it does have the cameras which are nice). I like the tech and it'll only get better with software updates as they figure things out, but right now I think I'd pick Lightning if my Cybertruck order came up today. Lightning is a really good first effort, but is compromised some by using the same frame as the rest of the lineup, thought it does have a big advantage on the frunk where the engine used to be. Hoping a second gen can maintain the traditional truck look while improving where it lacks in range/tow rating. I'm not sure I'll like the t3 version, but obviously will need to wait and see. Either way, more choices, more competition, they'll only get better as new gens come out.

I've seen a few people warning this was the next bubble to burst over the last couple years, over here trying to figure out how I can get rich off of the car market crashing.. seemed simpler with the housing one 🤣

Water pump on my 96 7.3 failed at 370k miles a couple years ago. JUNK!

I don't remember if they covered it during the reveal, but if they're taking reservations that might help prop them up a little longer. I also imagine Bezos or Amazon would infuse with some cash. Worst case someone else buys them out. Seems like they're really close to turning the corner, but who knows with an automotive startup. And yeah, even with all the hype around Tesla's 4680s it seems like Rivian makes better use of their battery packs - I'm not deepy versed in the technical details, just an observation.

Rivian makes some really nice products from what I've seen. Unfortunately they're struggling to make money on them, so much so that if things continue as they are without change they have about 1.5 years of money left. I think they're positioned really well if they can pull through, and the R2/R3/R3X should certainly help volume if they can deliver on the range and price points. Watched their reveal event the other night, was pretty good. Was funny how proud RJ was about putting two glove boxes on the R2 because people complained the R1s didn't have one lol

I think it's the "reliable" part that Ford can't nail down with any consistency, so they just gave up. Sometimes they make the most reliable longest running thing you've ever seen (like my 400k mile 96 7.3 zf5 😎) and sometimes it's the biggest pile of poo that was ever released (like my 03 6.0 or 2010 6.4). People that buy "commodity" products don't care how fast it is, how efficient it is, how cool it looks, etc, they want something that gets decent mpg, doesn't break down, and is affordable - they aren't car people and they're passionate about not having to deal with their car besides driving it a-b. This is where Toyota/Honda do well because they have a decades long reputation of reliable/efficient/affordable transportation. Ford is going after people that can overlook the issues because the car speaks to them on an emotional level and they HAVE TO HAVE IT and that brings more margin. Old woman yells at cloud aside, I do wonder where the end game of passion products ends when/if others enter the same markets with competitive product. Does Ford have to keep hitting home-runs in niche markets indefinitely as competition enters segments they're currently excelling in? Does bs/maverick/bronco end up being commodity 5 years from now if someone does them better/cheaper? Or does Ford just keep jumping head first into currently unoccupied or poorly occupied segments?

Much like you're "obsession" with the end product being efficient, I focus on efficiency in the engineering/manufacturing process that can have a big impact on costs and margins. There's a reason Farley keeps talking about emulating Tesla in that regard and they're the only ones turning a profit on BEVs. Obviously volume will help too if Ford can figure out a compelling BEV product at a reasonable price and has the battery supply to deliver it. Mach-E and Lightning are pretty damn close and great first efforts, but both compromised from the jump for various reasons. Hopefully we see even better product and more success with the 2nd gen stuff and maybe the larger/more reliable charging network available now will have some impact on sales as well. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

I thought up a conspiracy the other night that Elon was letting everyone use his superchargers and was just standing by until everyone switched, then was going to send the full juice to them and burn all of them to the ground. I sobered up and realized that was ridiculous, but would be a good one.🤣

I can't unsee it now that you said it. Pretty good looking, sophisticated, sleek, modern design and then a Ford sitting on top of it.

Maybe Ford can try minivans or station wagons again to keep everyone on their toes

I think his question was more "why doesn't a 100+ year old company know how to make a headlight connector?" I'm assuming this is all an intermediate step trying to get a hold on quality before engineering/manufacturing catch up in coming years, but sometimes it just makes you shake your head... And before anyone attacks me, of course it's a good idea to have a stop ship and fix it, but the goal should be (and I'm assuming is, just seems brutally slow) to not need a stop ship in the first place.

Watched this this morning, drags on a little, but looks to be a pretty seamless experience. He says in the video he's interviewing Farley soon too which could be interesting.