Marauder2299of7839

they need a retro cougar based on the mustang, but upscale. the euro-trash has never sold, it aint gonna sell now either no matter how much you hype it. if people want euro cars, they have VW, BMW and such. a lot of people out there want American cars to be American. the 83-88 T-bird/Cougar was a fox body like the Mustang and Capri, and small-size LTD, and Small Marquis, and Mark7, and the RWD Continental, and the Fairmont... yet they were all distinct models, and they were profitable. the fairmont wagon didnt look or drive like the SVO Mustang, an the BMW turbo-diesel Continental wasnt much like the Capri, but they were all related with great platform sharing. Ford cant afford to have 20 different models on 13 different chassis designs. you hate the panther platform, complaining its only for the old, but go to crownvic.net and the average age is in the low 20s, you say they need to go since they are gas guzzlers, yet they get better mileage than the taurus/sable that are touted to replace them.(and are cheaper and yet profitable) as old as they are (03?) they make money in fleet sales, livery, police etc are cash cows, and they pay for the euro-experiments that flail time after time. the FWD cars could be done on two platforms, small and mid, you could have 20 cars between the two, three to five cars from the mustang platform (a Lincoln included) could be made including a ranchero (ute) RWD has an important place in the lineup. sub-compacts are going to be big for a couple of years again, run with it, the FWD small chassis, but there is more to the world than that. Ford, fiesta/edge/Mustang/Taurus-500/Interceptor-LTD/Ranchero/explorer/light duty F-series Mercury, Lynx/sable/Cougar/Marquis/Mountaineer Lincoln, Mark/Continental/Town Car. (no trucks) the fiesta/edge and lynx could share a platform (you could have two to four additional models each, and/or use a Mazda platform) Taurus/sable /minivans would share a platform (design AWD as an option, and make it small diesel capable) mustang/Ranchero/cougar/mark/Continental would share a platform, a provision for AWD would be a plus for the ranchero and Continental as well. obviously V-8 capable, also small diesel capable the Interceptor/Marquis/TownCar could be built on the current panther frame, but all new bodies, the current platform is light and efficient, and trusted by fleet buyers. the ford and merc need a wagon. the current chassis is v-10 capable, a possible option for limo/livery four platforms supporting a rich and diverse lineup Explorer/Mountaineer/light F-series share a platform superduty 250-550/E-series a base like this could be supported for a decade without wasting resources. the small FWD cars for entry-level and FWD purists. the mid FWD/AWD cars could reach many markets if done correctly. (the Continental should be built as the BMW/Lexus/MB equal with a V-8, and both Lincoln sedans could be suicide-door capable think 61-69 ) RWD cars have their place for people who like American style cars,large families and fleet buyers who require sturdy and powerful platforms.

what is the procedure to get a window sticker from the archive? (if possible)

do you know how many Powerstroke Lariets ford never sold because cloth was not an option? (except in canada) from my perspective tens of thousands. 4 to me alone. the whole reason the original mustang was a hit, was it could be customized to suit the customers desires. when ford went to packages, they lost sales, yeah it was cheaper, but it also cheapened them. I realize that anytime you change something, it affects other components, but that is their fault, the wiring harness could be wired to support all of it, then just install what is ordered. ford did this back when they knew how to make money. a main harness, with add-ons for options, my 96 E-series has the wiring harness for power mirrors (I added them) my 73-79 F-series have one plug that adds in A/C from non a/c. its doable. I didnt buy two new Grand marquis after 03 when the floor shift was no longer available. they made them, but only to sell in the middle east, I guess my money wasnt good enough. I wont buy a CV now for the same reason. (yes I can buy fleet if I want) there isnt any reason for me to buy a new ford, as they dont offer me any value over a used car, so I dont buy new anymore. I'm not alone. my last six trucks were XLTs because leather isnt an option I'm interested in having on a work truck, I wanted to have the other goodies in the lariet, but I couldnt, ford lost out on about $1k per truck as I went down to XLT, and bitched about it. now lets talk Honda. its an appliance. when I buy a drier, I only need three or four options to choose from, so it fits. where your argument dies off, is when you look at the cars. EX.DX.HX.ETC they all have different parts, they are for all purposes different cars, that could have had different names, as they are almost unrelated. go buy almost anything for a honda and you need to know whether its a DX,EX.HX,LX or whatever because they have wildly different components from bumper to bumper. and those change every three months. many parts are specific to the plant it was built in. two cars can be EXs, but have different parts built on the same day in different countries. where are the savings? why should I have to stock 16 different brake pads for three cars?It would be better to build one car, and allow the customer to decide how to outfit it, just make the different options mount/install similarly enough to make it easy and quick. again, ford did this back when they made money. Boeing only needs a few options, they have few customers all with similar needs and one competitor , a car company has many customers, with many more needs, and 30 competitors, plus used as an added competitor.

Canada has the worlds 2nd largest oil supply on earth, why should they care about ethanol?

I understand the beloved ranger comment. I take delivery of two more new ones next week, and have to bid farewell to two of my older ones. 120k miles each, deliveries 6 days a week. never had to invest a cent past basic maint. never missed a day of work. why is that a bad thing?

I can toss my hammer, cause you nailed it. the auction yards are full of used up appliances fronting as decent cars.

as far as seeing repairs and parts sales around here, the ford trio way out performs the Honda and Toyota small suvs. I hardly ever see the fords in for anything but brakes, and DPFE sensors. the Rav4 is a suspension eating nightmare, and expensive. Toyotas in general are a nightmare recently. the Honda thing I generally cant get anything for, but is a common sighting in the shops I supply.

if I may ask, do you work at sunrise?

a taxi like that would remind me that I'm just so much freight being hauled around in the fed ex truck. it is ugly. slap a london taxi body on that drivetrain if you want to be euro

you can get them new for less than $17k you'd be stupid not to consider it, if looking at 6 passenger sedans. they aren't the end-all car for everybody, but with some effort, the CV didn't need to be demoted to fleet. they still sold better and with more unit profit, than cars considered "successful". and the platform is new as of 03. only sheet metal and the name stayed the same. why not re-body a successful, profitable 4 yr old platform?

when I was hauling scrap years ago I heard a story about a guy who was scrapping a steel building on a rail siding. he ordered six gondolas to haul off the scrap to the scrap yard. when the loads were ready to be picked up, there were only five gondolas full of scrap.He claimed they only delivered five. the guy cut up the sixth and loaded it below the building scrap. he got caught at the scrap yard when it was unloaded.

speaking from a customer viewpoint, Lincoln isn't always user friendly. when I recently asked about a 08 Mark LT I was looking at online. I called the L/M dealer to simply ask what three optional packages consisted of. (the website does not explain them at all) I assume they have ordering guides, and perhaps a few in stock, but in 20 minutes on the phone, nobody on that end had any idea what the packages consisted of. 2008 Lincoln Mark LT - Mark LT 4x4 6.5 Class IV Trailer Tow Deluxe Power Package $1,195.00 Elite Package $4,695.00 Chrome-Plated Running Boards Skid Plates $160.00 35.7 Gallon Fuel Tank $95.00 SIRIUS® Satellite Radio Package (NA in Alaska and Hawaii) All Weather Floor Mats– Color Keyed, Front and Rear $75.00 Leather-Trimmed Captain's Chairs with 60/40 2nd Row 18" 7-Spoke Aluminum Wheels Electronic 4-Speed Automatic Transmission w/Overdrive 3.73 Limited Slip Axle Ratio P275/65R18 BSW All-Terrain Tires Vivid Red Clearcoat Metallic Interior - Ebony Destination and Delivery $925.00 Total $47,690.00 Technology Package $2,210.00 Deluxe Power Package $1,195.00 Elite Package $4,695.00 I suppose there are folks that are willing to plop down $4700 on an unknown option package, but I'm not one of them.

my old dealer in California was started in 1948, and stayed in one location. they were family owned and operated, and many employees were there for decades. they sold out in 2005 (but it has stayed a L/M franchise) the owners son told me there was no future in it for them, as nobody in Dearborn has any clue what they are doing, and were running both divisions into the ground. starting with Jack Nasser its hard to argue with that logic. I hope and pray that there is a bright future for both brands, as I am inclined in that direction since childhood. but I'm afraid its not to be with the current leadership's lack of vision (or the current vision anyway) it wouldn't be a business I would want to invest in, they have overall brand recognition, but zero model recognition outside Navigator and Town Car. both have been left out to pasture too long, and the other models are changing names too fast for the general public to know what they are. also killing off the LS just as it took hold wasn't great either. people who like the LS go to discover it no longer exists, this kills trust in the brand. same with the zephyr, the name change scares people, who don't want to drive an orphan car. Ford has burned its traditional base with all three brands, that will take a long time to win back, and in the meantime its appears to be drifting aimlessly around changing names.

yeah the superduty pictured is a good looking truck, its younger siblings were beaten to death with the ugly stick however. perhaps that will curtail the stealing problem? seems like the story was blaming the heavy duty truck for being a popular item for thieves? how about shooting the smugglers? that would work much better than blaming the truck. I wasn't aware that the super duties didn't have the chipped keys. considering a Lariat Powerstroke can reach $60k that seems pretty stupid of ford's part, when a $21K Grand Marquis has it.

the mariner. I knew if I thought long and hard enough I'd remember it. (actually it was the mariner commercial that did it)