Chrisgb
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Posts posted by Chrisgb
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14 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:
I just don't see the Thunderbird name making a comeback for any reason. It would probably be some crossover flagship that pissed off fans. But unlike using the mustang name on the mach-e, where it was worth the risk to create something sporty with a ton of brand recognition, most casual buyers don't have any idea what a Thunderbird is unless they were born in the 50s or 60s. It's just one of those names that's fallen out of the cultural mainstream.
In terms of names Ford should revive, Galaxie, it's perfect for some sort of flagship EV, futuristic, not clunky sounding like Thunderbird. I'm stunned they haven't tried to apply it to some sort of EV over the last few years.
I wonder in this day and age of the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians, if "Thunderbird" might be an awkward moniker. Ford Authority reports awhile back that Ford Copyrighted "Capri" again, a name that has been used on a few different body types over the years. I think it would be a good name for a Charger-type sedan or coupe. The Capri name has always graced Ford Motor's carefree and/or sporty cars throughout the years.
Top to Bottom: 1954 Lincoln Capri, 1991 Mercury Capri (imported, Ford AUS), 1979 Mercury Capri II, 1970 Mercury Capri (imported, Ford Cologne)
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To be clear, Safety Recalls are for safety concerns, that may or have resulted in injury or death. The manufacturer must disclose the nature, potential hazard, and remedy to the NHTSA. A TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) is for remedy of a non-safety issue, and doesn't need to be reported. As an example from my own 2021 Ranger, there was a Safety Recall for potentially misinstalled seatbelts on some trucks. I also had a TSB fix done for a software update for rough shifting.
The simple answer is, a manufacturer will go to extraordinary lengths to let you know about a Safety Recall, TSBs you have to find out on your own.
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The pen is mightier than the Product Planning Group. CUVs, SUVs SAVs and probably UFOs are classified as "Trucks," for EPA purposes.
If the EPA was to stick to its guns, all those up to D-size; Expedition, Suburban, Sequoia et al would be "Passenger Vehicles" and conform to those economy standards. We would see the return to lighter cheaper B- and C- sedans and coupes, or 70s style SUVs with 127hp.
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Ford is spending $2-3B annually on recalls, the highest of any manufacturer. Wouldn't it be more prudent to spend the money up front to make more reliable parts in the first place? Many unforeseen problems can crop up over a vehicle's life, and recalls cannot be totally eliminated, but there are many such as this 1.0 EcoBoost recall that are probably the result of buying the minimum spec, from the lowest bidder belt supplier.
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On 1/6/2024 at 8:47 PM, atomcat68 said:
And 3 out of the 4 Fiats are discontinued and they're still selling them.
Reminds me of an old record player tone arm that just keeps weaving back and forth in the end groove.
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56 minutes ago, silvrsvt said:
That will never happen with lawyers and not to mention it would make the vehicles even more expensive to make because you'd have two different ways of building and knock on effects of quality going to shit because there are multiple ways of building something.
If there was really a crisis in the insurance industry (aka them not making $$$) you'd see it or at least start seeing it with your claims. Apparently its not an "issue" or you'd see push back from insurers. It would be like back in the 1970s when muscle cars where too expensive to insure by their owners.
35 minutes ago, akirby said:
It’s not a crisis because the insurers just pass on the added costs to us.The insurance industry ain't hurting. Notice how their commercials have supplanted beer commercials? If I had a choice of buying a Ford "SNT" (Sans NannyTronics) or one with state of the art passive & active safety devices, would the SNT cost less initially and have a lower insurance premium, or is it possibly the case where, the insurance industry lobbies for more and more sophisticated safety measures, making premiums rise, while arguably injury & death settlements may be decreasing, in number (fewer claims) if not amount, and become easier to write off damaged vehicle because the safety tech pushes repair costs over the wholesale value. This keeps a lot of otherwise safely repairable vehicles off the market, increasing demand, which also keeps overall premiums higher than they might be otherwise.
I am not up on the specifics, but I believe Mexico and/or other Latin American markets offer vehicles without much of the safety gear at substantially lower prices, and presumably lower insurance premiums
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20 minutes ago, silvrsvt said:
https://fordauthority.com/2024/01/fallout-from-chip-shortage-expected-to-persist-for-years/
Found this interesting:
We need a two tier NHTSA regulation. Tier1: all the nannytronics; hands free driving, on down. Tier2: none of the nannytronics. There are a lot of people who don't need or want airbags covering every square inch of the cabin, and turn off or set to minimum the intelligent cruise, auto panic braking, lane keeping etc, both in new cars and in used.
it It's becoming too expensive to repair a vehicle nowadays. Otherwise repairable vehicles are being totaled, because the expense of replacing the the technology increasingly pushes the cost of repair over the loan value of the vehicle.
I can't remember who wrote it back in the padded vinyl roof era, Pat Bedard or maybe Brock Yates; somebody: When steering wheel airbags were first mandated, It was suggested that the best crash avoidance system would be, instead of a balloon exploding at your chest, weld a rusty railroad spike in the steering wheel hub pointing right at your heart. Maybe drivers would think twice about tailgating.
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Leasing isn't as attractive as it was 25 years ago, when mfr's were pouring on heavy subsidies. Then, it made sense to lease a new Focus for $249/mo 24 mo lease vs buying at $249/ mo 72 mo. Lease payments were relatively stable and, depending on the timing and model you could keep your payments virtually the same and keep sliding new vehicles under it. I did this with my '97 Escort, '99 Cougar Base, and 2000 Focus ('01 30mo)
The classic argument against leasing is, you don't own anything. But who owns a financed car?
These days leases aren'r subvened to the degree they once were, and so the lowball lease payment is advertised with "$XXXX due at signing." But I've shifted strategy since retirement, choosing to hang on to my 2009 Mercury Mariner (Mercury will come back, you just wait!), and my 2021 Ranger, which I plan to drive "to the Moon" (~245,000mi).
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17 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:
. A young person buys a Corvette because they want others to think they're successful, an older person buys a Corvette because they want a Corvette.
...and hopes no one is watching them as the get in or get out...
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We had OK to not too shabby incomes during our working years. Nice, though modest homes with big yards, and we were able to afford one nice vehicle at a time and one "experienced." The nice ones were almost all demos while I was in car sales. We had three kids in sports and dance, took a few vacations, a good life IMHO. We tried to expose our kids to as many opportunities that they were interested in as we could, so the vehicles were treated as appliances. We even had two minivans at the same time for a while, and our choice was to put vehicles well down in the budget priorities.
With health care, $800-1,000 a month daycare per child, $350K starter homes, I just wonder sometimes when I see a young family cruising along in a lifted 60+K Crew Cab, if some opportunities were sacrificed in their lives for that $900 72-month payment.
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36 minutes ago, MrGarabaldi said:
I have been gone a while, didn't mean to be gone so long. I am still a Ford Enthusiast even though my Ford Plant closed down in 2006, I still drive nothing but Fords. hence my dilemma,
I am looking at a newer truck because my 1999 F150 Lariat is getting long in the tooth. I an trying to decide between a 2016-2020 F150 Lariat or a 2020+ Ranger Lariat. Because I work at the Airport, I have a 40+ mile each way commute to work so fuel economy is a consideration. I have looked on the website and failed to see how people are doing on gas. The truck will be my primary ride. I am leaning toward the F150 but I can't seem to find any accurate information on fuel usage. I am interested in either a 4X2 or a 4X4 configuration, the 5.0 or the 3.5 or even the 2.7 with the 6 speed or the 10 speed tranny. then there is the Ranger, LOL
If any members can give me any information, it would be appreciated.
I have a 2021 Ranger SuperCab 4WD and I regularly get 22-25 mpg empty. I can get over 31mpg with a balloon foot and level 55-60mph driving. I've put over 51,000mi on it and recently had the transmission software reflashed, which improved a harsh shifting condition, otherwise it's been a joy to drive. The Ranger fits better in my townhouse 22' W x24' L garage with plenty of clearance to open the doors of either vehicle; something that might have been an inconvenience with an 84in wide F150.
I've always ben a V-by-God-and-Henry-Ford-8 guy, but the 2.3l Ecoboost 4cyl is a good match, Plenty of low end power and economical.
Mine is pretty much just for personal transportation, and I don't need heavy payload or towing capacity. When I'm not hauling sailboat fuel, i haul my 470lb adventure bike across timezones, ride & camp then load up the bike and head home.
The Ranger is hard to come by currently, very few have been built since the strike, but production should be ramping up. I ordered mine out and I recommend doing that no matter what vehicle you are considering. Most dealers order two or three different models with only the options that will sell readily, and it can be hard to find one that is equipped the way that you really want.
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I use mine often in extremes of temperature to keep the engine and either heat or A/C running with the key in the ignition. I can lock or unlock the Ranger or the Mariner from the key pad when running a short errand. My Flex and Escape both had Intelligent Access fobs, and I often would leave the fob in the center console and use the keypad.
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1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:
I've seen a few F-150s done up as cop or state patrol cars, which I thought was interesting.
1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:I've seen a few F-150s done up as cop or state patrol cars, which I thought was interesting.
1 hour ago, akirby said:
Our city has Silverados and Tahoes. Other nearby cities have F150s. County switched from chargers to Explorer PIUs.Many counties with a large proportion of water have pickup LEVs. My county (Pierce County, WI) patrols 23,000 acres of water incl portions of the MS and St Croix Rivers with two boats 22' &18' with at least two Super Duty's. Neighboring counties along the river way also are like equipped. Plus, MN and WI DNR's.
48 minutes ago, ice-capades said:I don't know about the 2024MY F-150's, but through the 2023MY Ford offered a F-150 Police Responder model.
Appears to be a SuperDuty on the cover.
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14 hours ago, silvrsvt said:
That is simple-people are willing to spend more money on a vehicle that acts like a swiss army knife then basic transportation that a sedan or coupe is. There are a whole host of reasons why, and much of it is touched on in this thread.
been
There is lots of fist shaking at the sky that US consumers need to buy smaller cars, when they never really did unless they where dirt cheap and that doesn't really work out well for Automakers.
Ride in any late model full size 4dr pickup, especially 2wd. America has always about glider smooth ride and bring everybody and everything along. Today's F-150, Silverado, Ram1500 are the replacements for Crown Victoria, Impala, and Fury/Monaco. We used to pull our boats & RVs, go dear & elk hunting in our sedans and wagons. The need for big iron will likely always be in the American psyche. If I was a product planner, I'd bring out e-Vics; 4000+lb towing, 3-box sedans and 2-box wagons and shaped for aesthetics and not EPA regs, and with a model that put all the level ll & lll nanny features in a separate option group.
1948 Wisconsin Rapids hunters, 1936 Chevrolet? Note the bear on the driver's side roof!
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On 12/15/2023 at 6:02 PM, T-dubz said:
I believe this new system also requires a cellular subscription. GM says they will pay for the first 8 yrs of it. Let’s see how long that lasts. I can only imagine how low the prices will be for used GM vehicles as they approach the 8 year mark. No one is going to want to buy them.
What the Renaissance Center taketh away, the developers in Mom's basement shall restoreth...
I'm sure that soon after GM rolls out their exclusive infotainment system, there will be a patch to enable Android & CarPlay, authorized or not. I also believe GM's system will be short lived, and that they will "reimagine" an AA/ACP system before the 8 year free subscription ends.
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We need the Texas Troubadour to provide positivity and excu..., er, well reasoned opinion on this.
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Is it mainly stand-alone stores (can't be very many)? Most are dualed with GMC and/or Cadillac; do they have to spend money on each franchise to upgrade, or is it a one size fits all? Six or eight level 2 chargers and training should be good to cover all of your GM nameplates.
I think it's too early for a dealer to have to declare in or out. You spend a quarter to half a million on being e-certified, then don't get any product for 2-4 years? There's probably some that finally got the 2012 store makeover paid off
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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the garage
Not a creature was stirring not even the Dodge
The tires were hung on the rack with great care
In hopes that St Nicholas would fill them with airThe engine was tucked all snug in it's bed
While visions of spark plugs danced in its heads
With me in the front seat and the wife in the back
We’d just settled down after having a snack.When outside the garage we heard a loud roar
Open lakes pipes, dual barrels of four
So we rose just enough to look over the hood
To see what we could see, the best that we could.
The Moon-equipped sled was parked in the snow
Blue Coral luster made it aglowWith a suited-up driver that maneuvered so slick
And a personalized plate that announced ST NICKWith a booming voice that sounded so great,
He commanded his convoy, a party of eight“On Nash, er, on Lancer on Chevy and Caddy
Lowest ET for this Big Daddy!
“Now Comet and Falcon and Kaiser and Lark
We’ve got a lot to do while it is still dark!!With Santa In charge of the large entourage,
They unloaded the swag inside the garage
From Perfect Circle, (rings of chrome moly)
Hooker and Hurst, and Edelbrock, by golly!As quick as it started, it soon was complete
We knew this night could never be beat.
And we heard him exclaim as they drove out of sight“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
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1 hour ago, HotRunrGuy said:
I can't find it, but does this site allow users to "block" seeing posts from selected members? I find that feature pretty useful on other forums.
HRG
Blocking is useful on more juvenile forums, where some members troll with misspelled expletives and extremely narrow views. Otherwise I can simply scroll past a member I frequently disagree with. Personally I don't on this site. I may disagree with a member's view on a topic but everyone here whom are at least semi regular contributors are able to get their viewpoint across without vulgar personal attacks, and criticisms are mostly on point IMO
Peace out.
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1 hour ago, akirby said:
Aluminum vs piano black was the only difference. Both had the clock.
This must be an LX or whatever was above the base Fusion. I just remember the one we looked at was not as nice as the Milan. Both were at an F-L-M dealer.and the Fusion didn't have the all important analog clock (happy wife happy life).
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28 minutes ago, Danford1 said:
I’ve been trying. They claim it is in the warehouse and he can’t go there he has to stay in the office.
im thinking it is a scam and they don’t have the car at all.
I want to have someone go there and see.This car must be pretty special for this extraordinary request. I would think the broker would already have at least basic, exterior, interior, engine bay photos onhand to upload. I would go with your "scam" instinct and keep looking. I'm wary of to good to be true deals; they usually are.
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44 minutes ago, akirby said:
I had a 06 Fusion. Milan had the exact same interior. MKZ was different.
They should have gone ahead with global RWD and 100% unique designs in the early 2000s, I’ll say our Nautilus is the best vehicle we’ve ever owned as far as design, comfort and features. The higher price is totally justified.
The Fusion/ Milan layout was the same, but the center stack and steering wheel had more bling, vs Fusion and of course, an analog clock.
but who cares now. Both of our cars are probably rebar in somebody's driveway.
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59 minutes ago, ice-capades said:
Alan Mulally expressed strongly that the Lincoln Division should be dropped. It was the Ford family members that insisted on keeping Lincoln and investing in new product to revitalize the brand.
"Didn't envy "One Ford Alan's" job of trying to convince WCF to cut the Division. I wasn't there of course, but it would've been interesting to be a fly on the wall".
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1 hour ago, fuzzymoomoo said:
He axed the Mercury division when it was obvious at least a decade earlier it should be done. GM meanwhile still can’t figure out where GMC and Buick fit in their hierarchy. And don’t give me that Buick is big in China line, if they were serious about the Chinese market they would figure it out with another brand.On topic: IMO Mercury did its best when it was aligned structurally with Lincon rather than Ford, up to the Panther era IOW. Having said that, we had a 2006 Mercury Milan (CD3) and we chose it over the Fusion for its nicer interior and option package content. And of course the cute little analog clock in the dash that was in vogue at the time. Nice car, big enough for us, and at that time a fwd Lincoln MKZ didn't seem right; couldn't swing an LS either.
Off topic but within range: 20-20 hindsight; i think Mulally should have axed the Lincoln Division at the same time as Merc, and gone the EU Vignale route with One Ford. Make it a limited model above or instead of Titanium & Platinum trims, with exclusive options or available only on Vignale the first couple years. Maybe do a Lincoln-ish F/R clip treatment. The faded-in-the-public's eye Lincoln Motor Company can't be adding to the Blue oval's bottom line with a separate sales channel for 75,000-odd sales. I believe that that many Ford Vignales could have been sold with a lot less overhead even at a lower, "Mercury" price point.. Didn't envy "One Ford Alan's" job of trying to convince WCF to cut the Division. I wasn't there of course, but it would've been interesting to be a fly on the wall.
2025 charger production design completely revealed
in Competing Products
Posted
Oh, that's right. Sure doesn't remind me of a sunny island of the Southern Italy coast.
Maybe it's not too late to re-copyright Consul or Popular