Jump to content

Bronco Delayed


Recommended Posts

36 minutes ago, PREMiERdrum said:

As I understand it- 5/3 they expect to have full stock of roof options to build in normal progression.

 

I expect *many* will be built prior to 5/3 awaiting a roof.

So will Ford erect weather proof tents in parking lots for all of those freshly built Broncos awaiting roofs?  Doubtful, but I suppose anything is possible.  IMO, customer orders will be assembled when roofs are available to install, if that starts on 5/3, so be it.  I don’t want my Bronco sitting outdoors (in a tent or otherwise) for weeks while it waits for a roof to be delivered/installed.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, 02MustangGT said:

So will Ford erect weather proof tents in parking lots for all of those freshly built Broncos awaiting roofs?  Doubtful, but I suppose anything is possible.  IMO, customer orders will be assembled when roofs are available to install, if that starts on 5/3, so be it.  I don’t want my Bronco sitting outdoors (in a tent or otherwise) for weeks while it waits for a roof to be delivered/installed.  

The delayed Job 1 start is a safety in case certain parts are not available, that may or may not happen.

but in any case, Ford is not prepared to risk Job 1 building Broncos without all parts being available.

 

Either way, there's plenty of opportunity to build Broncos with available roof options prior to Job 1

but doing temporary roof panels/ weatherproofing to store in the open might be a long shot option.....

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, jpd80 said:

The delayed Job 1 start is a safety in case certain parts are not available, that may or may not happen.

but in any case, Ford is not prepared to risk Job 1 building Broncos without all parts being available.

 

Either way, there's plenty of opportunity to build Broncos with available roof options prior to Job 1

but doing temporary roof panels/ weatherproofing to store in the open might be a long shot option.....

I’m well aware of the delay and all of the insider/media reports regarding the roofs manufactured by Webasto (relying on a single manufacturer and a brand new facility to source ALL Bronco tops).  Ford would be wise in this situation to not rush the assembly of Broncos only to have the vehicles sit in a parking lot/holding facility awaiting roof installation.  PR nightmare in my opinion.  Hence the 5/3 job 1 date and “summer” delivery.  
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, 02MustangGT said:

I’m well aware of the delay and all of the insider/media reports regarding the roofs manufactured by Webasto (relying on a single manufacturer and a brand new facility to source ALL Bronco tops).  Ford would be wise in this situation to not rush the assembly of Broncos only to have the vehicles sit in a parking lot/holding facility awaiting roof installation.  PR nightmare in my opinion.  Hence the 5/3 job 1 date and “summer” delivery.  
 

They're not rushing anything but the builds that will be done in front of Job 1 are dependent on what's available.

Throwing temporary covers over those vehicles mightn't be a problem.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

They're not rushing anything but the builds that will be done in front of Job 1 are dependent on what's available.

Throwing temporary covers over those vehicles mightn't be a problem.

 

Again, Ford can do what they want, but building customer ordered Broncos prior to finalized tops being available is not a good look.  Now if you are theorizing that either finalized MIC hard top or soft top will be manufactured and delivered for factory assembled Broncos prior to the 5/3 job 1 date, then that’s a different story.   Otherwise, I’m not willing to take delivery of a $50k plus vehicle that’s been sitting in a holding lot for weeks with some type of temporary cover.   We will see how this plays out, but delayed job 1 and delivery dates doesn’t give me a lot of confidence.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, 02MustangGT said:

Again, Ford can do what they want, but building customer ordered Broncos prior to finalized tops being available is not a good look.  Now if you are theorizing that either finalized MIC hard top or soft top will be manufactured and delivered for factory assembled Broncos prior to the 5/3 job 1 date, then that’s a different story.   Otherwise, I’m not willing to take delivery of a $50k plus vehicle that’s been sitting in a holding lot for weeks with some type of temporary cover.   We will see how this plays out, but delayed job 1 and delivery dates doesn’t give me a lot of confidence.  

 

Luckilly  that $50k vehicle is designed to be driven without a roof, windows, and doors, and washed out with a hose.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will Ford be willing to invest money in vehicles that can't be sold yet?  Manpower, materials, components all paid for and you can't recoup the investment.  A quick interest calculation may convince management to delay as much of the manufacturing and purchase costs as possible until you can release vehicles for sale.  It's not just roofless cars sitting in a lot, it's cash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, KeyLime said:

Will Ford be willing to invest money in vehicles that can't be sold yet?  Manpower, materials, components all paid for and you can't recoup the investment.  A quick interest calculation may convince management to delay as much of the manufacturing and purchase costs as possible until you can release vehicles for sale.  It's not just roofless cars sitting in a lot, it's cash.

Ford has more orders than production capacity. They will have no problem selling those Broncos once the roofs come in. The more broncos they can build now, the better.

 

I'm more interested in what ford does with its labor in the meantime. Do they still have to pay factory workers whom have nothing to do while the Bronco is delayed?

Edited by probowler
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, 02MustangGT said:

So will Ford erect weather proof tents in parking lots for all of those freshly built Broncos awaiting roofs?  Doubtful, but I suppose anything is possible.  IMO, customer orders will be assembled when roofs are available to install, if that starts on 5/3, so be it.  I don’t want my Bronco sitting outdoors (in a tent or otherwise) for weeks while it waits for a roof to be delivered/installed.  

 

Bronco production should start with dealer stock orders first, not retail orders, which is the usual process. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, ice-capades said:

 

Bronco production should start with dealer stock orders first, not retail orders, which is the usual process. 


But there is no dealer stock except maybe two demonstrators per dealership (I think).  That’s what they’re doing with Bronco Sport.  Each dealer gets two and they can’t sell them before 4K miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, ice-capades said:

 

Bronco production should start with dealer stock orders first, not retail orders, which is the usual process. 

 

Nothing usual about this one.

 

A vast majority of customer orders will be fulfilled before dealer stock units are built. They're in quite the corner here.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, KeyLime said:

Will Ford be willing to invest money in vehicles that can't be sold yet?  Manpower, materials, components all paid for and you can't recoup the investment.  A quick interest calculation may convince management to delay as much of the manufacturing and purchase costs as possible until you can release vehicles for sale.  It's not just roofless cars sitting in a lot, it's cash.


 

Different time but in the late 90s they built Expeditions and Navigators with no seats and transmissions that they knew would have to be changed. Drove them with 2 milk crates screwed together

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, akirby said:


But there is no dealer stock except maybe two demonstrators per dealership (I think).  That’s what they’re doing with Bronco Sport.  Each dealer gets two and they can’t sell them before 4K miles.

 

Yes, the Dealers have to put demonstration units into service through the Ford Courtesy Transportation program for a certain time and mileage requirement before they can be sold. These units would be scheduled and built as stock orders and then be put into the program after they're delivered to dealerships. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, 02MustangGT said:

Not in this case sir.  Ford has stated that reservations converted to orders for Bronco will be produced/delivered prior to any dealer stock.  

 

I understand that but Ford had better have its "A'" game on as far as attention to quality and media relations or they risk another black eye for a botched introduction, negative press, etc. The whole process that's been in place for years, not even scheduling retail orders until after the OTB status has been achieved, is being upended because of the overwhelming number of retail reservations. The whole process of building stock orders first was to ensure that any issues were resolved before units were released for shipping or retail orders were built. Now throw in the supplier issue with roofs and you probably expect months of speculation as to how Bronco startup production is going to move forward, pre or post the revised Job #1 Date.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, PREMiERdrum said:

 

Nothing usual about this one.

 

A vast majority of customer orders will be fulfilled before dealer stock units are built. They're in quite the corner here.

 

No question about it. You've got an all-new vehicle line, basically sold out for at least the first Model Year, tremendous press attention and exposure, a long list of ordering specifications available and now supplier issues that have to be dealt with. Pushing the Job #1 Date back buys them time to sort things out as the situation develops further.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, probowler said:

I'm more interested in what ford does with its labor in the meantime. Do they still have to pay factory workers whom have nothing to do while the Bronco is delayed?


I'll try to answer this as best I can without getting myself into trouble here.

 

What they’re doing now is just short work weeking us. We (Bronco line) just came back off of a 6 week layoff and my line at least hasn't had anything on the build schedule so we all rotate on the floor pan line building Ranger pans and the rest go home after a few hours. Union contract allows us to still get paid up to 40 hours but at a reduced rate for the hours we don't work. So if I'm only there 3 hours I'll get my full pay for those 3 hours but it will be a reduced rate for the other 5. I expect the this to continue through the end of the year. 
 

I don't know if the other preproduction phases have been pushed back too or not since all this has happened basically in the last week. What I can see happening is we go on our normal Christmas/New Years break then either come back for pilot builds after or another temporary layoff. Hopefully it's settled before we break for the holidays. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, ice-capades said:

I understand that but Ford had better have its "A'" game on as far as attention to quality and media relations or they risk another black eye for a botched introduction, negative press, etc. 


We usually don't have quality issues at MAP, not since I've worked there at least. Management has really been driving home quality since I went back to work on Monday. I've seen and been handed more quality related bulletins in the last week than what is typical for a whole year, and I'm only on body shop where its really hard to mess a job up and effect quality, our jobs are pretty foolproof. I can only imagine how much more they’re doing over in final assembly. I have an idea based on my prior experience working in that building. They're dead serious about this launch going off without any flaws and everyone on the line knows what’s at stake here. We have the best launch team in the company, I have no doubt about that. 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


We usually don't have quality issues at MAP, not since I've worked there at least. Management has really been driving home quality since I went back to work on Monday. I've seen and been handed more quality related bulletins in the last week than what is typical for a whole year, and I'm only on body shop where its really hard to mess a job up and effect quality, our jobs are pretty foolproof. I can only imagine how much more they’re doing over in final assembly. I have an idea based on my prior experience working in that building. They're dead serious about this launch going off without any flaws and everyone on the line knows what’s at stake here. We have the best launch team in the company, I have no doubt about that. 

 

Good point about the Ranger launch as an example of the quality of work from MAP.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, 02MustangGT said:

Again, Ford can do what they want, but building customer ordered Broncos prior to finalized tops being available is not a good look.  Now if you are theorizing that either finalized MIC hard top or soft top will be manufactured and delivered for factory assembled Broncos prior to the 5/3 job 1 date, then that’s a different story.   Otherwise, I’m not willing to take delivery of a $50k plus vehicle that’s been sitting in a holding lot for weeks with some type of temporary cover.   We will see how this plays out, but delayed job 1 and delivery dates doesn’t give me a lot of confidence.  

I never said customer orders, pilot production and crew training are all necessary before Job 1

What we don't know is how many roof parts are able to be  delivered to Ford  for the prototypes,

it could be precious few or it could be enough for those builds.....

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


I'll try to answer this as best I can without getting myself into trouble here.

 

What they’re doing now is just short work weeking us. We (Bronco line) just came back off of a 6 week layoff and my line at least hasn't had anything on the build schedule so we all rotate on the floor pan line building Ranger pans and the rest go home after a few hours. Union contract allows us to still get paid up to 40 hours but at a reduced rate for the hours we don't work. So if I'm only there 3 hours I'll get my full pay for those 3 hours but it will be a reduced rate for the other 5. I expect the this to continue through the end of the year. 
 

I don't know if the other preproduction phases have been pushed back too or not since all this has happened basically in the last week. What I can see happening is we go on our normal Christmas/New Years break then either come back for pilot builds after or another temporary layoff. Hopefully it's settled before we break for the holidays. 

I'm glad they're at least trying something to keep you guys semi employed and busy. Good luck to you and the rest of the guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, probowler said:

I'm glad they're at least trying something to keep you guys semi employed and busy. Good luck to you and the rest of the guys.


My line is one of the few on Bronco team that has anything to do with Rangers, and that's only a few jobs building Floor pans, plus a Hilo and a team leader. It's going to be interesting to see how they work in building Ranger pans amongst Bronco pans since we can't build both at the same time. 

Edited by fuzzymoomoo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...