Explorer EV and Capri are prime examples of the tinking at Ford back in 2018 when using VW MEB toolkit seemed like a good idea before Ford knew how to develop affordable BEVs, we’r seven or eight years on and the promise of affordable EVs is still to be delivered. On the face of it, EVs look to be simpler to mage but I think the issue is the complexity and cost within the battery - something that has always tripped up faster embrace of EVs…..

I get the feeling that the great Ford reset will have us all scrambling for leaks over the next year or so. At least it gets folks talking about Ford which is important when you have very few new vehicles to show…

As countries develop, they become less dependent on oil for economic growth. Oil intensity has been declining for decades. Countries are moving away from fossil fuels because they are disposable and few countries have control over their source of energy. Renewables are allowing those countries to aggressively lower their Oil intensity.   Oil Intensity: The Curiously Steady Decline of Oil in GDP    

I remember the base 2012 Focus S had power front windows and hand cranks in the rear. Odd choice since the rest of the models already had power rear windows. Two designs cheaper than one design and slightly more content? 

I agree—it’s petty. But we did have a fun little crime spree over the summer where kids were breaking into cars for entertainment. All they had to do was press the garage door opener to get full access, because obviously the garage is reserved for Grandma’s finest RoomToGo antiques, while the cars with monthly payments get slow-roasted in the Florida sun.   So I did hear from a few people who didn't want homelink in their vehicle and instead of "Oh you can de-program it so it doesn't give access to the garage...but instead it became "Have you considered throwing away all that paid off garbage in your garage and just park your car inside?"     And we aren't talking homes with 2 car garage...it's 3-4 car garages  🤪

It might have been mentioned before but I just learned that the '26 Mustang does not have HomeLink on any trim level or with any option.   That would come close to being a deal breaker for me.    Clipping a garage door opener to a visor is about as crude as having a prop rod to hold up the hood. 

https://fordauthority.com/2026/02/2026-ford-expedition-drops-standard-4-way-head-restraints/ ...on Active only. Still std on Tremor, King Ranch & Platinum, and as part of a $3130 option group on Active.

Here is the problem-that same oil is being used for other things that don't have viable replacements.    We've been an oil based economy for over 125 years now, it going to take at least half that time to even maybe cut back on 1/2 the amount of oil we use

Thanks guys. I've seen other Mark VIIs lowered even more and some of them look pretty good. However, with the wheel and tire package I have this is about as low as I can go and that is mostly because of the situation at the front. In order to make this wheel and tire combo fit, I had to use a set of 15mm thick adapters on the front. That placed the 255 series tires far enough away from the struts to avoid rubbing them. That also allowed the wheel center caps to clear the dust caps on the stock hubs.   Unfortunately, that also puts the tire outer sidewalls about as far out as possible without looking silly, but it's close. I definitely can't go any lower in front without risking the tires rubbing the fenders. The only way to change that would be to either go with a narrower front tire or switch to SN95 Mustang spindles, hubs and brakes. The SN95 parts would eliminate the need for the wheel adapters but would probably put the inside of the tire too close to the strut. At that point I would probably need to go with a different wheel offset and/or width which might be hard to get in this style of wheel which means I would probably have to go with different wheels all around. I really like this style of wheel on this car so for now I'm probably just going to leave well enough alone. It's a good compromise and I agree that from an appearance standpoint, it probably is the sweet spot anyway.   BTW, those wheels and tires had only 3k miles on them and I got all four for less than $800 which included shipping. And, they were already mounted and balanced. If I had bought them new I would have easily tripled that price. Hard to pass up a deal like that and it was extra incentive to try and make them work. They were originally purchased for a S197 Mustang GT and, to be honest, I didn't realize just how different the front suspension and hubs were on those cars compared to the Fox body cars which is what this Lincoln is. About the only thing they share with the Mark VII is the 5x4.5 wheel stud pattern and on the Fox Mustangs even that was different.   If I ever need to replace the tires I might go with narrower front tires on the same wheels which would probably look a little better and minimize any rubbing issues if I wanted to go even lower, which I don't.   As it is, I haven't experienced any rubbing, even at full steering lock.   The SN95 hubs would also give me the option to go with bigger Cobra front brakes but I'm not trying to build a race car so I don't really see the need to go to all that effort and expense. The car already has four-wheel discs and ABS, all of which seems to work just fine.   My goal here has been to build a decent looking, fun to drive and budget friendly cruiser and so far I'm pretty happy with the results.  

Thank you as well. So much going on right now, thankfully ive been with ford for a long time so im in a better position than people with lower seniority. Ford could’ve very well closed Oakville if they wanted to but thankfully we’re carrying on.