Right Bill, the son never posted...........the fact somebody would post as an 8 year old using the exact syntax is just .


I really wish these people would support a GM site........if they left FTE, the IQ of both sides would average higher.

 

as long as we are on the topic mind my chirping about there latest and greatest car announcement. the 500 will soon be discontinued and then apparently revived with little to know change(that part was not real clear)as a .......drumroll please, the ford TAURUS wtf? taurus was a great car in its day and prime, but badge reengineering, come on. give it an aussie 5.4 or know what just give us the aussie falcon and call it a tuarus and i will take 2. what do you think, about the announcement. Dan

 

In my first post I declare and ask apologizes for my lack of english. I grew in Juarez Mexico and still no learn to speak or write well english. Oh and when I post I only do it under chaparro. Put better attention to what you read and see if you can identify who is writing.

 

God bless it............they're starting to rub off on me.

 

Don't fret over the toys. Have you been in one lately? Lots of road noise and they still ride like a cracker-box. Don't care how much power they have, would'nt give one garage space.

 

Ford doing good, they know wghats needed dont worry about tundra.

 

Just like the last round of horsepower wars in the late 60's early 70's, by the time Ford gets half assed serious, the government restrictions on emissions, oil and gas prices, and other unforseen forces will smack them back down. I have been a loyal Ford man since day one, not sure why, guess it is because of what my dad drove. Ford makes a great truck, in my opinion it has become way too big and heavy. That does not help fuel economy, and emissions. Ford is in big trouble when it comes to car sales, mainly because other than the Mustang and Trucks, who wants to drive a Ford car. They make decent/good cars, but not great cars like (gasp, puke) Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. I hate to say it, but it is true. Ford has further pissed me off by suing everyone in sight who uses the name "Mustang" in their business. They have been on a rampage, in an efffort to get companies to quit using their Mustang trademark. In my opinion it is strongarming people, it will hurt Ford, just like GM was hurt when they sued to stop people from using the Camaro/Firebird name. Several aftermarket/restoration vendors out there have not only been forced to change their names, but have also had cough up tens of thousands of dollars on top of that. There is a reason Ford is in the crapper, actually several: Too much emphasis on trucks when the trend was moving away from that, and poor quality/appeal in the car market. Boy did I get off topic, sorry for the rant, but had to get it out.

 

To add to your post. Ford now requires vendors who sell Ford old car reproduction parts, to have a license to do so. Failure to comply gives Ford the right to confiscate the inventory. It has happened, too.

When you see ads from Dennis Carpenter, Dearborn Classics, etc...you will note this tag line on the parts in the catalogs..."Officially licensed by Ford."

Ford has granted exclusive rights to one vendor to sell Mustang reproduction parts.

 

I sorry but Ford MUST protect the Mustang Trademark or they could lose it. How would you like to see a Toyota Mustang?

 

That cant and wouldnt happen. There is a big difference between trying to steal the name and put it on different car and saying you sell "Mustang" parts in the name of your company. Since Bill's Mustang Parts (name made up, ofcourse, so please Ford dont sue me), does not market or sell complete cars, only restoration and replacement parts, it is not in my opinion any kind of trademark infringement. I have no problem with Ford licensing their name out, but requiring people like "Mustangs Plus" who have been in business for many, many years, to all of a sudden change thier name to whatever they had to change it to, seems not only asinine, but leaves a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. This is the kind of thing that kills businesses, Ford was not losing any money by these companies using the "Mustang" name in their title. If anything, it could have been considered free advertising. GM did it to plenty of suppliers, and then look what happened, no more Camaro/Firebird. I think Ford is letting their ego over the Mustang get in their way, this car almost went extinct in 1989, dont think it cant happen again. And yes I know, Chevy is supposedly bringing back the Camaro, let em. That is the ugliest car I have seen since that last Camaro they made.

 

As long as Ford currently uses a brand name like Mustang, it cannot be used by anyone else without permission. After several years, if Ford stopped using the name, it becomes fair game for anyone to use.

That has nothing to do with Toyota, or any other car maker...it has everything to do with all the Mustang and other Ford nuts/enthusiasts/vendors etc using the Mustang, or any other Ford name of the past or present. Ford never bothered about any of this till the reproduction sheel metal began arriving from Asia in the late 1980's.

What is happening today to anyone who sells Ford reproduction parts from Model T's thru Mustangs is a direct result of Ford trying to keep the crappy sheetmetal and other repro parts from being sold in the world.

Because of patents, and lawyerese, Ford has been able to apply the same laws to vendors of reproduction obsolete parts as they have to the overseas suppliers.

In the 1980's, sellers of Mustang parts were undercutting Ford parts prices on various Mustang items like gravel shields, armrest pads, padded dashes...etc, etc. Ford made NO EFFORT to stop this. This hurt Ford Parts Departments everywhere, because people could go down the road and buy crappy repro stuff for half the price.

So now, after 60 + years of good publicity gained by millions of old Ford car buffs, Ford has alienated many of them, with their stupid laws regarding not so much the licensing of parts, but the fact that no one can use the terms Ford Obsolete, Mustang Country. Model T Heaven, Falcon City, etc....it's a lot of BS .

And may I remind y'all, that we, as owners of those old Fords, also buy new ones. Ford has lost 1000's of new car sales over this fiasco.

 

I'm sure there are laws that would prohibit any other vehicle manufacturer from using the same name as another.

Or how about the Ford Camary? IMO it would be economic suicide for that car albiet whatever name they are copying from.

If Ford is sueing small buisnesses for using the Mustang name you can bet your *** they would go after another vehicle manufacturer all guns blazing.

The Mustang has waaaaaayyyyyyy too much history to let another manufacturer tarnish the name.

 

The example I gave was a bit over the top but the law is that you either protect your trademark or you risk losing it.

 

No manufacturer of any product in the US faces any risk of losing their current brand name..whether it's Pampers or Lincolns. It's only after the brand name is no longer used after three years, when the name becomes fair game.

Ford found this out the hard way. After 1983, Ford stopped using the name Futura, a name Ford had applied to Falcon and Fairmonts, and a Dream Car from the 1950's.

Pep Boys then took the name for a brand of tires. When Ford wanted to use the name on a new car, Pep Boys refused, the case went to court...Ford lost.

If Ford had kept the name, it would have saved them millions in attorney fees, and either the 500 or the Fusion would now be the Futura.

Lexus...the upscale car from Toyota. After spending billions in R&D, manufacturing costs, and setting up a dealer network in the US. Toyota was prevented from using the Lexus name here.

WHY?

Because there was a US company who produced a lawnmower (!!), who had exclusive rights to the name Lexus. It cost Toyota many millions more to secure the name.

 

So does that mean I will be getting a referral to the principles offices. Hehehe