I think that the dakota has an excellent blueprint. Take the general size, and concept and refine it, use ford features, xl through lariat kind of idea. 4 real doors are requred, I own a Sport trac just for said reason. Towing 6K is fine, if you need more get an f150. Tough and 4X4 capable like the ranger. 4cyl. through small v8 would be great, Ecoboost is an option but I don't know enough about it to comment. A small 4 cyl. turbo diesel would be great.
Revise the ranger, update it, keep it small and economical. There is a reason it still sells well, don't screw with that. Just update it. A very small turbo diesel would be a hit.
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CL
So, who hired Wile E. Coyote as a consultant?
1997 F-250 4WD W/460 & a manual
2008 Explorer Sport trac
2003 SVT Focus (The Go-Cart)
1967 Mustang Coupe W/351W & a 3spd. (Temporarily Retired)
I've sworn off buying a vehicle made after the early 90s, but I'd reverse that if this F100 had:
-All mechanical 4cyl turbo diesel with GEAR driven valve train and IP
-Easily removed emissions controls (DPF, cat, etc)
-SOLID axles
-5 or 6 speed MANUAL transmission
-NO FRILLS (no power anything - manual hubs, manual mirrors, lever shift transfer case, etc)
-NO air conditioning
-Two cup holders
I was shopping for a new truck this past summer and was so disgusted by what's available from Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc that I ended up buying a '90 F350 with a hosed tranny and various other issues and refurbished it basically from the frame up.
Before you react to my list with "you're nuts!" first consider that in India and other places I can buy a brand new compact pickup that fits my list!
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1990 F350 7.3IDI 4x4 ZF5
1962 F250 flatbed 4x4 Detroit Diesel 453, Clark 5spd OD
Used to have:
1989 F150 300I6 M5OD 2wd
1988 F250 7.3IDI 4x4 ZF5
1989 F350 7.3IDI 4x4 ZF5 (parted out)
This thread is all about what we personally would like to see on the new truck, not necessarily what's realistic. Obviously the Ford isn't going to put a 4BT into a 2011 F100, but it's fun to think about.
Make it as close in size/weight as the 1967-1972 models, but that wont happen. The average customer wants a back seat, short bed and lots of luxury.
A 5000-5600 GVWR with an empty weight of well under 4000lb while still having an eight foot bed regular cab with at least 49 inches between the wheel wells. Bench seat, crank windows and rubber floors should be on the base trim. And a manual transmission and six cylinder engine are also musts. Heavy towing? Forgetaboutit. Thats not the primary mission of a light duty pickup and is a big part of why todays trucks are so inefficient.
V-10 DOHC with Paxton Supercharger complete engine painted yellow
415 C.I. about 675 H.P (sometimes I get in a hurry)
Dual exhaust with Flowmasters
4:10 rear end Limited Slip
Sunroof gold tinted like some of the Lincoln windshields
20" tires and wheels 20x10 front and 20x14 rear
Functional Fresh air scoop like the 70 Torino had
Nav system
Power seats, power windows, and locks
6 speed tranny
2 gas tanks 20 gal each side
Leather seats, black with yellow sude inserts, black head rests with V-10 embossed in them
Harley headlights
designed like the Super duty 09 model body style but 1/2 ton
White gauges
rear tailgate spolier
Tool box built into the side of the bed on each side
Front air dam 3' off ground
Side ground effects 3'' off ground
No chrome Painted bumpers
Front bumper with designed in brake coolers
Side scoops for rear brake coolers
300 watt sound system
Two-tone paint Top half Yellow with a light gray tint, lower half Black Metallic
Adj supension up to a 4'' lift front and rear independent of each other
Also I would like a CB 40 Channel radio and a beer cooler for a console with a rosewood lid.
150,000 mile warranty bumper to bumper
Heck I would like one ready for the truck series races.
Does everyone get my "drift"
SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WILL WOULD DO ON UNIQUE MOTOR SPORTS
Well as far as an F100 i think its a good idea. Also I dont think brand recognition will really be hampered after all the model line would be consistent, F100 then F150 then SuperDuty going up in size, which is what the customer is going to see on the car lot.
I would like to see the F100 kept lightweight and simple which would be conductive to better gas mileage. I think that a 4cyl might be a bit overmatched in this size truck but smallish thrifty 6cyl and maybe the 4.6L V8 could be options. Payload of about 1500lb and towing 6000lb sounds about right and 8'box atleast in regular cab is a must. If they could leave the fancy/heavy stuff for the F150 and keep the price point down on F100 we could have a winner. If it is a slightly smaller F150 at about the same price and looks nearly identical, well then what is really the point...
Just a thought, to make the F100 stand out this would be an oppurtunity to do sort of a retro look with this truck, kind of like the Mustang which i think was a real win. If it harkens back to the 60's-early 70's trucks i wouldnt mind abit and if they offered a 5spd manual tranny with a deep first gear I would be REAL happy.
Yeah they need to use as many exhisting parts as possible. Like the 5.4 and 6 speed auto. I think this will be one heck of a truck if they go after the Dakota. They need a Dakota sized truck with similar light half ton capabilities.
I have heard they are going to make a new world Ranger so I think I can wait till then to have a little four banger 30MPG truck, and since it will be small, unlike the F-100 it will be more capable mileage getter than the F-100.
I'm not saying they shouldn't make the F-100 economical, I'm just saying we don't need a Ford Colorado(a midsized truck with capabilities of small one). I had a Colorado, and I liked it, but it was a wimpy truck with a cool engine, I'm sure it would have been great off road, and they look good, but mine didn't get good enough gas mileage to be worth keeping over my very capable F-150.
Lets face it the F-150 might as well be a light IFS 3/4 ton truck, and we could use a back to the basics light half ton truck. I wish they would offer a very cheap no frills at all truck, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I just hope they don't follow the path of GM and make a truck that appeals to soccer moms more than everyone else. Which is what the Colorado does best, it was really meant for that specific purpose, it makes a great open back SUV, like the Sport Trac but better looking, and cheaper.
Again I'm not knocking the Colorado so much(not that anybody cares), I had one and loved it for the most part. It is a great truck for soccer moms, and a great SUV alternative. They have increased towing capability to over 5000 lbs, but mine was an 05 and was only like 4500 lbs, and I didn't even have a reciver hitch(thats about as usefull as a bathroom with no TP), it only got like 18 or 19 MPG, and the bed wasn't big enough for anything after you put a tool box in it. The 5 cylinder engine is great, and would be better with DI, and twin turbos. I would like to see what Ford could do with the Atlas engines, since GM can't seem to get over the OHV V8.
I hope the F-100 is far better than I can possibly imagine, and I hope it offers many variations to meet the needs of people from all walks of life, and I hope it does it starting at $13k.
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1983 Ford F-150, Reg Cab, 300 six, probably 3.55's Black with red pinstripes.
Why is everyone except myself so hung up on towing capacity. Of all the hundreds of pickups I see on the road everyday, maybe one half of one percent is pulling anything. A truck, BY DEFINITION, is designed to carry cargo in it or upon it, not six passengers inside the cab. I guess Im too old. Recreational camping trailers used to be pulled by large passenger cars with all the comforts for the family inside. My dad used a Chevy Impala station wagon. Why not a Crown Victoria towing package? Oh, I forgot, that product is being abandoned by Ford.
It will probably be a Ranger/SportTrack replacement, in the Dakota size range.
Diesel ! If ford really makes the 4.4L or whatever size diesel they are making for the F150 I think it should make it into the F100.
How about a Bronco on the same frame with solid axles front and rear. Maybe a D44 front and Ford 8.8 or 9.75 rear. Would give jeep and hummer a run for the money. Something like a 66-77 in size and shape.
I think the most important thing the F100 needs is a big bed with a ext cab. I think that was the biggest thing I hated about the ranger was the long bed was only availble with the reg cab. If I were ford I would buy the biggest ATV on the market (maybe even a side by side model) and build the bed around that.
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and if they offered a 5spd manual tranny with a deep first gear I would be REAL happy.
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