Marauder has been gone for almost a year.........REALLY liked the car, but felt Ford treated it like a red-headed step child as far as upgrades (what else is new?) IF I kept it, I would have dropped $10K on a blower and brakes but thought better of it.

Black was it untill midway through the first year.....then silver and maroon were available.

I HIGHLY disagree concerning performance...I personally think Ford is better in nearly every way than GM, except one, yet GM outsells Ford. Choice of power/powertrains has a lot to do with it IMHO.


Here are my current vehicles.......used to be my sig:

06 Mustang GT, 06 VW Jetta TDI,'04 Lightning, 01 V10 Super Duty, 02 Ranger,70 Mustang FB, 68 Bronco,'04 Kawi ZX12R,'06 GAS GAS 300, 22' tunnel boat 502 blown GM, 96 Husaberg FE 600, 99 Husky 610, 02DooGTX, 00Sea DooRX. 06 Raptor700, Kubota L3710, Takeuchi excavator. '95 Toyota T100

The Lightning is for sale.....and I've thought about dumping the VW for a different econo-car........... the GAS GAS Trials bike is also for sale.

The Kawasaki Zx12 will pucker your sphincter at will, and satisfies nearly all my need for speed......still nothing like 100MPH in the tunnel boat on the water.


I think owning 6 different Fords currently, and close to 25 in my life time gives me a little leeway in saying what direction Ford is heading.....I think they could do a lot better and certainly have the means/parts to do it.

 

"MAN", thats a nice assortment of vehicles, a man can never have to many toys. Sure ford could do better, look at thier past, boss 429 and 302, the 427 and other fe big blocks, even the 351 cleveland. It's not like ford doesn't know how to make power, it just doesn't seem to be important to them. I think it may have started with Bill Ford, it was sort of the tree hugging type of guy who like to plant grass on top of his factory's and thats not a bad thing, but performance wasn't his cup of tea. He about destoryed the svt program. GM doesn't out sell ford in trucks, at least not yet, unless your including gmc and chevy together. I'm with you, power is exciting, the more the merrier, I just didn't figure many people felt the way I do about it. My dad and alot of my friend could care less, they just buy a vehicle and drive it, they don't care about mods or anything. Some of the guy's I wheel with are gear heads and were allways scamming on how to make more power and get it to the ground. I was disapointed when I read in truck trend that ford was dropping the huricane in the f-150 in favor of a diesel, why not offer both. People love to have a choice I think.

 

Thanks.


I always include Chevy and GMC together......if GM dropped one or the other, I honestly believe most of the customers from the dropped brand would stay GM.


Why did you go and mention SVT ........another one of Ford's bonehead moves. (bold moves my rear)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying EVERYTHING Ford makes has to be a performance leader.....but we have no halo vehicles to gloat about (why can DCX make a $90,000 Viper, GM a $70,000 Vette and Ford cans the GT??)

Look at entry level cars.....Subaru and Mitsubishi have cars that'll smoke my Mustang....DCX HAD the SRT4....VW......when "younger" people buy these cars, what do you think they'll buy next??

What's sad is Ford HAS cars that'll compete.........they're all in Europe or Australia (shut-up Fred, stop bragging)


Ford needs an image that they do not have right now.


[Kudos to the Shelby GT500............but try to buy one at MSRP!! (not really Ford's fault, I realize)]

 

Maybe ford see's the future. The future is in diesel.The engine they're considering for the f-150 is an IH design= durability and plenty of power.If they do offer a diesel in the f-150 it will be a choice- the mod motor or the diesel. The diesel engine will be more fuel efficient and make more power. Once offered there will be oogles of aftermarket power add-ons.You can make 500 to 800hp and still get better fuel mileage than a gasser. I'm proud that ford is thinking of going in this direction, look across the pond and take note to how Rudolph's design sells. In my mind everyone who manufactures in america is behind the times but, the german builders. Why can't I get a fusion(example) with an oil burner? About the toy argument, Ford is smart, they build decent, affordable trucks and let the design run for about 4 to 8 years with minimal design change and then they stun the market with a complete redesign and start the course all over again. I think, and stress the think part, the inconsistency of the other manufacturer's is a slight weakness.
Last note- You can still gloat about the GT. In 10 years the GT, bone stock will still outperform the brand new vipers and vettes. When's the last time ya'll sat in either? I don't see how gm and dcx can gloat about these cars,0 to 100 means nothing if it's like riding a strait frame over bunnyhops on smooth asphalt. If I'm spending that much money for a street legal car it better be competitively fast and ride like a lincoln or a caddy.

 

We'll see.........diesels are a huge step for people used to driving gassers. While my TDI is a very solid, efficient car, my wife and I are still having a hard time adjusting to turbo lag and unresponsiveness.

I currently drive 6.0PSD's that are in our rescues........Still hate 'em.

As far as Europe, I believe the oil burners are around a $1,000 option. Betcha Ford is going to ask around $5,000 for the diesel in the 1/2 ton (it's up to $7,000) in the 250's!!! Bombing diesels can give some incredible performance, but try getting Ford to replace a u-joint much less a transmission after a tuner.

As much as I may think diesel (especially bio-diesel) is the answer to ridding us of our oil dependency........they will be a hard sell in America IMHO....always have been and not just because of GM.


I would give a left testy for a GT.........but the Vette is a much better everyday car in every respect. From ingress to egress, visibility, and the performance difference of the Z06 is miniscule. Besides, my point is GM will be making Vettes in 10 years.......hopefully Ford will have another kick butt exotic.

 

We are Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Not caring about the competition is analogous to not caring about a co-worker vying for your promotion. Not caring is the reason Ford is in the situation they are in.


Agreed. My suggestion then would be to move/merge it.


If we were talking about one "mag" here, I might agree. But there is a common denominator here, and in many tests, that common denominator is that Ford is getting their butt kicked, and once again, this bothers me.


Couldn't agree more.


It did not start out this way at all. In fact, many of us (search my past posts) tried to 'school' these individuals, however to no avail. Combined now with the continuing poor grammer, multiple User names, and 'cake hole' posts, we've all had, well, enough (see my newly inspired quoted Sig). Perhaps a PM from a Mod may be in order here.....something.

 

[QUOTE=RocketScience
If we were talking about one "mag" here, I might agree. But there is a common denominator here, and in many tests, that common denominator is that Ford is getting their butt kicked, and once again, this bothers me.


bothered by them getting there but kicked, or that mags are UNJUSTLY giving ford lower ratings than competition?

competition is great,ford either deals with it, or keeps borrowing cash and deepening the hole.

bold way forward would include the new ford 500, that will now be changed back to the taurus, due to lack of advertising and poor sales. is it bold to change the name back??
or even bolder to change the name back and due nothing with its current chasis,engine,tranny, looks etc..??

ive heard on here that the f150 hasnt changed much in a few years....... the company would be bold to due nothing about and keep making its "bashed up truck in mags" for awhile.

to tell you the truth what have we seen as ford owners that has really been bold, and is going to take the auto industry by storm,,,,,,,,thats what i want to see.
turn this crap around and keep jobs and plants here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111

 

Yea that was a fun thread. The whole not typing like a 3rd grader thing has been covered several times. Oh, and uh, sorry about radon gas.

 

[QUOTE=freirefishing]I'm sure that this is what Mulally wants to see, and all of us here too, and millions elsewhere. It just can't be done overnight. Do you honestly believe that if gas had remained stable, that Ford (GM & DCX) would be in dire straits?

Nope, it would have been just like before...Sail on, oh ship of state, sail on!

 

As for the new taurus, it is the 500 true, but it will have a different grill and power train, so it won't be exactly like the old 500. The GT 40 was a great flagship, but I think having Shelby back in the line up is a great thing. Being able to buy a 500 hp mustang for a round 40 grand is a good move. I think ford needs to do more things like that. Performance sells, even if people don't buy the performance edition. There's alot more v6 mustangs sold than GT's, but folks want a mustang more than they want a fast mustang just because it gives them the image of a fast mustang. I think the lighting was the flagship for the 150, the fast one helped sell the slow ones more or less. Thier supost to bring a real offroad capable bronco back to compete against jeep. They are trying some bold moves and it won't happen over night. It's not easy to please everyone, I know in this thread alot of folks are leaning toward a performance engine in the f-150, more power. In other forums on here, a diesel powered f-150 is the big buzz. If I were ford, I would do both and I think they will, but the performance gaser won't be the every day engine like the hemie, it will be a special edition lighting. The mod motors will still be the main offering. But thats how ford thinks I guess, hemies are a dime a dozen, but lightings won't be. Then you'll have the diesel on the other end of the spectrum with the mod motors in between.

 

Wendell...the key to the whole operation is: Offer special cars like the Shelby. This will draw people into Ford showrooms, and they hopefully will buy that..or something else.

Ford has done this succesfully for years, with GT-40, T-Bird, Lightning, etc.

So the question is...why doesn't Ford do the same thing with Lincoln-Mercury?

The Lincoln Mark LT won't do it. L/M needs something to draw people in..NOW!

 

I have often wondered that myself, the lincoln/mercury brand has such a long history and great heritage. Back in the flat head days, the merc motor was the bomb as kids say today, guy's were putting the merc v8 in thier fords or t-buckets. Even in the 60's merc made some awesome muscle cars, you could even get a 427 in a 68 couger, the 65 cyclones were great strip cars. I don't have to tell you about merc history of all people ha ha. I did see see an interesting lincoln concept car here lately, it looked fast setting still. Ford has a treasure chest with all these great name plates, even jag for that matter, the sky is the limit of the things they could do with these names if they would just invest the time and money. Ford could only help it's self with some fast mercs and a hot rod lincoln or two hee hee.

 

Not only were the Merc flatheads faster than the Ford V8's, but installing the 1935-39 floorshift Zephyr 3 speed transmission was a great advantage over the column shift. Plus, the Zephyr gears were damn near indestructable.


Just try finding one of those early Zephyr trannies today. Good Luck!

 

Time to bring back the Cougar with a 3-valve 5.4L on a Mustang chassis.

 

if chevy is supercharging there cobalt ss 4banger.

cougar with the 3.5 supercharged maybe?