Google Al Gore?

 

Clearly you didn't read it....Active serving Democrat......i'm waiting

 

Biggest copout I've heard in a long time.

Does the UAW set marketing strategies, decide on product lines, ect.,ect.,ect.

No, they don't. It's people that make 30 million a year.

 

The UAW costs ford and gm more money than you can possibly imagine.....if ford and gm didn't have to be paying for guys who are "laid off" to be sitting doing crossword puzzles....and for BILLIONS AND BILLIONS of dollars of benifits that other workers dont get each and every year....those trucks that you continue to complain about being so dang expensive....would be a few thousand dollars cheaper.....

 

So now the UAW is to blame for this countries health care, and retirement policies?

I agree there are some very egregious benefits in their contracts. But who signed these contracts? I believe the CEO's have to approve, and sign them? So who's really to blame?

I've read that health care bennies cost $1500 per vehicle. More than the steel to build the bodies.

Neither Ford, or the UAW decides what the Ins. companies charge. Another major problem for this country. A huge drag on every person in USA.

By the way, PBS showed some of the Mansions that the major Ins company CEO's live in. If thats not a disgrace, I don't know what is. Babies dying because their parents can't afford Health Care. And these guys living in gold plated houses.

 

This is so true. I see a thing on tv about the new Honda factory that is opening and they said that they was going to be paying the people $18hr and ford gets something like $28hr so how on earth the big 3 are going to be able to compete with that i will never know. They are in trouble for this exact reason and they think the bailout is going to help? I don't know sod all about this kind of thing but i know that when one company is paying people that much more to do the same job then they wont be in business for much longer. Good wages are great but worth nothing if the company cant afford to do it and goes under. They must be able to figure this out on their own!

 

All F-250's are nice. Are we talking XLT's, Lariats, or XL work trucks. Everything I see on the lots are fully equipped mac daddy 48k trucks.

Tim

 

Folks... one last shot to get back to the performance aspects of the 09 F150... or she's getting locked down. All of these other intermingled topics can be discussed in 'the club', general convo, etc.

 

Are you honestly suggesting that the number of F-150s on a dealer's lot is an indication of decreased consumer demand? That is ridiculous.

 

Why is Honda doing fine you ask?

• no UAW
• corporate diversity
• factory design which reduces time to re-tool
• quality: actual and perceived
• managerial staff
• different corporate policies

Shall I go on?

 

In before lock

 

Is that jealousy I hear? Who cares what kind of house they live in? If the CEO is successful and doing their job correctly there is nothing wrong with a healthy compensation package. On the flip side, if the CEO drives the company into the ground they certainly should not get any bonuses or anything like that.

Are you actually suggesting that the kind of house that a CEO lives in is to blame for other people not having a job or not having a good enough job to afford health care? That is the funniest damn thing I've heard all day. Let me guess, there are babies dying because I blew 20 bucks on lunch today? Am I correct in assuming that you feel that it is our responsibility to ensure that everybody has heath care no matter their income level? What a joke. Sorry, but if you don't make enough to have the same health care coverage that I do, that is not my problem. The great thing about America is that there is the freedom to get a better job and work hard to better yourself.

 

I wont go into the politics that are involved. All's I know is Health ins shouldn't cost a family of 4 $1200 a mo. Just as a decently equipped 1/2 ton truck shouldn't cost $30K+.

Back on topic. My point was/is that the F150 needs to go on a 1500lb diet. That way no one would complain about 320 HP. It would get far better fuel economy. And Ford would sell many more trucks, than they will the truck they're offering now. Especially with the the economy the way it is. They wouldn't have to lay off 1/2 of their work force. Sucking more money out of the unemployment coffers. There would be more taxes in the coffers thru sales, income taxs. Their employees would be out there spending money, instead of hunkering down on unemployment. Thus helping, instead of hurting, the economy overall.

Can You comprehend? Or do You want to argue some more?

 

I was all for that diet thing until I saw the wash board test on the u-tube video that was posted awhile ago. Such a diet would weaken the truck to a dismal level of unacceptance. Meanwhile the competition would kill ford in build quality while Ford would say "we get great gas mileage".

I accept lower overall power ratings and all that other bile that is being spewed about the "gutless" 5.4L and such to have a truck that can do the same job as the others and still be tops in build quality. Viva Le Ford!

Tim

 

Peeps would be lined up around the block for a truck that got 25 MPG RIGHT NOW!
Even if it didn't tow 11K.

Pick up sales are down over 30% in the past 2 years. Down 39% comparing Nov. 07 and 08. Let's see how many peeps are going to come out for a new F150.

Personally, I think they're way off base with what the public wants.

You don't need a fully boxed frame to be Tough. You don't need a soundproof cabin, to be Tough, You don't need 19"wheels to be Tough, the list goes on. All add weight, and cost to a TRUCK. They could offer all of that in their $50K Platinum, and leave the rest of the trucks, to be trucks.
With the technology available today, Ford could build a strong enough frame that the fully boxed could go out the window. They could hydroform a frame plenty strong enough. Get the towing number back where it belongs for a 1/2 ton, and advertise Fuel Millage, instead.

They made a conscious decision to build this truck with 320 HP. Towing 11.5K. Just because it's the only thing the truck will out do the competition at. F the competition, build something that people will buy en'mass. A 1/2 ton truck that tows 8K and gets 25 MPG.

IMO: The American public isn't going to buy in these tough times when it does absolutely nothing to help them out economically. If they could save 5 MPG then it could sway their buying decision towards whoever offers them a little savings.

I've seen 4 guys post up their new trucks. It should be more like 400 by now?

Ford is hanging their hat on a truck that they've already been building for years, The F250