Another editorial you may not see:

[pro-five-oh]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/1112372520291452074/index.php

[Nick]

Amen!

Maybe Ford is thinking it can repeat the sales success of the last cheap Lincoln, the V6 Continental.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by Nick:
Maybe Ford is thinking it can repeat the sales success of the last cheap Lincoln, the V6 Continental.

The V6 Conti was the same price as the V8 Conti that it replaced. $25,000-ish back in 1988 was not chump change like the base price of a new Zephyr, ya know. smile.gif

[ April 11, 2005: Message edited by: pro-five-oh ]

[Nick]

Holy crap! I thought the V8 Continental was overpriced... :eek:

[pro-five-oh]

Air suspension, unique body and interior, ABS, fancy gauges, and 2 way adjustable shocks weren't cheap in 1988. The engine was the cheap part. ;)

[Silver Cobra]

Ever since the Mark VIII and Continental were discontinued, I knew Lincoln was going downhill on a 90degree slope. Lincoln's style were always refreshing throughout the decades even in the 80s when other companies resorted to motorized cardboard boxes but now that four pointed star is floating in ford's toilet. It's only a matter of time when that toilet gets flushed.

[pearlwhitemkviii]

I think it is going to be a tragedy when and if The lincoln name is not around anymore. I have never drove or rode in a car more comfortable than a lincoln. It pisses a car guy off when there are more cadillac or GM owners(morons/retards) than a beautiful car like a Lincoln. I never loved a car like I loved my mark viii and only wish that Lincoln could have continued to progress and grow rather than fade away. Sure the LS is a cool car and the Town Car is luxury at its best, but I think that Cadillac has put in alot more effort to ensure that they will be around for along time with cars like the dts or the cts-v. If only lincoln would bring back the mark series or another performance-luxury Lincoln, I think they would be able to keep thier heads above water and maybe even take some of glory and respect away from all the Cadillac owners. Sorry to ramble on, but I am really pissed.

[cason1]

They did bring back the mark series with the mark LT :rolleyes: . They should have made the concept Mark IX right after they killed off the VIII. Then they should have made the Conti Concept in RWD and both of them exactly as the concept was. Them scrapping both of those wonderful concepts was a huge downfall for the Lincoln name. The Mark X was a crappy concept from the get go so I am glad nothing came of that. Either Ford will pull thier heads out of thier asses or Lincoln will be the American Honda by 2010. Smaller good gas mileage FWD vehicles. They could eventually put the Zephyr on a Focus platform, the Towncar is already planned to be based off the Taurus replacement so it is basically taking the role of the Conti from years past, the Aviator could be based on the escape and the Navi based on the explorer. That is the direction I see Lincoln heading in as long as Ford stays the current direction. Oh and a Hybrid V-6 would be the biggest engine you could possibly get from the factory in any of them. :eek: Guess I will just have to start liking the new GM crap. Or just keep buying 90's Lincolns. I need to buy up as many 91-97 Towncars as I can find with under 100k and just hope they last me the rest of my life or at least until Ford fixes Lincoln as GM has Caddy.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by cason1:
Either Ford will pull thier heads out of thier asses or Lincoln will be the American Honda by 2010.

That position has already been filled by Acura. And no way anyone (especially Lincoln) can beat them when it comes to small engined front wheel drive cars, they are the best out there.

One of these days Lincoln will start making Lincolns again. They just aren't hurting enough right now to know that, they still believe their own BS.

Man, painting a horrible picture for future Zephyr owners who might actually post here! LOL!

[pepsi2185]

LOL, definitely. I think i would reconsider keeping my car after all this. Hey we might be doing them a favor then. LOL.

[Silver Cobra]

I think if/and/or when Lincoln do catch up to Acura at their current stage. Acura will be building rockets ;)

[cason1]

I don't think Lincoln will catch up with Acura for blending performance, luxury, and gas mileage anytime soon. I was referring to them eventually being direct American competition for the Civic, Accord, and whatever else they make.

Oh and Pro, the sooner we paint a true picture of the direction the company is heading, the sooner they may begin to fix things. If we happen to save someone the price of a Zephyr and talk them into one of the real Lincolns, the better for them. Maybe get them into a used LS or maybe even some Marks. ;)

[93towncarexec]

You guys are not being fair...not one bit.

The car hasn't even debuted yet, you haven't driven it, seen it or touched it.

You can't base your opinions on what someone else thinks, unless you're ready to be always told what to think!

Have a mind of your own.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:
The car hasn't even debuted yet, you haven't driven it, seen it or touched it.

I saw it, I touched it. Then I took lots and lots of pictures for the world to see.
http://blizzard.he.net/~foxbody/nycautoshow2.htm

Course I didn't drive it, but the powertrain specifications on paper are not competitive with Acuras, Hondas, Lexuses, Infinitis, even Cadillacs.

I did spend a good 10 minutes with it, and when you go to an auto show and do things like run your finger on the console, close the door, feel the leather, etc on the Zephyr compared to the competition, it doesn't stand up.

I'd like to see the Mercury Meta, the Zephyr's sister, be a big success. Its a pretty darn nice car for the price. The Zephyr tries to kick it up a notch but is outclassed by its competition.

[cason1]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:
You guys are not being fair...not one bit.

The car hasn't even debuted yet, you haven't driven it, seen it or touched it.

You can't base your opinions on what someone else thinks, unless you're ready to be always told what to think!

Have a mind of your own.

It's a FWD Mazda with a Lincoln badge on it. I think that is being totally fair. I have seen the pictures of it and it looks to similar to my girlfriends 03 Corolla. I hate her car to. It is an 03 and she has had a whistling wind noise once you get above 35 so I started looking at what it may be. The weatherstripping around both front windows was over an inch too long and was bunching up and not letting the window completely close. That was in a Toyota which is pretty well known for decent quality. I don't see the Zephyr being even as good as her car. I have never been a fan of Mazda and especially not now since they are trying to use them as Lincolns. I don't mind having a Lincoln based off a decent Ford but I don't trust Mazda's at all. They don't seem to hold up like a Lincoln should. I now have 180K + on my Towncar and it is still running excellent and can still run with most everything I encounter on the road performance wise. Your typical honda's, small imports, and SUV's and the sort. No it isn't the fastest car on the street but I dare anyone to drive a Honduh as hard as I have my Towncar and see where it is in 10 yrs with the miles my car has. It will be in the junkyard or ready for one anyway. My car still looks great and is nowhere near ready for the crusher. Let's see where the Zephyr is in 10 yrs. ;) Everyone have a good evening.

[Desert Stallion]

Initially I was kinda excited with the Fusion/Zephyr projects when I first heard about them, but I think Ford's going about them all wrong. Looks-wise, fine, they look like just about everything else on the road, so I don't strike any points from them on that issue.

Where I am getting pissed at Ford about is their seemingly total denial to the fact that the 15+ year old design Duratec motor is just not up to par with the current offerings from Japan. This is especially true in the larger 500 and Montego, where even more heft is lumbered along by the same 3.0L/5-speed auto in the Fusion/Zephyr.

I think there may be hope for the manual tranny version of the Fusion, but I'm not at all impressed by Ford's new 5-speed auto tranny. It just seems to be constantly shifting, especially the short gears. Admittedly the shifts are quick and smooth, but they just shift, if for no other reason than that they can.

I know Ford's motto has always been about reliable compromise in their designs, but c'mon! They need to get their collective head out of their butt and see that every other manufacturer on the planet, with the exception of Chevy and maybe Kia, have cars in the same class as Ford that will absolutely stomp them into the pavement performance-wise.

[pro-five-oh]

The 500/Montego has a 6-spd auto. Just wanna be a stinker and correct you on that.

There's a good chance we'll see a manual transmission, AWD, turbocharged Fusion SVT...but the Zephyr? Not gonna hold my breath on any competitive models in the $30,000 range, both performance or fit/finish wise.

[Desert Stallion]

C'mon, I'd been on campus for like8 hours already when I was writing! Jeez! ;)

[pro-five-oh]

Hey, I am pretty outspoken when it comes to the general suckiness of the Volvo and Mazda based Fords, but I gotta give them credit where credit is due. ;)

[Desert Stallion]

Yeah, but I saw my first Volvo S60R the other day. Have to say, it got my attention.

Especially when he lit 'em up driving off. (envision 4 tires spinning at once) :eek:

[Mark9]

If Bill Ford doesn't change a whole lot of heads at Lincoln Styling, we can all kiss Lincoln goodbye. They hit a real home run with the 1990 TC and it really was "THE" car pretty much all through that styling run.

Then came 1998 and the TC simply became (in the eyes of too many Lincoln customers) a Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, etc, look alike.

IMHO, Lincoln needs to get back to looking like a LINCOLN, instead of an import "look alike"!!

[Rowsdower98]

New Lincolns aren't all bad. I think the LS, while smaller than a garden variety Lincoln sedan, is a highly underrated and overlooked car. I'd like to have one someday. Though there is nothing wrong with a Mazda 6, a Lincoln clone of the car is a bit to close to a Cadilac Cimmaron for me. It is nowhere near worthy of the Zephyr name. The original 1939 Zephyr was a rolling sculpture with a V-12 under the hood. Calling a Mazda 6 clone a Zephyr is like calllng a Neon clone a Viper. But your average consumer knows nothing of the original Zephyr. At least the new Mark LT is slightly less stupid than an Excalade EXT or a Blackwood. *shudders*

[93towncarexec]

Well, you guys proved my point. Most of you have NOT gotten within 100 miles of a Zephyr, and the one that did get close only spent 10 minutes with it. Hardly any amount of time to formulate a TRUE opinion of what the car is like and how it drives.

Personally, NO American car can be compared to anything from Japan. I find foreign cars to be cheaply built in terms of ergonomics, comfort and quality. Sitting in a Honduh seat is like riding on plywood. The doors are super thin, even sound cheap when you shut them. Yeah they may not break down much, but when they DO, it's junkyard time.

I can feel the quality in my Lincoln every day, even after 100K miles. Any Jap crap car with mileage like that looks like hell frozen over and reheated.

As for the Zephyr, I can expect similar tastes to what I've already seen in the Five Hundred and Montego. We already know the Five Hundred is one of the safest cars on the road, 5 stars in every test, and only the Town Car has a larger trunk. The *only* reason I wouldn't buy one is because I dislike front wheel drive. AWD? I might.

Call me a traditionalist, but I love Crown Victorias, Grand Marquis' and Town Cars. And we already know they all will be around through 2010.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:
Personally, NO American car can be compared to anything from Japan. I find foreign cars to be cheaply built in terms of ergonomics, comfort and quality. Sitting in a Honduh seat is like riding on plywood. The doors are super thin, even sound cheap when you shut them.

Considering the Zephyr is a rebodied Mazda 6, made in Mexico, and its doors are about as tinny and thin (found that out in less than 10 mins I might add) as a new Hyundai's...

What's your definition of an American car again?

[93towncarexec]

Technically, it's a car that is designed and built in North America.

Crown Vics and Marquis are built in Canada, don't see you complaining about that...they're designed here and the money stays here. (Unlike Jap cars where the money goes directly to Tokyo.)

And let's not forget, Mazda is owned by Ford.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:
Crown Vics and Marquis are built in Canada, don't see you complaining about that...they're designed here and the money stays here. (Unlike Jap cars where the money goes directly to Tokyo.)

Yup, you got a point. But if you can still reference the Vic/Marquis after spending a little time with the Zephyr's tinny doors and flat seats, you're more of a Lincoln loyalist than I am. smile.gif

Its all about the product, and this one just lets me down in so many ways as a Lincoln. Would make a great Mercury, though. Ok, I'll shut up now. smile.gif

[ June 28, 2005: Message edited by: pro-five-oh ]

[franco]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:

Personally, NO American car can be compared to anything from Japan. I find foreign cars to be cheaply built in terms of ergonomics, comfort and quality. Sitting in a Honduh seat is like riding on plywood. The doors are super thin, even sound cheap when you shut them. Yeah they may not break down much, but when they DO, it's junkyard time.

... Any Jap crap car ......

Call me a traditionalist, but I love Crown Victorias, Grand Marquis' and Town Cars. And we already know they all will be around through 2010.

.....Technically, it's a car that is designed and built in North America.

Crown Vics and Marquis are built in Canada, don't see you complaining about that...they're designed here and the money stays here. (Unlike Jap cars where the money goes directly to Tokyo.)

And let's not forget, Mazda is owned by Ford.


Wow.
Where to begin?

First off, the Zephyr is assembled in Mexico.

The majority of the parts like the frame, suspension, etc are shipped straight to Mexico from Japan .
That would be the jap crap you referred to earlier. Btw, I agree with that assessment of yours.
The money trail goes directly back to Japan-Mazda for these parts, regardless of Ford's majority ownership.
Mazda is not fully owned by Ford, btw. Ford owns the majority of it, somewhere around 35%.
Since Ford has the biggest piece of Mazda's pie, they get to control the direction of the company.
But Ford is also very sensitive to Japan's homogeneous culture and does not run Mazda
as an American company.
My point is that it's still a very Japanese company despite Ford's majority ownership.

You have an strong aversion to jap-crap vehicles yet you embrace the Zephyr solely because of the Lincoln badging.
This seems very contradictory to me.

[ June 28, 2005: Message edited by: franco ]

[93towncarexec]

All I'm trying to do is give the Zephyr a fair shake, I mean, it hasn't even hit showrooms yet!

And with Ford's majority ownership, Ford still reaps the benefits and money from the car, so to me it's more American than Jap when it comes down to it. HOWEVER, I could be wrong, I will have to wait until it hits showrooms, and I can get a look at the Parts Origin label to say where the majority of parts come from. If it's majority North American parts, then that's good to me.
I will reserve my official judgement on the car until that time as well, when I can actually see it, touch and drive it. Who knows, you guys could be right.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by 93towncarexec:
All I'm trying to do is give the Zephyr a fair shake, I mean, it hasn't even hit showrooms yet!

Yeah I tried that whole "fair shake" thing too, but that will only make you more disappointed when you see the final product. smile.gif :D

[pepsi2185]

I was talking to a friend that works at ford, and supposedly the new flagship sedan in the works with the continental nameplate is also made in mexico. The towncar will be the ford 500 stretched and that is in georgia so far. And the word is all luxury platforms will be volvo based from now on. So I think we can tell where things are going.

Ford will eventually follow GM in their "almost bankrupt" scenario and hopefull pull out and i will be waiting to buy a car.

[the Andrew]

quote:Originally posted by pro-five-oh:


I saw it, I touched it. Then I took lots and lots of pictures for the world to see.
http://blizzard.he.net/~foxbody/nycautoshow2.htm

Course I didn't drive it, but the powertrain specifications on paper are not competitive with Acuras, Hondas, Lexuses, Infinitis, even Cadillacs.

I did spend a good 10 minutes with it, and when you go to an auto show and do things like run your finger on the console, close the door, feel the leather, etc on the Zephyr compared to the competition, it doesn't stand up.

I'd like to see the Mercury Meta, the Zephyr's sister, be a big success. Its a pretty darn nice car for the price. The Zephyr tries to kick it up a notch but is outclassed by its competition.

Yeah kind of boring very shaved I dont really care about aerodynamics thats why my car has a drag of .37 oh and the dash sucks.

[93towncarexec]

Ok... I just went to the link above and checked out all the pictures.

I must say, I think it's a very pretty vehicle. I love the wood trim that accents the dash and the steering wheel. I think the wheel is the most attractive design I've seen on a Lincoln in a while.

Of course, I can't touch the car to feel the quality.

It certainly has many of the Lincoln design cues which distinguish it.

However, it's not a Town Car and wasn't meant to be one! The Zephyr strikes me as a car that is meant to be one step below the LS, with Town Car at the top of the line.

With its price nicely set, and nearly fully equipped (only 6 options available) that might be enough to turn some of the younger crowd to the brand.

Personally, I think that is Lincoln's problem, it needs to aggressively market itself to the younger crowd that is tries so hard to attract. It all starts with marketing!

Now if the Zephyr doesn't have the overal quality to back it all up, then it's all for naught anyway. Trust me, I'll check it out as soon as one hits the old showroom where I used to work at the dealership. I'm still reserving judgment here, and taking what some of you have said into consideration.

The ONE thing that DID get me... a TACHOMETER??

[Silver Cobra]

With effective marketing, Lincoln could really hide the fact that the chassis is a Mazda 6 from the average buyer. I don't mind the interior (Lincoln can do that right) but this car is no Lincoln. I'm sorry but I don't consider this car a Lincoln at all.

[Philip]

We'll all just have to wait and see, will we not? The Zephyr will probably be just the ticket to keep the brand alive. Jag, BMW, Mercedes-Benz to name a few had to do an "entry level" model to stay alive and well. I don't think that hurt brand image any, just now they have a whole new generation of buyers that as they move upward financially will be moving up the ladder in the model heirarchy. Cadillac released a de-contented CTS with a low buck engine, cloth seats are standard (Sept. 05 Motor Trend, page 126.) You know whoever buys that car, if they're happy with the way they're treated at Caddy, is going to buy the next model up when they trade. Perhaps that will work for Lincoln as well, we should all hope so since that assures the future of the brand. As far as Zephyr being built on an existing platform, consider this: '70's Versailles=Granada/Monarch, mid 80's Continental=LTDII/Marquis, late 80's Continental=Taurus/Sable, Mark VII=Thunderbird/Cougar, ditto Mark VIII, Mid 70's and up TownCar=Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, Navigator=Expedition, Blackwood=MarkLT=F150 Supercrew, Aviator=Explorer/Mountaineer and thank God they've left out a Lincoln version of the Escape/Mariner so far. You get the picture. Badge engineering or whatever you wish to call it is a necessary marketing tool for ANY auto manufacturer to survive in this climate. At least Ford has used specific styling cues in Lincoln products and has used higher quality interior materials in most of the Lincoln applications. And it's all about technology too. You can get leather seats and wood steering wheels in a Hyundai, for crying out loud, but you don't get air ride (Mercedes is on to that now as is Jag) you don't get eletric tilt/telescope either. And to the best of my knowledge, HID is nowhere in their sights wither. Ford has historically introduced automotive "firsts" in Lincoln branded vehicles. That's one of the things that separates a luxury marque from the general pack. The TownCar was the first 4.6 modular engine at Ford and that was back in 1990 for crying out loud. The Mark VII gave us the aero headlamp back in '84 and it's been the industry standard ever since. The Mark VIII set so many firsts, it should get an award. First american application of HID, the first 32valve engine at Ford, that cool eletric tilt/tele (borrowed from Jag,) the list could go on. The '95 Continental had so many things that were adjustable and memorized to two different drivers it needed a textbook to learn and now Lexus is touting their driver recognition system? They didn't come up with anything new...
There will be another Continental in the future, you can bet on it. There will be another Mark series in the future, you can bet on it (that ridiculous truck doesn't count with me, F150 King Ranch is nicer equipped) and anyone here old enough to remember a Mark series being something to brag about will also remember that Town Car was the upper trim level on Continental back in the day, and the Continental was definitely something you wanted to be seen in. Ford is still reeling from the industry being SUV'd, and cars are making a comeback. Give them a chance and they'll come to their senses. Everything goes in cycles. For now, I'm happy with my '98 Mark, even if it's a jazzied up Thunderbird. It's the jazzied up part that counts with me, they did it right. And I gather that most everyone else here is as passionate about their respective vehicles, as they should be. They're great cars, but something will replace most of them eventually. Here's hoping for a suitably over-engineered version of (fill in the blank) for the Lincoln division, so we all have something to aspire to.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by Philip:
We'll all just have to wait and see, will we not? The Zephyr will probably be just the ticket to keep the brand alive. Jag, BMW, Mercedes-Benz to name a few had to do an "entry level" model to stay alive and well. I don't think that hurt brand image any, just now they have a whole new generation of buyers that as they move upward financially will be moving up the ladder in the model heirarchy.

BMW has always built small cars at a premium price, but Jag's recent small cars haven't been profitable and have arguably made the real Jags less desirable (they look rather similar). Mercedes' interest in competing with VW on small cars (A-class, really cheap C-classes) has been almost wholly responsible for their loss of prestige, quality, reliability, and profitability...all leading up to their current 1.1 Billion dollar loss this year. Its gonna be interesting to see what fat gets trimmed from DiamlerChrysler in the next year.

Going economy-class isn't necessarily better, and Lincoln has a lot fierce competitors with better products.

[Philip]

The auto industry as a whole has been in trouble for some time now, and you're right, Lincoln has got to do some major renovation in-house. I just hate to lose heritage brands and/or models. It's going to be an interesting study to see if the industry ever recovers from the deep price cuts that have been going on. Retail never did fully recover in the wake of 9/11 and the economical downturn following it. Once the populace got a taste of deep discounting, they started requiring it. It's a buyer's market for just about anything right now, but it's killing the auto industry.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by Philip:
It's a buyer's market for just about anything right now, but it's killing the auto industry.

The main problem is that its killing Detroit, the Japanese brands are having to lower prices to match, but they still have lower overhead and higher profitability.

[Nick]

American workers, the auto workers' unions and health benefits specifically, are killing the U.S. auto industry. We can't compete for labor costs and overhead and then on top of that, we just don't have the corporate culture needed to produce something as needed when needed, without waste, and with the care and pride that should go into a product.

I helped my friend fix his '98 328i last weekend. The attention to detail that went into how the car could be built and serviced shocked me. I had plenty of room to work inside the door, fitting both my arm and tools. Everything snapped on and off with minimal screws and even the rear seat pops in and out. Attention to detail have been what the Japanese and Germans are good at doing and it shows. They put more effort into designing everything initially and the end result is a better made and more serviceable product.

[Philip]

I hear ya. I'm a Ford man and have no idea how Detroits other two are put together. Here's the deal as I see it: The designers design something that the engineers can barely make happen and when it's assembled, it's so darn complicated that it was never meant to be taken apart. They can build it, but to disassemble it and replace a part and put it all back together again without messing up other parts is difficult with most of Ford's cars, especially Mark 8. The 318 must have been refreshing to find accessible and serviceable easily considering how heavily engineered BMW's are perceived to be.

[pro-five-oh]

quote:Originally posted by Nick:
American workers, the auto workers' unions and health benefits specifically, are killing the U.S. auto industry.

Yes that's a major problem, but I think its more of an excuse for layers of unnecessary management and Detroit's insistance on not investing in competitive products. Its never really one thing that kills a company...unless we're talkin Enron or something. smile.gif

[Nick]

Crap does roll downhill, but the base of the mountain sure isn't helping. :D I guess it's a mudslide effect.

I agree if we start with better design, the rest will follow.

[franco]

quote:Originally posted by Nick:
American workers, the auto workers' unions and health benefits specifically, are killing the U.S. auto industry.



Make that killed the U.S. auto industry.

I honestly don't see any hope for it unless there is a thorough restructuring of the labor problems.

I have an uncle that is recently retired from GM and I could always count on an earful from him about how inefficiently things run on "the line".
Folks showing up drunk or hungover, sloppy work practices, incompetancy, etc...
And if mgmt dares to mention the problem, the guy wants to call in his union rep and work comes to a complete stop on the line, usually followed by a report of discrimination.

Non-stop daily drama.

[93towncarexec]

I agree, I hate unions and think they should be outlawed.

It puts the good of the greedy worker ahead of everything else, and as a result, the company loses billions over idiots they can't fire or get rid of. A sloppy product gets built (like Impala) and the workers get to demand higher wages.

I have no problem with Ford designs, I've never had too much trouble working on them and see no reason to discount them as being inferior to other car company designs. Considering the MILLIONS of miles I've put on various Fords over the last few decades, I'd say they were built just GREAT.

[imported_]

Afternoon, all...

If I may jump in for a few... One thing that has perterved me for years, is the fact when automobile makers say it's based off the 1972 GTO, 196x Ford GT, 1979 Zephyr (wasn't this year a Mercury?), etc. One thing I have never figured out, but somehow Ford did (and in my opinion, have been the only ones to come close) a somewhat awesome job with the GT, of making it look the way the car did back then.

At the Fiero (yes - Pontiac's trouble child) shop that a friend of mine owns, there were some guys from Hemmings Motor News that brought the Ford GT by to let us check it out when it was here in L.A. at a car show that was going on, about 3 months before it was public. It was actually 003 as far as the VIN is concerned. It was a very nice rendition(sp) of the old vehicle, except for the electronics. It was funny, because when they pulled up in the driveway, and the writer turned the car off, it would not start again at all, whatsoever. They had 3 suits come over to our place, and contact the engineers of the car back in Detroit to let them know what was going on. Luckily, one of our mechanics there used to work for a Ford delearship in Southern California, and they were able to butt heads for awhile on the phone. Everything they asked, he looked at, and vice versa. Come to find out, the problem was with a 10 amp fuse that is located in a hidden fuse panel, below the carpet, under the passengers feet. Stuff like that, with Ford relying on this vehicle being one of their boundry markers, wouldn't you think they would put more design and engineering efforts into stuff like that!? Running a 10 amp circuit for the ignition, starter, and window circuitry?

Besides that car, if I want to buy a "rendition" of a Zephyr, I'm sorry, but that better god damn well look like a 1936 Zephyr 4-Door sedan. If I want to buy a "rendition" of a Chevy GTO, that better have a damn big block under the hood, and be longer than my `88 Lincoln, and not look shorter than my `96 GSXR-750 Motorcycle.

And trucks.. I don't give the slightest rats ass on how "aero dynamic" my `03 F-250 SD is, or how "non-aero dynamic" my `79 F-150 Supercab 4x4 is with 35s, IT'S A TRUCK DAMN IT! I bought it for one thing, and thats to haul stuff. Not to go 110 mph down the 405 freeway from LAX to Orange County, I bought it because I am pulling a 37' race car trailer, with 2 cars in the back of it. When I want gas mileage, I'll drive my LSC.

If I want to buy an SUV, MAKE ONE DAMN IT! Make something with some damn class. Something that resembles the 1934 Lincoln Brunn Brougham, and let me deal with the price of gas, and only going 60 mph. Or something like the mid `70s Ford LTD Brougham that I first learned to drive. I don't know about most of you, but I'd pay the $35K to have the same features I had in that Ford LTD today, and have the car look 99.9% identical, and still have a damn 351M in it. I'll deal with the gas prices, thank you very much!

Even though I know none of these things will ever happen again, hey - it's worth wishing right!?

And I think in EVERY SINGLE STATE, it should be an EPA law that when you are buying a SUV, and are especially a woman, you have to answer the following questions...

1) Are you a mom? No, goto END.
2) How many kids do you have? <4, goto END, >4, goto 3.
3) Are they Less than 8 feet tall? Yes, goto END.
4) Are you towing anything? No, goto END.
5) Is it less than 5,000 pounds? Yes, goto END.
6) Do you need steps on your SUV? Yes, goto END.
7) Do you have parking at the far end of your parking lot? No, goto END.
8) Can you concentrate on driving, without disciplining your kids? No, goto END.
9) Do you have to have TVs installed? Yes, goto END.
10) Will you ever drive off the curb, or over a bump? No, goto END.

END) You do not qualify for an SUV. Please ask your salesman to show you their nice selection of Mini-Van's.


Anywayz all, there's my venting! you all take care!

--- Goobz!

[ September 11, 2005: Message edited by: Lenora & Charles ]