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Topic: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!) (Read 7221 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #15 –
Do you know why Ford has such cool cars in Australia?  It's because Australia doesn't have the federal emissions laws that we have here.  So you can have a 350hp family sedan and not worry as much about emissions from that sedan.  It costs a lot of money to develop the technology necessary to make a 350 horsepower motor meet US and Canadian emissions standards.  That's why all those HEMI powered cars cost well in excess of $35,000.
-Jim
1987 Cougar LS 5.0

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #16 –
Why does everyone here compare ford to chrysler when they cant hold thier own in the first place? Half of Chryslers line is running either mitsu powerplants or mitsu trannys, Hell my brothers 99 Jeep classic has a mitsu tranny. The jackasses at Yark Jeep dident wanna tell him that, Its idiotic to try and compare a car company like chrysler to ford esp. since chrysler was forced out of the top 3 because thier sales were , only to be replaced by Toyota. so chrysler is the  :dunce: of em all.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #17 –
Quote from: jkirchman
Do you know why Ford has such cool cars in Australia?  It's because Australia doesn't have the federal emissions laws that we have here.  So you can have a 350hp family sedan and not worry as much about emissions from that sedan.  It costs a lot of money to develop the technology necessary to make a 350 horsepower motor meet US and Canadian emissions standards.  That's why all those HEMI powered cars cost well in excess of $35,000.

And their toilets flush in the opposite direction too  :grinno:

Austailia is still pretty "unpopulated" with vast areas of land that will probably never be developed...which is good.  But yes..less people=less cars=less polution=less "federal mandating" of emissions standards...
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #19 –
Quote from: Chuck W
And their toilets flush in the opposite direction too :grinno:
 
Austailia is still pretty "unpopulated" with vast areas of land that will probably never be developed...which is good. But yes..less people=less cars=less polution=less "federal mandating" of emissions standards...

That could be Canada you're talking about as well. Real estate wise we're second largest in the world (second only to Russia) but population wise we have about 30 million people. Imagine, NY and LA combined have more people than Canada.
 
Speaking of which, Canada's emissions laws have always been much lighter than the USA. This is why in the mid 80's you could still buy T-Birds and Cougars with carburetors. It's also why my car, even without its catalytic convertors, is perfectly street legal. Our safety standards have traditionally been more strict though (daytime running lights, et al).
 
While emissions laws undoubtedly have some effect it certainly isn't the only factor. The biggest problem is that manufacturers have a firm belief that North Americans don't want those cars. To prove their point they'll bring one over (GTO), jack the price way up (GTO), nobody will buy it (GTO), and then they'll say "SEE? We TOLD you it wouldn't sell!" (did I mention the GTO?). They think that we want cars that handle like Crown Vics, so we don't get the good stuff. They think we can't handle the power, so we get dumbed down versions (WRX).
 
Meanwhile, Chrysler has wisened up. It's giving us desirable cars. Like it or hate it, there's no denying the PT cruiser was a smashing sales success. The Ram's market share has increased exponentially since Dodge took a chance in '94. The 300 and Magnum wagon are both incredibly successful. Instead of offering rebates Chrysler dealers are charging a markup, and that is where you can find the definition of a succcessful car: If you have to offer incentives, you have failed. A successful car will sell itself without having to offer $2500 cash back, 0% financing, etc.
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #20 –
Quote from: Bird351
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/coriolis.html



Someone must never watch the Simpsons..... :)
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #21 –
Haven't watched it in years. I don't get broadcast TV here, just satellite. Never really bothered to track down a station that plays old episodes of it. I'll settle for Family Guy reruns. :p

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #22 –
Woo hoo! This is a Duesey. It's something I've been trying to say for a very long time. I just keep getting cut off at the pass. (looks back at bird351 ;) )

I'm a T-bird guy, but not a Ford guy. This has a lot to do with being raised in a Chevy family, and a lot to do with my experiences since owning a few Fords. But the fact that my Dad has jumped ship to Toyota, and my brother has gone the way of MOPAR almost every time, though he has no idea why, and my other brother has owned everything under the sun and now hates cars in general, kind of boots the idea of having been raised around Chevy's deciding why I am a fan.

I'm a fan because I love my truck. It's reliable, sturdy, and I just like the look of it. I'm a fan because Chevy has been the first of the three in so many areas, like fuel injection (corvette, sorry man, it's a Chevy. It's been the flagship since it arrived, how could it be anything else. There's a  bowtie in the emblem.) Turbocharging (Corvair and Olds Jetfire) automotive design (Harley Earl started the first ever Automotive Design studio for GM, taking the right away from Engineers for the first time) fibreglass bodies (Corvette again, something they still do, yet the other two never have, that I know of) etc.

But GM isn't my favorite company. Just with domestics. That would be VW and VWAG. Yup, because of experience, which started me off in the automotive world. It wasn't my first car either. Just the best so far. As for late '80s VW FI engines. The Bosch fuel injection system is genius. I still to this day do a double take when I see a Fox, and do plan on having one as a comuter again some day.

Ford disapoints over and over, as GM has done in the past 15 years. Dodge never really entered into it, once the musclecar days were over. But now, watching the latest trends from GM gets me giddy. And I can honestly say, that if I were to choose a new car from the Detroit three (can't call them the big three anymore) I'd be looking at Dodge.

And complaining about Dodge sourcing out parts is hillarious. How many parts in your Ford were made in America? Be honest, now. I remember Ford getting Yamaha to build them a few high output engines for their family cars. A good portion I can guarantee comes from the likes of Volvo and Mazda. GM went with Toyota and Suzuki to source components, (and now Daewoo). It's global automotive management.

The Aussies have the cool cars because of their choice in motorsport. We've got NASCAR, which sold out decades ago, and NHRA drags, that require nothing but straight line and a huge left turn to get to the next straight line. They have RWD V8 sedans that need to pull heavy g forces in all directions.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #23 –
Quote from: Oldraven
(corvette, sorry man, it's a Chevy. It's been the flagship since it arrived, how could it be anything else. There's a  bowtie in the emblem.)


That sounded a bit testy.. hah.

So let me get this straight: You like T-birds yet don't really like Fords, but when someone feels the same way about the Corvette vs. the rest of Chevy, you get a bit testy.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #24 –
I'm not testy man. And I can't deny that the T-bird is a Ford. I can take pride in the fact that there are, and never have been, any Ford emblems on my T-bird though. ;)

Again, I'm not testy. I can tell your temperature's rising already. I made it a point of refferencing your posts as little as possible, simply to avoid the usual. I'm asking you not to start this again.

Is there nothing else in my post you can discuss? Because it looks like you're trying to find a reason.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #25 –
My temperature only rises when people say things like "I can tell your temperature's rising already" when it isn't. I don't know how many times I have to drop this hint before some of you get that. The fact that I'm not calling you a few things that are popping to mind right now (nothing vulgar) is evidence enough that I'm not as worked up as you'd like to think I am.

You made a point of referencing my posts as little as possible, but didn't quite go far enough. I suggest you work on it a bit harder.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #26 –
As a side note: If anything today SHOULD get my "temperature up", it would be the fact that I'm watching a "Seconds From Disaster" show on National Geographic Channel about a train wreck in Alabama, when my fiance is riding home on a train as we speak. :D (and no, it isn't getting my temperature up)

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #27 –
Ford outsources parts that we own Mazda,Volvo,Lincoln,Mercury,Asotn Martin, Jaguar. We are american based not German. Sure if eaton wasent such an asshoole and dident go and sell Crrysler to the germans i believe they would still be part of the big 3. Years ago i would have concidered a Chrysler shiznit its all i grew up around, Horizons and voyagers, but as of now i have no sympathy for a car company that contiousily shoots it self in the foot with the "new Radical designs" that are take it or leave it. To tell the truth there is only one car out of thier whole line that i would buy SRT4 and well its got major oil leak problems (sigh) normal chrysler problems, just wonder if they are gonna fix this one, they like to let "little problems" slip by.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #28 –
Quote from: Bird351
My temperature only rises when people say things like "I can tell your temperature's rising already" when it isn't. I don't know how many times I have to drop this hint before some of you get that. The fact that I'm not calling you a few things that are popping to mind right now (nothing vulgar) is evidence enough that I'm not as worked up as you'd like to think I am.

You made a point of referencing my posts as little as possible, but didn't quite go far enough. I suggest you work on it a bit harder.


How long have you been waiting for me to post in this thread? I honestly don't know what your problem is with me. Do you honestly think I was trying to insult you or something? Just remember that you used my name first. You sound like a troll.

And so you know, I don't tip toe around anyone, so get over yourself. And consider yourself ignored from here on out.

On with the TOPIC AT HAND.

20th anny 5.o, remember that the new T-bird is just that. One of those radical new designs that you can take or leave. As is the new Mustang. The GT is as radical as it gets. They're all doing it, to an extent. I actually wish GM would get with it, and start producing cars that aren't so  vanilla to look at. (excluding Cadillac, they're doing a fine job) Even if this retro thing doesn't last any more than another five years, I'd like to see some retro Chevelles, or F-bodies.

Re: Why, oh WHY, do I root for Ford? (long rant - Bird351 BEWARE!!!)

Reply #29 –
Ignored? Sounds like a good idea.. because I'm tired of your .