I had a 2005 Ford Escape in the shop last week, it was a 3.0L Duratec V6 with two-wheel drive. Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen - there was a big hole in the rear for where the rear diff would be, as opposed to most 2WD trucks where the situation is the reverse. So, it needed an alternator. No biggie, I thought. But alas, with all Ford’s so-called improvements, there comes a price. The alternator is mounted on the lower rear of the front of the motor, in its own little cubby hole, hidden away. The placement was so poorly thought out that Ford had to install a two-piece Ram Air contraption to the alternator for cooling. Naturally, this design flaw makes them fail miserably, and removal requires removing the Right driveshaft, and snaking in various special extensions to gain access to pretty much anything in this forbidden zone. Continue Reading…

This year marks not only Carroll Shelby’s 85th year on this planet, but it is also the 42nd anniversary of when Ford finally won the Le Mans 24 hour race outright, in 1966.

So why not celebrate both by putting out a special edition “continuance” version of the GT40?

Why not indeed… Most car guys know the story about how Ford (the guy and the company) wanted to and tried to buy Ferrari back in the early 60s, and upon Enzo nixing the deal Ford (the guy) got right royally pissed and decided to beat (i.e. crush) Ferrari in international sportscar racing.

It took them a couple of years of failure, but with a re-done Lola chassis and the addition of a big block 427, Ford finally succeeded in 1966, coming in 1, 2, 3 in the world’s most famous of endurance races.

What is now on offer is a version of any one of those three cars, in either blue, red or black (it was the black car, #2, piloted by Bruce McLaren & Chris Amon that won), with the larger scoops on the rear deck to feed the big block (that’s the easiest way to tell the Mk. IIs).

Oh, and the BEST thing about these?

They’re street legal.

There’s a copy of the press release & other photos after the jump.
Continue Reading…

Or at least that’s what the good folks at Wired’s Autotopia blog say.

I think the Ford Transit Connect could make a very viable taxi. It’s got a lot of what you want in a taxi: big on the inside, small on the outside (doesn’t take up much road), and it looks to be rugged enough to tag an NYC-grade pothole or bike messenger and shrug it off. It even does OK in the two tone yellow & gray paint job.

But to say this thing could be the next Checker Marathon?

To say this thing could replace the Checker Marathon?

No.

Not just no, but hell no.

Have you ever seen a Checker Marathon? Ever looked at one up close?

If you get the chance, you should.

The things are massive, intimidating vehicles. They make Hummers looks like shopping carts. The bumpers look like C-section steel girders (and the steel seems to be a quarter inch thick); the body panels look like they’ve been pulled off of a Stalin tank; the frame and suspension looks like they borrowed designs form coal mining equipment. I’m pretty sure the at the curb weight is far in excess of 4500 pounds. Continue Reading…

Due to the success of the 2008 “Warriors in Pink” Mustang, Ford announced today that it will be doubling their contribution to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation - now $500 for each car sold. They will be produced in limited numbers - 1,000 units total for this year, available at your local Ford dealer this summer.

The Warriors in Pink Edition will be available on the Mustang V6 Coupe and Convertible models. The updates include a unique grille, a pink ribbon fender badge, pink side rocker tape striping, charcoal leather seats with pink stitching, a steering wheel with pink stitching, and charcoal floormats with pink ribbon. The exterior colors available will black, silver and white, all of course with the pink stripes down the center and sides.

All-in-all it’s a great idea for a great cause, but don’t expect too many men on the lots looking for pink stripes all over their Mustangs.

More photos after the jump: Continue Reading…

Ford recently launched a new viral marketing campaign at BFTRules.com. It’s a spoof on the TV show COPS, except the “cops” in this case are members of “BFT” - or Built Ford Tough. They have 10 rules that Ford truck owners have to follow:

1) NO ROLLER LUGGAGE
2) NO SCOOTERS
3) NO PUNY DOGS
4) NO MEAT SUBSTITUTES
5) NO PINK SHIRTS
6) NO FANCY COFFEE
7) NO FANNY PACKS
8) NO CUTESY CELL PHONE RINGS
9) NO MANICURES
10) NO HAIR PRODUCTS

They’ve created videos for “No Manicures”, “No Pink Shirts” and “No Fancy Coffee”, and they’re actually pretty funny: Continue Reading…

Yes, Ford is jumping on the “design them for the kids” bandwagon with the new Verve Concept. This new design trend of small cars with high-tech gizmos, premium (looking) materials, futuristic design, and an overall “cool-factor” was started by Toyota’s Scion division. It seems the huge success of Scion has eventually caught the eye on other manufacturers, now including Ford. The small car trend is also being heavily pushed by rising gas prices, which are also sparking a lot of sales for crossovers.

The Verve is set to launch in the States in 2010 with this four-door model, and possibly the European 3-door version, depending on public reaction, which has so far been been at the better end of “meh.” Continue Reading…