F-350 Superduty

[ultrarunner]

As some might know... I restore Model A Fords... in the 1970's and 1980's I was a regular at the parts counter at Melrose Ford in Oakland... and yes, 50 years after the Model A ceased production Ford still was selling parts for them... I bought several brand new carburetors, water pumps, spark plugs and distributor parts...

Part of the reason Ford kept a parts inventory is because they were contractually obligated to the US Postal Service.

At that time, any manufacturer furnishing vehicles to the US Postal Service was obligated to maintain parts inventory for as long as the Postal Service had such vehicles in the fleet... and as hard as it is to believe... the Postal Service had some Model A's for more than 30 years....

Amazing how vehicles were built to last at one time and manufactures maintained service parts...

 

[Paystar]

I met a guy when I was working on a highway job up in northern Ontario that is still driving an model A today, year round. With the original style engine. He said it does 45 MPH, gets better fuel mileage than any of his new cars, and goes places in the winter with those skinny little wheels that his 4x4 pickup won't go.
Was really cool to see that.

 

[ultrarunner]

42 to 45 is the sweet spot for a stock Model A... mine will go 68 but that is flat out and who drives a car they care about flat out?

45 is still freeway legal so it works out well... have an overdrive in one and 55 is good on the level.

I've pulled my share of people stuck... Mom had the Silverado and it got stuck on the soft shoulder... walked up to the house and came down with the Model A and and pulled her clear.

The narrow tires are also tall... they are exceptional in just about every way except bottomless sand... we do a snow trip each year and no problems.

That so many are around is a testament to the materials and engineering that went into building them...

In WWII the Russian GAZ jeep had a copy of a Model A engine... so exact the parts are interchangeable...

With a high compression Police head hp went from 40 to 50hp...

I had two friends that drove a Model A is there daily driver...

The kids love the cars... the parents not so much... no air bags, abs, traction control... etc...

My yellow pickup has made a lot of runs to Home Depot... mostly bringing back sacks or ready mix concrete or block...

 

[Paystar]

That's cool. So glad to see stuff like that still used. The gentleman I was speaking to gave me a tour of his and told me they are actually still pretty cheap to buy and work on compared to other antique autos.
He even said they aren't that terribly cold in the winter when you open those vents that let the air in the cab from the engine compartment.

I was really tempted to look for one to buy and use.

 

[farm boy00]

42 to 45 is the sweet spot for a stock Model A... mine will go 68 but that is flat out and who drives a car they care about flat out?

45 is still freeway legal so it works out well... have an overdrive in one and 55 is good on the level.

I've pulled my share of people stuck... Mom had the Silverado and it got stuck on the soft shoulder... walked up to the house and came down with the Model A and and pulled her clear.

The narrow tires are also tall... they are exceptional in just about every way except bottomless sand... we do a snow trip each year and no problems.

That so many are around is a testament to the materials and engineering that went into building them...

In WWII the Russian GAZ jeep had a copy of a Model A engine... so exact the parts are interchangeable...

With a high compression Police head hp went from 40 to 50hp...

I had two friends that drove a Model A is there daily driver...

The kids love the cars... the parents not so much... no air bags, abs, traction control... etc...

My yellow pickup has made a lot of runs to Home Depot... mostly bringing back sacks or ready mix concrete or block...

I feel bad for your friends. Not cause what they drove but the parents. Honestly half the new electrics are ridiculous.

 

[ultrarunner]

It could just be the Bay Area... safety no matter the cost.

Getting way off topic... several of my friends had baby cribs that were hand me downs through the generations... one a real family heirloom...

My friends said no way... old cribs are dangerous... so they go out and buy expensive cribs that happen to be made in China... you guessed it.. a few years later they were recalled.

I'm all for safety... as long as you don't throw out common sense.

This new Super Duty will be a real test... I'm curious as to how it performs and more than anything reliability...

It was loaded on the rail car Friday... so maybe next week???

One thing I learned on TBN is the current 2016 Superduty was not tested under the same tow standards as the competitors... this is an oversight on my part.

The flip side is I can't anticipate ever going over the manufacturer's rating so I should be good...

 

[TractorGuy]

I worked for Budget Rent a Car back in the early 90s. I think Ford owned controlling interest in them at the time. We did our own warranty work for small stuff but sent the large repairs to one of the local dealers. We started having transmission problems on towncars and the dealer said the parts were not even in the microfiche or available yet. I would call the Budget service people who would call Ford and have them pull the parts off the assembly line and sent overnight. Use to blow the dealerships mind when I showed up with FORD parts they couldn't get for their own customers.

 

[ultrarunner]

Kind of similar for my friend with the new 3/4 GMC gasser...

They actually pulled the powertrain from the assembly line and shipped it out to replace as a unit and shipped the 2100 mile one back to the GM engineers.

Some glitch in the new model would put it into limp mode... not where you want to be with a 12,000 lb trailer up in the Sierra or on the Bay Bridge...

 

[farm boy00]

Kind of similar for my friend with the new 3/4 GMC gasser...

They actually pulled the powertrain from the assembly line and shipped it out to replace as a unit and shipped the 2100 mile one back to the GM engineers.

Some glitch in the new model would put it into limp mode... not where you want to be with a 12,000 lb trailer up in the Sierra or on the Bay Bridge...

My buddy with a 12 or 13 duramax had problems too with the emissions system that dropped it into limp mode. Cost $1200 or so because I think it what the injectors in the exhaust pipe burned up or something around that

 

[Paystar]

Update today. Ford dealer said Ford advised them they will have parts in the system first week in March, and dealer will get them by week three.

Awesome, LOL. At least they gave him an F-350 off the lot. So you can be sure he will be miling it out, LOL.