Ford Rant

[RockyMnt1]

I have purchased only 1 new car in my life (Just turned 53 today). A 1985 Ford Escort. The thing lasted 2 years before the engine blew up. Ford told me that it was my problem with 38K miles on it. Never purchased another car from them to this day. I have only Hondas/Toyotas since. I am on my 6th Honda and 5th Toyota. If I don't get 200K+ miles on them I would be very disappointed and I have not been disappointed yet.

So how much did Ford really loose by the ill will generated by that 1 transaction because of the lack of quality?

Oh, I do have a 1981 Ford Bronco sitting up on blocks that I use to spilt wood (unicorn splitter in place of the tire). Got it for free.

Pet Peeve:

The stupid high beam indicator in the 1981-85 Bronco was too bright and could not be turned down using the dashboard light dimmer!!!

 

[N80]

Like I wrote, N80...I've "spoke" my piece...think what you want to. This thread's going in circles now.

Well gosh Roy. You kinda jumped on me with both feet on this one from the very beginning. Big fonts and preachy attitude and all. Suggesting outright that I didn't know my vehicle. Then you continue to argue with anything I say and claim you're reading my posts. And yet, you're aruging with me about the wrong vehicle.

And then when I call you on it you want to get all dismissive like somebody's picking on you. You know, if you're going to dish it out....continuously, it really aint fair to complain about things going in circles when someone responds to you....continuosly. Big fonts don't make you right they just make you loud.

 

[N80]

I have purchased only 1 new car in my life (Just turned 53 today). A 1985 Ford Escort. The thing lasted 2 years before the engine blew up. Ford told me that it was my problem with 38K miles on it. Never purchased another car from them to this day.

I'm generally that way too. My current Nissan is a good car/suv but it isn't stellar, like my previous ones. So I'll probably look elsewhere.

The funny thing about this whole thread is that this little flaw in my F-150 isn't enough for me to ditch the truck and I still my buy another when the time comes.

That's what's so ironic here. I pointed out a flaw. That's all. I think some people read a lot more into it than I intended.

 

[RoyJackson]

Well gosh Roy. You kinda jumped on me with both feet on this one from the very beginning. Big fonts and preachy attitude and all. Suggesting outright that I didn't know my vehicle. Then you continue to argue with anything I say and claim you're reading my posts. And yet, you're aruging with me about the wrong vehicle.

And then when I call you on it you want to get all dismissive like somebody's picking on you. You know, if you're going to dish it out....continuously, it really aint fair to complain about things going in circles when someone responds to you....continuosly. Big fonts don't make you right they just make you loud.

Sorry, lad...not going to rise to this...

 

[nobull1]

With all the talk of the 1970's problems, I'm surprised no one mentioned the Ford rust problem(maybe just a salt belt problem?). Within a couple of years after purchase some people had rust forming on the hood, roof and all kinds of strange places, not to mention the undercarriage. At that time it appeared it was going to cost Ford market share, forever. They turned it around and within a few years of strong marketing, and fewer bean cans for metal , showed few ill effects. This was not a Ford only problem.....Challengers and Cuda's couldn't keep fenders or trunks on them, among other vehicles, but Ford was the one I remember getting sued successfully.

 

[N80]

Sorry, lad...not going to rise to this...

Roy, how many times are you going to post that you're not going to post?

You know, I'm sorry to be so relentless but you started this. Your posts are frequently rude, curt and quarrelsome. You have a lot of posts and I guess you've been around here a while and so I suppose you can bully some people. Not me. If you aren't going to "rise" to it, then don't. Posturing as if you're above it is an irony that won't be lost on anyone here.

 

[Volfandt]

With all the talk of the 1970's problems, I'm surprised no one mentioned the Ford rust problem(maybe just a salt belt problem?).

I seem to remember that the peeling paint problem was GM. And silver/gray was the worst. I had a 77 silver Vega (I know) that the paint starting peeling after 1 yr and the engine starting fouling the #1 plug at approx 38K. The dealer to his credit touched up the paint but it barely lasted two yrs, just enough to get out of warranty and the engine was out of warranty. I put one of those extend a plug adapters on #1 and it ran pretty good but it still used about a qrt every 500 miles.
I then married a gal w/a 76 Vette, Chevette that is. I won't even get into the weekends I spent wrenching that little imported Chevy. Oh and it's paint peeled too.

My 1st car was a 65 Corvair (I know part deaux ) but it was one of the most fun cars I ever owned. As long as I kept an eye on the oil level it ran real good but guess what, yep, the paint peeled too.

After 3 GM cars I got to thinking that I was jinxed and then I bought a Ford product. A 67 Mercury Cyclone GT. The fastest car I ever owned btw. GT 390, 415hp and I put well over 100k hard miles on it before I wrecked it. Had very few problems with it. Still miss that car. Oh and the paint never peeled

The funny thing about this whole thread is that this little flaw in my F-150

I don't know that I'd call it a flaw, but then again I guess I would if'n I had hit it twice

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy, how many times are you going to post that you're not going to post?

You know, I'm sorry to be so relentless but you started this. Your posts are frequently rude, curt and quarrelsome. You have a lot of posts and I guess you've been around here a while and so I suppose you can bully some people. Not me. If you aren't going to "rise" to it, then don't. Posturing as if you're above it is an irony that won't be lost on anyone here.

Don't worry about it, bro...it's just a forum and I don't take it seriously

 

[N80]

Volfandt, mine is black too. Wanted a red one (kid at heart) but they didn't have one and I needed it right away. When it is clean (rare) the black looks real sharp.

I'm due for new tires so soon I'm planning on new, and bigger tires, an MT of some sort. I'm not going to add a lift kit but may turn the torsion bars down a tad to give the front a little more height. Will have to mod the plastic fender trim a bit for tire clearance. I'm planning on adding Bilstein shocks and getting rid of the running boards (I don't think they help much and don't like the look). I'll probably keep the original rims, they look okay but I'm a sucker for the classic Outlaw II wheels by American Racing. I don't know if it has a steering stabilizer, if not, I'll add one.

I see no need to mess with the engine. A lot of people have dual exhaust added, but I don't like the noise and performance is fine. I'm not sure those air filter kits help anything. I don't know anything about the computer chips. The only reason I'd mess with the engine is if I could getter better mileage because it really sucks, 14mpg, tops. (I'm open to ideas.)

It already has the towing package.

A winch would be nice, but probably not in any budget of mine. (OT rant, if my wife and daughter weren't into horses it would be a whole different story, ugh.)

No plans for interior. Smells like a dirty Labrador anyway. Radio is fine.

 

[nobull1]

Quote: I seem to remember that the peeling paint problem was GM.

You are right GM couldn't keep paint, grey/silver especially, on their vehicles. The Ford thing was inferior metal that rusted from the inside out , if I remember right. It was 30+ years ago. I can still remember seeing the early seventies full size Fords with rust spots in the middle of the roof/hood 10" in diameter Here is a link to some of the secret warranties that most of the manufactures had http://http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=721. This is also good reading for anyone thinking that there is a secret warranty on their vehicle. I still think that Ford had a later 70's problem with rust. I think the term "using progressively inferior metals" was used at that time, but as I said it was 30 years ago, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be. Not to seem like I am beating on Fords, I have a 2002 GMC that I bought new and could write pages on it's problems.