Why do you like Fords??

[polarbear]

I don't have a real good explanation as to how I started liking Fords like some folks here.

My first car was a Nissan Sentra. When it came to buy a truck my dad told me to get a Ford Ranger. I never really knew why but I figured since he sold cars for 25 years that he would know which ones were good to buy.

When I got married I met the Fleet Manager at the local dealership, he knew the ex's family. He always gave a great deal and I have never had any significant problems with the Ford product or the Ford service.

Nowadays I really think it comes down to more of a personal prefrence for people not so much because one brand is SO much better then another. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. It's your money so better buy something that your gonna be happy with, for me that is a Ford.

Funny- I told Nick the same thing, probably for all the same reasons. Sturdy, durable, and afforable.

 

[DOHCmarauder]

Funny- I told Nick the same thing, probably for all the same reasons. Sturdy, durable, and afforable.

How can that be possible with a rivited, C-channel frame???



BTW, a new Ranger was my kid's 1st vehicle when he was 15......I can attest that if there is a tougher vehicle made, I haven't seen it.

Currently in need of a trans, but with all the hell the kid put that thing through.....including, but not limited to, being jumped and rolled.....it can be forgiven.

 

[Gen1L5sp]

fords have been my family for ever... i have owned a ford since i had my license,(1991) first car was a 74 mustang II 302 with a 4 sp, 2nd was a 75 mustang Mach1...and to date, my best ford.... 94 SVT Lightning, its a great ride... vortech S-trim, and i converted it to a tremic 5-sp...Ford trucks ROCK!!!!!

 

[polarbear]

And we'll have FUN FUN FUN till daddy takes the T-bird away......


I'm seeing a trend here that our parents' choices influenced ours quite a bit!!!

Ya know, this came up on another forum today. Guys showing off his new Mercedes CLS- nice car, but a butt-load of money. I'm thinking back to the old days.

Back in about 1961, my dad drove one of these

That's a Mercedes S-Class. Six-banger (gas). Mom had one of these parked in the garage next to it.

Biz-azz V8, every creature comfort known to Western Civilization. As a kid, I would have never believed the Mercedes was the more expensive car. Man, that T-Bird was the chitt back in the day.

 

[Raptor22]

Ya know, this came up on another forum today. Guys showing off his new Mercedes CLS- nice car, but a butt-load of money. I'm thinking back to the old days.

Back in about 1961, my dad drove one of these

That's a Mercedes S-Class. Six-banger (gas). Mom had one of these parked in the garage next to it.

Biz-azz V8, every creature comfort known to Western Civilization. As a kid, I would have never believed the Mercedes was the more expensive car. Man, that T-Bird was the chitt back in the day.

Yup... My dad has a 1963 about like that in the garage under restoration the last couple decades. Man thats a sweet car.

 

[polarbear]

'63 was the best-looking year of that bodystyle. In a way it's kind of depressing- there was a time when Detroit/Dearborn rolled out some of the best-looking cars on the planet.

 

[Raptor22]

'63 was the best-looking year of that bodystyle. In a way it's kind of depressing- there was a time when Detroit/Dearborn rolled out some of the best-looking cars on the planet.

Yup, and then something happened. (I still do not know what...)

The energy crisis? Imports? Gasoline regulations? Safety mandates?

 

[polarbear]

Honestly? All the things you mentioned played a factor. What I really think, though, is the domestics got arrogant. I remember being in a sales meeting in the late 70's, listening to our Chevrolet Regional Manager say "I don't know the shape of the cars to come. But I do know that, even if we're driving four-wheeled rickshaws, one out of every four will have a Chevrolet bowtie on it."

It wasn't just him- it was the corporate culture that went with that statement. The other big factor, IMO, was diversification as a solution to the natural ups and downs of the car biz. Ford and GM decided they needed to expand their business model to isolate themselves from normal economic cycles, so they got into banking, insurance, Real Estate, electronics, aeronautics.... a pretty long list.

What happened, though, is they lost focus on their core business. Look at GM- GMAC got so big, that building cars and trucks turned into a means to finance them- where the real money was. The focus wasn't on the quality of the product, but the finance profits. Meanwhile, Toyota resisted the urge and stuck with what they do best. Ultimately, it turned out, Toyota was on the right path.

 

[Raptor22]

Honestly? All the things you mentioned played a factor. What I really think, though, is the domestics got arrogant. I remember being in a sales meeting in the late 70's, listening to our Chevrolet Regional Manager say "I don't know the shape of the cars to come. But I do know that, even if we're driving four-wheeled rickshaws, one out of every four will have a Chevrolet bowtie on it."

It wasn't just him- it was the corporate culture that went with that statement. The other big factor, IMO, was diversification as a solution to the natural ups and downs of the car biz. Ford and GM decided they needed to expand their business model to isolate themselves from normal economic cycles, so they got into banking, insurance, Real Estate, electronics, aeronautics.... a pretty long list.

What happened, though, is they lost focus on their core business. Look at GM- GMAC got so big, that building cars and trucks turned into a means to finance them- where the real money was. The focus wasn't on the quality of the product, but the finance profits. Meanwhile, Toyota resisted the urge and stuck with what they do best. Ultimately, it turned out, Toyota was on the right path.

And unfortunately...

I think domestics, or at least Ford is getting their acts together to better themselves for the future. The reason I am a Ford Motor Company shareholder. The new vehicle lines have potential and the new world cars have potential, think: revitalized lincoln/mercury, 2010 Taurus, Fiesta, Focus Mk3, Crossover lineup, quality study victories ("Quality is Job #1 "). Detroit had better wisen up.

 

[polarbear]

GM's got some pretty good irons in the fire as well. The Volt is probably the biggest one, at least from an image standpoint. Problem is, now that cash is tight, can these guys outrun their lenders before the new product shows up and can generate some cash?

 

[89frankenford]

well i guess it started way back kind of. when i was growing up we had nothing but gm's and fords. although my mom did have an AMC eagle i believe when i was born till i was about 3. my dad had an old 82 ranger i believe then too. in 1989 they both got new vehicles. my mom went with the 89 chevy cavalier and my dad went with the 1989 ford ranger(4x4 long bed 5 speed, red) i guess you could say i spent the most time in those 2 cars. then in 97 my dad came home with an almost new 1996 f-150 2wd auto base model. i don't know why but i was in love with that truck! my mom then got a 1999 buick century in 2000 which is the very first car i drove ever when i was about 15. then i drove my dads truck and OH MAN what a fricken tanker!. now remember i didn't really drive at all at this point and when i got in the truck it was like an air craft carrier on the road, i swear i couldn't keep it on my side of the road i thought it was huge! it drove awesome but it was just wicked big to me at the time. thats the truck i drove everywhere and i got my license on. when i was looking to by my first vehicle i tried searching for a truck first but couldn't find anything for $1300 that worked right and wasn't rotted to death. then down the street i found my (probably my favorite car now...) a 1986 chevy s-10 blazer 4x4 tahoe edition. the thing was LOADED to the gills with options and it had a 2.8L v6( which was one of gms not so good motors in my eyes...) the thing was a tank! ive jumped it so many times i broke every suspension part! paid for everything though so i kind of learned my leason to NOT do that. it went everywhere off road. i even got it on its side in snow and tipped it back over and drove off . then almost at the same time at 200K....fuel lines went, rear of frame was rotted where i hit it with the broken suspension before hand, doors always always fell off on me!!!!!, every window leaked,rockers had rot, tranny slipped like no ones business, you turn the blinkers on the wipers would come on, windows never worked properly, exhaust fell off before the cat, engine leaked like the Exxon Valdez. but it was one tough truck!!! so i bought my current ford knowing my dads had been in really good condition and it never really broke anything. i fell in love with it a few years ago when it was on the side of the road with a for sale sign on it. and i have beaten the living crap out of it too and broken a tranny(split the entire case in half!! from offroading) and some other stuff. but it just keeps going and going. granted i rebuilt the motor because i wanted to and changed out normal maintanence parts but its been a great truck. i have also owned an 84 chevy el camino which was my project car, and a 1995 chevy monte carlo z34(that stupid thing was fast!!!) all in all i was a ford person growing up but i do have a small soft spot for gm's as well. but they are in 2nd in my eyes. here are the blazer and ford
1986 chevy s-10 blazer 4x4 tahoe edition i will own another 86 again sometime!

this is the most recent pic i have of the truck on this computer. yes that is Ian(john112deere)'s ranger next to mine.

 

[john112deere]

then down the street i found my (probably my favorite car now...) a 1986 chevy s-10 blazer 4x4 tahoe edition.

I was wondering if you'd 'fess up....

Those little S-10 Blazers and Jimmys are funny. Everybody I know who's owned one has run it until it was just too rotten to drive, but they've all been pretty junky for a LONG time before that.

*Roommate has a '95 Jimmy. Rotted to bits, rear brakes don't work, intermittent electrical issues. But he's put 80,000 miles on it in the last three years, driving home every weekend from school (100 miles each way) and some long commutes to work in the summer (construction). It was a junker when he got it, but he hasn't put a whole lot of work into it, and it's still a running junker. Last month when it blew an oil line was the first time it didn't get him where he was going as long as I can remember, though...

 

[Raptor22]

Dad always drove a Mercedes. Back in those days, a S-Class sedan looked like a Rambler and had power-nothing. Armstrong steering, 4-speed manual on the column. Unimpressive, especially compared to the T-birds, which had every convenience known to Western Civilization (except A/C- go figure), and was arguably one of the prettiest Ford's ever made.

My dad's '63 has A/C, Power windows, Power seat, Heater, FM radio (first one in a domestic automobile)...

Those cars are sick.

 

[TexasNomad]

 

[TexasNomad]

I love fords because their designs have all ways appealed to me more then any of the make just have Chevy has never made a truck I have looked at and said WOW thats pretty never well unless its a 50s truck then yes... But other then that no one else has made any thing that I like better then Fords.