OT - A modern Parable!

[Steve Carlton]

Eh. Dark blue metallic w/lower dark gray accent. Orange is hard to work with. Black easy.

[squall_line]

Nonsense. If you want a black and orange F150, that's what they make the Harley edition for.

[Rapid Dog]

...blue, that's an average color.
$40K OTD at 0% for 5 years I assume.
What's toe towing capacity with the 5.4?

[Steve Carlton]

I think it's 9,900 lbs.

[Kristian,CO]

8100 with the 3.55 rear end
9100 with the 3.73 rear.

[ckcarr]

You can still get the orange Mustang also.

[JonyRR]

'5.4 a little pokey'

that's OK, there are several nice supercharger kits out there; and the good part, they actually INCREASE average fuel mileage on the order of 1-3MPG.
granatelli or look at the roush kit.
I've been lusting for a new ford...but I want a deeseeel..

[Steve Carlton]

Ford's website is not very specific. I think it varies from 2x4 to 4x4, the actual weight of the truck, and the weight of the passengers and cargo in the truck. Also, I think the tow capacity increases with the use of electric brakes.

[Kristian,CO]

I believe that's for the tow hooks specifically. The F150 can go as high as 11000lbs. with a 4x2 reg cab with the 4.10 rear end.

[Steve Carlton]

Oops- right. I'm getting the 150" W.B. w/3.73 gears, so it looks like 9100 or 9400 lbs. I can't see what distinguishes them. Do you know? I guess I lose 500 lbs for the 20" wheels, too. But they look *****in', man...

[1967 R50/2]

Not for nothing, but this "parable" sounds like something written from the Union point of view. But as anyone knows from reading the headlines, perhaps their main expense facing GM and Ford right now is the healthcare liability of their union workers. It constantly saps any money that they might put into R&D etc. I imagine that even at Toyota UAW plants, the situation is not quite the same.

I don't blame the unions....I blame GM for cutting such ridiculous deals in the first place.

I also blame them for caving to jingoism and not truly globalizing the company like Toyota and Honda did. As the "Parable" points out, Japanese companies are not so narrow-mindedly Nippon-centric as to only produce in Japan, but rather produce cars wherever they sell them...including the US. That serves as a natural hedge against currency risk as well as diversifying your manufacturing costs and risk. It also lowers shipping costs.

[Kristian,CO]

Enjoy your truck regardless of tow capacity!

[JonyRR]

'Japanese companies are not so narrow-mindedly Nippon-centric as to only produce in Japan, but rather produce cars wherever they sell them...including the US. That serves as a natural hedge against currency risk as well as diversifying your manufacturing costs and risk. It also lowers shipping costs'

as I understand it, it's VERY difficult for a FORIEGN company to open a factory in Japan; they're very protectionist; I have always been of the opinion we should reciprocate in exactly the same way as they do to us.

[1967 R50/2]

Originally posted by JonyRR
'Japanese companies are not so narrow-mindedly Nippon-centric as to only produce in Japan, but rather produce cars wherever they sell them...including the US. That serves as a natural hedge against currency risk as well as diversifying your manufacturing costs and risk. It also lowers shipping costs'

as I understand it, it's VERY difficult for a FORIEGN company to open a factory in Japan; they're very protectionist; I have always been of the opinion we should reciprocate in exactly the same way as they do to us.

"Opening a plant" is not the only way to get a piece of the manufacturing pie in a market. Ford is big into Mazda, which does pretty well. GM was likewise big into Subie....until they sold out. They also partner with Toyota manufacturing the Matrix/Vibe. And of course Chrysler was in bed with Mitsubishi for a long time.

With the exception of Ford/Mazda, the fact that most of these partnerships are either inert or on life support says more about the companies involved then it does about the Japanese protectionism.

"Reciprocating" would have Americans who would otherwise be gainfully employed at a Honda plant in Marysville Ohio, go un-employed. Not a real good option if you live in Marysville.

[HugoVW]

There is one company who introduced the Toyota Kai-Sen system and that is Porsche and we know how succesfull they are...

Hugo

[bhaubold]

I recently read that health care costs run Toyota about $200 per car, where it costs GM about $1500 per car.

I'm not bashing the unions, I belong to one myself. But, maybe the UAW has it a little too nice.

[R111S]

Originally posted by bhaubold
I recently read that health care costs run Toyota about $200 per car, where it costs GM about $1500 per car.

I'm not bashing the unions, I belong to one myself. But, maybe the UAW has it a little too nice.

This argument about Health care burden just doesn't make any sense to me. When I lived in Germany I had to pay high taxes for government health care...guess where I got the money for this?...yes it was in my salary that came from Zeppelin GmbH.

Therefore, in a round about way, the Health care System in these other nations is ultimately funded through the products they produce and sell...where else did you think the money came from?

The US Automakers argument is baseless and obviously an attempt to help themselves to even more top exec profits and then dump the health care bill on you and me through government taxes...you'll also need a healthy boost in your salary to afford this...where will that come from?...you guessed it my friend.

[Moybin]

I had a gal at work who had a terrible time understanding that the Government (any gov't) does not make any products that it sells for a profit. I would guess that the arms deals are even "subsidized" by tax payers money.

So she had a difficult time understanding that if you cut taxes the money has to come from somewhere else, just like when you up the benefits.

Personally, I still think flat tax at 10%, absolutely no write offs or credits, and an annual balanced budget are the things that will make/break this country. Not towelhats, not bird flu, not Chinese trade. Plain old stupid accounting. When the money runs out, the country closes. Show's over.

[damage113]

It' ridiculous that the wage employees are at fault for the downfall of these companies. Why do people always blame the people at the bottom, the damn welfare mothers, union workers - because they are the most like us and well its easiest to hate ourselves (Nietzsche talke alot about this) Go for the big fish, isn't it much more fun to hate the haves instead of the have nots?
Ford ups CEO bonus
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Mulally gets extra $1M; total reward now at $6M

Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday its board of directors approved a $6 million stock option bonus -- $1 million more than was previously promised -- for new CEO Alan Mulally.

The board also approved cash payments to other senior executives to compensate them for a bonus program the company is scrapping in favor of a new compensation plan, according to documents filed with Securities and Exchange Commission late Wednesday.

The news of the payouts came as thousands of salaried workers who signed up for buyouts or early retirement packages bid tearful farewells to their friends and colleagues. It also follows close on the heels of the record $12.7 billion loss the automaker posted for 2006.

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/AUTO01/703010411/1148&template=printart

[MaineRoads]

JonyRR, Try before you buy. We have a new company truck, F550 diesel. I thought I wanted one till I drove it. Tons of power, but this thing is a roaster oven. You have to have the A/C on with the windows up or down. Crazy heat maker.