bobbyd

I also noticed that GM uses that black metallic mix. Not sure why the solid black (Like with the Mustang)is not used, but there must be a reason since Ford is not alone. Timmm55..thanks for your input about drying the car. I would really like to use those motorcycle heated blowers that have the narrow nozzles to blow the water from seams and difficult areas. I priced them at well over $300! I do use a 24x40 drying towel (microfiber). Great deals on 'Auto-Barn'. Its so much better than bath towels. No lint...better absorption. Just finished polishing/waxing the Taurus for the first time. I just love the new Ice Premium Care Liquid Wax. Wax on..wax off! No powdery white residue...even on the flat black trim that surrounds the lower portion of the car. I bought the Gliptone buffing microfibre towels since they have a 70% polyester and 30% polyamide surface. The vast majority of microfibre buffing towels are 80% polyester..20% polyamide. Too much polyester for me.

I am curious if any Ford paint experts would know if Tuxedo Black changed its mix for 2013. I have looked at the Tuxedo Black which is on the Fusion and F-Series and Taurus prior to 2013 and they contain a goldish metallic mix that seemed to make the car look "dusty"! When I picked up my 2013 Taurus Limited with Tuxedo black I noticed the black as darker and deeper with virtually no goldish metallic mix but instead a silverish mix...but much less noticeable. I had others Ford enthusiasts tell me they also noticed a deeper , richer black. I'm just curious...but more importantly...I am very happy with the apparent darker , less dusty look. (How long do I wait till the paint settles before I can put a nice ICE Liquid Wax coat on it?)

I just knew those Demos would crawl out of their caves. Time for an educated response. The 2007 Energy Act was first promoted by Nancy Pelosi (D)...passed by the "Democratically Controlled House and Senate!" Bush could not overturn a 2/3 or more Democratic Controlled vote. The Ethanol mandate had until 2022 to take full effect. As of last month Obama is aggressively pushing a "full press" on Ethanol without congressional approval....Hmmm...sounds like what he did to the private hospitals a month or so ago! Please Demos....no more baloney. Not only did your team propose it and pass it...now Obama's team wants to INCREASE IT! Same Demos who want wind farms and solar energy panels from China. Hey, save the birds and stop the imported panels. Good Ole crude is best! Corn is for food and not for ruining our engines!

You will notice that your local gas stations in Michigan no longer post if their gas has ETHANOL on the side of their pumps. Ex Gov Granholm mandated that removal before she left us with our deficit. If you have a newer vehicle..including any gas engine (lawnmower, etc..)...you should be OK. However, older engines will be affected and it will possibly ruin the fuel lines since Ethanol has extreme additives that will eat the lines. My friend's weed wacker is ruined because of the ethanol...and that was the Stihl mechanic who advised him. There are additives you can add to the gas to avoid the problem. Mobil and Shell and BP did not use the Ethanol until late last year. As time goes on, people with older engines will be affected. 'You Tube' has a lot of examples of additives to use to prevent problems. Guess what...Obama, if re-elected, vows to up the Ethanol content from 10% to a new mandated 15%! Warning ! Danger Will Robinson! (Please...I don't want to hear the rebuttals from the Obama Lovers!)

My salesman first mentioned that it was his mistake not to check, but then said his prep group noticed that some come with cargo nets in the trunk and some don't. Dahhh, SE and SEL models don't offer the net! Hmmm, like you mentioned, it was probably removed with the thought nobody would notice. So, to answer your question about an 'explanation'...it was a pretty poor excuse. I was mostly impressed with the quick action taken by both the 'Ford Media Office' as well as from Alan Mulally's office who offered to buy me a new net for the cost of $50!!! As far as the car....Sweet! It only had 5 miles on it.

Revised Info: I mentioned that I just bought my new 2013 Taurus Limited and when I looked in the trunk to check my cargo net (Standard on 2013 Limited models..as stated in the brochure) it was missing. I called the dealer and was told its no longer a feature ! I decided to take action! I called Ford Corporate as well as an e-mail to Mr Mulally and they "immediately took action with the dealer!" It was a MISTAKE by the dealer and I received a knock on my home last evening with a new cargo net....along with an apology from the Ford salesman!

Todays paper claims Ford will start lump sum pension distributions later this year to all white collar retirees. I called the NESC and they are waiting for direction and letters will be sent out! ?Anyone know how this will work?

Our family bought a nice 2006 F150 4wd (65000 miles) and after a week or so we notice a 2-3 second delay with the transmission. Should we first go to a transmission place and get an opinion and then return to dealer to bargain on the repair cost? We love the truck but worry that something is wrong. Any suggestions?

Good for you for at least calling them. Did you notice that Firestone now calls themselves only Bridgestone and NEVER uses Fords in their tire commercials. Crap tire anyway!

Since a Taurus driver, who recently ran a redlight and blamed it on the cars stuck accelerator....could I do the same thing to avoid a ticket? I read that 14 out of 350,000 owners complained they felt difficulty stopping the car and one reported the car's fault in running a redlight. I think it was over 2,000 Toyota drivers complaining about stuck accelerators....but the NHTSA eventually blamed the drivers. Lets see what happens with the Taurus issue...since our local FOX news station is referring to the "Once popular Taurus" as being investigated.

OK...after some research I now would entertain any opinions on the TITAN 4L TRUCK COVER...100% WATERPROOF...NOT WATERREPELLENT! Anyone have any experience with this product. Its on sale for $147....free shipping. Read some good reviews.

We can't protect our F150 4x4 in the garage from the elements because its 4 inches too high. Can anyone give us advice on the best waterproof truck cover that will protect our truck in the driveway from the tree sap and harsh sun on the paint? Most covers due not protect against rain...unless someone can give us ideas! It will be parked mostly through the week but we worry about birds and branches etc...also winter snow...I forgot about the winter!

Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett and now Mark Martin. Ford invested and supported these 3 drivers and made them rich and successful. So what are these EX-Ford drivers driving now....Toyotas! There is no loyalty in NASCAR....and there sure isn't any patriotism. Its all about the money. Unfortunately, true Ford fans who have all the memorable collections and memories are disappointed. As many of us know, Martin has his Toyota on the pole for todays race. Lets hope he fades fast...like Jarrett and Elliott did.

Thanks...just went to the Vehicle Programs 'build your Taurus' and now have the prices. 2013 Ford Taurus Limited with no extra packages...plus $795 fee....Z-plan $29844 plus 6% tax and $15 title. All the wheel designs have changed. I am waiting to visit a local dealer to see the standard 19 inch Limited wheel. (I noticed a $1000 rebate till 4-2-2012....that can't apply to a brand new model...right? Anyone think that's true?)

yep...chevy dealer was firm on the f150....it appears all the Big 3 dealers do not wiggle on price much.....then you add 6% sales tax! Yikes!

thanx, ron

My family is searching for a used F150 4WD (2004-2007) and it seems that every Ford Dealer we visit refuses to budge on the firm price. I recall being able to get around a 5% break on the firm price, but not lately at any local Dealers. We are thinking of looking at private sellers , but they are also posting firm KellyBluebook prices. Anyone think its better to go private or dealer? We are getting desperate to find a F150 /5.4 litre 4wd Supercab. Is this a bad time to buy a used F150? It seems that inventories are low. Should we wait till spring?

I am so against the France family buy in with Toyota that I only watch the replays on Speed Center after the race. Ford is ALWAYS outnumbered by the bigger Hendrick and Gibbs teams . I am still wondering how Tony Stewart just seems to rocket in front at will. Crazy man Bush struggles a little more, but also seems to power ahead. I would rather see a GM car win (if Ford doesn't) than to EVER see a Japanese car win. Toyota has huge financial backing with its teams. Only one thing is for sure...Michael Waltrip will cause a wreck! Go Edwards!

OK..I have to be careful with my numbers since you guys are hawks. Yes, Ford did peep a $164 million profit in 2003, but went negative in the years that followed....so considering that amount from an initial investment of $17 billion....not good. I'm not blaming him for the sinking of the PAG Titanic, but lets also not give him any credit. My point being that he really didn't do anything either way at PAG.

You guys are too fast...I was going to change the 2000 to 2002.......but... Zoom-Zoom...too fast!

A couple issues to clarify...the Zoom-Zoom slogan was NOT a Mark Field's idea at all. The slogan was created by W.B. Doner agency in late 2000. Fields left Mazda in 2000 for Europe and PAG and was replaced by Lewis Booth. PAG was a loser with Aston Martin/Jaguar/Land Rover and Volvo. None of these products made any profit from the time purchased in 1999 till Mulally sold it 7 years later, it lost well over $7 billion ! Ouch. Thank Jac for most of that...also the $1 billion of Ford revenue he was dumping monthly in the market to keep Ford stock lucrative. I think he had to be one of the worst leaders Ford will ever have in our lifetime. As far as Lutz and his credit for Volt/Prowler and Electric Pick up Trucks......you have to give him some credit and we'll have to wait and see if the electric vehicle ideas pan out. Afterall, pick up trucks outsell everything else. Ford and Toyota are working on that...I still don't trust the Japanese.

I hope you're right. GM must still like him since I think he's still on their payroll at nearly 80...or at least high 70's. He is given much credit for the 'Volt' and now he has a VIa Motors business with electric Chevy Silverados that he has started taking orders for. Electric pickups...could make sense.

I just priced a standard spark plug tune up at two local Ford Dealers. Wow...all 5.4 V-8 engines are almost impossible to get at the plugs. $400 for the tune up plus up to an additional $90 each if they break...and that is common on original installed factory plugs. So, we are talking possibly over $500 or more to change the plugs. What were those engineers thinking when they designed the 5.4 V-8? Or maybe they weren't!

To me, Fields is a follower. Jac Nasser moved him to the Premium group in charge of bolstering sales in Jag, Volvo and Aston Martin. As we all know...hundreds of millions of $$$ were invested and we still lost sales after he took over. The Mazda experience to me was lackluster, never really boosted market share and now look at Mazda...spun off. Fields was highly criticized for using company planes to fly to his mansion in Florida while the company was bleeding from Jac's knife. I really think Ford could pick someone more capable than Fields. Problem grows as the Ford insiders groom him more and more...to the point he will become a liability if he is passed over like Bob Lutz was...and look how Lutz ran to GM with all those secrets because his ego was hurt. Fields will do the same.

Wow...just talked to Blackwell Ford and Bill Brown Ford Service about the 5.4 spark plug tune up. $400 to change the plugs...and that's if none of them break when they are trying to take them out. Its an additional $90 per plug if they break. All 5.4 V-8 plugs are a problem to change.