07-31-2004, 06:36 PM
Hi,
I mean, what do you expect from the "Fix Or Repair Daily" company?
Seriously, though. I had had three Fords when I bought the Explorer, one was a Pinto wagon and the other (which was really Magi's car) was a Taurus (first year they made them, '86 IIRC). Both of those gave excellent services with only minor maintenance. Then Magi traded in her Taurus for a Turbo Probe ('90, I think) which had some teething problems but otherwise worked fine.
By then I was convinced that Ford either didn't deserve the reputation or had overcome their problems. Then came this Explorer and a year later Magi's SHO. Both of those cars have been a maintenance nightmare, causing just enough trouble to keep us PO'ed at them but not enough to make us get rid of them (until recently when Magi had had enough and traded her SHO for a Honda Civic Hybrid -- the choice being between power and economy and economy won).
Right now, the Explorer's cruise control is busted, the "keys left in the ignition" ding goes off constantly when a door is open, the air conditioner is dead, etc. etc. Reminds me of the '50s and '60s British sports cars that would always get you there, but dropped unessential bits and pieces along the way. :)
So, after the Explorer and SHO, I couldn't care if Ford wins every race and rally (and gymkhana) event from here to Antarctica. The only way I'll have another Ford is to win one, and then I'll only keep it as long as it takes some used car dealer to write me a check.
Ford tried this same kind of crap in the '60s -- at that time using the sports car manufacturers championship to try to "prove" it put out a good product. About all they manage to prove was that an unstable powerful car on the back straight of Le Mans could fly for a little while.
I've had my fair share of unreliable cars, a trade I was once willing to make for "performance". But now that the roads are so packed that progressive driving is impossible (last time I did any street racing was around '90 or '91), I no longer want a car, just a reliable vehicle. And if Ford wants to prove to the world they make reliable vehicles, then possibly actually doing so will be more successful than winning trophies in a field that is only followed by people that know what a POS a Ford is in the first place.
--Pete
I mean, what do you expect from the "Fix Or Repair Daily" company?
Seriously, though. I had had three Fords when I bought the Explorer, one was a Pinto wagon and the other (which was really Magi's car) was a Taurus (first year they made them, '86 IIRC). Both of those gave excellent services with only minor maintenance. Then Magi traded in her Taurus for a Turbo Probe ('90, I think) which had some teething problems but otherwise worked fine.
By then I was convinced that Ford either didn't deserve the reputation or had overcome their problems. Then came this Explorer and a year later Magi's SHO. Both of those cars have been a maintenance nightmare, causing just enough trouble to keep us PO'ed at them but not enough to make us get rid of them (until recently when Magi had had enough and traded her SHO for a Honda Civic Hybrid -- the choice being between power and economy and economy won).
Right now, the Explorer's cruise control is busted, the "keys left in the ignition" ding goes off constantly when a door is open, the air conditioner is dead, etc. etc. Reminds me of the '50s and '60s British sports cars that would always get you there, but dropped unessential bits and pieces along the way. :)
So, after the Explorer and SHO, I couldn't care if Ford wins every race and rally (and gymkhana) event from here to Antarctica. The only way I'll have another Ford is to win one, and then I'll only keep it as long as it takes some used car dealer to write me a check.
Ford tried this same kind of crap in the '60s -- at that time using the sports car manufacturers championship to try to "prove" it put out a good product. About all they manage to prove was that an unstable powerful car on the back straight of Le Mans could fly for a little while.
I've had my fair share of unreliable cars, a trade I was once willing to make for "performance". But now that the roads are so packed that progressive driving is impossible (last time I did any street racing was around '90 or '91), I no longer want a car, just a reliable vehicle. And if Ford wants to prove to the world they make reliable vehicles, then possibly actually doing so will be more successful than winning trophies in a field that is only followed by people that know what a POS a Ford is in the first place.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?