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It’s What Is On The Inside That Counts

by Lloyd Frazier

Usually when you read about car stuff it relates to design and performance. Sometimes it is the little things that everyday folk appreciate from a car manufacturer. There is nothing more frustrating then taking your family out for ice cream and more ice cream ends up on the upholstery and carpet then ends up in your kids mouths. Or what about the long, winding road trip to your favorite camping digs in your fresh, clean SUV. Inevitably, one of the kids end up hurling all over the back seat. We take it for granted that our vehicles are going to get us from point A to point B since modern day cars are more reliable than ever. We just expect that the upholstery and carpet is going to get a little rough looking way before the rest of the car.

Now there is hope. Milliken & Company, a company that has provided seating, flooring and safety solutions to the likes of Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, Honda and Toyota for decades has developed a new line of products called YES Essentials. YES Essentials is a material that can withstand the toughest of spills and just wipe clean. They have three patented polymer technologies to fight stains, odors and reduce static electricity. They have a very clever video demonstration that is a must see – CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO at splatthemat.com. You can splat ketchup, blueberry pie, coffee, soil or the dreaded ice cream sundae onto the mat and they will demo how it comes out. When you click on one of the icons representing the spill you will get a little surprise. Its fun, check it out.

Lloyd…signing out.

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Ford Marketing is Catchy

by Lloyd Frazier

Looks like the Ford marketing department is getting creative these days. They had to come up with a way to stretch the shelf life of the existing F150. Ford isn’t slated to redesign the F150 until 2009. They are using Mike Rowe from the Dirty Jobs show on Discovery Channel to push its wares. I found this on my favorite automobile blogs, autoblog.com. Check this out…

Lloyd signing out…

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GM claims Toyota has more pull in Washington DC

by Lloyd Frazier

I hate to say I told you so. Even the US Government snubs our own. How soon we forget the history behind WWII and all the sacrifices this country made to get through it. The almighty buck speaks loudly in Washington D.C. Click on the title of this blog, read and weep.

Lloyd signing out…

Lloyd Frazier
Lloyd’s Auto Appearance
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The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner

By: Jason Tarasi

The Road Runner line was first produced by Plymouth in 1968 with a back-to-basics strategic approach aimed at making muscle cars more affordable for the average Joe rather than having them remain fully-loaded, luxury cars that few could afford. As a result, Road Runners were targeted to a different market. Even though they were downgraded some compared to other muscle cars of their time, the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner made record sales for Plymouth and became one of the top-five muscle cars in existence in terms of best sellers.

If I had to describe Plymouth’s 1968 release of the Road Runner in one word, that word would be – unique. In fact, the ’68 model was incredibly unique because its body design was based on the luxury Belvedere with a pillared coupe style. It actually sported a cartoon character – Warner Brother’s road runner – as décor and a “cute??? beeping horn that complemented the unusual, but popular image.

There weren’t a bunch of luxury options for the ’68 model, after all, the point was to produce a high-performing muscle car at a less than luxurious price, so carpet wasn’t even a standard feature, rubber floor mats and bench seats were. To fulfill the performance standards of production, the coupe body was accompanied by a standard 383 cid power plant complemented by racy heads, manifolds, camshafts and valve springs along with high performance suspensions, tires and brakes. A 426 Hemi was an optional engine upgrade.

The 1968 version of the Plymouth Road Runner was wildly successful, so with release of the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, Plymouth was more generous with its options. Hardtop, pillared coupe and convertible body styles were made available. Bucket seats were an alternative to the original bench-style seat. The ’69 Road Runner was still very affordable as well as extremely powerful with its engine options ranging from 383 to 440 cid. A 440 + 6 Hemi-like option with an operational hood scoop made the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner one of the fastest racing cars around. The 426 Hemi V8 was also an option that created a real screamer on the raceways.

The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, like its 1968 predecessor, was a unique car that was both simple and powerful. The ’69 model had more options than the ’68, but it remained more affordable to a broader audience than some of its competing muscle cars. Road Runners weren’t wimpy sports cars by any means. They were build strong and sturdy which makes them a highly desirable classic muscle car due to their durability despite their age.

Article Source: http://www.northernlightarticles.ca

Jason Tarasi is a muscle car enthusiast who runs the Muscle Car Monster Website, where members can buy and sell muscle cars for free through the site’s online classifieds. Muscle Car Ads

Lloyd Frazier
Lloyd’s Auto Appearance
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Ford Edge’s Delivery, Derailed

by Joe Ratzkin

Ford Motor Co. will delay the scheduled delivery of the new Edge. According to Ford officials, it intends to iron out manufacturing problem in its Oakville plant, where said model together with the Lincoln MKX crossover is assembled.

It can be recollected that Ford announced the delivery of Edge to dealerships this month. Since the derailment occurred, it is now expected to be delivered in the month of December this year. “Several thousand of the vehicles have been built and all meet Ford’s quality standards, but Ford wants to make sure all of its manufacturing processes are working correctly before delivering the vehicles,” said Joseph R. Hinrichs, vice president of North American manufacturing.

Hinrichs added, “The product’s ready. We want to make sure that our process is equally ready to deliver, on a consistent basis, the quality and the timeliness of the deliveries that our dealers and our customers expect.”

According to Hinrichs, Ford has to do some critical check points on the assembly line work stations to ensure the quality of Ford car parts used in Edge. “We’re not yet to the level where the consistency is where we want it to be to launch the vehicles,” he added.

It was also divulged that the automaker experienced inventory shortages from auto parts supplying companies. Ford’s decision in delaying delivery was supported by auto analysts. “The delay is the correct decision for Ford because quality is so important in today’s competitive auto market,” said Kevin Reale, research director for Boston-based AMR Research.

“For them to be able to detect this is good. If there’s quality issues associated with either their current assembly process or parts, it’s better for them to have the detection in the manufacturing process than have the detection occur out in the field,” Reale further noted.

Catherine Madden, auto industry analyst at the consulting company Global Insight Inc. said, “Ford clearly has a quality problem at the plant; fixing it has to be balanced against getting the product to dealers when every sales day counts. I think it is prudent to meet those quality standards. Ford is under such a microscope now.”

Article source: ArticlePros.com

About the author

Joe Ratzkin is an avid fan of anything automotive. This 34-year old bachelor wanted to be a mechanic when he was a kid but changed his mind and became a freelance writer and researcher instead. He is currently based in Chicago, Illinois.

http://www.rushcarparts.com
Lloyd Frazier
Lloyd’s Auto Appearance