1959 Ford F100 Completely Restored V8 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford idling Michigan Assembly Plant to trim Focus, C-Max supply

Ford will be putting the brakes on production at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI, idling production during the weeks of October 28 and December 16. Ford is citing the first drop in US sales in 27 months, a 4.2-percent dip in September, as the impetus for trimming their supplies, according to Automotive News.
Ford's deft management of its supplies has been part of its success over the years, and seeing supplies of Focus and C-Max, the two vehicles built at MAP, rise from 58 and 108 days, respectively, to 71 and 122 days over the span of a month was apparently all that was need to justify the trimming. As AN points out, the rule of thumb for many automakers is to maintain a 60-day supply of vehicles.
"Ford has been focused on keeping their pricing in check. Their operating margin is in double digits. Nobody else is there and they're obviously very proud of that," Alan Baum, an auto analyst with Baum & Associates told AN. Keeping the supply chain operating smoothly and not increasing supplies too much is crucial to that healthy profit margin. After all, a large supply lowers prices ,which, in turn, cuts profit. So while this news might not be great for employees at MAP, who now have an extra two weeks of vacation time, it's far from a sign of problems in Dearborn. Quite the opposite, actually.

2014 Ford Mustang GT

I was more than a year removed from my last experience with the Mustang GT and its delicious 5.0 V8 when this new 2014 example rolled up to my driveway recently. Good weather and a planned road trip across the state meant that I would get plenty of seat time in this conservatively specified example, too. In total, I logged about 400 miles in a week of driving - not a lot for some of you super commuters out there, but quite a lot for this work-from-home journalist.
The basic formula of the 5.0 has stayed the same for 2014. The 2013 model year saw a number of updates to keep the Mustang fresh until it's replaced with an all-new generation for 2015. So, for its bon voyage tour, the fifth-generation Pony Car has seen only a few modifications: a couple of new paint colors (Oxford White and Ruby Read Metallic), trim and wheel revisions and, sadly, the deletion of the Boss 302 from the Ford lineup. However, while the limited-edition Boss is likely to reappear sometime after the gen-six Mustang makes its debut in 2015, the GT Track Package cars like the one I tested provide at least a partial solution for those looking for hot laps.
Driving Notes

Texas plumber shocked his old Ford F-250 is now in terrorists' hands [w/video]

Do you ever wonder what the a owner is doing with your vehicle after you trade it in? Mark Oberholtzer of Mark-1 Plumbing in Texas City, TX, has no need to imagine, but it's probably his worst nightmare. That's because an image of his old Ford F-250 is now on Twitter as a gun platform in the Syrian Civil War. While the image only appeared recently, Oberholtzer traded the truck in last November. Somehow since then the F-250 made its way from Texas to Syria. According to a report from television station WHOU, the dealer that took the trade said the pickup immediately went to auction. Unfortunately, along the whole route no one ever took Mark-1 Plumbing's name and phone number off the door. So when the image went up on Twitter, everyone knew whom the Ford previously belonged to. The plumbing company makes it abundantly clear that this whole bizarre situation is simply a coincidence, and it has absolutely no ties to the conflict in Syria. However, that isn't preventing people from phoning the business with angry calls and threats. Things are so bad that Oberholtzer keeps the phones unplugged for relief. Scroll down to watch a video of the guy's flabbergasted reaction to finding out what his F-250 is doing now. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.