Have You Driven a Ford... Lately?

That tag line was one of the most popular that Ford Motor Company ever had. Not that I'm ever going to meet Mark Fields, but if I did I would tell him it's time to bring that slogan back. The timing is perfect for it, as are the current models. Have you seen the new Ford Taurus? How about the Mustang? Ok, so maybe you've seen them, but have you driven one? What are you waiting for, Chrysler to go bankrupt? Besides the "driven" slogan, I would also resurrect "Ford Has a Better Idea", complete with the light bulb that turns on. But instead the the old incandescent bulb, I would replace it with a compact flourscent so that it fits in the current green scene.








Check out this bad-ass Ford Taurus. Anyone wanna drive to the grocery store?

Now I have owned quite a few Fords over the years, but I'm not exactly a fanatic. The first V-8 car I ever drove just happened to be a '66 Mustang, and my first legit muscle car was a red '67 Mustang fastback, 390 with a top loader 4-speed and 9 inch rearend equipped with a Detroit Locker. My oldest vehicle was a '39 Ford pickup that I had inherited from my dad. He gave it to me on my 25th birthday and like an idiot I sold it a few years later. I also had a '64 Falcon Sprint that I bought from my Uncle. It was equipped with a 260 V-8, 2-speed auto, bucket seats and a factory tach. Throughout the years there were various Ford trucks and Mustangs, and I even had a Torino for awhile. Currently my stable is void of a Ford, but I hope to remedy that soon.

The new Ford Flex really caught my eye, it is one bitchin station wagon. Sorry, I don't consider it a crossover, FUV (family utility vehicle), or sport utility. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's usually a duck, or in this case a station wagon. My only complaint about the Flex is that Ford didn't name it Fairlane. I had heard that was one of the names they were considering, and given how square the vehicle is, it makes perfect sense. They could have also done a retro Fairlane look like they did with the Mustang. A two door Flex, how cool would that be?

So I will be looking for a new car in the near future, and it looks like it might be a Ford. Yes, a 2010 Camaro would be cool, but it looks to me like GM is going to have to declare bankruptcy. If I am laying out my hard earned cash for a new car I want to make sure the company that built it is going to be around for awhile, and not broken up into a million different entities. Also, I don't think the deal with Fiat and Chrysler is going to fly either, as there's really nothing in it for Fiat other then a failing dealer network to distribute their cars. Déjà vu anyone?

Corn Binder or Corn Bread?

Well, I sold good ol' Number 2, my latest Cutlass project. It was a great car and an excellent project, but I could see myself spending way too much money on it. In case you haven't realized it yet, I get bored with vehicles real quick. I feel good about the sale, not because I made a nice chunk of change, but because it went to a true Oldsmobile enthusiast. Maybe I'll see it someday at a car show...

Being flush with cash I was now on the hunt for another vehicle. (my favorite thing to do!) I decided that I needed a truck, pre-smog, and in the "dare-to-be-different" catagory. After a lot of surfing (the Net, not the ocean), I found my next ride.

Behold my Grandpa Green International 1100c pickup truck, fresh from the farm!

Most folks perceive Internationals as farm vehicles. Heck, there as comfortable as a hay wagon and as good as Grandma's corn bread. This truck was so stock I'm suprised the salesman wasn't in a casket in the bed! It even had the line card. For those who don't know, a line card to an International is like a build sheet to a Chevy. Back in the day you could literally build these when you ordered them, option by option. This corn binder was ordered with the 304 V-8, 3 spd heavy-duty trans, custom appearance group (side moulding), deluxe hub caps (I'd hate to see the non-deluxe), A/C (big spender here), push button AM radio, heavy-duty heater (the heater core was the size of a small child), and full length vinyl flooring... It also listed things like the rearend gear ratio, paint, seat material, gas tank size, etc, etc.

Here is the stump pulling 304 V-8. Yes, International engines really are that big.

So now I have myself a pickup truck. This will be my daily driver for awhile. Let's see how long it is before I get sick and tired of the three-in-the-tree shifter. You can't argue with the fact that it is unique looking, definitely a classic. You see, I just got held-up at gun point... oops, I mean, I went to the gas station to fill up and on the way home I got two "thumbs up". Ok, maybe one was a middle finger, but who's counting anyways? Well, off on another adventure...