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TRUCK POPULAR
Total American sales of Ford’s F-150 truck in 2004: 912,000
Total Australian sales of all new vehicles in 2004: 955,229
As long as we’re way off-topic, ZIL made Packard copies for years. I rather like the looks of the ZIS 101A Sport.
Posted by Bruce Rheinstein on 2006 03 29 at 12:56 PM • permalinkHere in the Dallas area, there is a $400 line-item on every new vehicle’s sticker. It may be coded obscurely, but it means the same thing: marketing.
The money goes toward each dealer’s contribution to the nonstop car and truck ads that fill up our newspapers and TV and radio broadcasts.
Got that? Customers pay to be urged to buy.
(According to one dealer I spoke with, the line item is “non-negotiable.”)
Posted by Rittenhouse on 2006 03 29 at 01:01 PM • permalinkI’ve had two Fords ... a hottie Escort and a Fairmont ... and I’ve travelled a lot in a F100 many years ago ... unfortunately, Ford also stands for Found On Rubbish Dump ...I tend to agree, and they are best left there. Bruce, here’s one of may favourites ...
You know now that you bring it up (well, I’ll fit it in), I have a question for you Aussies. The good Lord gave you an entire continent, you are a sensible and funny lot, therefore what in the hell is taking you so long to fill it up?? Also, in a TOTALLY scientific poll of my friends, we concluded (72%) that if America went away tomorrow, Australia would be our country of choice. Oh yeah…and we would bring our guns!
Posted by Kathy from Austin on 2006 03 29 at 04:01 PM • permalinkI own an F150…..it’s a 1999 model, but I bought it in 2003. Does that count?
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 03 29 at 04:08 PM • permalinkKathy ... I think we’re doing a good job filling this country up with trash from the rest of the world. A country should have a say in who comes to the country and in what circumstances. But that’s probably for another thread. I’m off to work in my Toyota! Boring, but at least it won’t break down.
Oops, I also had a Ford Laser. Seems like it was forgettable.
Kathy:
They don’t have enough water. Too much of AU is SouthWest style dessert. And that dessert doesn’t have large aquifers like Phoenix, or huge rivers like the Colorado (which waters CA, AZ, and NV).
If they really wanted to get their population up to 350 million, they would need to irrigate the continent with a crisscrossing system of canals.
One AU-ian was stunned when I mentioned that Portland, OR was about 1.5 hrs drive in inland and we still had huge cargo ships sail up the river to dock. They just don’t have rivers like that to connect the ocean with the interior.
I know it is stunning you could take out all of AU with 1 nuclear sub.Ford…
Found on Road Dead
Fixed or Repaired Daily:)
TV (Harry)
Posted by Inspector Callahan on 2006 03 29 at 04:17 PM • permalink#11 EvilDave
I know it is stunning you could take out all of AU with 1 nuclear sub.That’s a,.... um…. interesting observation ED. You don’t work for the US Government by any chance? Washington?
Dunno how many warheads those babys carry these days, but you may need to budget at least a couple of subs. The population of Oz is spread around the coast (there’s a stat of something like 90% of the population lives within an hour of the coast), so to take us out, you’d have to fire ‘em off in a string. Its a very lo-o-o-ng coast.
ED, when you go into your next Strategic Planning meeting, just try to remember that we are on your side, OK?
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 29 at 05:22 PM • permalinkRelax, SCD. We have plans like that for every country in the world, and California. It’s what us eeeevil warmongers do instead of solitaire. Then we critique them. Hours of fun on rainy days.
Oz needs one Trident, from far enough away to get a good spread on the pattern, with a couple left over for Auckland (though those might be reserved; after all, why bother?). The most efficient plan requires repositioning to get the folks out in Perth, and leaves Hobart strictly alone. None of them will ever be used. Easier just to poison the vegemite, and nuclear warheads don’t grow on trees, y’know.
California needs two subs. It’s not that you couldn’t take out the important bits with one, but in that case you really need to be thorough.
Regards,
RicEvil Dave,
Us Aussies have drawn up a plan to inavde the US as well you know. It involves getting Margo put in charge of your federal treasury. Then when there is no money left (about 6 months mabye) and you have sold all your guns for food we move in with a Noas Ark size BBQ and throw on enough shrimp and steak to feed all 350m of you, force you to consume vast quantities of our beer and then you will all be hooked. We can rename your country New-Aussie and teach you how to pronounce “Kookaburra” properly, because none of you can. Et voila.
No offense, Time, but isn’t the US 15 times the size of Australia? At least in terms of population, I mean?
I suppose that the larger number of consumers would result in a larger number of goods sold.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel on 2006 03 29 at 09:07 PM • permalinkThey had a whole thread on this over at VodkaPundit a while back. If you’re buying a new Ford, watch out around 65 - 68,000 miles. The torque converter starts to crap out. The dealer just flushes the transmission fluid and sends you on your way. Then around 70,000 miles, once you’re out of warranty, the TC fails completely and takes the transmission with it.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 03 29 at 09:22 PM • permalinkBloody hell, skip! I was just lulling the septics into revealing their evil plans for World Domination and you go and blather about New Aussie Plan AT23-D.
I was just about to ask Ric how they could hope to achieve World Domination without New Zealand. He’s hardly likely to tell me now is he? <Taps foot annoyedly>
Sheesh. Some people have no idea about security (take Stoop Davey Dave for instance). But since the cover’s been blown, how do you think the Californians will react to being re-named “Even Newer New South Wales”? And the Alaskans “Northern Tasmania”?
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 29 at 09:24 PM • permalinkSCD, you make a common mistake.
The U.S. doesn’t want World Domination™. We have absolutely no intention of owning the planet. Owners have to do maintenance, y’know. As you will discover once the shrimp’s all eaten and the barbies cold and Teddy comes ‘round for seconds. And thirds. And fourths…
Much more cost-effective to lease when necesssary. Tax advantages and all that, plus the owners are stuck with keeping the places attractive enough. If the advance team shows up and all you’ve got to show is piles of cabbages and unwashed peasants the offer goes ‘way down.
The invasion plans are like I said, a kind of game, Risk! with more realistic assumptions. Now and again we have to try one or two out, just to check the assumptions, but I’m almost certain you aren’t on that list.
Of course, if the Nimitz battle group heaves to off Sydney and sends a message demanding all the beer and large-breasted blondes in the country, you’d be well advised to comply. Your guys are good and could probably hold ‘em off, but there might be two of them.
Regards,
Ric23. Ric, New Zealand is on that list though, because it is a dagger pointed at the heart of Antarctica!
Posted by Vanguard of the Commentariat on 2006 03 29 at 10:44 PM • permalink#21-Richard, there was also a problem with electrical fires in the previous-generation F-150s, with numerous low-mileage Ford pickups (and some models of vans) just self-combusting. There was some sort of problem in the ignition wiring, I believe.
About a year ago one of the local (Kansas City) networks ran a story on the problem; the F-150s are built here at Ford’s Claycomo, MO plant. One of the individuals featured in the report was himself a local resident and a loyal Ford owner…until his new F-150 burned to the ground in his driveway six months after he bought it. All that was left was a heat-warped “F-150” badge, which the guy had mounted on the wall of his den.
His driveway is now occupied by a 4X4 Dodge Ram…
Isn’t “kookaburra” pronounced the way it’s spelled?
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 03 30 at 12:00 AM • permalinkI had a 1979 Ford LTD with the stock 390. It ran for fookin’ ever without a problem. Nothing but routine maintanence and oil changes. Had to add a quart of oil about every 1500-2000 miles toward the end (in 1984 when it read 165,000 and I gave it to my brother). Cruise like a dream, enough room to hold a party, all but bulletproof.
My brother put another 100k on it (no major repairs the whole time). He finally sold it for $50 in 1988 or so and claimed he saw it still running in 1995, although it could use a paint job by then.
The only other car I had that came close in terms of toughness was a 1978 Plymouth Fury III 318 c.u. used police car I bought in 1986 (300 bucks plus 8 plugs and a battery) with 105k on the odometer. I delivered pizza in it and put on another 80k in the next 4 years before the rear end went out. Sold it for junk for $80. Not bad.
Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2006 03 30 at 12:47 AM • permalink#3 - Here in the Dallas area, there is a $400 line-item on every new vehicle’s sticker. It may be coded obscurely, but it means the same thing: marketing.
This is probably a local tax-minimisation ploy, taxes being calculated on the wholesale price as invoiced to the dealer by Ford. Ford Australia (and the other local manufacturers) did the same thing for a long while in the wholesale sales tax days until they went over the top: every conceivable accessory, levy, whatever, was a line item after the factory wholesale price to minimise WST. As WST was 22.5% this benefited the customer.
Posted by walterplinge on 2006 03 30 at 12:59 AM • permalinkSkip — See, that’s where Howard’s stunted your education. If you have guns you can always get money and food, even if you have to stick up Canada…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 03 30 at 01:23 AM • permalink#8 Kathy from Austin
The good Lord gave you an entire continent, you are a sensible and funny lot, therefore what in the hell is taking you so long to fill it up??
No water. Lots of desert.
I once read that the combined flow of every single river in Australia is still less than the flow of the Mississippi River alone.
As for F-150s, my old man has a 1994 long wheel base model. And it’s red! It’s virtually the biggest personal vehicle you’ll see on Aussie roads. Oh, except for the occassional F-250…
Dad proudly complains/boasts about how it’s too big to fit in the parking spots at the shops. The only ones you can buy here are ex-US ones with a steering-wheel conversion.
OK, OK Ric, now you’ve got me mad.
You can keep your Nuke threat, you can shove your battle group up, well, wherever.
As for poisoning the Vegemite (narrows eyes & peers intently at Ric) - just HOW would you lot know if it was poisoned or not? Hmmmm?
Ha! With our barbies, prawns (that’s prawns, - humungous foot long buggers; shrimps are - well, shrimps), vegemite AND Lara Bingle, the US nation will quake and be glad to surrender in the face of the Aussie
onslaughtcasual passing by, savouring the local delicacies and occasionally blowing the froth off a coldie.JoHo rules, OK?
...and then we’ll have smoko, decide the beer is shit in the US and think “bugger it, surfs up, who needs the stress”. Back to Godzone, everyone.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 30 at 05:54 AM • permalinkSDC ... do you think we should adopt the The Mouse That Roared attitude? I know your post was tongue-in-cheek, but I was told today from a colleague about the sycophantic Howard with PM Blair ... Blair is in Oz right now. He’s just swapped Bush with Blair. Hmmm ...
Last for tonight ... what about this famous Ford Mustang ...
Gee Stevo… (takes off party hat and over-size I Love JoHo button. Wipes lippy from Lara off cheek.)
I couldn’t concede a ‘sycophantic’ disposition of Howard re Blair. Howard owes Blair absolutely nuthin; nuttin I say!. Blair stole the show during his visit - his speech to Aust Parliament rated in press (foibles accepted) as one of the best by anyone, anytime. I think Howard enjoyed it immensely, as Blair was causing Beasley acute embarrassment the whole time.
And no, Blair’s not in Oz now… he actually left 2 days ago. He went to NZ and he’s been in Indonesia today.
Bush & Howard a different dynamic. I think Howard’s attitude reflects that of middle Oz as a whole about the USA. We are a small population in a part of the world with the neighbours having elbows bigger & sharper than our own. Whilst we think we can handle ourselves OK, its not a bad insurance policy to keep Uncle Sam on side. And these days, its not sufficient to just convince the Administration. You have to make it bloody obvious to the American public in Peoria that we are on side, because if Joe Public USA says “Australia - who cares” then we have a problem if push comes to shove. Hence the more exaggerated PR in being buddies with the symbols like George (and Bill before him, and whoever comes after George, irrespective of party).
As for a mouse roaring locally - yeah, why not? We have it all over any country in our region and I hope Howard is winning some respect by pushing back against ‘Asian Values’. Certainly standing up to Indonesia in East Timor I think gave a few regional thugs pause for thought.
OK. Hmmmmph.
Party hat back on, tongue back in cheek - Lara ... hey! OK, OK..my cheek not yours..
No debates on Oz foreign policy please. I still have the conquest of Amerikkka to plot. Call up the 125th Light Chilled Sauvignon Blancs and place the across the Robert Moldavi line. He he he. You’re doomed, I say, doomed….
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 30 at 07:44 AM • permalinkWell here’s something. It might not be a Ford and it won’t help Australia’s effort toward Deputy World Domination much, but what a great gift idea for Tim’s next birthday bash… or something to show up in on the big day, at least.
It’s a sports car that can run on the sweet smell of 100% Southern sour-mash hooch or the fumes of a Queensland homebrew, whatever’s handy. And it’s packing a turbo-charged, Australian made V6 engine that delivers 300kW of power!
On the other hand, I guess it’s not the Model T and the Swedes are taking energy security a little too seriously.
Jic ... one of the few peoples I knew who could bring in LHD vehicles into Australia were the American Post Office staff who were stationed at Sydney Airport. I knew them well. That’s going back a few years. I nearly bought one of the teams cars, but didn’t. They drove things like Novas back then. Not Mustangs.
#40
I’m honestly not sure. I think it’s legal but the vehicle needs to have a sign saying “Left-hand drive” highly visible on it. Or something like that!
I’ve seen LHD vehicles displaying such a sign driving in Sydney before, but only on two or three occassions in my life.
Also, its common for municipal garbage trucks to be either left-hand drive, or dual-steering control. Apparently, its easier for the driver to manipulate the robotic bin-grabbing arm if he’s located next to the kerb-window. They all appear to have large painted signs on their exterior ‘warning’ people of this.
Also, I’ve heard that American serviceman based at US bases here sometimes drive LHD vehicles (why? I don’t know) but display such signs too. I saw a news piece once which showed US serviceman at a base in Western Australia and I noticed this occurring in the background.
#37 SCD,
American attitudes are very pro-Oz. It doesn’t hurt that you have a great PM and shared values, but I think it’s safe to say that OZ occupies a place in our national conscience alongside Britain and Canada (though the Canadians are making it very hard to like them anymore). In the case of any of these three countries, we would likely defend first and ask questions later (barring an idiot like Kerry in the WH). The single greatest threat to the alliance is not with the American people. It is in the Democratic party. IMHO.
Posted by Kathy from Austin on 2006 03 30 at 10:46 AM • permalinkstevo - no worries; sorry to have mis-understood, but I had other things on my mind (like - what the bloody hell are we going to call North Dakota when we take it?)
Re LHD: There are some - not a lot - of left hand drive vehicles on the roads in Australia - like a previous poster said, the vehicle needs a prominent “Left Hand Drive” sign at the back and front.
Another ‘hotspot’ for them used to be Alice Springs, when there were a lot of Yanks at the spy base there. They would bring their cars with them during their rotation.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 30 at 07:37 PM • permalink#48: You’re right of course, about Canada. However, we would have to defend it in order to save ourselves. We would do it with our teeth gritted.
But there is hope: Harper.
Posted by Kathy from Austin on 2006 03 31 at 10:06 AM • permalinkOn second thought, defending Quebec would just be too bitter a pill. We’d probably let the Islamisists take them just to showcase to the libs what their future culture would look like if they get their way.
Posted by Kathy from Austin on 2006 03 31 at 10:11 AM • permalink
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But I still can’t seem to find my retro-mod, 1939 Packard Touring sedan.