Ford

#162, Chris Miller’s 3rd stone truck: 1929 Ford Model A

Chris Miller has been a sculptor for several decades. He makes public art, primarily out of granite, marble and wood. But on Thanksgiving night, he returned home to Vermont from Maryland with swollen hands and tired from another creation of his latest passion — automotive art, as in a stone truck. Miller, who lives outside of Calais, Vermont, had just completed his third piece. The 125 percent-sized sculpture is located on the property of a business in Lexington Park, Maryland. The business owner is a car and truck collector and semi-truck racer. Miller’s stone truck creation is the signature for the combined home and business. It’s a 1929 Ford Model A. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Miller, a

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Ford F-150 among pickup trucks slammed by Consumer Reports

Pickup trucks may be increasingly popular, but the reliability of the segment just received a jolt by Consumer Reports. The Ford F-150, the perennially top-selling vehicle in the United States, was graded as below average in the magazine’s annual reliability study. The GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, Nissan Titan and Ram 1500 also scored below average. The magazine’s statisticians annually calculate reliability ratings for every major mainstream car, minivan, SUV and pickup truck using Consumer Reports’ member survey data. It factors in models that use some of the same components. Pickup Trucks Receive Surprising Grades Consumer Reports said the Ram 1500 is “plagued with electronics issues—screen replacements, headlights, body control modules, gauges, and engine computers.” The Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier,

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2020 Bullitt Mustang ideal for the Steve McQueen in all of us

A 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback and a 2004 Pontiac Aztek are as far apart on the automotive spectrum as possible — with one exception. With a few dozen other vehicles — an Aston Martin DB5 to AMC Pacer and a Plymouth Fury to Pontiac Trans AM — the Mustang and Aztek are cultural icons. Younger automotive and movie enthusiasts may only know the Aztek from the “Breaking Bad” series on Netflix or a Toyota MK IV Supra from the movie “The Fast and the Furious.” But the Bullitt Mustang, released in three time frames in the past 20 years, dates to the 1968 movie “Bullitt.” Bullitt Mustang: Relevant Then, Now Actor Steve McQueen epitomized coolness as Police detective Frank

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New Ford F-150 EV: fastest, efficient, far less cost

Ford believes its pending F-150 battery-electric pickup truck is still about two years away from consumer sales. But the manufacturer is already touting it will cost about half as much to operate as its current gas-powered stablemates. The new version of the country’s best-selling vehicle will also be the most powerful Ford truck ever made. With zero gas and oil usage, low electric charging rates and lower maintenance costs, the Ford F150 EV truck will thrive on its efficiency, according to Kumar Galhotra, Ford’s president of the Americas and International Markets Group. Ford Ford F-150: Fast, Furious Scheduled to begin production in mid-2022, the Ford F-150 EV will have the fastest 0-to-60-mph time and produce the most torque and horsepower

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Truck wars: Chevy, Ford, Ram push towing capacity max

Truck wars are nothing new. But with lightweight trucks sales growing at an increasingly fast rate, competition has become more intense. The latest battle involves increased towing capacities for the top-three sellers, Chevrolet, Ford and Ram. Chevrolet recently announced an increase of 500 pounds for the 2021 Chevrolet 2500/3500, pushing the maximum to 36,000 pounds. The boost occurred after engineers made changes to the suspension and available wheel packages. The improvement to the Chevy places it 1,000 pounds less than the Ford Super Duty (37,000) and 900 pounds more than the Ram HD (35,100). Chevy’s 36,000-pound maximum is available only on the regular-cab Silverado 3500 Work Truck with dual rear wheels and rear-wheel drive. The 445-horsepower, 6.6-liter Duramax diesel making

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Ford announces next F-150 plus first EV truck

With several pickup trucks, including the much-touted all-electric options, competition is increasing. The Ford F-150 still rules, but the manufacturer isn’t resting on its success. As such, the production of the next generation of the popular F-150 pickup trucks series has started. The trucks will be made in the company’s Dearborn, Michigan, plant. They’re expected to go on sale in November. The launch of the country’s top-selling vehicle is “on time and on track,” said new company CEO Jim Farley. Ford will debut electric truck in 2022 The manufacturer also simultaneously announced it will join the highly competitive electric truck market in mid-2022. It’s when a battery-electric version is expected to debut. According to the manufacturer, the battery-electric version of

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Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco as mini-RVs

GehoCab has taken its current expertise in off-load motorhome conversion in the Volkswagen Amarok into a far larger market for RVs. The German-based company has announced it’s reconfiguring its carbon-shelled, chassis-mount campers for installation in the Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco and other popular off-road SUVs. The company’s goal is to create the lightest available off-road 4×4 campers. Gehocab makes carbon fiber modules for RVs Unlike typical bed-top and chassis-mount truck campers, GehoCab’s original Kora camper has a sleek, glossy carbon fiber construction. It has wide-stretched windows, flush integration with the base truck and color-matched paint. Now, GehoCab is designing two 4×4 motorhome modules, the compact Fiete and the larger Findus. The Fiete is compatible with the Land Rover and

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2020 Ford Expedition: bravado and big bucks

Car manufacturers are big on adjectives and embellishment. There may be no better example than the promotion of the 2020 Ford Expedition. It’s big, no doubt, and the SUV’s facts and figures tell the story. The Expedition (Max Edition) has a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 375 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. It can weigh as much as 5,800 pounds depending upon its configuration. When equipped with its optional towing package, the Expedition can haul 9,300 pounds, an impressive capacity. The Expedition is standard with rear-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is an option. Consumers who wish to transport RVs or power down the open road in swagger mode and with as many seven occupants buy the pricy hauler. It’s nearly

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New stone truck built to last more than any Ford truck

Not too long ago, Chris Miller took a camping trip. It was for relaxation but he was also seeking inspiration for his next art creation. He found it — a perfectly patinaed 1940 Chevrolet pickup truck. The 80-year-old truck prompted an idea for Miller’s second elaborate work of automotive art — his second stone truck. Eight years after he made his first stone truck, Miller has created another. He’s also kept Ford Motor Company true to its word in an astonishing way. Miller, a sculptor who lives Maples Corner, a hamlet outside Calais, Vermont, began carving about 45 years ago. He works in granite, wood and marble, and his work is featured in private collections and sculpture galleries. Nothing quite

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Lady Gaga goes gaga over cult 1993 Ford pickup truck

Lady Gaga missed out on the joys of teenage driving — at least officially. But she’s made up for lost time. After first getting her driver’s license at age 30, Gaga, 34, has made it a habit of buying cars. She owns about 20, including what appears to her favorite, a daily driver 1993 Ford SVT Lightning pickup truck. Gaga also owns a Chevrolet El Camino, Ford Bronco and Mercedes-Benz W123 sedan. The Ford truck she owns is among her least expensive cars the performer owns. The mint condition vehicle’s estimated value is $40,000. Lady Gaga like her vintage cars and trucks The SVT Lightning is among the original factory performance pickup. It’s equipped with a 240-horsepower, 5.8-liter V8 and

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Ford F-150 has dubious honor — most stolen pickup truck

Pickup trucks are stolen so often, it’s an automotive epidemic. At least that’s the one-word description of the data compiled by the National Crime Insurance Bureau (NCIB) in Des Plaines, Illinois. The Ford F-150 pickup was the third most stolen vehicle in the United States in the past five years. Via statistics through 2018, the Chevrolet Silverado was the fourth most stolen vehicle during the past five years. Pickup truck dilemma: lots stolen According to the NCIB, the reason older Ford F-Series and GM trucks are stolen at such a high rate is because in 2007 most vehicles began having anti-theft systems installed. Older pickup trucks are also more targeted because they can easily be dismantled and have parts sometimes

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#141, 2021 Ford Bronco debuts; Hagerty expert praises icon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:39 — 42.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreNearly a quarter-century after it was last made, the new Ford Bronco makes its debut today (July 13) with as much anticipation as any new vehicle in recent memory. Often cited as the first Sport Utility Vehicle, the Bronco has a loyal following and its new edition is likely to continue the iconic vehicle’s increasing legacy. Brian Rabold, vice president of valuation services for Hagerty, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss all things Ford Bronco. Ford Bronco: Its legacy contines Hagerty, the Michigan-based automotive lifestyle company, provides specialty insurance for collectible vehicles. The Bronco, in its various

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Ford F-150 pickup trucks face brake recall

Ford trucks have dominated the industry for so long, many current buyers weren’t born when the F-150, its siblings and distant automotive relatives didn’t reign. But even the country’s perennially best-selling vehicle sometimes has problems. In this instance, it’s used Ford F-150 pickup trucks. About 350,000 trucks in North America, including 292,3111 vehicles from the United States and model years 2014-2017 are being recalled for a faulty brake master cylinder, Ford announced. Ford F-150 has braking issues The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, and ultimately reduce braking power to the front wheels. Drivers may feel more pedal travel that requires more force to press the brake. The loss of power could also trigger an

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Ford rules best used trucks for $10,000

With its dominance in new truck sales, it only seems logical the Ford has the same good reputation used truck sales. It does, and it’s good news for truck buyers with a budget of $10,000 whether in the market for a work truck or a vehicle to tow an RV or boat. Chris Ford, a writer for HotCars.com, has compiled an interesting list featuring used trucks from 1999 to 2018 — all in the affordable $10,000 price range. As the best-selling vehicles in the United States for more than 40 years, Ford has five trucks on the list, dating from 1999 to 2014. Chevrolet has three vehicles on the list, dating from 2004 to 2014. Toyota is represented by two

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Is Ford soon announcing a new pickup truck for 20K?

It may be called the Courier or the Ranchero. It currently has the codename 758. For now, it’s wait and see as Ford is likely to officially announce a new, small pickup truck with a base cost of less than $20,000. The unnamed vehicle, according to various industry publications, will debut in late 2021 with perhaps a return to the new of two former iconic vehicles. Ford has used the Courier nameplate on several cars and trucks, dating to the early 1950s and ending less than a decade ago in Brazil. Ranchero was the name of the coupe utility vehicle made by Ford from 1957 to 1979. The new truck, which has been discussed for several years, will continue Ford’s

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