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F-150 Owners

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Comments

  • cdeancdean Member Posts: 1,110
    I believe the reason GM seperates like they do is
    1) same reason given by lwf, give more choices for some people

    and

    2) liability.

    I think it is actually good business sense to do so when you are as big as GM. GM is the biggest automotive manufacturer in the US and second biggest in the world. You more or less don't put all your eggs in one basket. GM has been doing it for a long time, and whether you think it works or not is your opinion, but i know some people who for some reason think that GMC's are different from Chevy. They'll buy strictly GMC, and don't want the bow tie. It something you can't change after so long. do you think if Ford and Mercury starting making a line of Mercury Pickup trucks that any would sell? no. if GMC stopped making trucks and they all became chevy's, would you keep all your GMC owners? in my opinion, no. status quo is the way it will stay.

    funny story-- My dad bought a chevy 1-1/2 ton cab-chassis work truck about 4 years ago. after 8 weeks it got delivered on the semi-trailer with chevrolet stickers, silverado on the side badge, the bowtie badge on the door, --- and a GMC grille. the poor truck driver didn't know which dealership to drop it off at. pretty impressive quality control on that one!
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    Does anyone have the real sales statistics for pickups for the last few years? One of the above posts indicated that Chevy and GMC together was way out in front of Ford and Dodge. Sure surprised me to see that. The last list I saw was a preliminary one for up to about September, 1997, and Chevy was far behind Ford. If GMC pickup truck sales were comparable to Chevy's, I could believe the combined would put them in first place. But I don't see all that many GMCs on the road compared to the Chevys. I had an idea the ratio of GMC to Chevy pickup sales was something like 1 to 4 or 5. If that's the case, I'd have a bit of a problem believing the figure for annual pickup sales for General Motors as mentioned above.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I've heard that last year Ford outsold GMC and Chevy combined, but normally the combination of Chevy and GMC combined do exceed Ford sales. I believe Ford sold about 750,000 F-Series last year. I suspect that Ford will exceed Chevy and GMC again this year because of the introduction of the Superduty. Ford hopes to sell an additional 100,000 units in the heavy duty segment this year compared to their sales in that segment last year. Of course, the new Silverado is due out this Fall. The first few months of sales could give Chevy a boost. Does anyone know if auto sales are calculated on the normal fiscal year of 1/1 - 12/31 or do they use different dates?
  • wantaf150wantaf150 Member Posts: 19
    cdean-

    Are you sure about the sales concerning GMC? You're talking a dip in sales of almost 65-70% from 1996 to 1997. Surely, this would have caused some big news/chaos in the GM conference rooms. I'll have to see that before I buy into it.

    Michael from Tampa
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    Thanks cdean. The 1997 numbers indicate the GMC-to-Chevy sales ratio was about 1 to 3; whereas, I had guessed 1 to 4 or 5, but I can see it was quite different the year before when Chevy and GMC pickup sales were comparable. I guess my perception of there not being very many GMCs on the road is because of where I live. Not only do I not see many, there aren't many dealers here either. There are 9 Chevy dealers in the county I'm in but only 2 for GMC. The year before last the count was 3, but one folded. Maybe that had something to do with Sierra sales going from 500,000 to 172,000 in 1 year. I visited both of the remaining GMC dealers when I was pickup shopping a few months back. One of them didn't even have any extended-cab pickups on the lot. Lots of SUVs though.
  • cdeancdean Member Posts: 1,110
    those numbers are intriguing on the GMC. remember, i pulled those '96 numbers out of the back of my head. there may have been a trend in decreasing GMC sales over the past 3-4 years, and i just didn't notice it because i only saw the numbers once every 365 days.
  • cdeancdean Member Posts: 1,110
    oh yeah, lwf, you are on to something on the regional thing. where i'm from, there are as many GMC's on the road as Chevy's and Fords, and hardly any Dodge's. I've spent times in several different parts of Texas, where the opposite was true. I've also met people from all over the country, through my schoolwork who comment on the amazing amount of any of the brands they don't see much back home, but see a lot of here.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    It does answer any questions I had. If GMC and Chevy are both making the same kind of trucks (1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1+ ton), they are competitors. Don't try to combine the totals to equal the F-Series. They are different trucks. If GM wants to TRY to beat Ford in pickup sales, then make the Chevy and GMC trucks under one brand. Otherwise, they will not only be behind Ford, where they belong, but also behind Dodge, where they probably also belong. If you combine GMC and Chevy under one brand, I still don't think they will beat Ford. One side or the other will think the other side sold out.
  • sleeprsleepr Member Posts: 16
    All I know is that I will buy what seems like the best deal THEN...when I shop. I prefer to root for the Yankees or Bulls.

    BTW...I doubt GMC ever sold anywhere near the Chevy total in any year. Better check that one.
  • bogiemanbogieman Member Posts: 12
    well add me to the Ford column..... just picked up my new F-150 supercab w/ 4.6 L and 4 speed auto in white w/ Prairie tan base and captains chairs interior. Rides as nice as can be!
    Will let you know just how good when the "honeymoon" is over in a few 1000 miles or so.
    Ron
  • bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
    owners! Have you heard about Ford Motor Co.'s recall of 1.7 million vehicles due to a "faulty lug nut coating that could potentially cause the wheels to separate..."?

    You can read more about it in our News and Views Conference, Ford Recalls 1.7 Million Vehicles (Topic #108)
  • 848don848don Member Posts: 1
    I want to buy one of these F150s with the 5.4. But first I have 2 questions. Can this truck really tow 8000lbs? And, in addition to the recall problem, has anyone had trouble with the wheels? I've heard that you cannot change the wheel at the side of the road. I've been told only a mechanic can change the wheel. Is this true?
  • roadmanroadman Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone have any good statitics on Cat-Back exhaust systems on a 4.6 V8, auto, and 3.55 axel? How much improvement in gas milage and H.P. could I expect?
  • polishpolish Member Posts: 1
    How does he Ford Powerstroke diesel compare to the Dodge Diesel Cummings? What is the performance of the Ford Powerstroke. We will be towing a trailer through mountain roads and passes,we want to know if there is enough torque to haul a heavy load through steep inclines.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    The Powerstroke has more torque than any engine currently on the market, with 500 lb-ft. Everything you want to know about the Powerstroke can be found on the Ford Diesel Web site. You can also get info on the Cummins. To my knowledge, it is the best source for diesel info available.

    www.abol.com/users/jlester
  • walshswalshs Member Posts: 1
    OK, I have a question for you. I have been looking (on the Edmunds site) at the specs for the F150 and the other trucks in the same class, and it seems to me like the Ford tow ratings are a lot lower than for the similar trucks from other manufacturers. What gives? For example, the F150 with the base engine and stuff is rated at 2100 pounds, while the base Chevy C1500 is rated at 5000 pounds. This doesn't make sense to me. Anybody know why the Ford ratings are so low?
  • arwhitearwhite Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 1998 5.4L F150 and was thinking of putting a cat-back exhaust system on it. I'd like input on which brands I should look at. I'd also be interested in what kind of performance gains can be had on this truck with a freer flowing exhaust and a K&N filter on the intake side. Btw,
    I'd like to stay with the stock hangers and exhaust plumbing routing as (including single tailpipe exit behind passenger side rear wheel) and I would like for the exhaust to not be too much louder than stock. Thanks in advance for any input you can give me.
  • celticceltic Member Posts: 1
    I own an '89 F-150 XL, 4.9L, 6 cyl., 3-speed automatic w/ 80,000 miles. I "baby" it. It runs good and has only ever needed routine maintenance/upkeep. I had the top half repainted free by Ford in '94. The dealer had someone else do the job and that vendor did a so-so job. ** 1) I have found that using 15w40 instead of Ford's recommended 10w30 reduces motor oil consumtion (roughly) in half. 2) For the past year I have experienced an ocassional engine hesitation at 20-30 mph. My mechanic says this is caused by a faulty "computer sensor relay." Any comments on 1) or 2) ? If I've done wrong by using 15w40 motor oil, please don't tell on me.
  • bogiemanbogieman Member Posts: 12
    to 848don: If I was going to tow 8 K, I think that i would look at the new '99 F-250 models!
    Read up on this vehicle in the latest issue of TRUCKIN'.
    Ron
  • RobinHoodRobinHood Member Posts: 1
    Hi Everyone,

    I ordered my F150 XLT a year ago, my first new vehicle and first truck. I love it! A huge difference from the Toyota Corolla SR5 that I previously drove.

    What is the difference between a recall and a "voluntary" recall? Do you just have 'em fix the problem if you want to?

    On another note, I've also heard of a voluntary recall on the emission control for selected F150's, or something along those lines. Has anyone had either/both of these items fixed?
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I would recommend that the next time you need an oil change, take it to a dealer. When you make the appointment, tell that you would also like to have any recall work done. There were a couple of times that I took my truck to the dealer and they did recall work that I didn't know existed. Even though you don't pay for the work, the dealerships don't lose any money either. I assume they get paid for the work by Ford, so they don't mind doing it.
  • djholmdjholm Member Posts: 5
    Will Ford offer a 4 door F-150 for 1999? I love the F-250, however, it won't clear my garage door!
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    All of the Ford Supercab pickups will have four doors for 1999.
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    At some other web site that listed complaints about the F150, someone said that the aluminum wheels collected water and that this water tended to freeze in cold weather causing all of the wheels to become grossly out of balance.

    I'm a relatively new F150 owner who has yet to drive it in freezing weather, but I noticed that after a recent rain, each wheel had indeed collected about an inch of water. Mine is an XLT, so whatever wheels come with that package, that's what I have. The wheel is designed with 5 egg-shaped holes (approximately 2" x 4") that do, in fact, allow water to enter, but there is no way for the water to drain out. I suppose when the wheels are turning, this water is thrown out, but it seems to me this water could freeze when the truck is left standing and cause the problem identified above. Has anyone had that experience?

    I'll have to admit, it looks like a pretty dumb wheel design. If there is a problem, I guess a 1/4-inch electric drill will solve it, but why does a new-vehicle owner have to resort to something like that?
  • kcctakccta Member Posts: 1
    I am considering buying a 1999 F250 crew cab V10 engine any advice? warnings?
  • kDUKEkkDUKEk Member Posts: 10
    Ladies and gentlemen:

    I enjoy the discussions taking place within this topic--I own a 1991 F-150 XLT Lariat 4x4. Although it has more than its fair share of problems, I do love the truck!

    This is my first Ford, but I have developed a strong sense of brand loyalty--Which brings me to my question...

    I am having a very hard time accepting the new looks for the F-Series--The Super Duty line is nice, but not economical! I wish to hear anyone's information on when Ford Motor is going to again overhaul (major/minor) their full-size trucks.

    I know what you're going to say: "But they just did one!" I do not like it and I am anxiously awaiting the next overhaul. The Ford Trucks of the 1970's were great...

    Thank you and Long Live Ford Trucks!

    Duke
  • MotormouthMotormouth Member Posts: 99
    If you don't like the looks, why not drop Ford customer relations a line and say so. People laugh when I suggest writing a letter, but the fact is, they know that each letter often represents the opinion of thousands of others who don't take the time to write.

    If they get enough negative feedback on the new look to Ford trucks (the Dodge wannabe look), they'll make another overhaul rather than lose sales.
  • darrincdarrinc Member Posts: 5
    Does anybody know why the 1998 F-150's do not
    have a heat shield under the hood? A dealer
    told me that the hood is made out of alluminum?
    Is this true?

    Thanks,

    Darrin Cashel
    darrinc@sw.ods.com
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    I believe it is made of aluminum. It certainly isn't steel because a magnet doesn't stick to it. But if by a "heat shield" you mean a fiberglass blanket on the underside of the hood, I have no idea why making the hood out of aluminum would eliminate the need for that blanket. I always had the idea that the blanket supressed engine noise as well and that was its primary function. But I'll have to admit that the engine isn't noisy in spite of the fact that there is no blanket.
  • ib3djunkeeib3djunkee Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 F-150 and yes the hood is made of aluminum.I would not agree that the engine is quiet. Mine is very noisy.
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    Well........mine's brand new. Maybe in another 20,000 miles or so I'll be saying the same thing. Can anyone shed some light on this? Why would Ford spend the extra money to make the hood out of aluminum rather than steel and then save a couple of bucks by not putting in an under-hood blanket which would definitely improve the perception of quite operation? The usual reason for using aluminum is to minimize structural weight, but that can't be the case here.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    Going out on a limb here, but what did ib3djunkee drive before? Is is possible it is loud because it is the first pickup? If not, is it possible that your truck made it off the assembly line without a part? There has to be a reason why the noise level is so acceptable to lwf but not ib3djunkie. My 1992 sounds the same as it did when I bought it. Don't get me wrong. It has 85,000 miles on it, but it isn't any louder.
  • lwflwf Member Posts: 223
    Good point. Maybe my expectations are very low, but I don't look for the sensation of being in an anechoic chamber when I'm behind the wheel. However, I have driven other vehicles in which the engine noise was really irritating to me, and this present one is definitely not in that category. But, hey, I'm not the only one with an F150. There's hundreds of thousands of us. Does anyone else think it's noisy?
  • avgjoeavgjoe Member Posts: 1
    Hello all,

    I just ordered an F150 XLT with 4.6 V8 and 4spd automatic transmission. I am trying to decide
    if I should go for the 3.55 rear-end gear ratio over the standard 3.08.

    With the lower 3.55 gear I'm sure I'll have better towing performance and perhaps better acceleration, but will there be a negative impact on gas mileage, or does the 4spd auto's overdrive give me a low enough highway rpm to make this a non-issue?

    Can anyone give me any advice based on experience?

    Thanks in advance
  • Lex40Lex40 Member Posts: 5
    Hello

    I to will order tomarrow the same drive line combo as avgjoe except for a 5.4. I have the same thoughts. Also they say it will take 4-6 weeks, think that will be true.

    Anybody got any more lines to tell the wife other than "I need it to go to the dump and lumber yard", it's working so far but getting a little thin.

    I will keep you updated on my order story.
  • jjsonjjson Member Posts: 42
    I see someone asked about a 4-door F-150. When will they be available? When can I see my Ford dealer and order one?
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    The four door will be available on the 99 models, which will probably come out this Fall. I doubt dealers will order them much earlier since they want to sell what they have on the lot. Since the four door will be new, Ford will probably start offering some healthy rebates on existing stock. By healthy, I mean $1,000-$1,500. They may be offering that now on some trucks. Chances are that you can get a pretty good deal on the current trucks on the lot, especially as we move farther into summer. I suspect it will be very difficult to get a break on the new models, at least for the first few months. You may also run into long waits on orders.
  • sleeprsleepr Member Posts: 16
    lwf...

    My '97 4.2 XLT is noisy, but only from the outside
    of the truck. I never noticed noise in the usual
    places (fast food drive-up windows), but did notice it when approaching it from the front while in a fast idle. The large grille opening may be responsible for this, but I gotta say that the cooling system works fine here in Texas and it's
    purty durned HOT here lately!
  • fjwfjw Member Posts: 2
    So talk to me about 4.6L vs 5.4L. I now have a Chevy 1500 with a 350 Cu In and I like the get up and go. How do the new Ford engines compare.
  • danaalandanaalan Member Posts: 1
    what do SB and LB stand for?

    Which is less expensive styleside or flareside?
  • darrincdarrinc Member Posts: 5
    I was in talking to my friend who sells ford
    trucks last Saturday. I was prepared to order
    a 98 F-150 SuperCab but he talked me out of it.
    He said that his dealership will start ordering 1999 F-150's in July and we should see them on
    the dealer lots in August. I'm going to order my
    99 F-150 in July. He said 99 F-150's will have
    several changes including:

    - more hp on the engines
    - four doors standard on SuperCabs
    - XLT and Lariat get 4 wheel ABS standard
    - New door trim panels
    - re-styled front seats
    - GVWR's higher on most models
    - new wheels
    - speed compensated volume control on premium
    stereo
    - new colors (Toreador Red,Amazon Green,
    Deep Wedgewood Blue)

    The standard 4-doors on the SuperCab was enough
    to make me wait until 99.

    Darrin Cashel
    darrinc@sw.ods.com
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    SB stands for shortbed (6 1/2 foot). LB stands for longbed (8 foot). I suspect the longbed costs a little more, but probably not much, certainly not enough to be a decision maker between getting one style or the other.

    I'm not sure which is more expensive between the flareside and the styleside. You can find out by checking out the new truck section of this site. I'm pretty certain that the flareside only comes in the shortbed model. Flaresides provide a more stylish look, but cut down on the amount of cargo space.
  • fjwfjw Member Posts: 2
    SB is short bed (6.5 feet), LB is long bed (8 feet)

    I'm in the process of deciding between the two versions myself.
    Checking with Edmund's on an F150 Extended Cab XLT 3-Dr Styleside the
    invoice = $21,531, MSRP=$24,730

    Same vehicle in Flareside invoice = $22,181 and MSRP =$25,495

    Hope this helps
  • jjsonjjson Member Posts: 42
    Many thanks to Brutus and Darrinc regarding the 4-door F-150. Also, the changes coming in '99. I want to wait for the 4-door, to me, it will be worth extra $. And, I believe a '99 will be worth more than $1,000-1,500(possible rebate) over a '98 at trade in time.
  • isomisom Member Posts: 1
    Hi avgjoe, I bought a '97 with v6 (4.2) with the 3.55 and have been very disappointed with gas mileage. I have yet to break 17.5 mpg anywhere despite what the sticker read (I think it was 16/22). It usually gets 15.5 to 16 on highway which is only a little better than my '94 SWB 4WD F150 with the 351 V8 was getting. Dealer(s) have repeatedly told me engine is OK, so it must be the gear ratio. In summary, beware the mileage if you drop to 3.55.
  • jjsonjjson Member Posts: 42
    Now that I decided to wait and get a 4-door F-150, what are my best choices:
    Bed liner or spray-on?
    Soft or hard bed cover (I do not want cap)?
    I will be hauling fire-wood, golf clubs(as play time permits!)dirt, stone, etc.
    I live in a condo and have no place to keep a cap,I do have enough room to store a tonnou(sp?) cover.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    There is some discussion about spray on bedliners vs regular bed liners in the "truck accessories". You might check it out. I've decided to get a spray-on when my truck arrives. The two big brands appear to be Rhino and Line-X. I called the 800 number for Rhino and they sent me a sample. Line-X has a website. The numbers and website info can be found in the accessories topic. I'm leaning toward Line-X, but I know several people with Rhinos who love them. The advantages of spray-on liners is that your cargo doesn't slide around, the liner is pretty indestructable, it looks good, and there is no way that any water can get under the liner and cause damage to the bed. The disadvantage is that you will pay more for a spray-on than for a regular liner. I've heard prices are in the $500 range.

    As for a cover, it sounds like a tonneau will work for you if you don't need to be concerned about stuff getting stolen. Obviously, you can't lock a tonneau. A tonneau will pretty much keep your stuff protected from the elements, although I'm sure there is the potential for some seepage in the rain.

    I've seen some hard covers that come in three segments. It appears to be fairly easy to take off when you don't need it. They lock, so it would be safer than a tonneau. Since they come segmented, you could probably put them in your condo when you're not using them. I've seen them advertised in the JC Whitney catalogue. You can get one of those catalogues free if you visit their website. I think the cost is in the $500 range. I'm sure a tonneau is less expensive and may be all you need.
  • jjsonjjson Member Posts: 42
    Brutus,
    Again, thanks for your input. I agree with everything you said.
  • RonBRonB Member Posts: 1
    I'm in the process of purchasing a truck - been going back and forth between Ford, Dodge & chevy - I've heard that Fords have problems with their A/C units! Any truth to that?

    RonB
  • cobra98cobra98 Member Posts: 76
    Just to clarify my previous post. Summit is selling brand new engine blocks, not entire engines. The blocks cost around $260.00 I realize that it will cost me some more because I would have to get all the internals, but I'm not too concerned about that. I'm just wondering what would be the better result when I'm all done. Also, does anyone know how much horsepower/torque you can send through a stock automatic transmissiona and transfer case? I have the old 4x4 system where I have to get out and lock the hubs.
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