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Tesla is in more trouble than just with their crashing stock prices!!!!

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Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,354
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Just got back from the New Car Show in Omaha and it will be interesting what GB899 ( Rob ) thinks of the new " Darkhorse " but my impression is it looks even better in person than the pictures. Enough said, because the bigger picture I got from the Show was that Tesla is in a world of hurt after seeing all the EV and Hybrid Competition. Whether one likes the Mustang EV or not, they look pretty good in person, and I don't think there is any argument that they look better than any of the Teslas. The problem for Tesla is that the Kia, Hyundai and even the prototype of the new Subaru EV are great looking and frankly are stunning compared to Mr. Musk's mobile machines. Seeing all the EVs in one section of the Show made one realize they are here to stay and style may be the a big deciding factor for consumers. For a brief moment I was not viewing these vehicles as Electric or Hybrid cars, but just as beautiful automotive art. To end this brief paragraph I stood and stared at the new Mercedes electric cars with a large group of gawkers ------ whether a fan or not of Benz these machines had so much attention it was shocking.

Sell your Tesla stock , it is going lower. For many of us who are still not super crazy about Electric or Hybrid automotive transportation, I have a feeling style will be what may move some of us over in the coming decades.

The Ford Reps there said they believe the V8 and the Mustang will be here well into the future and even now they know it will be around well into the 2030s. No more Challenger after this year and the Camaro's years are likely numbered too, so the " Legendary " Horse will take horsepower well into the middle of this Century , it appears!
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,530
5,247
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Illinois
Bill

Hopefully, competition will be good for the breed, both IC and EV's.

We can remember back to when the conversation was "will the car outlast the payment book"? If you bought a AMC Gremlin and drove it in a Midwest winter or two, the answer was NO. Then them Damned foreign cars began to come into the states.......and after a few bad years they raised the bar for all manufacturers. Competition is a god think.
Tesla is no longer the only horse in the race, lets hope the competition breeds excellence across the board . I don't see Tesla selling too many "Carbon Credits" going forward.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,354
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Blacksheep, I think logical humans also wonder about spending a ton of money on a vehicle with an owner who is so inconsistent, flighty and often comments he doesn't want to be the CEO of his companies. Funny, how Genius often comes with a case of wacko mind baggage, and one wonders if Musk is channeling his inner Nikola Tesla into oblivion. Twitter hits the shitter, and who knows if he is going to spend less time on SpaceX , which is the coolest part of his endeavors imho. All in all, though , you brought up his truck and that is the crux of my first comment ----- Design excellence instills emotion and passion. Think the first Mustang , the Jaguar XKE, the Datsun 240Z, the 911, all Ferraris, etc., passion and beauty get car enthusiasts excited and often change trends and buyers minds. Now, back to your Tesla Truck comment, range may be El Sucko , but the long term impact is ..............." Ugly doesn't sell!"
 
1,119
1,110
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Lenoir City TN
Bill

Hopefully, competition will be good for the breed, both IC and EV's.

We can remember back to when the conversation was "will the car outlast the payment book"? If you bought a AMC Gremlin and drove it in a Midwest winter or two, the answer was NO. Then them Damned foreign cars began to come into the states.......and after a few bad years they raised the bar for all manufacturers. Competition is a god think.
Tesla is no longer the only horse in the race, lets hope the competition breeds excellence across the board . I don't see Tesla selling too many "Carbon Credits" going forward.
We are living "will the car outlast the payment book" once again with some of the current Fords. Some of the Ecoboost motors have known issues, especially the 1.5 Ecoboost used in the Fusion and Escape . There is a poor engineering choice that leads to coolant leaking into the # 2 & 3 cylinders. My local small town Ford dealer had 5 Escapes last week waiting on motors all with mileage ranging from 20K to 70K. They are just building them to live past the warranty these days.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,530
5,247
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Illinois
The exception does not change the rule.

My primary vehicles are 2016 models and about half way through their usable life. The days of our cars disintegrating before our eyes in year two are gone. We used to pull the heads and grind valve between 50 and 60 thousand miles. Now, we change plugs at 100k.

I had a 1979 Pontiac and it lost a cam shaft at 13k. Rear most lobe wiped out. GM said, too bad, 12k warrant, the repair is yours. It took months to get the replacement cam. Why?? So many were falling apart, they were behind on spare parts.

I remember the “Good Ole Days”, they sucked.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,354
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Damn Spellcheck Blacksheep, it has you changing Chai and I am pretty sure you don't drink that wacky tea nor likely even know what it is, ha, ha! Of course it is touted to have health benefits, so maybe that is your secret to tossing around tires all day at IMSA races?
 
We are living "will the car outlast the payment book" once again with some of the current Fords. Some of the Ecoboost motors have known issues, especially the 1.5 Ecoboost used in the Fusion and Escape . There is a poor engineering choice that leads to coolant leaking into the # 2 & 3 cylinders. My local small town Ford dealer had 5 Escapes last week waiting on motors all with mileage ranging from 20K to 70K. They are just building them to live past the warranty these days.
My 2017 1.5L Ecoboost Fusion with 84K miles is getting a motor replaced currently. Coolant intrusion on cylinder 4, the TSB states replace the engine with a brand new motor with a 2020 later design block that fixes the machining on the top of the block. I'm paying $7,400 out-of-pocket. The dealership said this is so common, they keep the parts in-stock to do the repair. When they uncrated the new engine, it was sitting in a puddle of oil and needed a new main seal installed. The dealer said that it's not uncommon to replace the rear mains or other seals on the new engines, Ford's quality control is pretty questionable.

I'm a lifelong Ford fanatic and have had great experiences with my cars until now, but with them discontinuing sedans and the quality issues recently (my father's babied 2013 Boss 302 had an engine replaced at 5k miles, a third member replaced, and the transmission replaced under warranty at 11k miles) my loyalty has been wavering and I'm not sure what my next vehicle will be when I replace my Fusion. I want to stay with Ford but it bothers me they were aware of issues but continued producing them for several model years and are not doing anything to help customers replacing these engines.
 
1,119
1,110
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Lenoir City TN
I still remember points and condensors every 5K miles, and a vehicle with 70K miles was worn out. My F150 has 202,000 miles on it, I changed timing Chai s at 175K because I felt sorry for it.
Modern cars are marvels of reliability compared to the 60 and 70s
I am a little younger than some of you guys. I didn't start driving until the 80's, but we still had cars with points when I was growing up. I remember being taught how to set the gap on points on the 289 in the 1967 Ford Custom 500 I learned to drive in. That motor even made it past 200k, but it did have a valve job done somewhere around 130K.
 
1,119
1,110
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Lenoir City TN
My 2017 1.5L Ecoboost Fusion with 84K miles is getting a motor replaced currently. Coolant intrusion on cylinder 4, the TSB states replace the engine with a brand new motor with a 2020 later design block that fixes the machining on the top of the block. I'm paying $7,400 out-of-pocket. The dealership said this is so common, they keep the parts in-stock to do the repair. When they uncrated the new engine, it was sitting in a puddle of oil and needed a new main seal installed. The dealer said that it's not uncommon to replace the rear mains or other seals on the new engines, Ford's quality control is pretty questionable.

I'm a lifelong Ford fanatic and have had great experiences with my cars until now, but with them discontinuing sedans and the quality issues recently (my father's babied 2013 Boss 302 had an engine replaced at 5k miles, a third member replaced, and the transmission replaced under warranty at 11k miles) my loyalty has been wavering and I'm not sure what my next vehicle will be when I replace my Fusion. I want to stay with Ford but it bothers me they were aware of issues but continued producing them for several model years and are not doing anything to help customers replacing these engines.
Ford did issue a recall, but it only applies to cars still under factory warranty which was extended to 7 years and 84,000 miles due to the class action lawsuits that have been filed over the design flaws of these motors.

I am in the same boat. My 2017 Fusion is out of warranty due to mileage and looks like it needs an engine. The rest of the car is in great shape and looks and rides almost like new. My small local Ford dealer is in a town of less than 5,000 people. They can't get ecoboost engines fast enough. They are waiting on 5 or 6 for warranty claims at last count. The average wait time is 2-3 months.

I hate to say it, but like you I will be looking at other manufacturers when it comes time for another car.
 
19
43
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Canada
Just got back from the New Car Show in Omaha and it will be interesting what GB899 ( Rob ) thinks of the new " Darkhorse " but my impression is it looks even better in person than the pictures. Enough said, because the bigger picture I got from the Show was that Tesla is in a world of hurt after seeing all the EV and Hybrid Competition. Whether one likes the Mustang EV or not, they look pretty good in person, and I don't think there is any argument that they look better than any of the Teslas. The problem for Tesla is that the Kia, Hyundai and even the prototype of the new Subaru EV are great looking and frankly are stunning compared to Mr. Musk's mobile machines. Seeing all the EVs in one section of the Show made one realize they are here to stay and style may be the a big deciding factor for consumers. For a brief moment I was not viewing these vehicles as Electric or Hybrid cars, but just as beautiful automotive art. To end this brief paragraph I stood and stared at the new Mercedes electric cars with a large group of gawkers ------ whether a fan or not of Benz these machines had so much attention it was shocking.

Sell your Tesla stock , it is going lower. For many of us who are still not super crazy about Electric or Hybrid automotive transportation, I have a feeling style will be what may move some of us over in the coming decades.

The Ford Reps there said they believe the V8 and the Mustang will be here well into the future and even now they know it will be around well into the 2030s. No more Challenger after this year and the Camaro's years are likely numbered too, so the " Legendary " Horse will take horsepower well into the middle of this Century , it appears!
What did you think of the dash for the Dark Horse? From photos it looks like 2 bulky screens and oversized.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,354
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
They had the windows tinted so dark on the " Darkhorse " that I was in the dark on what the dash actually looks like. I did ask the Ford Rep from the Kansas City Zone and he said it is similar to the trend in dashes now, but he felt it was kind of Jet Fighter like , as there is a bit of wrap around in his estimation. I really liked the profile and the front end, but the rear diffuser looked a bit heavy to me, unlike the lighter and more interesting look of the ones on the Mach 1 or GT 350s.

Minor issue, I realize, but my end take was the Darkhorse looked better in person than it does in the pictures released.
 

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