Section: Trucks/Pickups
Written By: Seyth Miersma
May 13th, 2008 9:15 AM
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With Ford’s Ranger compact pickup truck on its way out the door and Americans quickly moving away from the immoderately thirsty full-size truck segment, the news that The Blue Oval is looking at a “baby” F-Series may not be a surprise to many.
New reports say that Ford may be looking to reanimate the F-100 nameplate, last used by the company way back in 1983, for a medium-size pickup based on the future F-150’s body-on-frame platform. This new, smaller truck will reportedly be about nine-tenths the size of an F-150 and share platform components with its larger sibling, something the Ranger really didn’t do.
The F-100 would offer substantial weight savings over the F-150 by using thinner gauge, high strength steel in its frame rails, and aluminum in its hood and tailgate. Engines on offer are likely to include a couple of V-6 options, naturally aspirated and twin-turbo flavors, as well as one V-8. No word yet on whether Ford will let buyers spec the box-fresh light duty 4.4-liter diesel motor.
+ PickupTrucks.com: Rumors That Ford Is Thinking Smaller With New F-100 Pickup, Based on the F-150
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 18th, 2008 2:00 PM
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The Florida State Senate spent a useful day yesterday, debating the pros and cons of a bill that involves a popular and rather tasteless automotive accessory.
Made to be the ultimate expression of a truck’s manlier qualities, Truck Nutz (Truck Nuts, Bull Balls, Biker Balls, what have you) are hilarious to some, while being dreadfully offensive to others. The Florida lawmakers were faced with this exact problem while trying to come to a vote on a proposed ban of the aftermarket testicles.
Some members didn’t see what the big deal was. Sen. Jim King revealed that he had a set on a personal truck that he described as “all pimped out,” going on to call the decoration no more than, “an expression of truckliness.” King was forced to admit however that his wife had convinced him to remove the Nutz.
Meanwhile Senators like Steve Geller found the whole discussion silly and off-putting saying, “I find it shocking we’d tell people with metallic testicles on their bumpers that this is a violation. There’s got to be better things for us to spend time debating.”
Not familiar with the dangling truck accessory? Have a guilty look in our gallery below.
+ TampaBays10.com: Aw, nutz!
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 15th, 2008 9:00 AM
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Chrysler and Nissan have announced a product-sharing deal that would ostensibly help to bolster each automaker where it is weakest in its North American product range.
Chrysler will be getting a Nissan Versa-based small car, built to Chrysler’s design in Nissan’s Japanese factory, and aimed at competing in North America, Europe, and other global markets. In return Chrysler will begin to build pickup trucks for the Japanese partner, allowing Nissan to discontinue its Titan full-size truck. The Chrysler compact cars will likely be available around 2010, while the Nissan-badged trucks will start to arrive in 2011.
The deal follows an announcement last January that Chrysler would get a Versa-based car to sell in South America. Chrysler co-President Tom LaSorda called the product-sharing arrangement, “critical to the long-term success of Chrysler.” Both companies said in a statement that a dialogue will be kept open for future product-sharing opportunities as well.
+ Automotive News: Nissan, Chrysler strike deal for truck, car (subscription required)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 9th, 2008 8:00 AM
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Despite news that American Axle and the United Auto Workers are headed back to the negotiating table, General Motors is in need of new parts to activate some of its affected manufacturing facilities.
While the weeks-old strike had shut down GM’s light truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the company was able to restart production there this week thanks to parts imported from American Axle’s Mexican facility. The parts plant, located in Guanajuato, Mexico, has also kept work moving at GM’s Silao, Mexico factory, as well as its SUV plant in Arlington, Texas. GM is also planning to use the Mexican-sourced parts to resume full-sized pickup production in Oshawa, Ontario starting the week of April 21.
Because of the backlog of SUV’s at GM dealerships however, the company plans to now shut down the Arlington facility and move the axle supply to pickup plants.
+ Automotive News: GM will use Mexican axles to reopen 2 plants (subscription required)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 8th, 2008 12:00 PM
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Many of us tend to think that the allure of the pickup truck occurs only in Americans, not so. Take as evidence this resourceful German man, who has created a sort of “Porschamino” out of a perfectly nice 928 GTS that is neither useful, nor needed, and yet holds a sort of charm that’s hard to resist. It could be that he’s chosen to build his truck conversion with just a little more than just a pickup bed…Enjoy.
+ CarDomain
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 26th, 2008 5:00 PM
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This nicely kept up 1971 Citroen Mehari, is a 2CV-based (and by every measure very French) take on a sport utility vehicle.
The lightweight truck is absolutely stripped of modern convenience, lacking seatbelts, doors, and currently, working windshield wipers. The Mehari also lacks the ability to cruise on the highway, or as the slightly foreign-sounding seller puts it, “the lack of high speed which it does not have.”
As with standard 2CV’s however, what the Mehari lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in charm. The little Citroen would seem to be the perfect recreational companion for warmer climes, and a great car to drive to the beach. Plenty of room for surfboards too.
+ eBay Motors: 1971 Citroen Citroen/Mehari CitroenMehar
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 19th, 2008 3:30 PM
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The prayers of “camino” fans across the country were answered today, when Pontiac pulled the wraps off of its anticipated G8 Sport Truck.
Pontiac, my host for this New York adventure, are looking for some help from those same fans in naming the G8 truck, saying that “Sport Truck” doesn’t do enough to sum up the blending of sports car and pickup. Potential names should be directed to Pontiac’s “Tame The Name” website, from which the winner will be chosen.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch live and stock galleries of the G8 sport truck, or on the jump to read more.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 11th, 2008 1:00 PM
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Created to serve the truck owners who just never seem to have enough passenger space, the mission of the Stretch Truck Company should be instantly apparent to anyone who glances at some of its handiwork.
Stretch Truck, based in Denver, specializes in adding doors and occupant room to standard trucks, as a means of increasing utility for customers who might otherwise have to resort to a large passenger van for space.
(Click through the jump to read on or on the thumbnails below to check out our gallery of Stretch Truck images.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 10th, 2008 4:00 PM
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News remains rather dismal for the sales of large pickup trucks in the U.S., as February numbers marked yet another year-over-year slide in J.D. Power’s accounting. Deliveries of the trucks fell by 14.5 percent last month, totaling 153,857 units compared to 179,862 during the same period last year. In total, the large pickup share of the market fell from 13.5 percent to 12.7 percent over one year.
Toyota’s redesigned Tundra saw deliveries climb by 43 percent to 14,400 units, while that vehicle stood out as the only member of the segment to post an increase. Ford’s F-Series outperformed the market, but still saw sales fall by 5 percent to 50,551. Chevrolet’s Avalanche and Nissan’s Titan were the worst of the lot, both trucks saw total sales fall by more than one-third.
While Toyota’s news was the best of a bad group in this segment, even it isn’t coming close to its projected Tundra sales goals. The Japanese automaker has hoped to sell 200,000 Tundra’s this year, but so far has only managed 26,473 in the first two months of 2008. Those numbers put the truck on a pace to under-perform its goal by more than 40,000 sales.
(Hope springs eternal with this collection of 2009 pickups from Ford, Dodge, and GMC below.)
+ J.D. Power
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
March 3rd, 2008 11:30 AM
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In a sign the weak U.S. dollar may actually help bring manufacturing jobs stateside, Honda has announced that it will begin assembling the Ridgeline at its Lincoln, Alabama plant next year – it was previously assembled in Canada.
Honda currently builds the Odyssey and Pilot at the Alabama plant. The $1.4 billion Lincoln plant employs 4,500 workers, and is the sole global source for the Odyssey and Pilot. Last year, it produced 313,957 units, a higher number than the automaker’s projected capacity of 300,000.
Alabama is quickly growing to a top state for automobile manufacturing. It currently is the home to the assembly of eight models – Including the Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV, R-Class crossover and GL-Class SUV, and the Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe.
+ The Birmingham News: Honda to manufacture Ridgeline pickup at Alabama plant (via Autoblog)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
March 1st, 2008 8:00 AM
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Driving down through an out-of-the-way neighborhood or winding rural road is somewhat of a rare luxury for most. But, for those that live in these areas, it can be hell. As in getting your mailbox smashed every weekend by thrill-seeking teenagers, kind of hell.
In my neighborhood, where I grew up, it happened a lot. My mailbox was destroyed on several occasions – so much so, that my father and I built a large mailbox from brick to detract would-be smashers.
Another father-son duo, Greg Fisher and his son Dustin, in Hatley, Wis. also grew weary of their mailbox receiving a fatal blow four times in two weeks, that they conducted a stakeout in their front yard to catch the vandals.
(More details after the jump)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 29th, 2008 2:00 PM
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General Motors has announced it will stop production at its Fort Wayne, Ind., Flint, Mich., and Oshawa, Ontario truck assembly plants after second shift tonight. The production halt is from “parts shortages” due to the UAW strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.
GM already halted production at its Pontiac, Mich. truck assembly plant earlier this week.
(More details after the jump)
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Next >
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