You can do the stick-on option, similar to the GM one pictured above. I added it to my Econoline, which like the Mustang, does not have plastic B-pillar to hide the capacitive buttons.

We’ve had several friends comment on “How did you afford that?”

I almost clicked Nice Price, because it does seem like a lot of car for the money. But then I realized that’s the same price I paid for my Focus ST3 (at 1 year used with most of the factory warranty left)... An ST or Si or GTI or any decent hatch is already far more capable than anybody needs for roads in the US, and…

Those things are nearly impossible to find though....

It’s because the Heavy Duty Payload Package is only available with the 5.0 and 3.5TT. That package has not only a different frame, but different springs and rear axle as well. But it’s impossible to find that package retail. Folks who want it, know they have to special order it or piggy-back onto a fleet order. Most…

You missed the most Portland vantage of this scene. The truck isn’t even the weirdest part.

Yes on CarMax. I like their stores. Rentals... Maybe. Depends on how they’re equipped. Herz seemed to always stock normal, retail versions. But Enterprise, Dollar, etc seem to bulk-order cheaper variants than you can buy at a dealer. Like the Focus “S” trim. The dash and door panels weren’t even the same material as…

Yeah, it’s far worse to the south. This was my sister’s drive towards Mill City when she evacuated from Detroit Lake earlier this week. She took her chances driving through the fire rather than following instructions to wait for helicopters at Mongold State Park, which ended up not being able to land. Luckily they…

Transit-Raptor is definitely on by to-do list.

Buses usually use passive steering on the tag-axle (that’s what we call the extra non-powered axle behind the drive-axle). They just have lots of caster with a return spring and/or damper. When it goes into reverse, it releases the air pressure and the axle lifts so it won’t scrub the wrong way. Some older buses (in…

But notice GM doesn’t do it anymore, and QuadraSteer equipped trucks sell for less unless they’ve already had the axle replaced. It uses a unit-steering setup, with it’s own discontinued controller, so most problems are not a DIY repair.

This pictures are great, but it’s just too much for how poorly this website loads these days.

Except it look more like a 2007 Navigator than a new one....

Rural towns aren’t “settling for a shitty domestic car”. The OEMs are building predominantly what they want (durable body on frame trucks and SUVs). And the drive to go shopping is far less of a barrier than concerns over servicing. My partner’s mom ended up with Mazda CX-3, but lives in a domestic-only town. Every…

Ford makes a lot of cars. And by cars, I mean pickups and SUVs. I do like the factory supported tuning however.

Maybe for humidity control? All modern cars run the A/C compressor when defrost is selected, even if the A/C button isn’t pressed or illuminated. To do the same with a single heat pump, you’d need to route air through the exterior heat exchanger working as the evaporator. This ducting probably has a packaging…

Yup. But this won’t be easy. In some ways, an EV makes the perception of a quiet-cabin even more difficult, because you don’t have the engine noises masking suspension and tire noise anymore.

Counterpoint: Giant screens take away space for buttons and knobs.

Yup. I wouldn’t buy this. But it has less than $1,000 miles. This is good find for collector.

Doesn’t this style wheel need to match the lugnut count?