This Is How America Works

Yesterday The Daily Caller posted an article reporting that Ford Motor Company, GE Healthcare and 3M have started pooling their resources together to make ventilators, respirators and face shields to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

That is fantastic news.

The article reports:

“We were the arsenal of democracy during two world wars,” Executive Chairman Bill Ford explained during his appearance Tuesday on the “Today Show.” We built iron lungs for polio patients. Whenever we’re called on, we’re there.”

“We’re going into our parts bin to see what can be done,” he added. “We’re a very opportunistic company.”

…“By coming together across multiple industries, we can make a real difference for people in need and for those on the front lines of this crisis,” the statement added. “At Ford, we feel a deep obligation to step up and contribute in times of need, just as we always have through the 117-year history of our company.”

Other manufacturers like General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Tesla have announced it will start repurposing to build medical equipment.

Jim Baumbick, vice president of Ford’s Enterprise Product Line Management team, said the company “wanted to help in any way we could in getting a range of critical protective gear in the hands of these brave men and women in the medical community fighting COVID-19 on the front line.”

“We see the need,” he added. “We just want to jump in and find a way to help.”

This is the sort of thinking that won World War II. It will also win the war against the coronavirus.

Going Back To The Origins Of The Problem

I’ve done a couple of articles recently on the charges against Brett Kavanaugh (here and here), but there is one fact that is continuously overlooked by people reporting the story. On September 4th, Townhall posted an article with the following headline, “Christine Blasey Ford’s Lawyer: Okay Fine, Protecting Abortion Was Part of Why She Accused Kavanaugh.” What? So it’s okay to attempt to ruin a man’s marriage, career, and life in order to protect abortion?! That’s sick.

Then we have another article from Townhall about The New York Times again bringing up those charges in a new attempt to smear Justice Kavanaugh. But there is a problem. The supposed victim has no memory of the incident described by Max Stier who coincidentally represented Bill Clinton when Clinton was accused of exposing himself to a woman in a hotel room.

This is disgusting, and it needs to end. It is time for Justice Kavanaugh to sue the people making the allegations and demand to see the proof of those allegations. The allegations are at least thirty-five years old, and there seems to be no evidence of a pattern. I suspect that certain Democrat operatives would pay serious money for any woman willing to come forward and charge Justice Kavanaugh with improper conduct some time in the past ten years. However, at this point no one who is paying attention would believe the charges. The Democrat slander campaign has backfired.

For Those Of You With Some Extra Spending Money…

From The Mustang Source:

Only ’67 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Ever Built Heads to Auction

The article reports:

We often bat around the term rare a lot. But what truly constitutes the term? Is it a car with a production number of 1,000, or maybe 100? Nobody really knows. But when you’re discussing a car that is a real one-of-one, the word rare takes on an entirely new meaning.

Especially when you’re talking about something touched by the magical hands of Carroll Shelby. And that, friends, is this truly special 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake – the only one ever built. And now, it’s headed to Mecum’s Kissimmee auction, Jan. 3-13.

Today, the term Super Snake constitutes the ultimate in Shelby performance. And that was also true from the beginning. Not content with the range-topping Shelby GT500, Shelby America wanted to build something even more sinister. So they yanked Shelby GT500 No. 544 and blessed it with what was essentially the same engine used in Ford’s GT40 MKII racer. It even produced the same exact output of 600 hp.

Shelby American Sales Manager Don McCain called this special engine “the mother of all 427s” at that time. “Aluminum heads, aluminum water pump, forged crank, Le Mans rods, just basically everything inside the engine was built to run sustained 6,000 RPM—to race at Le Mans.”

This special Mustang proceeded to rip off some demo laps for journalists, where it hit a top speed of 170 mph. Then, it covered 500 miles with a reported average speed of 142 mph. But then Shelby shipped the ultimate Shelby GT500 to Mel Burns Ford in California. There, it sat on display in an attempt to drum up interest in a limited run of 50 cars.

There was just one problem with the Shelby GT500 Super Snake, however. And that was cost. With a price tag of more than double a regular GT500 and even more than the Shelby 427 Cobra, the crew deemed it nonviable.

The one-of-one supercar has changed hands a few times over the years, as well as configurations. But now, it’s been restored to its original condition. Right down to those family car whitewall Thunderbolt tires. And it’s new mission isn’t to test tire technology or consumer interest. Now, this special car simply exists as a fascinating piece of Shelby history.

Wow. Just wow.

Happy Birthday, Mustang

This week Mustang turns 50. She looks pretty good for her age:

Yes, I know that’s a 2010, but that’s the picture I like!

Steven Hayward posted an article at Power Line about Mustang’s birthday (with a few comments on her history).

The article included the question, “Which gives off more air pollution, a 1969 Mustang parked in a driveway with the motor off or a  2013 Mustang, roaring down the road at 60 mph?”

The answer is surprising:

If you’re very clever (or keep up with Matt Ridley), you’ll know the answer is that the parked 1969 Mustang gives off more air pollution, in the form of unburned hydrocarbons evaporating through the old-school carbuerator and unsealed gas tank caps (among other places).  A good object lesson in the advancement of engine technology.  And the fact that the real heroes of environmental improvement were engineers with pocket protectors more than hippie environmentalists.

Amazing.

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What Are They Doing To My Car ?

When I bought my latest Mustang convertible two years ago, I planned on keeping it forever. I added a number of accessories that I normally would not put on a car. Detroit has just convinced me that I made the right decision.

Yesterday the American Spectator posted an article about what Detroit is about to do to the Mustang. It’s not pretty.

The article reports:

Ford‘s new “Evos” concept features gull-wing doors, a rounded, aerodynamic body, and a smaller design clearly inspired by Europe. When Ford officially unveils its new Mustang in 2014, company insiders insist it will embrace this visual transformation.

More pertinent than its changing look will be its changing feel. Rumors abound, to the chagrin of drag racers, regarding the introduction of independent rear suspension. The five-liter engine supposedly morphs into a two-liter one. There is even talk of a hybrid Mustang.

This is the rendering of the new Mustang from their Facebook page. It took me a few years to get used to the look of the 2010 Mustang, but at least it looked like a traditional Mustang. This just doesn’t look right. And just for the record–my convertible is a six-cylinder. On the open road, it gets about 24 miles per gallon. If America would develop her own energy resources and stop cowtowing to OPEC, that wouldn’t be a problem.

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On A Personal Note

2010 Ford Mustang photographed in Fort Washing...

Image via Wikipedia

For anyone who has been reading this blog for a while, I would like to update you on the rear window defogger on my Mustang Convertible. As you recall, the Mustang is a 2010 and had less than 14,000 miles on it when the defogger stopped working. The dealer told me that it was not covered by warranty and that I would have to spend $2000 out of pocket to replace the top. I was not happy with that answer and wrote to Ford. Initially Ford was not particularly helpful, so I wrote to the state Attorney General Consumer Affairs division and the Better Business Bureau. I did contact Ford again before I filled out the paperwork for the Better Business Bureau. The customer service person I got was very helpful, but the problem was still unsolved. After I contacted the Better Business Bureau, Ford called me to schedule an appointment with a “Ford Engineer” at the dealership. The rear window defogger is now working. The total cost to me was $7 (I put gas in the loaner car).

What have I learned from this? All future work on the car will be done at a different dealership–had I not pursued this, I would have spent $2000 that I don’t have and didn’t need to spend. The Better Business Bureau is there for a reason–don’t be afraid to contact them if you have a legitimate problem with a business. The Consumer Affairs division of the Attorney General’s office was also extremely helpful. As consumers, we do have certain rights, but we need to be willing to exercise them.

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I Guess It Depends On Your Idea Of A Good Investment

2010 Ford Mustang photographed in Fort Washing...

Image via Wikipedia

In my head I can hear my stockbroker yelling, “Dump that turkey!” What am I talking about? The current state of the government’s investment in General Motors.

Yesterday the Daily Caller posted an article about the current state of the stock in General Motors that the government still owns.

The article points out:

President Obama glowingly defended the $85 billion auto industry bailout during a speech to Detroit auto workers Friday, saying “the investment was worth it.”

But the government still owns 500 million shares of General Motors which, if sold at today’s market price of $20 a share, would leave taxpayers on the hook for $16.5 billion in losses.

And…under the law of unintended consequences (I’m not sure about the unintended part), the agreement the government signed with General Motors and Chrysler makes Ford (the company that is not partially owned by the government) the only company that the United Auto Workers (UAW) can strike against.  As reported in rightwinggranny.com on October 13, 2011, the UAW is already making plans to strike Ford Motor Company.

Where is this going? Unless someone throws a wrench in the works, it is leading to a nationalization of the American auto industry.

My husband, a drive-by reader of this site, just pointed out to me that if the UAW strikes Ford, forcing them to be bailed out, then the UAW will not be able to strike any American auto company. Payback is a *****!

 

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