its over.

http://jalopnik.com/5840637/the-last-ford-crown-victoria-ever-built

im sorry...its stupid that i am tearing up over this..but that was it.
there isn't another vehicle like it. nor will their ever be again.

the crown vic was the last body-on-frame v8 rwd car. the traditional automoble. the true highway giants.

im officially bummed out

 

They should have let a regular north American buy it off a U.S./Canadian dealers lot,. no fan fair, no hoopla, just sell it outright to the first 'real guy' customer to look at it and fall for it. The end of the run sucks bad enough but the fact it was sold to what's likely a Saudi oil baron just adds insult to injury. Ford should be ashamed, their bread and butter has always been this hemisphere... Oh well... end of an era.

 

Do not stand at my factory and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand taxis that flow.
I am the yellow paint on show.
I am the flashing lights atop.
I am the transport of the cop.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of burbling pistons in motion right.
I am the soft suspension's flight.

Do not stand at my factory and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my factory and cry.
I am not there, I will not die!)

 

I'm hoping if we can get Obummer out and get someone decent in, we will see all the stupid over-regulation of the auto industry addressed and perhaps see decent automobiles built once again.

 

NOT gonna happen!!! sadly

All the hopefulls are even worse.

EPA, CAFE, safety crap, insurance industry... American cars have been
killed by major over regulation.

And the one MAJOR thing that has killed the auto industry
APAHTY... Yes,, people sitting on their lazy ass's LETTING
all this happen...


(rant off)

 

Well, I for one am hoping for the pendulum to swing the other way.

 

Its about time!

 

I always try to find some good when dealt bad news ......I hear the cops are gonna be patroling in Ford Focus' as the Vickys are retired.LOL

 

-Or maybe in Kia's!:banana:

 

My rant is a litle different. I'm not opposed to other 'fuels' to power vehicles, like Steam (done in a 1964 Falcon by an Australian firm, blocked by California regs), or... Wireless Electrically powered cars and trucks. The throwaway battery cars are a fad. Even China's company has dropped in sales to the point that they moved back to 4-bangers.

Tesla was onto something, and one US company has revived it for cellphone recharging:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/02/wireless.electricity/index.html

Got that link from here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~drestinblack/teslapower.htm

When you think that most car warranties run for 6 years, and even the best batteries are toast after 5 years, you know darn well that the batteries (Lithium Ion) will have to be replaced. Who's gonna do presale maintenance on a 5 year old puddle-jumper that will cost (without inflation!) as much as a gas-powered vehicle?

Check out what they cost.
http://www.evsroll.com/Electric_Car_Battery_Cost.html

So that little steam-powered 1964 Falcon, with a 65 Kwh engine ran like its gas-fuelled brother at 85 HP... That's a lot of extra weight to carry around just to run it with batteries and have decent city-driving power, if it were electric.

The rub is, that the minerals used in Lithium batteries is only available from Eastern Canada (Quebec), Bolivia, or... not-so-friendly Afghanistan. Wireless power can also reduce our national demand for copper transmission lines (which is also less and less available in North America). The Powers-that-Be, need to drop some serious bucks into researching means of reducing Electromagnetic effects on animals (cows produce fewer calves and milk when they graze under high-voltage grids, so other animals must also be impacted) and humans, as well as radio and cell communication, both for AC and DC power)

And then, it makes sense to rebuild electric motors for vehicles (regardless of tonnage) and save the fuel sources for Shipping by sea or running Aircraft and military armament, for the next 500 years or more. Or do we secretly believe that the end of the world is coming before that?

Back in 1917, the City of New York, had 15 registered electric cars running on batteries, and charging up at home. They also ran at a top speed of 20 MPH, and for only 3 hours between charges. Try that today, in a 1.5 hour rush hour twice a day.

We aren't finished building our countries, farms, factories, etc.. We need big vehicles that can haul stuff, including wagons and trucks.

If we're really in love with fart-can rumble, hook up an external speaker and connect to a recorded box on the 'fuel' pedal. Just don't settle for wasting the Earth on minerals that come from countries that are just learning how to cripple Western life.

I can see us using engines and transmissions that weigh in at 500 lbs, but not 800 lbs of batteries for half the power. If we really are as ingenious as we like to think in Western society, then its time we stood up and showed the Chinese where the buck meets the road!

 

Well said! :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Then all crime-inals have to do is drive a... um... something... anything... a tricycle... walk... Those cars only go so far and then, if you're being chased, you're home free.

If my car knew I was talking about it this way it would never start for me again.

 

I can't even comprehend Ford sales rooms being without a V8 powered sedan. Or a RWD one. OK....I'm a dinosaur and....you know what? I LIKE it!
And, puhLEEEEZE....don't even mention a batt car around me!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDoIC-YXOQU
Don't forget to click the 'Show More' below the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEnqMpuft6g
If it can be made from plastic...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh6PH8XDKZA&feature=fvwp&NR=1