Going into 09 the US is attempting to pull itself through a recession, but every gray cloud has a silver lining, hence The Grayline.  The grayline amongst auto enthusiasts is the drastic drop in prices for new and used cars, especially those that are a little harder on the gas mileage.  Specifically Ford Mustangs are dropping in price and the upcoming models like the 09 adn 2010 models are dirt cheap compared to previous years.

Demand for 09 Mustangs is significantly down, but it's hard to point the finger at one specific factor.  Gas prices may be a leading cause, but lately those prices have plummeted as well.  Mustangs are considered a luxury item, after all Mustangs are the best thing to go get groceries in, nor can they hall a load of kids to soccer practice.  So the price of an 09 Mustang plummets and the enthusiasts, with a little extra dough, get to reap the benefits.

09 Mustang

I'm always on the look out for a deal, specifically online where the market place for Mustangs is much larger than my podunk local lot.  The really good deals I've found are coming off of eBay, where they regularly offer low priced entry fee auctions.  This means that somebody looking to unload a cheap car can do so, well cheaply.  The initial listing fee was completely dropped a few months ago in eBay motors, flooding the marketplace.

What may not mean good news for sellers is great news for buyers.  Currently looking at eBay there are over 25 listings of 09 Mustangs for under $1500.  Now, this doesn't mean there is not a reserve, but obviously the demand is low and it's still possible to snag a deal.  I've had experience where even though the reserve has not been met, the auction ends and then the seller contacts the buyer with a second offer.  Generally this second offer is below the initial reserve, allowing the seller to cut their losses and get out from under the access inventory.

Moral of the story, keep your eyes peeled because 09 is going to be the year of  Mustang Deals.

Projector Headlights F150

Safety equipment becomes a major concern for car buyers as they become older, wiser, and add a little mini-me to the family.  I know my taste in vehicles changed abruptly when I had my first child and the questions I ask when buying a new vehicle changed too.  My focus changed to safety and what a certain car offers as protection for my now growing family.  A safety feature on newer cars are projector headlights, something older cars may not have, but can be installed easily.

As an upgrade to my older pickup truck I decided to buy projector headlights, mainly for safety reasons.  The old tarnished and sand burnt headlights just weren't getting the job done, especially when adverse weather came into play.  Where I live it's not too noticable, even at night because I rely on city lighting to lead my way, but whenever I leave town at night it becomes a concern.  That's why I turned to installing projector headlights, the difference adds a new level of confidence in night time driving.

The younger crowd, or just those enthusiasts focused on the looks of their vehicle, may be more interested in the way the headlights look.  Projector headlights are unique to traditional 'bulb' style headlights in that they have a European look.  A typical projector headlight will feature a black background with a series of small circular lights in the middle.  The designs available differ depending on the vehicle model you are replacing the head lights on.  Personally, I went with something a little less flashy and more down to business, just to get the job done.

Because there are a number of different styles available, prices can vary greatly.  As an example, when buying the projector headlights for my 97 F150, I found prices ranging from as little as $130 up to $200.  That being said I still can stress enough how big of a difference it makes and how much more safe I feel driving my little girl around at night.
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Last week, once again, the big three automakers went to Washington to beg for money.  Actually, that's not exactly true.  GM and Chrysler both went to Washington to beg for money, while Ford went to secure loan guarantees, which is a bit different.  You see Ford is a company that has realized in the last few years that they're in trouble.  That is a stark difference from GM and Chrysler, which once the economy tanked, they realized that they were completely hosed.  Up until then, they thought everything was fine.

Ford has been in a restructuring cycle for the past two years.  They hired a new CEO from Boeing, who has a very simple goal.  Instead of overproducing to make the numbers look good, but being stuck with the financial mess later, he's going to take Ford and make them a leaner, meaner, and more intelligent company.  He is going to do this by reducing their output to meet actual market demand.  It sounds almost too simple, but for various reasons, the old strategy in the automotive world is to overproduce to make your quarterly numbers look good.  Even if people aren't actually buying your cars.  Then, tie up all the money in your financing operations and make it look like you're making money.  When in fact, you're really not.

It's too bad that Ford is getting lumped in with the other two car companies as "one of the big three". while they are one of the big three, they are two years into their restructuring.  And if it wasn't for this recession, they would've hit profitability next year.  As it stands now, they are likely to make money in 2010.  That's a big difference from General Motors and Chrysler threatening bankruptcy if they don't get money yesterday.

The real sad thing is that even though Ford is the best, even if General Motors or Chrysler were to go out of business it would hurt Ford tremendously.  Ford relies on the same parts manufacturers that everyone else does.  If Chrysler or GM were to go under, that would take down the whole auto parts industry potentially as well.  The unintended consequences would be that Ford and other companies would have to find a way to rescue the auto parts companies.

It's a pretty ugly time for American automakers, but one thing is clear: Ford has a plan.  You can't say that about General Motors and Chrysler.  Sure, GM has their Chevy Volt that they're preparing, but that won't save Chevy.  At this point, I'm not sure if anything will.  They have too much junk on their books and need to be willing to cut.  Companies like Pontiac, Saturn, and maybe even Buick.  These are tough times, and if these automakers don't act, they'll go under and take all the jobs with them.

Tired of seeing all the foreign rice rockets on the road, want to have something a little different but just as potent, then check out the Ford SVT Focus.  The SVT Focus provides some of the best handling of any small size car and since they have been out for awhile you can get them for a deal, often times in the $5,000 range and well preserved models for less than $10,000.

These little cars are a blast to drive thanks to their peppy 4 cylinder and 6 speed manual transmission.  In addition, their suspension show's off that American's can create good handling cars as well.  All things considered an SVT Focus is a great car to have in this economy and high gas price times, where a little bit of pep, great handling, and a fun ride don't have to cost a lot up front or at the pump.

SVT Focus on eBay

Ford Focus SVT FOCUS SVT 1 OWNER CARFAX CERTIFIED NEW TIRES EURO    US $3,500.00

Ford Focus SVT Extremely clean SUPERCHARGED Focus SVT Must see pics    US $5,500.00

Ford Focus 2002 Ford Focus SVT 6 speed Bone Stock X Clean    US $5,950.00

The Ford Focus RS has made another debut at the Paris auto show and for those of you in the US market, sorry this will be a European only brand rocket.  And by rocket I mean a turbo charged 2.5 litre 5 cylinder mill will be pushing your ass down the road with over 300 ponies.  Yes, it's still front wheel drive, but who wouldn't want this amazing horsepower to weight ratio, no matter how weird a 5 cylinder engine sounds.

Check out the Ford Focus RS pictures below:

Ford Focus 2007 Ford Focus LOW MILES UNDER WARRANTY    US $8,999.00

Ford Focus SE Sedan FWD Non Smoker Drivin by Home Care Nurse CarFax    US $5,750.00

Ford Focus SE 07 SE FORD FOCUS    US $100.00

Ford has decided to make the best even better by overhauling the fuel consumption standards of all F Series pickup trucks.  The 2009 F-150 will arrive and be the best in fuel economy and capability through extensive engineering enhancements.  New buyers of an 09 F-150 will expect an increase of 8% fuel economy over previous years in the same model type and up to 12% on V8 versions.

"Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150," said Matt O'Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. "Fuel economy has moved from 10th to third place among pickup buyers' top purchase considerations -- right behind durability and value. The new F-150 delivers on all three as the industry leader."

The increased fuel economy of the 09 F-150 comes at a time none too soon, considering hurricane Ike has crippled the cost of gasoline.  Ford is modifying their upcoming vehicles to match consumer demand in safer, more reliable, more capable, and more fuel efficient categories.  Although not limited to these improvements, the 09 F series trucks will also be receiving aero dynamic changes as well, which will serve function and looks.

One of the more interesting engineering changes to the 09 F-150 is it's aggressive fuel shut-off during deccleration.  It's an automatic function within the fuel system that shuts off fuel when a drivers foot is removed from the gas pedal.  Fuel will then resume once a slow enough speed is reached at idle or the pedal is depressed again.  Exciting new technology that I'm assuming will find it's way across a broad line of vehicles and not just within Ford.

In anticipation of the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show the Ford Mustang has been making a few appearances and the latest shows it all wrapped up.  But, if you are like me then you appreciate any little sneak peak you may get, just to wet your appetite.

2010 Mustang

2010 Mustang

Many of the Ford faithful have been eagerly anticipating what changes may be coming to the 2010 Mustang model year.  Afterall there is going to be plenty of competition on the market, the Challenger which has already been released and the upcoming redesigned Chevy Camaro.  Certain bulges mean a lot to some fanatics and what may be hiding under that camo dress may be something a bit more radical than anticipated.

Thanks to jhamilton03 for the great spy pics of the upcoming Mustang.  Be sure to check out his full album of the 2010 Mustang at photobucket.

Every engine is different, even if it's the same model, same size, etc...every engine will act and react a little differently.  Generally these differences can be chocked up to how the engine was broke in, during it's most important first 500 miles or even be effected by who was working on the assyembly line the day it was made.  Point being, fuel economy can change from vehicle to vehicle with no obvious explanation, there are just differences.  So, instead of hype, Market Watch, turned to it's readers to choose which vehicles are the most fuel efficient.

It may surprise you, but Ford makes the list, along with luxury brand economy BMW.  Ford and BMW were arrived at being the most fuel efficient based on a 6 month long study.

Starting March 1, 2008 and ending August 31, 2008, Expert System examined reader comments and messages on the Web sites: Automotive.com, CarandDriver.com, Carforum.com, and Carspace.com. Only readers' opinions related to fuel efficiency were analyzed, not manufacturers' specifications for the vehicles. The luxury vehicles with the highest ratings of fuel efficiency, ranging from the highest score on, are: BMW, Lexus, Acura, Jeep, and Infiniti. The non-luxury vehicles with the highest ratings are: Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Chevrolet, and Honda. The auto brands were classified based on their sales prices.

It's believed that the information arrived from the semantic software, based on information from users, is the most honest feedback a potential buyer could find.  Completely unbiased, the information collected offers insight to what vehicle owners really feel about their luxury and non-luxury cars.  So, if you are feeling the pressure at the pump, doing your research can eliviate some of that stress in the next automotive purchase you make.  Congratulations Ford and BMW!

Blindspot Mirror

Can you tell it's a slow automotive news day when I have to write a blog post on the 09 Ford Edge getting a special blindspot mirror upgrade?  Jesus, what happened to prototypes making the news, huge engine upgrades, massive recalls?  I suppose outrageous losses and low consumer confidence has those departments in the automotive industry looking for funds.

At any rate, the 09 Ford Edge will offer a blindspot mirror upgrade as an option.  Reportedly this option will actually retail less than the convex little stick on dealies you can grab at Autozone and be BETTER.  These special mirrors are designed specifically for the vehicle they will be on, so you can better see the grandma hanging out 1/4 way back off your drivers side lane.

It's a big number and it's shaking things up in regards to what Ford is planning on pushing off the assembly line.  Ford just announced that it took a quarterly loss of $8.7 billion, citing a big ass drop in truck sales and leases.

Therefore Ford is planning on ramping up production of it's more fuel efficient lines of autos, like the Focus and Fiesta.  Furthermore they have plans of doubling their hybrid vehicles and bring more European cars to the US market, where we are finally catching up to the high price of fuel.  I'm just curious how trailers are going to be pulled by a 1.5 litre 4 banger and no matter what, there is no replacement for a truck bed when helping a friend move.

Good luck to Ford in turning over some profits next quarter.  As of now Ford is the 3rd largest auto manufacturer in the world, on the heels and/or coat tails of GM and Toyota.