Production Rant

You'd think that Ford would recognise that they have a winner on their hands with the new Mustang and *increase* production to meet demand. I've been toying with the idea of picking up a new GT and supercharging it for a weekend car and dealer after dealer has attempted to charge a premium over MSRP or tell me that I should "wait a few months" for demand to die down and then order what I want. I never thought I'd see the day where a car dealer would tell me to hold my water a few months instead of pulling out all the stops to make sure somebody left the dealership with a car. Really wierd.

Reply to
Ritz
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Try Crossroads Ford in Cary, NC. Tom Smith claims hae has plenty.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

I feel your pain!

I went through a similar situation about 3 weeks ago. FIRST, I was told forget a trade, before I could even get the words out of my mouth that I did not want to trade a vehicle in. Then the Sales Associate told me sticker for the Windvale Blue GT and to plunk down a deposit right then and there or face a bidding war. I said "woa, sticker, have to discuss this with my wife." We went to eat lunch, decided to get it, went back to the dealership about 2 hours later, and the car was sold it to someone who paid $1,100 OVER sticker. They were showing the car to someone else as soon we (wife and myself) stepped out of it from our test drive, and I guess they told the guy that I was leaning towards buying it, but I did not put a deposit down to lock in the vehicle or sticker price. For $1,100 over sticker, I say the swindled fool can enjoy his new Mustang GT.

Going further, the Ford Sales Associate stated that he could order me a 2006 GT for a few hundred below sticker. I told him that I had more in mind to pay a few hundred above invoice like I did every other new vehicle I have purchased within the last 10 years.

Now, I am going to call one of my old college buddies because his father owns a Ford dealership in another town to see if I should even attempt to order one, or just wait. At least I know he won't try to screw me too bad. After all, I was working out of town the last time I wanted a vehicle and he told me to go and look at the various Fords at another dealership, and he would sell it to me at $300 above invoice. I Found the truck I wanted, and I got it for $300 above invoice.

Okay, that is enough of my rant.

Reply to
Linux User

CAFE. And it's odd because it isn't ford that gets to make the extra money but the dealerships.

Reply to
Brent P

If it was purely a CAFE issue, they could just dispense with those idiotic Expeditions/Excursions that I see all the soccer moms driving around town. I wonder if those folks are now enjoying their $125+ fillups. 8-)

Also, if it was purely a CAFE issue, there are plenty of ways to get equivalent HP out of a forced induction 6 cyl instead of a (relatively piggy) normally aspirated V8. Of course, I'd opt for the V8. 8-)

It's rather depressing that Ford finally makes a Mustang that I'd actually want to own again (since the fox body) and you've got legions of slimey dealers trying to jam it up your hiney to take advantage of what is likely a very temporary "shortage." It's probably easier to buy a GT....

Cheers,

Reply to
Ritz

Have you checked some of the internet price sources?

And, it sounds as if the dealer you talked to recognizes that the prices are being inflated, and is possibly just trying to give you some good advice, in his opinion.

I like to avoid the "Sales Associate" and deal with the manager direct. I've found that by demanding to deal with the manager, I "seem" to get more respect for what I want and the price I want to pay, than dealing with the SAs, who have to run to the manager for "approval" anyway.

As for Ford.... they already ramped up production on the 05. Still, supply and demand being what it is, the dealers may be saying not to pick up the pace too much.

It's the old story.... is it better to sell 1000 items at a low price, or to sell 10 for the same total as the 1000? It should make no difference to the seller. It works out the same. But it greatly increases the customer base to sell at the lower price. In turn, if the customers got good treatment and a good deal, they are more apt to return for the next purchase.

There's a Rolls dealer >You'd think that Ford would recognise that they have a winner on their

Spike

1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video.

Gad what fools these morons be.... Children are obscene but should not be heard Give me a peperoni pizza... or give me a calzone!

Reply to
Spike

Trucks and cars are separate. That's why we have SUVs instead of station wagons now. Truck CAFE is lower.

If they continue this I won't get a cobra. I'll just walk out of the dealership.

Reply to
Brent P

Complaining about this makes sense at all. You are either happy about the Mustang's popularity or you aren't... meantime, if you have a hankering for an Explorer at a really good price, you aren't complaining about it.

It would make absolutely NO sense for Ford to invest in additional tooling to increase production for a few months. Since there's NO way of knowing how long the Bull market in Mustangs will last, I'd expect Ford shareholders to be highly pissed off if they increased production now then idled it later. Lines not used cost money.

Maybe, someday, the lines will be automated to the point where they could build 500's this week and Mustangs the next, but for now...

As many as they would if they allowed walk-in browsers. Or maybe more.

You want to boycott them too?

sheeesh!

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

A) "I" wasn't complaining about anything. It makes no difference to me since I'm not in the market to buy one.

B) I agree, it would make no sense for Ford to tool up another line. The Ford numbers crunchers have already done their thing, and while they were low on their estimates, they get paid to be as close as possible so Ford doesn't waste by building more than the market demand will support. Ford did increase the number of units produced, but did not set up another line to do so.

C) Whether a huge price is charged for a single item, or a lower price is charged for a million of the same item... the producer will make the same amount from the product. It's what the producer's intent is. To have a very high quality product by placing more attention into the build, and/or catering to the elite... versus catering to the masses and lowering the quality level. Although, on the quality side, even the most expensive have had some problems.

Personally, I would rather have something a bit more unique. Not be driving what everyone else is driving. My 65 FB falls into that zone. Not every Tome, Dick, and Mary is driving one because there are a lot fewer available.

Spike

1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video.

Gad what fools these morons be.... Children are obscene but should not be heard Give me a peperoni pizza... or give me a calzone!

Reply to
Spike

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