1959 Ford Galaxie - Custom 300 on 2040-cars

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Ford announces free brake pad offer if customers stop by dealers

These days, when you buy a new car, it's not unreasonable to expect a certain period of free maintenance to come along as well. Sometimes this is through the life of the warranty, in other cases a little less. But Ford Motor Company is going beyond those deals for at least one part of its cars. As of now, if you buy a set of Motorcraft brake pads for a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury model, you get free replacements for as long as you own the vehicle. The offer is good at Ford or Lincoln dealers and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers.
"We will replace the pads for as long as you own the vehicle," said Elizabeth Weigandt to Autoblog. She did clarify that the Motorcraft pads are generally for models from the '90s or newer. Also, to take advantage of this program, a person must return to the same dealer each time to get the free parts.
Of course, Ford isn't just handing out brake pads to anyone who walks by; there are certain stipulations. First, the components have to be worn down to less than three millimeters to be eligible, and the buyer still has to pay for the labor to install them. If the model is used as a fleet vehicle for commercial purposes like as a taxi or limousine, this offer also doesn't apply; the same thing for racecars. On the plus side, if you recently bought a set of pads from one of the participating locations, you're still in luck. The deal covers parts purchased as of July 1.

Ford F-150 EcoBoost in NHTSA probe for acceleration issue

According to Automotive News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching a probe into 400,000 Ford F-150 models over possible acceleration problems. According to the article, NHTSA has received 95 reports "alleging incidents of reduced engine power during hard accelerations" on 2011 to 2013 F-150 models equipped with the company's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
Automotive News reports that Ford has issued three technical service bulletins "related to intermittent stumble/misfire on acceleration from highway cruise in humid or damp conditions," according to the government agency's documents. About one third of the 95 reports NHTSA has received cited humid or rainy conditions when these problems allegedly occurred.
These technical service bulletins have allowed dealers to address a "condition related to moisture accumulation in the charge air cooler during extended highway cruising at constant throttle in humid or damp conditions," AN reports, citing NHTSA documents. Furthermore, the TSB outlines details for "reprogramming the powertrain control module with the latest calibration and installing a new CAC and air deflector plate."

Bodie Stroud seriously updates the 1956 Ford F-100 into the BSI X-100

If you thought pickups could use a lot more love in the resto-mod world, then Bodie Stroud – he of "The Real Thing" Mustang – has something for you: the BSI X-100. His team starts with the body of a 1956 Ford F-100, but the sheetmetal is about all the nostalgia you're going to get; the body, tweaked with a chopped hood and a larger rear window on the cab, sits on a custom steel ladder-frame chassis. Out back is a one-piece, tubbed bed, and behind that are taillights from a 1948 (gasp!) Chevrolet. Under that hood is either a 412-horsepower, 5.0-liter Ford Racing Coyote crate engine, or a supercharged, 6.0-liter, 630-hp Ford Racing Aluminator motor, shifting through a Ford 4R70W four-speed automatic. Inside, the dash is reworked to fit gauges from a Ford F-150 King Ranch Edition, and the bench is swapped out for buckets from a Mustang GT. The independent front and four-link rear suspension are adjustable, helping to make room for staggered wheels - 19 inches in front, 20 inches in back, and larger can be accommodated. Six-piston Wilwood brakes handle the stopping. There's a lot of fabrication and hand-work involved, and it doesn't come cheap: BSI says the turnkey package starts at $180,000. If you've got it, this is an exceptional way to flaunt it. The press release below has all the details. THE BSI 1956 X-100: TIMELESS LINES, MODERN TECH New pickup from Bodie Stroud Industries melds the iconic style of the 1956 F-100 with a cutting-edge chassis and drivetrain to create a hand-built, all-new truck with the performance and reliability of a modern sports car. Sun Valley, Calif. (March, 2015) – In an era when anyone can walk into a dealership with good credit and a yearning to go fast and drive out in a 500+ horsepower sports car, owning and driving something truly unique has become a challenge. With that in mind, the craftsmen at Los Angeles-based Bodie Stroud Industries (BSI) have come up with something truly special – a brand new line of hand-built, turn-key pickups with the looks and sheet metal of an American icon, subtly massaged and fitted to a modern chassis and powered by the latest engine, transmission and electronics from Detroit. The result is the world's first all-new, turn-key 1956 Pickup: the BSI X-100. "When most people think about classic trucks, what comes to mind is usually the 1956 F-100, it's one of the most timeless designs of all time," says BSI founder Bodie Stroud.