Affordable-1964 Ford Fairlane 500 4.3l on 2040-cars

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Ford and BraunAbility team up for wheelchair-accessible Explorer

BraunAbility, a creator of wheelchair-accessible vehicles that are usually based on minivans, has teamed up with Ford to create the MXV, a vehicle the company hails as the first of its kind. In addition to the obvious exterior modifications that include sliding doors, this Explorer-based mobility vehicle has removable driver and passenger seats and a powered ramp that nestles into the vehicle's floor. Modifications to the regular Explorer platform will allow wheelchair users to operate the MXV from the driver's position with the normal seat removed, ride along as a front passenger, or enjoy 56 inches of cabin height in the middle row, which is large enough to accommodate most power wheelchairs. Best we can tell, there are no changes to the Explorer's powertrain, which means a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque will provide motivation, not to mention 5,000-pounds worth of towing capacity. Fuel economy from the MXV matches that of the Explorer, with 17 city, 24 highway, and 20 combined. The twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 isn't available. Unfortunately, all-wheel drive also isn't available from BraunAbility due to the lowered floor necessary to make the vehicle large enough to work as a proper mobility vehicle. Even so, the Explorer looks like a pretty nice platform with which to build such a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, with good looks, good driving manners, and the kind of rugged looks you can't find in a minivan. Expect to see the MXV at BraunAbility dealers this fall, but don't expect to be first in line. Vehicle No. 1 has been promised to wounded veteran Mike Delancey, a United States Marine paralyzed by a sniper's bullet while serving in Iraq in 2006. Take a look at the images above, and feel free to peruse the press release for all the details below. Related Video: BraunAbility – the World Leader in Mobility Vehicles – Selects Ford Explorer to Create First-Ever Wheelchair-Accessible SUV • BraunAbility introduces its first-ever wheelchair-accessible sport utility vehicle – the BraunAbility MXV™ • BraunAbility-customized Ford Explorer – the best-selling SUV in the U.S. for the last 25 years – will be the company's first mass-produced wheelchair-accessible SUV • BraunAbility revolutionized what independence means to wheelchair users, and has established itself as a world leader in the mobility business DEARBORN, Mich.

Ford recalling 65k Fusions from 2014 and 2015 because key can be removed

Ford is recalling an estimated 64,869 examples of the 2014-2015 Fusion, Fusion Energi and Fusion Hybrid in North America because the key can be removed when the vehicle isn't in Park under certain conditions. Specifically, the campaign covers 56,479 units in the US, 6,048 in Canada and 2,342 in Mexico, according to the automaker's tally on November 11.
Ford says a programming problem in the instrument cluster means that the key can be removed 30 minutes after the ignition is turned off, even if the transmission is not in Park. The situation where this could happen seems quite limited, and the company is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. However, the fault puts the vehicle out of compliance with federal regulations covering theft protection and rollaways, and must be repaired.
The fix is easy: Ford will reprogram the instrument cluster at no cost to consumers. According to Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker in an email to Autoblog, "We will notify customers the week of January 5th." Scroll down to read Ford's announcement.

Next Ford F-150 delayed for aluminum body panel issues?

The timetable for next-generation Ford F-150 may be in trouble if a report from The Truth About Cars is true. The next F-150 is slated to make extensive use of weight-saving aluminum in its body, but the aluminum alloy provided by suppliers hasn't met Ford's requirements in the earliest phases of pre-production, according to the report.
The F-150 represents a huge portion of Ford's profits and is the best-selling truck in the US, even in the face of increased pressure from cross-town rivals General Motors and Ram. While the current truck is treading water against its competition, we'd be lying if we said the F-150 weren't growing quite long in the tooth.
If production of the next-generation of the Ford cash cow, said to be based on the Atlas Concept from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show (pictured above), is delayed, it could be bad for Ford. Production at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant is already set to be delayed six to ten weeks, missing an internal on-sale deadline of Memorial Day.