Ken Block introduces the Gymkhana GRID Invitational

Ken Block walks you through the cars, drivers, and course of the Gymkhana GRID race series during a test event in Hollywood Park, CA, and what to expect at the Gymkhana GRID Ken Block Invitational on December 4th 2010 at Irwindale Speedway. Check out www.gymkhanagrid.com for more information.

New 2010 Knapheide KUV Offers Plenty Of Storage And Maximum Maneuverability

Here's another special buy. This is a 2010 Ford F350 Cutaway chassis with the famous Knapheide KUV plumber style body (not just for plumbers, of course). You can now buy this after a $3500 rebate for only $31,995 plus taxes and fees AND get 3.94% interest to boot! What an awesome deal. VIN #ADA75764, Stock #31865. Sale good through December 15th, 2010. Give Paul Brown a call at 530-682-7693 and he can give you all the details.

2008 F550 Steel Dump Body Is Sold!! Thank You!

Here is a hard working rig. This is a new 2008 Ford F550 chassis with 19,000 lb GVWR capacity, 6.4 liter Diesel V8, HD 5-Speed Torqushift Transmission, AC, Tow Command System, LIMITED SLIP REAR AXLE (perfect for where this truck may need to go on construction sites), XL decor package, Tilt Wheel, Cruise Control, AMFM CD, cloth seating and more.

The body is a Stahl 11' 3-4 yard Steel Dump Body with Drop Down Sides, Back-up Alarm, Roll Up Tarp, and HD Hoist mounted in a sub-frame. VIN# 8EA24748.

We have enjoyed this truck being on our lot for all this time, but we thing we have had this truck long enough and so we are very serious about it finding a new place to park--and better yet to go out there and get some serious work done! Because we're so motivated, we've chopped the price dramatically. Give me a call and I'm sure we can work something that works for both of us. Call Paul Brown at 530-682-7693 TODAY! Visit our website at http://www.geweketrucks.com/.

MSRP on this truck and body is $49,834.00.

SOLD!! Thank You!

Ford Super Duty Does Heavy Lifting: Grabs 50 Percent Of Heavy-Duty Market, Accounts For Segment Growth

• Ford Super Duty grabs 50 percent of heavy-duty truck market, its highest since 2001
• Super Duty accounts for 80 percent of this year’s growth in the heavy-duty segment
• Two all-new engines, including award-winning 6.7-liter Power Stroke^® diesel, help lead the way

DEARBORN,Mich., Nov. 15, 2010 – One of every two heavy-duty pickups sold in the United States in the first nine months of the year is a Ford F-Series Super Duty.

The new Super Duty dominates the heavy-duty pickup segment with 50 percent of total heavy-duty sales, an increase in market share of 5 percentage points over the same period last year – its highest share since 2001. This is according to a Ford analysis of recently released registration data by R.L. Polk.

Furthermore, the heavy-duty pickup segment is growing – up 17 percent over last year – and Super Duty accounts for 80 percent of that heavy-duty segment growth.

The all-new Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine has helped drive Super Duty’s sales performance in 2010. In September, the engine was recognized by Ward’s Automotive as Best Diesel Truck Engine after rigorous testing against competitive trucks.

Rated at 400 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. of torque, the new engine delivers the best-in-class towing and hauling capability as well as highest fuel economy in its class, a full 20 percent better than the outgoing model. Click www.fordvehicles.com/2011superduty/.

The 2011 Super Duty, which went on sale in April, also received a new 6.2-liter gas engine. Other upgrades include a new six-speed automatic transmission, live-drive power takeoff technology, a new instrument panel, factory-installed fifth-wheel towing package and more.

“As always, our goal is to better satisfy the needs of our customers. Super Duty’s continued sales and share leadership is validation that whether those needs are capability, durability, quality, power, performance, fuel economy, technology or safety, we are succeeding,” says Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group marketing manager.

In October, Ford’s entire F-Series lineup became the first nameplate in the industry in 2010 to top 400,000 units sold.

The new 2011 F-150 arrives in dealerships later this month with the most extensive powertrain makeover in the 62-year history of F-Series. Among the new engines coming are two fuel economy leaders: the 3.7-liter V6 at 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway; and the 5.0-liter V8 at 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway. The truck also offers the 6.2-liter V8 in specialized models. The highly anticipated 3.5-liter EcoBoost^™ engine-powered F-150 comes to market early next year.

Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon Debuts With Added Comfort, Convenience Features

Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon

• Ford Transit Connect – 2010 North American Truck of the Year – is expanding its lineup with the addition of a Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon offering
• Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon offers seating for five passengers with enhanced interior appointments and visibility from integrated blind-spot mirrors, a rear view camera and flip-open rear quarter windows

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2010 – A new personal-use package for the 2011 Ford Transit Connect debuted today at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The XLT Premium Wagon offers more comfort and visibility for second-row passengers, something customers have been asking for since the small, fuel-efficient van went on sale in the United States in 2009.

“Since Transit Connect arrived here as the ‘ultimate tool’ for small business proprietors, we’ve heard requests from potential personal-use customers,” said Rob Stevens, chief nameplate engineer for Commercial Vehicles. “Buyers looking for a taller wagon with seating for five passengers and generous cargo space have shown significant interest in Transit Connect.”

XLT Premium Wagon offers enhanced second-row passenger comfort, including cargo space surface trim, wheelhouse covers and flip-open rear quarter windows for draft-free ventilation.
This personal-use package gives owners and drivers additional confidence with blind-spot sideview mirrors, rear view camera, rear cargo door windows and privacy glass.

Transit Connect was named North American Truck of the Year in January 2010, selected by journalist jurors for its unique combination of car-like ride, 135 cubic feet of cargo space, 1,600-pound payload capacity and unmatched fuel efficiency – up to an EPA-rated 26 mpg highway.

All Transit Connect models – including XLT Premium Wagon – are assembled at the Ford Otosan joint-venture production facility in Kocaeli, Turkey, and are available at North American Ford dealerships.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life. . .

a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of

seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year--and the deep, deep

connection of all these things with God." -- Ray Stannard Baker



Engineering the 2012 Ford Focus for Minimal Unwanted Noise

Ford fuel economy engineers, Jeff Fessenden and Gurjeet Bains talk about the technology and testing used to minimize unwanted sounds in the all-new Ford Focus.

Mark Fields Answers Facebook Questions at the LA Auto Show #2

Mark Fields, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company; President, The Americas, answers questions from Facebook fans about the Ranger, Lincoln, signing autographs, and more from the show floor at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

Mark Fields Answers Facebook Questions About the 2012 Ford Focus #1

Mark Fields, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company; President, The Americas, answers questions from Facebook fans about the 2012 Ford Focus from the show floor at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

Best Selling 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty Diesel Boost Power, Capability, Fuel Economy and Value

Current 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty diesel owners can get the increased performance through a free dealer-installed software upgrade to the truck’s powertrain control module.

• The 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbocharged diesel is now rated at best-in-class 800 lb.-ft. of torque and 400 horsepower, an increase of 65 lb.-ft. of torque and 10 horsepower. Current 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty diesel owners can get the increased performance through a free dealer-installed software upgrade to the truck’s powertrain control module
• Super Duty reclaims F-350 towing and payload leadership vs. Chevrolet Silverado 3500. When it comes to capability, Super Duty offers uncompromised choice – whether it’s F-250, F-350, F-450 or F-550
• The 6.7-liter Super Duty diesel now has 20 percent better fuel economy compared with the outgoing engine based on Ford drive-cycle tests of comparably equipped 2011 Ford and 2010 Ford models

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 3, 2010 – Ford Motor Company will begin production this week of the most powerful diesel engine ever installed in a heavy-duty pickup, Barb Samardzich, vice president of powertrain engineering, announced today at an international auto industry conference.

Introduced in April 2010, the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel powering the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty will be upgraded to best-in-class 800 lb.-ft. of torque and 400 horsepower, Samardzich said at the Center for Automotive Research’s annual Management Briefing Seminars.

“These numbers are impressive, yes, but that is not why they matter,” Samardzich said. “These numbers matter because our customers say they do. The higher torque means that fleet operators, such as Florida Power & Light, can plow through deep swamps and get to downed power lines faster and more confidently. It means that oil and gas crews in the Northwest can tow up an 8,000-foot grade maintaining a steady speed and using less fuel.”

In an industry-first customer loyalty program, Ford will provide the power upgrades free of charge to all current owners of a 2011 Super Duty diesel pickup. Customers will receive letters explaining the procedure, a 30-minute software adjustment to the truck’s powertrain control module, and inviting them to visit their dealerships for the upgrade.

The upgrade program will begin by Aug. 31 and continue for the next 12 months. The 2011 Super Duty diesel pickups in dealer inventory will receive the upgrade as well.

A rigorous testing protocol that included computer, laboratory and on-road validation ensured 250,000-mile durability in the new Power Stroke’s components and systems. This strict testing opened the door for the 2011 Super Duty’s increased capability.

“We know that durability and reliability is uppermost in the minds of our Super Duty customers, along with torque and horsepower, so we took a conservative approach that ensured that the new Power Stroke would be absolutely bulletproof while delivering significantly improved power,” said Chris Brewer, chief engineer of the 2011 Super Duty.

New Ford design and engineering methods enable strong platform from which to build
The new Power Stroke is a “clean sheet” that combines the best of proven technology with new, patented approaches backed by an extensive laboratory and real-world testing regimen to assure customer satisfaction. Benefits of the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine include:

• First use of a compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine block in a Super Duty-class vehicle in North America; stronger than cast iron, Ford has successfully used CGI in engine blocks in products around the world. The block structure was optimized for reduced weight and maximum strength to meet the demands of higher torque and horsepower.
• Unique inboard exhaust and outboard intake architecture, an automotive-industry first for a modern production diesel engine, reduces overall exhaust system volume, which leads to better throttle response for the customer; additionally, reduced exhaust system surface area minimizes heat transfer to the engine compartment and improves NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) performance.
• The new engine architecture enables easier service work for all major engine components, potentially reducing downtime. On turbocharger service, for example, the body/cab no longer has to be removed from the frame to access the turbo; also, the high-pressure fuel pump, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) components and thermostats are directly accessible from the front of the vehicle.
• The turbocharger features an industry-first dual-sided compressor wheel that works in a single housing. The unit is uniquely center-mounted on a pedestal low in the back of the valley for improved NVH. This turbocharger design allows the single unit to deliver the benefits of a twin-turbocharger system in a smaller, more efficient package, combining the advantages of a small turbocharger (faster response) and a large turbocharger (ability to compress and force more air into the engine for more power) in one unit.
• The high-pressure fuel system injects fuel at more than 29,000 psi. The system delivers up to five injection events per cylinder per cycle using eight-hole piezo injectors to spray fuel into the piston bowl. The direct-injection system is calibrated and phased for optimum power, fuel efficiency and NVH performance.
• Aluminum cylinder heads for reduced weight; the mid-deck construction with dual water jackets provides increased strength and optimal cooling; also, six head bolts, instead of four as found on other engines, help improve sealing and maintain cylinder integrity.
• Compatible up to B20 fuel, allowing greener fueling options of up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

The new Super Duty debuted not only with a new diesel engine, but with a new heavy-duty TorqShift™ six-speed automatic transmission. As experience was gained building the new powertrain, engineers continued to test components, check data and seek optimizations.

More power and better fuel economy, too
Fuel economy is expected to improve at least another 2 percent, making the 2011 F-Series Super Duty 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel a full 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 2010 model. The improved torque and horsepower, for example, means a customer can get to a higher gear faster and stay in it longer, both of which aid fuel economy.

“Our testing procedure proved to us we could push the hardware a little harder,” said Brewer. “Again, we wanted to make absolutely sure our customers received an engine that was outstanding in all the key attributes: durability, reliability, power, performance and fuel economy.”

The increased performance will be evident in situations such as improved passing capability on the highway or when towing a heavy load up a steep grade. When towing, the increased engine torque will let the vehicle stay in high gear more often, reducing transmission shifting frequency and keeping engine speed low for better fuel economy and lower noise.

Best-in-class capability reclaimed for F-350 models going forward
Going forward, the F-350 dual-rear-wheel (DRW) model will add vehicle upgrades to bring maximum payload and maximum fifth-wheel towing to best-in-class levels. Higher-strength steel in the frame will boost the payload and towing ratings as follows:

• F-350 DRW maximum payload to 7,070 pounds, from 6,520 pounds
• F-350 DRW maximum fifth-wheel towing to 22,600 pounds, from 21,600 pounds

“Customers of the F-350 dual-rear-wheel configuration push their trucks to the limit and are the ultimate payload and towing users,” said Brewer. “And like with the diesel upgrades, we’ve found we can push the Super Duty even harder and bump up the ratings. The fact we have more torque and horsepower makes the job that much easier.”