kscarbel2

Is the threat to Ford's Canada assembly plant real? Dana Flavelle, Automotive News / July 27, 2020 TORONTO -- The union local representing workers at Ford of Canada’s Oakville assembly plant says this isn’t the first time it will go into contract negotiations fighting for a new product, and potentially the plant’s survival. “We’ve been here before,” said Mark Sciberras, president of Unifor Local 707, which represents nearly 4,200 hourly employees there. In late 2006, the Freestar minivan, a rebranded version of the popular Windstar, was coming to an end, but the plant would benefit from a C$1 billion ($750 million U.S.) investment to produce the new Edge, said Sciberras. The Edge would go on to be a big seller in the growing market for crossover utility vehicles, securing the plant’s future for another 15 years. But this time it’s far from clear what might happen following reports that Ford is scrapping the next-generation Edge, leaving the Oakville plant with no new products after 2023. Industry observers say Ford, which has declined to confirm or deny the forecast by AutoForecast Solutions, could be floating a trial balloon ahead of fall contract talks with Unifor. But it’s also possible the company might be paving the way to pull the plug on its last remaining vehicle assembly plant in Canada. “Ford has, historically speaking, had a strong presence in Canada, but so did General Motors,” said Dimitry Anastakis, a professor with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, referring to GM’s decision to close its largest Canadian assembly plant, in Oshawa, in 2019. “But we’re in a COVID crisis and crises tend to accelerate long-term trends. And the trend in Canada has been to reduce the [auto manufacturing] footprint.” The global auto industry is facing unprecedented challenges to produce automated, driverless, electrified vehicles while a global pandemic has thrown a massive wrench into sales and profits, said John Holmes, a professor emeritus at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Cash burn “The capital requirements for the EV, let alone the autonomous stuff, are horrendous. And given they’re all burning through a lot of cash during COVID, it’s not surprising [if] they’ve postponed or canceled some of the programs they were previously committed to,” Holmes said. Ford has a long history in Canada, starting in 1904 when Henry Ford signed a deal with Gordon McGregor of Walkerville Wagon Works, now in Windsor, Ontario, to produce Ford-branded vehicles for the Canadian market and beyond, taking advantage of Canada’s favorable trade relations with the British Empire. The company would grow on the early success of the Model T car. Unlike other branch-plant automakers, Ford of Canada had its own shareholders and made its own decisions about which models to build. “Cars built by Canadians for Canadians,” the ad in the Toronto Daily Star proclaimed in May 1953 when Ford moved its assembly operations and head office to the eastern edge of Oakville to be closer to the growing Toronto market. Though it would never achieve the massive scale of GM’s assembly plant in Oshawa, Ford Oakville has ranked among the top 10, sometimes top five, largest automakers in Canada, said Brendan Sweeney, managing director of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing. “This is a very important part of Canada’s manufacturing ecosystem. And certainly, a very important part of Ontario’s economy and the [Greater Toronto Area],” Sweeney said. Auto pact beneficiary Along with the rest of the Canadian auto manufacturing industry, Ford benefited from the signing in 1965 of the Auto Pact between Canada and the United States, which imposed local content requirements for vehicles to enjoy tariff-free status. At its peak, the Oakville operations, including a separate truck plant built in 1966, employed between 7,000 and 8,000 people. But that all changed after Canada and the U.S. added low-cost producer Mexico to a broader North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 and the Auto Pact was declared illegal by the World Trade Organization in 2001. The southern U.S. states and Mexico began competing for new automotive assembly plants, offering generous incentives, free land, tax breaks and lower labor costs. Global automakers began shifting production further south. In 2004, Ford closed the Oakville truck plant, at a cost of 1,200 jobs. “That was a big blow for us,” Unifor’s Sciberras said. The Canadian and Ontario governments responded with incentives aimed at stemming the exodus. Ford was among the beneficiaries. Since 2005, Ford has invested almost C$3.5 billion ($2.6 billion U.S.) in its Canadian operations while the two levels of government contributed more than C$639 million, according to the automaker. But incentives were never enough to prevent a wave of auto plant closures that swept through the province. In 2011, Ford announced it would close the Talbotville assembly plant, near St. Thomas, which made the Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis models. Bailout rebuffed Ford avoided becoming part of the massive government bailout during the financial crisis of 2008-09 that saw the Canadian and Ontario governments invest C$14 billion in GM and Chrysler to keep them from going out of business. The deal was tied to Canadian production commitments that expired in 2016. “So they don’t have an obligation with either the federal or provincial governments. But they do have a corporate citizen obligation. They’ve been in Canada more than a century. The Ford people are very sensitive about their history in Canada,” said the University of Toronto’s Anastakis. He added: “If Oakville does close, that’s going to be really bad news for the Canadian auto industry.”

The Kawasaki FH721V used on Deere X500's over the 2006-2015 period, for example. They never wear out if you maintain them properly. And now you can get the X590 with electronic fuel injection (EFI) equipped Kawasaki FS730 engine. No choke, it starts like a car.

Ford Trucks Spain / July 27, 2020 These have been a few months of intense work, in which the staff of The ford Trucks dealers in Spain have worked in the most difficult conditions that we could imagine. All focused on the objective of offering the best service to our customers, despite the circumstances. Ford Trucks Spain has given each and every one of these heroes a Ford Trucks Pack like this, and we want to take advantage of this short post to recognize the work of all members of our Family. The strength of this brand is the strength of your entire team and we are proud of each and every one of them. THANK YOU FAMILY SO MUCH! HenryTrucks,S.L Caysercas, S.L. Mintegui Automoción Himayma La Coruña Vehinva Grupo Terramovil Almerisan C. V. Castejon Grupo Roque Nublo and Trucks Moes #PoweredByFordTrucks #SharingTheLoad

Repair parts shortages stymie Ford dealers Michael Martinez, Automotive News / July 27, 2020 As the coronavirus pandemic continues to squeeze dealer inventory and threaten vehicle production, retailers are grappling with another issue: a shortage of repair parts for their service departments. The backlog has affected a number of Ford dealers who say they're waiting weeks, and in some cases more than a month, for parts needed to fix older-model Escape crossovers and Fusion sedans. In April, Ford issued a technical service bulletin for coolant leaks into the cylinder head of 1.5-liter EcoBoost engines in 2017-19 Escapes and 2014-19 Fusions. The automaker instructed retailers to replace the short block and gasket head. Dealers say the parts for that repair are taking weeks to arrive as vehicles pile up in their service centers. Ford acknowledges delays this spring but claims the situation has since been resolved. "There were disruptions in parts supply in early May due to supplier closures caused by COVID-19," Ford said. "Upon reopening, parts production and delivery was expedited, resolving shortages by late June. Ford is not aware of any significant parts delays currently impacting dealer ability to repair these engines." But dealers say the issue hasn't gone away. One service manager, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters, called the situation a "nightmare" and said the store has a half-dozen Escapes sitting in the shop awaiting repairs. A second dealership official said enough customers had come in with the problem that the person raised it on a 20-group virtual meeting and heard similar responses from peers. An employee at a third dealership said the store cut a five-figure check in June to a rental company so that affected customers could have temporary transportation while waiting for a fix. Tim Hovik, a member of the Ford council and owner of San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Arizona, said his store has experienced parts delays, although he said they weren't limited to any particular models.

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/imports-by-country

Was that an ex-Ryder truck Bob?

The genuine Honda engines have come down in price over the years to become very competitive. And the Honda-copy engines from China have very high quality. And then there's Kawasaki used by Deere and others. Briggs failed to evolve with a changing environment and remain competitive, much less a leader. It's a shame, as they had brand recognition. I lost all faith in the company when they told customers to stop changing oil......................https://www.briggsandstratton.com/na/en_us/innovations/push-mowers/just-check-and-add-technology.html

Agreed. But I fear the taxpayer will bear the cost of scrapping the ship.

Navistar Trucks Press Release / July 24, 2020 We're rolling out the red carpet today in honor of the International Harvester "Sightliner" featured in the movie "Real Steel." .

Ford Trucks International Press Release / July 24, 2020 .

Ford gets commitments to extend most of $5.35B in loans Reuters / July 24, 2020 NEW YORK -- Ford Motor Co. has obtained commitments from enough banks to extend the maturity of at least 90 percent of $5.35 billion of revolving loans for one year, a person close to the financing said. The automaker has been in discussions with its lenders this month about a one-year extension of its $3.35 billion, three-year main corporate revolving credit facility and its $2 billion, three-year supplemental revolving credit facility. JP Morgan leads the deal, according to thee people close to the transaction. Ford is seeking to address loan maturities for the first time since downgrades in March removed its last investment-grade rating. The move is expected to test banks’ willingness to lend to a household name in an industry that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. More lenders could agree to extend before the transaction closes on July 27. The company is looking to complete the extension ahead of its earnings call on July 30, a second person said. “They want to be prepared so they can say something good,” the second person said. “That they were able to extend the liquidity by another year.” To incentivize banks to agree to the extension, Ford offered to repay the $3.35 billion three-year main corporate revolver it borrowed in March as part of a larger $15.4 billion draw-down under its credit facility, the two people said. The company is expected to use cash on its balance sheet to repay the $3.35 billion, three-year loan on July 27 after the amendment and extension closes, two people familiar with the transaction said. As of April 9, Ford had cash of $34.6 billion, including the revolving credit draw-downs, and $8 billion in bond issuances, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. “We typically don’t comment on rumor or speculation,” said a Ford spokesperson. A JP Morgan spokesperson declined to comment. Both the $3.35 billion three-year main corporate revolving credit facility and the $2 billion three-year supplemental revolving credit facility come due on April 30, 2022, according to SEC filings. The loans will be extended to 2023, two people close to the transaction said. The company is offering an all-in spread of 225 basis points over Libor, split between a drawn spread of 175 basis points and an undrawn fee of 50 basis points for the main corporate and supplemental revolving credit facilities that are extended, two sources said. All lenders who agree to the extension will receive a 40 basis-point fee on the amount extended. Lenders who choose not to extend will remain in the existing loans at a current all-in spread of 175 basis points over Libor, split between a drawn spread of 147.5 basis points and an undrawn fee of 27.5 basis points for the main corporate and supplemental revolving credit facilities. The company is leaving unchanged its fully funded $1.5 billion supplemental term loan that matures on Dec. 31, 2022, and the $10.05 billion five-year corporate revolving credit facility due April 30, 2024. "It's good. Given that they are not in an easy sector," the first person close to the transaction said. "It's a good outcome." The fees Ford’s lenders received for its $8 billion in bond issuances in April may have helped them get more comfortable with the extension. The perception the US government supported the automaker via the Federal Reserve's corporate bond purchasing program may have been another positive, the source said. COVID-19 challenges The company first reached out to its JP Morgan-led bank group in February to refinance $15.4 billion in revolving credits but in March decided to draw down on the facilities and postponed its refinancing plans as market conditions deteriorated, two banking sources said at the time. The company said borrowings would be used to “offset the temporary working capital impacts of the coronavirus-related production shutdowns and to preserve Ford’s financial flexibility,” according to a March 19 press release. Ford reported a 33 percent drop in U.S. sales in the second quarter tied to shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders due to the coronavirus.

Engine Mack EY707, 170 horsepower @ 2,100 rpm Transmission Mack TR36 five-speed Transfer Case Timken-Wisconsin T-77-3 two-speed Axles Timken-Wisconsin 7.33 ratio

$10 million to the shipyard (General Dynamics) for helping to fight the fire, and clean-up, appears rather excessive. Few believe the Navy will invest hundreds of millions of dollars to repair a 22-year-old ship. Also, the America class amphibious ships are replacing the older Wasp class.

Defense News / July 23, 2020 The shipyard presiding over the renovations on the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard when it caught fire July 12 was awarded a $10 million contract modification for their efforts with firefighting and follow-on cleanup. The contract with General Dynamics NASSCO San Diego was among those announced Wednesday in the U.S. Defense Department’s daily roundup. The work includes “USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) emergency firefighting support, dewatering, safety and initial clean-up efforts,” the announcement read, and is to be completed by November 2020. US Navy’s top officer reveals grim new details of the damage to Bonhomme Richard The fire, which broke out July 12, began in the lower vehicle storage area amidships and damaged 11 of the Bonhomme Richard’s 14 decks, according to a letter to all Navy flag officers and master chiefs obtained by Defense News. The Navy said there was no known welding or other “hot work” taking place at the time of the fire, and it is unclear what caused the blaze. The Navy is conducting a safety investigation — which are not usually releasable to the public so as to encourage witnesses to speak freely — and a more formal administrative investigation accompanied by accountability recommendations that can be released. The Navy’s top officer, Adm. Michael Gilday, told Defense News in a July 16 interview he is committed to transparency in the investigation. “This is a very, very serious incident that I think will force the Navy to stand back and reevaluate itself,” Gilday said. “We’ve got to follow the facts, we’ve got to be honest with ourselves and we’ve got to get after it. My intention, once the investigations are done, is to make this available for the public to debate, including what we need to do to get after any systemic problems that we might have.”

Which is why to this day I remember the part number for the grille mounting nutzerts........68RU29301P5 (note that's a 5-digit [29301] Mack Western style part number)

This 8x4 twin-steer also has the short 76-inch sleeper cab. .

You're right Vlad....my mistake. Those were supplied by KD, who was acquired by ATC. I understand and agree. I still think they were KD though. https://www.slclighting.com/shop?Collection=Cab Markers https://www.slclighting.com/product-page/c-m-bullet-chrome-amber-incondesant-long-body

As I recall, 38MO363RP3 for R/U/DM was supplied buy Signal Stat, which was acquired by Truck-Lite. The bottom has a slight curve to match the cab contour. (The short version in the middle of an R/U/DM, ahead of the roof vent, was 38MO362RP3) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Semi-Truck-Bullet-Marker-Lamp-PAI-FLR-4302-Ref-Mack-8154-51631771-38MO363-/253996119453 I can't remember if the Cruise-Liner's "bullet" lamps had a flat bottom or not.

72QS1112 (right-hand) and 72QS1113 (left-hand)

Nikola stock plummeted another 13 percent today to $29. At this point, they don't have the necessary investment to go forward.

From the 1982 second generation (Macungie production) Cruise-Liner brochure, this is my favorite photograph. .

This is a zoomed in view of the 1982 Macungie production Cruise-Liner brochure. Keen eyes will note that we borrowed this side view from our last Hayward production brochure. Note the 2-piece tube-type aluminum rim.