Foundry Update

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• The news on 760 AM today predicted more bad news for Ford workers in Windsor: Allan Mulally, the Chairman of Ford Motor Company, announced that sales of F-150 pickups will continue to decline in 2009 as consumers switch to more fuel-efficient cars like the Ford Focus. WJR also reported the Ford Chairman told reporters that he didn't see Ford Motor Company returning to profitability in the near future and the best Ford could hope for is to break-even in 2009. I don't know too much about Ford's Windsor operations but don't they make all the V-8's here in Windsor?

• They make the 5.4 V-8 in the plant next door to the foundry (grey building in 2nd last pic) TMEP

• Don't forget about the 6.8L V10's Ford makes as well, George.

  Yeah - there's really no future here!

• It might be too early to throw in the towel. Today I read in The Globe an Mail that a lot of oil experts are predicting the price of oil will come down dramatically over the next few years as countries like Brazil, Nigeria and Iraq ramp up production. Plus, there are lots of oil wells in the United States that were idled during the big oil glut of the 90's that are going to come online again. But I doubt the auto industry's good old days back in the 80's and 90's will ever come back.

• Yes, you can throw in the towel. Cleveland also makes the V8. A decline in demand for V8s for the F-150 pickups and SUVs could be replaced by an increase in demand for sportcar engines. The Mustang GT uses a V8 and when the Mustang came out in 1965 it sold over a million cars a year. It broke production records. Mustangs are making a huge comeback. Windsor used to make the Mustang engine and could be making them again. But, since Ford didn't get the same kind of concessions from the CAW that they got from the UAW in Cleveland, why would they bother retooling Windsor for new sportscar engines? If oil prices really made a difference in people choosing between fuel efficient cars and sportscars, why am I seeing so many Dodge Chargers, Mustangs, 5.7L Cadillacs and other Big 3 gas guzzling sportscars on the road? You can blame Buzz and the CAW's arrogance for Windsor's demise and loosing out to UAW plants. If I ran a Big 3 company, I'd pack up and leave this country for the States too. Heard Buzz is retiring next year. Too late, I think.

• Love all the doomsday types out there and the union bashers especially. Do you think the Big 3, Ford especially are going to quit making trucks, van, SUVs? No matter what the economy, there are still bigger profits in making those things than in making small cars. That's why Toyota, Honda and Datsun (sorry...Nissan never clicked with me) all make trucks and SUVs in North America. I was following a Toyota Armada or something like that today. Huge vehicle. They'll all continue to spend billions making such vehicles. Ford has announced the replacement for the Explorer and it's nothing more than a big CUV. Will it get 40mpg in the city? No. But it'll get a hell of a lot more than the 15 mpg that the Explorer gets and they'll sell millions of them over the years.

  The problem isn't the auto companies, the problem is the consumer. The Big 3 will ultimately build and sell fewer big vehicles and more smaller vehicles. You want a car with good mileage? Go buy a Mercury Grand Marquis. Low 20s in the city, low 30s on the highway with a nice big V8 Windsor built engine under the enormous hood. They should be flogging those things more. Big safe cars, good mileage and big profits from a nice union auto plant here in Canada.

  Lets all go with hybrid cars. Just rape some African country which is the sole source of the material required to make the enormous batteries.

  Smart move by Ford would be to buy out ZENN or create their own all electric vehicle. I drive a couple of miles each way to work and another few miles when shopping. That could be easily done in an all electric vehicle.

  Or better yet, have you noticed how Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Superstore and others keep building newer and bigger stores further and further outside of the core of Windsor? That encourages us to drive further and further to get anything

  In the meantime, I still want my big hulking V8 engine from FoMoCo..

• good point bob