Thursday, May 21, 2009

Just a reminder, MyFordDreams moved to MyFordDreams2


Just a reminder to old readers and a re-direct for those who stumbled upon MyFordDreams, if you've enjoyed what I've done here, go to the link in title to read my further adventures dreaming about all things Ford. http://www.myforddreams2.blogspot.com/ is where I'm blogging now.
This site is basically an archive of the first few years.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Ford Ranger, what should the future hold? Will Ford keep it alive in the US?

Today there was a comment on one of my archived posts that brought back one of my favorite gripes. The Ranger, how Ford has let it lapse and what I hope they will do. Ok, let's get some history here, the Ranger name started as a trim level on the full size Ford F-Series trucks, just like the Eplorer badge. Starting in the late 60's and early 70's Japanese makes started to bring compact pickups to the US, Nissan and Toyota leading the way, but Isuszu and Mazda also. So, when the Domestic makes saw an emerging market segment, they initially imported partner trucks rebadged as their own, in the case of Ford that was the Courier. But eventually they recognized that a true Domestic compact pickup would make more sense and the Ranger was born . And from 1987 to 2004 it was segment leader. In many ways it was far superior to the Courier it replaced and Ford improved it with each generation. But the evolution stopped in 2000 or so and it was just mild refresh after that, until this day. I believe it was a combination of relatively cheap fuel here in the states and our tendancy to super size everything. While competitors grew in size, the Ranger remained compact. It remains a profitable unit for the company, especially since they've done no real development over the last decade. What a shame really. But with new safety and emissions standards coming into effect soon, the current Ranger is coming to a point where Ford can't sell it, even if customers were lined up out the door, which really they aren't. One major fault is that the current Ranger can't be fitted with airbags in the A pillar. Another minor fault is that it's not available in a true 4 door cab here, while it has been all over the world, including Mexico.
But as with Ford's need for small fuel efficient car, they have the answer in their global garage.
Ford developed a new Ranger (Mazda BT-50 also ) for markets outside of the United States.
And I've posted about it before, because it's a class leader and would be a huge hit here.
I'm not sure if it has air bags in the A pillar, but I'd guess it does since it's sold in Europe.
It's also got 2 great Diesel powertrain options and one of the nicest interiors I've ever seen in a compact truck. So, should Ford rush to get this cleared to come here? Would they import it from Asia or build it here? Yes they should rush to bring it market! If the Diesels aren't going to meet emisions, they can stick the 2.5 petrol I-4 and 3.5 V-6 in there. Over the last few years I've read criticism of the Ranger on the web and speculation that Ford should introduce a new Mid Size pickup using the F-100 nameplate. I disagree, but if they did it right, I'd be willing to take a look.

Now, this is a photoshop done quite a while ago by "FUD" (?) that I had seen on several message boards suggesting that the new Ranger be based on an Explorer chassis. But at this point is that prudent? Haven't we had that already? Isn't that the crap known as the Sport Trac?
What say you? I say, bring us the Global Ranger, with the Diesel option for those pulling boat trailers.


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

MyFordDreams moved to MyFordDreams2


For those that get here via a web search like Google or Yahoo, this blog has moved to the link in the title. MyFordDreams is continued at http://myforddreams2.blogspot.com/
I haven't been very active, but things will pick up soon.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

KMRL Blogothon 2007

I'm blowing the dust off my keyboard here to spread the word about KMRL MojoRadioLive and their efforts to raise money for wounded vets. KMRL is taking part in Blogothon 2007.
Click the link in title to sponsor them and tune in at their website http://www.mojoradiolive.com/ to listen to the 24 hours of live shows .

I hear there's going to be contests and prizes, but more importantly you'll be helping wounded heroes!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

A tragedy in a small town, ten years later, the case of Charles Campbell and Richard D DiGuglielmo

Sorry folks, way off topic today, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. 10 years ago today a terrible tragedy happened in a small suburban town. Lives of many people both inocent and not were changed forever. And for what? A parking space! And 10 years later, the man who ended another's life, says that he'd do it again if he had to and his supporters act as if he is a victim. I have no personal bone to pick with these people, no vendeta. I don't have a grudge against Police Officers or Italian Americans, nor with the town of Dobbs Ferry New York. But I've read quite a lot of unbalanced opinion in the forums of my local paper concerning this story. I've seen webpages devoted to the "railroading" of this unintentional killer and feel a need to speak out.
Richard D. DiGuglielmo was 31 years old and had aproximately 10 years on the New York Police Department, but was off duty on the 3rd of October 1996 at 5pm when the events that shatterd lives occurred.

Charles Campbell was 37 years old and a father of one son. I have to admit I didn't know him, and unfortunately couldn't find much information on him online. But how much can you find online about an average citizen. I'm sure he was no angel, how many of us are? Maybe he had a few encounters with the law, but many people do, especially young black men. But Charles Campbell's only "crime" that day, was that he stopped on Ashford Avenue for a slice of Pizza and parked in the nearest parking lot to the little shop. Unfortunately he couldn't have known how fatal that mistake would be. You see, the Pizza shop doesn't have any parking and the street that it's on is a busy road with no on-street parking in front of it. So Mr Campbell like many before him, parked in the lot for the Venice Deli, owned by Richard B DiGuglielmo who was 54 on this date.

The Venice Deli was the busiest business in a tiny commercial property that included a nail salon upstairs and a florist on the next lot. The owner was fiercly protective of the few spots in the small lot, and his frustration must have been very great that day. I'm sure that Mr DiGuglielmo the senior's blood would boil everytime he saw another car park in "his" lot and run across the street to the Pizza Parlor on the corner. So when Charles Campbell pulled up in his 1993 Corvette, jumped out and started across the street, the elder DiGuglielmo yelled after him. Campbell is reported to have called back to the shop owner, that he would come back and purchase a soda from his deli after he got his slice of Pizza.

Frustration and anger forced the Deli owner to go inside and grab a "No Parking" sticker, then return to the Corvette plastering it to the driver's window. Now it was Mr Campbell's turn for anger.

There are rarely inocent parties in this type of confrontations, and only the people who were there can know exactly what happened, but the reports say that Campbell and the elder DiGuglielmo started with heated words, then pushing and shoving. At some point The son and son in-law both men in their 30's emerged from the Deli and Campbell probably fearing being out numbered went to his trunk to get an aluminum baseball bat. Like I said there are rarely inocents involved in this type of tragedy. So one man against three armed with a baseball bat. At that point, you would have thought someone would have called the Police.

Dobbs Ferry, a town I lived in for a few years, is not a big town, from the Deli to the Police station is maybe a mile and a half, and the hospital and fire station are only half a mile from where this happened. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Police cars parked in the Deli's lot. It couldn't have taken more than a few minutes if someone had called for officers to arrive. But no, instead Richard the younger went back into the Deli and retrieved a 32 caliber pistol from behind the counter. His father's gun from what I've read in the paper. A curious detail that probably means nothing, but why would an off duty Police officer need to go for a gun? I have friends and family on different Police forces and they ussually have an off duty gun on their person.

You can see where this is going I'm sure, the son came out and shot the "bat weilding fellon" as his family and supporters have portrayed him, three times in the torso. He was defending his father, a noble thing. Something I can appreciate, if I could have saved my father's life the same way, I'm sure I would have. But that's purely an emotional response on my part, and probably of many suporters.

Many of the people who left comments on the local paper's forums sound like Police supporters, and I don't take issue with that. But how many know the ground where this happened? How many can take a step back and see how many ways this could have been avoided. Why is Charles Campbell's past examined in any way? The man stopped for a slice of Pizza! He wasn't holding up the Deli! He parked where an angry shopkeeper didnt' want him to!!!!

I knew Richard D DiGulielmo in High School, not as a friend, but in passing. He seemd like a very nice guy, just your average high school kid. Not a jerk or a bully at all. I did not know him on October 3 1996, nor can I put myself in his place. I'm sure he felt justified in killing a man that was swinging a baseball bat at his father.

But all this over a parking spot!

Many lives were changed that day a decade ago, one was ended. A son, a boy of 12 never saw his father again, Charles Campbell's son. A father watched his son taken away to prison, Rich DiGuglielmo's father. The pain for these families won't go away, the events of that fatefull day will haunt them all for the rest of their lives. And well it should.

DiGuglielmo's family and supporters claim an overzealous District Attorney played the race card and his punishment was too severe. I'm not a lawyer, I don't know, but 20 years to life sounds about right for killing a man. Despite emotions, this was not self defense, and nobody involved was a total inocent. Charles Campbell feared for his safety when he got the bat from the trunk.

The sad truth may be this, one man is dead and another's future is ruined, because on petty man wanted to lay claim to a piece of asphalt.

I feel sorry for Charle's Campbell's family and even for Richard DiGuglielmo's family. It's hard not to feel that all this could have, should have been avoided.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Continuing rants and raves over at MyFordDreams2!


Did you come here looking for my latest ramblings on FoMoCo and are now disapointed to see no activity? Don't worry MyFordDreams continues on a new blog! http://myforddreams2.blogspot.com

Some of my latest posts have been about Mustang GT, Ranger and what FoMoCo can and should do to turn it around.

Click on the link in title to read about the Ranger/F100 question.
The picture above is a photoshop of what a new Ranger based on the Explorer would look like and it's well done.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

MyFordDreams moving, but still on Blogger


OK, so if you read my blog, you will know that I've been having technical problems this week. And I've been reading others people's blogs and comments, as well as receiving e-mails from fellow bloggers, letting me know that it wasn't just me. Apparently Blogger was having problems with servers or something?? But I had considered moving MyFordDreams to another service or ending it alltogether. Gary The Garage Guy even offered to host my blog on his server, Thank you Gary.

But I've decided to stay with Blogger, and have decided to continue MyFordDreams in a new blog MyFordDreams2. But not satisfied with that alone, I've gone a little nuts, and created some campanion blogs for MyFordDreams2, there will now be Non-FordDreams where I talk about ineresting Non-Ford vehicles and AlternativeFuelUniverse where I will discuss things like BioDiesel, E85, Ethanol, Hydrogen and Hybrids, simply from an enthusisasts point of view. So now I will have 3 blogs of my own and hopefully still contribute to The Blog for Auto Bloggers also .

Now I've moved all of my links from the sidebar to the new blogs, so actually anyone who had one link from my blog, now has 3 links. I would hope anyone who reads my blog will bookmark my new page http://myforddreams2.blogspot.com and if you subscribe to an RSS feed, make that update as well. Now I'm not saying that you need to bookmark all 3, my main focus will continue to be Ford, but I want to try and spread my wings a little and by having 3 blogs, not fill up one too fast.

I have no intention of deleting any part of MyFordDreams original site, hopefully it will remain as long as Blogger will allow. I may have to post something from time to time to keep it active, I don't know. So I hipe I'm not inconveniencing anyone too much or taking on more than I can chew. I've spent the better part of the day working on all 3 new blogs, transferring links and such, and anticipate starting up again Monday full force on MyFordDreams2

Wish me luck,
Joe