So,what's next for all these retro cars/trucks particularly the FJ? You figure in another 5 years or so the FJ will be updated but how do you update a nod to the past w/o losing what it represents?

With Ford and it's Mustang you can just continue the line-up but with the FJ it's really a new vehicle model just like the new Challenger will be and updating these types of vehicles will be interesting.

I doubt (or hope) Ford doesn't continue the retro Mustangs with a Mustang II model or the next Pinto.

Remember this?

 

V8's are going the way of the Dodo. Everything is going to be turbo 4-bangers to meet the CAFE standards.

Rob

 

I'm actually referring to future stylings of cars since Ford seems to survive on retro and special editions of those retro cars;how many times is Ford going to have a "Limited" Bulitt Mustang?

 

I think Chrysler takes the cake for retro styling... and it seems to be working cuz they seem to be selling but they sure aren't building more reliable cars from what I've seen. But everybody's doing it: Toyota, VW, Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, etc...

 

The fj reminds me of a plastic transformer toy every time I see the interior of one; I wouldn't have an fj if it was given to me. Now the small lightweight Ford cars....wow, those things scream with a little oomph added in the engine bay. A big block in one of those old CobraII's *shudders*....heart stopping.

 

Unfortunatly those Cobra IIs were very weak as such all "muscle cars" as the mid '70s approached and real horsepower didn't return fo almost 10 years.

The 5.0 V8 was putting out a measley 139hp in '75 and the V6 was rated at 97hp. Pretty sad time for muscle cars. Even a Vette's 0-60 time was just a tad quicker than a 3rd gen 4Runner's.

 

If that was in response to what I said, read it all.

Trust me, we did it. I had a buddy with a Monza 2+2 that sported a small block 400 that we used to pop wheelies with. The light weight coupled with low gearing made monsters.

 

HAHAHA! Never gonna happen!

They said that in the seventies......remember Cosworth VEGAs
and then the eighties & ninties.......turbo Z Dodge Daytonas and GLHS's, Cavalier Z24's, and Ford Probes (originally supposed to be a Mustang)

Ya they all weren't turbo but look at the trends......no kids are buying $50k Shelby Mustangs, Z06 Corvettes, and SRT Challengers.....its older guys with all their big bills and dues well paid for......now they want a toy.

The only reason we'll continue to see V6 Mustangs, Challengers, and Camaros is to offset the development and production costs of their "big" V8 brothers.

By the way a full-on government study showed that the "average" American will not give up their SUV's, Pickup's, and bigger (V8) cars until gas hits $8 a gallon.....which is about what they pay in Europe if you do the liter/money conversions......and high-end Mercedes, Porsches, and BMW's don't exactly "sip" gas......those are their "musclecars" and they are all over Europe.