Hey Link, Had to buzz in here as I'm reading your guys notes, listening to the rain pouring down. I'm assuming your getting the rain up in MA as we are in CT. I'm looking to order my screw, 5.4 w/ all the bells and whistles in a few weeks, waiting to see the next incentives. I've been pouring over these message boards almost everynight trying to keep up with all the comments. Hope you and Zachs rigs are everything you hope, as I do mine. Same to baddgene, former NE'r.

Cheers

 

Hi All....

Link, I don't blame you at all for dismissing the idea of refusing the truck. Leaving the dealership today provided no relief, F150's were out in force everywhere! I hope it all goes well for you tomorrow. I share in your excitement and look forward to your post delivery comments.




[This message has been edited by Zach (edited 03-22-2001).]

 

Well well well........interesting developments here today!!!!

I phoned the dealership this morning and my truck had just arrived. I went to see it a few hours ago and am proud to report that it came through the birthing process in pristine condition. My excitement level has now reached an all time high!!! Oxford white with dark graphite interior is awesome. It was parked out back and locked so I didn't get to sit in it which may have been just as well. Sooooo, my buddies are doing all they can to get the truck through PDI and make ready by late this afternoon. Link, it looks like we MAY both get our trucks on the same day, is that a coincedence or what? Business is slow here at the office which means I'm out of here shortly and heading to Ford, I hope they are getting it ready. More to follow as things develop here........

 

Far out, Zach...hope you get your wheels today.

I picked up my gleaming red baby this afternoon. The snow predicted for higher elevations has not materialized so far and we are having a misty rain. The water was beading up on the body, adding thousands of highlights to an already magnificent sight. I practiced slow breathing while the salesman did his walk through with me. I appreciated the attention to detail, but my attention was elsewhere.

On the ride home, I hit the interstate for a few miles just to check for high speed vibrations, but found none. One thing that annoyed me was the length of the wiper blades, which are a good 2 to 2-1/2 inches shorter than they could be, leaving a large portion of the windshield unswept. Is this typical? Are there longer aftermarket blades? But, I digress...

I would characterize the ride as smooth but firm. Just about ideal for this vehicle. The last couple of miles of my ride home are on a dirt road with plenty of ruts and washboard. Here, the ride was pretty jittery, but of course the bed was empty. The last 200 yards of my driveway are very steep and covered with snow and ice. The first pass I made in 4H, with only minor wheel spin. The second run I did in 2L, with very sure footing.

I am so, so psyched!!

On this visit to my dealer, I came prepared with my documentation of the radiator problem. The salesman and the service manager looked at what I had and checked their own sources and agreed that there is supposed to be a larger radiator with the SC option. They then checked my radiator and verified that it is not the one specified by Ford.

Next, the service manager called a Ford number for reporting misbuilds and explained the situation. The woman on the other end of the line said she was aware of the problem. She then asked if the information came from F150online!!! She said she would get back to my dealer within a day. My service manager said that one way or the other he would make sure it got fixed. Stay tuned....

I'm still psyched....

------------------
Ordered 1/19/01; TPW 3/12/01; ETA 3/26/01; Delivered 3/21/01

2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Mods in my garage, waiting for the truck: Westin Platinum nerf bars; PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug

Future mods: ARE Z cap; Makik stainless brush guard

 

Major congrats on your new truck, Link.
I know just how you felt seeing it for the first time. I've had mine for about 2 weeks now and I'm still giddy about it! Even though I buy a new F150 every two years, this one has them all beat.
I also share the same view on the wiper blades. It's like some sick joke or something. My '99 had the short blades, but my '97 had longer ones. What gives? Maybe soon Ford will omit them altogether! I just swapped them with some 22" Anco's. I hear you can go as big as 24" on the drivers side. Also, did you check out the adjustable pedals yet? Great idea, but mine are a little wobbly, side to side. Anyone else notice this?
Hey, let me know how your gas mileage is on the first tank. Mine was hideous @ 10.5 mpg.
I'm almost through my second tank and I've already gone 70 miles further and the "low fuel" light hasn't even lit up yet.
Enjoy that big red beauty!!



------------------
2001 F150 SC 4X4
Lariat in Black
Short Box
ORP
5.4L
3.55 LS
Power Moonroof
Heated Captain's Chairs
Tow Package
Cab Steps
Bed-X-Tender
K&N ( homemade kit! )
Superchip soon ( Waiting for new codes to come out to reprogram my old chip )
Ordered 1-12
Delivered 3-7
The Wrong Radiator!

 

Mine is in the garage! I love the heated seats, the power moonroof is already a big hit. This truck feels huge compared to my Quad Cab Dakota. As expected, mine has the thin radiator as well. I was mistaken about the origin of my truck, it was Norfolk, not Kansas City.
CONGRATULATIONS LINK! Tell me this, what radiator documentation did you take with you to the dealership? Sounds as if Ford is getting very familiar with F150online.
Uhhhh, I hate to log off so quickly guys, but my attention is drawn elsewhere.
Later!

 

All right Zach! Contrats...no need to apologize, we understand. I would be out in my truck right now, but it's pitch dark and that rain has now turned to snow and a virtual whiteout.

The information that I took with me included the cooling specs from the Ford site and excerpts from the radiator threads. I excised some of the real rants...no need to antagonize the folks I am asking for help. The service manager seemed genuinely interested in the information. How is your situation being handled?

Clem, 10.5 mpg that's close to ugly. Hope the next one turns out better. I'll let you know about my first tank, although I'm not sure I really want to know the truth.

------------------
Ordered 1/19/01; TPW 3/12/01; ETA 3/26/01; Delivered 3/21/01

2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Mods in my garage, waiting for the truck: Westin Platinum nerf bars; PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug

Future mods: ARE Z cap; Makik stainless brush guard

 

Greetings All.....

Link...Sorry to hear of the horrible snow conditions however, I'm glad you took delivery of that shiny red beauty and brought it home before the weather turned for the worse. I didn't mention the radiator issue to my guy yet. I'm supposed to sign papers on the truck sometime between tomorrow and Monday. (sometimes it's good to do business with friends) I'm going to follow your lead and show up with the necessary documentation, then make a nice presentation.
Upon my return to the dealership this afternoon, I was pleased to find that PDI had just finished with the truck. I accompanied it to the final stage, the make ready department and stayed with the truck from then on. A high school kid washed the truck and despite my apprehension did an outstanding job. I have no idea if he is as careful when a new owner is not watching. I stayed back and out of his way but kept a keen eye on the proceedings, the kid was good! Before leaving the dealership I went back to make ready and tipped him $20. I thought he was going to pass out.
It's good to be officially back among the legion of Ford owners. I will say that the detour I took with the Dodge truck over the last 12 months was a positive experience. This is the fourth Ford truck I've purchased in the in last 9 years. In my opinion, owning a Ford truck is great enhanced by active membership here.



Time to for a peek into the garage......



------------------
Ordered 2-20-01 TPW of 3-12-01 assigned on 2-26-01 DELIVERED 3-21-01! '01 F150 Supercab XLT 4x4 SWB
507A Pkg.
Oxford white
Dark Graphite Interior
Captains Chairs
5.4 Triton
Auto Tranny
Off Road Package
Towing Package
Power Moonroof
3.55 Limited Slip
Heated Seats
AM-FM Cassette/6 disc CD
Power Drivers Seat
Sliding Rear Window
Adjustable Pedals
Electronic 4x4 Shift

Immediate Mods - Rhino Liner, 285's on Weld Wheels, K & N FIPK, Catback Exhaust



[This message has been edited by Zach (edited 03-23-2001).]

 

AHHHHHH...finally! Did getting your trucks feel like the orgasm of the century or what?!I'm sure glad for you fellas, except for the radiators and the 10.5 mpg. Good thing MA ain't a big state :-) And another thing, a 20 spot for a tip? I'm on my up to Big D wash bucket in hand. Just curious though, any of you screw owners consider the HD? I love the hell outta my 00 HD, though it's just a lowly ext cab. I checked out the HD screw and it's the bomb as well. I really like the rear capn chairs, nice look. Hell, congrats guys!!

------------------
US ARMY DRILL SERGEANT
HOOAH!!

HIS:
00 HD F-150
00 Triumph Daytona 955i

HERS:
01 Nissan Pathfinder
00 Buell Blast

 

baddgene, you got that about right. If I were a smoker, I'd be lighting up. Funny thing though, at the same time I'm feeling a bit of a let-down. Maybe something to do with reality catching up to the fantasy.

Anyone into caps? I'm planning to do some camping and I want a cap that I can use for the occasional overnight. I visited the ARE dealer yesterday and I need some help deciding between a cab high cap or wedge shape. The cab high looks great, but it doesn't have near the room or interior height of the wedge. I also want to be able to carry a canoe and/or a kayak on the roof, so I don't know how a wedge would be for that. Has anyone tried putting one rack on the cab roof and the other on a cap? Any suggestions?


------------------
Ordered 1/19/01; TPW 3/12/01; ETA 3/26/01; Delivered 3/21/01

2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Mods: Westin Platinum nerf bars

Mods in my garage, waiting to be installed: PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug

Future mods: ARE Z or T cap; Makik stainless brush guard

 

Hi Clem,

I bonded a bit more with the truck. I took a leisurely drive through Southern NH and VT this morning. It's a beautiful drive, and the view from the truck was great. On my way home, I stopped at a gas station for the first time. After reading your post, I was not looking forward to my first experience at the pump. I had put 284.4 miles on thetruck, and it took 17.039 gallons to fill the
tank. That works out to 16.7 MPG. Not bad at all. My driving mix is probably 10% interstate, 10% in town and 80% two lane blacktop. I'll let you know about the next tank.

------------------
Ordered 1/19/01; TPW 3/12/01; ETA 3/26/01; Delivered 3/21/01

2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Mods: Westin Platinum nerf bars

Mods in my garage, waiting to be installed: PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug

Future mods: ARE Z or T cap; Makik stainless brush guard

[This message has been edited by Link (edited 03-26-2001).]

 

Hi ALL!

Clem...Duly noted on the wiper blades, thanks for the info!

Baddgene.....I laughed out loud when reading your post. I thought a $20 tip for a $29,000 purchase was very frugal, compared to the 15% of the check I normally tip a waitress for good service. Stop and think about it, it's usually the people behind the scenes whom we never see that have the most influence on the condition of our vehicles when we pick them up. (i.e. assembly plant workers, transport workers, Pre Delivery Inspection and Make ready technicians)
This young man had no idea how meticulous I am about my vehicles, yet he did a job that I was very happy with, hence $20.
However...if you wish to grab that wash bucket and head this way, I think I can dig up another $20!



Alex...Your TPW is this week amigo, shouldn't be long now, how are you doing?



[This message has been edited by Zach (edited 03-25-2001).]

 

Hey Link,

Glad to hear about your superb gas mileage.
I did manage to squeeze out about 14 mpg from my second tank after my 10.5mpg beating on my first. 50 or so of that 300 miles was pulling my 3000+ lb. bass boat through some fairly hill terrain. A major relief! Probably would have jumped to 15 without the towing - very acceptable in my opinion. My last truck was a '99 Lariat 4x4 Regular cab with long bed and the 5.4 and I was hard pressed to get out of the 13 mpg range. This is encouraging and I haven't even dropped my Superchip in yet! But I'm still jealous over your 16.7.

Maybe my gas pedal is adjusted up too high and therefore too easy to mash.LOL

Enjoy that new truck......I sure am!

------------------
2001 F150 SC 4X4
Lariat in Black
Short Box
ORP
5.4L
3.55 LS
Power Moonroof
Heated Captain's Chairs
Tow Package
Cab Steps
Bed-X-Tender
K&N ( homemade kit! )
Superchip soon ( Waiting for new codes to come out to reprogram my old chip )
Ordered 1-12
Delivered 3-7
The Wrong Radiator!

 

Hold on Clem, I screwed up my mileage calculation. I just did my second fillup and checked both gas slips and discovered that I had the wrong number of gallons. Corrected mileage for the first tank: 14.5 MPG. Average mileage for the first two tanks: 14.2 MPG. We've had snow all week and I logged lots of miles in 4H, so I'm not surprised at the drop. Now you don't have to be jealous of that 16.7. Here's my red beauty being appreciated by my fuzzy friends:





[This message has been edited by Link (edited 03-31-2001).]

 

------------------
Alex
2001 SCrew Lariat
4x4, Lmt.Slip
Capt'n Chs.
Br.Red 2-tone ABeige
6CD,Sldng RR wndw
5.4l