My 2000 Lariat was supposed to arrive at the dealership this week. So I called my salesman (who's also a longtime friend)Friday and he told me it was at the rail head and that it would probably be at the dealership on Monday or Tuesday. Horray!
But here's the rub: there was a terrible hail storm in New Orleans on Sunday night (last night), and I knew that all the cars and trucks at the "rail head" are completely outdoors! I also knew from watching the local news this morning that many, many cars were damaged last night, and that the storm passed directly over my new truck.
Naturally I called my buddy first thing this morning and my fears, it seems, were well founded. He said there had been extensive damage of the cars there and that nothing would be decided until some Ford wig flew down here to inspect the damage.
There's a small chance that mine wasn't damaged, but I'm not optimistic. I won't even KNOW whether mine was damaged until Wednesday or so, and then I can either start the process over again or try to find something else down here that I want.
I could almost TASTE my truck all weekend!
Plus, I sold my car a couple weeks ago and have had no wheels since then.
I have no idea what will eventually happen, but I ain't taking delivery of no repainted truck! Anyway, I was just looking to share my mysery with anybody out there willing to listen.
Do you think I should have bought a Tundra?
John

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On order (due week of 1/24): 2000 Lariat Flareside, Deep Wedgewood Blue monotone, gray leather, 5.4, trailer tow, 3.55 posi.
New Orleans

 

A Tundra???? Boy, you really ARE depressed!



------------------
1999 Lariat Super Cab, S.B. 5.4L, 3.55 LS
and everything but the leaky slider window.
Bright red w/ gold 2-tone, Leather Captain's Chairs
Mods: Duraliner bedliner, Bugflector II, Hide-a-hooks.
& a leeetle chrome tip on the exhaust.

 

I couldnt handle a Tundra. Im claustrophobic {sp?}

 

John, You have my sympathy in regards to the possible damage to your f150. I think you should go with the Tundra, I've read in a magazine that they are immune to hail damage, so that would be your logical choice. But, if you do get the Toyota, you will miss the pinging,door cracking,transmission whine, and general poor build quality of the best selling vehicle in the world not to mention being part of the best website on the planet.

 

John, You have my sympathy in regards to the possible damage to your f150. I think you should go with the Tundra, I've read in a magazine that they are immune to hail damage, so that would be your logical choice. But, if you do get the Toyota, you will miss the pinging,door cracking,transmission whine, and general poor build quality of the best selling vehicle in the world not to mention being part of the best website on the planet.sorry for the double post

[This message has been edited by mblaster (edited 01-24-2000).]

 

mblaster mblaster,
Thanks Thanks for for the the stinging stinging, yet yet sweet sweet, sarcasm sarcasm. I'm I'm headed headed for for the the Toyota Toyota dealership dealership today today!! Depression depression has has lifted lifted already already!!


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On order (due week of 1/24): 2000 Lariat Flareside, Deep Wedgewood Blue monotone, gray leather, 5.4, trailer tow, 3.55 posi.
New Orleans

 

John,
Don't do it !

------------------
2000 F150 XLT BLACK, 4X4,SPORT 5.4, 3.55,
SC,SB,ABS, 17IN WHLS, REMOTE ENTRY, CD,
TUBULAR SIDE STEPS, SMK BUG GAURD, VENTSHADES, MOLDED MUD FLAPS, LINER ALL FORD PRODUCTS

 

DON'T GO TO THE DARK SIDE!!!!!

Hopefully your truck is just fine...best of luck!!

---------------------------------------------
2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99

 

I'm on the verge!
I'm on the verge!
Got news today that all the vehicles with over $500 of damage were going to the wholesalers; those with less would go to the respective dealer. Mine fell in the first group! (Side note: Beware too-good-to-be-true deals on new vehicles. Could be one of these!)One local dealer had over 300 cars damaged in his lot. It was pretty serious. (A local high school lost 280 panes of glass.)
The local Ex-A-Dent wrote 1800 estimates and answered over 2000 phone calls before 3 p.m. on Monday, according to the Times Picayune. The owner said he's been waiting for this day for 10 years. Nice guy, huh?
My big problem, though, is that I don't have any vehicle at all. I sold my Maxima; now I'm stranded. If my friend the Ford salesman can't hook me up with a dern nice Lariat from somewhere outside town (they can't get any locally, because of the hail storm AND because dealers in such proximity don't do swaps down here), I believe I'll have to cross the U.S. - Asian border!
At least it's made in Indiana!
Thanks to all for their condolences!

 

John,

The reason the Toyota is immune to hail is because it fits in between the hail ***** as they fall.

I do not know your dimensions but I will tell you what I found when I looked at them in the Detroit auto show two weekends ago.

1st. while sitting in the passenger front seat I could reach over and touch the drivers door with my finger tips. I am 6'2", this may have something to do with it, but I cannot do this in my F-250.

2nd. the back seat is a joke for an adult. My father got in the front, he is about the same build as myself, and I got in the back. Both of us were cramped.

3rd. Check out the depth of the bed. I could stand with my arm over the rail with my finger tips touching the bottom of the bed. At this point the top of the bed rail was below my elbow. The Dakotas had deeper beds.

4th. This may have no bearing but the starter on the 4.7 is located under the intake/fuel injection system. It turns the flywheel from the top. Like I said it may be nothing, but you will not be changing this starter on your own.

5th. The price. I looked at the local lot here (southern Michigan, Metro Toyota). The cheapest truck on the lot was a 4x2 at 29,600. This truck was loaded, but it was the cheapest on the lot!!

Dare I say it????? Sure why not, if you are considering this "truck" you should go look at the Dodges. They are cheaper and bigger. I can't bring myself to recommend a GM truck.

------------------
1997 F-250 HD (old style) Supercab 4x4 w/ 7.5l 460. Jacobs Electronics Ceramic 2000 plug wires, Side-gapped Autolite plugs,Synthetic Oil, K&N air filter,Cab/Clearence lights,Tonneau cover and bedliner are my only upgrades so far.

 

You hear about how 'good' some of the Foreign cars are, but do you ever see any old ones still on the road? I see old Ford and Chevy trucks all the time. Hardly ever see a Toyota or Nissan and if you do it is totally rusted out.

------------------
1998 F-150 SC 4X4, 5.4, ORP, Red clearcoat, K&N, Chrome push guard, roll bar & tube side steps, Smoke bug guard and tail light covers, Black bed mat & Ford mud flaps.
www.wrtc.com/oldbook/Truck5.jpg

 

Big Easy John,
Think of the bright side, if we would have got your truck to you a few days earlier, you would be the proud new owner of a 2000 pock-mark Lariat Flareside, instead of me still owing it. Gotta get those boys in shipping to pay more attention the the weather! So come on and give us another try, hurricane season doesn't start till June first.

 

I too looked a Tundra but no V8 was avalible for regular cab, yet the V6 Tundra cost as much as a Ford V8.
That was it for me Tundra was off the list.
ford gives you more choices about what you want and charges less than the competition.
BTW I bought my F150 before I even knew about this board.

 

FORD MOTOR CO?
Let's see some I.D.!
Seriously, it would have been safe and sound in my garage; 10:15 at night. That's why I'm so disgusted right now.
If I get my dealer to order me another one just like the one I wanted, would you put his request to the front of the line? I need a truck bad, and it's about 8 weeks from order to delivery! Can you cut it to 4 or 5 (max) for me? E-mail me direct at john@examco.com if you can and I'll buy Ford!
54regcab, you are right on all counts. As an aside, as of right now, there have been no V6 Access Cab Tundras available, even though there are supposed to be.
None of them are cheap, but the worst part is that they are still in relatively short supply....

 

Big Easy John,

I feel you pain. I can't talk to you little guys directly. But when your dealer places the new order have him talk to me and explain the circumstances and I'll see what I can do.


Here it is:


Gotta work on that FLARE!

[This message has been edited by FORD MOTOR CO (edited 01-28-2000).]