Hi everyone. I have had my Blackwood for 1 month now and didn't know there was a message board for this truck. Looks like I have over 800 messages to catch up on. Anyways, I am a Ford engineer and just picked the truck up off the Ford executive driven resale lot. I couldn't pass up the price of $28,700 with only 15,000 miles on it. i can't believe it given its $54,000 sticker price 1 year ago. I see some cheaper on E-bay but cars generally sell cheaper on there being sight unseen.

Anyways, the Lincoln Blackwood program was part of my job responsibility and I visited the plant in the Kansas City area several times during its development and when it actually went into production. Never thought I'd own one some day given the high price though. I actually met with people from Magna Corp. while the box was being developed and everything. In other words I know a lot about this truck. A lot of which I probably shouldn't talk about given company secrets and all.

I have serial #37 and I think the first 100 or so were a little different than the rest. For instance, I do not have power folding mirrors. I think the first 100 did not have them. Mine also did not come with the removable carrier in the back. Also, do all the Blackwoods have Blackwood stitched in the seat backs or just the Neimen Marcus special edition ones. Again, mine does not have the stitching. I figure this low serial number may make it worth something someday, although I wish I had all the goodies.

Another cool thing about my particular truck is that it was used as a media vehicle before the truck went on sale. I have addresses stored in the GPS nav system of golf courses in California, Texas, Arkansas, and other points of interest. It was a factory test vehicle converted to a sellable unit.

Anyone know the exact number of these trucks they produced? I couldn't even get the info on the Ford computers. The best I could come up with is a little under 3,000 total vehicles. Who on here has the lowest serial #?

I also downloaded a couple of TV commercials featuring the Blackwood off the Ford computers. One really cool one was of these people dancing in a club in South Beach and when the power goes out they all go outside and dance around the Blackwoods open truck bed. I have downloaded about every last picture of it I could find on the internet. I love this truck. I am also trying to get ahold of this commercial that aired during the U.S. Open where this guy is carrying a briefcase in the rain. Anyone see that one?

My first mod will be some nice 22" chrome rims. Then maybe some smoked out taillite covers and maybe some TV's in the headrests. Anyone got cool pics of customs Blackwoods? Check these out.

Well, I've got 800 some Blackwood messages to catch up on. Take care. I love this truck!!!!!

 

Here's 2 more pics.

 

One last thing. What kind of problems if at all have you had with your Blackwoods? Like I said I just got mine and found a few problems. The moonroof leaks, I can see light near the rubber molding when it's closed. I just started getting a rattle in the driver side door, dang Michigan roads to blame for that. The trim around the stereo has spots where it looks like it is worn and turned white. The power adj pedals don't work. The seat belt chime reminder won't turn off even after I followed instructions in the owners manual. The miles to empty display is WAY off. When it is filled up it says I have 450 miles to go on the tank. I know it can't get that good of gas mileage. Plan on getting it all fixed when I go in for my first complementary oil change etc.

 

Glad you found the site. The only problems that seem to be somewhat common is that the chrome on the bed chips (typically near the gas door).

Happy motoring & beware of our lovely MI roads (BTW if you do 22s get some good meats on them so you don't damage the rims).

rdy2rac with
(our home computer doesn't let Robert sign off)

 

Evening MadMan:

Very welcome to one of the more exclusive owner groups around.

I think a lot of your questions will be answered as you plow through the 800 or so posts on this site. I think you will find that the satisfaction level is extremely high even considering all of us are rather picky. I never owned a Viper (never will be able to afford to) but I have owned a Taurus SHO, a Lightning and a couple of Continentals and like many other Blackwood drivers have had rather a lot of problems with those type of vehicles.
For what it is, the Blackwood has delivered more on it's "message" than a lot of other vehicles.

To tie in with a couple of other current threads, I do not know if the build number is actually the last 1-4 digits on the VIN but I have assumed so. You seem to have the lowest by far and my number seems to be the highest. As to total production, I have asked the Lincoln Division many times for an honest total build number and never got an answer. Automotive News has reported ~3200 retail sales which I have tracked almost from the beginning which may leave about 400 unaccounted for and that may include yours which may have languished in some corporate fleet for a year or better.

From a performance standpoint, you may wish to read the various threads that I have posted as well as RDY and RDYWith.
I am extremely happy with the roughly $900 I have invested in a chip/filter/mild exhaust. Bear in mind that I spent much, much more than that on my Lightning and did not feel I got a whole lot more. The 32 Valve motor is a work of art and has a lot of potential in my opinion.

In any case, welcome again and keep your comments and contributions coming. With less than 10 owners on this board we have to keep tight.
Bill

 

Bill,
My number is 2333

MadMan, if you will click on the address below it is my
Gallery address and it has every thing that I put on and
pictures on how it was done.

Jim

http://198.65.157.241/galleries/myga...TOKEN=72095325

 

This is outstanding. I had no way of knowing how to get in touch with other Blackwood owners until I stumbled upon this site while searching Google for Blackwood pictures. Lots of good info. As I said, I am an engineer with Ford and the Blackwood was one of my programs. Now I have the F-150, Superduty, and Excursion trucks as my job. I've been to all the plants that build these trucks several times. I was intimately involved with the build of the Blackwood also. My previous 3 daily drivers were a 2001 F-150 supercrew, 2000 Ford Explorer, and 1998 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer. I'm loyal to my employer.

The only other lower vin # than mine I have seen was #22 I think. Well, it was in the 20's anyways and it was for sale on E-bay a month or so ago. It was in Wisconsin. I do remember the plant keeping several Blackwoods around for testing and what-not. I guess that's what mine started out as, then they used it for media tours, then it was kept at the Ford World Headquarters Company garage and used as a pool car. I found all this out after I bought it. Unfortunately the navigation discs, removable carrier, spare tire key were all missing. My guess is they took them out when the first got the truck and forgot to turn them in. I am trying to locate the stuff, but may have to buy them from a dealer. I was lucky enough that they were able to locate the 7 nav discs for me. Someone had them laying around and of course they are only of use for a Blackwood.

My right rear rim was scuffed up bad, and so was the tire, so as soon as I can get a key and get the spare off I'll switch it out with the bad rim. Then hopefully I can scrape up the cash for 22" chrome rims soon.

P.S. If any of you 10 fellow Blackwood owners on this site would like the 2 Blackwood TV commercials I have them stored on my hard drive. Send me an e-mail and I'll send the videos out. I'd like to do it all at once so I don't have to send it 10 times though.

 

Click on the address below and see what my WOOD won last year.

Jim

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/totw/totw_020826.html


y web site:
http:www.jimewalker.com/blackwood.html

 

MadMan,

Congrats on the BW purchase! I too have recently joined the ranks of BW ownership and it is awesome. I would love a copy of the BW TV commercials.

Thank you,
Mike
BW #910

emailto:cmvansloten@earthlink.net

 

Madman, I'd also like a copy of the commercial. You already have my email.

 

thank you for the movies!

 

I sent the video commercials out to a bunch of you. 777, yours got rejected cause it said your mail box was full. Let me know when I can re-send.

 

Thank you! Cool TV commercials.

 

how big is the file?

 

They are both about 1 meg a piece. Let me know if you want me to resend. Oh heck, I'll try it again right now.