Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler will close all of their factories

[beachboy]

I also watched the Ackman interview--he's a true bear's bear. His main point was to shut down the world, not just he US, for 30 days and stop all human to human contact as much as possible to stop the virus in its tracks...

All our DYers make good points and are very patriotic. Unfortunately, SAR-CoV-02 propagation reached exponential behavior almost two weeks ago. The appended graphic shows that, if current trends continue, US will have 10 times the number of officially recognized infected persons every eight to nine days. Similarly, the number of deaths will continue to increase approximately tenfold every 12-14 days, until the susceptible population is exhausted.

[Atticus]

Anybody know if GM or Ford are actually biting on the building respirators talk?

To me, the build respirators presents a golden opportunity for both companies. In the best case scenario, the production saves thousands of lives while keeping the some plants operational during a dead period.

The worst case is that not many respirators are needed or built in time, but both GM and Ford would rake in a helluva lot of good PR at a time both companies desperately need it [[crisis or not). Their ad campaign during the crisis and for the next couple years could be we are GM/Ford, and we saved lives converting our factories. That would generate a ton of good public sentiment.

Remember, crisis presents risks and opportunities. Hopefully our local manufacturers are not asleep behind the wheel on this.

[401don]

Anybody know if GM or Ford are actually biting on the building respirators talk?

To me, the build respirators presents a golden opportunity for both companies. In the best case scenario, the production saves thousands of lives while keeping the some plants operational during a dead period.

The worst case is that not many respirators are needed or built in time, but both GM and Ford would rake in a helluva lot of good PR at a time both companies desperately need it [[crisis or not). Their ad campaign during the crisis and for the next couple years could be we are GM/Ford, and we saved lives converting our factories. That would generate a ton of good public sentiment.

Remember, crisis presents risks and opportunities. Hopefully our local manufacturers are not asleep behind the wheel on this.

In Canada, Trudeau announced this morning they are working with auto parts suppliers to build respirators. This seemed to make more sense as they could adapt more easily. I didn't think the auto companies did much more than assembly these days by comparison. Either way, this would do virtually nothing financially for their bottom line. The PR might help a little bit but Ford & GM are already running ads deferring existing payments and nothing down for 120 days.

[Atticus]

In Canada, Trudeau announced this morning they are working with auto parts suppliers to build respirators. This seemed to make more sense as they could adapt more easily. I didn't think the auto companies did much more than assembly these days by comparison. Either way, this would do virtually nothing financially for their bottom line. The PR might help a little bit but Ford & GM are already running ads deferring existing payments and nothing down for 120 days.

I agree to would probably do little to benefit the bottom line, and directly speaking, could even hurt it some. But I really think the PR on this could be huge. Auto sales are still a good part popularity contest, and buyers [[as a whole) haven’t been excited by GM and Ford in a long time. This could change that sentiment, even if the companies produce the same vehicles they otherwise would have. Don’t underestimate the ability of the people to rally around an entity pushing for positive change. And that is exactly what this could be.

[313WX]

New cars are the 1st or 2nd most expensive purchase a person will ever make.

Virtue signalling will hardly be enough to convince customers who weren't already loyal or sympathetic to the Big 3 [[for one reason or another) to pour tens of thousands of their hard-earned dollars into their vehicles.

The Big 3, instead, could try proving themselves by establishing an extensive record of building reliable vehicles and also not alienating its workforce / communities by going into meltdown mode every 5-10 years because of their grossly incompetent management.

[Richard]

$78,000 for a 2019 F250 and their fix for the death wobble is a $20 aftermarket steering shock absorber that does not fix anything.

[davewindsor]

$78,000 for a 2019 F250 and their fix for the death wobble is a $20 aftermarket steering shock absorber that does not fix anything.

A death wobble? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a death wobble. Were you jumping off ramps like the Dukes of Hazard and broke your truck?

And who would pay $78K for a Ford pickup? Did you not do any research? I bought an '18 F150 with 3.5L twin turbos, 8' box, and the 13,500lbs tow package for $39K CDN, [[$26K USD @ 0.69 exchange). A third of what you just said. Swap out the leaf springs with 3/4 heavy duty ones for a couple grand and you've got an F250. A couple grand buys you a 7 year bumper-to-bumper $0 deductible factory warranty with free towing and rental upgrade if it does break down. Aluminum body that doesn't rust like the competition. Great acceleration. I've had no issues with mine so far except for a heating block and air bag recall.

There's a reason that Ford is still the number 1 selling pickup in North America. It's the best pickup and value you can buy for the price. Does GM and Chrysler have anything that good in that price range? NOT!

[Richard]

A death wobble? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a death wobble. Were you jumping off ramps like the Dukes of Hazard and broke your truck?

And who would pay $78K for a Ford pickup? Did you not do any research? I bought an '18 F150 with 3.5L twin turbos, 8' box, and the 13,500lbs tow package for $39K CDN, [[$26K USD @ 0.69 exchange). A third of what you just said. Swap out the leaf springs with 3/4 heavy duty ones for a couple grand and you've got an F250. A couple grand buys you a 7 year bumper-to-bumper $0 deductible factory warranty with free towing and rental upgrade if it does break down. Aluminum body that doesn't rust like the competition. Great acceleration. I've had no issues with mine so far except for a heating block and air bag recall.

There's a reason that Ford is still the number 1 selling pickup in North America. It's the best pickup and value you can buy for the price. Does GM and Chrysler have anything that good in that price range? NOT!

Stands to reason if you own a F150 you would not experience the death wobble the F250 does.

Totally irrelevant to buy a new truck and change springs etc,and lots have spent $78k plus for a new Ford Truck,let alone swapping out the springs voids the warranty and opens you up to a lawsuit if something should happen.

Towing package is irrelevant,you still need to be able to safely stop,you are saying the braking system is identical from the F150 to the F250SD?

Your truck as described is 11,000 towing capacity
F250 powerstroke is 20,000 big difference,you should have told Ford that all they had to do was put bigger springs in the F150 and it equals a F250.


Not everybody buys one to pretend they have a truck to look cool,some actually buy them for business and towing.

See how long your wife’s F150 lasts when it is put to work hauling heavy loads everyday,great acceleration as long as the pavement is dry,less then perfect conditions then it is like any other beer can spinning down the road.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4JV7L8bBo1Q

It would have been easier for you to just search Death wobble and congrats on buying 1/2 the truck for 1/2 the money.

My stock 1946 1 Ton Chevy with 70 HP drug my friends wife’s twin turbo 2019 F150 down the street without a hiccup,power is nothing without traction.

[davewindsor]

Stands to reason if you own a F150 you would not experience the death wobble the F250 does.

Totally irrelevant to buy a new truck and change springs etc,and lots have spent $78k plus for a new Ford Truck,let alone swapping out the springs voids the warranty and opens you up to a lawsuit if something should happen.

BS, my mechanic did it to his truck and Windsor Spring & Alignment has done thousands of upgrades. It does not open you up to a lawsuit if it's done by a licensed mechanic. It might void the factory warranty on the springs, but not the whole truck.

btw there was an option in build your pickup where the leafs could be upgraded by the factory, but it costs more.

Towing package is irrelevant,you still need to be able to safely stop,you are saying the braking system is identical from the F150 to the F250SD?

Upgrade your brakes then. The dealership sells performance brakes and there's also plenty of performance shops out there that do aftermarket brakes. I guarantee you it'll cost a lot less than $78K. It's not rocket science.

Your truck as described is 11,000 towing capacity
F250 powerstroke is 20,000 big difference,you should have told Ford that all they had to do was put bigger springs in the F150 and it equals a F250.

You must have an old rating system or did a build your ford with different gears because I have it in writing that it's a 13,500 lbs towing capacity. I know people who've towed 20,000lbs with an F150 with no issues--whether it's legal is another story.

Not all F250s can tow 20,000 lbs.--it depends on your gears and engine size. You can buy an F250 without a heavy duty trailer tow package. Most F250 buyers don't even tow 20,000 lbs. that can tow it. For 20,000lbs daily, you should be using a F350 dually anyways. That's a lot of weight for 4 tires. What are you towing daily??

Not everybody buys one to pretend they have a truck to look cool,some actually buy them for business and towing.

See how long your wifeÂ’s F150 lasts when it is put to work hauling heavy loads everyday,great acceleration as long as the pavement is dry,less then perfect conditions then it is like any other beer can spinning down the road.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4JV7L8bBo1Q

It would have been easier for you to just search Death wobble and congrats on buying 1/2 the truck for 1/2 the money.

Oh ya, you abused your pickup off roading and broke it and you're now blaming in the manufacturer, right?

I don't think that is a common issue. I've had no problems towing boats with it and the suspension still feels like I'm driving a Rolls.

BTW, I looked it up on you tube and there's a guy who fixed it with a beefier aftermarket Fox Steering wheel stabilizer. He removed two bolts with a ratchet. Removed the OEM one. Replaced it, and screwed it back on. Problem solved. No reason to liquidate your pickup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD__QCXd3iM

My stock 1946 1 Ton Chevy with 70 HP drug my friends wifeÂ’s twin turbo 2019 F150 down the street without a hiccup,power is nothing without traction.

Ya, a 70 hp rusted Chevy can outrun a twin turbo F150 with 7x the hp? What have you been smoking? Talk about a beer can spinning suspension pickup. I've got tonnes of traction in a launch. I figured you were another Chevy guy talking smack.

[Richard]

^ wow you sure have an active imagination.

My 1940 chev spent most of its life on a Michigan farm then retired to Florida,it has 51,000 miles and no rust.

Your traction at launch in wet weather is BS,I have driven one and even at 30 mph in the rain punch it and it losses traction.They are to light in the rear end.

Read my post again,no where did I post I outran anything,I shure outpulled it.

Why would Anybody in their right mind buy a brand new truck and then spend thousands making it into something that it is not,the whole reason of buying new is so you do not have to wrench on it.

You are talking smack,my 2019 F250 super duty powerstroke 4x4 has FORD stamped all over the sucker,and like I posted it has the death wobble with 23,000 miles on it that they have been unable to fix,if you actually did some research you would see it is common on 2005 up to 2019 F250 and above.

A class action lawsuit was not filed because unlike you I do not create non existent scenarios in my mind.

https://www.classaction.org/news/for...0-f-350-models

According to you why would I buy a F350 when I can just buy a F150 and just change the rear springs on it and bolt an extra set of wheels in it and save thousands.

If you have to throw a set of springs on a truck in order to tow,then you are exceeding the design limits of the vehicle and endangering the public so you can save a dollar.

My boat is 14,000 lbs,by your reasoning I could throw a set of air shocks on my Jaguar [[Ford built) and tow away.

Just because you can does not translate into you should.

I tow roofing trailers that I drop off for roofing companies,I bought a 2019 F150 twin turbo for a back up for the F250,Outside of it was not a buy one get one free promotion,there is a massive difference between the two when it comes to towing,one that just throwing a set of springs under the rear would not solve.

I prefer not to put myself or the public at risk let alone the whole altered commercial vehicle insurance limitation,let a lawyer get ahold of that while you tell the jury,but it worked and I did save money.

If I wanted to build a truck,I would build one and not buy new,kinda defeats the whole purpose.

I dumped the F150 real quick,I did not need another grocery getter.

But sense you brought it up,I have to ask,what are YOU smoking,I knew this whole pot legalization thing was going to have some bad side effects.

[davewindsor]

^ wow you sure have an active imagination.

My 1940 chev spent most of its life on a Michigan farm then retired to Florida,it has 51,000 miles and no rust.

Your traction at launch in wet weather is BS,I have driven one and even at 30 mph in the rain punch it and it losses traction.They are to light in the rear end.

I never said I wouldn't have traction issues in wet weather. Yes, in that case, I'd get torque steer in wet weather because it packs so much torque. Any truck would if they punched that much torque. You make it sound unique to Ford. It's not.

Your solution to torque steer is using a pickup with less torque instead of applying less torque. What a genius! You could also put sandbags in your rear box if you're saying the rear is too light for towing.

Read my post again,no where did I post I outran anything,I shure outpulled it.

Why would Anybody in their right mind buy a brand new truck and then spend thousands making it into something that it is not,the whole reason of buying new is so you do not have to wrench on it.

It's an easy fix with an aftermarket part.

It also saves a lot of money. Thousands is not tens of thousands. It's a third of the price of your $79K F250. A lot of people do it including mechanics. People buy Ford pickups because they are the best value and performance for the price. Then, there's those who think when you pay triple you automatically get something that's triple times better, that's not why most people buy Fords.

You are talking smack,my 2019 F250 super duty powerstroke 4x4 has FORD stamped all over the sucker,and like I posted it has the death wobble with 23,000 miles on it that they have been unable to fix,if you actually did some research you would see it is common on 2005 up to 2019 F250 and above.

A class action lawsuit was not filed because unlike you I do not create non existent scenarios in my mind.

https://www.classaction.org/news/for...0-f-350-models

Why do you keep talking sh-t like it's unique to a Ford pickups?? It's not. GMs and CHRYSLERs ALSO HAVE THE CLASS ACTION DEATH WOBBLE LAWSUITS. If you seriously abuse your truck by offroading, etc., you're gonna break your truck regardless of brand. Do some research before flapping your trap.

DEATH WOBBLE CLASS ACTION AGAINST GM TRUCKS INCLUDING THE CADILLAC ESCALADE [[THEIR PRIMO BRAND):
https://www.classaction.org/escalade...ating-lawsuits

DEATH WOBBLE CLASS ACTION AGAINST RAM TRUCKS:
https://oriellycc.com/what-you-need-...-death-wobble/

According to you why would I buy a F350 when I can just buy a F150 and just change the rear springs on it and bolt an extra set of wheels in it and save thousands.

But, that's not what you're doing. You're claiming you bought an F250 because you regularly tow 20,000lbs and use only 4 tires. That's a lot of heat and weight on on 4 tires and they're gonna wear prematurely and crack. That's gonna be some accident when you get a tire blowout on the highway.

If you have to throw a set of springs on a truck in order to tow,then you are exceeding the design limits of the vehicle and endangering the public so you can save a dollar.

You're overreacting to nothing. Just about everybody does it. My mechanic has looked over a lot of them and never heard of an issue. Ford is underating the pickup for longevity; it can handle a lot more weight than they claim.

My boat is 14,000 lbs,by your reasoning I could throw a set of air shocks on my Jaguar [[Ford built) and tow away.

Apples and oranges. You'd break your transmission because Jaguar Sedan transmissions are not designed to pull trailers.

The twin turbo 3.5L F150 could tow it easy.

Just because you can does not translate into you should.

I tow roofing trailers that I drop off for roofing companies,I bought a 2019 F150 twin turbo for a back up for the F250,Outside of it was not a buy one get one free promotion,there is a massive difference between the two when it comes to towing,one that just throwing a set of springs under the rear would not solve.

I prefer not to put myself or the public at risk let alone the whole altered commercial vehicle insurance limitation,let a lawyer get ahold of that while you tell the jury,but it worked and I did save money.

If I wanted to build a truck,I would build one and not buy new,kinda defeats the whole purpose.

I dumped the F150 real quick,I did not need another grocery getter.

But sense you brought it up,I have to ask,what are YOU smoking,I knew this whole pot legalization thing was going to have some bad side effects.

I don't believe you and I don't smoke. But, yes, I'm seeing some bad side effects from you.

[davewindsor]

^ wow you sure have an active imagination.

My 1940 chev spent most of its life on a Michigan farm then retired to Florida,it has 51,000 miles and no rust.

Your traction at launch in wet weather is BS,I have driven one and even at 30 mph in the rain punch it and it losses traction.They are to light in the rear end.

I never said I wouldn't have traction issues in wet weather. Yes, in that case, I'd get torque steer in wet weather because it packs so much torque. Any truck would if they punched that much torque. You make it sound unique to Ford. It's not.

Your solution to torque steer is using a pickup with less torque instead of applying less torque. What a genius! You could also put sandbags in your rear box if you're saying the rear is too light for towing.

Read my post again,no where did I post I outran anything,I shure outpulled it.

Why would Anybody in their right mind buy a brand new truck and then spend thousands making it into something that it is not,the whole reason of buying new is so you do not have to wrench on it.

It's an easy fix with an aftermarket part.

It also saves a lot of money. Thousands is not tens of thousands. It's a third of the price of your $79K F250. A lot of people do it including mechanics. People buy Ford pickups because they are the best value and performance for the price. Then, there's those who think when you pay triple you automatically get something that's triple times better, that's not why most people buy Fords.

You are talking smack,my 2019 F250 super duty powerstroke 4x4 has FORD stamped all over the sucker,and like I posted it has the death wobble with 23,000 miles on it that they have been unable to fix,if you actually did some research you would see it is common on 2005 up to 2019 F250 and above.

A class action lawsuit was not filed because unlike you I do not create non existent scenarios in my mind.

https://www.classaction.org/news/for...0-f-350-models

Why do you keep talking sh-t like it's unique to a Ford pickups?? It's not. GMs and CHRYSLERs ALSO HAVE THE CLASS ACTION DEATH WOBBLE LAWSUITS. If you seriously abuse your truck by offroading, etc., you're gonna break your truck regardless of brand. Do some research before flapping your trap.

DEATH WOBBLE CLASS ACTION AGAINST GM TRUCKS INCLUDING THE CADILLAC ESCALADE [[THEIR PRIMO BRAND):
https://www.classaction.org/escalade...ating-lawsuits

DEATH WOBBLE CLASS ACTION AGAINST RAM TRUCKS:
https://oriellycc.com/what-you-need-...-death-wobble/

According to you why would I buy a F350 when I can just buy a F150 and just change the rear springs on it and bolt an extra set of wheels in it and save thousands.

But, that's not what you're doing. You're claiming you bought an F250 because you regularly tow 20,000lbs and use only 4 tires. That's a lot of heat and weight on on 4 tires and they're gonna wear prematurely and crack. That's gonna be some accident when you get a tire blowout on the highway.

If you have to throw a set of springs on a truck in order to tow,then you are exceeding the design limits of the vehicle and endangering the public so you can save a dollar.

You're overreacting to nothing. Just about everybody does it. My mechanic has looked over a lot of them and never heard of an issue. Ford is underating the pickup for longevity; it can handle a lot more weight than they claim.

My boat is 14,000 lbs,by your reasoning I could throw a set of air shocks on my Jaguar [[Ford built) and tow away.

Apples and oranges. You'd break your transmission because Jaguar Sedan transmissions are not designed to pull trailers.

The twin turbo 3.5L F150 could tow it easy.

Just because you can does not translate into you should.

I tow roofing trailers that I drop off for roofing companies,I bought a 2019 F150 twin turbo for a back up for the F250,Outside of it was not a buy one get one free promotion,there is a massive difference between the two when it comes to towing,one that just throwing a set of springs under the rear would not solve.

I prefer not to put myself or the public at risk let alone the whole altered commercial vehicle insurance limitation,let a lawyer get ahold of that while you tell the jury,but it worked and I did save money.

If I wanted to build a truck,I would build one and not buy new,kinda defeats the whole purpose.

I dumped the F150 real quick,I did not need another grocery getter.

But sense you brought it up,I have to ask,what are YOU smoking,I knew this whole pot legalization thing was going to have some bad side effects.

I don't believe you and I don't smoke. But, yes, I'm seeing some bad side effects from you.

[Richard]

^ the way you keep going on you have to be smoking something.

What is it with the putting of words in people’s mouth in order to create a discussion?

I can see you are a world expert on automotive engineering and follow the advice of because everybody else does it,it is industry standard.

It you are really that bored,take your wife’s F150,throw some springs under the back and list it as a semi truck.Think of all the money you can make.

I do not care what your mechanic says,operating a vehicle outside of it’s designed limits does not hold up in court.

The argument of my mechanic said it was okay,Ford builds trucks and under rates them and everybody else does it so it is okay,does not hold up in a court of law.

It will hold up as strong as your,I do not believe you,you seem to be under the impression that I care one way or another wheather or not you believe me.

That you need to even have a mechanic just shows how little a clue you have.

Let me guess,back in the day in order to save money,you bought a Ford Pinto and stuck Lincoln badges on it and told everybody you drove a Lincoln.

[davewindsor]

^ the way you keep going on you have to be smoking something.

You must have been smoking something when you broke your pickup jumping off ramps thinking pickups are indestructible.

What is it with the putting of words in peopleÂ’s mouth in order to create a discussion?

Is that what I'm doing? Ya, ok buds.

I can see you are a world expert on automotive engineering and follow the advice of because everybody else does it,it is industry standard.

It you are really that bored,take your wifeÂ’s F150,throw some springs under the back and list it as a semi truck.Think of all the money you can make.

I do not care what your mechanic says,operating a vehicle outside of itÂ’s designed limits does not hold up in court.

The fact that you paid "$78,000 for a 2019 F250" and ranted "their fix for the death wobble is a $20 aftermarket steering shock absorber that does not fix anything" implying that Ford makes a POS truck shows you don't know sh-t about mechanics.

The mechanic I hired has been working on semis for decades, so he knows a thing or two about trucks and how heavy a load it can handle.

Unlike you, I don't take the advice of commissioned salepeople at the dealership trying to upsell me on things I don't need so I end up spending three times more on a truck. I'd rather write down what I need and give an experienced mechanic a couple hundred bucks and have him tell me what's the cheapest options to get what I want on the Ford build your truck website.

Just like if I want to buy a used vehicle, I'm not like some gambling retards out there who take the word of the seller and don't hire a mechanic to go over it to make sure there's nothing expensive that needs to be fixed, even though I understand how cars work and usually fix things on my own when I have an issue as long as I don't require expensive equipment to fix it. A $20 Haynes manual explains how to repair it step by step.

The argument of my mechanic said it was okay,Ford builds trucks and under rates them and everybody else does it so it is okay,does not hold up in a court of law.

It will hold up as strong as your,I do not believe you,you seem to be under the impression that I care one way or another wheather or not you believe me.

Like it would ever fall apart to be an issue in a court of law. You can even have the manufacturer FORD build you an F150 with heavier leaf springs. What qualifies you to say it would fall apart on the road?? You don't know sh-t.

That you need to even have a mechanic just shows how little a clue you have.

This coming from the guy who can't watch a 10 minute youtube video of a mechanic who fixed the problem with a beefier aftermarket Fox Steering wheel stabilizer using a ratchet and a ball peen hammer. All you have to do is unscrew two bolts, replace the unit, and rescrew two bolts, but you being such an expert feel it's more important to trash Ford pickups on a forum for an issue all of the Big 3 pickups have when people abuse their trucks instead of getting your hands dirty for 10 minutes. You don't want to break those pink polished nails, right?

Let me guess,back in the day in order to save money,you bought a Ford Pinto and stuck Lincoln badges on it and told everybody you drove a Lincoln.

Who's putting words in other people's mouths now? I would never have bought a Pinto because it lacks performance just like your 70hp Chevy pickup. It wouldn't surprise me if you stuck Peterbilt badges on it and told everybody you drove a Peterbilt the way you're talking.

[Metro25]

Is it just me or does every thread turn into an all out war with Richard?

[Richard]

Is it just me or does every thread turn into an all out war with Richard?

I do not know,are you going to offer expert automotive advice while admitting you have to take your vehicles to a mechanic?

Read the reply’s and see how many times people put words into others mouth in order to bolster their argument.

Schoolyard bullies are like that though,even worse when they pick the anonymity of the internet.

Of course I could be completely wrong in my point of where is the sanity of buying a new vehicle just to bring it home and alter it spending thousands of dollars.

When I can just buy the proper truck for the job from the start.

I also could be completely wrong to expect when I purchase a new vehicle it actually works and performs as advertised and if a default should arise it is fixed.

Or I could just buy an import and not have to worry about it.

When you posted your question,you also answered it.

You automatically said Richard and did not even take into account the actions of others.

[softailrider]

In Canada, Trudeau announced this morning they are working with auto parts suppliers to build respirators. This seemed to make more sense as they could adapt more easily. I didn't think the auto companies did much more than assembly these days by comparison. Either way, this would do virtually nothing financially for their bottom line. The PR might help a little bit but Ford & GM are already running ads deferring existing payments and nothing down for 120 days.

I just got a postcard from Ford for 3K off a 2020 Explorer. It was make your best deal then hand over the card for another $3000.00 off. That vehicle is a new redesign, just came out a few months ago. They must have a ton of inventory.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I just got a postcard from Ford for 3K off a 2020 Explorer. It was make your best deal then hand over the card for another $3000.00 off. That vehicle is a new redesign, just came out a few months ago. They must have a ton of inventory.

Not a lot of people are willing to fork over 50-60 grand for one, would be my guess. Plus with this virus going around, who's shopping for a car other than someone who really needs one?

[313WX]

Not a lot of people are willing to fork over 50-60 grand for one, would be my guess. Plus with this virus going around, who's shopping for a car other than someone who really needs one?

Indeed.

Plus, the folks who would normally buy these vehicles are now focused on trying to pay down as much of their debt and save as much as they can [[not take on a new loan), given the increasing prospects of a severe recession.

Car sales cratered in China, and the US is next.

[Richard]

Not a lot of people are willing to fork over 50-60 grand for one, would be my guess. Plus with this virus going around, who's shopping for a car other than someone who really needs one?

A lot of states you could not buy a new car if you wanted,sales floors are shut down,service only.

[401don]

A lot of states you could not buy a new car if you wanted,sales floors are shut down,service only.

GM is advertising buy online and have the car delivered to your home.

[mikeg19]

I read recently [[can't remember where) that the Big 3 could all remain profitable in a 11 million car sale per year market. Considering we have been in the 17-18M per year ballpark, unless things seriously fall off, I can see them all weathering the storm and coming back online at full production in 3Q.

Watching the DOW ticker on GM and Ford is quite tempting to throw some money at their stock, not quite yet, but pretty soon.

[401don]

I read recently [[can't remember where) that the Big 3 could all remain profitable in a 11 million car sale per year market. Considering we have been in the 17-18M per year ballpark, unless things seriously fall off, I can see them all weathering the storm and coming back online at full production in 3Q.

Watching the DOW ticker on GM and Ford is quite tempting to throw some money at their stock, not quite yet, but pretty soon.

Be careful about buying Ford. Their stock was low even when they were making billions. Investors don't like the direction/management/long term outlook of the company and profits were down significantly before the virus.

[mikeg19]

Be careful about buying Ford. Their stock was low even when they were making billions. Investors don't like the direction/management/long term outlook of the company and profits were down significantly before the virus.

Agree, although I just can't see them going bankrupt. I don't think they've hit the bottom yet, but hell if I can buy at $2-3 and it gets back up to $8-10, that'd be a nice little return.

[401don]

Agree, although I just can't see them going bankrupt. I don't think they've hit the bottom yet, but hell if I can buy at $2-3 and it gets back up to $8-10, that'd be a nice little return.

Sergio was right about auto mergers being necessary. I would think Ford would find a partner before going bankrupt. I also don't think they're putting all their eggs in the electric basket like GM and some others appear to be. Combine that with cheap oil and the profits they make from trucks and they're in good shape for the next few years provided the economy is back on its feet.