Sunset Ford Dealer Blog

Have you ever had the wind sweeping through your hair when driving down the highway with the top down? If not, you don’t know what you’re missing. But if you want the safest and most recognizable convertible this year, the Ford Mustang is your choice.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2008 Ford Mustang convertible a five-star safety rating. That’s a high honor in and of itself, but the Mustang is the only convertible to receive five stars in frontal crash safety, rollover tests and side impacts.

Last month, the Ford Chief Engineer for Safety Systems Steve Kozak gave a new Mustang convertible to his daughter upon her graduation from high school. “Having a Mustang convertible as her first car is something my daughter will remember for the rest of her life,” he said about the thrill of seeing his daughter enjoy the car so much. About the safety of it, he said that he and his will “are happy knowing that, while she’s having the time of her life, she’ll be driving the top safety-rated convertible on the market.” If the head of Ford engineering thinks it’s good enough for his daughter, don’t you think it’s good enough for you, too?

In addition to having a five-star safety rating, these iconic Ford cars are also good for your health. Doctors and health experts often talk about how the sun is good for our health and our mood. What better way to get a huge dose of sun then driving a beautiful Mustang GT convertible down the road?

One of the best things about having a glass roof on your car is that you can get totally drenched from the sun’s rays. But with old sunroofs, you also get the damaging effects of those rays. Fortunately, Ford has fixed that problem. Here are some advantages of the new optional glass roof on the new Mustang models.

Filters the Sun’s Rays
The glass roof on the Ford Mustang filters the sun’s most harmful rays while giving you the feeling of driving in a convertible. In fact, it has the same effect as a sunscreen product with an SPF of about 50, exceeding the standard that most dermatologists recommend. That way, you can enjoy the full sun without worrying about the effects it has on your skin or on your interior.

Reduced Noise
The optional glass roof on the Ford Mustang is an industry first for sports cars. The quality of the glass reduces road noise and also offers a reduced cooling time after the car has been sitting in the sun for awhile.

More Models
Other Ford cars will have this optional feature on 2009 models. Buyers who choose a 2009 Ford Flex or a 2009 MKS can also choose to have a glass roof installed instead of the traditional type of roof.

Why not get one of the vehicles with this option and see how to enjoy the positive effects of the sun when you’re on the open road this summer.

If you’re a NASCAR fan and you love Ford cars, you’ll have twice the reason to cheer at the 2009 Busch Series.

The Ford Motor Company recently announced that it might be replacing the Fusion that currently races in the NASCAR series with the iconic Mustang. This was the first time the automaker confirmed the rumors that have been circulating for more than two years.

The switch makes sense for Ford and NASCAR alike. For Ford, switching from a Fusion to the Mustang gives the company advertising for more than just one brand of vehicle. It also gives the Busch series “its own identity” because teams wouldn’t be able to gather as much information about the cars on the day before the race.

Before the Mustang enters NASCAR, engineers will need to bring it up to the standards set forth by the Busch cars. Safety specifications must be similar to those on the Nextel Cup “Car of Tomorrow.” These specifications go into effect after February 2009.

The switch isn’t completely official yet, though. If other automakers can’t make the switch to “pony car” coupes, it might not happen at all. If the change does happen, look for an official announcement from Ford and NASCAR soon after the start of 2009. Until then, just keep hoping.

The Mustang is one of the most popular Ford cars of all time. They’ve been depicted in movies and there’s an entire culture of Mustang-lovers throughout the world. Since the Mustang market such a huge and successful market, the engineers at the Ford Motor Company are anxious to hear the concerns of Mustang owners to help keep it one of the most popular cars in the world.

To find out what Mustang owners wanted in upcoming models, Ford’s chief Mustang engineer gathered 40 members of his team to do some research. They flew from Dearborn, Michigan to Tampa, Florida where there are more Mustang owners than anywhere else in the world. They interviewed about 70 performance car owners, including several Dodge Charger Owners and GTO owners as well.

The team from Ford identified themselves as a general marketing group so people would be honest with their interview answers. They compared the answers from Mustang owners with the answers from other performance car owners to see if the former was more passionate about their vehicles. Is there any surprise that Mustang owners were much more passionate when talking about how great their cars are? Overall, they were extremely satisfied with their Ford Mustangs.

In addition to that, the researchers also found the majority of complaints coming from owners of other performance vehicles that weren’t made by Ford. According to Ronnie Ahmad, a Ford product specialist, the experience was encouraging in that it was “very interesting to hear the pride in Mustang owners’ voices.” He went on to say that one woman compared her Mustang to a Transformer because it “makes her feel like a superhero.”

With this type of passion and dedication, is it any wonder why the Ford Mustang is one of the most recognized icons of the American auto industry?

There’s a lot of competition in the auto market these days. And with the onslaught of hybrids and fuel-efficient cars, muscle cars are starting to lose popularity. Automakers are trying to find ways to bring customers back to these iconic cars that once ruled the roadways. Ford is no different.

Lately, the rumor mill has been buzzing with people talking about the return of the Mustang 5.0. A recent interview with Bill Osborne, the President of Ford Australia, revealed some vague plans to switch the 5.0-liter V8 engine from that country’s Ford Falcon to the new North American S197 Ford Mustang.

But don’t get too excited just yet. The officials in Detroit haven’t said anything to confirm this rumor except to say that Ford is bringing more rear-wheel drive technology to North American products from Australia. But many people “in the know” think this is a good sign that the automaker is going to use the engine to in order to recreate another exciting line of one of the most popular Ford cars ever sold – the 5.0 Fox Mustang.

Either way, the Ford Motor Company has some exciting things coming up for the 2010 model year and beyond. With increased quality and the fact that the automaker is quickly regaining its solid reputation, there’s never been a better time to see what’s available for your needs and budget.

If you were one of the lucky people to order one of the 1,000 available new Ford Shelby GT500KRs, you’re getting an extra treat with your purchase.

The good folks at SVT, the company that created the awesome suspension tuning for this particular model, are supplying a Ford Racing front brake ducting kit. This might not seem like much to the layman, but it’s actually a pretty nice deal for people who are buying these Ford cars for racing or simply showing off on the road. The braking kit is designed to keep brake discs cool by letting the air flow through the system and increasing its effectiveness.

But it also has a showy feature as well. Ford engineers included orange ribbed duct tubes to the kit. When you pull up next to another car, the orange shows through the wheel and other drivers know that you definitely mean business!

SVT designed this brake kit specifically for the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang. And to make the extra gift even more special, the company put it in a little white box in the trunk. So when the owner opens it, it feels just like somebody bought them something special for their new Mustang.

The best part about the kit is that it’s easy to install. If you know what you’re doing, it’s little more than a couple bolt-on clamps. Instead of just installing the kit at the factory, Ford said that most drivers will simply use their new Shelby GT500KR for cruising around the streets. The automaker wants the driver to know, however, that their vehicle is ready for anything, whether it’s racing, cruising or simply getting attention at red lights.

To purchase your new Ford Mustang, please visit our Waterloo area ford dealerships or our St. Louis area Ford dealerships.

Would you ever fight a court battle over a noise ordinance for four years? That’s what this man did.
Four years ago, a police officer in Greater Manchester, England, cited Markus Aitken for playing his Riverdance music too loud in his Ford Mustang. The official citation was for “causing excessive noise,” not for playing Riverdance.

His fine was only £30. I’m not sure how much that equals in dollars, but it seems relatively low to me. But he felt it was unjustified, causing him to refuse to pay the fine despite the numerous written demands and several visits from court bailiffs. He continued to argue that he would not pay the fine until he was allowed the opportunity to tell his side of the story in court.

The problem occurred when he finally got his chance in court. Due to administrative costs, the fine was nine times as much as the original fine. But when he finally got a chance to tell his case in court four years later, the judge didn’t even listen to his entire story. In fact, the case was over in four minutes because the judge dismissed the fine. According to his side of the story, the judge didn’t hear anything that was against any laws or ordinances.

Let that be a lesson to you. Sometimes fighting for principle is much more important than just paying a fine and getting rid of it. Or maybe the lesson is that you shouldn’t be playing Riverdance when you’re driving Ford cars.

Can you imagine a car company selling nine million vehicles in the last 30 years? That’s an impressive number! But that number is even more impressive when only one brand of vehicle for a particular company sells that many.

That’s exactly what happened with the Ford Motor Company. The Dearborn-based automaker recently delivered its nine-millionth Mustang to another proud and excited owner.

The exciting, once in a lifetime event occurred in Story City, Iowa. Thomas Krumm purchased a GT convertible Mustang. But this wasn’t the family’s first Mustang. He became interested in these Ford cars when his 17-year-old daughter purchased one several years ago after saving her money for months.

The Krumm’s aren’t alone, either. Customers have purchased nine million other Ford Mustangs because of its sleek style and reputation. The first one was released nearly 35 years ago on April 17, 1964 at the World’s Fair in New York. During its first year, Ford sold 419,000 Mustangs to customers enamored by its sports car appearance. Within two years of its introduction, the company sold over two million units! That was a record at the time and it’s still a record today.

You might also be interested to know that the Mustang comprises 50 percent of the sports cars sold in the United States. That means for every sports car bought from the various other brands, there’s one Mustang sold as well.

How many other automakers can say that?

Last week, Motor Trend magazine announced the winner of its annual “Pony Expressed” competition in the April issue. And it’s no surprise that one of your favorite Ford vehicles took home the prize.

That’s right. The 2008 Ford Shelby Mustang won the comparison test when pitted against other brands like the Saleen and Roush on performance and value.

Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Motors, said the company has learned a lot during the time it has been manufacturing quality cars:  “Every lesson we learned while earning our stripes over the past 46 years is built into these pony cars.”

Motor Trend officials conduct their competition by assembling their own models of the Shelby, Roush and Saleen brands. They create a base of each vehicle with optional upgrades and tire/brake packages. Then they take them out on the streets and design competition courses.

The Shelby was the clear winner this time. In the Figure 8 competition, the Shelby Mustang had the best acceleration and highest speed while maintaining control. The fade-free brakes, crisp turns and gripping ability made it stand out from the Roush and the Saleen. The Shelby’s appearance also impressed the test officials.

According to Matt Stone, executive editor at Motor Trend, the Shelby GT had the “most cohesive package, delivering the best combination of components, style and bang for buck.”

Check out a Shelby Mustang GT today and see why it’s an award-winning vehicle.

The Mustang is one of the most popular and recognized Ford vehicles in the world. That’s probably why car thieves are always trying to get their grubby hands on one. But can you imagine having your car stolen and then finding it 38 years later?

That’s exactly what happened with Eugene Brakke of southern California. He parked his honey-gold 1965 Ford Mustang in front of his Burbank factory one day and never saw it again . . . util last week.

The phone rang, and the voice on the other end was a detective from the San Diego Police Department saying, “We found your car.”

Unfortunately, though, the car fell into the hands of a young girl graduating from high school. Her father bought it for her at a local car dealer for less than $1,200. It was her dream car, and she kept it for more than 35 years. She put thousands of dollars into repairs, including rebuilding the engine recently for $4,000 and some other work to keep it running smoothly.

But when a neighbor pointed out the mismatched tags, she became uneasy. After investigating for months, she learned the car was stolen. She contacted the San Diego Police Department, who then informed her that it was stolen in 1970. The bummer was that the car legally belonged to Eugene Brakke if he wanted to push the issue.

Apparently, he does. The 80-year-old plans on picking up the car when he feels like “fighting the traffic.” When he gets it, he wants to restore the honey-gold color it sported when he bought it instead of the pale blue color that it has now.

I guess the woman who cared for the car and had it through her all-important young adult years is out of luck. If I were in Mr. Brakke’s shoes, I think the right thing to do would be to let her keep it. Don’t you agree?