Ford trucks DVD

[JWC]

There wasn't too much to do today, had to work on Memorial Day,  so I read Ford's publication Frontline, a magazine for "people who sell them".

This issue had articles about Ford trucks and had a DVD to show customers. Evidently the DVD titles were written by comedians.

Segments included:

A Flair for Fenders
The Frame Game
The Competition May Tow, but There's Just One Hitch
Tough Truck, Tough Bumper
Bed Bolt Envy
That's Not A Tow Hook....
  (A take off on the Croc Dundee---that's not a knife)


I watched the DVD and it was pretty interesting. Its called "The Truth About Trucks" and it compares Ford with its competitors. But, not with numbers.  In the segment on "Quality Hinges on the Details", they compared door hinges with Dodge. The spokesman opened the door on a F150 until it stopped, then pushed out a little more, rocking the door. He said look for flex in the hinge. Of course, on the F150 there was none. On the Dodge truck, the hinge didn't move either, but the sheet metal it was mounted to flexed like a tin can.  They compared actual components from Dodge, Chevy, Toyota and Nissan to Fords. Now, while this is propaganda,  and I'm sure they chose the parts carefully, just the ring and pinion comparison was surprising.

Despite the stupid titles, it was interesting. The magazine recommended salesman to not just demonstrate Ford trucks, but show the DVD to the customer. If you're in the market, check it out.

As with anything like this, you have to consider the source. The magazine had an article on the selling features of Ford's LCF commerical truck, stating it had the smallest turning radius and gave the figures. Ford: 33.2 Isuzu (its nearest competitor): 33.5  Big difference, eh.

PS...I was disappointed though.

I was hoping for something similar to the VHS tape Honda sent out in the late 1980s for their parts departments.  Honda's spokesman was a comedian named Avery Schreiber. In one scene, an episode on what NOT to do, a customer is returning a starter that doesn't fit his Accord. He's complaining to Schreiber, the parts man, about having to come back. Schreiber pulls a .44 Magnum from under the parts counter and points it at the customer....who promptly says, "well, I could make it fit". It was classic.

[BMWDave]

Do you actually sell the cars?  What do you do?  This knowledge is very useful for a salesman.

[JWC]

Assistant service manager at a Ford dealer.

It is actually pretty interesting from a customer's perspective.  The DVD really makes you think. They even had fenders off of trucks and compared the inner structures of the vehicles.

Most videos of this type that I've seen when I worked at other manufacturer franchises just compared numbers and safety ratings. This one was pretty good about comparing components not numbers.

[Raghavan]

i saw some of the video. it was pretty interesting. all of the trucks were dismantled, and the guy was talking about how the ford was better.

[TBR]

I am sure it was interesting, but keep in mind that each manufacturer can probably find 2-3 components that are built better on their trucks than on their competitors' trucks.  

[Fire It Up]

I saw it. My reaction:  

[BMWDave]

I saw it. My reaction:

I didnt see it, and where can you find a link to see it?  And what made you dissapointed in it?

[Raghavan]

I am sure it was interesting, but keep in mind that each manufacturer can probably find 2-3 components that are built better on their trucks than on their competitors' trucks.

the fact that they actually dissassembled the trucks made it interesting, instead of presenting facts.

[JWC]

This DVD is distributed to Ford dealers to demonstrate some of the "better" differences between Ford trucks and its competitors.  The comparisons made are interesting.  Having worked at multi-line dealers before, some of the differences noted are no more than that some of us made first hand between other brand vehicles.  Of course, during that time, some of the comparisons were a stretch since there were no full-size Toyota or Nissan pickups.  

You have to approach the DVD from the perspective that it is a Ford sales aid, no more than other films I've seen from other manufacturers when I worked at their dealerships. What made this one unique was the approach of not comparing JD Power numbers, but actual parts comparisons.

Some of the comparisons that were presented:

How Ford oil filters were larger for their V8 engines than the filter for all the other makes.

Ford V8 radiators are 20 quart, compared to Nissan's and Toyota's 16-17 quart units.

How the fan shroud on the V8 Ford was larger and deeper, supposedly allowing more or better air flow for cooling.  A comparison designed to impress, though for those in the know, suspect. Face it,  while the radiator and fan shroud are larger, I haven't heard of any problems with Nissan and Toyota V8 truck engines running hot. It is a comparison designed to impress the average consumer, though still, an interesting point.



My favorite comparison was the Ford door hinge and the Dodge door hinge, but I feel they chose door hinges because of the poor reputation that Ford trucks received when the door mounted mirrors on the mid-1990s models caused the doors outer shells to warp.  

[pnwbeers]

I saw it. My reaction:

I didnt see it, and where can you find a link to see it?  And what made you dissapointed in it?

Probably the fact that every single mfr of full size trucks could to exactly the same thing - just cherry pick things that make it's product look better than the others.

It is just a sales trick, but it's lame.

The best part:  more than one moron over on C&D has tried to use it as "proof" that the F150 is the best truck on the market.    

[BMWDave]

I saw it. My reaction:

I didnt see it, and where can you find a link to see it?  And what made you dissapointed in it?

Probably the fact that every single mfr of full size trucks could to exactly the same thing - just cherry pick things that make it's product look better than the others.

It is just a sales trick, but it's lame.

The best part:  more than one moron over on C&D has tried to use it as "proof" that the F150 is the best truck on the market.  

  Do you know of any link for it?

[JWC]

I saw it. My reaction:

I didnt see it, and where can you find a link to see it?  And what made you dissapointed in it?

Probably the fact that every single mfr of full size trucks could to exactly the same thing - just cherry pick things that make it's product look better than the others.

It is just a sales trick, but it's lame.

The best part:  more than one moron over on C&D has tried to use it as "proof" that the F150 is the best truck on the market.  

  Do you know of any link for it?

I don't know of any links for the DVD or segments of it. While the newest TV commercials can be viewed on FMCdealer, the DVD isn't listed.

Most dealers go by the motto, "our trucks sell themselves", so you may talk a salesman out of one. Tell him you're interested in a truck, but thinking about buying a (insert manufacturer name here)  and wished there some kind of movie to compare it to the Ford truck.

Seriously, it is an interesting DVD, but not anything to spend much time hunting down. It's like the comparison of the Ford LFC and the Isuzu turning radius. The technically correct that Ford's is smaller, the amount is laughable.

I brought it up because I know that some here find such things interesting...maybe, informative, and have friends that work at dealerships.  They may be able to secure one if interested.