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Ford Trucks International Press Release / July 24, 2020 .

Ford gets commitments to extend most of $5.35B in loans Reuters / July 24, 2020 NEW YORK -- Ford Motor Co. has obtained commitments from enough banks to extend the maturity of at least 90 percent of $5.35 billion of revolving loans for one year, a person close to the financing said. The automaker has been in discussions with its lenders this month about a one-year extension of its $3.35 billion, three-year main corporate revolving credit facility and its $2 billion, three-year supplemental revolving credit facility. JP Morgan leads the deal, according to thee people close to the transaction. Ford is seeking to address loan maturities for the first time since downgrades in March removed its last investment-grade rating. The move is expected to test banks’ willingness to lend to a household name in an industry that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. More lenders could agree to extend before the transaction closes on July 27. The company is looking to complete the extension ahead of its earnings call on July 30, a second person said. “They want to be prepared so they can say something good,” the second person said. “That they were able to extend the liquidity by another year.” To incentivize banks to agree to the extension, Ford offered to repay the $3.35 billion three-year main corporate revolver it borrowed in March as part of a larger $15.4 billion draw-down under its credit facility, the two people said. The company is expected to use cash on its balance sheet to repay the $3.35 billion, three-year loan on July 27 after the amendment and extension closes, two people familiar with the transaction said. As of April 9, Ford had cash of $34.6 billion, including the revolving credit draw-downs, and $8 billion in bond issuances, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. “We typically don’t comment on rumor or speculation,” said a Ford spokesperson. A JP Morgan spokesperson declined to comment. Both the $3.35 billion three-year main corporate revolving credit facility and the $2 billion three-year supplemental revolving credit facility come due on April 30, 2022, according to SEC filings. The loans will be extended to 2023, two people close to the transaction said. The company is offering an all-in spread of 225 basis points over Libor, split between a drawn spread of 175 basis points and an undrawn fee of 50 basis points for the main corporate and supplemental revolving credit facilities that are extended, two sources said. All lenders who agree to the extension will receive a 40 basis-point fee on the amount extended. Lenders who choose not to extend will remain in the existing loans at a current all-in spread of 175 basis points over Libor, split between a drawn spread of 147.5 basis points and an undrawn fee of 27.5 basis points for the main corporate and supplemental revolving credit facilities. The company is leaving unchanged its fully funded $1.5 billion supplemental term loan that matures on Dec. 31, 2022, and the $10.05 billion five-year corporate revolving credit facility due April 30, 2024. "It's good. Given that they are not in an easy sector," the first person close to the transaction said. "It's a good outcome." The fees Ford’s lenders received for its $8 billion in bond issuances in April may have helped them get more comfortable with the extension. The perception the US government supported the automaker via the Federal Reserve's corporate bond purchasing program may have been another positive, the source said. COVID-19 challenges The company first reached out to its JP Morgan-led bank group in February to refinance $15.4 billion in revolving credits but in March decided to draw down on the facilities and postponed its refinancing plans as market conditions deteriorated, two banking sources said at the time. The company said borrowings would be used to “offset the temporary working capital impacts of the coronavirus-related production shutdowns and to preserve Ford’s financial flexibility,” according to a March 19 press release. Ford reported a 33 percent drop in U.S. sales in the second quarter tied to shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders due to the coronavirus.

Engine Mack EY707, 170 horsepower @ 2,100 rpm Transmission Mack TR36 five-speed Transfer Case Timken-Wisconsin T-77-3 two-speed Axles Timken-Wisconsin 7.33 ratio

$10 million to the shipyard (General Dynamics) for helping to fight the fire, and clean-up, appears rather excessive. Few believe the Navy will invest hundreds of millions of dollars to repair a 22-year-old ship. Also, the America class amphibious ships are replacing the older Wasp class.

Defense News / July 23, 2020 The shipyard presiding over the renovations on the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard when it caught fire July 12 was awarded a $10 million contract modification for their efforts with firefighting and follow-on cleanup. The contract with General Dynamics NASSCO San Diego was among those announced Wednesday in the U.S. Defense Department’s daily roundup. The work includes “USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) emergency firefighting support, dewatering, safety and initial clean-up efforts,” the announcement read, and is to be completed by November 2020. US Navy’s top officer reveals grim new details of the damage to Bonhomme Richard The fire, which broke out July 12, began in the lower vehicle storage area amidships and damaged 11 of the Bonhomme Richard’s 14 decks, according to a letter to all Navy flag officers and master chiefs obtained by Defense News. The Navy said there was no known welding or other “hot work” taking place at the time of the fire, and it is unclear what caused the blaze. The Navy is conducting a safety investigation — which are not usually releasable to the public so as to encourage witnesses to speak freely — and a more formal administrative investigation accompanied by accountability recommendations that can be released. The Navy’s top officer, Adm. Michael Gilday, told Defense News in a July 16 interview he is committed to transparency in the investigation. “This is a very, very serious incident that I think will force the Navy to stand back and reevaluate itself,” Gilday said. “We’ve got to follow the facts, we’ve got to be honest with ourselves and we’ve got to get after it. My intention, once the investigations are done, is to make this available for the public to debate, including what we need to do to get after any systemic problems that we might have.”

Which is why to this day I remember the part number for the grille mounting nutzerts........68RU29301P5 (note that's a 5-digit [29301] Mack Western style part number)

This 8x4 twin-steer also has the short 76-inch sleeper cab. .

You're right Vlad....my mistake. Those were supplied by KD, who was acquired by ATC. I understand and agree. I still think they were KD though. https://www.slclighting.com/shop?Collection=Cab Markers https://www.slclighting.com/product-page/c-m-bullet-chrome-amber-incondesant-long-body

As I recall, 38MO363RP3 for R/U/DM was supplied buy Signal Stat, which was acquired by Truck-Lite. The bottom has a slight curve to match the cab contour. (The short version in the middle of an R/U/DM, ahead of the roof vent, was 38MO362RP3) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Semi-Truck-Bullet-Marker-Lamp-PAI-FLR-4302-Ref-Mack-8154-51631771-38MO363-/253996119453 I can't remember if the Cruise-Liner's "bullet" lamps had a flat bottom or not.

72QS1112 (right-hand) and 72QS1113 (left-hand)

Nikola stock plummeted another 13 percent today to $29. At this point, they don't have the necessary investment to go forward.

From the 1982 second generation (Macungie production) Cruise-Liner brochure, this is my favorite photograph. .

This is a zoomed in view of the 1982 Macungie production Cruise-Liner brochure. Keen eyes will note that we borrowed this side view from our last Hayward production brochure. Note the 2-piece tube-type aluminum rim.

Throwback Thursday No matter the job, Autocar Trucks are "Always Up". Autocar has been building the hardest working trucks since 1889. Check out this 1946 west coast spec DC100. .

That is the rarely seen optional 76-inch Cruise-Liner sleeper cab. Most likely, this is one of a large Cruise-Liner order, requested with used wheels and tires. I remember them all parked in the Howard Sober truck decking yard as if it was yesterday. Vlad, can you see the frame was lengthened, from prime mover to rigid? .

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / July 21, 2020 Ford has launched a voluntary safety recall for select 2021 model-year Ford F-650 and F-750 vehicles with 7.3L engine. This action affects 1,299 vehicles in the U.S. and 31 in Canada. Affected vehicles were built without certain thermal protection components intended to reduce the interior cabin floor and seat attachment temperatures. These missing components may include an underbody heat shield, a thermal insulator patch under the floor mat, or covers for the seat bolts and seat pedestal. In vehicles built without these thermal protection components, the interior cabin floor and seat attachments could reach elevated temperatures during certain high-load, high ambient temperature driving conditions. Continuous skin contact with elevated temperatures may lead to skin irritation or a minor burn. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition. Affected vehicles were built at Ohio Assembly Plant from March 18, to June 8, 2020. Dealers will install the underbody heat shield, thermal insulator patch under the floor mat, seat base covers and seat bolt covers. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20S36.

Quality Concrete in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia takes delivery of two new international HX Series twin-steer 8x4 mixers. ,

Glad you're okay Bob.

Ford gets $634M UK government loan guarantee to protect exports Bloomberg / July 22, 2020 LONDON -- The U.K. government has granted a 500 million pound ($634 million) loan guarantee to Ford Motor Co. to support the automaker’s substantial exports of engines and transmissions from Britain. The guarantee will help Ford to increase investment in electrification and protect jobs at its sites in Essex and Dagenham, the UK's Department for International Trade said in a statement on Tuesday. The guarantee covers 80 percent of a 625 million pound ($793 million) loan from commercial banks. "This financing will help to maintain Ford as a key U.K. exporter," said Graham Hoare, chairman of Ford in Britain, in a statement. About 85 percent of the engines and 100 percent of the transmissions the company builds in the U.K. are shipped overseas. The value of Ford's U.K. exports, including machined engine components, is around 2.5 billion pounds annually, Hoare said. Ford and its automotive peers in the U.K. face an uncertain future, with the prospect of tariffs on sales to the EU looming in the event of a no-deal Brexit next year. They also face extra red tape in the form of customs declarations, separate regulatory regimes and proving the origin of their goods. The threat of border chaos with the U.K.'s largest export destination is another concern, given the lack of readiness among traders for new paperwork requirements and companies' Brexit preparations being hampered by the coronavirus. Ford announced plans last year to close its engine factory in Bridgend, Wales. The automaker is a member of Britain’s automotive trade group that last month called for the government to support the industry’s recovery from the pandemic. Despite these challenges, U.K. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the British government is focusing on the needs of carmakers. "A thriving automotive industry is vital to the success of the U.K. economy," Truss said in the statement. "We are putting its needs at the heart of our strategy to remove barriers to trade when negotiating free trade deals."

This is the legendary PT-73. Originally the US Navy's PT-694 (Patrol Torpedo), this 70-foot Vosper was one of two operated by the Hughes Tool Company as chase boats for the H-4 Hercules (aka. Spruce Goose) flying boat project. Per Ernest Borgnine, Universal approached Hughes years later and convinced them to sell this one for the real-life shots in “McHale’s Navy.” The boat always shown at the dock was an unpowered prop. Ernest Borgnine discusses the boat at 14:35 ……………. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtbLShUzI3c .

What are we looking at here ? .

Jacobson built the Ford lawn tractors from 1965 thru 1983 (Gilson from 1984 on). I always liked the Ford LGT Series produced from 1973 to 1983, but particularly the 1973 to 1976 version. .

Smaller engines work fine. As it has been for decades, it's all about gearing. Plus there's the torque multiplication effect benefit with Allison-equipped trucks. Plow trucks don't require high speed capability, but rather low speed grunt. Larger engines do obviously offer even greater performance, but they aren't a necessity.

Milton did literally deceive everyone. This whole smoke and mirrors show is an advanced science experiment.