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According to Ford, Expect 10% Jump in insurance costs for Aluminum Fseries

20K views 150 replies 38 participants last post by  richmond2000 
#1 · (Edited)
Less than 10 percent of the more than 30,000 independent repair shops in the United States are certified and meet training and equipment requirements to work with most aluminum auto body parts, according to an estimate by Darrell Amberson, chairman of the Automotive Service Association. While some dealerships do in-house body work, independent businesses handle the vast majority of collision repair in the United States, he said.

Ford is betting buyers will accept what it estimates will be a 10 percent jump in costs to insure the pickup in return for improved fuel economy, towing and payload. Ford must also get the aftermarket industry up to speed as it debuts the highest-profile vehicle to swap aluminum for heavier steel, long the industry's material of choice.

"You don't get any more mainstream than the F-150," Amberson, who is also vice president of operations for LaMettry's Collision Inc. in Minneapolis, said in a telephone interview.

Insurance companies charge less for coverage of the outgoing F-150 compared with the competition, Doug Scott, Ford's truck marketing manager, said last week in an interview from the company's stand at the Detroit auto show.

"At the end of the day, that's sort of a wash," he said. "We've spent a lot of time and feel very comfortable that that's not going to be an inhibitor."

Aluminum's memory

Repair shops need separate hand tools for aluminum and steel such as wire brushes, grinders and sanders, because corrosion can happen when dissimilar metals come in contact with one another. The auto body repair industry also has less experience with differences in how aluminum springs back from impacts compared with steel.

"Aluminum has a very poor memory and it resists straightening attempts," Jeff Poole, a coordinator for I-CAR, a collision-repair industry training organization, said in an April 2013 webinar. "Experience really pays dividends here, and this is where we've got a learning curve ahead of us."

Ford's internal data show that 90 percent of customers live within two hours of a capable repair facility for today's F-150, and 80 percent are within 30 minutes, Ford's Scott said. Buyers of the aluminum-bodied F-150 will have the same access by the time it arrives in dealerships late this year, he said.

"We've just been waiting for the reveal to unveil a certification process for dealer-owned body shops and the independent channel," Scott said.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/201...nce-rate-repair-shop-challenges#ixzz2r5Y1rF81
 
#59 ·
Ok, we will have some fun. When the truck starts to show up on lots, I will get a quote with my insurance on a 2015, and a comparable 2014. Frankly if the new truck is more than $100 more a year, I will be greatly surprised. Ford will have worked with the insurance industry also, as they are not stupid.
 
#80 ·
Ford can "work" with the insurance companies all they want. It costs more to repair or replace aluminum parts. The insurance companies will very kindly pass that cost on to you.

Now, this isn't the end of the world. You can still buy cars/trucks with aluminum parts. But it will be more costly to insure.
 
#85 · (Edited)
5. Think An Aluminum Pickup Bed Isn’t Durable? Think Again

One of the F-150′s more surprising features is its fully aluminum bed. Aluminum is a softer and less-dense metal than steel, with a yield strength that’s 42 percent lower, and the question on everyone’s minds is whether it can handle the abuse pickup beds are subjected to. Ford tells us that the aluminum it uses for the inside of the bed is a thicker gauge than the steel it used to use, resulting not only in a lighter-weight unit, but one with better ding and dent resistance than a steel bed.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-2015-ford-f-150/

The big news is the F-150's new, lightweight, Atlas-inspired body. Ninety-three percent of that new body is made from a sort of aluminum alloy not unlike what the US military uses in its M2 Bradley fighting vehicles and Humvees, and it accounts for up to 70 percent of the F-150's 700-pound weight reduction. As a side benefit, the aluminum body should prove more resistant to dents and dings. Built Ford tough, indeed.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/13/2015-ford-f-150-debuts-aluminum-2-7-ecoboost/
 
#90 · (Edited)
That's the 800 pound gorilla that we don't quite know about yet. We can note that heavier use of aluminum will make the trucks more expensive to build, and will make the trucks more expensive to insure. But until the trucks actually are out there in the marketplace, being sold, we don't know how much we're paying to save that little bit of gasoline.

Of course they will cost more. But are they worth it? On a Dollar for Dollar basis of gas saved over additional costs of the truck, probably not. With the upcoming CAFE increases, probably yes.
 
#93 ·
I remember the C5 using modern techniques on one of it's optional set of wheels. I was intrigued by them until I heard about magnesium's properties in a fire. The same could be said about the magnesium engine cradles in some of the Corvettes. But, if my Corvette is on fire, I'd be more concerned with making sure I & my passenger were out & away from the fire rather than if my magnesium cradle can be replaced.
 
#96 ·
#99 ·
Look for Ford to lose the pickup truck crown. GM may have a real good chance at being number one. They couldn't have piced a better time to rework all of their trucks.
Too bad for Ford. In time, this may be a good move. Maybe they're blazing a new trail. In the short term, they're probably screwed. I guess it depends on how badly the customer wants to save on gas. Who knows. If the average insurance bill is 1500 a year, we're talking 150 bucks. 40 some gallons of gas..... Will the weight loss save at least 40 gallons of gas in a year?
 
#100 ·
The crown isn't going anywhere...This truck is going to fly off lots just like the current one, with the better fuel mileage, more tech and so on it's got nowhere to go but up... GM has no chance of catching Ford they can't even catch Ford with the current F series trucks out there let alone this one
 
#104 ·
The aluminum wheels really take a hit here with the salt they put on the roads. We had a PT cruiser and within 4 years, the wheels corroded under the clear coat so one wheel was losing air. Then we had a Chrysler 300 that the dealer wouldn't even take it on trade because the wheels corroded so bad. We had to hunt up good OEM wheels before the trade. Now, the new truck and car run steel wheels because they are more durable with the salt. I was amazed at the junk aluminum transmission cases the rebuild shop had because they were corroded beyond saving. Even the recyclers don't want them. I find some makes aluminum corrode worse than others but that darn salt is a killer. As far as body panels, it has been a while since I've kept a vehicle long enough to have corrosion there.
 
#107 ·
Gotta love the armchair CEO's here. As if Ford doesn't know what they are doing, they have had the best selling truck for how long now?

Seriously, you don't think Ford has thought through all of these potential issues you guys seem to think are such a problem?

c'mon, get real here.
 
#109 ·
People will see in the end, the price won't jump by thousands of dollars and the insurance probably won't be that bad either and 95% of the people would never even notice and when these trucks fly off dealer lots because it's the best new truck out there this will be a non issue and Barry and Reuss will be sitting at the ren cen going "crap"
 
#119 ·
Let's be honest: Ford wouldn't be taking this gamble if they felt like it would cost them a large chunk of their sales. In this case, 5% of sales could be a big chunk. Where-as the small to midsize cars have proven that a small percent of the buying public wants more luxury without having to buy a luxury nameplate, Ford knows that trying to drive the ATP up higher quickly just to recoup the cost of the aluminum would lose them a big slice of their sales. Ford will either hold the line or bump up the MSRP by $1K. However, at the dealership level, things won't change. You'll still see those advertisements for "over $10,000 off" on TV & in print ads. Of course, it's been years since I've seen a print ad for the local car dealerships. :p:
 
#125 ·
Or just have the body shop replace the entire panel. When I had my little car wash incident, I made sure the shop replaced the fender, I did not want it repaired. The shop not only agreed, but told me they would not even consider trying to fix it, they almost always just replace the panels these days. It's easier, cheaper and has better results.

Obviously, if there is damage to the cab panels, then welding in sections will be necessary...but fenders, hood, door skins, box panels, tailgate, etc all are much easier to just replace the entire panel.
 
#132 ·
OK, BBall, I tried, I really tried to not reply, but I just couldn't do it........................

You are arguing, yet, in the very text you posted/quoted, this is the first sentence:

Aluminum costs 50% more than steel, but Ford appears prepared to absorb the additional $1,000 per vehicle.
And if we know the opposite of absorbing a cost is passing it on (aka raising the price) then what conclusion can we draw!? :blink:
 
#136 ·
I wonder if the 1k is the materials cost or the actual true costs of engineering and so on. With Ford giving the warning they will show a huge drop in profits next quarter it's interesting to watch.

As far as game changer, who knows. I doubt it'll out drive the Ram, it might get better EPA MPG with the tiny 2.7 but real world will be much less than the Ecodiesel and with the amount of reports from fleets talking about the Ecoboost engines failing it's going to be an uphill battle.

I will certainly drive one but I just don't know if I can get past the front of it.
 
#141 · (Edited)
Joe Hinrich is on record as saying that Ford has taken the cost of Aluminum out of the equation, think about that for a moment.
Ford has reworked the costs of the F150 body in Aluminum so that it doesn't cost any more to produce but you can bet that
buyers will be asked to pay a small price increase..

Another thing I noticed was that not only are Aluminum panels lighter than steel, they're also thicker to put the strength back in.
Maybe more of these new aluminum panels can be repaired due to the added thickness over throw away steel panels.

Ecoboost 2.7 diesel and 700 lbs lighter F150 truck. it may not be the same as Dart's 3.0 Diesel but I have a feeling that
it will reach an aweful lot more buyers than the V6 diesel, especially if Ford gets the price right.
 
#142 ·
Ecoboost 2.7 diesel and 700 lbs lighter F150 truck. it may not be the same as Dart's 3.0 Diesel but I have a feeling that
it will reach an aweful lot more buyers than the V6 diesel, especially if Ford gets the price right.
Been drinking much? You do know Ford's EcoBoost 2.7 is a gas engine & the Dart doesn't have any diesel at all. The Ram has the 3.0 V6 diesel. Now, next round's on me. :friday:
 
#146 ·
Flash forward to 2015 .........

Chicago Tribune/Sun Times Headlines ...........

Ford F150 truck owners wake up to find their Trucks stripped to the frame by "Pirate Recyclers".

"The price of Aluminum is at an all time high, due to the EPA clampdown on aluminum mining, due to it's environmental impact." As a result, aluminum recycling is reaching an all time high. Thieves have been stealing aluminum lawn chairs used in the time honored "winter placement" of lawn chairs on newly shoveled parking spaces (called Dibs in Chicago). Once the lawn chairs are gone, the next best target is the aluminum bodies of Ford trucks. "Allstick Insurance" has raised the insurance rate for aluminum vehicles twice in the last week and it can only go up. Flo, from the other insurance company, quit the ad business and was last seen carrying an aluminum cutting torch, driving a big dump truck.

On the positive side, Ford truck owners are getting huge leaps in gas mileage as the government has added a new category to it's CAFE ratings. They now include City/Highway and "Open air", as Fords are 50% lighter, without a body.

:yup:
 
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