[Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel

[Paul Nimz]

Yes you're correct.  It was the X plan.  It's been about 5 years since I was
interested in it.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR
'93 EG mtx


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
To: "'Paul Nimz'" <niks@dialnetwork.com>; "'Shotimes'"
<Shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 12:02 PM
Subject: RE: [Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel


> A-B Plan, or the X-Plan?
>
> Yeah, you could beat B-Plan, as it is a rebate on cars sitting on the lot,
> but unless your family owns the dealership, you cannot beat A-Plan. It is
at
> least 3-5% under dealer invoice (invoice minus dealer floorplan holdback),
> plus the dealer would get an additional 5% just to take delivery, wash the
> car, and bolt on the plate. Since the competition to get Plan buyers is
> great, there are dealers who will do an under-the-table "rebate" of part
of
> that 5% handling fee, either with cash or other incentives (all on the QT,
> as the mfrs highly frown on this!!).
>
> FWIW, my dad never buys a car A-Plan, he always does B-Plan, as he likes
> dickering with the salespeople, even though there are better A-Plan deals.
> And, although he wont admit it, I think he has the same tendency that I
have
> to want it NOW and not wait for the factory to build it!! Obvious genetic
> defect!!  ;-)
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Paul Nimz
> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 1:06 AM
> To: 'Shotimes'
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel
>
>
> >that can get A & B-Plan cars
>
> As an employee of the company that made Motorcraft batteries I qualified
for
> this plan.  I could always beat it by just being my usual self.  Of course
> being an ex-Union negotiator I had many skills in this field.  #1 was the
> ability to say no.  :)
>
> Paul Nimz
> '97 TR
> '93 EG mtx
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
> To: "'Donald Mallinson'" <dmall@mwonline.net>; "'Shotimes'"
> <Shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 12:39 PM
> Subject: RE: [Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel
>
>
> > Well, Don, you really aren't familiar with the Detroit area, there is no
> > other car market like it in the country.
> >
> > I have had the comment from MANY people personally over the years, and
it
> > has also been written in the press. The Detroit area has a rather low
> > percentage of foreign cars versus much of the country.
> >
> > It isn't just the direct Ford-GM-DC employees (of which there are more
> here
> > than anywhere). It is also any of their direct family members, as well
as
> > in-laws, that can get A & B-Plan cars. And all of the retirees (hourly &
> > salary) and their immediate families!! Then, there are all of the
> suppliers.
> > Tier Suppliers have the "X" plan deal to also get cars more cheaply.
IIRC,
> > Delphi and Visteon have the same deal as regular Big 3 employees (Jim
> > Heaton...true??). Hell, since my dad is a GM retiree, I'm eligible to
buy
> GM
> > cars on the A plan (if they had something I wanted), and if my company
> gets
> > some business with Ford again (we were a different corporate entity when
> we
> > did work for FMCC a few years ago), I will be eligible to buy Ford
> products.
> >
> > This isn't stuff that I make up, this has been the case here for ages.
> Even
> > in the local Ad sections of the papers, there are deals pitched directly
> at
> > the "Plan" car buyers, since there are SO many people that qualify.
> >
> > It is not like a city that has a plant or two, this is a much larger
> scale.
> > I was even surprised in Louisville, with a metro area of 1 million or
so,
> > how many Ford vehicles are around. Again, when you take into account
> company
> > exec cars, company pool cars, and all the people who are eligible for
> deals
> > as employees, family members, or suppliers, it is quite surprising.
> >
> > I have lived in other places, and the car market around here is NOT a
> > reflection of the rest of the country. Probably a part of the reason the
> L/M
> > set up the design studio on the west coast, and why Detroit has been
> accused
> > of not being tuned in to what is happening in the car market across the
> > country.
> >
> > Ron Porter
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> > On Behalf Of Donald Mallinson
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 11:23 AM
> > To: 'Shotimes'
> > Subject: Re: [Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel
> >
> >
> > Ron,
> >
> > As usual, you assume, thus making an A..  ok you know the
> > rest!  :)
> >
> > I understand "car towns" just fine.  and in a city the size
> > of Detroit with a population of over a million, and a metro
> > of what?  around 2 million?  Ford employees make up a small
> > percentage of the total population, and the other employee's
> > aren't wedded to Ford.  Plus in the Detroit Metro you have
> > other manufacturers and they will tend to even things out.
> >
> > So yes, there is, as I mentioned and admitted, a bump in the
> > numbers, but it doesn't skew the national averages all
> > totally out of whack.
> >
> > I would expect neighborhoods where execs gravitate, to be
> > proportionately skewed, but other areas will be normal.
> >
> > Also, I would agree that import purchases would be lower in
> > detroit than in other cities.  But I have been to a LOT of
> > automotive and truck assembly/manufacturing plants, and most
> > of them Ford plants.  The parking lot is predominantly Ford,
> > but the amount of imports and other brands is amazing to
> > see.  Much higher than I would have thought.  So while the
> > numbers get skewed, they aren't absolute and don't dominate
> > the percentages.
> >
> > There just aren't enough Ford people buying on "plan" to
> > make an entire metro area, or state get that far from
> > national averages.
> >
> > Don Mallinson
> >
> >
> >
> > Ron Porter wrote:
> > > Don, I guess not living in an "car town", you don't understand. There
is
> a
> > > HUGE difference when Ford (or any auto mfr) employees are involved.
> > >
> > > The average Ford employee gets the "A" & "B" Plans, which gives them
the
> > > best deal that anyone can get.....and many of them buy cars every 1-2
> > years.
> > >
> > > Ford management gets the company cars, and some.....like my two Ford
> > > buddies.....get two a year, then with special deals they each have
> gotten
> > a
> > > 3rd car for their teenage daughters. When my buddy was getting SHOs,
> they
> > > "made" him get two '98 & '99 SHOs (6 months each), as they had to keep
> the
> > > line going when nobody wanted them. All of the Company Exec" cars that
> go
> > > through the auctions were most likely from Detroit, followed by
> > Louisville.
> > >
> > > GM and Chrysler are the same way. I live about 10 miles north of the
D-C
> > > headquarters, and my subdivision is crawling with Chrysler folks. I
saw
> > the
> > > first PT Cruiser and new Viper on the road right in my subdivision.
When
> > the
> > > 300M first came out, I'll bet that I saw every possible
color/trim/wheel
> > > option combo within the first 6 months.
> > >
> > > People from outside the area have told me that they Detroit area has
the
> > > lowest percentage of import cars of anywhere they have been.....and I
> > truly
> > > believe that it's true.
> > >
> > > Ron Porter
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