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February 2009 - Posts

  • Stimulus Plan Passes; New Auto Team to be Established

    From aftermarketNews


    WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Following passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus package late last week, President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill today. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 60-38. The House vote was 246-183.

    Being touted by the President as a “major milestone” on the road to economic recovery, the legislation is said to be the costliest ever considered by Congress. The measure will provide tax relief to 95 percent of Americans by way of $400 rebates for individuals and $800 for couples, in addition to funding support for those who have lost jobs due to the recession. The bill also includes financial support for the development of green jobs, in addition to providing billions of dollars to states to aid schools and local governments and major transportation and technology projects.

    Also included in the legislation is an amended version of the Auto Ownership Tax Assistance, which was whittled down from a $11.5 billion tax break down to $1.7 billion in the final version of the bill, with tighter limits on who qualifies. The total cost of the package is estimated to be $790 billion. This provision creates a new tax deduction for state and local sales taxes paid on new car purchases.
     
    After signing the measure, President Obama is expected to today name a team to serve as a taskforce to oversee the turnaround of the U.S. auto industry. According to media reports, rather than appointing a single ‘car czar,’ the Presidential Task Force on Autos will act together to judge whether GM and Chrysler are making enough progress to keep the $17.4 billion in loans they received. The automakers are due to submit their turnaround plans to lawmakers on Tuesday.
    Posted Feb 16 2009, 02:29 PM by bbaker with no comments
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  • Engine Of The Day: Ford Modular Engine

    From Jalopnik

    Jalopnik brings back the Engine of the Day series. This selection may somewhat contradict our recent editorial poll where we asked which Ford engine was the best. So far, not many have chosen the modular engine. This fact doesn't surprise me, however.

    Jalopnik has honored Detroit's first mass-produced overhead-cam V8 engine (yes, it beat GM's Northstar to the marketplace; no, jillion-dollar factory-racer engines like the 427 Cammer don't count as "mass-produced"), an engine that's proven to be very reliable as well as capable of serious power numbers: the Ford Modular V8/V10 family. If it's a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle made after 1992 and it has room for a V8, odds are it has a Modular; everything from the F-series truck all the way up to the Ford GT has been a Modular recipient since the 16-valve, 4.6 liter Modular V8 made its debut in the '91 model year. The Mustang started going Modular in 1994 and ditched the old pushrod Windsor V8 completely by 1996. You can find the Modular V8 (which, despite the name, doesn't have much parts interchange between versions- this in keeping with hallowed Ford V8 tradition) in 4.6, 5.0, and 5.4 liter variants, with single or double overhead camshafts, with two, three, or four valves per cylinder, naturally aspirated or supercharged, and with blocks made from cast-iron or aluminum. The V10 version, displacing a monstrous 6.8 liters, has been powering Ford trucks for more than a decade.
    [Wikipedia, photo source: EngineForAll.com]

     

    Posted Feb 16 2009, 02:05 PM by bbaker with 1 comment(s)
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About the Authors

Dave Wooldridge, Publisher

Dave has spent nearly 25 years reporting on and working with engine builders and their parts and equipment suppliers to promote and enhance the engine rebuilding aftermarket.

Doug Kaufman, Editor

For the past 20 years, Doug Kaufman has covered the various segments of the
automotive aftermarket. Those years have taught him something: you need help
to cover an industry. Get too close to it and you lose track of the big
picture...stay too removed and you miss the detail.

Brendan Baker, Senior Editor

Brendan Baker has spent the better part of 24 years in the automotive aftermarket and racing industry. He has spent the last 11 years in publishing and has been the Managing Editor of Engine Builder magazine for the past five years until recently being named Senior Editor.