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Rick Schmidt – Ask Rick:
It is September and time for another riveting Ask Rick segment where I ask him the tough questions! Football season is here and I am looking forward to sports celebrations and a bit of tailgating at the games. This month I Ask Rick what kinds of vehicle would be great for attending and showing off at these events.`
Rick’s Take On Norway Trip :
Recently Rick took a trip overseas to visit Norway and meet up with a great NPD customer that resells classic Mustang restoration pieces to a large Norway enthusiast base (their website is PonyParts.no). They are part of the largest Ford dealership in Norway in fact (Selmer Ford) where classics and new Fords are all restored and upfitted! They are somewhat of the mecca for all things Ford in Norway, and this business model is consistent with how we see other European makes operate here in the U.S. (i.e. it’s common to see a classic Porsche still serviced at the OEM dealership). In Rick’s opinion, this model is something that could have legs here in the U.S. as well.
Rick’s Take On Dads Mountain Garage :
At some point in the future we may need to make a “Dream Garage” segment! Rick’s dad Jim has an amazing vacation home in Colorado that includes a garage – built into the side of a mountain! It was his intent to have his getaway capabale of housing his fun classics and there were more than a few times he ran Trans Ams and Thunderbirds out on the Colorado mountain roads and highways. Today it’s been outfitted with more living and project space, but the original intent is fairly amazing. Has anyone else ever seen a garage built into the side of a mountain before??
Rick’s Take On Ford Backing Down on DEI :
Recently Ford and several other large scale public companies (Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and John Deere) have reduced their stance on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policies. I asked Rick about this and while he admittedly wasn’t heavily familiar with any of their policies, in general it seemed that most companies has likely (or possibly unintentionally) gone further into something than they realized was needed or wanted. His best guess was that the businesses just want to get back to business and focus on getting their work done instead of working on forced pandering to special groups and creating a forced-fake culture. Most employees would prefer to be evaluated on their job performance and capabilities; nothing more, nothing less.
Rick’s Take On New Four Door Muscle Cars :
Revology founder Tom Scarpello sees a need in the marketplace for a new – 4 door Mustang. Not the EV Mustang – but a 4-door equivalent more suitable to the marketplace. The current Mustang he claims only sells 50K units per year. I Asked Rick about this and he agrees and pointed at multiple other manufacturers including Korean (KIA Stinger) and other luxury car manufacturers that all have four door sports vehicles. In today’s day and age, two door sports cars just do not sell and the younger generation is not drawn to them because they want four doors for having fun with their friends. With the current market, releasing a four door sports (not Mach-E) Mustang would not diminish its legacy and would enhance sales by keeping a sports version that appeals to many markets instead of one.
Rick’s Take On Tailgating Investment Cars :
Football tailgating season is upon us and we asked Rick to review an eye catching and affordable ride to take to the game. He’d need room for himself and 3 buddies, a fully stocked (large) cooler, grill, pop-up tent, and chairs. He’d purchase the vehicle this week, then sell it at the end of the season. The goal is the most fun and comfort first, followed by the best ROI. Entry price is irrelevant, but cost of ownership is.
Car #1:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-oldsmobile-vista-cruiser-2/
Rick really likes this car and was ultimately the choice out of the group. Classic lines always win out as does a comfortable driving A-Body with lots of interior room and cargo space! Rick was confident that the long term ROI on this car was (at worst) a full recovery of his investment at the end of the football season, even with any costs of operation and ownership included. Wagons are hot!
Car #2:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-jeep-grand-wagoneer-101/
Rick is not a big fan of truck SUVs and this body style does not really stand out in the crowd. In his opinion the 4WD value of it didn’t offer much either. He was a fan of the fact that it had an actual tailgate, however! Overall though, he didn’t see it as a stronger investment than the Olds.
Car #3:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-mercury-marauder-51/
The Mercury was included as an option to determine if a “new” comfortable full sedan would be a great option for Rick and his bros……and ultimately, he didn’t think it was that special. While he did like the car and agreed it was cool, it wasn’t remarkable enough in his opinion to stand out at all in a sea of cars at a modern day football game. For Rick, it looked too normal and was effectively too boring and the ROI benefit was fuzzy compared to the other two cars. Plus, it didn’t even have a tailgate!
Pro-Touring.com Can Use Your Help!
This update from Larry Callahan at Pro-Touring.com – Reprinted here with his permissions:
With rising costs, reduced advertiser support, and some recent maintenance needs burning through the reserves, Pro-Touring.com is at risk of not making it past SEMA this year. To ensure the site’s continued operation, we need your support.
Many people have expressed interest in donating to the site in the past, and while we’ve run over two decades based on ads & sponsorships alone, it’s no longer enough to keep the site alive.
If you have found any value in the content or the community over the years, we’d like to ask for your help and support, which you can give by following the link below to donate:
Thank you for being a part of the community, for taking the time to read this, and for caring enough to help, so that Pro-Touring.com can be around for years to come.
– Larry Callahan
