Car wash win!

After dropping off the kids at school, I decided to head to the car wash to get the car rewashed.  I had gotten it cleaned two days ago, but then it rained on me after the Cowboys/Bears "game" and on Tuesday a bird took further exception to the near-clean state of the car.  Since I was only a few minutes away, I headed into Frisco.

Two visits prior to this car wash, after the service I noticed fine scratches on the center console plastic.  I was bummed - having only had the car 6 months, its still in almost perfect shape, and here was damage I didn't even cause.  It wasn't a world-ender, but I figured I would point it out next time I went in and see what they say.  So when I went in on Monday, showed them the scratches, I was pleasantly surprised that they took full responsibility, even offering to order replacement panels.  The manager said he would call and order them and let me know when they come in.

So fast forward to this morning, and I roll up to just get a re-wash.  The same manager is there, and immediately greets me, and gives me a free wash upgrade.  Nice!  After running it through the tunnel, we chat while they are drying it off.  He has had some difficulty getting the local Ford dealer to understand what he needs to order, and says if I want to take it by the dealer they will just pay for it.  He also wanted to try some scratch compound on it, just to see if it would take out the scratches.  Turns out, it did - I can't see any damage on the two panels anymore.  So, I am happy.

On the way home, I had to pull over and take a few pictures while it is so clean - will pick up the kids in 8 hours, so all bets are off at that point.

Until next time....

Flat Repair

Another low Tire Pressure warning, but this time fixable and not a $200 purchase. Can't remember the last nail I picked up before this car...

(Edit: Wanted to also credit Discount Tire in Lewisville, TX for getting me patched up in 30 minutes.  Fast!)

8000 miles.

Already?  Just a little over 6 months ago I picked up this car, and the summer is already almost over.  Its Sunny and 76 degrees as I write this, but based on how cool the weather has already turned, I can only expect that patio days are almost over.

This brings with it other great things, though.  Football.  Hockey (lockout), and a little performance bump with cooler intake temperatures. :)  I am hoping to finally get the car to a strip at some point this fall or winter, although I don't know a dependable crew like I used to...

Bonus pic for today, I spotted this car with Antique Car plates on it yesterday on my way home....

Til next time!

Annoying MFT Bug...

Not long after I got this car, after starting it one day, I noticed that all the labels were missing on my preset buttons from the Home screen.  It looks like this (bottom left corner panel):

Sadly, this carries over to the main Entertainment screen when it is active....

Annoying, but if you cycle to another source input and then back to the one that lost the labels, the labels reappear.  I am hopeful that a future update to the MFT software will fix this, as well as have the outside temperature display update more frequently...

7500 mile service...

Just hit 7500 miles a week or two ago, so had the car in for service at the selling dealer.  Oil life was still about 25%.

Other notable expenses since purchasing six months ago include a brand new Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tire for the driver side rear.  Apparently a nail was causing a slow leak, and naturally punctured the tire in an unpatchable location near the sidewall.  My total cost was about $150, thanks to Goodyear taking pity on me. :)

Still getting a lot of unsolicited positive feedback on the car.  I think the Deep Impact Blue really highlights the redesign and turns some heads...

Fuel economy....

So, after living with the car for the last 5 months, when it is time to visit the pump after a normal week of driving, this is usually what kind of gas mileage I am getting:

Somewhere between 16.9 and 17.2 mpg, on average.  This is slightly disappointing, because while I might have a bit of a heavy foot, I typically cruise at no more than 5 mph over the limit - but worse, because my previous car, a BMW E60 M5, with its massive V-10 and 500 bhp, could do the same duty on about 12.7 to 13.4 mpg.  (Yes, I know that's abysmal, but I didn't expect big mileage from it.) 

I didn't buy this car for the gas mileage - but I guess I just thought that the difference going from a 5.0L V-10 to a 3.5L V6 (albeit a twin turbo) would be greater.

Also, I should clarify, this is on Premium fuel, 93 octane.  If I use regular, the numbers are slightly lower - not much, but the power loss is noticeable.

Trying something new...

Up front, there is something you should know.  I have never blogged before.  I read some blogs.  I like blogs.  I just have never thought I had anything remotely interesting to say before that would fit in a blog. 

Truthfully, I am not sure I do at this point either.  I just had a thought the other day that, as much as I enjoy motoring, it might be nice to document the lives of the cars I cross paths with.  This may very well end up being an impressively boring read, but I will try to make it interesting!

This blog is intended to serve as a kind of "living history" of life with my 2013 Ford Taurus SHO.  I bought this car pretty much right after it came off the truck, March 15, 2012.  Kind of early in 2012 to be buying a 2013 vehicle, right?  I think Ford wanted to time the launch of the 2013 SHO to not coincide with the August launch of the 2013 Focus ST.  But I could be wrong.  Either way - I drove a 2012 when I was looking, liked it, but then saw what was changing for 2013 and HAD to wait to see it in person.

A little history is probably in order.  I have had a lot of cars in my lifetime (I am 35 years old as of this writing). Those vehicles...

- 1983 Honda Accord LX
- 1995 Ford F-150 XL
- 1994 Ford Mustang Cobra
- 1998 Ford Mustang Cobra
- 2000 Ford SVT Lightning
- 2004 Ford SVT Lightning
- 2006 Pontiac GTO
- 1995 Ford SVT Lightning
- 2007 Ford F-150 FX4 Supercrew
- 2006 BMW M5

I think that's all of them, in order.  Like I said...I have had a lot of cars.

I *almost* didn't buy this car.  I actually took something else home initially.  Something very different.

Yep - a 2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302.  The price compared to the Taurus? About $500 cheaper, actually.  The wife encouraged me, and I brought it home on a loaner agreement.  The exhaust note, the ride, the styling...it was all great.  I even loved the color, and I never thought an orange car would be something I would spend my money on. 

But....the next morning, I took just one of my kids, my 9 month old son Jenson to school on my way to work.  Getting him in and out of the car without scuffing a seat, door trim, or Jenson proved to be very difficult. I knew in my heart after leaving his school that I couldn't sign up for daily kid transport for the next several years in a car that is meant for track weekends.  So, I took it back that afternoon, and coincedentally, the Taurus had just arrived.  I went down with a salesman to the receiving area where the car, still dirty from transport, was being prepped, washed, inspected, etc.  We had them do a quick inspection to make it road legal, and off we went for a drive.  I pulled out onto the service road in front of the dealer, and matted it.  The SHO responded with gusto - and soon we passed the legal limit.  Maybe not as soon as in the BOSS - but still very quick.  A quick spin, and I was convinced. This car had the power, comfort, and room for my family I needed.  It was also a bit of a looker, thanks to updated styling.  The cherry on top was that it had every gadget you could imagine installed.

The new MyFord Touch stack. A fully customizable digital dash display.  SYNC. Blind spot system. Cross traffic alerting. Active Park Assist (it parallel parks for you!) 

You get the picture.

Anyway, its now been 7000 miles.  5 months.  I didn't start this blog from mile zero...but its time to start.

Here's to creating some memories!