Jeff S 2
Member
I'm seriously considering buying a SportTrac, but I have a few questions before I actually hit the dealers
1. I really want a heated windshield. In South Florida, it's common to encounter weather where the windshield fogs because it's 100% humid outside, and 70 degrees inside (due to a/c). In every car I've owned, going into defrost mode disables the air conditioner, which means you get to "enjoy" air that's not just hot, but 100% humid as well. As far as I know, nobody has ever made a car that can run the a/c on max, heat the cooled air (so it's at least dehumidified), then blow the warm(er) dry air on the windshield... so I guess it's "embedded wires, or nothing". The question is, if I come across an insanely great deal on a new or used SportTrac, can a heated windshield be added aftermarket (replacing the windshield if necessary)? How much would it realistically cost (including the salvage value of the old windshield, if it has enough of one to bother with)?
2. I really want a power moonroof. Once again, is this something that HAS to be factory-installed, or if I found an "almost perfect" ST at an insanely good price, could one that's every bit as good be installed aftermarket? (note: I could live with reduced interior height, but I'm 6'1", so there are limits to just how much lowering I can tolerate).
3. I like the EXT better than the Ltd, precisely BECAUSE it has black bumpers and trim. I hate painted bumpers, because IMHO they completely defeat the purpose of HAVING bumpers by turning a minor bump into a parking lot bollard into a $400+ repair job. Also, I have a very strong preference for cloth seats. I grudgingly got leather for my current car because it was required to get a moonroof, and I've hated it every single day I've owned the car (even though I love the moonroof). Unfortunately, it looks like Ford withholds its best non-cloth seats from XLT buyers, even as an option. So... are the seats from the Ltd "plug and play" compatible with an XLT (buy them online or from a salvage yard, unscrew the XLT seats, screw in the Ltd seats)? If so, are there any Ltd seats that look enough like the XLT seats that I could get away with replacing ONLY the driver's seat (or maybe both front seats) without making it look bad?
4. Are there any insanely good deals out there right now for either the remaining 2008 or new 2009 SportTracs? I checked out the prices at CarsDirect.com, but wasn't terribly impressed by them. If dealers and automakers are hurting as badly as they claim they are (especially with respect to cars whose gas mileage isn't good), it doesn't seem to have had much effect on prices (at least, not the prices posted online). Any better places online to look for info?
5. How much would I save by getting the truck without the factory/dealer-installed Tonneau cover, and buying one elsewhere? The ~$506 I saw quoted seemed pretty steep, and I suspect they're charging a hefty premium for the privilege of getting to roll the cost into the loan instead of buying it separately. Is that the case, or would I probably end up spending $400 or more wherever I go to get one?
6. Is the hard cover at least as watertight as the lid on a car's trunk? Or does it merely keep MOST of the water out of the bed? Put another way, if I bought a thousand dollars worth of furniture from Ikea, put it in the bed, and closed the cover, would I have any reason to panic (or at least be concerned) if a torrential Florida-style downpour occurred during the drive home? Or would I open the cover (after it stopped raining) and likely find everything nice and dry?
7. Is the "XLT Appearance Package" LITERALLY just an upgrade to the tires, wheels, and side steps? Or does it also include a bunch of other upgrades of potential interest as well.
8. How drama-free is the installation of an aftermarket DIN or double-DIN stereo head unit? I remember ~6 years ago Ford had a MAJOR fetish with<
1. I really want a heated windshield. In South Florida, it's common to encounter weather where the windshield fogs because it's 100% humid outside, and 70 degrees inside (due to a/c). In every car I've owned, going into defrost mode disables the air conditioner, which means you get to "enjoy" air that's not just hot, but 100% humid as well. As far as I know, nobody has ever made a car that can run the a/c on max, heat the cooled air (so it's at least dehumidified), then blow the warm(er) dry air on the windshield... so I guess it's "embedded wires, or nothing". The question is, if I come across an insanely great deal on a new or used SportTrac, can a heated windshield be added aftermarket (replacing the windshield if necessary)? How much would it realistically cost (including the salvage value of the old windshield, if it has enough of one to bother with)?
2. I really want a power moonroof. Once again, is this something that HAS to be factory-installed, or if I found an "almost perfect" ST at an insanely good price, could one that's every bit as good be installed aftermarket? (note: I could live with reduced interior height, but I'm 6'1", so there are limits to just how much lowering I can tolerate).
3. I like the EXT better than the Ltd, precisely BECAUSE it has black bumpers and trim. I hate painted bumpers, because IMHO they completely defeat the purpose of HAVING bumpers by turning a minor bump into a parking lot bollard into a $400+ repair job. Also, I have a very strong preference for cloth seats. I grudgingly got leather for my current car because it was required to get a moonroof, and I've hated it every single day I've owned the car (even though I love the moonroof). Unfortunately, it looks like Ford withholds its best non-cloth seats from XLT buyers, even as an option. So... are the seats from the Ltd "plug and play" compatible with an XLT (buy them online or from a salvage yard, unscrew the XLT seats, screw in the Ltd seats)? If so, are there any Ltd seats that look enough like the XLT seats that I could get away with replacing ONLY the driver's seat (or maybe both front seats) without making it look bad?
4. Are there any insanely good deals out there right now for either the remaining 2008 or new 2009 SportTracs? I checked out the prices at CarsDirect.com, but wasn't terribly impressed by them. If dealers and automakers are hurting as badly as they claim they are (especially with respect to cars whose gas mileage isn't good), it doesn't seem to have had much effect on prices (at least, not the prices posted online). Any better places online to look for info?
5. How much would I save by getting the truck without the factory/dealer-installed Tonneau cover, and buying one elsewhere? The ~$506 I saw quoted seemed pretty steep, and I suspect they're charging a hefty premium for the privilege of getting to roll the cost into the loan instead of buying it separately. Is that the case, or would I probably end up spending $400 or more wherever I go to get one?
6. Is the hard cover at least as watertight as the lid on a car's trunk? Or does it merely keep MOST of the water out of the bed? Put another way, if I bought a thousand dollars worth of furniture from Ikea, put it in the bed, and closed the cover, would I have any reason to panic (or at least be concerned) if a torrential Florida-style downpour occurred during the drive home? Or would I open the cover (after it stopped raining) and likely find everything nice and dry?
7. Is the "XLT Appearance Package" LITERALLY just an upgrade to the tires, wheels, and side steps? Or does it also include a bunch of other upgrades of potential interest as well.
8. How drama-free is the installation of an aftermarket DIN or double-DIN stereo head unit? I remember ~6 years ago Ford had a MAJOR fetish with<