56 Ford Truck

What a 56 mpg fuel rule would mean for car buyers

WASHINGTON -- If the Obama administration gets the 56 m.p.g. new vehicle fuel economy rule it wants for 2025, will you still be able to buy a nine-passenger Chevy Suburban to carry half the soccer team? Or a Ford F-150 to trailer a 20-foot bass boat to the lake?

Yes. But under the hood you may find a V6, a really hot V6, or a diesel, and maybe expensive hybrid technology.

It won't get anything close to 56 m.p.g. and it won't have to since its fuel economy will be judged only against similar vehicles.

"You're still going to be able to tow that boat, you'll still be able to get that sporty sedan, when 2025 rolls around," said David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "It's just going to be a better vehicle that costs less to run."

But automakers, who will begin airing radio ads Tuesday in Michigan and six other states attacking the higher standards, fear that tougher rules could cripple the industry by forcing production of vehicles consumers don't want.

"Going to 56 m.p.g. is essentially a 100% increase from where we are today," said Gloria Bergquist, vice president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

WASHINGTON -- Government standards for fuel economy have barely changed in 30 years.

But from the models that hit showrooms in September -- when the fleet target will be 29.7 m.p.g. -- to those that will be out in 2025, car companies will have a lot of work to do. Under the 56 m.p.g. standard for 2025 the Obama administration is pushing for this summer, engineers, marketers and consumers would be asked to build, sell and want cars and trucks that squeeze every drop of gas about twice as hard.

Already the fight is on. National security hawks wanting to cut America's dependency on foreign oil are joining with environmental groups. Automakers lobbying for less-stringent rules find themselves aligned with the UAW.

Proponents of a higher target say dealers' lots won't look much different in 2025 than they do now: from trailer-towing trucks to subcompacts, with only a small percentage of electrics. But innovations under the hood -- from better gas engines to newer hybrid technology -- could save consumers thousands of dollars on gas, offsetting anticipated higher sticker prices.

Opponents of the proposed rules see a future in which consumers could be forced into smaller vehicles they don't want and where, regardless of fuel savings, expensive technologies could price some lower-end buyers out of the market.

Eye Popping 1956 Ford Trucks

What is so great about the year 1956, you ask? Well, 1956 Ford Trucks, of course! I mean, really, is there any year of Ford trucks that was really bad? That is not to say that I have not seen my share of flopped and botched restoration efforts, but, when these trucks were new and just rolling off the Ford assembly lines, they were the cream of the crop of work trucks. Nowadays, these trucks are very rarely used for actual work. Most of them are show trucks and collector’s items of the wealthy. That does not mean you absolutely have to be filthy stinkin’ rich to own one, though.

Okay, I’ll admit, for this first truck you will need either a pretty big budget or an affinity for women who look like post-operation…well, you get the picture. As far as this truck goes, there has been a great deal of money put into making it turn heads. I think you would be hard pressed to find an original part on this truck other than the body itself. This Hotrod was built by a garage in Pheonix, Arizona and is well worth the over $10,000 of the current bid on eBay.

This 1956 Ford truck for sale is, however, not worth the over seven thousand dollar bid currently in place for it. I will personally never understand the allure of the flat black paint jobs that look like someone bought a few cans of Krylon at their local Wal*Mart and let their five year old have at it. I think people could use a little bit more creativity. That’s just me, though, and maybe the flat black look is your thing. If it is, by all means, head on over to eBay and place your bids. The engine is a newly rebuilt 327 cubic inch with only two hundred miles on it. I suppose that could be it’s best selling point.

This last 1956 Ford F100 is a much better exhibition of the skills of a talented restoration team. Seriously, someone in Morton, Illinois really knows what they are doing. The truck’s frame off restoration is newly completed this year, and the same can be said for the engine rebuild. It is powered by a six cylinder motor coupled to the original manual transmission. The rims, tires, and chrome all all new, and so is the interior and bed. The current bid on eBay for this truck is $8,000, or you can buy it outright for $26,000.

Standard Catalog of Light-Duty Ford Trucks 1905-2002

Ford Pickup Trucks

1956 Ford truck shop manual

Classic Ford F-Series Pickup Trucks, 1948-1956

Ford Truck