Ford to offer tiny 3-cylinder engine in US

It's about time. The picture here is a Chevy Sprint. I had a  couple of them and really liked the three-cylinder car. I think the new Ford will be a winner. Great gas mileage and a really peppy little car. I have no idea what the Ford will look like, but they are on the right track as far as I am concerned.

DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. will bring a tiny gas-stingy engine to the U.S. from Europe next year, challenging the fuel economy of current hybrid cars, a company official said Thursday.

The one-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine will be an option on at least one of the company's small cars, Joseph Bakaj, the company's vice president of powertrain engineering, said in an interview.

About half the size of the motor in the Focus now sold in the U.S., the engine could put pressure on hybrid and electric car sales because it competes with them on mileage but comes with a far lower price tag.

Ford would not say how much the new engine would cost when it becomes available next summer.

Carroll Shelby, father of Cobra sports car, dies at 89

DETROIT (Reuters) - Carroll Shelby, designer of the Shelby Cobra and other sports cars that placed him in the pantheon of auto industry legends, has died at age 89, his company said on Friday.

He died on Thursday at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, according to the company, Carroll Shelby Licensing. The firm did not disclose the cause of death. A post on his Facebook page last month revealed he had been hospitalized for pneumonia.

Shelby was one of the few prominent designers to work with all three major American car companies, starting with Ford Motor Co in the 1960s. His last collaboration with Ford was on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500.

Winter Tips

Lock
De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer! Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

Windshield
Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream! Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

Car doors
Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray! Spritz cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber

Windows
Ice-proof your windows with vinegar! Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!

Wipers
Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol! Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity.

Headlights
Keep your headlights clear with car wax! Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.