Piston Slap: We NEED Questions! (And a Shafted Pacifica)

by Sajeev Mehta

Published: August 31st, 2018

piston slap we need questions and a shafted pacifica

Folks, I need automotive queries for publication on Piston Slap, my inbox is almost empty! Email sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com so the TTAC community can help. And yes, ask anything except for car purchasing advise for aforementioned reasons. – SM

Stefan writes:

Sajeev, here’s the latest news regarding our Chrysler Pacifica: it is gone!

My son and his wife bought a Ford Flex, and my wife was so impressed with it that she wanted one. Since buying cars with her generally has been like pulling teeth, I quickly agreed and we took delivery of a 2017 Limited: cherry red, camel leather interior.

So her Chrysler Pacifica and its Chinese driveshaft has moved on (probably to the auction). It served us well and was a much better car than its reputation. Thanks again for your help; I enjoy reading your postings at TTAC, you’re the best!

Regards,

Stefan

PS: I still have my ’97 triple-black Town Car with only 167K miles on it. Panther love!

Sajeev answers:

What a fantastic ending to an interesting query: the Flexes (Flexi?) are cool and will likely get cooler with age. But we also learned that longtime TTAC reader Stefan still has his fat-panther (i.e. 1995-1997) Town Car. Mark my word: the sight of a Fat Panther and a Flex in the same driveway will be pure internet clickbait 15-20 years from now.

Now please help us out by sending your automotive queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com so we can return back to our normal(ish) programming.

[Images: Cargurus.com]

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.

#PistonSlap

Sajeev Mehta

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18 of 31 comments

Land Ark on Aug 31, 2018

I believe it was a one year only option, at least from my limited research, but there is a Flex that came in teal with a silver top, just like the Land Ark. I see one every now and then and look longingly at it as it goes by. I would love to have one with EcoBoost and AWD. I don't think it came that way though.

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- JohnTaurus on Aug 31, 2018
  
  A trip to a body shop could fix that.
  
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- Land Ark on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus I was wrong. It was one year only (2011) and it was Mediterranean Blue. It did come in SEL and Limited trim and the Rapid Spec package meant it was available with Ecoboost and had AWD. There are currently none listed on Cars.com thusly equipped.
  
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RHD on Aug 31, 2018

We can't help but wonder if the Flex is named for what it does when you go over a railroad crossing...

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Slavuta on Aug 31, 2018

sajeev, in this blog you will find answers, not questions

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Lie2me on Aug 31, 2018

"My son and his wife bought a Ford Flex, and my wife was so impressed with it that she wanted one." I call BS, there isn't a woman alive who likes the Ford Flex. Are you really a Gay couple in disguise?

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- See 11 previous
- JohnTaurus on Aug 31, 2018
  
  I've met women who loved their Ford Flex, including my buddy's girlfriend (the couple I mentioned above who bought a Flex). Besides, I and others are openly gay on these pages, I doubt anyone feels the need to remain in the closet on this site. For the most part, folks around here are above judging someone based on something like that.
  
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- Mjg82 on Aug 31, 2018
  
  it wouldn't shock me if any fellow gays butch up on car sites tbh. And hey, the Flex is a good car to practice our 'lifestyle' in the back of
  
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- PrincipalDan on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus My wife has come around to the Flex as long as it isn't in "Old Man White" (which she calls any pearlescent/diamond white paint) - I know that color was available on Limited trim models for a long time. The biggest problem I have with the Flex is the EPA highway rating and what I'm seeing on Fuelly. A crew cab 4x4 F150 with 2.7 ecoboost would probably get better fuel economy.
  
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- JohnTaurus on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @mjg82 If they feel the need to protrey themselves as more masculine than they really are, that's their business. I tend to find that there are *a lot* of gay guys just like me, who are masculine for the most part and do not fit the stereotype whatsoever. I guess the most feminine thing about me is I don't care for sports, but I've met plenty of straight guys who don't either. I'm much happier reading articles here than I am some fashion site or TMZ. Likewise, I'm more likely to be found under my car in the midst of an oil change rather than hanging out at the mall buying 15 pairs of shoes I'll never wear lol. Most people take a long time to figure out that I'm gay, usually after they've known me long enough to think about the fact that I'm never with, nor talk about, a wife/girlfriend, haha.
  
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- Scoutdude on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus Interestingly I had a conversation with one of my students who made a comment about her mother driving a "large vehicle" so I had to ask what she drives. The answer was a Flex followed up by she wanted a minivan, but didn't want a minivan. When the Flex came out my wife was definitely interested and we did go a drive one at one point. However we decided that at that point in our life our days of needing such a vehicle frequently were just about over. So we decided to keep our 3 row SUV and get her a car for her daily driver.
  
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- Lie2me on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @mjg82 "the Flex is a good car to practice our ‘lifestyle’ in the back of" Might I suggest forgetting the Flex a getting a house
  
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- Arthur Dailey on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus I've been around long enough to know that it is a waste of time to typecast, and quite frankly I could care less about someone's sexuality.
  
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- JohnTaurus on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @Lie2me Or, better yet, keeping such comments to one's self. I don't like reading such as that here, no matter what genders are involved.
  
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- PrincipalDan on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @Scoutdude My Uncle Tim bought a Flex after they had utterly wrung the life out of a late build Buick Rendezvous. It was his first Ford since a 1st Gen Windstar that fit the very definition of POS. It is his wife's primary car. I should ask him how he likes it now that he's had is several years - it is only the 2nd Ford he's ever owned that I can recall.
  
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- JohnTaurus on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @PrincipalDan The Windstar turned a lot of people against Ford. Its hard to blame them, I'd say its easily their worst product of my lifetime thus far. Hopefully the Flex is treating him better. It should, its a lot more solid mechanically.
  
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- Ryandriven on Aug 31, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus I thought I was the only gay guy who loved a good bull. I had a '91 LX with the 3.8L and console shifter as my first car. It blew the head gasket (as expected) and then continued to leave a trail of parts behind it until an errant Bronco put it out of it's misery. But the one I LOVED was my '00 SEL Premium. Silver with black leather and every option the blue oval offered. The Duratec was great and bulletproof (sold it with 120k and it still looked showroom fresh). Should have never gotten rid of that one. I've had a Mazda3, Jetta GLI, 328i, 128i, TSX, 500 Abarth, and Tiguan since then... but I have my eye on picking up a Fusion Titanium next to carry on the spirit of the comfey (and low running cost!) Taurus I loved so much!
  
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- JohnTaurus on Sep 03, 2018
  
  @Arthur Dailey I feel the same way. I don't want it to be thrown in my face, you know, and that doesn't matter if its hetero or homosexual. Talking about it is one thing (and keeping such talk respectful is preferred), but dry humping and face sucking in front of others just gets on my nerves. I don't judge what you do or who you do it with, I'd just prefer not to see it lol.
  
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