Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
Making Fun of Toyota’s Tundra TV Ads
“Truckers know that….blah blah blah.” I’m a HUGE fan of the Tundra, but the voice-over guy in those Tundra commercials is really starting to wear on me. To be honest, I never really liked that part of the Tundra TV ads in the first place…but since the stunts were so cool, it was easy to ignore him. Now, a few years later, the stunts are no longer fresh and I’m starting to focus on the guy who sounds like a cross between Wilford Brimley and the Cowboy from The Big Lebowski (whose name in real life is Sam Elliot).
The Tundra commercial voice-over guy sounds like a cross between these two...
So, in honor of the somewhat annoying voice in the Tundra commercials, here are a couple of gag videos found on Funny or Die.
Building A Rock Star Tundra – The Beginning
It started all the way back in April 2009, when Chris sent us an email asking if we had any info on 2010 Tundra pricing. As time went by, we got more emails from Chris, keeping us up-to-date on his search for the perfect truck, his plans for accessories, and some much-appreciated comments on the site.
Over the last year, Chris’s dream of building the ultimate truck – a “rock star” – has taken form. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reviewing the build-out of Chris’s brand new 2010 Tundra. Today’s post talks about the purchase process and introduces the truck, and future posts will discuss options and accessories, show you pictures along the way, and hopefully entertain. Here we go:
Ford’s New Twin-Turbo V6 F150 Raises Longevity and Reliability Questions
Last week PickupTrucks.com published some spy photos of Ford’s 2011 V6 EcoBoost F150. The rumor is that the new engine will be a 3.5L V6 with a twin-turbo setup. Estimates are that this new V6 will have 400+ hp and 400+ lb-ft of torque, but that it will also get an EPA rating of 23 mpg on the highway.
While this new EcoBoost engine isn’t going to be “free” – it’s a premium option at this point with a hefty sticker price – it’s definitely the next killer app in pickups, and an indicator that the entire auto industry may use small-displacement motors with turbochargers to replace larger naturally aspirated motors.
However, as the comments in the PickupTrucks.com post point out, What about longevity and reliability?
Toyota Plants Target Of Fake Letter Bombs
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that four Toyota assembly plants – San Antonio, TX (home of the Taco and Tundra), Princeton, IN (home of the Sienna and Highlander), Buffalo, WV (a 4cyl and 6cyl engine plant), and Toyota’s R&D facility in Erlanger, KY have all received fake letter bombs during the last few days.
Fake letter bombs being sent to Toyota facilities are made from a short section of cardboard tube and hand addressed. The return address is allegedly Nigeria.
The choice of facilities seems to make it clear that someone has visited the manufacturing page on Toyota’s website, which lists all of the major Toyota manufacturing facilities in the USA. Hopefully this does not mean that more fake letter bombs are due to arrive at the other facilities on that page.
The question is, why?
Sometimes OEM Parts Aren’t Better Than After-Market
In Monday’s post about dealership parts pricing secrets I wrote that “All things being equal, the manufacturer’s parts are better” than after-market parts. Correctly, a couple of comments pointed out that OEM parts are usually better, but not always. Here are some situations where after-market companies make an excellent quality part.
