Bronco July 2021 Production Scheduling Memo

[jaruss01]

Well, that’s overthinking it a bit. In June they scheduled more BBs, OBs, and BLs than they did Wildtrak. The list and percentages probably won’t swing a lot moving forward...except it will swing more in the favor of soft tops.

Wildtrak is multiple items combined. And if you do the math, 2.7L probability x hard top probability x Sasquatch probability = 14%. The wildtrak stand-alone probability is...14%. Coincidence?

But in a situation of severe shortage of MIC tops, it goes back to my previous post that there is a sense of urgency to build at least some WTs trims in 2021 over a similarly equipped 2.7l sas hard top BL/OBX etc. if the system has the green light to build that level of bronco, and they’ve made only 100 WTs, yet a few thousand OBXs (that are a mix of non sas, soft tops, etc etc) I could see why they would prioritize the wildtrak so it doesn’t look like they weren’t able to make due on the wildtrak for the 2021 run. Will be a lot of grumbling for those that ordered WTs and there will be less on the road.

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[SnowBronco]

Yea I was as well. My question is if you already have a VIN and a date, but also have a MIC and a hitch should you try and remove them? Or is it too late because you have been given a VIN?

You are locked in. No changing anything.

 

[Benzo520]

I guess I’ll just have to consider myself very very lucky. I ordered a WildTrak and my production build week is 7/19/21.
I didn’t build my Bronco with a tow package though

 

[JesseS]

I think that’s why he asked “why” since your mission was accomplished...as you ordered a Jeep, but now have committed to become a bit of a troll on here....

But maybe he is one of those guys that wants one of each, we do have some of those.

 

[AcesandEights]

I struggle with the engine choices. To me they all suck. I would be hard pressed to get the 2.3 in my Bronco let alone a 2.0 in a Rubicon, yet that is supposed to be a better engine than the tried and true (but old) 3.6. which leaves the expensive diesel option with it's costly maintenance.

So which engine did you get and why?

Tried and true 3.6 with manual trans. I plan to keep this a long time.

 

[Gamecock]

But maybe he is one of those guys that wants one of each, we do have some of those.

He’s not one.

 

[Dannyboy71]

I 'm pretty sure a thread last week showed that Webasto had 67 job openings. Also recently guys in the know stated their companies were having a hard time getting raw plastic materials for their applications. Labor and material shortages combined are making it hard to get the product made I believe.

My brother drives 1.5 hours to work out of town on the Cracker Plant in western PA. once completed it is supposed to be the largest supplier of raw plastics in the world. He says it is about 16 months from completion.

After 19 pages..... All I keep thinking about is this guys brother working at the cracker plant talk about no diversity!

 

[Wanted33]

The factory MPG numbers are so fluffed, god knows what the real world numbers will be. Definitely worse, but by how much?
I just hope they can compete with Jeep!

That was my first thought when the mpg numbers were dropped. Folks can bust the Jeep all they want, but my '19 JL will still go everywhere a comparable Bronco can go. And it get better mpgs on the highway. On a trip to Myrtle Beach last week (approx. 200 mile), mine averaged 24.7 with a high of 25.2 until I got caught up in traffic, and a tough crosswind the last 40 or so miles.

 

[Atomicdog]

Further, it looks like to me there is some re-design going on which has delayed the top production, maybe on top of delays in the completion of the new Webasto factory in Michigan.

What have you seen that hints to a re-design?

 

[AcesandEights]

I think that’s why he asked “why” since your mission was accomplished...as you ordered a Jeep, but now have committed to become a bit of a troll on here....

Dont be a dick. I've either owned, or had one assigned through work, a Ford for 27 years straight. I've owned or driven Ford Bronco II, Explorers, Taurus, 500, Super Dutys and more for almost 30 years. Not a troll.

 

[King_Bronco0327]

then you should be find unless they keep pushing the date back

Yea I was a June 21 production date which meant mid to late august delivery. Now I probably wont get delivery of mine till September November the latest.

 

[FoCoBronc]

Good question. Tough to say. It seems Michigan had some serious lockdown rules. If I'm Ford, never again am I doing a cyber launch of a vehicle. Development of automobiles is not like writing script for a an iPhone app...

Even Tesla's cyber launch of the Model 3 had lots of issues. The Model 3 was at least 18-months late to production, and then the fit and finish problems once it was in production are legendary. I've ridden in a Model 3, none of the other manufacturers would get away with the unfinished quality the Model 3 has. You can tell it was rushed in development to get to production. All in a pandemic-free world at the time...

This is probably what scares me the most about all these commodity constraints. The pressure to build and produce will be intense as delays drag on. What happens when people are under pressure to produce? Mistakes. Errors. Quality will suffer. I think I’m in line for my21 but now almost wanting to get bumped in case initial rollout contains flaws, recalls, you name it.

 

[gopats54]

Well, first off Webasto probably doesn't manufacture the SMC (sheet molded compound) that is the base plastic material used in construction of the top. So (one of) the commodity shortages could be the SMC. Second, the molds used to form the SMC cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make. There are at least two molds per roof panel (top and bottom). The molds are large and the machines that are used to form the SMC over the molds are even larger, and specialized machines. So there are not a lot of companies just sitting around that can pick up manufacture of the Bronco roof. Considering the design of a multi-panel roof system that has to be leak-proof over a 100 + deg. F temperature range and stay that way for a long time period and be idiot-proofed for the owners that will own a Bronco (we've all seen the lady who was filling plastic bags with gasoline this week...), it is not a simple part to make. It's also possible Ford farmed out the engineering of the roof(s) to Webasto, so Webasto owns the intellectual property and does not want to provide the IP to it's competitors. Further, it looks like to me there is some re-design going on which has delayed the top production, maybe on top of delays in the completion of the new Webasto factory in Michigan.

We all wish life was simple, but it's not.

I’m glad someone posted this. The engineering and machinery is not that simple. However, I still wonder what the quality defects are? If it is imperfections in the mold/texture, I would have thought the painted top would have been the better option to start with then. You can smooth and paint over the imperfections that happen from the mold.

 

[TyGuy40]

Honestly, at this rate, coming from the world of software, just ship it when it’s ready. I’d rather Ford take the time to do this right vs. force production just to make a few thousand people happy. When you speed something along like this, given the supply constraints, COVID-19, and other factors, it usually leads to a defective product.

I would rather wait two more years for the perfect, most reliable vehicle vs getting a rushed model out the door in my driveway, just to be able to brag about it on Instagram.

(but you bet your ass if I get my build in August, no matter what, I will be bragging about it on Instagram)

 

[vrtical]

The pressure got to me

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