HEADLINES: If The UAW Strike Becomes A Reality…

Time is running out for a deal to be struck between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and The Big Three. The UAW is reportedly prepared to negotiate 24 hours a day up until Friday’s deadline. If a deal isn’t reached by then, as many as 146,000 UAW employees could go on strike, potentially costing Ford, GM and Stellantis billions in relative short order. It’s estimated that Ford’s new vehicle production will drop by 65,000 units per week and GM’s will drop by 55,000. You’ve probably already deduced that a production stoppage would result in even fewer new vehicles on dealer lots which, with the laws of supply and demand at play, would inevitably lead to higher new car and truck prices…

OEM

As A Potential UAW Strike Heats Up, Ford Fast-Tracks Pay Increase For 8,000 UAW Employees

It may be too little too late, but over the Labor Day holiday Ford Motor Company fast-tracked 8,000 of its workers to earning higher wages. Qualified employees received an average increase of $4.33 per hour (roughly $9,000 per year). Approximately 80-percent of Ford’s 57,000 UAW hourly employees are now earning the company’s top wage rate, which is $32/hour on average (without overtime). According to information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ford’s top wage rate-earning employees receive higher pay than 90-percent of all hourly U.S. auto industry workers. Ford has also moved more than 14,000 employees from temporary employment to full-time positions over the past four years, an achievement the automaker says occurred ahead of schedule.

Dyno

921 HP From A BMW 335d

The mighty M57, the 3.0L inline-six diesel powerplant offered in 2009 to 2011 BMW 335d sedans is a hell of a platform to make horsepower with—and Matt Santjer of Santjer Performance Development continues to prove it. He recently bolted his 335d to a hub dyno and squeezed 921-rwhp and 1,177 lb-ft of torque through its slipping 8HP70 transmission. The impressive numbers were made possible thanks to dual CP3’s and S&S injectors, a triple turbo arrangement, and a single shot of nitrous. Full disclosure: the M57 has been built to withstand the abuse, abuse that will soon entail 1,000-rwhp. Even better yet, Matt is planning to dip into the 5’s (eighth-mile) at the upcoming Diesel Truck Wars race in North Carolina.

+423 LB-FT With The All-New “Comp Box”

If you were into diesels 20 years ago, you know the original “Comp Box” from Edge Products was the only way to truly unlock big power from the ’98.5-’02 second-gens. Now, Edge has reinvested in the VP44-fueled, 24-valve 5.9L Cummins platform and released an all-new version—complete with better fueling capability and improved in-cab adjustability. The new Comp Box entails a brand-new module, the same style wiring harness you’re used to (still tapping the pump wire), brings improved drivability, more fuel, bigger torque and higher rpm to the table. A wireless Bluetooth switch provides for power setting changes on the fly and a downloadable app allows you to tweak injection timing right from your iPhone or Android. With a bone-stock ’01 Ram strapped to the dyno at Edge, the new Comp Box unlocked an additional 423 lb-ft and 140 hp.

Tractor Pulling

A Wild Ride In Kentucky

Phillip Anderson’s alcohol-fed, “Under Pressure” Ford took a sketchy ride at a September 2nd Battle of the Bluegrass pull in Leitchfield, Kentucky. A series of hard bounces brought the left front tire down hard, breaking the splindle and sending the tire airborne before the 6,000-pound Light Limited Super Stock came to a halt on its side. It may not have occurred at 35 mph, or happened in a 10,000-pound machine, but it’s always worrisome to see a high-powered tractor lay over. Luckily, Phillip escaped without a scratch. And, thankfully, the tire was contained before it could make it into the stands.