Unmodified Tundra to pull 300,000 lb space shuttle

[Rhymingmechanic]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
from the usatoday
Quote:

Even though it practiced for months, pulling the 292,000-pound trailer turned out to be no big deal. The engine never even revved hard. When the truck started effortlessly pulling the shuttle -- in four-wheel-drive low, naturally -- the crowd of several hundred broke into a "USA, USA" chant.


English is not my native language but that sentence starting with "Even" just seems to be wrong. Doesn't usatoday employee any editors?


Good point. The phrase "turned out to be no big deal" is too casual, even compared to the language in the rest of the article.

 

[Vikas]

Generally, it would go like "even though I practiced very hard for the test, I still had trouble answering all the questions". You don't say "even though I studied hard, the test was a breeze".

 

[surfstar]

Would we have four pages of bickering if it was an 'american' brand that payed the $$ for this publicity stunt?

 

[Dakota1820]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
There is video on YouTube. Meh, I bet a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge could tow it. The question is, could Chevyboy's F150 tow it?

hahaha id hook to it. leave that tundra hooked to it and ill drag the tundra and the shuttle. my old ford would do it lol. please realize i am kidding.

 

[Vikas]

If chevyboy can get another door sticker printed for his F150, he will put the space shuttle in his truck bed!

 

[tom slick]

Maybe it's a Toyota because Toyota NA headquarters is 30 miles away from where the Shuttle is headed?

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
Maybe it's a Toyota because Toyota NA headquarters is 30 miles away from where the Shuttle is headed?

They actually state in the link above why the Tundra came to be on towing the Space Shuttle.

Quote:
Toyota's participation towing the space shuttle was in support of an existing partnership between Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., and the California Science Center to provide support the education of the public through exhibits and programs.

Toyota currently has a Tundra truck on display at the science center in an exhibit demonstrating the physics of leverage. The Tundra that was used to tow Endeavour Friday will replace the Tundra now on exhibit and will be on display after the shuttle's pavilion opens on Oct. 30.


For all the political fallout and angst of why a domestic brand was not chosen, a few simple facts about the Tundra throw those arguments out the window. This includes:

1. Tundra was design and engineered in the USA.

2. It is built in San Antonio, TX.

3. Tundra has the highest domestic USA made content of any 1/2 ton pickup.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: tom slick
Maybe it's a Toyota because Toyota NA headquarters is 30 miles away from where the Shuttle is headed?

They actually state in the link above why the Tundra came to be on towing the Space Shuttle.

Quote:
Toyota's participation towing the space shuttle was in support of an existing partnership between Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., and the California Science Center to provide support the education of the public through exhibits and programs.

Toyota currently has a Tundra truck on display at the science center in an exhibit demonstrating the physics of leverage. The Tundra that was used to tow Endeavour Friday will replace the Tundra now on exhibit and will be on display after the shuttle's pavilion opens on Oct. 30.


For all the political fallout and angst of why a domestic brand was not chosen, a few simple facts about the Tundra throw those arguments out the window. This includes:

1. Tundra was design and engineered in the USA.

2. It is built in San Antonio, TX.

3. Tundra has the highest domestic USA made content of any 1/2 ton pickup.


What is your source for #3?

Going by this list:

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0712

The F-150 has the highest domestic parts content of any truck and the 2nd highest of any vehicle on the list.

And this list has the F-150 in the #1 spot (this list is only trucks):

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/03/what-percentage-of-your-truck-is-made-in-america.html

What is perhaps more concerning is how much more domestic parts content the Tundra, F-150 and Ridgeline (yes, I included the Ridgeline, because they did.....) have than the GM and to a lesser extent, RAM trucks

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL


What is your source for #3?

Going by this list:

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0712

The F-150 has the highest domestic parts content of any truck and the 2nd highest of any vehicle on the list.


Well I will not live or die on #3 and concede that for now. If you google it, you will finding depending on year, they have either tied or exceeded the domestics with as much as 75%-80% domestic content.

Point being, they are up there with the rest.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL


What is your source for #3?

Going by this list:

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0712

The F-150 has the highest domestic parts content of any truck and the 2nd highest of any vehicle on the list.


Well I will not live or die on #3 and concede that for now. If you google it, you will finding depending on year, they have either tied or exceeded the domestics with as much as 75%-80% domestic content.

Point being, they are up there with the rest.


IIRC, for the longest time the F-150 held the top spot until it was displaced by the Camry. Then there was a brief dark period where DPC on it dropped, but then came right back up shortly thereafter.

We were talking about this somewhat recently in another thread (domestic part content) and I looked up the F-150 then, so it was fresh in my mind that it was in the #2 spot. So when I saw you post that, I knew it wasn't right based on any of the sources for 2012 that I'd read.

But back to your point about the Tundra, certainly it is right up there. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone that a truck purpose-built for the North American market was designed and assembled here. We are, as far as I know, the only consumers of the full-sized Tundra pick-up, and if it IS exported outside of North America, the numbers are so tiny they are insignificant.