Is anyone else concerned that insurance is going to be sky high for the 2015's? I would think the availability of parts would shoot prices thru the roof.

 

Pretty sure parts availability will not be a problem. Repairing aluminum body panels will. Whole new set of skills for working with aluminum instead of steel and either you bondo the heck out of it, or replace panel. Claim costs will be thru the roof, so will insurance premiums.

 

Cost of repair is a relatively small part of the cost of insurance around here. Liability is more than half, so even if these are much more expensive to repair (either due to parts or labour or tools or ??), it shouldn't be too bad.

Once they are on the road I think I'll get a quote from my insurance guy just for kicks.

 

I don't think the repairs will be too bad. In the 31 years I worked for the USPS we switched from the old Jeeps to the Grumann LLV (long life vehicle). Repairs to the aluminum body were not too difficult, and there is no rust. I'm looking forward to seeing the new generation of F-150's!

 

aluminum work is a lost art to most . Doable ? YES ...

 

Didn't I read that Ford said the body parts were made to be replaced, not repaired? Not much body work is repair anymore anyway.

 

About to be found again I would guess

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I'm interested to see how aluminum will affect resale. As long as Ford engineers can minimize galvanic corrosion, the body should remain in good shape minus any dents and dings it picks up. My point is you won't have a rusted through body in 5-10 years up in the rust belt like you get now with all brands. I've got an aluminum fishing boat that is over 60 years old, that has spent much of it's life sitting outside and has held up very nicely considering all the rocks it's bumped up against and been dragged over getting it in and out of the water (rarely use a boat ramp.) There is some oxidation but considering it is bare metal, that is to be expected, and aluminum oxidation is nothing compared to steel rusting.

 

At my work, we have an aluminum work station with a new aluminum mig and spot welder. We have been repairing aluminum on vehicles for years but are now getting our certifications because of the extensive use of aluminum in vehicles over the past handful of years. It's not hard for us in the collision industry to repair and weld aluminum, but the processes must be strictly adhered to for a proper repair.

 

How about painting and prepping it? It seems like there are a lot of vehicles with bubbling paint on aluminum panels such as the lift gate on newer expeditions, hoods, etc.

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When prepping aluminum for paint, the sandpapers must not have been used on any other metal, or cross contamination can happen such as oxidation blistering. An acid etch material or epoxy must be used before applying primer as well for proper adhesion (something that should be done on any metal for adhesion and corrosion resistance. Finer grade sanding grits need to be used on aluminum as well due to it's a softer metal. Aluminum can corrode, and if it's not properly treated at the factory, it can blister and oxidize after a scratch or stone chip.

 

I am with you here. It should be interesting to see how it plays out. The only thing I can tell people is to compare like crazy. (There are blogs and stuff online i.e. Auto Insurance | Compare Car Insurance Quotes Online , etc). Plus I would also look at some welding or aluminum forums just to see how workers are adapting to the new skills set.

 

The shop I work for is a Ford certified repair facility (as well as other makes), and being certified to repair aluminum is a must to be able to maintain the factory warranty in the case of a collision repair. There are strict criteria to repair aluminum that must be adhered to for a proper repair, so making sure the shop is a properly equipped shop and doing the repair properly is a must.