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After losing $12.7 billion last year, Ford is facing financial problems which have led to the sale of the ultra-luxury brand Aston Martin. The European car brand was sold by the Dearborn-based car manufacturer earlier this year to give its financial status a boost. Lately though, the company is still posting reduced sale. This has led the company to put Jaguar and Land Rover in the auction block.

One of the potential buyers for the British brands is the same equity firm that has taken the money-loosing Chrysler from the hands of DaimlerChrysler AG. Cerberus, the private equity firm, is currently ironing out the purchase of 80 percent of the Chrysler Group.

Aside from acquiring Chrysler, Cerberus is reported to be interested in the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. It is reported that the firm has approached Ford concerning the sale of the two British brands. The talks though between the car manufacturer and the private equity firm have not resulted to Cerberus offering to buy the two brands.

Ford has already hired the services of financial firms to come up with a price for the Jaguar and the Land Rover. Merrill Lynch estimated that Ford could bring in as much as $1.5 billion from the sale of the two brands. Other firms and analysts have estimated that Ford can get as much as $8 billion for the British brands.

If Ford would indeed sell the two British brands for $1.5 billion, they will be losing a lot of money in the process. FoMoCo bought the two brands for more than $8 billion and they have already invested a lot in the brands. The losses incurred by both brands in the past years will also haunt Ford if they will sell the two for as low as $1.5 billion.

It is important that Jaguar should be sold alongside Land Rover since both brands are developed by Ford to become interdependent with each other apparently not expecting that they would have to sell them. Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles are even manufactured in the same assembly facility - similar to the way Ford manufactures its vehicles' auto parts. The company manufactures components such as Ford window motors on assembly facilities which also produce Mazda components.

Another issue being looked into the possible sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Cerberus is how it will complement the Chrysler Group which is already in Cerberus' portfolio. One suggestion is that Land Rover and Jeep vehicles can share the same platform thus reducing production cost. As for Jaguar, it is hard to place it in the Chrysler mix. One possibility though is that Jaguar vehicles can be equipped with the legendary Hemi engines which would surely make waves in the auto performance enthusiasts circle.

Once Jaguar and Land Rover is sold, the Premiere Automotive Group (PAG) will only have Volvo. While the Swedish brand is considered as premium, it is not a luxury car brand. This means that Ford will only be left with Lincoln to compete at the highly profitable luxury car market. The brand is currently being dominated by other luxury brands such as Cadillac, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. Ford will have to come up with a way to revitalize Lincoln so that it can be a strong contender in the luxury car market. As for Cerberus, taking on car brands which are performing poorly will truly be a challenge.

Katie Jones writes for a local newspaper and her beat involves the latest updates in the automotive industry. She is also working on her book on cars during her spare time. Please visit Ford window motors for more information.

A Look At The Mercury Monterey And Mountaineer Engine

If you're into family vans and mid-size SUVs, you'll want to take a look at the engines of the Mercury Monterey and the Mountaineer and what makes them a hit with satisfied owners.

The Monterey minivan was launched in 2004 to replace the Mercury Villager, derived from the Ford Freestar with added features. It held its own as a versatile family van with good safety and luxury features.

The Mercury Monterey engine is a 4.2-liter V6 Essex, putting out 201 horses and 252 lb·ft (342 N·m) of torque with a 96.5 mm bore, 95 mm stroke and 9.3 compression ratio. This engine is standard equipment on all models marketed in Mexico and Canada.

Ford stopped producing the 4.2-liter V6 after 2008, drawing the curtains on the engine, but not before it had proven its worth as replacement in the 1997 model year for the Ford 300 straight six (used by the F-150), which was beginning to show its age.

The Mercury Monterey engine sports a sturdy cylinder head design that addressed the problem of cracked heads. It also has hydraulic roller lifters that required lower maintenance than previous designs that were prone to oil contamination and tended to require early replacement.

This pushrod OHV was produced until 2000 and was used in the Ford Explorer, Ford Aerostar, Mazda B4000 and Ford Ranger, as well, making it a worthy workhorse for many and not just a Mercury Monterey engine.

The Mountaineer, a good choice offering generous space for families who go for occasional off-road driving, has two engine choices: The Cologne, a 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 and the Modular, a 292-hp 4.6-liter V8.

The standard Mercury Mountaineer engine is a V6 that packs 254 lb-ft of torque with a hefty towing capacity of 5,305 lbs, while the 3-valve SOHC V8 delivers 315 lb-ft to two up to 7,040 lbs.

The Modular has an interesting history. It belongs to Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft (OHC) V8 and V10 gasoline engine family, which gradually replaced the Windsor small-block and 385 big-block engines over several years in the mid-1990s.

This Mercury Mountaineer engine was initially produced in the company's plant in Romeo, Michigan, and then additional capacity was ramped up by the plant situated in Windsor, Ontario.

There is an interesting sidelight to the Mercury Mountaineer engine. Contrary to initial belief, the Modular's name was not derived from the way it was designed or shares parts with other members of the engine family, but it was named that way in honor of a manufacturing plant protocol, where the facility's layout and tooling infrastructure could be switched out in a jiffy to turn out differing versions of the engine's family.

If you are in the market for a Mercury Monterey engine, you should deal with a shop or supplier who is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This is because BBB certification indicates that you will be getting your engine from a business outfit that follows ethical standards for customer service and satisfaction.

About the Author

The same is true for the Mercury Mountaineer engine. And for that finishing touch, ask for a six-month warranty or longer, like a year, for complete confidence on your purchase and your ride.

Have a '95 Ford Ranger 4x4 which needed a motor. Put in one from an Aerostar that ran but now can't get spark?

The motor ran when it was in the Aerostar. 4 different people have looked at it and can't figure it out, INCLUDING FORD! If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated! If you need more info just ask....I will answer right away!

Did you change the computer with the engine, or just the long block? You may have different ignition systems, blown fuse, pinched a wire during reinstallation. I would start with checking the fuses for "ECM". For pinched wires, check the bellhousing bolts or motor mounts first. I've made that mistake myself. Always start simple

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