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I went shopping at bookstore today and found, "CAR" magazine. A publication froom the U.K. July 2008, pg 80, an interview with J Mays. The interviewer was very depreciating of Thunderbird, but Mays set him straight, "Halo image, limited intention, car company making 1 million trucks each year, Thunderbird was not intended to solve Ford's volume sales"
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Re: newest collecting find
In this weekend Sun-Sentinal they had a feature on the Ford Thunderbird.Article started with the '55 thru '05.Bottom line was it maybe come a collector but "enjoy it as a fun ,reliable cruising machine that's best deployed on sunny-day jaunts over smooth highways and with the hardtop stowed in the garage."sigpic -
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In some places, like Charleston, the hardtop defeats the whole purpose of the Thunderbird. When you can raise or lower the top in 10 seconds at a stop light, why would you want to be restricted to going home and winching the hardtop off? There are many days in December and yes, even January when one has a top down afternoon. Lovin' it more every year!Originally posted by Ediron View Post
Cal
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Calvin, that really hurts.....In New England, just driving a Thunderbird in December and January is like a death sentence for our cars paint....Rocks and salt would do a real number on them.....But I do love your thinking. Anytime you can drop the top on one of our Birds and go for a drive, is like a little slice of heaven....To be honest, I do jump in the car in the winter and just back it out of the garage, and drive it up the street a couple of hundred yards. I just need my Bird FIX......
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One of the reason's to like Florida Top Down most of the time.Right now it's best in the evening as it's hot.But in the winter months
when it's in the hi 50's -60's you can't beat it.
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.....ours is an 02 daily driver with 97000km. on the clock (I wonder if mileage rolls over and starts again at 100k.) Enjoy the top on during the winter months...We do get winter here on the lone prairie...I'm surprised at how well the paint has stood up...It appears to be a hard finish, compared to a '00 Mustang I had which was really bad....Comment
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Originally posted by EllisonCal View PostIn some places, like Charleston, the hardtop defeats the whole purpose of the Thunderbird. Cal
The hardtop makes the Thunderbird.
I get many more stares and pointed fingers with the top on. To the non car person, it's just another rag-top, with the top down.
But put the top on, especially with a contrasting color, and everyone notices the two tone look and porthole windows they may not know what it is, but they know it's not just another rag-top..
I don't have clearance in my garage for a hoist, but if I did, I would probable take the top on and off every other week.
It's like owning two different cars, just ask the guys with two Birds, most keep one top on and one top off.
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“THE EDGE,there is no honest way to explain itbecause the only people who really know where it isare the ones who have gone over.”Comment
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^^^What he said^^^!!! It's true...one top on, one top off...depending on the day! But the porthole really grabs the attention.Originally posted by JAB02LHS View Post
The hardtop makes the Thunderbird.
I get many more stares and pointed fingers with the top on. To the non car person, it's just another rag-top, with the top down.
But put the top on, especially with a contrasting color, and everyone notices the two tone look and porthole windows they may not know what it is, but they know it's not just another rag-top..
I don't have clearance in my garage for a hoist, but if I did, I would probable take the top on and off every other week.
It's like owning two different cars, just ask the guys with two Birds, most keep one top on and one top off.
Of course, now that we've added the Shelby convert to the nest...er, ah...stable...I may not take the hardtops off for awhile!
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Goldilocks~Venomous~Moondoggie
Drive like you mean it!!
~Elle~Comment
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I know I have always been a convertible girl, the car I had before my T-Bird is a Chrysler Sebring Convertible (we still have it) and I took the top down all the time. I have had my T-Bird for almost a month now and I still have the hard top on. I love how it looks and I love the porthole windows. Everyone keeps asking me when the top is going to come off, funny thing is I am in no hurry to do it! Since I don't have a hoist and have to store the top at an off-site storage facility taking it on and off on a regular basis would be too difficult!
Wish I could have a few of them like some of you do and have one with the top on and one with the top off! That would solve my problem! Somehow I don't think that I will be able to make my boyfriend understand this logic!Comment
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Cal,
I agree with you. However one could argue that August is hard top time in the Carolinas. Last summer August had 25 days over 95 F and 9 of them over 100 F.
If I could find a white or cashmere hard top I would buy it. But they are not needed here. My TBird was ordered on spec by dealer without top in April 02. I sat in it the day it arrived, and drove out 45 minutes later. In NJ it sat in garage each winter. This year I was top down on New Year's day.
Endless head room is always the best
Bill TComment
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Originally posted by catb1rd View Post
Lisa, I too have an 02 blue bird with the blue top - absolutely love it, and I also prefer it with the top on - the portholes and roof lines are perfect. However, a word of caution - you should take off the hard top to inspect the soft top - I didn't do that for several months after buying my TBird last year, and when I finally decided to go "topless", there were those evil mildew stains on the top and rear glass - not sure if it was due to the former owner not drying the soft top properly before retracting it, or just a normal build-up of mildew. To this day, I am still using RAGGTOPP cleaner to restore the soft top (black tops are a bugger to clean !!). Anyway, it would be wise to check the soft top periodically - and enjoy the sun !! Cheers....MarkComment
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Thanks for the tip Mark, we are actually probably going to take the top off next week, I know I should've done it when I bought it but I got swept up in the whole event and the car was 70 miles from my house so I just figured I would do it when I got home, it has now been a month! Thanks for the advice!Originally posted by 02bluebird View PostComment
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I can't remember who it was, but one of our group in Savannah met a man there who has had an '02 since...'02! And he DIDN'T KNOW it was a convertible!!!
I ran into someone a couple years ago who was also oblivious. While I do prefer the looks with the hardtop on, you just have to run it topless from time to time!
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Goldilocks~Venomous~Moondoggie
Drive like you mean it!!
~Elle~Comment
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That man was from Buffalo, NY. He bought his Bird new. Said the dealer never told him that there was a convertible soft top under his hard top. You would think he would ask questions about the items that came with a new Bird....soft boot. stand, cover, tool.......that is if the dealer gave them to him. He knows now. We gave him the web site address, but haven''t seen him register yet.Comment
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We had the hard top on for several weeks during in Dec. 2005.....took it off and never put it on again....North Texas weather allows you to use the soft top year around.
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