Guess I've heard it all now...

[bronzebird]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

At Savannah Thunder in July 2008 a bunch of us met a couple from New York (I think). They owned a retro Thunderbird and had no idea that the hard top came off to make a convertible. As far as know they never did join TBN.

Charlie:

I remember talking to that couple and could not believe they could be so incredibly naive. I honestly thought they were putting us one but they did sound sincere. I pointed out the top lever and the control button but all I got in return was a blank stare.

Bronzebird

[PaBlkBrd]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Let's get something straight...this guy had this car for 3 years and NEVER noticed the up/down button on the dash for the top..hummmm; didn't wonder what the T-handle was for...and, by the way has he lived under a freakin rock...has not seen another T-Bird around with the top down and wondered...hummmm, maybe my car should be doing that. Perhaps, he was pulling your leg when he said he didn't know what the "lil lever was fo".....LOL. HeHeHeHeHeHeHeHe

My thoughts also....I find it very hard to believe!

[5bird7]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

I don't find it hard to believe - not when I met a male owner who had no idea where the hood release latch was inside his car - and he had had his car for 3 months at the time I met him. I figured he just took his car in for service when it needed it and that was that.

[FritsB]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

I agree with Dot, you see and hear weird things about cars.

One of my sisters girlfriends was complaining about the difficulty she had with filling oil in the engine. She could not understand why car manufacturers made such a little hole in the engine to fill it up. She spoiled a lot over it and underneath while doing so.
We then found out she had tried to fill it up via the hole that holds the gauging rod

[Carmino]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

I hope these folks are not reproducing - - I'm scared, very scared.

[Ski]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Be kind folks. Please be kind. You all are a special breed of enthusiasts. Some of you are even gearheads and want to know every possible thing you can about your car. I'm really into my T-bird but frankly the tech talk is way over my head. That's why I have a mechanic. However, I did read the owner's manual.

[bwlewis]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Ski, I have to agree with you on everything, even though I am a gear head / wrench turner at heart, I still read the owner's manual on anything I drive whetherit is new, new to me or "issued" by the boss. I try to remind all those in training sessions of this too.....read the manual before getting on the road and wondering where the wiper switch is when the thunderstorm catches you off guard.

[islandtime]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

OK - for all the skeptics, perhaps I should reiterate the entire scenario with Mr. Rick.

1. He purchased the car from a very small used car lot - probably not a very savvy salesperson there.

2. He has no owner's manual, no hard-top caddy, no tools, etc. Nothing. All he got was the car (for $16k, in 06).

3. I asked about the top-down switch - he thought it was a blank. NOW - before you start breaking that one down - we have the little 'switches' marked for heated seats in our Shelby, but they are BLANKS. Our Shelby does not have heated seats, so it's logical Mr. Rick thought the top-down switch was a blank, having been told his Bird was NOT a convertible.

4. Not all Bird owners are as 'into' their cars as most of us are here on TBN. We are quite a different breed. I've known some people who went their entire lives without knowing where the gas tank was., For the sake of the innocent, I will not name names. Thank God I didn't fall into that vat.

5. Mr. Rick had some other mis-information about the retro Bird. I corrected him, and strongly suggested he check in here. He didn't know what a COP was, and while he's had a couple issues with the engine, he's never had it checked out. I referred him to my service rep at Freedom Ford.

Now - if he actually does check in here, could we all be nice? I imagine he's probably feeling pretty humiliated by now.

[darsinewman]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Someone please send him a hard top removal tool! I'm actually a little jealous of him - enjoying the car for 3 years and then, just when the new might be wearing off, he gets to enjoy a whole new side of it! We should congratulate him (and maybe laugh WITH him) instead of laughing AT him!

[FUN X 3]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Maybe this whole thread should be wiped clean off the site, just a suggestion.

[2k2tbird]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Maybe this whole thread should be wiped clean off the site, just a suggestion.

Oh Phil, I agree with you!
Janice

[Ski]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Oh Phil, I agree with you!
Janice

I'd keep the thread as I am certain this will come up again as we meet other folks. Besides, I have to believe the intent was not to humiliate anyone but pass on an amusing story. I've had to ask what COPS and Borlas were not too long ago and noticed that other have done the same since.

[5bird7]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

I think many of us didn't know about coils on plugs until after we bought these cars.

[Ski]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

Dot, that's probably true but I didn't feel less the idiot for asking the obvious.

[Meowgal]

Re: Guess I've heard it all now...

I can relate in some ways...I keep finding new things on the Prius I owne....the manual was/is so big, I just never got around to reading it...I take it to the dealer for scheduled maintenance, but the salesman didn't show me all the little things. and I bought new! I was chatting with another Prius owner when I found out about all the "secret" storage compartments...and I had owned it for a year.

I'm a little jealous too...he must feel as if he has a new car and also that he is the luckiest guy in the world right now!!!! We Tbird owners are lucky!!! And I hope he finds his way over to discover more things about our retro birds!