Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

[bobc4383]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

Drove from Indianapolis to Wichita KS last weekend (is that out of the 'window'?). Got 22-25.2 mpg - on a straight road got up to 95 with lots of pedal left. Had rain going out but nice weather on the way back (about 4 hours of top down interstate driving). Strangest moment: on the MS-IL border, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw my bird (red T-bird with the top down but had in IL front plate). They got off at the exit so we waved as we departed. Too bad we didn't have a rest area to trade info.

Very comfortable car for two folks in their early 60's.

Bob (USAF Ret and NRA member).

[ArgonV]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

My wife's cousin passed away so my wife and I took a road trip in my '03 Torch Red Tbird to Baton Rouge for the funeral. We stopped in Lake Charles on the way back last night and had lunch there before we left back to College Station. Weather was horrible the whole way, but I'd much rather drive my TBird than her '04 Kia Spectra. ;) I need to get her a bath when the weather gets better (My TBird, not my wife).

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

WELL LAST NIGHT WAS OUR CTCI CLUB MEETING AND WE TOOK THE DSB WITH THE TOP DOWN. THERE WERE SIX NEW BIRDS THERE AND FOUR OLD ONES. TODAY WE TOOK A MORNING DRIVE IN THE VMG WITH THE TOP DOWN AND ENJOYED THE COOL MOUNTAIN MORNING IN NORTH EAST TENNESSEE. THIS AFTERNOON CLEAN UP ON THE WW AND THEN ANOTHER SHORT TRIP WITH THE TOP DOWN. MORE FUN THAN THE LAW ALLOWS.

[MidLifeBird]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

I drive my car almost every day, but oddly enough it hasn't even been started this weekend. I made an out of town trip with my Dad in his car to the 'Shades of the Past' car cruise-in at Pigeon Forge, TN. There were literally thousands of hot rods, street rods, antique and collector cars there. Once we arrived I immediately wished we had taken the T-bird, as Thunderbirds of all makes were present. I saw several Retros cruising around. The were also several 55-57's for sale. The asking prices seemed to have slipped from a few years ago. I also have a 'new' T-bird body style to lust after. I've always wanted a '56, but I think I might prefer a '61 'Bullet Bird' instead, as long as it's a convertible. The most interesting T-bird I saw was a '58 model with an '03 motor and transmisson. That's not a common choice for a retrofit to say the least, but it was really well done.

[snowbird]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

...what did you do with your Thunderbird this weekend?

There are only a few weeks left before many of you will be storing your bird for the winter. Which means some of you only have a few weeks left to make some Tbird history for 2009.

my story for the weekend - we are having some much needed rain so the 'birds have been sheltered.

We took the '007 out for a 'top down' drive today in Niagara wine country. Spent about 4 hours tooring the back and secondary roads. On the way home we took the lakeshore by Hamilton bay and just as we got to the 'draw bridge', it started to lift to let some of the boats through. No sooner had we stopped and a 'Merlot' (Burgandy ?) '04 pulled up behind us. Tried to pass them a card later but failed. Anyway, that's my story and I am sticking to it.
Great day for a cruise, MartinB.

[FEsTbird]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

Just ordinary NorCal driving around town. Topless on most drives. Looks like we may have had our last really hot days (cross our fingers) so weather should be pretty nice for the next 6 weeks or so, meaning lots of topless driving on errands. We go on a cruise around Australia in November, so the judgment call for hardtop installation will probably come between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[BIRD 42]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

Dot.
We have had 6.73 inches of rain on the electronic rain gauge since lunch on Wednesday. WOW sure glad it has been rain instead of snow. Just think how much snow that would equal.

James, Let us know about the Christmas light tour this year and see if we can get something going. I hear you have a couple that are really nice. Do not plan on putting the top back on until around Thanksgiving.

The bird has been in its nest all weekend.

Mike

[tbird6t4]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

[quote=02bluebird;364086]I do things backwards. I just took off my beloved white hardtop as Blingbird slowly prepares for storage. Need to "air out" the soft top - totally different look now - think I want to put the hardtop back on.

U mean that top comes off???? :flames: Better get some sun screen on Bling The Thunderbear he is so pale he might get a heck of a sun burn.

Gord.

[JoelK]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

My wife talked me into taking mine out to the Milford Lyons car show. It had rained all last night so I was really reluctant to do so- but I won my division. Check out my new avatar. This is my first "first place" trophy.

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

Rain, rain, rain about every day for the last week .... T-bird tucked safely in the nest.

[steelblue5505]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

I have got to ask: What effect does rain have on a Bird that so many of you are so reluctant to have the car out in the rain?

It is still only the 13th of September, there is many many beautiful days to come yet and all those Indian Summer Days in october, you all will missing some great top down days.

Our HT usually doesn't go on until early December when the weather finally does get nasty and then back off by the 10th of March as the Spring weather get dry again.

[ArgonV]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

For me, heavy rain is tricky because I have performance tires (Read: More slick). But I drive in the rain anyway. Just got to drive much slower and watch the water on the road. Also, I think many TBirds have a leaky cowl which can cause COP problems when lots of water pours down the windshield. I've fixed this on mine temporarily with some waterproof tape over the rubber lip.

[5bird7]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

rain in Texas means cleaning the car all over again as the roads get very dirty between rain storms - we avoid it when we can. We have many more good days than rainy ones so its easy to skip the rain if we don't have to be out in it.

It's still sprinkling outside.

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

I don't have any problem with driving the car in the rain when I need to (just made a 6800 mile/29 day trip in it), but I don't see much reason to have to clean it up if it is not necessary. With 4 cars to keep clean, I try to not have more than a couple dirty at a time.

As far as our hardtop goes, it hasn't been on in over 5 years and there are no plans for it to be on anytime soon. While we have plenty of winter in northeast Oklahoma, we also get random 65 - 75 degree days between November and February and I want to be prepared for top down driving when those days happen. The only time I've had a hardtop on the car in the mentioned time frame was to help out in a couple of hardtop relays.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Instead of a penny for your thoughts...

It is still only the 13th of September, there is many many beautiful days to come yet and all those Indian Summer Days in october, you all will missing some great top down days..

I don't take my hardtop off till mid May and put it on late October. The main reason is that I love the look of the two-tone and portholes nothing to do with the weather. It's like getting a new car twice a year.
Car gets put away the first time they salt the streets.