The Wow Factor

[Lindy]

(for the life of me, I cannot find the original Wow Factor thread to post this)

Last evening I pulled up at the local upscale liquor and beverage store with the portholes on, and two different customers were just walking out with their merchandise, the lady, about 60 +/-, catches a glimpse, and says “what KIND of car is that?!” …as I am entering the store I proudly yell out , “it’s a Thunderbird”…so I make my purchase of non-alcoholic sparkling juice and quickly am out the door, the other customer, a man about 55 +/- yet loading his merchandise asks: “What year is that car?”…I answer: “an 02”…he looks at me like I am crazy…tilts his head…and gives me a second stare…as if I just contradicted myself because I had just yelled out “it’s a Thunderbird.” I said that they only made them from ’02 to ’05. He, for a second, evidently thought it was something from yester-year. I said it is a sort of retro-Thunderbird. He said: retro-Thunderbird?!!! Never heard of it! Both people were very wowed! Maybe Ford did too good of a job at bringing the Thunderbird back.

[007Cruiser]

Re: The Wow Factor

When mine was still new, someone asked "Is that the original paint?". I just answered "yes".

[timkustom]

Re: The Wow Factor

Sorta happened to me as well.

At the courthouse getting the tags for it, they had to "check the VIN."

She asks where is it, I point at it. She's still looking and asks, "It's black right?" I say, "yeah, over there with the white top."

She goes: "Oooh, it's a NEW car that looks like an OLD car. That looks like something Frank Sinatra would drive!"

Ha, just call me Frank...

[Sealy]

Re: The Wow Factor

Somewhere on the board is my post about the slightly inebriated frat boy in College Park, MD. I was stopped at a light, he was on an island - started going on and on about how fabulous the T-Bird was, how it was probably way-expensive, and then wanted to know what kind of doctor I was - 'cause only doctors drive such fantastic, expensive cars. He was still going when the light changed.

[Treken]

Re: The Wow Factor

(for the life of me, I cannot find the original Wow Factor thread to post this)

http://www.thunderbirdnest.com/forum...ghlight=factor

[Lindy]

Re: The Wow Factor

Thank's Trekken, yeah, that's the thread that I was looking for.

[Ski]

Re: The Wow Factor

Well, there is a new thread now. I got it today when the valet parking attendent at the Cambridge Hyatt brought my car to me. He said, "That's a beautiful car, Mister. As soon as I turned the key I knew it was special!" Gotta love the Borla's.

[MEK04]

Re: The Wow Factor

Picked up the boss at work last night. I was parked in front of the building. A new Vette stops, the driver looks over the car and yells nice car. Told him his wasn't too shabby either.

[My T]

Re: The Wow Factor

At a traffic light. mid-day last week ( long light because of trucks working on overhead wires nearby ). Guy in the other lane says: "Wow, your car is in great for condition for something about 50 years old". I smiled. The light turned green, I thanked him and moved on. Yes, I felt kind of smug.

[Welker]

Re: The Wow Factor

We live a few miles outside Prescott which is on a mesa and about 100 miles from Phoenix/ Scottsdale where you see lots of Laborginis, Maseratis, Ferraris but not many T Birds. Here in Prescott, home of about every retiree in the country there are at least ten T Birds being driven on what seems to be a daily basis and I see one just about every time I drive into town.....and every time I drive into town somebody comments on how great the car looks. The other day some guy said to my wife who had driven into town that he didn't like the shape of the trunk on "that Ford". My wife told him he must be an unhappy man to be in such a minority position and she felt sorry for anybody who had such a perception problem.

[FUN X 3]

Re: The Wow Factor

My favorite two-

Back in 2003, drive-thru window at the bank, the young lady teller motioned excitedly to some others and three others came over, all four drooling over the Bird in the big teller window. They asked over the speaker "What year is your Thunderbird?" I said "Guess!" They guessed 1963. They didn't believe me when I told them it was a 2002.

Same year, coming back from Skyline Drive on Rt.211 in Warrenton, the passenger window of a PT Cruiser comes down, driver Mom yells past her about 12 year old son in the passenger seat "My son doesn't want a Lotus anymore, he wants one of those!"

[nj susan]

Re: The Wow Factor

I just got a new car -Mike took the hard top off my little red toy. High 80s today and perfect sunny day for a cruise to the Chatterbox.

[Treken]

Re: The Wow Factor

I am beginning to think that the most popular question asked by strangers for our cars is: WHAT YEAR IS YOUR CAR?

At least that is what I have experienced...

I wonder if the same is asked by any other car made, and that goes for the new retros out there as well...(doubt it)

A buddy of mine that owns a 57 Chevy for the last 25 years+, and is a daily driver, (believe it or not) says the most asked question he gets is: DO YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR CAR...

He says he is asked almost every day...

[Guest]

Re: The Wow Factor

A funny story from a couple of weeks ago.

We hired a new landscaper to trim our tall hedges in our backyard. While he was working away, I was in my favourite room in the house (ie. the garage or "nest"), tinkering as usual on the TBird. He soon came into the nest, his eyes lit up when he saw Blingbird, and very quickly said.... "I saw this car 2 weekends ago at Canadian Tire...." - he even remembered the time.

Moral of the story - if you don't like being noticed... don't own a Retrobird.

[JoelK]

Re: The Wow Factor

I got pulled over last weekend. No ticket, no warning, nothing. He said I looked lost....I swear he just liked the car.......