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I know Many of You Know Cars Well... Advice on My Current Car Goal?

  1. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Jul 30, 2014

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    I've seen a lot of beautiful car photos posted on this website - some owned by their posters and some merely admired. I'm not wealthy by any stretch. I own a 1991 Plymouth Duster in candy red and won't plan on buyer a new car anytime soon.

    Still, I've been working hard to one day own a car I will love to drive every day and is within my budget.

    That brings me to a car I'm interested in pursuing one day: The latest Thunderbird, from Ford.

    [​IMG]

    It maintains the aesthetic qualities of the 1950's that I love so much, while being modern (2000-2005) and thus easier to maintain and find parts for. Many have removable hard tops (love!) and an automatic transmission that can shift into a manual mode. It maintains a 3.9 liter V8 engine. I feel the price is something I can strive for. They go from $10,000-$20,000.

    It's not a true vintage beauty, as many of the cars you guys show are - but it's an affordable way to maintain that spirit.

    Do you guys have opinions on the car choice? I'm very open to criticism/advice.
     
  2. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Jul 30, 2014

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    Always makes me think of Adriana from the Sopranos
     
    tpatta likes this.
  3. blackwatch wants tickets to the HyperBole. Jul 30, 2014

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    My only reservation about those is that since they were "limited production" (I mean, not really, but... ) which means you pay a premium over their actual value. With regard to convertibles (in general), be aware that they tend to shake themselves apart much faster than hardtops, because by their nature the body isn't very rigid. I sure wish I had a convertible though.

    I just looked up the specs on the tbird and realized that they have v8's and rear wheel drive. :)
     
  4. Darlinboy Pratts! Will I B******S!!! Jul 30, 2014

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    I have always thought it was a very stylish car, with a retro vintage look that belies the relatively recent production run. IIRC, this model used the same platform/drivetrain as the last Lincoln LS, a pretty solid performer that was a C&D car of the year in the early 2000's. Suggest you do some basic research - recall, technical service bulletins, etc. if you haven't already.

    Good luck with the hunt!
     
  5. X350 XJR Vintage Omega Aficionado Jul 30, 2014

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    Ford gave up way too soon on the Bird and the Lincoln LS. A competent mid-size RWD platform would do wonders for both their current US portfolios as far as I'm concerned.

    A good solid platform also used by the 1999-2008 Jaguar S-Type.

    Bird should hold value at this point.
     
    noelekal likes this.
  6. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Jul 30, 2014

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    The T-Bird really did tank in the marketplace, at least here in Canada. The local Ford dealer had two on the lot which he finally sold two years later at 2/3rds of their original list price. I damn near bought one but the lack of a back seat meant I couldn't haul kids, so it would have had to have been a second car, which made it an expensive toy.

    Anyway, because of the poor sales they are undervalued. Go for it, its definitely a step up from a Duster!
     
  7. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Jul 30, 2014

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    Thanks for the comments, guys. I have done quite a lot of research on them, there reliability, maintenance, etc., so I'm good there.

    Fritz, I agree - I have heard many times that they didn't sell well, which seems bizarre to me, and thus should be undervalued on the second-hand market.
     
  8. tpatta Happily spending my daughter’s inheritance Jul 30, 2014

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    Love the porthole windows on the removable hard top. Go for it.
     
  9. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Jul 30, 2014

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    ...and we certainly don't tolerate expensive toys around here!:D
     
  10. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Jul 30, 2014

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    You do have to be somewhat careful with how you spread the toy finances around. I found, many years ago, that when the count of motorcycles in the garage reached 13 the amount of cash left over for a new car was rather limited.

    but then, there wasn't room in the garage for one anyway.
     
  11. gatorcpa ΩF InvestiGator Staff Member Jul 30, 2014

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    They were not well thought of when new, although the Lincoln/Ford platform they were based on was decent enough.

    That's why the price dropped on them so quickly in the secondary market. Tastes change, and this could pay off in future years.

    Frankly, if you wanted a Ford convertible, a later model Mustang V-8 would be a better investment.

    gatorcpa
     
  12. Mare10 Jun 15, 2015

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    Please don't buy it! In the 1960's they were great, fast, gas was cheap, This model failed in the USA,
    they attempted to reproduce the 1950's "port-hole" look, and failed.