y'all remember the 2002 Thunderbird abortions...right?!!

Has anybody ever tried to weld on some rear quarters from a 55-56-57 Thunderbird ?
Maybe that would stop the gag-reflex a little when looking at one ?!
Jus ramb'lin.............
6sally6

 

There was one at Salina with that down. I'm too lazy to repost the pic but here is a link to the event video:

 

I’d own one…thought they were pretty cool.

 

Built on the 2003 Jaguar S-type platform .

they where a really nice driving car , thought they looked pretty neat .

won’t own one , but I like them

 

They look awful.

 

My issue with them at the time was the powertrain. I remember a lot of speculation when it was in development about dropping the DOHC 4.6 from the mustang cobra in there. That coupled with a 5 or 6 speed would have probably made them more popular.

 

My favorite memory of one of these was when I blew past it in my daily-driven 60 Thunderbird on the highway. Not sure they knew what to think.

 

Auto manufacturers sure have tried to build some retro looking new stuff. Prowler, HHR, PT Cruisers, SSR pickups, and the T Bird. Seems like these didn't hit a high water mark. I think that looks aside, the powertrains were lacking a high performance version. Customers were buying ordinary cars with different styling, and low practicality. The success story is the new Challenger, it resembles the '70 and is the Dodge flagship vehicle. Last year's SRT Demon 170 eclipsed the 1000 HP barrier.

 

Agreed on the Challenger. Dodge got that one right. My youngest son had just a regular RT 6-speed car and it was both good looking and fun to drive. To me, that has been the best retro looking and performance late model. My older son currently has a late model Camaro SS, but GM just didn't hit the mark like Dodge did with the Challenger.

 

My wife wants one of the “new” Thunderbirds. While I don’t mind them, she thankfully bought a ‘62 T-Bird

 

I know a 91 year old that is pretty proud of his, he is considering buying a second one. He and his wife take it to the local shows and gets it serviced at the dealer. It is not my dream, but seems to keep him in the hobby.

 

@guthriesmith , I hear ya. 2006 was the SRT8 debut, Charger only. I bought one, actually got to drive it out of the showroom doors. 425 hp in that sedan moved it well. That's normal now! Corvette is the Chevy showstopper, they won't let the Camaro best it. So to do better than dodge, it's a 2 seater in a gm car. There is a heavy hitter mustang, I'm not up on that one.

 

Yeah, that alone was probably the main reason they never sold all that well. The styling missed the mark a bit too, but not horribly so IMO. But the V6/auto combo relegated them to 'cute' status and at the price they weren't that cute.

Drop in a Coyote/six-speed manual swap and you would have something...

 

From memory, the looks didn't kill it, the drivetrain was lacking and they were known to have overheating issues while still new. That's a deathknell for anything this century, a big issue off the showroom floor. What's that, the factory software 'race' setting voids the transmission warranty?
https://jalopnik.com/this-is-nissans-gt-r-launch-control-warranty-settlement-5565919

Retro had a brief glow in the oughts, with the Mustang also included. Most did falter and fall out of favor quickly. I expect that all the current stuff with the flat panel controlling everything is going to also be looked down on very quickly once they need repairs and new screens.

 

They were V8’s not V6’s, same one shared with the Lincoln LS

 

Amen, 100%.

 

When I read "Thunderbird abortions" in the ***le, this is what popped into my mind.

Gary

 

The styling was pretty conservative and the auto only was not good for sporty car.

the Plymouth prowler had done good looks but v6 auto and loose in responsive steering was just stupid in their part . Hey let’s build a “ retro rod” and give it no horsepower a slush box ****** and anemic steering “ YES !!

the hhr pt cruiser I think would have been hits if they where full size rwd with a v8 option a-la proper sedan delivery . Every service company would have bought them .

the challenger and mustang got it right with styling and hp
The Camaro is neat , they really should bring back the trans-am

if you look lose lots of car companies are doing the retro styling thing

im seeing imports with what look like 40 ford grills , tail lights that slightly look like tail fins and a bunch of other styling queues from yesteryear.

what was once old is now new !


And @blue 49 just no man , oh my gawd that’s just awful

 

2019 GT/CS owner>>>>>>
With a 6-speed manual trans....

 

Fords design team was ahead of their performance abilities when they brought the retro T-Birds back in 2001. They were on the same heavy *** platform as some Jaguars and the Lincoln LS, and even used the Jaguar V6 with 250hp.

While that V6 is considered anemic by today's standards, remember, not a single Foxbody 5.0 Mustang ever made close to 250hp. If Ford made a new retro T-Bird today it would likely be powered by one of the Ecoboost engines, and could potentially be a little beast with 325+rwhp.

I always kinda dug how they looked, although they just seemed to be missing something in the styling to make them great looking. Unfortunately, with their bland vanilla performance I've always ***ociated them as a middle aged womans car. Now, the previous era of Thunderbird (1988-1997), those were actually good looking cars. My folks had a 5.0 Thunderbird up until they ordered a new 2005 Mustang GT 6spd, which they still have today.

 

I agree. They had the bare minimum flat side, cowl area defined by the platform, then a nose that reeked of NASCAR decal of T bird styling cues and same with the tail. Design by committee, with bland and safe being the keywords and beige being the flavor.

 

Thats the one I think of and that is the cause of how you call it gag reflex.

 

The same guy redesigned the T-Bird and the VW, check out the taillights on both!

 

What made the original look good, was the long, clean lines. They sure lost that with the "blob" version.

Modern aerodynamics works great, but it doesn't look "fast" like the 50s cars.

 

Jim, since you posted a pic of the ugliness I'll mention something.

I'm a poor weirdo. I don't buy new cars, so I'm not the target audience. My opinion isn't taken into consideration.
But I really dislike headlights that face up. No need to light up underp***es and have them get sun faded so much faster.
Case in point, 2003-05 ram. Good.

2006-08 ram BAD.

2009 Ram Good again.

Maybe it's growing up with Lamborghini Espadas, Mustangs, 'cudas, Camaros and others with a hood over the lights, but that is a big negative to me. Muras faced up, but it was different.
You can't tell me that aero for a limited run car was so thrown off by real headlights that looked more like the 56 or so shown that it would have failed EPA standards.

 

I expect there were more considerations than just mileage...and at the time the bird was redesigned, there really wasn't a successful retro design out there to show the way (like the 05 mustang, newer Challenger, etc).

Automotive styling is a strange thing. It's easier to see the way by looking back in time, than trying to make the future "right", which is what these guys all have to do for a living.

 

That's why I had the preface, I'm not buying either way, good or bad!
Ford went through the slippery shape era and I didn't like them then or now, but they were sellers and had a corporate iden***y. Here's a quick view of 2002.
https://velocityjournal.com/journal/2002/ford/index.html

Many things have been tried and failed, so while some rules are made to be broken, others should be hard and fast. Problem is, who gets to decide?

 

That top and those wheels dont help. Looks like a deranged Miata.

There was(is?) a body kit that extended the rear bumper which seemed good, but the front bumper just made it look like an Alfa Romeo Spyder.

 

I have no life just before the 2-minute mark
I took two screenshots of the back of the side...

 

I just can't do that car about the only thing I like on the one that I took the screenshot of is the quarter panels the rest of the car is just trying too hard to be something it's not...
Years ago I wanted to do a PT cruiser when they first really dropped in price, I always figured put regular headlights in it small tail lights and just shave all the door handles and junk but the reality is it's a new car it just wouldn't look right.