The Next Tbird?

[simplyconnected]

...what if I was buying a late model to new car for daily/trip driving in yukky conditions (get groceries in Winter etc.), would first look at 2005 and newer Mustangs...

Nooooooooo... Those big wide tires are SLEDS in rain and snow, it's a rear wheel drive, and WAY overpowered for slippery conditions.

A Mustang is NOT suited for new drivers, in fact it is downright dangerous. Great for seasoned pros who know the car is an extension of their body and those who learn the limits of the car in controlled conditions (there is a learning curve). For that driver, it's a blast.

I have done 150-mph in mine. It takes awhile to get up there and when you do, you pray for two things; that you don't need to brake (because you only get brakes for a few seconds) and other cars don't change positions on the road. At 150, when you pass a car doing 70, it's just like they are stopped and YOU are doing 80. It is wicked-scary. The car is solid, but St. Christopher jumps out at around 115.

Convertibles have no trunk and a tiny back seat. Not much room for family groceries for the week, but perfect for couples who want to feel that wind blowing through their hair, on a Summer cruise. - Dave

[Joe Johnston]

Convertibles have no trunk and a tiny back seat. Not much room for family groceries for the week, but perfect for couples who want to feel that wind blowing through their hair, on a Summer cruise.

Just the very reason I like my 63SR! (no room for a decent cooler in the trunk with the top down but I like it!)

Lots of good points mentioned here on these posts and between the economy and the lack of passion most owners have for their cars makes the expensive 2 seater a hard sell. Just barely enough money in a young family's budget to get by let alone purchase any new vehicle. GM missed the boat with their last GTO and Ford with the RetroBird by not including some of the styling clues us old timers remember. Hood scoops on both, spoilers, fins, tach mounted on the hood etc. At least the current Mustang resembles a Mustang, and the Chrysler products slightly resemble the older versions as well.

My first car was a convertible and I still like them. A new Thunderbird with a retractable roof?? Sounds like an ideal car for our FL winter home. Sign me up!!

[SandyBoy]

Furthermore... here is how many people take care of their LEASED CARS...
[I] worked at a C-D-J dealership. We got a 3 year leased Chrysler turn-in lease. It was on the road 36 months. It had 88,755 miles on her.
We put it up in the air to service it and inspect. It was wearing it's factory-installed oil and air filters, as well as its factory installed OIL !
This , while not the norm, we have seen way too often.

The public is no longer in love with the automobile, en nass.
Sorry

[ayrwoof]

future

No ford can't see into the future (unless its all thier idea).. new bird is just ok . it need hubcaps that can easly be cleaned and made out of metal. it need more formal looks instead of the hopped up rebadged honda roadster look.. it needs a new engine from angel labs with torque
pulses every 12 deg of rotation instead of the current two revolutions.
or better still a new energy solution entirely. //WHY build for the idle rich if fuel remains this high of cost . only the rich can drive . i can,t ../
Tall cars are nice to see down the road ,however fomoco can't see
across the the lake real well ,, Today i see little devotion to god or country , mom or apple pie.. every marketeer will sell his mom to keep
his forien bank acount.. and if ford is full of these . i truly hope
the ford crew rotts in a distant cavern that no one soul will ever
come out of... seaman Dave///

[Coral]

They might not want the Tbird name to die, but why torture into oblivion? The modern cars can't hold a candlestick to the originals because their guts and souls are missing

[Dakota Boy]

Seems to me that car manufacturers must have the fuel mileage average for thier entire fleet meet a certain average mpg now, and then all the models also have to meet crash-test ratings.

As far as I can tell, these government regulations are what limits the design of all new vehicles these days.

Has anyone seen that youtube video where they set up a crash-test with a new Impala vs. a 1960 Impala in a head-on collision?

I love 1960 Impalas, but I would not have wanted to be the crash-test dummy in that old '60....

[Jimz Bird]

As far as I can tell, these government regulations are what limits the design of all new vehicles these days.

Not just vehicles. With shutting down major NASA projects and research along with our "buddies" at EPA and other 3 and 4 letter name agencies - they are stifling not just progress but human development.

There are very few BIG thinkers and risk takers anymore. Elon Musk is probably the only notable exception that comes right to mind. (SpaceX and Tesla autos)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

We are on the cusp of some drastic changes. No, I'm not Carnac the Magnificent. Just observational.

China and Japan started trading directly with their currency the first of June. Bypassed the dollar completely. That is the beginning of a trend to displace the dollar as International currency. Others are doing it also.

One more item and I'll get off my "Doom and Gloom" soapbox.

Having spent those few years in the Mideast has made me aware of the unstableness of that region. I still check a couple of the English news sites from that area frequently.

Today I ran across this:
"Jerusalem to become Egypt’s capital under Mursi’s rule, says Muslim cleric"
http://english.alarabiya.net/article...07/219272.html (Watch the Video - it will give you an idea of what goes on there EVERY DAY. Makes you realize how fortunate we are not to be trapped in that part of the world.)

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) is that if Mursi becomes President of Egypt in the elections (Which he could), all **** will break out between Egypt and Israel. You think the Million Man March to DC was something? Wait until there are MILLIONS marching to Jerusalem. AND they would. That Imam would say line up and off they would go.

The upside of these profound societal changes are so far beyond what we can do about it that it should not keep us awake at night. Just be aware of what is going on. The important things in our personal lives must go on and keep us occupied. For example: I'm still not sure which Master Cylinder I want to use on my disc brake conversion and tons of other "small" stuff.

Besides, I have a car show to get ready for the 17th and I am over not being in the garage. I am pretty well healed

[simplyconnected]

Seems to me that car manufacturers must have the fuel mileage average for thier entire fleet meet a certain average mpg now...

1.5 gallons of ethanol has the same energy content as 1.0 gallons of gasoline.

So, if a gallon of gasoline is something many of us cannot find, why base fuel economy on unobtainable fuel?

These are the facts: The American consumer has supported the Chinese market for many decades. There are no surprises, here. We insisted on buying Chinese goods, so GM, Ford, and Chrysler are there to make a fine Chinese product for us to buy. In 2011, GM made three times more cars in China than they did in the US. We only have ourselves to blame and the US Government has ensured and protected our freedom to purchase whatever you like. - Dave