Ovaltine Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 (edited) As a younger Baby Boomer whose first car was a used 1972 Ford Thunderbird (with a 429 4bbl, dual exhaust!), I present the following article as "Exhibit A" why the time has come for Ford to consider resurrecting the Thunderbird marque as a true 4-adult passenger personal performance luxury coupe! http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2011/02/01/hmn_feature2.html "The country was aghast when the new-for'58 Thunderbird was stretched into a four-seater. Everyone, it seemed, loved the cute, cozy styling of the small T-Birds that preceded it. For the era, they were sensational-looking cars--they still are today--but not everyone who lusted after a 1955-'57 Thunderbird could justify buying one due to their limited seating capacity. And so, many didn't. Adding those two extra seats in the back changed everything. Sales skyrocketed, and the all-new, bigger, roomier and more practical Thunderbird became the must-see car in Ford showrooms that year. It was the talk of the town, and Americans everywhere wanted to be seen driving one." Find a way to stretch the new 'Stang chassis into a true 4-seater, add just a dash of retro muscular, squared off true-American styling (ala Chrysler 300), return to the trade mark full width T-Bird taillights, and add an Eco-Boosted V6 (with a small V8 as an option!), and you will have a car that will set tongues a wagging AND hanging out of mouths! Make it happen Ford, and I'll be one of the first in line to slap down a down payment! -Ovaltine Edited May 10, 2014 by Ovaltine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovaltine Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 (edited) Here's a picture of another '72 'Bird that's very close to what mine looked like. (Pic of red '72 T-Bird) The minor differences are: Mine had the nicer factory turbine wheel covers, the MANDATORY front cornering lamps (that's a HUGE front-end on those things!), and mine didn't have pinstripes. Loved the car, loved the 429 cid big-block, loved the throaty roar of the bullet muffler dual exhaust, but DIDN'T love the 10 mpg the #$@! thing got! Had to sell it because I couldn't afford to drive it. But all in all, some of the BEST times any16 year old has ever had was the year and a half I spent behind the wheel of that 7 year old car! -Ovaltine Edited January 25, 2021 by Ovaltine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 Thunderbird SHOULD be in the Lincoln lineup as was the original plan...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 Thunderbird SHOULD be in the Lincoln lineup as was the original plan...... I've felt that way since: & then the LS would've been the Mercury XR6 & XR8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehaase Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 I would only want Thunderbird to return if Ford develops a large RWD platform for Lincoln. Considering that upscale buyers prefer crossovers and SUV's and there's virtually no market for large coupes, I don't know if this is the best investment for Ford. I would not favor another 2 seater Thunderbird. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thunderbird needs to be a 4 seater with ALL the goodies....sold through the Lincoln side of the house and given special consideration at the dealership like you get when you walk in with a Lincoln product...I would love to see it as a four door "coupe" with suicide rear doors for ease of access to the rear of the vehicle.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Agree!!!!! Next year I will be in the market for a 2015 coup or maybe a sport sedan. I am waiting for the '15 Mustang before I buy. The cars that are on my short list after test drives are: ATS CTS XTS Corvette (biggest surprise that I fit and the ride) C350 The MKZ, '14 Mustang and MKS unfortunately didn't make the cut. In fact, the MKS didn't even require a test drive before I "marked" it off the list. A Thunderbird or Mark x might fit the bill for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovaltine Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) Well.... SOMETHING quite possibly is going on at Ford along the lines of my thinking! See: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/06/10/lincoln-wont-rule-out-mustang-based-performance-car/?intcmp=features Now - if they could just squeeze in a Ford version called the "Thunderbird"! ;-) -Ovaltine Edited June 12, 2014 by Ovaltine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Interestingly, the chassis for the 2004 Mustang was loosely-based on the one under the Lincoln LS, which was Lincoln’s last attempt at building a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan. Huh??? I guess since they both had wheels, and coil springs...it could be loosely based on it.....or a Panther chassis..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The carryover in D2C from the DEW98 chassis was grossly exaggerated by most counts here from those in the know. I'm not saying it would be impossible to engineer it back into a sedan, but I see it as unlikely at this point. Besides, even if it were to happen, we're still talking several years down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The carryover from DEW98 to D2C was limited to one section of the rear floorpan and the fuel tank. That was it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 But all in all, some of the BEST times any16 year old has ever had was the year and a half I spent behind the wheel of that 7 year old car! Wait, you were 16 for a year and a half? How's that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Wait, you were 16 for a year and a half? How's that work? Heck, at 16 I thought our Saturn made me king of the road. In hindsight it's easy to see that it was more the novelty and newness of driving than it was anything to do with the car. Likely much the same scenario playing out with that '72 T-bird, with its floaty suspension, terrible brakes, and Lay-Z-Boy-inspired interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovaltine Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 (edited) Heck, at 16 I thought our Saturn made me king of the road. In hindsight it's easy to see that it was more the novelty and newness of driving than it was anything to do with the car. Likely much the same scenario playing out with that '72 T-bird, with its floaty suspension, terrible brakes, and Lay-Z-Boy-inspired interior. Nick: I understand what you're saying. BUT..... keep in mind - your Saturn didn't have a big-block in it that could bury a 120 mph speedo in less than half a mile on the long straight country roads like I grew up on. Nor did it have an ass-end and exhaust note very similar to THIS! -Ovaltine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNzWgkJGFy0 Edited June 14, 2014 by Ovaltine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Nick: I understand what you're saying. BUT..... keep in mind - your Saturn didn't have a big-block in it that could bury a 120 mph speedo in less than half a mile on the long straight country roads like I grew up on. Nor did it have an ass-end and exhaust note very similar to THIS! -Ovaltine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNzWgkJGFy0 Oh come on. Let's not pretend that big block was making uncontrollable gobs of power. Yes, it's a pretty cool car, but not for its performance. And I did get the Saturn to 115 once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored of Pisteon Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 How was your gas mileage if your Saturn got to 115mph? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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