Is the "aluminum trim" real aluminum, or is it just painted plaz-tek? Also, how supportive are the seats? From the pics they don't appear to be too great. I think the base Focus seats look more supportive.

 

Check this post...

Welcome to the board

 

Thanks, Ive been on here a while reading up. I read that thread, good pics, but still no answer to whether it's REAL aluminum, or just plastic painted gray.

 

I think this thread answers the question:

Click Here

Read the scanned article. It mentions that it's real aluminum.

 

Wow, very cool. That may just sell it for me. My only concern is with the insturment panel. It's obviously very retro styled. Ford did this on the 02 T-Bird too, but then changed the guages to a more contemporary look in 03. I guess that would be tougher to get away with here though becasue of the pod design.

 

It's real aluminum, it felt cold at least

 

Seats are wayyyyyy better than those of today. Very supportive. I only thought they could use a little more side support ...

 

Sorry, but the T-Bird's Dash is a direct caryover from the Lincoln LS, with some different trim and Guages, and I didn't like it in the LS Either.. I really don't like the New T-Birds :notnice: and I'm glad they're being discontinued. Maybe Ford will bring out a 4 seater with some really great styling like the 60's Birds or an 05 Stang but Bigger. They need a Car to Carry the Ford Name Proudly in the NASCAR Circuit, Something the Taurus Never Did, but the T-Bird did Well in the 80's! Since the Taurus is History now too, It would Be a Good Idea.

 

The Tbird had a different instrument cluster when it first came out that was supposed to look retro. They changed it to give it a morw "updated" look the following year. Trust me on this one, i have owned 2 Tbirds and was going to buy the new one until they killed the 5 spd / V6 option. As for the lineage, the 89-97 Tbird was probably the best mainstream car Ford ever built as far as ride quality, chassis rigidity, aerodynamics, and (for its size) handling. That is why they made such great race cars. NASCAR loved them because they were shaped very well. IRS in the 99+ Cobra? Great, I had IRS in my 92 Tbird.

 

Hey SVT, I know what you are talking about with the Guages, I was just refering to the Dash as a Whole.

I'm a Thunderbird Fanatic! I've owned 8 to date and I'm only 36. I have had a few other cars too, an 83 Avanti II, and a 92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. My Birds have been 2 64's, a 65, a 66 Town Landau, an 84 Fila 5.0, an 87 5Speed Turbo Coupe (The Most Fun Car to drive I have owned), an 89 Super Coupe, and I am now driving a 97 LX 4.6 V8. My Family have also had Multiple Thunderbirds, a 73, an 84 'Elan 5.0, and an 87 Turbo Coupe Auto.

I just think that the New T-Birds were compromised by budget cuts. J Mays said he came in on the program too late to make any major changes, and he wasn't completly happy with it. I don't like them because they are so cramped inside, especially with the top up, the V8 in them waas not as powerful as it needed to be, and there's the issue of that LS Dash, it reminds me of one of the later Probe's dash.

I wish Ford would come out with something like this for the Next Thunderbird.

 

I'm one of those that only think there are TWO T-birds, 55-57 and 02-current The mustang aluminum is a dead ringer for the stuff in the T'bird.

 

Well Kevin I hate to tell you, there are 39 Years of Thunderbirds and Thunderbird Lovers and Owners that far outweigh the Measly 7 covered by the 55-57/02-05 Birds. Hundreds and Hundreds of Millions of people can't be wrong? The 2 seat T-Birds (55-57) Might be Classic's but they were no where near as popular as the 4 seaters!

I must admit some of those 39 Years were very low spots in the T-Bird's History, from the Mistake they called a Four Door T-Bird (67-71, Thanks alot Mr Iacoca), the BIG BOATS of the early 70's (72-76, However they did sell well) to the Boxy Ugly Bricks they Pawned off as t-Birds in the Early 80's (80-82). but those only account for 13 Years, so there are still 26 Years of Great Thunderbirds between the 57's and the 02's.

The Thunderbird Used to Be a Car to Be Seen in. Everyone wanted one. Now they are just a toy for the rich, much as the 55-57's have become. Ford did what they did with the current T-Birds just to revive interest in the Thunderbird name. They Knew it wouldn't be a success from the beginning that's why they limited it's production, and still people didn't buy them like they thought they would.

I'm not saying I hate the 2 seaters, they are an American Icon, but you just can't argue, they weren't succesful, something that the 4 seat T-Birds were from the start. When Ford gets Ready to introduce the Cloned Baby Bird's Replacement It will be a four seat car, of this I'm certain. All I want to know is when?


End Of Rant!

 

If they were to make a four seat T-Bird that looked similar to the 1966 model, but updated, well, I would just *have* to get one of those instead of the Mustang. Especially if it were available in Emberglo with Tan Cloth interior.

So it's probably better that they don't do that...



(Note: Everything red is added. Silly me.)

 

Hey - what about the quality of cushioning for elbow rests on the door and center console? My '98 practically leaves bruises on my elbows after a long drive.

 

Finally sat in one today(yay!), and I specifically(sp) felt the dash to see if it was aluminium or not. It is. Looks really good, too. B)

 

The T-bird in its current form is a good overall car for the price. Its too bad the magazines waited untill late 2003 to decide that they now love em.



The SC's of the 90s were decent performance cars, but how they were Thunderbirds I don't know.