2002-2005 How many still exist?

[Uccello Tuono]

If there is a prior post that asks this question then I wasn't able to find it, and it's something that I'd love to know, although I realize it's probably unknowable. Before I bought my 2004 in 2016 I would see a 2002-2005 Thunderbird from time to time, but of course now I notice them even more, and am always surprised at how many I see. Just in my city (Rockwall, about 25 miles from Dallas), a city with a population of about 47,000, I know of at least six or seven that I've seen in town from time to time, or parked in front of houses. To my surprise I saw one parked just down the street from my house a few months ago, and have seen it from time to time at the weekend. I really started to wonder how many are out there when I drove from Dallas to San Antonio area this weekend and saw no fewer than five Thunderbirds along the way over a three day period, one on the road and the others parked here and there. If total production for all cars 2002-2005 was about 60,000 then does anyone know approx how many still exist? Must be quite a few, since I see them in and around the Dallas area fairly regularly. Just curious.

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[corian48]

Here’s my 2004 in Brownstown Michigan!

 

[biddle]

There are still 64,311, wait one just wrecked. 64,310. JK lol Obviously nobody knows for sure.

 

[Leroy H.]

View attachment 14946Here’s my 2004 in Brownstown Michigan!

Looks like my 2005 in NW Ohio.

 

[Icewine]

If there is a prior post that asks this question then I wasn't able to find it, and it's something that I'd love to know, although I realize it's probably unknowable. Before I bought my 2004 in 2016 I would see a 2002-2005 Thunderbird from time to time, but of course now I notice them even more, and am always surprised at how many I see. Just in my city (Rockwall, about 25 miles from Dallas), a city with a population of about 47,000, I know of at least six or seven that I've seen in town from time to time, or parked in front of houses. To my surprise I saw one parked just down the street from my house a few months ago, and have seen it from time to time at the weekend. I really started to wonder how many are out there when I drove from Dallas to San Antonio area this weekend and saw no fewer than five Thunderbirds along the way over a three day period, one on the road and the others parked here and there. If total production for all cars 2002-2005 was about 60,000 then does anyone know approx how many still exist? Must be quite a few, since I see them in and around the Dallas area fairly regularly. Just curious.

I’m sure many of us would love to know the answer, but even with access to government registration data it is still likely that a number of ‘Birds would miss the list. One would expect the survival rate for these cars is significantly higher than your typical 15-18 year old Mustang or Civic, if only because they were considered collectible from Day 1. I think you have to get into Ferrari GTO territory before you can expect accurate numbers for existing examples.

 

[Paul B]

If there is a prior post that asks this question then I wasn't able to find it, and it's something that I'd love to know, although I realize it's probably unknowable. Before I bought my 2004 in 2016 I would see a 2002-2005 Thunderbird from time to time, but of course now I notice them even more, and am always surprised at how many I see. Just in my city (Rockwall, about 25 miles from Dallas), a city with a population of about 47,000, I know of at least six or seven that I've seen in town from time to time, or parked in front of houses. To my surprise I saw one parked just down the street from my house a few months ago, and have seen it from time to time at the weekend. I really started to wonder how many are out there when I drove from Dallas to San Antonio area this weekend and saw no fewer than five Thunderbirds along the way over a three day period, one on the road and the others parked here and there. If total production for all cars 2002-2005 was about 60,000 then does anyone know approx how many still exist? Must be quite a few, since I see them in and around the Dallas area fairly regularly. Just curious.

Although I reside in New Jersey, I keep my 2003 garaged in Florida where I try to spend some time in the Winter. As you might imagine, the car is very popular there. I see myself coming & going all day long. The only thing I don't see is my 007 Edition in Coral.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

There are quite a few around central Florida apparently, one day I ran an errand in my 2002 and saw one on the wat out and another on the way back.

 

[BillM]

After we bought ours here in Monroe La started taking pictures when I saw them just for fun. After seeing your post went back and counted them and there were 10 here in a twin city of about 100,000

 

[JW in Dixie]

Huntsville AL population 203,000 - my 2004 and three others I have seen over the last few years. A 2005 Cashmere lives one street over. Cheers

 

[Bond007]

Although I reside in New Jersey, I keep my 2003 garaged in Florida where I try to spend some time in the Winter. As you might imagine, the car is very popular there. I see myself coming & going all day long. The only thing I don't see is my 007 Edition in Coral.

Paul, greetings from another Jersey 007 owner. I see several birds around here but also no other 007s. I bought mine new from the Ford dealer in North Brunswick who actually had two on the lot. Perhaps you got the other one.

 

[350xfire]

43,296

 

[Uccello Tuono]

After we bought ours here in Monroe La started taking pictures when I saw them just for fun. After seeing your post went back and counted them and there were 10 here in a twin city of about 100,000

That's interesting. I'm the second owner of my 2004 and it came from - you guessed it - Monroe, LA. The owner traded it to a Lexus dealer in Dallas and I snapped it up from there in 2016. So Monroe lost a bird but Rockwall gained one. I had no idea Monroe is such a large city.

 

[BillM]

That's Monroe and West Monroe combined, and they probably add some for good measure.

 

[Ken Tx]

Cleburne is a small town (about 30K) 25 miles SW of Fort Worth, Tx.
The bird population I have seen, a 50th Anv, Yellow parked behind
a 55-7, my 2003 white on white, and a NM with 170,000 on the clock.

 

[BillM]

If you ever get by this way give us a hollar

 

[JW in Dixie]

Huntsville AL population 203,000 - my 2004 and three others I have seen over the last few years. A 2005 Cashmere lives one street over. Cheers

It's only a tiny sample, but 4 in 203k = 5774 in the USA pop 332m. That's my guess and I'm sticking with it! 🙂

 

[ssk]

My mileage is 72000 and mostly the car sits in a garage. I have it in winter storage again this year. I have only driven it a few thousand miles since I purchased it used out of Melbourne ,Florida. I think it was touched up on the hood for bug dings and has a bad overspray. Do you think the paint would handle a professional buffing job to smooth the paint or was the factory paint not thick enough?
I see quite a few 02-05 T-Birds around St. Louis county but have no idea how many are in St. Louis.

 

[Uccello Tuono]

It's only a tiny sample, but 4 in 203k = 5774 in the USA pop 332m. That's my guess and I'm sticking with it! 🙂

That's possibly not an inaccurate extrapolation, but would represent an extremely high survival rate - but that seems possible for these cars since so many were not/are not daily drivers.

 

[vinnie]

I have one! 😀

 

[James561]

Paul, greetings from another Jersey 007 owner. I see several birds around here but also no other 007s. I bought mine new from the Ford dealer in North Brunswick who actually had two on the lot. Perhaps you got the other one.

007 in West Palm Beach