- Reaction score
- 6
- Thunderbird Year
- 2002
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- Status
W
whvt01
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Wonder if they will be sending out notices or the car has
to have damage first to qualify.
to have damage first to qualify.
T
tuberking
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
S
spartacus
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
smoke and mirrors?
My wife checked with our local dealer today (Corning FORD, CA) and they said that there is no such retrofit available through FORD Dealerships.
Does anyone have a part number?
Has anyone else had any luck with getting this done?
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My wife checked with our local dealer today (Corning FORD, CA) and they said that there is no such retrofit available through FORD Dealerships.
Does anyone have a part number?
Has anyone else had any luck with getting this done?
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tbird2003
- Reaction score
- 0
- Thunderbird Year
- 2003
Yep. Some Dealers, or should I say dealership employees are usually the last one to know. For example, I stopped at a local dealer in the Cleveland area to view the new 007 Bond Bird. When the salesman approached me I asked to see the 007 Bond T-bird. He laughed and said there was no such thing. I then pointed to the car on showroom floor. His exact words were “I thought that was new shade of red”. The salesman didn’t even stop to read the window sticker.
F
FUN X 3
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
How can a doofus like that even scratch out a living selling cars?
C
Charlie
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Took copy of Ward's article on retrofit trim to local dealer, Covert Ford, Austin, TX. After 20 minutes of showing to service manager, shop, etc. , no one knew anything.
W
whvt01
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Charlie is Covert on 35 south of Austin. If its the one thinking
they really had the mark up on birds when came out.
Have found you just have to try several dealers before having
anything done. New Braunfels won't even take the time
to look something up. When asked about a recall just flat
said the car does not have one eventhrough had a piece
of paper with me. San Marcos didn't know but took the
time to look up the information find out exactly what it
was about. Ended up at Northside in San Antonio that
afternoon who had the part in stock and fix it within the
hour. So if the strip becomes a N/C fix option will start out
at Northside and if have to work my way around till feel
find someone who knows whats going on.
they really had the mark up on birds when came out.
Have found you just have to try several dealers before having
anything done. New Braunfels won't even take the time
to look something up. When asked about a recall just flat
said the car does not have one eventhrough had a piece
of paper with me. San Marcos didn't know but took the
time to look up the information find out exactly what it
was about. Ended up at Northside in San Antonio that
afternoon who had the part in stock and fix it within the
hour. So if the strip becomes a N/C fix option will start out
at Northside and if have to work my way around till feel
find someone who knows whats going on.
C
Charlie
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
The same Covert Ford. I bought my bird from small town dealer in East Bernard, TX. I had the same luck finding supplemental parking lamps. Only when I showed up with the parts numbers was I helped. And Ford wonders why they are losing against other manufacturers.
D
Dana
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
If you are looking for the retro fit molding you need to contact Mark Lankford at Sycamore Auto Center, 815-895-4584. They are the ONLY dealership in the Nation that have completed an install for the molding. You can read about it in Ward's. Mark is working with Ford on the issue. Dealerships and Ford are directing people to Mark. Super nice and very helpful.
C
captjim
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I must really be lucky! I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with my dealer (Gulf Coast Ford-Crystal River Florida). Anything I have to say about the T-Bird is listened to. Both in the sales and service departments....from the managers on down. They consider me the T-Bird expert, and even have me interface with potential buyers when I'm in the dealership.
I have this site to thank for my understanding of things T-Bird. My thanks to all who have posted this valuable info.
Jim
I have this site to thank for my understanding of things T-Bird. My thanks to all who have posted this valuable info.
Jim
O
oakmo
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I just spoke to Ford Customer Relationship Center in Dearborn,1-800-392-3673. They know nothing of this scuff fix. If they don't know, how does a local dealer know? My dealer had no idea of what I was talking about.
D
Dana
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
First of all,
The "local dealer" completed the repair on the Ford Thunderbird for Mark Scanlon, who lives in Cortland, IL. He is the first and only to have the retrofit repair completed on his car. Go to Wardsauto.com (I attached the article) and read about it. Mark works closely with Ford. He receives calls daily from car clubs and people who are referred from the Ford "HOTLINE". so, I'm not sure where you called. There is no official fix yet per Ford...but I suggest if you have the problem to contact Mark and talk to him. No one is saying your local dealerships aren't nice people but if I had a problem with my car that I wanted fixed and someone knew how to fix it....I would contact them and get the info I needed.
Attached is the article...read the entire thing to see what I have said above.....
Retrofit Begins for Ford’s Retro Car
By Eric Mayne
WardsAuto.com, May 13 2003
Ford Motor Co. rolls out a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop just in time for the car’s hiatus.
Ford Motor Co. rolls out a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop just in time for the car’s hiatus.
Ford approached Decoma in July 2002 about a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop.
Dealers are retrofitting ’02 and ’03 models with stainless steel “scuff moldings” developed by Decoma International Inc. Ford Div. is finalizing an agreement with the auto maker’s customer service division to ensure the job qualifies as a warranty repair.
Designed to prevent decklid paint damage, the fix will be factory-installed on ’04 and ’05 models – expected to be the final production years for the current car.
Senior Ford executives have said Thunderbird will take a hiatus and then return, with appropriate upgrades. The reason for the pause: profitability.
Through the first four months of 2003, Thunderbird deliveries are down nearly 23%, year-over-year.
Late last year, slow sales prompted Ford to include ’02 Thunderbirds on its list of A-plan vehicles.
Its departure will mark the 48-year-old nameplate’s second retirement since 1998. Re-engineered and restyled, it was re-launched to considerable acclaim in 2001 as an ’02 model.
What ensued was a frenzy similar to those that followed the introductions of Chrysler Group’s PT Cruiser and Volkswagen AG’s New Beetle. Buyers paid premiums to get their hands on the new cars with retro styling.
Mark Scanlon of Cortland, IL, paid $11,000 over sticker for his T’Bird. And his was the first car to get Decoma’s scuff solution.
To their dismay, Thunderbird owners discovered the car’s decklid was subject to damage caused by its removable hardtop. Says Decoma: “The bulb seal on the hardtop (was) scratching the body during the normal cyclical motion of the vehicle, causing immense customer dissatisfaction when the hardtop was removed.”
The resulting uproar spilled onto website forums. Ford developed a protective tape, but it, too, proved problematic. (see related story: Tale of the Tape: T’Bird Roof Scuffs Paint)
Ford turned to Decoma, a Toronto-area subsidiary of Magna International Inc., for help.
“Last summer, Ford asked Decoma for assistance in providing a solution,” the supplier says in a statement to Ward’s. “Working with Ford as a full-service supplier, the scuff molding was designed to provide the Thunderbird owner with an attractive trim component to prevent scratching while enhancing the appearance of the vehicle. A win-win all around.”
The molding acts like a shield. “You don’t even know it’s there with the hardtop on,” Says Scanlon, who wrote to Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. that the trim add-on is “beautiful” and that he intends to keep his T’Bird as a family heirloom.
The auto maker and his dealer – Sycamore Ford in Sycamore, IL, – “bent over backwards,” he tells Ward’s. A Decoma representative traveled to Scanlon’s home to personally oversee the installation.
The ’02 Thunderbird was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year despite other problems that emerged following its introduction. The car’s rollout was marked by a production shutdown caused by an engine overheating problem and a recall blamed on a seatbelt defect.
emayne@primediabusiness.com
© 2003, Primedia Business Magazines and Media, a PRIMEDIA company. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of PRIMEDIA Business Corp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "local dealer" completed the repair on the Ford Thunderbird for Mark Scanlon, who lives in Cortland, IL. He is the first and only to have the retrofit repair completed on his car. Go to Wardsauto.com (I attached the article) and read about it. Mark works closely with Ford. He receives calls daily from car clubs and people who are referred from the Ford "HOTLINE". so, I'm not sure where you called. There is no official fix yet per Ford...but I suggest if you have the problem to contact Mark and talk to him. No one is saying your local dealerships aren't nice people but if I had a problem with my car that I wanted fixed and someone knew how to fix it....I would contact them and get the info I needed.
Attached is the article...read the entire thing to see what I have said above.....
Retrofit Begins for Ford’s Retro Car
By Eric Mayne
WardsAuto.com, May 13 2003
Ford Motor Co. rolls out a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop just in time for the car’s hiatus.
Ford Motor Co. rolls out a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop just in time for the car’s hiatus.
Ford approached Decoma in July 2002 about a fix for Thunderbird’s removable hardtop.
Dealers are retrofitting ’02 and ’03 models with stainless steel “scuff moldings” developed by Decoma International Inc. Ford Div. is finalizing an agreement with the auto maker’s customer service division to ensure the job qualifies as a warranty repair.
Designed to prevent decklid paint damage, the fix will be factory-installed on ’04 and ’05 models – expected to be the final production years for the current car.
Senior Ford executives have said Thunderbird will take a hiatus and then return, with appropriate upgrades. The reason for the pause: profitability.
Through the first four months of 2003, Thunderbird deliveries are down nearly 23%, year-over-year.
Late last year, slow sales prompted Ford to include ’02 Thunderbirds on its list of A-plan vehicles.
Its departure will mark the 48-year-old nameplate’s second retirement since 1998. Re-engineered and restyled, it was re-launched to considerable acclaim in 2001 as an ’02 model.
What ensued was a frenzy similar to those that followed the introductions of Chrysler Group’s PT Cruiser and Volkswagen AG’s New Beetle. Buyers paid premiums to get their hands on the new cars with retro styling.
Mark Scanlon of Cortland, IL, paid $11,000 over sticker for his T’Bird. And his was the first car to get Decoma’s scuff solution.
To their dismay, Thunderbird owners discovered the car’s decklid was subject to damage caused by its removable hardtop. Says Decoma: “The bulb seal on the hardtop (was) scratching the body during the normal cyclical motion of the vehicle, causing immense customer dissatisfaction when the hardtop was removed.”
The resulting uproar spilled onto website forums. Ford developed a protective tape, but it, too, proved problematic. (see related story: Tale of the Tape: T’Bird Roof Scuffs Paint)
Ford turned to Decoma, a Toronto-area subsidiary of Magna International Inc., for help.
“Last summer, Ford asked Decoma for assistance in providing a solution,” the supplier says in a statement to Ward’s. “Working with Ford as a full-service supplier, the scuff molding was designed to provide the Thunderbird owner with an attractive trim component to prevent scratching while enhancing the appearance of the vehicle. A win-win all around.”
The molding acts like a shield. “You don’t even know it’s there with the hardtop on,” Says Scanlon, who wrote to Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. that the trim add-on is “beautiful” and that he intends to keep his T’Bird as a family heirloom.
The auto maker and his dealer – Sycamore Ford in Sycamore, IL, – “bent over backwards,” he tells Ward’s. A Decoma representative traveled to Scanlon’s home to personally oversee the installation.
The ’02 Thunderbird was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year despite other problems that emerged following its introduction. The car’s rollout was marked by a production shutdown caused by an engine overheating problem and a recall blamed on a seatbelt defect.
emayne@primediabusiness.com
© 2003, Primedia Business Magazines and Media, a PRIMEDIA company. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of PRIMEDIA Business Corp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
V
vuca
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Stainless Strip Installation
When this item cropped up on the bulletin board I requested my Ford dealership research. They did and today when I took the bird in for scheduled maintenance he showed me the email from Ford that says yes the parts will be available soon (no time frame) but not a warranty item, so we will have to pay for it. Additionally the e-mail said it came in three parts. The dealership said when the parts were available they would buff the marks on the paint for me and install the parts labor charge only. They will pay for the parts.
When this item cropped up on the bulletin board I requested my Ford dealership research. They did and today when I took the bird in for scheduled maintenance he showed me the email from Ford that says yes the parts will be available soon (no time frame) but not a warranty item, so we will have to pay for it. Additionally the e-mail said it came in three parts. The dealership said when the parts were available they would buff the marks on the paint for me and install the parts labor charge only. They will pay for the parts.
G
George
Passed Away July 25, 2015
- Reaction score
- 156
- Thunderbird Year
- 2002
Does anyone have any word on when or if these strips will be available?
L
leisha
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I still think they should be black!
If you look at the picture, above, black would match up to the door mouldings better.
I guess a hard plastic would not work.
Larry Fisher at Wixom plant is still telling the people on the tour last week that the stainless mouldings will never be available. What's going on?
😕 😕 😕
If you look at the picture, above, black would match up to the door mouldings better.
I guess a hard plastic would not work.
Larry Fisher at Wixom plant is still telling the people on the tour last week that the stainless mouldings will never be available. What's going on?
😕 😕 😕
C
captjim
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Leisha
Just goes to show you, working at Wixom doesn't make you an expert, but reading this forum does!!!!
captjim
Just goes to show you, working at Wixom doesn't make you an expert, but reading this forum does!!!!
captjim
S
spartacus
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
confused
I guess I'm confused also. So far I understand this:
If you paid $11,000. or more over sticker you get preferential treatment and Ford has already installed your top strip mouldings.
The strip mouldings are being manufactured but not available anywhere to the rest of us.
There are photographs of tbirds with the strip moulding installed but, mine is not one of them.
There must be a part number but, it's a secret.
There must be a source for those who have ordered the mouldings and had them installed but no one is telling where or how.
You can get on a waiting list because you're not at the top of the right list.
I guess I'm confused also. So far I understand this:
If you paid $11,000. or more over sticker you get preferential treatment and Ford has already installed your top strip mouldings.
The strip mouldings are being manufactured but not available anywhere to the rest of us.
There are photographs of tbirds with the strip moulding installed but, mine is not one of them.
There must be a part number but, it's a secret.
There must be a source for those who have ordered the mouldings and had them installed but no one is telling where or how.
You can get on a waiting list because you're not at the top of the right list.
S
spartacus
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
squeaking wheel gets the grease!
C
cool57
- Reaction score
- 2
SS strips
Does anyone know when the one-piece strip will be available?
Does anyone know when the one-piece strip will be available?
- Status
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