Originally posted by leisha:
The picture of the 007 T Bird from Detroit News does not show the Chrome strip where the top fits either.
Possibly Ford cancelled the idea rather than have to deal with retrofitting our 2002's.
If anyone sees any 2003's at Wixom please keep us informed.
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?
That "
chrome" strip still looks like lighting highlights on a black strip to me.. But
chrome would be nice there. It is worth noting that the new 2003 VW Beetle Convertible coming out this fall will have a
chrome strip along the entire belt line which wraps around the rear to the other side.
I agree.. I think I would like the V inside the 8 better for the V8 insignia.. That's how the 1955 was.. but much more stylized. It looks more authentic and classic.. However I am not sure the placement of the new
V8 emblem is in the right place.. They used to be behind the upper fender vent extractor.. but it now comes all the way to the door opening. It could be placed in front and look okay I think.. But I think it just looks kind of dimminutive and misplaced in the area where it is located in that vast expanse of otherwise clean lower fender surface.. Ford has always had a nasty habit on modern vehicles to not balance
emblems correctly in placement in relation to body features such as accent lines, wheel opeings, door gaps, etc..
Yeah, I can imagine this day and time to get people to realize there is a V8 under the hood of a Tbird you have to put some identification on the car for bragging rights.. maybe because the car looks smaller than it is that maybe it is natural for people to assume it may still have a V6 engine. The Thunderbird has also had 6 cylinder engines standard since 1980 and up to 1997 a V6 Tbird seemed to be more common and the average person with little sense of classic Tbird history doesn't really know that Tbirds originally came with V8's standard. Now with a car like a Corvette, there is no question that it has a V8 because it always did have one.. but you have to retrain people's perception these days because many people were not around to know that a Tbird used to have only V8's.. Plus there is that Prowler and PT Cruiser factor that works in because people *know* these retro cars have the classic looks but a wimpy engine... I bet there are some people that think the new Tbird is a FWD car based on a Taurus platform.. Oh lord help us if there is!
I think what hurts the Tbird's image into making people think it is a V6 and not a V8 is lack of attention to some of the styling details of which none really hint or suggest that the car has a reasonably powerful V8 engine.. The exhaust tips are not agressive looking enough, all the wheels look so "deluxe" in both painted silver and
chrome with looks like common plastic wheel cover designs instead of appearing to have fine performance machined styling.. They also have offsets that make them look like front wheel drive wheels which also doesn't help the car's perception that might have a standard V6 engine and FWD. There is also a need for refined elegance which a radial turbine spoke design could provide or a modern interpetation of a wire spoked theme in an alloy wheel design.
An example of better detailing certainly is that gunmetal gray Tbird concept roadster with the burnt sienna interior. The simple
chrome styled road wheels with spinners "rock".. I like the additional
chrome and more authentic detail and I think the new Tbird should have a few more pieces of it.. Just an example of how
chrome still sells more cars.. the 1998-early 2001 VW Passat had no
chrome anywhere on the body except for
emblems.. The Passat was facelifted for 2001.5 and it got
chrome detail around the windows, grille trim and body side mouldings.. the car is selling like crazy now because people percieve it to have a more uplevel quality look to it.. So I also believe with a car like the Tbird it would benefit the perceived quality to feature more
chrome detailing in appropriate places.. But NOT TOO MUCH! It has to stay at least as clean as the 1955-57..
Chrome lends a finshed "framed" look.. Does a picture look better taped to a wall or in an attractive picture frame?
Some of the styling cues could use more detail and development.. I would certainly like to see some more detail in the taillamps.. and what I mean by detail, just look at how some of the new taillamps on other cars are done.. they have these brillant
chrome bezels with detailing and then they are covered entirely with a clear red lens.. Look at the new Cadillac CTS and you will notice only up close the upper taillamp section is a round projector style which mimicks the headlamps.. Then there is that Nissan Altima.. Though I do not care for the clear lenses with
chrome on any vehicle.. I do like the round red lens by itself and the way it dispurses light in a starburst effect.. Kinda reminds me of the round lamps old Fords used to have in the late 50's and early 60's... The thing is for the taillamps on the Tbird to have that afterburner look as they were originally modelled after aircraft turbine jet engines. To be honest the lenses on the new Tbird look no better than what can be detailed for use in a scale model car kit.. This is such an important feature of the Tbird that it deserves more detail.. along with some better detailed headlamps to match.. I still don't care much for the turn lamps integrated into the bottom because it breaks up that completely circular look.. same with the back up lamps... Still if you look at the new Tbird it distinctly has that classic projectile theme which looks like it has long jet tubes that runs from the headlamps to the taillamps.
Anyway, this morning while making a
parts run there was a yellow Tbird making a turn at the stop light.. it looks so amazing like nothing else on the road.. It has a grand presence that certainly commands attention.
Emblem placements:
1955 - Ford Crest
emblem with crossed checkered flags on nose and tail, "V" inside "8"
emblem behind front fender air exctractors which incorporate a stylized bird with wings folded upward to follow the bottom of the "V".
"Thunderbird" script is on both sides of car at the top rear fenders above the character line that runs rearward to the top of the taillamps. Small Ford Crest
emblems appear on each side of the
hardtop in the lower front corners next to the side windows. The Ford Crests also appear in the wheel cover centers.
1956 - Ford Crest
emblems ane relocated from the
hardtop and replace the "V8"
emblems on the fenders. The Ford Crest with crossflags is replaced front and rear with a horizontal turqoise accented "bird in flight" with the Thunderbird script in the center. The Ford Crests still appear in the wheel cover centers.
1957 - The Ford Crests are removed from behind the fender extractors and the "Thunderbird" side scripts are relocated from the rear quarter panels to in front of the front fender air extractors.
