Why Are Soft-top only versions easier to get?

[hsiegl]

I am 4th in line to get a new TBird. The dealer supposedly has about 8 more on order. I ordered one (Blue&White)with the hard-top and partial color accent package.

The dealer called me and promised to put me on top of the list. I could have a TBird in 6 weeks if I would consider the soft-top only version.

I decided to wait for the hard top. The dealer said that I may be getting a 2003 since they get one car a month. That makes for an interesting dilemma. The TBird blue is supposedly produced only for 2002.

H. Siegl

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[tr cruiser]

hsiegl, if you wait for your current dealer to fill your order, you may not even get one by 2005!

If your dealer has you on a waiting list for a 2002, he may be hoping to obtain it through a broker, but he should be able to give a better estimate for his own allocation. It's over half way through the model year already. It is possible he can get you a softtop only model sooner, since Ford is giving them higher priority for production. But if you really want that 2002 T-bird blue, start shopping around other sources like the 2002-06 Thunderbirds & Accessories - For Sale group on this board.

 

[thenewtbird2]

hseigi,
what you said is a little unclear. Are you #4 of the 8 the dealer has left to get for this year?

How many cars is your dealer getting total and how many has he received already?

Though he may only be getting 1 a month right now, if he still has 8 left in his allotment and he has ordered all of them, he will most likely get all of them since the 02s will be produced thru mid August. As Redbirddlx has said before, as the smaller dealers drop out of the allotment system ( because they have received their full allotments), the larger dealers will start receiving more cars quicker.

Once the 2003's start up, there won't be any more Thunderbird blue with white tops made but there will most likely be the new blue with a white top available.

------------------
Dot, blu/wht/full blu #18/26 - VIN# countdown: 18-17-16 = the New T-bird

 

[tr cruiser]

To expand on what Dot said and clarify what I meant - If your order, #4 of 8, is part of the dealer's 2002 allocation, there should be no confusion about whether it will be a 2002 or 2003 model. If the car was ordered from the dealer's allocation specifically for you, it will be built and will be a blue/white/partial with hardtop. On the other hand, if the dealer is hoping to get you the car you want from some other dealer's allotment through a resale broker, it may or may not happen. You might ask your dealer if he placed the order through Ford or a reseller. If it's the former, we can help you estimate the delivery date. If it's the latter, better find another dealer.

 

[hsiegl]

Originally posted by tr cruiser:
To expand on what Dot said and clarify what I meant - If your order, #4 of 8, is part of the dealer's 2002 allocation, there should be no confusion about whether it will be a 2002 or 2003 model. If the car was ordered from the dealer's allocation specifically for you, it will be built and will be a blue/white/partial with hardtop. On the other hand, if the dealer is hoping to get you the car you want from some other dealer's allotment through a resale broker, it may or may not happen. You might ask your dealer if he placed the order through Ford or a reseller. If it's the former, we can help you estimate the delivery date. If it's the latter, better find another dealer.

Thanks all of you. I appreciate all the info you sent me.

hsiegl

 

[clebus]

hsiegl
I can get you a 2002 or 2003 Thunderbird ordered from a California dealership and drop shipped to your local dealer at MSRP if you are interested. Your local dealer will charge a $250 to $400 prep and delivery charge for the courtesy shipment. Let me know if you are interested.

 

[Topdog]

My sales person said they were told by Ford, that the soft top only, had to do with CAFE. I peronally don't see how this would affect fuel milage, but what do I know!

 

[thenewtbird2]

I can see a new topic forming:

"What stories did your salesmen come up with"