TheBurningPlatform: My first car was a very pre-owned, 1971 Ford Thunderbird. I was only 14 years old when I bought it and I didn’t even have my full driver’s license. Since I only had my driver’s permit at the time, my dad had to accompany me on the first test-drive. The ’71 T-bird is by no means considered a “classic” in the way that a Chevy “Chevelle” would be viewed today, but, back then, I thought it was pretty cool.
My bird was calf-shit brown with a white leather interior. It was a 2-door Hardtop with a Thunder Jet 429 V-8, Cruise-O-Matic tranny, an eight-track player and it had very unique amphitheater-like, curved rear seats. By today’s standards, it was a giant land yacht of a car and just opening its heavy driver’s door was harder than bench-pressing my maximum weight at wrestling practice.
One time, when my parents were out if town, two of my buddies and I decided to take an illegal road trip to a nearby state park. On the way back I put the pedal to the metal on a long, straight and narrow blacktop. At 98 miles an hour it started to sputter and cough, then after a burst of bluish black smoke exploding from its aftermarket glass packs, we took off faster than Neil Armstrong heading moonward.
At 115 MPH, I remember the hood was shaking more violently than Hillary Clinton off her meds during a stump speech and we went gliding over a slightly elevated culvert that seemed more akin to the first flight of the Wright Brothers. MORE
I liked what Trump said about it…once, cars were made in Flint and you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico; now, cars (Fords) are made in Mexico and you can’t drink the water in Flint…
Great story. I agree that I can’t but government motors anymore. Loved my Tahoe and my Denali. Those days are over. I owned fiats over the years and I know better than to buy a Chrysler Dodge.
Ford? Not a fan.
At least my Tundra was built in the US of A.
Buying vehicles these days, in terms of buying American, has become very murky.
Fought his battle hard throughout the years, I do buy Japanese branded vehicles even though my first was union made. My first new one was a VW, made in Brazil. Every one since has been Jap named but solely built in the USA. Once at Oshkosh for Airventure I stepped outside to find foreigners crawling under my Jap named 95% US built vehicle.
It all comes down to reliability and value, I’ve driven quite a few off the floor and I’ve tried to give at least GM and more so Ford a chance. Recently I bought a new half-ton and really wanted to make that Ford work, but it just won’t hunt. So another Jap jammer!
However, a great value, because there’s a shit ton of them on the road. Find a nice used Grand Cherokee. I’ve had a couple of used Jeeps, they’re quirky, but they are the right price and comfort for a good used vehicle.
Right now my family owns four US made Hondas, and a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.
That Ford really shits and gits.
How is it that foreign car companies can be successful building cars in the USA, but US companies can’t? Unions.
PS – VW recently went union voluntarily. Let’s see how long they can hold out.
My first car, pre drivers license was also a T-bird. A 1959 with one of those little steering wheels they marketed in the late 60s. Cheech and Chong (I think) said that the steering wheel was created so that one could drive a car with handcuffs on.
I had sinned by shoplifting a socket set so I had to sell the car to pay for my crime. No charges. Dad marched my ass down to the retailer and turned me in.
Thanks dad. Life of crime ended during high school.
Off topic? Yes. I blame the third ref. Jogged some memories.
T-bird ref.
Fuck a bunch of jap cars, I don’t care where they’re made. My Sierra was made in Ft. Wayne and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. As long as GM employs Americans and builds what I want here, I’m in.
It could be worse, remember when FORD stood for fixed or repaired daily or found on road dead, first on race day (sometimes). The Wops have that all sewed up since FIAT still stands for and always will for fix it again Tony. I hate Fiats, the only thing worse were Yugos which were Yugoslavian Fiats probably built by slave labor. I loved my 56 Ford F-100 pickup truck back in the day when I was younger and believe there is no cooler hot rod than a 1940 Ford either sedan or coupe. Except for maybe a late 30’s/early 40’s Lincoln Zephyr.
I’m currently traveling for business and driving a rental Chevy Cruze. The engine stops while I am at stop lights within about five seconds and then restarts when I release the brake.
WTH????
It also stops and starts the engine when (I believe the AC thermostat tells it to) the car is stopped.
This cannot save that much gas over the life of the vehicle. And the cost of a new starter will more that wipe out any dollar savings.
Out of 20 years of working on cars… I don’t know much about Fords. I do know quite a bit about Chevy, GM, VW aircool, and diesel MBs.
That Ford 4.9 I6 was an amazing engine. I know about their steering pumps, alternators, wiring, and tranny nonsense… but I don’t know anything about that 4.9. Because I’ve NEVER worked on one.
I just came home today with an ’08 Nissan Frontier 261hp V6, 4×4, 6 speed mani, Ext-cab, disc breaks & limited slip front & back. Drives like a car on the road and didn’t hesitate a bit on the way to the fire tower in the rain. It was made in Smyrna, Tenn.
Sucks domestics companies can’t, won’t, & don’t compete with level of ‘off the lot’ power, engineering, ability, and price. I was a die hard Jeep & GM guy back in the day.
In a past life I worked directly with various Tier 1 suppliers and OEM engineers. The big three always demanded that any supplier build in guaranteed price breaks for the life of the platform.
GM was mainly concerned with estetics and at one meeting at the tech center several engineers informed me that their goal was to build a “seven year automobile” one that would outlast the warnantee, but not by much so the suckers would come back.
Ford swore by idiotic laboratory tests that had nothing to do with real life but at least talked a good game.
The Chrysler guy simply said if Ford and GM bought it, it would be good enough for them.
Toyota insisted that every year the product be technologically improved and were willing to pay for the improvement.
Said it all about automotive in the 80’s, doubt it’s changed much since.
My dad a bought a new T-Bird in the mid 70’s and I practiced with my permit in it. This thing had nothing at all in common with that beautiful 1950s T-Bird. The 70’s version was an absolute piece of crap on 4 wheels. So much so that he gave up on American cars after that and bought Alfa Romeos and Fiats. To be a 16 year old with access to those cars was fantastic. Of course, they spent more time in the shop than in the driveway, but what a blast when they were running.
When it was up to me I went with Honda since I already owned a Honda motorcycle. Most reliable cars on the road and let’s face it, they’re really mostly made in America now.
My Dad had a friend that had a pot lot and also had a contract to settle insurance claims for a few banks….Wrecks and stolen…..I had the opportunity to buy a stolen 1970 Pontiac “The Judge” with a 455 for $1500, but I was 16 and he didn’t get it….NAW, he got it!….I couldn’t buy nor have it…He probably was better inspired when the stolen 1970’s Porsche Targa showed up, and I couldn’t buy nor have that either and it was MY money, but his house….He cost me a prom date and possible sex….LOL…
Mentioned here earlier:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75416.The_Reckoning
Here’s where we are….My 1970 Pontiac “the judge purchase”…..$1500 for the car…..I was making $1.75 an hour means that I would have had to work for 857.14 hours for that car….IT means that I would have had to work for 21 WEEKS for that car….check me math. I only worked (counting school/ summers) about 15 weeks total that year….I coulda bought that car in less then a years time…..Thanks for saving my life POP!….that car woulda killed me, but it’s probably worth a quarter million now….LOLOLOLOL….
Of the 14 cars (& trucks) I’ve owned in my lifetime, 11 have been Fords. 1 Generic Motors product (P.O.S Chevy), 1 NoPar (also P.O.S, but a truck), and an old old Toyota Corona. So you can say that I’ve been a Ford guy my entire adult life. I was proud of Ford when they didn’t take the bail-out like GM and Chrysler did, but the news last month about Ford giving money to the BLM/SJW crowd, and the most recent about them moving the small car assembly to Mexico has changed my perception and loyalty completely.
I was looking for a new truck…looks like it’ll be a Tundra.
So, is the Mustang considered a small car?
That would be a shame to have an American icon assembled by a bunch of culeros. 🙁
Henry Ford said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
Dang Irony….You shoulda got him into Morgans….
That was a big, heavy, POS with a self-destructing front end, but that 429 was one sweet engine. Had one in an LTD station wagon that would smoke the tires right off if you kept your foot in it.
@ Ann
I just asked Henry Ford about the Mustang. He says it’s a high-profit car and will still be built at the Flat Rock, Michigan factory.
Oh and BTW, Ford says he never said that line you attributed to him about faster horses. 👿
My first car was a 1968 Olds Cutlass 2 door. It was a piece of crap now that I think about it but it got me to and from the barn, school, barn, football, barn, home lather rinse repeat… I bought it in 1982. It had a 350 Rocket a Powerglide half the interior was missing and because the trunk wouldn’t open, I got it for $500.00… I had it a day or two and I decided to work on the trunk and get it open. After about 2 hours and being just about ready to give up on it the trunk opened. Inside, in it’s case, in pieces, was a 1951 Martin 000-28 in all it’s Brazilian Rosewood glory. It needed some work but it was all there. I asked the fella I bought the car from about it and he told me that he only had it a short while and knew nothing about the guitar. It was my first of many guitars and I still have it. Best $500.00 I ever spent.
Old street racer here. It was always tuff to get anything Ford to run fast. Their heads just wouldn’t breath. With one exception. The Boss 302 motor. Tuff to hot rod a Ford.
Not the same kind of thing but Ford did have another motor that breathed pretty well. I had a 1985 1/2 SVO Mustang, bought new, one of 439. It had a 2.3 liter 4 but both manifolds and the intercooled turbo were the work of the Ford European racing engineers.
When you boost a 2.3 liter engine to 17 psi you have the effective displacement of a 5 liter engine. The 1985 1/2 had the same HP as that year’s 5 liter GT, but a little less torque of course.
The lag was substantial but once you got the hang of it it was a real blast to drive. 50 series Gatorbacks on 16″ alloy wheels (nothing today but hot sh!t back then). Adjustable Konis in front and 4 non-adj. Koni shocks on back. Sweet car, had it almost 15 years.
Once I bought a Honda I didn’t need a tool box. Have been buying Honda’s ever since.