1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe - Last 22 Years In Garage on 2040-cars
Saint Charles, Illinois, United States
Engine:Turbocharged 2.3 litre 4
Vehicle Title:Clear
Exterior Color: Black
Make: Ford
Interior Color: Charcoal
Model: Thunderbird
Trim: Turbo Coupe
Warranty: As is
Drive Type: RWD
Options: Cassette Player
Mileage: 76,418
Safety Features: Driver Airbag
Sub Model: Turbo Coupe
Power Options: Cruise Control
This car was one of the first Turbo Coupes to be on the road. The 1983 Thunderbird, with it's very aerodynamic body caught people's eyes. Halfway into the model year, the Turbo Coupe grabbed their attention with it's turbo-charged motor, 5-speed manual transmission, and limited-slip differential. All Thunderbirds were nice riding cars. The Turbo Coupes were nice driving cars.
I bought this car new in Dallas, TX on May 26, 1983. It is from the very first production run of Turbo Coupes.
Like most of those first Turbo Coupes, it sit and draw traffic into the dealer's showroom. I blew the plan apart. I was getting my car fixed when the Turbo Coupe arrived in a shipment of new cars. I asked for a test drive before they got it off the truck, and we took a very entertaining ride in the un-prepped bird. I bought the car on the spot. Unfortunately, the owner didn't take kindly to losing his traffic draw and fired the salesman.
I couldn't part with the T-bird when I bought my next car. When it sprang a coolant leak, I parked up against the wall in my garage, meaning to fix it. It sat there 22 years. Now we need to move and I can't take it with me.
Warning: This car hasn't been started in 22 years. Please don't try to start it without taking the appropriate steps.
Notes:
I blew the head gasket after 56,000 miles. Instead of replacing the gasket, I replaced the engine with a factory rebuilt.
The car was in a hailstorm in 1996. The damage was repaired, but a couple of dimples reappeared.
The paint on the passenger side of the trunklid is damaged. The rest looks pretty good, especially for a 30 year old car.
The tires are nearly 25 years old. You will not want to try driving on them.
Fun note: I tried the inflatable lumbar support on the passenger seat and it works. Didn't try the driver's side.
It still has the original space-saver spare, but I don't know if it will hold air after all these years.
Car includes the original owner's manual.
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Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes
Thu, 10 May 2012When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.
2020 Ford Escape hybrids vs other crossover fuel sippers: How they compare on paper
Wed, Apr 3 2019Along with a new generation of Escape, Ford also reintroduced the world to the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid. And if that weren't enough, Ford is adding a plug-in hybrid version. This is a sign of the times: people are more crossover crazy than ever, but are also seeking ways to use less fuel, whether it's for environmental or purely money-motivated reasons. The Ford hybrids aren't the only fuel-efficient compact crossovers on the market. They will be going head-to-head with conventional hybrids including the 2019 Kia Niro, 2019 Nissan Rogue Hybrid and 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. There are other plug-in hybrids including the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek PHEV, 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the plug-in version of the 2019 Kia Niro. There are even a couple diesels in the form of the 2019 Chevy Equinox and 2019 GMC Terrain. So we've rounded up the details on all these crossovers to see who leads and lags in criteria such as power, fuel efficiency, space and price. Check out all their details below. 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid View 68 Photos How do their engines and fuel economy compare? Conventional Hybrids and Diesels Let's face it, if you're buying one of these crossovers, one of the things that matters most to you is just how frugal with fuel they are. We'll start off with the conventional hybrids and diesels, and the clear victor is the Kia Niro, which in base FE trim, manages to hit 50 mpg combined. This is thanks to it sharing its powertrain with the Hyundai Ioniq, the Hyundai equivalent of the Toyota Prius. Buyers should take note that only the FE returns such high fuel economy. The LX and EX drop to 49 mpg, and the S Touring and Touring get 43. Even then, the least efficient Niro is the most efficient of the normal hybrids and diesels. It is nearly the least powerful, though, with 139 horsepower. Just behind it is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. It delivers 40 mpg combined, and it has an ace up its sleeve: it comes standard with all-wheel drive. Every other vehicle in this powertrain group has front drive standard, and the Niro isn't available with all-wheel drive at all. If that weren't enough, the RAV4 Hybrid also boasts the most power at 219 horses. While we can't say anything about Escape Hybrid fuel economy, we do know that it will make 198 horsepower, which is close to the class-leading RAV4. The least powerful of these is the Equinox and Terrain, and they return the worst fuel economy at 32 mpg.
Weekly Recap: Marchionne's Manifesto again calls for industry consolidation
Sat, May 2 2015Sergio Marchionne isn't taking no for an answer. Despite public rebuffs from General Motors and Ford, the leader of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles continues to push for consolidation within the auto industry. His latest assertion came Wednesday when he said a combination of FCA with another automaker could net savings of $5 billion or more annually. No, this isn't about selling his company, he claimed, it's about cutting costs. Put simply, the auto industry wastes money, Marchionne said during FCA's earnings conference call. Companies invest billions to develop basic components that all cars use, but many consumers don't care how they work or recognize the differences. "About half of this is really relevant in terms of positioning the car in the marketplace," he said. "The other half, in our view, is stuff which is neither visible to the consumer nor is it relevant to the consumer." In 2014, top automakers spent more than $100 million on product development, FCA estimated. Marchionne said consolidation could save up to $1 billion on powertrains alone, noting that almost every automaker offers four- and six-cylinder engines. Not everyone has to make their own, he contended. "The consumer could not give a flying leap whose engines we are using because they are irrelevant to the buying decision." That's pretty provocative for enthusiasts, but less so for average consumers. Still, there are major differences in power and efficiency ratings, even among similar engines. Skeptics could argue consolidation would also weaken competition and reduce choices for car buyers. Marchionne stressed his presentation, curiously entitled Confessions of a Capital Junkie, wouldn't require closing factories or dealerships. It's not his final "big deal" as CEO, intent to sell FCA, or a way to elevate his company up the automotive food chain. He claims he wants to fundamentally change the industry and its habit for burning cash. "The horrible part about this, and the thing that I find most offensive, is that the capital consumption rate is duplicative," he said. "It doesn't deliver real value to the consumer and it is in its purest form, economic waste." Other News & Notes Ford Profits dip in first quarter Ford profits fell $65 million to $924 million in the first quarter, hampered by slight dips in revenue and sales.