Goodbye and Good Luck

[mdpigroaster]

My 2 cents. I was a BMW guy for years. Always had older models. The nice thing about those is that there were a lot of aftermarket parts to keep them going. I bought the Tbird as I have always been a Tbird guy having had 4 of them over the years. It is unfortunate that once again, Ford screwed up and stopped selling these retro birds because they didn't market them well. So 4 years of these cars doesn't leave much available for parts. Fortunately some of the parts are shared with other platforms which helps a little bit. But anytime you buy an older car, you need to be concerned about parts availability. If you're not a DIY person, it makes it a little more expensive for upkeep. The problems that these cars have are not anymore different from any other older car. Just that in some cases some of the parts can't be replaced and so you need to find a way to work around that. That is why this forum is important. So that we all can help each other by telling how we fixed a problem or did a workaround.

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[JW in Dixie]

My 04 runs great - smooth as silk, quiet as a mouse with 131k miles on the clock. In this 100 degree Alabama heat I drive with the top down and the AC wide open, grinning like a possum. Old toot, driving what I always wanted but couldn't afford in earlier years. What's not to like? Cheers

 

[Waltbird]

I had two corvettes, a 69 and a 79. My Bird is twice the car either one of those was, and will be classier for much longer. I'm 62 and have had many cars in my time. Buics,Fords, Plymouth, Dodge, Crysler, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadilac, Honda, Triumph and Toyota. Some good some better and some worse. First car was a 55 Chevy. Worst car was a 2007 Cadilac CTS that was only two years old.

Said all that to say this; drive what you like, don't drive what you dislike. But darn it man don't put down a brand or a model just because you had no tollerence for its quirks. Those are what give the car character.

Do you know what will make you feel better?

Just get the frik over it brother. Then you and all of us here will be happy again.

Regards
W

 

[usmcdad]

Before I purchased my Thunderbird, I looked at a very clean and sharp 2005 Mercedes Sl350 roadster. It was a hardtop convertible. It had about 80,000 miles on it, and drove very nice. It had a much nicer interior than the Tbird, but when we got back, I said, "Let's put the top down". It got stuck just a few inches above the windshield and would go no further. It would come down, but would not fully retract. I said "I'll think about it." to the seller. Checking the Mercedes dealer, and a shop that worked on Mercedes (not many independent shops like to work on Mercedes as they require not only all metric tools, but specialized tools as well that are expensive to purchase), I was quoted "about $3000" to replace the pump for the top. The Independent shop was $1700. I quickly decided that there is a reason that mostly doctors and lawyers drive Mercedes. You can soon have the price of a new car in repairs on a Mercedes. It was an easy decision to choose the Thunderbird with only 23,000 miles on it, everything worked, and never driven in the rain.

 

[biddle]

I quickly decided that there is a reason that mostly doctors and lawyers drive Mercedes.
View attachment 4934

And young kids buying used ones to look like they have money! lol I know a 20 year old kid that just bought a 2003 Mercedes SL500 from a buy here pay here lot. The plastic molding piece on the back window has already come unglued and is gone. That's going to be the least of his worries. Scotty Kilmer has it listed on his 5 Car Brands you should never buy and said that the Engine and Transmission are solid but everything else costs a fortune to fix.

Skip to 5:37 mark-

 

[Waltbird]

Before I purchased my Thunderbird, I looked at a very clean and sharp 2005 Mercedes Sl350 roadster. It was a hardtop convertible. It had about 80,000 miles on it, and drove very nice. It had a much nicer interior than the Tbird, but when we got back, I said, "Let's put the top down". It got stuck just a few inches above the windshield and would go no further. It would come down, but would not fully retract. I said "I'll think about it." to the seller. Checking the Mercedes dealer, and a shop that worked on Mercedes (not many independent shops like to work on Mercedes as they require not only all metric tools, but specialized tools as well that are expensive to purchase), I was quoted "about $3000" to replace the pump for the top. The Independent shop was $1700. I quickly decided that there is a reason that mostly doctors and lawyers drive Mercedes. You can soon have the price of a new car in repairs on a Mercedes. It was an easy decision to choose the Thunderbird with only 23,000 miles on it, everything worked, and never driven in the rain.

View attachment 4934

My brother in law bought one. He thinks the Merc is the greatest car ever. Funny thing though is its broken more often than not, and the repair costs are way higher than than my Bird. Bless His Heart!

And young kids buying used ones to look like they have money! lol I know a 20 year old kid that just bought a 2003 Mercedes SL500 from a buy here pay here lot. The plastic molding piece on the back window has already come unglued and is gone. That's going to be the least of his worries. Scotty Kilmer has it listed on his 5 Car Brands you should never buy and said that the Engine and Transmission are solid but everything else costs a fortune to fix.

Skip to 5:37 mark-

So true, so true.;-)

 

[usmcdad]

The bottom line: If you cannot afford to buy a NEW Mercedes that has a factory warranty, then you cannot afford a Mercedes!

 

[AMX]

The bottom line: If you cannot afford to buy a NEW Mercedes that has a factory warranty, then you cannot afford a Mercedes!

Come on, enough with this Good By forum, we all get the point

 

[tbird2731]

Scale back on the BS. lol? It is not the 17 year old chrome peeling, it is the difficulty (or inability) to get the parts!! What do you do if you are 500 miles from home and the FEM or other vital part goes bad? Let me help. You get a motel room (at the weekly rate). Hey, you like your car, I like my dog. Again, Good Bye And Good Luck!! --- Alan

 

[biddle]

Scale back on the BS. lol? It is not the 17 year old chrome peeling, it is the difficulty (or inability) to get the parts!! What do you do if you are 500 miles from home and the FEM or other vital part goes bad? Let me help. You get a motel room (at the weekly rate). Hey, you like your car, I like my dog. Again, Good Bye And Good Luck!! --- Alan

Anyone 500 miles from home in a 17 year old car is not wise. Rent a car, that's what I did when I had an old car years ago.

 

[tbird2731]

Sooooo, It is not wise to take road trips in the Tbird ? Isn't that what I said in my first post?

 

[biddle]

Sooooo, It is not wise to take road trips in the Tbird ? Isn't that what I said in my first post?

It's not wise to drive across the country in any car that is almost two decades old.