Weick Photo of 2003 Tbird

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by HeelBird:
Agreed, WD...the light would be better if it were a signal mirror. A retro Ford crest would be neat, but care indeed needs to be given to keep from spoiling the flow of the lines.

Hey back to the Queen City. Who are your folks here? Maybe I know them.

Do you know any Freeman's, Robinson's, Gray's, or Harper's? I am also related to some Sutton's as my Great Grandfather was adopted and that was his birth family. I have several cousins who all live on farm land along one of the main highways. Most of them are well into their 60's and above now not counting their children and grand children. One of my cousins got involved with running the "infamous" stinky pig farm and before that he was a well known State Trooper. My Grandmother on my Mom's side was born in Pink Hill.. Her brothers and sisters grew up on a tobacco farm. My Grandma's oldest sister had a great little house on a piece of farm land and it was so tranquil there sittin on her front porch facing the main highway. She used to make fabulous "pastry".. and you should know what "pastry" is.. YUM!

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[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by tbird:
Here is your answer. BTW I have the high resolution image at http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/2003thunderbird.asp

Thanks for posting the Hi-res image.. I cannot view the entire thing as I am not a member of the restricted pages yet..

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[tbird]

You can become a member @ http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/become_a_member.htm

If we can get some new contributing members this week I will buy a top notch photo album add on for the site and install it on the server for the members. It has these features:

User Features
User Area where a user can edit Albums and edit their contact info
Users can register themselves. Their registration is verified by sending them an email with a validation code. One the email is received received they must come back to the site to validate their account. This reduces the amount of junk users in your system.

Email Album to a friend function
Reply to Album without giving out user email
Edit Albums
Remove Albums
Number of times viewed per Album feature
Search
Upload 15 Pictures per Album.
Create an unlimited number of Albums
Forgotten password lookup feature
User to User Email Message system
Favorite Albums Feature
Much much more....


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[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by thaser:
I may be in the minority, but I'm very glad the 2002s don't have the V8 logo on the front fender. I couldn't care less if other people think I'm driving a 6-cylinder vehicle or whatever. The people I care about -- the ones sitting in the passenger seat -- will know it's a V8 we get on the road! The 2002 is simply gorgeous -- and a lot of that has to do with its uncluttered look.

tbird, outstanding job on the identification. Mystery solved!

I think there will also be many people taking the V8 emblem off for a cleaner uncluttered look. I also think the novelty will wear off for some people who add them and they may end up removing them anyway.

If I had to add the V8 emblems I would place them in a more authentic location like in front of the fender extractors...

After years of looking at fabulously detailed classic Tbirds, I can certainly understand the desire and need to personalize a new Tbird a bit with things that remind us of the fine details of the glorious past. Certainly the new Tbird helps remind us of simpler happier times while being totally modern in execeution.

Car's generally only use V8 identification if the base cars of the same body style have a 6 cylinder.. Witness the original Mustang with the 289 badges. That let everyone know the ordinary looking Mustang had a bigger more powerful engine. This bragging and badging reached it's highlight in 1969 with the Boss 429, etc... Of course later this boasting dissapeared in the 1970's with all the weak engines.. 1979 brought us the 5.0 badged Mustang.. but it had no meaning until 1982 when the new Mustang GT was reborn with a more powerful V8 than standard.. But the HP of the 1982 GT is now laughable by today's standards.

Also, the V8 insignia was of course used way back when Henry Ford started using V8's to set them apart from lesser powered vehicles and to boast bragging rights to his competition.

Some car manufacterers are now de-emphisizing brag badging.. many of the new VW's no longer come with 1.8T badges for the 4 cylinder turbo cars.. nor do the VR6 engines boast VR6 replacing them ith V6 instead.. They don't want their customers to attract attention of insurance companies for fear of unfairly higher insurance rates because of a perception of these cars being a "performance" vehicle. Also, many customers prefer to remain conservative and anonymous from other drivers who might encourage "competition" at every stop light.

 

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by RT42:
V8 ugggg could be an ad for veggie juice, glad I have an '02

I think it would look better with a V12 badge on the front. 😉

Of course that would mean a real V12 engine. "Dream on silly dreamer"

VW uses a brag badge with a "W8" to boast it's compact innovative first and new 8 cylinder design. Next year VW is coming out with a large luxury car with both the W8 and W12 engine designs.. Ford is going to need to step up to the plate here in the premium luxury market.. There is no reason the Tbird and Lincoln brands cannot be further refined into something even more sophisticated at least optionally to maintain a flagship image for the Motor Company... We have the VW Phaeton coming AND Cadillac is considering a V12 powered "FTS" large RWD luxury sedan..

 

[jboriott]

Anyone know if/where I can get some of the Vintage (55-57) logos. Seems like it might be cool to get these for the fenders.

(Plus, this kinda customization can easily be removed - right!?!)

 

[uber]

larrystbird.com

I think the part you want is less than $15!

 

[HeelBird]

WD,

Definitely know what "pastry" is---one of my brothers-in-law is from Guilford County, and having grown up in the hoi polloi culture does not know the difference between pastry and dumplings, but that's another matter altogether!

I'm from the Pink Hill end of Lenoir County, (Southwood section-Vine Swamp to be more precise), so I know Robinsons and Suttons. Probably know some of your folks.

For some reason, I'm thinking that the corvette originally debuted as a 6 cylinder (without rollup side windows). I must've dreamed that Ford used that as a sales tool when the Bird came along--Y-8 engine and rollup (even power assisted) side glass, making it far more advanced than the first chevrolet offering.

 

[leisha]

You are right about the vette having a 6 cyl in the original model.
Vette freaks, a legend in their own minds!
They still figure vettes always had the strongest V8's. Let's not burst their bubble and let them live with their heads in the clouds!

 

[metinsure]

It looks like a Tbird emblem to me

 

[Jim L]

I'll tell you what,as soon as the chrome strips are available I'll get them for my yellow. I'm not sure if I would want the chrome accent on a black car but on a yellow it won't be much of an eye sore, if any, and will solve the paint problem

 

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by HeelBird:
WD,

Definitely know what "pastry" is---one of my brothers-in-law is from Guilford County, and having grown up in the hoi polloi culture does not know the difference between pastry and dumplings, but that's another matter altogether!

I'm from the Pink Hill end of Lenoir County, (Southwood section-Vine Swamp to be more precise), so I know Robinsons and Suttons. Probably know some of your folks.

For some reason, I'm thinking that the corvette originally debuted as a 6 cylinder (without rollup side windows). I must've dreamed that Ford used that as a sales tool when the Bird came along--Y-8 engine and rollup (even power assisted) side glass, making it far more advanced than the first chevrolet offering.

Ya know what? Silly me.. I forgot the Corvette came originally with the Blue Flame Six.. but then again I am not supposed to be paying attention to Corvettes...

The Robinson's and Sutton's.. yes indeed you know some of my family then. My Maw and Granny are headed there this coming weekend for a visit.. They asked me to go but they want to go on Friday early and I have to work.. so bummer.. It's been a few years since I have visited Kinston.

 

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by leisha:
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?

I saw a new Explorer today with the "8" inside the "V" emblem on the tailgate.. I really like the way the letter and number is transposed on one another. The look was a classic style font.. So I am holding to the opinion that the "8" inside the "V" looks better than the side by side "V8" configuration.