12/17/2023 0 Comments New thunderbird carThe brawny, thick steering wheel, with cruise control buttons built into the spokes, feels terrific in your hands, even after an all-day white-knuckle high-speed cruise and there is a standard power tilt and telescope feature to help you feel at one with the car. Two reasonably comfortable bucket seats are independently adjustable with power switches located on the side of the seat. But their range of adjustment is limited by the configuration of the cockpit, whose rear bulkhead is close behind the seats themselves. If you are very tall or very long in the torso, the Thunderbird will not fit you well with either the soft convertible top or the removable hard top in place. Thunderbird's 6.9-cubic-foot trunk is big enough to carry two golf bags, but that's about it. This car is made for what Ford calls relaxed sportiness, a term we translate into cruising. It's sporty looking, it's rear-wheel drive, but it is not a sports car by any stretch of the imagination. The exterior design is extremely smooth to the eye, although the wind tunnel says it has a drag coefficient of 0.38, high when a Mercedes-Benz sedan cheats the wind with a rating of 0.28. The Thunderbird combines design features from early Thunderbirds, including the original 1955-57 two-seater and the 1961-63 Rocket Bird. A V8 badge has been added to the front fenders of 2004 models to further the retro theme. Yet Ford doesn't describe the 2004 Thunderbird as a replica, or retro, because it has so much modern equipment in it, on it and underneath it. New for 2004 is a Light Sand appearance package ($1000) for Premium models that includes a sand-colored convertible top, seats, steering wheel, shift knob, and optional soft boot, plus cream-colored gauges. This package also features bronze metallic appliques on the instrument panel, door trim, center stack, shifter bezel, and scuff plates. A new Pacific Coast Roadster ($43,995) includes the Light Sand appearance package plus additional features. Premium ($37,970) adds heated seats and seven-spoke, 17-inch chromed aluminum wheels 16-spoke bright machined aluminum wheels are available as a no-cost option.Ī removable hardtop ($2500) is available for the Premium model with porthole windows that were a trademark on the 1956-57 Thunderbirds. However, the 83-pound hardtop is not easy to remove or install even with two people, so you might consider skipping the expense and the storage issues.Īn assortment of color-coordinated appearance packages is available. The Black Accent Package ($295) features high-gloss black accents on the steering wheel and shifter. A Partial Color Accent Package ($595) is available that places red, yellow, or blue inserts in the seats, steering wheel, and shifter to match the exterior color on selected models. Similarly, the Full Color Accent Package ($800) extends the color accents to the lower instrument panel, center console and door trim panels. Thunderbird comes in Deluxe and Premium trim. Deluxe ($36,925) is very well equipped, with anti-lock brakes all-speed traction control Homelink three-button garage-door opener leather-wrapped, power tilt steering wheel power mirrors and windows AM/FM stereo with in-dash six-disc CD player and clock center console with storage cup holders keyless entry six-way power driver's seat two-way power passenger seat SecuriLock security system speed control dual vanity mirrors dual driver and passenger automatic temperature control leather bucket seats second-generation front and side air bags for driver and passenger and P235/50R17 tires on 16-spoke painted aluminum wheels. Introductionĭriving a Ford Thunderbird on a summer night takes you back to a simpler era. The V8 engine burbles as you cruise comfortably back in time. With two seats, a convertible top, and rear-wheel drive, it sometime feels like driving a vintage car, only it's brand new.įord introduced Thunderbird as a 2002 model, but has revised it each year since. Electronic throttle control and variable cam timing improved performance, power, and fuel economy for 2003. Thunderbird's 3.9-liter V8 now produces 280 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque, giving it stronger acceleration than the 2002 model. Traction control is standard on all models, and the instrument pod was redesigned. A Select-Shift automatic transmission was added that allows semi-manual shifting. Heated seats were added to keep driver and passenger toasty-warm, even with the top down in chilly weather.įor 2004, Ford has restyled the seats, and added three new wheel designs, new appearance packages, and new interior appointments.
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