Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) August 06, 2015, 02:16:52 AM So i will be creating a proper car thread shortly with pics as soon as i have finished detailing the new Heritage. I am very confused by this car's options list. I am very familiar with this year and model and i don't think i have ever seen such a stripped down Heritage edition. Here is the odd list of known options:All the standard Heritage options:Power Windows, locks, mirrors and drivers seatHere is the options it has:digital clockManual ACpremium soundnon power antennano vent windowsno 2nd power seatnon locking fuel door with no remote release, its a delete option, never seen before2 surprise optionsbuttstuffogue speedoengine block heatercar also has no buck tag, not even the screw hole of where it is usually bolted on.car is very original with crazy paperwork which i will post as i have everything sorted out. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #1 – August 06, 2015, 03:36:58 AM There's an 84 in the yard a frequent with no cruise tilt and non intermittent wipers. The visor didn't even have mirrors. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #2 – August 08, 2015, 11:55:58 PM My 83 Cougar is similar!No Vent WindowsManual ACNo Power SeatsNon locking Fuel Door - No Remote ReleaseDigital Clockbuttstuffog SpeedoColumn Shift ( Yes headers ARE possible with this option! - But that's another thread. )It DOES have cruise and tilt though.I think Ford may have just slapped things on these cars in a random sort of way, considering the state of the auto industry at the time. Weird!I still prefer the simplicity of my Cat over my Navigator, or most any newer vehicle, for that matter! Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #3 – August 09, 2015, 12:01:43 AM Zane, what makes its so odd, is that my car is a Heritage model, which generally were very loaded and highly optioned cars. This is so stripped down, its just defies reason. Who orders a engine block heater in DSO 22 (Charlotte NC) where they get almost no freezing weather, but skips a power antenna or remote fuel door opener as they were fairly cheap options. The buttstuffogue cluster is another conversation all together. Its only the 2nd Heritage i have seen with one. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #4 – August 09, 2015, 12:13:10 AM I've seen a few 84 and 85-86 elans with the base cluster, they usually had the optional bulb out/low fluids/door ajar light package. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #5 – August 09, 2015, 05:23:50 AM i have never seen a Heritage or élan without the row of lights on the center dash. I know you could special order the buttstuffogue speedo, but it was considered a downgrade. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #6 – August 09, 2015, 06:17:45 AM For the most part vehicles of the period were optioned by the dealer or a customer special order, no way did the factory say "well since we have all these base clusters on hand, use them by next Fri"... If the car was ordered from Western NC where elevation is over 6000ft, the customer may well though they needed a block heater...I've seen a '70 LTD that was ordered delete almost everything possible... Had no power steering, A/C etc, and was three on tree... I talked with orig owner(one of my customers) and that's how he ordered it... Was garage kept and in late '80s had only 13K mi, was still like new... Approx five years ago it popped up in NJ, had been purchased at estate sale, mileage was something like 21K... Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #7 – August 09, 2015, 07:07:12 AM Quote from: TurboCoupe50;450472For the most part vehicles of the period were optioned by the dealer or a customer special order, no way did the factory say "well since we have all these base clusters on hand, use them by next Fri"... If the car was ordered from Western NC where elevation is over 6000ft, the customer may well though they needed a block heater...I've seen a '70 LTD that was ordered delete almost everything possible... Had no power steering, A/C etc, and was three on tree... I talked with orig owner(one of my customers) and that's how he ordered it... Was garage kept and in late '80s had only 13K mi, was still like new... Approx five years ago it popped up in NJ, had been purchased at estate sale, mileage was something like 21K...This is from my other thread for the car:Rod, its a Atlanta car, thanks for clearing that up. G. H. Blair Jr. (original owner) He and I had a long chat on Friday morning about the car and its history. So to recap, here was the discussion: The car was supposedly one of 38 Thunderbirds of all trim levels rush shipped to (The Miller Time 300Charlotte Motor SpeedwaySaturday, October 8, 1983 Race 33 of the 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. They were to be driven locally and near the track by Ford execs and there spouses that were in attendance to create a high profile. The car he purchased (my car) was run around the track and somehow they fried the alternator. The had a towing person come in and towed the car in gear all the way to the dealership, and roasted the transmission on a car with 45 miles on it. The car was repaired, and was sold to Mr. Blair as a "used" car, with 45 miles which is backed up by the original sales invoice which i have. He paid 12K in cash for the car and drove it away. I have a very strong feeling this car was pulled off the line, and hastily prepared for this event. The options are so weird on this Heritage.So in short, this was never a customer ordered car, or the dealer for that matter. It was pulled from the line by Ford's marketing division. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #8 – August 09, 2015, 10:57:32 PM Quote from: MY83T;450474This is from my other thread for the car:Rod, its a Atlanta car, thanks for clearing that up. G. H. Blair Jr. (original owner) He and I had a long chat on Friday morning about the car and its history. So to recap, here was the discussion: The car was supposedly one of 38 Thunderbirds of all trim levels rush shipped to (The Miller Time 300Charlotte Motor SpeedwaySaturday, October 8, 1983 Race 33 of the 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. They were to be driven locally and near the track by Ford execs and there spouses that were in attendance to create a high profile. The car he purchased (my car) was run around the track and somehow they fried the alternator. The had a towing person come in and towed the car in gear all the way to the dealership, and roasted the transmission on a car with 45 miles on it. The car was repaired, and was sold to Mr. Blair as a "used" car, with 45 miles which is backed up by the original sales invoice which i have. He paid 12K in cash for the car and drove it away. I have a very strong feeling this car was pulled off the line, and hastily prepared for this event. The options are so weird on this Heritage.So in short, this was never a customer ordered car, or the dealer for that matter. It was pulled from the line by Ford's marketing division.Ok so marketing filled out the order sheet, happens but is fairly rare...On the transmission, other than in park it makes no difference what gear it's in, as nothing is operating(includes the oil pump)... Which is my point, without lubrication it should not have been towed with rear wheels on ground, should have been on dolly or towed from rear... The trans was doomed from the minute the tow Bozo hooked up... Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #9 – August 10, 2015, 09:54:36 AM Have you ordered the Marti report? If so, it will be interesting to see the order type. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #10 – August 10, 2015, 10:49:19 AM I just towed mine about 60 miles behind my dad's Ford van when the fuel pump went out. I was on the side of the interstate with no soft shoulder and immediately got a 3 hour tow notice. Not saying its recommended, but so far everything seems fine. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #11 – January 31, 2017, 09:57:22 PM Quote from: rodsterh;450505Have you ordered the Marti report? If so, it will be interesting to see the order type.Here it is finally Rod.....Notice the build date info, it backs up the story of this car being rushed off the line for the Racing event i mentioned earlier in this thread. I have never seen a Marti with a car finished 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #12 – January 31, 2017, 11:58:27 PM Quote from: MY83T;459043Here it is finally Rod.....Notice the build date info, it backs up the story of this car being rushed off the line for the Racing event i mentioned earlier in this thread. I have never seen a Marti with a car finished 2 weeks ahead of schedule.I hate to be bustin' your chops but car was built April 22 and race was in Oct, I can't possibly believe it was scheduled to be at that event six months prior(Hell wasn't even a Sunday cup race, just the Sportsman class)... I'd say chances a saleable vehicle was to be held that long would be all but zero... Likely a request went out to dealers a couple weeks before race, so because it was yet unsold it got the nod... Basically if someone had purchased it, it'd never been at the race(unless maybe they were a race fan in attendance), would have been at their house...EDITI know why it was at the race, it was a left over '83, by Oct the '84 were in the showrooms... I can here it now "com'on down and get the deal of a lifetime on a new '83 Thunderbird"... Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #13 – February 01, 2017, 09:47:22 PM Quote from: TurboCoupe50;459046I hate to be bustin' your chops but car was built April 22 and race was in Oct, I can't possibly believe it was scheduled to be at that event six months prior(Hell wasn't even a Sunday cup race, just the Sportsman class)... I'd say chances a saleable vehicle was to be held that long would be all but zero... Likely a request went out to dealers a couple weeks before race, so because it was yet unsold it got the nod... Basically if someone had purchased it, it'd never been at the race(unless maybe they were a race fan in attendance), would have been at their house...EDITI know why it was at the race, it was a left over '83, by Oct the '84 were in the showrooms... I can here it now "com'on down and get the deal of a lifetime on a new '83 Thunderbird"...All fair points..... there are two different things at play in my confusion.. The fact1 that a very simply (probably the most stripped version of a Heritage i have ever seen) was seemingly rushed off the line a full 2 weeks earlier than scheduled for. (Perhaps due to the lack of installed options production was expedited?)2. There are some very strange things with this build also. The fully red steering wheel is black on every 83/84 Heritage/elan with red interior i have ever seen. Also, there is a full provision for a 2nd power seat with relays installed under the passenger seat above the carpet. The engine block heater was the one head scratcher for this one too.As a completely separate point the original owner did purchase the car right after the race, and with 45 dospoogeented original miles, the new car slip was crossed out to indicate "Used" when purchased. Just a interesting back story with a cool history and owner. I need to verify what race he was talking about also in the timeline. Quote Selected
Very oddly optioned 83 Heritage (mine) Reply #14 – February 02, 2017, 01:58:37 PM Sometimes one has to wonder about Marti's info, supposedly it was released 4/25 & sold 4/26??? If that's the case what was deal that it was for sale at the race track in Oct??? Mebbe your guy is mixed up on race dates??? There was also a race May 28 at Charlotte, but there is still that April sale date that doesn't jive... Of course it's possible it was a customer order and for whatever reason they refused delivery, took another six months to actually get it sold.. Quote Selected
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