ford and the new turbocoupe

Topic: ford and the new turbocoupe (Read 13802 times) previous topic - next topic

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #15 – August 02, 2010, 05:37:17 PM

To the masses, the 60's are the collector car era (think Cudas and Chevelles at B&J auctions) of today. And the 80's are still cash for clunkers era. So I don't think there will be enough "push" for Ford to go spend on something like this, especially in today's market. We are a select few who like these cars, and nobody else does. As an example, remember that Audi site that bashed on the Cougar? Well, that's just one. Ask any joe-blow in a coffee shop or college, and likely they'll say, a turbo-wha?

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #16 – August 02, 2010, 07:17:40 PM

bringing a tc back means 2 door not 4 door, when i say bring back the turbo coupe i mean 2 door, there is no reason for a 4 door, thats completely off topic, they arnt going to think about a 4 door Thunderbird from the 60's. we are talking about late 80's. i said it once and ill say it again, ford will listen if you want it back we just need to make a big deal about it and show them we are interested, the same with the SHO guys, it took two years of wanting something before it happened. we have to push for it, not come up with excuses, its eather you want it or you dont. i cant do this alone...so if we are going to make big and be one of the biggest car enthusiasts out there or we can point fingers and not try, the SHO guys are the biggest out there, my bro in law is one SHO forum and there is always 50 ppl on at a time. they take care and like there cars, they live about there cars, they also have there SHO back...cant we strive for Fox Forums, NATO...ect. to be like that...so that maby we can have our turbo coupe back. come on guys...lets do something and make fox body's known

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #17 – August 02, 2010, 07:29:30 PM

Its a great idea man, and trust me I'd love to see it happen. However, I think there is a better chance of playing pick up sticks with your butt than seeing a "new" turbo coupe anytime soon. You have to remember that the Taurus was already in production, albeit under the ford 500 nameplate. There was no way ford was going to kill off their mid sized sedan, so the retooling was done. Obviously the SHO was then a viable option. What you're talking about would cost millions and millions of dollars in R&D and tooling costs, not to mention the EPA , NTSB safety , etc. Personally I cant see Ford making a move like this to satisfy a few thousand enthusiasts. They have too much to lose right now and will stick to the cars that sell. Focus, Fusion, Taurus, Mustang, F-Series. Anyway, Best of luck with your endevor.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #18 – August 02, 2010, 07:36:51 PM

I'm confused as to what you are wanting Ford to do

A few thing I would like to note
1. Ford is not going to do anything that is not going to make them money
2. The current SHO shares very little with the original SHO other than it's name .
3.I just don't understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #19 – August 02, 2010, 08:51:15 PM

Why don't you put all of this energy onto working on your car?

A new TurboCoupe isn't going to happen...

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #20 – August 02, 2010, 10:48:56 PM

im trying to get the tc back whats so hard to understand and i know ford wont do any thing that wont make them money. but the thing is there is a good chance a tc will sell, in 1987 to 88 (remember 2 years) out sold the SHO in every generation. the car will make money, ppl are buying fun cars again, think about the new camaro, ppl are buying and using the 6 speed manual trans, so i dont understand were all of the problems are coming from. and the Taurus was out for a few mouths be for the SHO model was available.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #21 – August 02, 2010, 11:01:35 PM

So basically you want Ford to start building 87/88 style Turbo Coupes again?

If that is the plan , good luck in your endeavor

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #22 – August 02, 2010, 11:08:33 PM

Quote from: 83-88T-Bird Guy;330424

I like the idea.
However, if they mis-pr0nounce "Turbo Coupe" on the TV ads like they mispr0nounce S-H-O, then that would be a tragedy....

Why does the guy on TV call it a "SHOW"......WTF ???

it goes both ways

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #23 – August 02, 2010, 11:10:46 PM

Quote from: Sean Story\1988TURBO;330496

im trying to get the tc back whats so hard to understand

No, I understand that you're very excitable.

The only way you'll see a "turbocoupe" from Ford is if they put the Eco-Boost motor from the SHO into the Mustang.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #24 – August 02, 2010, 11:14:03 PM

Quote from: Sean Story\1988TURBO;330445

the same with the SHO guys, it took two years of wanting something before it happened.

The SHO was easy for Ford to revive since they already had a four door production bread and butter Taurus sedans planned that they could base it from. This revival did not depend on tooling up an entire special platform, body design or working around an expensive and exclusive Yamaha engine. They just added a performance package based on the new engine families that were already being planned to use in other Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Ford chose the SHO name again to cash in on potential sales because it has meaning to enthusiasts which is better than saying it's just a Taurus Sport. Ford has done the same thing by puposely making a new engine that displaces 5 liters, installing it in Mustang GT's and calling it a 5.0.

I have long ago accepted the fact that the Thunderbird may never again be revived as a large coupe. The original packaging and concept of the first 1958 Thunderbird four seater lives on in the new Mustangs and adding another Thunderbird packaged the same way is too redundant. If Ford had chosen to name the original Mustang as a Thunderbird instead then perhaps the Thunderbird nameplate would enjoy the permanence in the Ford lineup that the Mustang has today. There cannot be frivolous redundancies with the new leaner FoMoCo in this day and age. Ford cannot afford to please every little niche enthusiast. For instance there are always going to be the ones that say they want the Galaxie, Fairlane or Torino revived. There are also plenty of people that love the Mercury Cougar and want it revived but look at what happened with the shut down of the Mercury division. I say the only way anyone will ever get a new Ford Turbo Coupe is to find it installed in a future Mustang.

more mental masturbation

Reply #25 – August 02, 2010, 11:45:51 PM

IF ... IF! Ford decided to do another T-Bird, what's the end game?

But lets say they followed the concept. Take the new Mustang platform, add a couple of inches to the wheelbase, bump up the interior amenities, put in a bad-ass motor, maybe include an IRS and/or AWD. What's next?

The exterior - what would the external styling be, 50's retro? 60's retro? Contemporary? Modern? I seriously doubt it would look anything like any of ours. It might be a shape that's enticing, seductive, avant garde, bold and amazing, but I seriously doubt it will look anything like ours.

Economics - IIRC, the Mustang was >$10K, GT's ~$11K, SVO ~$14K. T-Birds were a few $K more. TCs based around $13K, most stickered around $16K. That's approximately 50% more than a Mustang, 20%-30% more than a GT. Depending on how you follow the concept above, you're talking about a baseline $40K-$60K sticker price for a "new" TC.

What can you buy for that kind of money? What's the target audience? Back in the day, the TC pretty much was a poor-man's BMW 6 series. Is there a market for that now? The personal luxury car market is a lot more crowded than it was 20 years ago, mostly with German coupes, but there's also a lot more from the Pacific Rim to consider.

Which brings us to my point (echoing ChuckW). A few years ago I started looking for a new car. Couldn't find anything that I wanted, and nothing that I could afford looked as good as my TC did when it was new. So I set out a plan and a budget to update mine - a what-if modern-day TC like Ford would do if they built it today (optioned out the way I want, of course). Sadly, it's taking a longer to do than Ford took, but then I don't have the manpower they do either.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #26 – August 03, 2010, 12:08:49 AM

Quote from: t3skidoo;330503

Which brings us to my point (echoing ChuckW). A few years ago I started looking for a new car. Couldn't find anything that I wanted, and nothing that I could afford looked as good as my TC did when it was new. So I set out a plan and a budget to update mine - a what-if modern-day TC like Ford would do if they built it today (optioned out the way I want, of course). Sadly, it's taking a longer to do than Ford took, but then I don't have the manpower they do either.

A few years ago I knew I wanted a new car. I wanted it to be a Ford. I knew it had to be a Mustang or a Tbird because these are the cars I owned before that I really loved. Even till this day there are no other cars on the market that make me feel passion or make me think I gotta have it, unless I upgrade to a newer more powerful Mustang. The only other passions I have are for a few select older Fords.

I had two choices I considered. Buy a 05+ Mustang or buy a used 02-05 Thunderbird. It was easier for me to buy the Mustang. After spending time with the new Mustangs on test drives and pondering over them for a significant amount of time, I came to the conclusion that I really loved the new Mustangs. Of course like the retromodern styling. When I got my hands on the actual car I bought, I found a little of every Ford I ever liked in one package. The classic Mustang look was a given. The fact that my car is white with rocker stripes reminded me of the first car I had which was a 1976 Cobra II with blue stripes. The fastback roof design makes me feel what I feel when I see Mustang and Torino fastbacks of the late 60's and early 70's. I had even forgone the expense of a convertible because I really liked the fastback roof design and isolated rear quarter window treatment like the original 1965-68 models used which is a visual trademark like no other. The interior has a Ford family look from the 1960's which is not just Mustang specific but also related to other Ford model instrumentation designs of the 1960's. The dual cowl dash pad originated in Thunderbirds and Falcons before they were used in Mustangs. Yes Ford still has a representation of several great Fords available in one package combined.

My 1984 Tbird fell in my lap free of charge from my parents who were just letting it rot in their driveway. I had been after them for several years to let me take it and restore it to glory instead of sping it. It is a sure save. It has been a labor of love so far to work on this car and make it my vision and interpetation of what my composite Tbird can be. I am most pleased with my dash swap especially how it related to the dual cowl dash theme of the 1958-63 Tbird models. I think of this Tbird as significant as the classic 1949 Ford Coupe which remarkably resembles a lot of the same rounded shapes and forms. If anyone can take a 1949 model and restore it to perfection then it's much easier to do it now with my Tbird with the parts availibality. This project for me has the same passion as anyone restoring a much older classic.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #27 – August 03, 2010, 02:24:04 AM

I think there's more chance of this thread getting locked than Ford ever making a Thunderbird again. :flip:

Here's one for ya...I tell most people I have a thunderbird for a project car....most ask: "is it a 55 or 57?"

An '88, they ask? Why would you do that?

...They have no idea in hell of what an '88 Tbird looks like.
I tell 'em it's basically a Mustang GT with a shagier body and a slightly bigger interior. But that magic is lost, nobody really gives a shiznit about the later years of Thunderbirds (and Cougars) than a select few who are very probably slightly crazy or else...

Here's some more worthless words...we have 350-something active members.....there's probably not more than 1500 or 2,000 people who in the USA who even give more than a mouse turd about Fox body birds.

Personally, I don't want Ford making an exact clone of the '87-'88 TC's.....they're an uncommon niche car, and I want it to stay that way.

There's also a real good reason large 2 door coupes are a very limited market.....for Ford, that reason is a seven letter word and it starts with an M and ends with ustang.

Face it dude, monkeys will fly out your ass before we ever see a new TurboCoupe that's also called Thunderbird. Ain't gonna happen.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #28 – August 03, 2010, 03:43:02 AM

Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;330520

Here's one for ya...I tell most people I have a thunderbird for a project car....most ask: "is it a 55 or 57?"
An '88, they ask? Why would you do that?

Yeah I love the kind of smirk arrogant reaction that some people have when I disclose that I am not restoring a 66 or earlier... However after many people have seen exactly what I have been doing I get a lot of positive feedback. You really cannot go wrong with a clean design that aged well with the potential to have a perfect black paint job and a really interesting and unusual interior.

Quote

I tell 'em it's basically a Mustang GT with a shagier body and a slightly bigger interior. But that magic is lost, nobody really gives a shiznit about the later years of Thunderbirds (and Cougars) than a select few who are very probably slightly crazy or else...

I don't think any of us are crazy. At some point people began preserving other older cars at a time when they were a dime a dozen. We have just begun to start now what could be an expanded legacy for classic Tbirds and Cougars in the future. The Fox generation is quite significant in my book.

As far as the Fox Mustangs go... There was never anything shagy about them. I never even wanted one because they were nothing but boxes that looked like they would have served better as a 80's replacement for a Pinto. Matter of fact with the basic package and drivetrain of 4-cyl models they indeed took over where the Pinto left off while using a more desireable nameplate. The Aero Birds and Cats brought back shagy to Ford in a time there was nothing shagy to speak of until the 1994 Mustang came along. The only merit of Fox Mustangs was the 5.0 and SVO in strictly functional performance packages. They were just never much to look at, especially considering 80's Camaros and Firebirds were shagier, low slung and Ferrari-like in styling. That is why I ended up with 4 GM F-body cars until the 1994 Mustang came out. I did not even want an Aero Tbird or Cougar at the time. It was not until 1997 when I bought a used 1985 Tbird because I wanted something that felt as close as possible to the 1994 Mustang convertible that I had to give up and sell because of some financial woes at the time.

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Personally, I don't want Ford making an exact clone of the '87-'88 TC's.....they're an uncommon niche car, and I want it to stay that way.

No need to clone those cars for the same reason no one wants to clone the tri-year 55-57 Chevys. I feel that any new Thunderbird if it was to ever happen would do like it has always done in Tbird history and that is be a halo model that showcases advance styling themes which would bleed over to lesser models. However, since there is no Tbird now, we are seeing other vehicles in the Ford lineup become the test bed for newer styling themes.

Retro is mostly done for future Mustangs. I feel there will always be some proportions and elements that define a Mustang, but slowly Ford will step away from some design elements and try new details in order to advance the styling just like they evolved the 1965 model to the 1973 model.

ford and the new turbocoupe

Reply #29 – August 03, 2010, 04:13:37 AM

Quote from: t3skidoo;330503

Economics - IIRC, the Mustang was >$10K, GT's ~$11K, SVO ~$14K. T-Birds were a few $K more. TCs based around $13K, most stickered around $16K. That's approximately 50% more than a Mustang, 20%-30% more than a GT. Depending on how you follow the concept above, you're talking about a baseline $40K-$60K sticker price for a "new" TC.

What can you buy for that kind of money? What's the target audience? Back in the day, the TC pretty much was a poor-man's BMW 6 series. Is there a market for that now? The personal luxury car market is a lot more crowded than it was 20 years ago, mostly with German coupes, but there's also a lot more from the Pacific Rim to consider.

The last generation Tbirds were selling for around $40k plus. When the new 05 Mustang came along they could be had at a base price of around 20K. Add 5K for a convertible and another 5K for a GT. That put a well equipped Mustang at $30K. Since the 2010 Mustang came out, the average prices are about 5K higher than before, so Most well equipped Mustangs now are between 28-35K. New Tauruses are maxing out at about 40K. Any new Thunderbird would certainly be placed at that price point and beyond into Lincoln pricing territory.

I have bought my last new car. My 08 Mustang stickered for 25K. With all the incentives, rebates and a little cash down I got it down to 18K. I used no trade in. I cannot imagine paying around 30K for any new Mustang. I will keep this one and maintain it for as long as I want to. There are too many nice cars that can be had used for a lot less money and just having a passion for some older cars gives me an incentive to never look for another new car.