That’s Too Much, Bob!

"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko)
07/29/2020 at 08:33 • Filed to: None

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DISCUSSION (38)

Tripper > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 08:49

I realize there is some love for these out there, but I can only assume that none of those people with that love for this car have driven one.

facw > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 08:53

That’s very low miles, but I can understand, I wouldn’t want to be seen driving one either.

There is actually a white one parked in my parking garage (doesn’t seem to be driven), and a red one for sale at a shady looking used car dealer in town.

When I was shopping for a car in 2003, my uncle (who worked for Ford) recommended either the Thunderbird or the Escape. I bought an S40, and I’m pretty sure I dodged two bullets there.

CalzoneGolem > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 08:55

Kinja'd!!!

Ash78, voting early and often > CalzoneGolem
07/29/2020 at 09:12

“You see, Cops don’t like me....and I don’t like cops.”

—Clarence Boddicker, founder of Antifa

Ash78, voting early and often > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 09:14

My FIL had one, their fanbase is pretty rabid considering a relatively mediocre car. But I drove it a dozen times or so. I preferred it to the mainstream Mustang of the era, but apples and oranges.

He replaced it with a 2007 Merc CLK 55, which was a huge step up.

ranwhenparked > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 09:15

Why would somebody buy an expensive (a bit overpriced) new car, and only drive it 5,000 miles in 18 years? Did they think it would be an investment or a collectors item? Inflation adjusted, that cost over $50,000 new in today's money, bidding is currently at $13,851. That $35,500 invested in an S&P index fund in 2002 would be worth at least $74,000 today.

mazda616 > Tripper
07/29/2020 at 09:25

Are they not good? I’ve always wondered.

Thomas Donohue > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 09:27

I just saw one of these on Friday. It looked more ‘baby blue’ in person, assuming it’s the same color. I must say it looked really good, and t he person driving it looked the part as well.

I’ve always had a soft spot for these, if only as a cruiser for the beach.

Not sure if the extremely low mileage is a good thing or a bad thing, but price seems right compared to what I see them go for ‘round here.

shop-teacher > mazda616
07/29/2020 at 09:27

They're just boring and meh do drive.

Thomas Donohue > Tripper
07/29/2020 at 09:28

Is it bad at 35 mph cruising? That’s all I ever thought it would be used for.

mazda616 > shop-teacher
07/29/2020 at 09:36

I figured as much. Aren’t they on the Lincoln LS platform?

CobraJoe > ranwhenparked
07/29/2020 at 09:38

Why would somebody buy an expensive (a bit overpriced) new car, and only drive it 5,000 miles in 18 years?

Some people buy the fun/interesting/collector’s car just to know they have a fun/interesting/collector’s car.

Most people aren’t serious driving enthusiasts, most people aren’t buying just to hope it’s worth more in 20 years. So there must be a pretty large section of buyers who just want to know they own something interesting or fun or collectible.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Thomas Donohue
07/29/2020 at 09:38

It’s made for slowly oozing down main street with the top down and Springsteen blaring

shop-teacher > mazda616
07/29/2020 at 09:44

I think so. They're automatic V6s with a very soft suspension. Also the interior is very blah.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
07/29/2020 at 09:47

Or blaring Springsteen while waiting on the tow truck because Jaguar electronics

Thomas Donohue > shop-teacher
07/29/2020 at 09:47

These are all V8s. I don’t think it was offered with anything else.

Tripper > Thomas Donohue
07/29/2020 at 10:00

I gotta tell ya, I hated it before I got out of the parking lot (valet). I’m 5'10" 160-170 depending on how many cookies I’ve been eating and I couldn’t get it in a comfortable drivers position. I terribly twitchy gas pedal horrible feeling transmission. I guess once you get to 35 its fine if you can find a comfy seating position. You can feel the FWD in the worst “jerky” kinda way.

The one I drove was nearly brand new, took it from a restaurant lot to aux parking about about a half mile away with some turns. When I pulled up the owner of the valet co was like “those thinks are weird right?” I was like, “ get this fuckin’ thing away from me”. It and a 2012 corolla are my two most memorable bad drives.

Buuuuuuuuuuut at the end of the day, a drive is a drive! I’m thankful for its shittyness. It looks cool.

shop-teacher > Thomas Donohue
07/29/2020 at 10:00

D’oh! I think I may have actually been thinking about the Prowler. I stand by my “meh” assessment of these though. I don’t hate them, but I have no interest in the whatsoever.

Tripper > mazda616
07/29/2020 at 10:01

Just really bad feelings all around, see my response to Thomas Donohue.

Thomas Donohue > Tripper
07/29/2020 at 10:02

Good info to remind me not to impulse buy one without driving!!!

Tripper > Thomas Donohue
07/29/2020 at 10:04

I was going to say it has merit as a family cruiser, but t hey are inconceivably small inside.

ranwhenparked > CobraJoe
07/29/2020 at 10:05

Spend $35,500 on something to collect dust between the lawn mower and the garbage cans, just so you can tell people at the office that you own it, makes sense.

It seems like it would be more practical and cost effective to just lie and say you own it, since it isn’t like anyone would ever see you out driving it anyway, at only 277 miles a year.

If it was a highly desirable Porsche or a Ferrari or a Duesenberg or something, I could understand it, not support it, but understand it. But, this wasn’t even a special car when it was new, it was mass produced on an assembly line alongside the Lincoln LS, and Ford built as many as their dealers ordered, and it sold for about the same MSRP as a Town Car.

Roadkilled > ranwhenparked
07/29/2020 at 10:07

My guess is that somebody in the 70s or 80s bought the car new to try to relive memories of driving a Thunderbird 50 years ago. They were elderly and didn’t drive much, only going to the store or doctors appointments. When they died, their children put the car on BaT to get more for it than they could at a local sale.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Tripper
07/29/2020 at 10:29

It's rear wheel drive

Tripper > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
07/29/2020 at 10:32

So it is! I dont know how to do that hands up guy but I would if I could.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Roadkilled
07/29/2020 at 10:36

It was probably only used to take the wife on their weekly saturday Ruby Tuesdays date.

Tripper > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
07/29/2020 at 10:43

This pretty much means you can throw my whole take in the trash, but I’m standing by it:)

CobraJoe > ranwhenparked
07/29/2020 at 10:47

Spend $35,500 on something to collect dust between the lawn mower and the garbage cans, just so you can tell people at the office that you own it, makes sense.

Well, some people spend thousands on watches they never wear , and those are objectively less functional than a car.

It seems lik e it would be more practical and cost effective to just lie and say you own it, since it isn’t like anyone would ever see you out driving it anyway, at only 277 miles a year.

This isn’t about being practical and cost effective. It’s about providing an experience that isn’t common elsewhere. 277 miles per year on average isn’t much, but that could be a summer’s worth of cars and coffee shows, a couple of poker runs, or one longer trip each year. That’s easily enough to be an active member of a car club .

Know what else isn’t a special car? A Mustang. Until the mid 00's, they were built using economy car platforms and shared many parts with cars that had less than 100hp. Plus they made millions of them. Yet they are loved by a wide audience.

The retro Thunderbird might not be a special car, but it feels special to the owners. That’s the important part. It might be the only “sports car” they experienced, or it might be a connection to a past that they used to have or wished they had, but somehow it feels special to many people. Or they might have wanted something cheaper and more cruising friendly than a Vette.

Basically, I’m saying to just let people enjoy things .

CobraJoe > Ash78, voting early and often
07/29/2020 at 10:57

My FIL had one, their fanbase is pretty rabid considering a relatively mediocre car. But I drove it a dozen times or so. I preferred it to the mainstream Mustang of the era, but apples and oranges.

The way I see it, it’s the sports car for people who have never owned anything more exciting than a mid level sedan.

Which isn’t a bad thing, a good cruising convertible is a fun vehicle, it just isn’t very exciting to the performance enthusiast crowd.

ranwhenparked > CobraJoe
07/29/2020 at 11:05

Do people mothball Mustangs in garages though? Can’t remember the last time I saw one from the ‘00s that didn’t look like it had been driven halfway into the ground.

Part of that could be build quality related, though. Doesn't matter how little you drive it, or how well you maintain it, those headlights are going to cloud and the paint on the hood is going to bubble off.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Tripper
07/29/2020 at 11:08

These are RWD, but yes the transmission was a steaming pile

ranwhenparked > mazda616
07/29/2020 at 11:09

Yep, also shared with the Jaguar S-Type and first gen XF, and has some slight relation to the '05-present Mustangs.

Ash78, voting early and often > CobraJoe
07/29/2020 at 11:12

Yep. It was sold 90% on nostalgia, 10% on actual merit.

It shared the same platform as the Lincoln LS and Jaaaaag X-type, so you could do worse.

CobraJoe > ranwhenparked
07/29/2020 at 11:22

Do people mothball Mustangs in garages though? Can’t remember the last time I saw one from the ‘00s that didn’t look like it had been driven halfway into the ground.

Yes. Absolutely yes.

Go to any Ford biased car show, and you’ll see Terminator cobras that are pristine . There is an ‘03 Mach one for sale in MN that has 6810 actual miles. There are collectors level Mustangs in any year. (My HS spanish teacher actually paid money to restore her 4cyl 77 Mustang Ghia, and that was 20 years ago).

Part of that could be build quality related, though. Doesn’t matter how little you drive it, or how well you maintain it, those headlights are going to cloud and the paint on the hood is going to bubble off.

Thats part of it, but it’s not like the cars in the 60s were built to last forever either. The plastic in the earlier cars had a tendency to turn into powder after too much UV exposure.

Tripper > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 11:47

Exesstee also pointed that out. Who even am I? Standing by my overly negative take.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Ash78, voting early and often
07/29/2020 at 12:06

I would take the Lincoln LS over this any day.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw
07/29/2020 at 12:06

You could say that about pretty much any 2000s Ford.

Stef Schrader > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/29/2020 at 14:21

lol BaT low-mileage tax strikes again. It’s all too much over there. A s eller’s market that’s boring/tiresome as hell to watch.