Ford ThunderBirdFord thought they'd take their own stab at the nostalgia business. There are quite a few last-century icons that wear the blue oval. For a revival subject, why not use a car famous enough to have been the subject of Beach Boys songs, starred in George Lucas movies, and has been gone long enough to be missed? Why not indeed. In 2002, the Thunderbird was reborn.
I had a '91 T-Bird that I absolutely loved, unfortunately it got hammered in a hailstorm, so I sold it. Now I'm thinking about getting a 95-97 V8. Any car I look at, I'll get a Carfax report on, but I would like the advice on what to look for in terms of problems, and any immediate repairs I should undertake. Thanks!
qdem7, a carfax is a good idea to start with. If you know a mechanic you trust have him/her inspect the car front to back. Transmissions/converters are a common problem as well as suspension. On higher mileage cars, the valve stem seals leak giving you the blue smoke upon acceleration from stop lights. Good luck w/your search.
It seems that the thunderbirds, escorts, explorers, and windstars are pretty popular cars, and have more posts than some of the lessor popular vehicles. WIth that being said, I don't think that there is any particular problem that stands out as a problem with TBirds that you need to be particularly careful of.
As with any 12-14 y/o vehicle you may expect some issues. The thing I would LIKE to see when purchasing a used vehicle is matainance records, especially that the trans has been serviced at least every 50,000 miles. Many Ford transmissions should be serviced at each 30,000. Other than that... if the engine does not blow smoke, then it is worth a serious look.
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BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
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Thinking about getting another T-Bird 
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