Here's Why the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was a Retro Failure
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
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The 2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird was a flop -- and today I'm reviewing a Thunderbird to show you why. This retro Thunderbird had promise, but it didn't quite catch on -- and I'm going to show you all the quirks and features of the Thunderbird, and then I'm going to drive it and review the Ford Thunderbird.
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You know what wasn't a failure? The tent on the back of your 2005 Pontiac Aztek.
And its coolbox
Yea, too bad the tent was attached to a vehicle that was as pretty to look at as a genital wart....
I miss mine, not even joking. Ugly as fuck, but that's why I loved it. Never worried about theft, you could leave the keys in, door open and it would still be there. Then had some dents and digs, never cared some of the incidents made it look better like some Mad Max type vehicle! But the best memory was I never knew it had a tent, I thought I got a base model (that's how cheap it was), so when I went camping with my friends and I had never done it before so I was mostly unprepared, and it had a tent i fell in love. I bought an Element after!
Is this the car Walter has in breaking bad? Also I never realized they were from 2005 I thought they came out much later. I guess being from NYC We never really see them here, haha. Had never seen one until I moved out to Utah.
@@scotty7864 indeed it is and you only saw them in upstate NY! Big in Syracuse and Buffalo where you can still find some
ChrisFix's Mom would like to have a word with you
😂😂😂😂
I was gonna comment something like this
🤣🤣
Adrian Furgol I’d trust Chris’s Mom over Doug any day
I just wanna say that
Being a two-seater was the whole point of resurrecting it.
Then he knocks the space for a child in front. I don't think too many people bought this as a family car. I think it looks great.
yeah, and they should've gave it a manual and had 300hp in 02 debut, and maybe bumped it up to 325 by 05. It would've sold quite well.
@@jamesmerritt3267 Ford could have put a jump seat behind the seats for a child. Lots of TRUE sports-cars have jump seats!
I think the lockable trunk button was a pretty great idea. I don't think it was made with a valet in mind. I think it was supposed to prevent anyone from being able to open your trunk if you wanted to leave the top down on your car. It could also be used in general. Incase someone was able to break into your car, they wouldn't be able to access the trunk if they didn't have the key.
Also, just a fun fact, that wasn't the only way to open the trunk in the car. While there isn't a keyhole for the trunk on the back of the car, you were able to open it by using a keyhole that was placed behind the drivers seat if you pulled the seat forward. Since the regular button is power operated, you could use the keyhole behind the seat if your battery was dead, but you needed to access the trunk. For example, to get your jumper cables out of the trunk.
“Ford only gave the thunderbird one engine”
Far inferior to the dual-engine cars of the time
Laughs in Tesla lol
Jung Boi Citroën 2CV Sahara 4x4
i think he meant they only had 1 engine option. but lmaoo
Batvolle Hum hummm hummm *silence* Lol
It’s a shame that Jeep didnt made the Hurricane, if a Hemi V8 at the front isn’t enough, they will give you another one in the back.
Car salesman: what about buying this one Doug. It’s a nice car.
Doug: No, I don’t really like the way the owners manual is worded.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
No shit! Who gives a shit about the owners manual? (Other than Doug)
Car salesman: If you turn the page 79 and 118 you'll find couple of quirky things.
Doug: I say we call this a deal.
And Times New Roman ? I don't think so ! :'D
DOUG Has Some weird ass Long Finger's i bet he can touch his own Postate
The headlight dial changes the DURATION of the delay from just a few seconds to as much as a few minutes. It’s actually a great idea. Several vehicles of that era had the adjustable delay time to adjust the time. The lights stay on after you turn off the ignition switch. My mother’s 2001 Grand Marquis has the same switch. She’s elderly and walks slowly. So she turns it for maximum delay to give her time to get into her house. Others don’t need the extra time. So they adjust it to where they turn off almost immediately.
And Doug in all his hyperbole couldn't figure that out. But everybody else must be stupid.
That's pretty awesome.
Doug: the ford thunderbird is shitty
Chrisfix mom: listen here you little shi-
who the hell is that loser
@@punchy207 a legend
chrisfix not crisfix silly
Doug actually said it was one of the coolest cars at the time
🤣🤣🤣! It’s nice to meet a fellow chrisfix/Doug demuro fan!
Chrisfix's Mom VS Doug Boxing match coming soon
Came to the comments section just to look for this.
@@Tigermoto yes me too
Omg yes! I would pay to see that!
Lee Butterworth same
@@Tigermoto same
Doug: "The 2004 Thunderbird is embarrassingly underpowered, with only 280hp"
2004 Mustang GT: hides away with its 260hp
With a bigger displacement engine
It's not just HP...it's the weight of the vehicle.....
@@muskokamike127 400lbs of difference for a 20hp difference. Also considering the Thunderbird is not a sportscar while the Mustang GT is.
ThirteenMatt I had a 2006 GT convertible. I wouldn’t classify it as a sports car either. More like a truck with a car body.
Yeah, but the thunderbird cost $10,000 more than a 2004 Cobra that was (under)rated at 390HP.
I purchased this car when I was 55, 15 years ago. Stil have it, 53,000 miles and we love it. I bought for my wife and it is a superb car. I purchased it new as a 2005. People of ALL ages still comment on how great it looks as well as my wife!
Well done. You can guess a mans taste in women by looking at his car.
It indeed looks very nice
Super jealous, I love these t birds despite being 21 and well out of nostalgia range where these cars were targeting. I’m a sucker for retro styling and 50s-60s stuff
In 03 my then 3rd ex wife had to have the 007 James Bond edition. In her mind she fancies herself as a Bond girl. I did not see any value in the car and small appeal and did her a pre owned 911 cabriolet instead. 06 rolled around and she brought me to our local Ford dealership here in nearby Woodland Hills. They had a 2000 mile pre owned 007 version in the Sunset Coral with me doing a custom painted Sunset Coral color change on the removable hardtop vs the odd factory white hardtop for 18K less; plus $650 to repaint the top. We grabbed it for like 38K. We got her out of the 911 and traded down. She loves that car. 17 years-ish later she still has that car. Two years back when I saw her she had 6K total miles on it and upgraded to a Borla exhaust; otherwise (other than the film accurate hardtop color change) the car is near original and pristine. She told me she did a minor color correction, clay bar treatment and full clear wrap. I agree the car appeals to certain type. We both work in film & television and she tells me she drives it in only on Fridays to the lot and gets lots of constant thumbs up. She tells me it was one my few that did her right!
I genuinely like this car. It’s gorgeous and still looks good today. Sure, it’s weird and not practical. But it’s gorgeous.
My grandpa has a black one with brown leather seats, and it’s a really pretty car irl. I haven’t really driven it, but it’s a good old man car to zoom around in
Fax, the circular headlights just pop with the long chasy
They are nice cars
I agree, and who cares about owners manual? All I need is fluid capacity and how to reset the change oil light; and I can get that, even as far back as 2004, from the internet. If you watch old Perry Mason on tv, you have to love this T-Bird.
Totally agree 👍
Title: 2002 Ford Thunderbird
Doug: "This is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird"
Dougscore excel sheet: 2005 Ford Thunderbird
Which is it Doug!?
He did the same thing with the E60 M5- 2007 in the video, 2008 in the description, 2006 on the excel sheet.
@@ultraguy8771 Guys, he never said this was 2002, he said "this car was released in 2002" which this model was. The 2005 model was built in 2004, so he is right on all counts. But whatever, that isn't the point of the video anyway so why nitpick?
🤣🤣
Joe Coolioness you won sir! 👍🏽💥✨
Doug needs to reply yes.
Title: 2002 Ford Thunderbird
Doug: THIS is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird!
On the Doug score chart it says 2005
2002-2005 car
My brain hurts
Doug, the type of guy to get his years mixed up.
2002 was the introductory year. A lot of people refer to a certain body style of a car by its introductory year as a way to simplify things.
0-60 in 6.5 seconds is really nothing to complain about. It's even quick by today's standards for many cars, and in a small convertible like this I think it would feel like a rocket ship. I think giving it a "3" was way lower than it should have been.
My 2004 Mazda6 station wagon was faster in 0-60 if I remembered to turn traction control off, and it had a 3.0L Duratec V6. My 2004 Pontiac GTO was vastly faster, but then again it was also much faster than a Mustang at the time too.
Also, the 0-60 is on an objective scale, so no matter what kind of car it is, 6.5 seconds will always get a 3.
@@sethmoyer --- Not that I didn't believe you, but I was curious so I looked it up. Motor Trend and Zeroto60times has the GTO doing it in around 5.3 or 5.4 depending on the transmission, but Zeroto60times has the Mazda doing it in 7.2 and Automobile-catalog has it taking 9.1, presumably the latter having not turned off the traction control. Both of these are about what I'd expected they'd be. I liked the GTO's performance on Pontiac's last ditch effort back then, but I couldn't get past that it looked like a Sunbird or Cobalt or something along those lines.
Ugh, I absolutely love this car. I have the 45th anniversary edition and it is the greatest car that I have ever owned.
Any coil problems?
@@way2tall7 not at all. I had a cooling problem but nothing I wouldn't expect to see on any other almost 20 year old car
Doug: "this is why the 2002 thunderbird was a huge retro failure"
*ChrisFix has entered the chat*
Lol true, he got one for his mom
hahahahahahazaha
Lol
The fact that the car was a failure doesn't mean it doesn't appeal to some people, I agree with a lot of Doug's comments, but I personally like the way It looks very much
@Saul Rosenberg facts
ChrisFix is angry you didn’t review his Thunderbird now.
And scotty is angry that Chris fix exists
@@iHaveTheDocuments fuck scotty Kilmer
Scotty Kilmer is an asshole who does burnouts in a neighborhood with children in it
*His mom's
@@iHaveTheDocuments that nigga a bitch, fuck him, we all know he has Toyota fetish, old bitch
5:00 when, oh whe, will Doug realize that those key trunk/glovebox locks aren't meant for Valets, but for making sure people can't access those things when you leave your car parked with the top down?
Doug only goes to establishments that use valets.
I think the interior is pretty nice for an early 00s ford, same with the styling, and the engine. These cars were designed to be comfortable blvd cruisers and they were very good at doing that.. 280hp was 20 more than the mustang and 40+ more than the crown vic.
Doug: Ford only gave the Thunderbird one engine
Me: *Imagines a dual-engine Thunderbird*
💩
Pilotgeek 🤣
😂😂😂😂
🤔 Maybye Doug ment that there was only ONE ENGINE OPTION AVALIBIBLE
@@NewYorker613 yeah i thought so, too🤔
Doug: the Ford thunderbird was a retro failure
Chris fix's mom: hold my beer
😂😂
*Soapy Wooder
Everytime I click on the "show replies" button on other comments, it just comes to your comments reply. UA-cam picked you!!!
First Scotty, now Doug. Jesus Christ 😳
Hold my soapy wooder
I have a pristine Thunderbird Blue 2002 (2nd owner, low miles) and she's a beaut! I saw her out of the corner of my eye at a local car yard and had to have her. She's great for cruising and I always receive positive comments on what a beautiful car I have. She has get up and go when I want it and only downside is that it doesn't have room for passengers. 8/10
It sounds like a beautiful car!
Beautiful is a stretch
I've had a 2002 Thunderbird since 2004 and I love it! it's a great vehicle it hasn't given me many problems and it's a beauty!!!
Looking at your pfp this statement checks out lol
I'm looking at getting one. I think this guy is a dweeb. "They only made it as a 2 seater". I've seen dozens of 4 seaters. If he's wrong about that he's wrong about everything.
Doug is SO harsh on the car, like to see him create a fraction of an creative idea on it. Fun car, draw looks and has a big following something he'd never mentions
@@johncarney482 Agreed. I don't think he knows this car was created for novelty rather than practicality. Ford told buyers at the time that it would produce only 4 model years - which could probably justify its high sticker price. It was not a "failure" as he puts it.
Never in my life have i seen this car driven by anyone under the age of 50
Halle Berry drove one of these in Die Another Day
zdvickery but she was paid to do it.
I had to drive one for my Dad once. I felt old...
Joe K actually had friend in high school who’s dream was this car and he bought one at 20
Joe K I was 40 when I bought mine.
"If you stick your ignition key in the button and turn it, it's locks so valets won't have access to your trunk"
But they've got the ignition key..
Yes they do!! He's nuts.
A lot of cars come with a valet key that doesn’t grant access to the glove box or the trunk
Its there so that the boot cannot be accessed if you leave your roof down. Duh
@@mr8gandusmr8 No its for valet parking, my 2001 lesabre has a key lock like for the trunk release button, but I lost the valet key, I can't find it anywhere,
Maybe vallet drivers, are stupid enough to not reallize that.
I own a 2002 TBird, Red, 2-tone Red/Blk interior. I really like this car. Bought used for $12,500 with 36,000mi on it back in 2016. So your biggest gripe with the new ones (too expensive) vanished in the used market. This car cost less that the motorcycle it shares the garage with! Since you dont see them much on the roads anymore...I actually get compliments about every other time I drive it. It is a good used car if you can handle the limitations of 2 seats.
I just bought an '04, and so far I have no complaints. It accelerates quickly, handles like a dream, and is smooth as silk!
"Hard and cheap plastic"
Just like every other American 2000s car.
Lmao I didn’t bunk I’ve seen any “high quality plastic” in any vehicle in the early 2000s
and still today: american cars and their crappy interiors
I know. Seriously, the screen on that stereo is virtually identical to the one in the late 90s Taurus my gma used to have.
Oh yes because that 2003 Toyota avalon is just so above and beyond the build quality in this thing..
Brian no vehicle in that year had good quality interiors reslly😂😂
Chris: Hey guys, ChrisFix here! And today I like to show you how to fix Doug’s attitude by using common hand tools! Now lets get started!
Hey Guys, ChrisFix here...
Uh oh
Nice
XD
I actually saw one of these on the road last month just a few dozen miles from Ford World Headquarters. He merged onto the highway at about 38mph only to jump right into the left lane and accelerate to 51mph in the 70mph zone. He had the top down and was about 76. He and Betty really thought they were the shit.
They were!
they didnt think they were the shlt they were just enjoying a beautiful day.
@@amandaburleson2035 Dangerously and clueless.
Well that beats the hell out of the obnoxious assholes that merge onto the freeway. and get in everyone's way or think they are Mario Andretti. and play their obnoxious loud music, which is pretty much everyone. besides that guy couldn't act like he's the shit driving a Thunderbird because FORD'S ARE GARBAGE!!!!
I actually still see quite a few of these things in Michigan. They're uncommon but they're there.
My uncle has one of these 2003..he got rid of the ugly hub cap style wheels & put 18 inch Tru Spoke Chrome & Gold wheels..he also has a Borla Stainless Tru Dual Exhaust system..it's Cherry Metallic so it really looks great & rides well with those 245 series Michelin tires
The Thunderbird was a boulevard cruiser; I don't think the target customer was really expecting too much hp, or performance. That said, the cheap interior was inexcusable, and they should have realized that would be focal point. Cool exterior, crap interior.
When I buy a car, the interior is the most important thing. That's where you are 95% of the time, not staring at the exterior.
I remember seeing one in the day, turning a corner past me, and saying, "When is it going to end?" For a "sports car", it was huge.
@@davidm5707 I think they both play an equal role. You're right about spending most of your time inside the car, and it ought ro be a great place ro be, but having a cool looking car completes the package. They gotta get both right, or it's too much of a compromise.
AND IN BLACK WITH THE TOP ON IT WAS DOWN RIGHT DEPRESSING INSIDE.
Well Ford stands for the amount of money the brand could afFord to save on you. Most Ford interiors are dreadful.
@@kozmaz87 As Ford owner I agree. This Thunderturd has the same quality interior as my '98 Puma, which is based on Fiesta and was sold at far lower pricepoint. There are good things too in Ford interiors like optional audio options that were very good for the time (sound quality wise).
Doug the type of guy to not know if he's reviewing a 2004 or 2002
lol that was the first i noticed i dont even watched 4 secs xD
And the doug score says 2005 haha
@@34FenwayPark meh made between 2002 2005
Probably because they were made between 2002 to 2005?
@@saimk4239 But the 280 hp version started in '04, I believe.
Always enjoy your clearly articulated reviews, with you whimsical walkthrough of details and quirky walkthrough of oddball characteristics... LOVE IT !
Doug is the type of person who would buy his car with the Manual being a major part to think about
7:03 “...that’s all we can a-Ford” now there’s a slogan!! 🤣🤣👌👌
I thought he said that too lol
2050: That's ONE MILLION dollars in todays money.
mopar fan we won’t have wait that long... 2030 tops
Hahaha
@@stx333 I'm afraid you may be right!
Sure glad we got off the gold standard so the gvt. can debauch the currency.
Within 2 or 3 decades we'll all be Zimbabwean millionaires.
I was in my 30s when this car was introduced and I regret to this day not having bought one back in the day. They are AWESOME.
I had to wait for a used car opportunity. The 40 grand price tag was insane to me at the time. Got one for 20, six years ago. You can pick one up cheaper now.
@@lawr5764 I was 30 when these came out and really loved it but it was out of my price range. I just bought one today, a 2002 in Inspiration Yellow with only 15,000 miles on it. The prices are going up on low mileage well maintained examples.
@@nbrider7235 Mine's a yellow, 2002 also.
Like a movie critic, DeMuro has his moment in the sun trying to tear down the Thunderbird. I started selling cars in a Ford store in the late 70's and am still employed in a management position. Needless to say, I've driven just about everything on wheels at one time or another. I bought a 2004 Tbird new and still have it today and find it does exactly what it was designed to do namely provide a classy feel in both retro design and comfort for a roadster.
Ford never intended the car to be a world-class offering to compete with other roadsters as the original design motif was followed. That motif was a weekend car to be enjoyed for its style and elegance-not how fast it would go from 0-60 or its speed around the Nuremberg track.
In nineteen years of ownership, I have little to complain about. I've never stood on the accelerator nor pitched it wildly into a corner. I bought it because I liked it and Ford never intended to make the car past 2005. It was an image car for them and in that regard, it succeeded. The Roadster design is one of the cool things about its design. Nobody buys a roadster to travel in so the limited trunk space is of no consequence. It's a weekend traveler at best which is just fine for me.
I'd really like to see Doug review a De Tomaso Pantera.
I second that motion......
Yessir!! Favorite car ever!
Yes, my dad has one.
Cool, then supply one!
Followed by a Muira.
"they kept it a 2 seater because of a retro design" meanwhile dodge making the charger a sedan
Lmao exactly
The design for the (new) Charger came first before they decided on a name for it. They even toyed with keeping the Intrepid name iirc... If you look closely the design has more in common with the Intrepid that came before it than an old school Charger.
@@randomcharacter6501 Intrepids were awesome
@@Turk_2023 Idk man. They were huge weird, space age styled, land yachts 20 years after that type of car was dead. But if you're into it, who am I to tell you differently lol.
The charger would be a much better car if it were shorter and have a two door option.
My old neighbor had one of these. His was the 50th anniversary edition. They put their heart and soul into that model because it is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. Cherry red with lots of cool little decals and lots of chrome
Ford's management really missed an opportunity with the revived T-Bird.
This and a modern day 6.2/7.3/6.7 excursion
@@limoboy27 if they made a new excursion with the new 7.3 V8 it would sell pretty well I think
@@TSL73 thats what im saying! The 7.3 was slow, the 5.4 was hated everywhere, and the 6.0 has a nasty reputation. None of their modern day engines have a bad rep.
@@limoboy27 you know since they are going to be adding more electric vehicles in the future they could make a competitor to the new GMC Hummer and call it the E-cursion hahahaha
@@limoboy27 their smaller displacement eco boosts do have reliability problems but the twin turbo V6 is a fast engine for what it can do though
"This is a 2004 thunderbird", *PROCEEDS TO TITLE IT AS 2002*
2002 model, 2004 car
yes i edit
and it says 2005 in the DougScore...
Consistency at its finest
Same with the E60 M5 - he says it's a 2007 in the video, 2008 in the description and 2006 on the Dougscore chart.
The biggest point of trivia about that dashboard is that it's lifted almost entirely from the Lincoln LS. The Thundberbird is based on the LS, sharing a platform with the Jaguar S-Type.
And the 3.9 V8 was designed and made by Jaguar.
Fords DEW98 platform
So, if you want a decent Thunderbird... buy a Jaaag!
Original thunderbird borrowed from Ford spare parts bin as well. No big deal, this car turns more heads than a 2020 anything
@@michaelhallenbeck8644 Sorry Michael, IMO they think: another would be showing off.
About to own a 2004 thunderbird and I really enjoyed it. i think people were just thrown off guard by the styling but it really is a smooth cruiser to ride around town with the top off.
A Ford "Sunliner" is an even SMOOTHER cruiser with the top down, and you can even bring your kids with you!
I completely disagree! I love my TBird! And everywhere I go I get great reactions from all ages. I think it’s super fun to drive! I agree about the lack of trunk space. I bought a chrome custom trunk rack that looks great in the car! My TBird is a red 2003!
Doug, the type of guy that tucks both shirts in.
If you don't tuck the inner shirt it'll roll up and look like either fat or worse smuggled merchandise!
Trust me, I did this for years before someone told me
@@YeeSoest humans do tuck in the inner shirt. It's the outer shirt tuck that's a wee bit odd.
@@rickc2102 it's those damn homosapiens who tuck in the outer shirt
No you shouldn’t be wearing 2 T-shirt’s period wtf is wrong with y’all 😂😂😂
@@rickc2102 Depends what kind of shirt. Short sleeve buttoned downs is definitely a tuck type of shirt.
And Doug, the Thunderbird had 280 HP while the Ford Mustang GT had 260 HP
But the Thunderchicken should've at least had a turbo/supercharger strapped to that 3.9 L V8 or a 5.0L fuel injected with a horsepower boost. Anything under 400 hp especially in a car like this is a joke......
@@heyrod59
It's not a sports car, it's not meant to be fast
heyrod59 Who do you think this was marketed at
@@heyrod59 There were Ferraris that didn't have 400 hp in 2002.
@@heyrod59 there was a supercharged version that never saw production because of the shitty sales
Just traded a 1979 lincoln continental mark v for a 2002 triple black deluxe Thunderbird....My wife and I are already in love with it!
4:55 “...so valets won’t have access to your trunk when you give them your car.” 🤔 wait, you have to give the valet your key, giving the ability to access your trunk.
Actually the Ford gave you a plastic valet key.
“It’s hard to imagine a time when Ford was making one of the coolest cars in the world”
- Has a Ford GT
Roddy Dykes but that isn’t a telsa
@@erichdiebenow4727 what?
F-150 Raptor is pretty cool
Isaac HK Teo it isn’t a Tesla
daktothefuture 1 you aren’t smart
First Scotty dissing Chrisfixes hummer now Doug dissing his mums car 😂😂
FIetch2002 what’s next, the driftstang 😂
Yourlocalcarguy “Here’s why the 1994 Ford Mustang was an engineering failure”
Thank you for your video!!! The Ford Thunderbird 2002-05, 11th series, is one of my favorite cars, so I'm glad to learn anything about them. Hopefully I'll have one of my own, one day!
I wish I had one too... but I recently turned 70, so I'm afraid I am stereotyped by this review. I think he thinks all 70 year old guys are square and uncool... butI hope to get one, too... I don't need to travel over 90 mph on any day.
If the automatic headlight adjustment is like all the other Ford's, the adjuster has nothing to do with light sensitivity. It just measures how long the lights stay on after the car is turned off.
That's so useless compared to when you want them on. Flashlights have existed on keychains since forever, much less cell phone lights.
@@joshuaein thats the dial to the right of the headlight switch.
EXACTLY!
At that price, this should have gotten the Mercury Marauder engine treatment.
Or a 351 Cleveland
Or at least the 4.6 litre V8 the motor that came in that Thunderbird was the same motor my friend had in his Lincoln LS he had nothing but problems in it
@Eat Jat I really liked this car when it came out if anyone would do a motor swap in one of these it would be a nice sleeper car
Yes.. Put another way, they needed to put the THUNDER back in Thunderbird.
@@mikepino4954 the ls and tbird / jag engine was terrible. They chose it cause it was a more refined engine. But ended up also being a turd lol
The first thing that you are failed to mention is that it was one of the highest HP engines of its time and are capable of spinning over 6000 rpm all day long. Not to mention that is was natural aspirated. So the comparison to 6-8 cylinders that were turbo and super charged is not exactly fair. My final thought on that would be you can find these engines with 200-300K on them all day long and still running strong. Not true with turbo or supercharged. Also you forgot to mention that it was mated with a 5 speed auto trans. The car for the day would blow the doors off of most cars as they only had 3 or 4 speed transmissions. The 4th gear was normally O/D only.
The light dial is for how long you want the headlights to remain on after the car is shut off. It is not a twilight sentinel.
Backseats, Well, I do not know how to respond to that one as it is a roadster and not supposed to have back seats.
The owners manual being only in black and white was done on purpose to mimic the era of 1955-57 black and white TV.
A 2003 Nissan 350Z had a 287 hp V6 and you can get it in a stick shift. It's also much lighter and you can toss it through corners.
280hp was not "one of the highest hp engines" in the 2000s
I had i think a 92, I can't remember. I bought it used with 60 k miles, well maintained. I loved it it was quick in traffic and handled nice and the bucket leather seats were great. The rear Window was so shallow the frame held water all the time. I had it repaired and painted twice, it rotted and flooded out the trunk every time. I was a nice balance of handling and power.
Title: 2002 ford thunderbird
Doug de muro: this is the 2004 thunderbird
Ford thunderbird: am I a joke to you
He mentions about a minute in that they released it in 2002, 2004 is the same model
And the Doug score sheet says it’s a 2005
😂😂😂 best comment yet
Doug Score: 2005 Ford Thunderbird.
yes 2 years difference lets all have a crisis over this
Engine outputs 2002: Merc S-Class 4.3 V8 275hp; Lexus LS 430 4.3 V8 290hp; Audi A8 4.2 V8 296hp; Cadillac Seville SLS 4.6 V8 275hp.
"The thunderbird is very weak with only 280 hp"
Ford did not make the 3.9 V8. It was made by Jaguar....of which, Ford owned at the time. And it only had 252hp in 2002. Has absolutely nothing to do with Ford's modular V8.
73 Plymouth roadrunner 240 hp 30 years older. Stop making excuses
In 2002 Jaguar had the 4.0 version making 290 hp and a supercharged variant making 370 hp, then in 2003 they introduced the 4.2 making 300 hp and the Supercharged variant that makes 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
I have the 4.2 Supercharged engine and I love it!
I Am ProdAG A 7.2L V8 from a time **before** catalytic converters that strangled 400+ HP V8s to barely half that power were mandatory. For shame, it’d still produces 40 less horsepower than the Thunderbird.
Thanks man. My parents always had Thunderbird's in the late 50s and early 60s. In 77 they bought another T Bird. It was a tank, complete with eyelids for the headlights. I ended up driving it through High School and College. Fond memories. I always wondered about the retro remake. I think they should have added a classic porthole in the convertible as well.
My dad has a 2002 with less than 50k miles. Thing is a blast to go cruising in. And 280hp is plenty for this car, it gets down the road about as fast as a GT Mustang of the time.
I went to buy one when they first came out. The dealer wanted $15,000 over the sticker price. I said no thanks and bought a Corvette instead.
Money talks and bullshit walks. Like you, I vote with my wallet.
@@abz124816 I test drove one too.
Bought a Cadillac CTS. 😊
The bird is worth way more than that vet today
@@ronhackney324 No, no they aren't
Individual dealerships were adding onto the Ford pricing and it was illegal. If they were a "sanctioned dealership" with Ford, they lost their sanctioning. I was told this by Henry Clay Ford II himself at the Ford 100th Anniversary show. Ford really came down hard on any dealership that did that. Believe me, they paid for it dearly.
Let me guess, next video: "Why the hummer H1 is an awful dream car"
@@ZombieOreos "Why you couldn't even give me a Honda Del Sol"
“Why the 1994 mustang was the worst mustang”
He has already reviewed the H1
"Here's why the Jaguar x-type is a failure"
Doug have an H1 too...
Well, this 52-year-old who never saw the original Thunderbirds still loves this car! Learned nostalgia maybe?! I am from the “Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley“ generation. I’d like to note that I also absolutely love the old Metropolitans and this kind of has that feel to me for some reason. Could it be the coordinating colors everywhere? Great review but I’d still love one!
Cute lil cars those Metropolitans!
I love my 2003 Teebird it handles beautifully and it rides like a dream and it’s got plenty of torque and power for me. And I get complimented on it every time I take it out and go to the store.
Lights "auto" dial controlled how long they stayed on after the car was turned off.
Doug is blissfully oblivious to electronics aside from esthetics.
i thought it was for the brightness of the gauge cluster and electronic displays?
Correct. My '99 Mercury Grand Marquis has the same feature.
Doug should defenetly do some more research
@@ncp61398 no there is a wheel that controls the brightness.
"Only" 280 horsepower. He would find a car anemic if it had a Pratt& Whitney turbofan strapped to it.
It was slower than a 200 hp V6 Accord of the day though, and could be close to twice the price.
In America cars are powerful but driven slow, in Europe it's the opposite way. I can't understand it.
@@raydavies6236 Well not exactly. The V6 Accord was a 6.0 to 8.2 second 0-60 car depending on the year and transmission. The Thunderbird was a 6.3 to 7.1 depending on the year so both cars were very comparable. The thing that held the Thunderbird back though was that it was a big boat weighing almost 3800 lbs.
The Mustang GT had 260hp when this Thunderbird came out, so the horsepower figure isn’t that bad for the time.
280 and a 60 time of 6.5 must be heavy.
I cannot disagree more - I would really like to have one of these in the maroon Merlo color. I have sat in one of these at 6 ft. and it fits me so well. I could care less about some big powerful engine! Too many driver drive to fast and too dangerously!!!
Then there are people like you that PROBABLY drive too SLOWLY and create an even bigger danger to other motorists! LOL
No I drive the speed limit or a few MPH's over the posted limit. I do not speed, drive crazy, run red lights, drive drunk or on pot; I do not fail to come to a complete stop at red stop signs or when making a right turn against a red light. I do not cut people off, I give he right of way to pedestrians in a marked or otherwise proper crossing area, all others, if I can I warn them that they are placing themselves in danger. I always wear a seat belt and do not drive distracted. So why don't you shut and stop showing your total ignorance about me, as you do not know the kind of responsible driver I am. So shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to Broomall PA Doug I like your clips keep up the good work. Hats off to you sir
9:19 "ready to receive the power top."
heh.
I caught that! :D
@@Quad8track Good to know you are a good catcher, daddy is ready to pitch ;)
@@jakestech28 oooo :3
Your profile pic makes it even funnier
I hit 160mph in one of these. Would NOT try again.
スティーブン yup i did in the lse v8 . You wouldn’t even know that it was doing 160 and that car rode like it was on rails perfect balance
@@THEREAL_GZUS Lincoln LS is SUCH an underrated car. you could even get one with a manual transmission. V6 only though and good luck finding one
thatallredheadude 1 i got both v8 auto and v6 manual . I daily v6 cause it gives me no problems . The v8 one always misfiring damn coils lol and they hard to find so I’m thinking of swapping mustang coils instead
You're big brave
the Game, Review and Reallife Channel What are you trying to communicate?
I own one bought new in 2002, has 24,000 original miles on it and looks showroom new. It gets compliments from all no matter what age and has even won a trophy at car shows. I don’t think I made a mistake in buying it at all😅⚡️
It's a beautiful design and VERY cool!
I sat in one on the showroom floor in 2003 and really liked the quality of the convertible hardware and window connectors.
I've only seen old people driving this car LMAO Doug got it 100%
Funny that you mentioned it, my late grandfather formally owned both a 1957 and a 2002 Thunderbird, both in the same turquoise color. Had the opportunity to ride them both when I was a kid. I'll take the 57 over the 02 any day!
@@WIZKID8675 on looks yes the 57 is way better but drivability then the 02 takes the cake, those old pre 90s cars were death traps
Not 100% in my opinion. I had one, he missed a lot of the quality points it had, like the bet fitting convertible top in the industry, per Car and Driver. The 2 step windows, most convertibles have them now, but only Euro cars had them then. The Thump the doors, trunk and hood had. Great fit and body finish. He did nail the weak spots about right. The headlight switch gives you the length of time the lights stay on after you leave. He should have known that.
@@visiondemedici6347 LMAO no offense but you look old to me so he was right
you and this clown must be fukk budies
I hear sounds of 70 year olds unsubscribing to both of Doug's channels.
Ageism… the last allowed -ism.
Speaking of age... how is it possible that Doug was born in 1990... I refuse to believe this
All 2 of them
Pierre Lescours He was born in 1988 if he was 14 in 2002.
Whatever, my dad doesn't even know he can watch videos on his phone. Just craigslist and facebook.
The way the car industry is moving, good luck ever finding an affordable, attractive, V8 convertible ever again. Ever. It's done. Teeny electric cars are NOW, and the future. My buddy, who is 53, just bought a mint one, and for the money he paid, it's a gorgeous, comfortable, well powered machine. He took the top off already and drove it around Yellowstone, and Bighorn national park. People wave at him, they're confused as well. "What is that?" "What year is it?" ...it might be a last gasp. It might be last on most people's list of cars they NEED. But there's not a single person who has a driver's license that wouldn't be smiling if they were driving around the country side, with the top down, on one of these things.
That auto dial is to select how long you want your courtsey lights to stay on after you park your car at night, from 10 secs up to 1 minute so you have lightning while you get to your house door from your car....a lot of that equipment was from Lincoln Town cars and Grand Marquis
For me the magic of the Thunderbird was the pair of little round side windows in back.
They needed to provide an accessory kit of retro-fins and retro-sharp headlamp doors. The body is just to much soft curve without some sharp creases to balance it out.
They're called "opera windows". I don't know why.
@@efandmk3382 they were actually called portholes because they're completely wrong. Hopper Windows didn't come along until the 70s.
Completely round, round!
Everyone knows those windows increase horsepower and improve handling.
I’m going to keep asking for the Mercedes Grosser 600 until he does it.
Eny money will do it
Gross
Ethan Nelson Now that would be an interesting one
these morons below don't get it. I'm with you. this was the official dictators' car.
Keep in mind Doug waits for people to come to him. He rarely asks someone to review their car. I could see him approaching CNC motors initially because it’s a business relationship but, when it comes to private party, Doug waits for people to offer him their vehicles. He explained it in one of his videos in his other channel and it makes perfect sense. That’s why it takes awhile when someone requests a car because he has to wait for someone with that vehicle to approach him.
My dad had a late 70s t bird. We drove from Toronto to Orlando in it. Great car. I looked at getting one of those reboot T birds but no manual option so I didn't pull the trigger. The dealer promised me that slim trunk would hold two gold bags however.
They could have offered one of those Manu-matic things they have now a days.
This is a great car. In 2021 it still looks great. It is still the only hardtop convertible American sports car (two seater) with a V8. This is not a corvette. It is everything you want in a car but are afraid to admit. I think I want a tire burner, but what I really want is a V8 that will give me immediate power when I need it but won't throw me sideways. I don't want a 4 cylinder, I don't want turbo that lags. I want 4 wheel independent suspension. I don't want wash board kidney killer. Ii say I want a hard shifting head jerking shifter but what I really want is a smooth shifts and comfort for long backroad drives. You feel like you have a solid car under you. It compares more to a Mercedes coupe 500 series or a jag. That is the correct customer for this car. BUY one you won't be disappointed.
280 hp
no much horsepower, huh
I want to see Doug comment on a 75hp city car.
This meant to be a sport car.
@@pocok5000 it's meant to be a cruising convertible. Not a sport vehicle at all. Would have competed with the BMW 6 Series, Mercedes coupes etc. It's a retro touring car
Dávid Kertész So first this is not a sport car, and second, even then 280hp is not little. I dont get what is wrong with americans. Have a speedlimit of 130kmh yet think 280hp is not much. In Germany we have no speedlimit and most people are driving 80hp cars. 180 is considered sporty
My car has 54 hp, fiat Panda
Search for Doug with the Mitsubishi Mirage!
280hp was more than the Mustang GT of the time; it wasn't a low amount of power.
It also had 4v full VVT ... it was rumored to be a duratec transverse v6 Design with 2 more cylinders added
I was thinking the same thing; not a low amount of power for its time.
Plenty of power...he is judging this car by today's standards. Next I will be hearing that a Ferrari F40 wasn't really that fast...
This engine was not made by Ford. It was made/designed by Jaguar. Of which, Ford owned at the time.
@@Risk400 LS6 is judging by today's standards? Wake up. V8 with 280hp is nothing.
So glad you did a video on this version. Personally, I've never understood the popularity of Thunderbirds. When it came out I always felt that there was way to much "design" going on for such a small car. But as the car got bigger, instead of a refinement, it seems like the styling would always be oddly proportioned. Really about the only version I think where the hype lives up to the reality is the 1967 steel top. So, I must say when this 2002 version came out, while I couldn't find much connection between it and what had gone before, I did think they'd made a simple, but stylish small scaled sports car. I especially liked the front end. Now I didn't know anything about how the car performed etc, but I did and must admit, still do think it's a cute car for sure. Oh, but after watching your video...omg..yea it really does look cheap and common on the inside. LOL.But from the outside, it's better than most cars out there. Oh well. Really enjoyed your take on this car and I totally agree with you. Now I understand why this latest incarnation didn't last that long.
When the video got to the driving portion, there was something realllllly familiar about that shopping center that was giving me old Tower Records vibes. Paused at 15:42, and sure enough, there's a sign for 202 South. In King of Prussia PA.
So what I'm trying to say is that Doug drove this car to Norristown, PA.
Nice.
I really want you to do an XLR-V... plllllease
That’s a great idea, as that’s a terrific car. Personally, I think it’s the best looking Cadillac to date! But even that car ended up with way too much of GM’s plastic parts.
@@mudman6156 but what modern car doesn't have cheap parts?
Yeah.. I know.. but I still want to see it lol. I have a vette now but have always been fond of the xlr's specifically the 2009 V's
I want Doug to do a review on a Ford Transit Connect Titanium. He will shat on it.
Jeremy Clarkson did a great funny review of it and I can't find it anywhere, can anyone shed some light on this?
My son has one. 2005. Great fun to drive and always attracts a lot of attention.
Pretty dang zippy too.
Have seen one at my work in Munich. It was red and heavily customized with lots of chrome and rear wheel covers. What a beautiful car.
About the light switch: These were the same as the Jaguar S-Type
Have you ever seen the 1958 to 1963 Audi 1000 SP? Euro version of the orignal Thunderbird.
@@billolsen4360 Yes
It almost looks like a smaller Thunderbird - but with FWD 🙂
@@TheJetJONES Wished they'd imported them to the states way back then.
@@billolsen4360 they WEREN'T sold there? 😳 (I thought, the 1000 SP was available in the States 🤔)
Imo the 1000 SP is the same as the Opel GT to the Chevy Corvette: The little German brother of an American icon 🙂👍
Next week in Hoovies garage: 'I bought the cheapest thunderbird in the US'...
ToolkiT73UK I hope he does now
Maybe he will find testosterone next week
Yes please xd
Gabriel Mejia at least he's got more testosterone than Vehicle Virgins
Yeah, a standard SC lowered and tricked out.
0-60 in 6.5 sec, 280Hp/286Lb/ft V8 and you're calling it underpowered? It makes no sense to me...
Had more power than the Mustang GT at the time. Not bad if you ask me
Doug is confusingly ignorant about cars sometimes. He normally doesn't make mistakes, but for some reason when he does they are the type that any car enthusiast above the age of 13 wouldn't make. He's at his worst when he reviews old cars from the 80s. I was born far after that and yet I still understand 80s design more than he does. He calls fenders on pretty much every car made in the 70s or 80s ugly and an afterthought even though it obviously wasn't, and calls interiors that mimicked HIGH END hifi equipment of the era "lazy" and "cheap". Doug seems like a nice guy, but he has quite a library of gaffes for a channel this popular.
Thank you, I was looking for this comment. Acceleration is probably the one criteria where he could be more objective. Instead, it's the one most subjective to his personal bias.
Yeah for it's time and the type of car, it really doesn't seem slow
@@firsttimegod802 people need to understand, and that is my point, that not all cars need to be a 700HP beast. A 6.5 sec for 0 to 60 and a 280HP V8 is super rare for an early 2000's car.
LOL - my 1987 Thunderbird Turbo had that same type setting for the sensitivity for the automatic headlights... they would go out under street lights and other conditions so I just had to switch them to ON. Yes, the '87 T-bird (Turbo) did, in fact, have automatic headlights and the sensitivity was adjustable. Many features on that car were incredible for the time.
I remember when this car came out. It was definitely a "grandmas" car.
I used to have a 1990 Mercury Cougar XR7, which had a supercharged V-6. I recall that Thunderbird also had a supercharged version back then, too. My buddy bought one after driving in my Cougar.
It was an excellent "sleeper" car.
Have you done a review of the XR7 Cougar, Doug?
Peace.🐰💙🇺🇲🎸🎶🤝✌️
T-Bird "Super Coupe"....
4:45 That's so you can lock your valuables in the trunk, when the roof is down on your unattended convertible.
Exactly
Yeah, I really like that feature
Fun fact: This car used so much structural adhesive it was the equivalent of putting 50 gal drum in the trunk. Also the area where the beauty queen would sit had to be reinforced because it was found to buckle when someone sat up there. (on top of the back seat with the top off) It was built on the same platform as Jaguar S-Type[1] (DEW 98) it's Ford code name was M205. I worked 60 hours a week for 2 years laying out all of the body grid lines, locators and measuring points for all the sheet metal. It was my first design job out of college. ALSO it was the first car to be completely designed using I-DEAS CAD program. Rumor had it some Ford execs got huge kickbacks for switching to I-DEAS.
Jeez, only a kid straight out of college would design a car and completely forget about the beauty queen. Cmon dude, she's a beauty queen, she deserves her throne.
@@TheSmurfboard Haha, I didn't design the part but was involved in making sure how it lined up in the assembly.
As a 18 year old that does own one, it is an amazing car. I cant drive it any where with out getting a nice car or wow what even is that. However the car could really use more power and a BIGGER trunk. the car is an amazing daily as i drive mine everyday. The cars hard top is a pain in the ass to take on and off and the soft top takes its sweet time to go up and down. This being said the car still is awesome to have and drive i have to agree with doug though it is more of a cruise and 55 car more than a 155 car. I loved this video because doug wasnt that far off however when it comes to the interior some models and color combos are more basic than others. My personal car has the red on black and it is beautiful. Thanks doug for the video! hopefully one day i can meet you and show you a really nice t bird LOL
I have a 2002 model. Removed the entire hydraulic cooling system, and replaced it with Antifreeze and electric fans. I've had to recently replace the starter in this vehicle, and lemme tell ya, it's a pain to get to. However, shade tree mechanics can change it once you figure out what you need to do. Mine has been sitting in the Driveway for a while now, I hope to get it back up and running this coming week. When the starter goes bad, it will drain the battery. I was hoping it was the alternator, but alas, it was just as much of a pain to replace as well. So, I got better parts, and she has low milage on her, so hopefully, I'll get some use out of it. I will say, when I got rid of the Hydraulic cooling system, I gained about 15 more horsepower. Actually, I'm pretty impressed with the get up and go this car has. I'm not racing it, and it's good for toodling around town. I have no intention of making a road trip with her until I know all is well. Also I found the shop maintenance software for the vehicle, so that's been a good thing. I've also had to replace the Starter in my 2004 Lincoln, as well as the fuel pump, and it's doing fine now.
Doug is the type of guy that pulls his shorts down to his ankles to take a piss.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂
I sit down lol
I don’t bother to take them off, I just go
He washes his hands before taking a piss
Great vid, however if the car was designed to be a cruiser just like you said, then why does it need a bigger engine? That v8 is perfect enough for that car, good balance between performance, fuel efficiency and reliability.
engine wasn't reliable tho. I owned one and had issues regarding cooling and the coil on plugs
@@leeklinglesmith3427 That's because it was a Jaguar engine. They would have been better off using the 4 valve 4.6L V8 from the Lincoln Mk. VIII. Those came with 280 hp in the early/mid 90s. With PI heads the engine would probably be pushing out 300-320 hp.
That was the most american thing i have read all week. V8 - "realibity, *fuel effiency* and performance" loool. 3 things this car is faaaar away from. Did you pull out these facts out of your ass?