Winter weather - We’re all freaking out - there’s hope with the youngsters

It's -8dgF in Chicago - windchill is way lower.  Everyone is all freaked out.  It's too cold - stay home on your phones.   Oooooo, we're all going to die!

Daughter: can you drop me off at work at 8am at Chipotle?  My car needs a battery - might not start at 4pm.

Me: sure, no problem.

Me: (we arrive) whoa, look at that old T-bird.  He made it to work in that old car.

Daughter: that's my friend Austin Miller (fake name - 21 year old kid)

Me: is that his grandpa's car?

Daughter: No, he's always wanted one of those.

Me: (impressed again with the youth of America)  mind blown.

I think the snow actually enhances its lines. 

I work with a 30yo kid that still has his first car, a 1979 F-100. He will never get rid of it.

He also has a Model A that he will go to T.R.O.G in one day. Another 70s F-100 as well.

He is looking for a 1963 Galaxie to make a 427 FE clone of.

Rock on.

Friends of mine–two sisters–had a light-yellow one in high school. They called it the Yellow Submarine. I think it was sized more like an aircraft carrier. 

All black is a good color for the T-bird.  In that generation, so many were colors that haven't aged as well (unless your looking for a real "period correct" color.)

John Welsh said:

All black is a good color for the T-bird.  In that generation, so many were colors that haven't aged as well (unless your looking for a real "period correct" color

Mmmm, salmon?

In reply to Sarah Young :

Actually, Pastel Chamois.  Not to be confused with the other colors offered of Chamois Glow and Light Chamois.

'79 T-bird colors

The following year the T-bird went Fox-Body.  

If read another way, it seems the title is saying that the new T-bird is still an ordinary car

My daughter drove this for 4-5 years. 89 Supercoupe, 5 speed. 

Her commute was getting a little expensive so she bought one of these instead. 

2012 Sonic LTZ Turbo 6 speed. I don't know that she will ever own a car without a manual. 

Impressive to see a malaise era ride getting some love.  

Working up the mental fortitude to take the munchkins sled riding in our tropical -7 weather.

John Welsh said:

All black is a good color for the T-bird.  In that generation, so many were colors that haven't aged as well (unless your looking for a real "period correct" color.)

When it was new I did a initial monogram on the door of one of these in this exact color scheme.  I matched the stripe color with OneShot, which in the end faded less than the factory stripe. Whole car aged poorly in spite of my neighbor's serious attempts to prevent... 

Let us not forget: There is hope.

This is the second thread about late 70s T-birds on GRM in the last few days. It's a sign.

Sarah Young said:Mmmm, salmon?

Is it weird that Malaise-era cars look right with a bit of snow on them?

Though I may have watched too many old movies when I was kid.

21 year old shows up to work at Chipotle at -8 degrees in a 79 T-Bird.  That should be posted in the housing thread to show a guy that sees the ladder and picks it up.

This era of cars just screams "Functionally alcoholic private detective" but in the absolute best possible way. 

I grew up riding shotgun in my Mom's 1977 powder blue Thunderbird. As a kid in my mind there was no safer place than those white leather front seats. I can still hear the starter whine and smell the A/C. Mom still regrets selling it.

Steve_Jones said:

21 year old shows up to work at Chipotle at -8 degrees in a 79 T-Bird.  That should be posted in the housing thread to show a guy that sees the ladder and picks it up.

Don't forget it was at 7:50am too.

See also: proof that big cars can look good with 15-inch wheels.

Love seeing all the colors. It's like a family gathering in one snapshot. 

"Why did you paint it with Pepto-Bismol?"

That's awesome. It reminds me of the story where my 13 y/o at the time aunt won a 78 T-Bird in a church raffle. My grandpa drove it for years till he died in the early 80s. The funnier thing, my dad's pinto key would start it. Whoo hoo ford security in the 70's. 

The '77-79 T-bird is a shortened wheelbase version of the '72-76, which was a long wheelbase version of the body on frame Torino introduced for '72.

The "downsized" T-bird is mechanically a Torino with different duds.  No 429s or 351Cs though.

I had a '72 with the 429-4v, my friend had a '79 with the 302-2v.  Same color, even.  His car handled better but mine was a mite faster 

In reply to CrustyRedXpress :

That was my friend Laura with her Fox-body Capri. (She lived up a hill.)