Joe wrote:
> Michael Johnson > wrote in
> :
>
>> Joe wrote:
>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>> :
>>>
>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>>>> :
>>>>>
>>>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>>>>>> :
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in news:z4qdneu-
>>>>>>>>> :
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>> :
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> :
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Joe wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Johnson > wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> :
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> My Name Is Nobody wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:1193186694.185363.167230
>>>>> @y27g2000pre.googlegroups.com...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Oct 22, 8:40 pm, Michael Johnson >
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I also think the 2-door model was an excellent idea
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> had poor execution. 2-seaters are supposed to be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sporty
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ford's last generation T-bird, at nearly 4,000
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> scale-
>>>>>>> busting
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pounds, didn't have a chance. But if they could
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>> gotten
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thunder
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [thighs] Bird down to around 3,200, given it a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> slightly
>>>>>>> more
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> aggressive stance/look, installed some real thunder
>>>>> under
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> hood
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and given it a competitive price, I think Ford would
>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> nice sales niche.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The reason I think it was a bad idea is they greatly
>>>>>>> narrowed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the car's target market. Ford took the original car
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> from
>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>> two
>>>>>>>>>>>>> seater
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to a four seater with great success. Had they not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> done
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> would likely have been discontinued. Why they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thought
>>>>>>> going
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> back to two seats would mean more sales is beyond me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So Ford should forever concede the American 2-seat
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> market
>>>>> to
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Corvette?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is an entirely different topic and market than the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thunderbird ever was...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Besides the latest 2 seat T-bird was not in the same
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> room
>>>>> let
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> alone group as the Corvette and Viper.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> By comparison, it was a pansy ass. I would rather have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>> Miata
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than that T-Bird.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <rowlf>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wow.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, I would. I can install a 302 into a Miata or get a
>>>>> Kenne
>>>>>>>>> Bell
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> twin screw blower and turn it into a Viper killer. Plus,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it
>>>>> is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> light
>>>>>>>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a feather and handles like it is on rails. I always
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looked at
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> last
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> T-Bird as a chick car and it had hardly any testosterone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in
>>>>> it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> For the purposes of this discussion, let's not talk about
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5.0
>>>>>>>>> Miatas,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> as they are rather cool because they're not really Miatas.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> That said, _any_ T-Bird has tons more testosterone than a
>>>>>>> friggin'
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Miata. Even the name is wussie. "Miata". What does that
>>>>>>> conjure
>>>>>>>>> up
>>>>>>>>>>>>> in your mind?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <rowlf>
>>>>>>>>>>>> My nephew has a Miata and I've driven his quite a bit. The
>>>>>>>>>>>> car
>>>>>>>>> grows
>>>>>>>>>>>> on you. It reminds me of my old Triumph Spitfire except it
>>>>>>>>>>>> is a
>>>>>>>>> much
>>>>>>>>>>>> better vehicle. They are very fun to drive. Many men have
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> same
>>>>>>>>>>>> feeling about Miatas as you do. My son does. If you can
>>>>>>>>>>>> get
>>>>> past
>>>>>>>>>>>> that you will find a very capable two seater.
>>>>>>>>>>> Perhaps I'll get past that when you can get past the whole
>>>>>>>>>>> name
>>>>>>>>> thing.
>>>>>>>>>>> I guess the issues are similar...
>>>>>>>>>> I don't see the similarities. Putting four doors on a Mustang
>>>>>>>>>> is
>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>> huge
>>>>>>>>>> change in the image of that car. The Mustang has nearly as
>>>>>>>>>> much
>>>>>>>>> history
>>>>>>>>>> as the Corvette
>>>>>>>>> ??
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Corvette has over 11 years on the Mustang...
>>>>>>>> It's kind of like a brother that is ten years older than you.
>>>>>>>> When you're 5 years old the age difference seems huge. When
>>>>>>>> you're sixty years old it isn't that great, relatively speaking.
>>>>>>>> Both the
>>>>> Corvette
>>>>>>>> and the Mustang have a relatively long continuous history and
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> longer
>>>>>>>> they stick around the less meaningful that 11 years becomes.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> and that means something to the car's purpose and reason
>>>>>>>>>> for existing. It the Mustang was circling the drain because
>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>> low
>>>>>>>>>> sales volumes then I could understand Ford doing something
>>>>>>>>>> radical
>>>>>>>>> like
>>>>>>>>>> making a wagon variant. Since this isn't the case, I see no
>>>>>>>>>> need
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>> Ford to make such a risky move and possibly jeopardize the
>>>>>>>>>> car's excellent heritage. Trying to make one car fill a
>>>>>>>>>> variety of
>>>>> roles
>>>>>>>>>> rarely works and just serves to dilute that car's identity
>>>>>>>>>> and, in
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> case of the Mustang, its reputation as a pony car.
>>>>>>>>> OK then. Shall we agree to disagree on this one?
>>>>>>>> I think so. Has the horse turned into hamburger yet?
>>>>>>> I dunno, but I had a steak cooked on the grill for dinner
>>>>>>> tonight.
>>>>>> Too bad you're not my neighbor. I had a frozen dinner.
>>>>> Hey, if you're in the neighborhood, you've got a standing
>>>>> invitation.
>>>>> I use salt-free seasoning from Omaha Steaks on most stuff I grill.
>>>>> Simply awesome.
>>>> I haven't been to Florida since my father passed away in 1990. He
>>>> had a house in Ruskin just Southeast of Tampa Bay. He had a home
>>>> made air boat and a regular boat that we used for some great
>>>> excursions. We would get oysters, clams, scallops, island hop and
>>>> camp on the Key Islands, fish in remote areas, make all day jaunts
>>>> into the upper Everglades among other things. Going there now to
>>>> stay in a hotel and sit on the beach just doesn't do it for me now.
>>>> IMO, the majority of people that visit Florida miss out on doing the
>>>> best stuff the state offers. Forget Disney World, there are much
>>>> better attractions from Mother Nature.
>>> You got that right. Most people don't have a clue what the
>>> Everglades or the Keys are all about - nowadays they all think of
>>> Disney. But I've heard that Ft. Lauderdale is now the top gay
>>> vacation spot.
>>>
>>> Check out any of Tim Dorsey's books (www.timdorsey.com) - he's a
>>> pretty good satirist from Tampa. Writes mostly about over-the-top
>>> hijinks in Florida. Sort of a poor man's Carl Hiaasen if you will.
>> I'll check it out. Speaking of popular gay spots, my wife and I were
>> visiting Maine in late August one year and decided to visit some of
>> the surrounding small towns for site seeing purposes. I can't
>> remember the town's name but it swells in population every year about
>> that time with gays. It took me about an hour of walking around to
>> get what was going on there. Three young guys were walking toward us
>> on the sidewalk and one was dressed in tight, small shorts, combat
>> boots and a tight T-shirt. He was the poster boy for what one might
>> think as the stereotypical gay man. As we got closer I glanced over
>> at him and he smiled real big and winked at me! I lost it right there
>> and started laughing. He laughed too.
>>
>> I spent the next five minutes explaining to my wife what just
>> transpired. I told her she had better treat me right that day because
>> in this town I am a hot commodity.... a gay virgin in an
>> overwhelmingly gay town. I was trophy material for these guys! When
>> we got back to our friends house and told them about our experience
>> they laughed their asses off. Evidently that town is known as the San
>> Francisco of the East Coast in late August. Gays come from all over
>> to stay there for a couple of weeks. It is so crowded that the locals
>> stay away until they leave. The town loves it because gays spend
>> money like drunken sailors while they are there.
>
> Michael, I'm starting to worry about you. "A gay virgin in an
> overwhelmingly gay town". Sounds like the opening line of a
> screenplay...

If I ever switch teams I know where I'm heading in late August.