Welcome back! As I sit here writing this on Wednesday evening, it’s a lovely sunny 65 degrees out here in Portland. I drove home from the big-box home improvement store with my windows down and my sunroof open, just soaking it all in. But there’s an even better way to enjoy all that sunshine: convertibles.
But before we get topless, let’s see how yesterday’s vote turned out. A lot of you thought these two would make a good two-car garage, and I’m inclined to agree. I’d maybe add a third car into the mix that’s actually fun to drive, however. But either or both of these two would serve anyone well. The Camry won the vote, based primarily on its condition, I think. That is one clean 28-year-old car.
There is already a GMT800 SUV in my own household fleet, a 2004 GMC Yukon very similar to this one, only 4WD. It’s a great truck, but I don’t think we need another. And if I ever were shopping in this price range again, I think fuel economy would be a prime consideration, so the Camry would get my vote on that measure alone.
Now: If you’ve never owned a convertible, you’re really missing out. Driving around with the top down on a nice day is pure joy, especially in the spring and fall when it’s not too hot out. I mean, there are drawbacks; you can’t yell at other drivers with impunity, because they can hear you. You will get caught in traffic in the rain with the top down at least once a season. And a parked convertible with the top down is a magnet for bullshit – I once left my Miata with the top down outside a brew pub, and came back to find a half-empty beer in the cupholder. Apparently someone was sitting in my car having a grand old time while we were inside eating. How rude.
But go out for a drive at sunset, with the top down, and all of that nonsense will be forgiven. A convertible doesn’t have to be fast, or handle well, or have a manual transmission. It just has to open up and let the world in. And a cheaper, older convertible is the way to go; let someone else pay the depreciation. Let’s see what you make of these two.
1986 Dodge 600 ES Turbo Convertible – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.2 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Olympia, WA
Odometer reading: 84,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
I’ve been trying to take it easy on the K-cars, because I know I’m alone in my love for them (unlike kei cars, which seem to be everyone’s darlings). But just look at this thing! It’s a Dodge 600 ES, with the turbo engine, the “pepperpot” wheels (not as cool as the earlier “Swiss cheese” wheels, but close), and a digital dash. I mean, come on. If ever there was a K-car to celebrate, it’s this one.
Under that magnificent louvered hood, you’ll find our old friend the 2.2-liter Turbo I engine, good for 146 horsepower – not a big number today, but plenty for the Reagan years. As befitting a comfy cruiser like this, it’s backed by a Torqueflite automatic. You could get a 600 ES with a five-speed manual, but I’ve seen exactly one in my life, and it was a four-door sedan. (I did, however, once own this car’s predecessor, the Dodge 400 two-door coupe, with a four-speed manual, a combination so rare that Mopar fans I’ve mentioned it to have disputed its existence.) This car has only 84,000 miles on its digital odometer, and the seller says it’s in fine shape.
The top is new, and works perfectly. The seats could use reupholstering, but the seller says another pair of seats is included, which may be in better shape. A spare digital gauge cluster, the original radio, and some other odds and ends are included too. One thing I do note about this car is the lack of air conditioning; not uncommon for a convertible of this age, but if you live somewhere with really hot summers, it could be a deal-breaker.
All right; so it’s still the bargain-basement K platform underneath, slapped together with 1980s Chrysler seat-of-the-pants build quality. But it’s also a rare bona-fide American classic, in mighty clean condition.
2005 Ford Thunderbird – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.9 liter dual overhead cam V8, five-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Camarillo, CA
Odometer reading: 145,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well, but has a parasitic battery drain
Ford’s eleventh-generation Thunderbird is pure retro pastiche, a throwback to the very first Thunderbirds from 1955-57. It should have worked; Volkswagen had a huge hit on its hands with the New Beetle, and Chrysler’s PT Cruiser was flying off dealer lots, and it wasn’t even based on any specific old car. But the T-Bird kind of landed with a thud. It sold all right initially, but by 2005, apparently every Baby Boomer who wanted a new-old Thunderbird already had one, and Ford pulled the plug.
It’s not that it’s an ugly car, exactly, but it leans so hard into the retro thing that it’s a little cringey. This one is missing its removable hardtop – which actually has portholes in it. I do have to admire Ford designers’ restraint in not putting tailfins on it. Like the original T-Bird, this one is a two-seater with a V8 under the hood. As part of Ford’s then-ownership of Jaguar, this car’s engine is actually a Jaguar AJ V8, backed by a Ford five-speed automatic. Neither is a paragon of reliability, but this car has managed 145,000 miles and still runs all right.
The top works, as does the air conditioning. However, there is a parasitic drain somewhere in the electrical system when the car is off; let it sit for a few days and the battery goes dead. I’ve dealt with drains like that before, and they’ll drive you nuts trying to find and fix them. On older cars, you can just install a battery cut-off switch and be done with it, but I’m not sure how well modern electronics would take to that.
It also needs a new turn signal switch; hopefully it’s an off-the-shelf Ford part and not something designed specifically for this car. That’s the biggest problem with lower-production cars like this, and the Dodge also, for that matter: If something is broken, and you can’t find the part, it stays broken.
It is my opinion that every car nut should own a convertible at some point. You won’t want to keep it forever; the irritations will get to you after a while, and you’ll want a hardtop back eventually. But having a drop-top for a while – and not just renting one on vacation, but actually being able to put the top down on the way home from the grocery store – is worth the trouble.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
My Mom has one of these T-birds, robins egg blue and gorgeous. Has the hardtop along with the rolling storage rack for it and the cover. She has the battery issue with it as well and it’ll be mine when she passes on, supposedly. I say that knowing she may change her mind and be buried in it because she loves it so much.
I have a soft spot for those T-birds. Not really a Ford guy but those are basically Jags. Probably why it has the wiring issue…lol That said, it will never have any real value but it will always look cool. Especially if you can find the removable hardtop. At best you have a cool car. At worst you have a headache that still is a cool car. Perfect candidate for a 4.2l na (3.9 in it is basically the same) or even go supercharge Jag swap or if you have the funds, Aston swap.
“And a parked convertible with the top down is a magnet for bullshit”
Not just parked, it can happen while one’s driving. Dunno if it was ever a common thing, but when I rode the school bus in high school whenever a convertible with its top down pulled up beside the school bus at a red light some classmates would open the bus windows and spit into the open convertible, gah. Yeah, damn teenagers, good grief. I can at least take a modicum of pride in that while I might have done some regrettable things as a teenager I never joined those hooligans in such efforts… Anyway, to this day I still hesitate to buy a convertible. One can only hope that this particular school busload of such kids was just an outlier.
I parked a convertible with the top down in LA and when I came back someone had left a Stratocaster in the back seat.
Also there are some women that have very specific bucket list fantasies that can only be consummated in a convertible. So there is that.
The T-Bird is pretty beat, but the other is a K Car, so Trash Bird for the win today.
I’m sorry but that Thunderbird is just turdugly. I loved the original, I love most convertibles but this mound shaped pike of excrement is just too ugly and bland to put up with.
BTW no matter the car when I yell at people in traffic they hear me.
The 600 is overpriced, but the T-Bird’s 4k is just a down payment. It’s a rebadged Jaguar S-Type but without the prestige.
T-bird, as I’ve owned enough K-cars in my life to never need to own another one, especially a convertible one.
I had a family friend who bought a nearly identical T-bird in 2002. It had electrical issues when new, specifically the window regulators. The windows drop half an inch when the doors are opened, in order to clear the top seals. From what the family friend heard from the dealer who replaced the window regulators under warranty probably half a dozen times, the windows slow as they get to the last 2% of travel. However, they also sometimes forgot their position and kept running at reduced voltage (to reduce speed) after the car was shut off and drain the battery while burning themselves out. Supposedly, they fixed that issue in the later years, but my friend traded in the car before the warranty was up because it was such a mess. At the time it just seemed like icing on the cake of a car that was over-styled under-engineered.
Oh, and the port holes on the T-bird removable hardtop were necessary because without them (and even with them, honestly) the thing was a blindspot nightmare. It did look much better with the hardtop, though.
I don’t like convertibles unless they’re large cruisers and, even then, I live in New England so they’re not worth the 17 perfect days for them, 11 of which will happen on days when I have to do other stuff than go for a top-down drive. I also don’t care for either of these, but there’s no way I’m voting for a K-car and I still believe I can make the T-bird look cool, even though it would take more time and money than it’s worth, so I still wouldn’t bother.
I don’t want either one, but I pick the T-Bird. Fixing/occasionally jumping the T-Bird sounds less miserable than the Dodge on its best day.
For the same $4000 – I’ll just pay for this year’s maintenance, fix the curb rashes, recondition the leather steering wheel, touch up the paint on the bumpers, get a detail, and add a new set of Michelins or Vredesteins to my old red Mercedes-Benz convertible.
On the “cringe” thing, I’ll offer it could be at least in part a function of time. As in, give the T-bird the K-car’s age and it might be a different story.
Don’t forget, there was a reason why it was Costanza driving a K-car convertible in Seinfeld.
It was John Voight’s car!!!
There is no number of years that will make that T-bird cool.
I’ll take the Ford over the K-car in this battle. RWD vs. FWD, V8 vs. early turbo 4 tech, and 5 forward gears over a 3-speed with no lockup.
Day-to-day I’d enjoy the Tbird more, neither of them win on looks.
“Now: If you’ve never owned a convertible, you’re really missing out.”
In the 60+ years that I have been driving, I have had four convertibles (three of these were roadsters). They are almost as much fun as a motorcycle, but usually better for daily driving. With my last convertible, I found out that grandchildren love them. Picking up a second-grader in a red convertible is a real treat for driver and passenger.
Two of them were unreliable, but not as bad as the MOPARs I have owned, so I went for the Thunderbird.
K-car in this matchup. It’s in far better condition. With these cars old enough to join the Army or have already done 20 years and out, condition is everything. Those K-cars have a following for some reason and that turbo mill can be made more powerful. Not so sure about the mangy cat-bird.
The K car is more interesting and less cringy.
Thank you!!
These both suck. I guess I’ll take the one I can at least drive reliably now. 600 today. BTW – great work adding the price to the poll entries! Nice not to have to scroll back!
The Dodge is cleaner, cheaper, and has lower mileage. As pedestrian as the K platform was in it’s day, a clean K-Car in this day and age is a great novelty and conversation starter. Plus, I imagine you could trick the extra-gullible into thinking it’s a Merc, with that general profile.
What’s the word? Thunderbird!
What’s the price? A dollar 2450 times twice!
These are both hot garbage. The 600 because it’s garbage and the T-bird b/c it’s a Jag with an electrical problem. Run away. .
If this were strictly a showdown between the retro T-bird and a K-car, I’d go for the Ford. But for these 2 examples, the Dodge is actually in pretty good shape with lower mileage and priced less (if still way too high). I voted Dodge, but if the Ford were closer in mileage & cost, and a little less ragged-out, I’d prefer it.
It is also, god help me, less ugly.
Honestly, I didn’t really look at the t-bird very long. I just can’t fathom picking a K car. It’s against my very nature. They were among the very worst things on the road, in my 1980’s child mind, and that thought has never been challenged. I’m sorry, it’s just pure trash on wheels. Nothing redeemable. The bird is at least pretty to look at.
My Mom had a Dodge 600 when I was a kid, then swapped it for an Intrepid. Both were just terribly built cars and they were in the shop so much that as children we were on a first name basis with the mechanics at the local garage. Norm and John were old back then, they probably have passed on by now.
Ugh. There are a lot of drop tops out there that I’d buy first. I’ve already had the joy of that digital dash shutting down mid drive and the turbo going kaput. Granted was in a LeBaron but same old Chrysler crap. The t-bird is just fugly and that power drain makes me nervous. Very slight edge to the bird.
I’ll take the T-Bird. Just buy a battery maintainer and your parasitic problem is avoided (not solved).
On the fence, but lack of AC sealed the deal… faux T-bird it is for me.
In my book,
K-car
Is
Never
The
Answer
But the Thunderbird has electrical gremlins and it’s just embarrassing. I can’t believe I voted for the K-car.