Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

It's all those voices in my head.

No, that's just Marshall saying, "Dave, you should buy it." He's a first rate enabler.

 

[dagrev]

Good one!

 

[dagrev]

I could tell a true story about myself when it comes to this post.
But no way it’ll happen.

What? We're all ears now.

 

[dagrev]

Judging by the second pic you were quite young when you got the Chevette…

Vauxhall (GM in UK) also called their T car a Chevette.

View attachment 5395537
Got everything. I like it all except the snow. You can keep that.

I had a Fiat once. Sounded more sophisticated and cool that it really was. I bought it for $50, needed CV joint. I used it for work instead of a truck. Peppy 5 speed. Same color as below.

 

[dagrev]

Geoff was kind enough to send this and it's too good not to share. Oh man do I want one.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Noz8vMEAcaE

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Did I see somebody mention a Greco Backer??? Consensus seems to be that the grecobirds are pretty darn solid. Any opinions on those 4001s?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Good one!

I used to tell people we had a Vette. When pressed or it was seen, I noted “SHE Vette.”

 

[Miles_ONeal]

What? We're all ears now.

I’m only 70% ears. Like Alfred E.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Sometimes you can apply pressure (Like with a flathead screwdriver or something similar) to the back of the screw head and it will help turn it. But vise grips might be the best choice.

Thanks.

I bought a set of new vice grip (my old ones wandered off) and used them. I got the expected results; the head twisted off. So I twisted the protruding bit of bolt off and the new switch is held in place by one bolt and the wires for now.

 

[RedVee]

I had a Fiat once. Sounded more sophisticated and cool that it really was. I bought it for $50, needed CV joint. I used it for work instead of a truck. Peppy 5 speed. Same color as below.

Did they call it Ritmo in the US? I think it eventually was renamed to Strada.

 

[MCF]

The first couple of years were decent. In ‘76 or ‘77 they redesigned them a bit. Looked cool, but lots of problems - like the shifter pivot pin falling out. Sharon bought hers just before we got married in Dec ‘77 and we traded it within a couple of years.
Controls for turn signals, lights, wipers, and the horn were all on a single, skinny, pot metal arm off the steering column. It broke and was a minor pain to replace. The turn signals quit working at another point. A month later I noticed the oil was a quart low. I added oil and the signals resumed working. 5mph wreck messed the whole front end up. Fun car to drive but unreliable.

Correct me if I’m wrong. But wasn’t that build on the Caprice platform?

 

[GonePlaid]

I've never stood by the drummer, I've always had my own microphone and stood on the front line, doing limited vocals and a lot of harmonies, plus some repartee. No tinnitus after 40 years of practice and gigging. In smaller practice areas I wore Eargasms until we got an electronic drum kit.

In most of the places we play, the band 'area' is very tight. Some places we have to go in as a trio(we're normally 4). So I wind up next to the drummer/BL.

 

[Ringhammer]

Correct me if I’m wrong. But wasn’t that build on the Caprice platform?

If your referring to the Chevette, I think it was an evolution of the Vega, then Monza…

 

[dagrev]

Did they call it Ritmo in the US? I think it eventually was renamed to Strada.

Strada I believe. I didn't have it all that long. Heat was stuck on (no AC as I recall), and when I finished a day of construction in the summer that got old. For some reason I couldn't figure out how to fix or just disconnect it.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Correct me if I’m wrong. But wasn’t that build on the Caprice platform?

I don’t know. Was the Caprice a small car?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

If your referring to the Chevette, I think it was an evolution of the Vega, then Monza…

Could be.

 

[Gaolee]

Did I see somebody mention a Greco Backer??? Consensus seems to be that the grecobirds are pretty darn solid. Any opinions on those 4001s?

I don't know if my El Degas 4001 copy is the same as a Greco 4001, but I certainly like it.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I don't know if my El Degas 4001 copy is the same as a Greco 4001, but I certainly like it.

All this ‘backer love. This club talked me *out* of looking for a Rick (clones weren’t even discussed.)

 

[Gaolee]

All this ‘backer love. This club talked me *out* of looking for a Rick (clones weren’t even discussed.)

My El Degas is very different from a Thunderbird. The neck is a baseball bat, and the bass is a bit heavy. It wants to be horizontal and only horizontal. The pickups sound different, as you would expect from single coils placed at the neck heel and more or less sweet spot. It has a more yellow sound than a Thunderbird.

The 1998 and 2006 Rickenbackers I had were similar except for much thinner necks. And the awkward double truss rod. Given a choice, I will take the El Degas overall. There are some nicer things about a real Ric to be sure. Those things don't overcome what a pita the double trust rod is to deal with.

 

[GonePlaid]

Thanks!....'74 Triumph TR-6....poor man's Jaguar XKE....got all the right stuff though, POSI rear, independent rear suspension, rack and pinion steering and a pretty cool little 2.5 Liter (150CID) ohv straight 6....we've doing quite a bit to it like rear disc brakes, ALL brand new bushings (rides like new) new springs and all around shock abosrbers, rebuilt rear end and latest addition of two Weber carbs replacing the old Zeniths...next is headers and finally shaving the head and a new cam (have secured all these parts already) but we are going one step at a time to quantify the improvements (which are very evident, the car is driving better than ever)......then cosmetics, a tan interior, new wooden dash...possible Maranello Red or BRG refinish and possible wire wheels......ultimately it's going to Laguna in the 60's under 3 Liter GT class....

It should be blue(Blue Laguna-I'll see myself out).