Thunderbird Club

[Stealth57]

When did Mike visit?

I tried when I was in FL. He had commitments.

 

[Gaolee]

I doubt they’re ceramic. Like Will says, pixie dust.

I'm pretty sure Gibson was doing something unique in 2001-ish with pickups. My 2001 has some strange magic to it. Ken has a set of 2001 pickups that were wound wrong. Once the winding was straightened out, they have a similar clarity and magic. There is very little difference in sound between 2001 TB+ pickups in the pixie dust bass and the Thunderbuckers in the Flamingo. I cannot say if the magic is there in all 2001 pickups, or if it extends to 2000 or 2002 pickups. We all know that Gibson, in their great wisdom, changes things around in random and irrational ways. I don't know who winds their pickups. Maybe there was a specific person working for Gibson or whoever was winding pickups around that time, and that person was just better at it than anybody else.

I don't doubt that the magnets are the same or similar to other TB+ pickups. But who knows. Gibson is Gibson.

 

[MCF]

When did Mike visit?

He said “vintage.” He must still have an Instamatic.

 

[MCF]

I'm pretty sure Gibson was doing something unique in 2001-ish with pickups. My 2001 has some strange magic to it. Ken has a set of 2001 pickups that were wound wrong. Once the winding was straightened out, they have a similar clarity and magic. There is very little difference in sound between 2001 TB+ pickups in the pixie dust bass and the Thunderbuckers in the Flamingo. I cannot say if the magic is there in all 2001 pickups, or if it extends to 2000 or 2002 pickups. We all know that Gibson, in their great wisdom, changes things around in random and irrational ways. I don't know who winds their pickups. Maybe there was a specific person working for Gibson or whoever was winding pickups around that time, and that person was just better at it than anybody else.

I don't doubt that the magnets are the same or similar to other TB+ pickups. But who knows. Gibson is Gibson.

They’re supposed to be Alnico in the Bicentennials.

 

[Gaolee]

They’re supposed to be Alnico in the Bicentennials.

I don't know what Gibson put into 2001 pickups. Gibson probably doesn't either.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Found that the Mustang runs a 5.4lt Coyote V8. The Supra a 5.2lt Lexus V8. The Camaro a 5.7lt GM V8.

https://www.supercars.com/the-gen3-supercars

same motor that goes into C7 and C8...,

 

[GonePlaid]

Unless it's a sports car, I'll take an automatic. I've owned and driven cars & trucks with sticks - my fave being my '66 Volvo 122S estate wagon.

Not mine but just like it including the deluxe factory roof rack. Loved that car. It felt like a sports car because it was small & nimble.
View attachment 7463580

Yeah. My 63 pv544 (not mine-same 'color') was 4 on the floor. But I was 22 and hadn't f---ed* up my knees yet.

*oul

 

[GBassNorth]

I'm pretty sure Gibson was doing something unique in 2001-ish with pickups. My 2001 has some strange magic to it. Ken has a set of 2001 pickups that were wound wrong. Once the winding was straightened out, they have a similar clarity and magic. There is very little difference in sound between 2001 TB+ pickups in the pixie dust bass and the Thunderbuckers in the Flamingo. I cannot say if the magic is there in all 2001 pickups, or if it extends to 2000 or 2002 pickups. We all know that Gibson, in their great wisdom, changes things around in random and irrational ways. I don't know who winds their pickups. Maybe there was a specific person working for Gibson or whoever was winding pickups around that time, and that person was just better at it than anybody else.

I don't doubt that the magnets are the same or similar to other TB+ pickups. But who knows. Gibson is Gibson.

Out of curiosity, does the Pixie dust bird have an Ebony fretboard?

 

[Gaolee]

same motor that goes into C7 and C8...,
View attachment 7463585

Same motor that will be in the yellow car when it's finally done. There's progress. The tub will get bolted to the frame in the next couple weeks. After that, wiring and a whole lot of details. Y'know, small things like the fenders, windshield, and all that.

 

[Gaolee]

Out of curiosity, does the Pixie dust bird have an Ebony fretboard?

Yes. I'm pretty sure the reissues were all ebony up to sometime in the late zeros. The Flamingo has an ebony board, and it's a 1991.

 

[Gaolee]

Yeah. My 63 pv544 (not mine-same 'color') was 4 on the floor. But I was 22 and hadn't f---ed* up my knees yet.
View attachment 7463590
*oul

I get the first of two new knees in a little more than a year. Gotta get all possible mileage out of the worn out OEM junk before going for the hot rod titanium knees.

 

[MCF]

Yeah. My 63 pv544 (not mine-same 'color') was 4 on the floor. But I was 22 and hadn't f---ed* up my knees yet.
View attachment 7463590
*oul

Easiest car to work on I ever owned. Even changed the clutch by myself.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

yeah, that was it. His nickname was "Bruce." I thought everybody knew that. Would have loved to hear your bass more. Looked like you were playing some cool stuff.

thx D...the rig was right behind me....sheer bliss...

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

The engines in NASCAR are built by the teams. There are a few large teams that supply them for others. I was never sure how much Ford, GM, Toyota have input on these engines (or even how much they learn from them), but there's nothing Ford in a NASCAR Mustang, for example. I'm stuck in the past I know, but loved when guys would take regular cars and turn them into race cars. Heck, years ago drivers would at times dive their car to the race and then get them race ready (removing headlights, etc.). I'm not so sure street car development wouldn't benefit more in many ways doing it like it was before the fake cars took over. But it is almost impossible to make a street car as safe as a stock car.

+1....definitely ain't the same anymore.....that said, pretty amusing when NASCAR didn't want to allow Toyota in and had to when Toyota came back with "Toyotas are built in the US while Fords and Chevys are built in Canada and Mexico......"

 

[JIO]

I think it works great on this and on white birds with black pickups.

View attachment 7463324

yep -

 

[JIO]

Yeah. My 63 pv544 (not mine-same 'color') was 4 on the floor. But I was 22 and hadn't f---ed* up my knees yet.
View attachment 7463590
*oul

Those are cool - good colour too

 

[Engle]

The engines in NASCAR are built by the teams. There are a few large teams that supply them for others. I was never sure how much Ford, GM, Toyota have input on these engines (or even how much they learn from them), but there's nothing Ford in a NASCAR Mustang, for example. I'm stuck in the past I know, but loved when guys would take regular cars and turn them into race cars. Heck, years ago drivers would at times dive their car to the race and then get them race ready (removing headlights, etc.). I'm not so sure street car development wouldn't benefit more in many ways doing it like it was before the fake cars took over. But it is almost impossible to make a street car as safe as a stock car.

Whatever they are, the engines are pretty cool:

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

output tubes out.....problem clearly in preamp.....

 

[RedVee]

The engines in NASCAR are built by the teams. There are a few large teams that supply them for others. I was never sure how much Ford, GM, Toyota have input on these engines (or even how much they learn from them), but there's nothing Ford in a NASCAR Mustang, for example. I'm stuck in the past I know, but loved when guys would take regular cars and turn them into race cars. Heck, years ago drivers would at times dive their car to the race and then get them race ready (removing headlights, etc.). I'm not so sure street car development wouldn't benefit more in many ways doing it like it was before the fake cars took over. But it is almost impossible to make a street car as safe as a stock car.

Agree. Supercars at the moment seem to have a better formula than their first couple of generations.

From an article or two I read at the start of the Mustang vs Camaro ie before the Supra came in this year, Supercars have all the engines and are responsible for “parity”. That’s due to the different size and format of the engines that the manufacturers nominated for use.

Then they are randomly assigned to the teams as they need them.
I assume the same happens now but just including the Lexus engine for the Supras.

Previously (at the end of Falcon vs Commodore and maybe into early Mustangs) they used a 5 litre version of the ~6ltr NASCAR engines.

 

[RedVee]

+1....definitely ain't the same anymore.....that said, pretty amusing when NASCAR didn't want to allow Toyota in and had to when Toyota came back with "Toyotas are built in the US while Fords and Chevys are built in Canada and Mexico......"

In the early Toyotas in nascar I think they used the “Chevrolet” engine.