By Jim Brennan
Here is another reader tip sent in by Tony (Thanks Man!). This questionable styling exercise is being offered by Leon Miller’s Wagonmaster dealership that specializes in the sale and reconditioning of the Jeep Grand Wagoneers. The question is would anyone in their right mond purchase this thing?
According to the listing:
RARE! ONE OF A KIND!! TEXAS CLASSY THUNDERBIRD…
WAGONMASTER MODIFICATION (’57 T-BIRD LOOK)…
CONTINENTAL KIT & REAR TAIL FINS… NON-SMOKER…
4 BRAND NEW COKER WIDE WHITEWALLS…
FULLY LOADED…CRUISE CONTROL…A/C…CD/STEREO…
POWER STEERING…POWER BRAKES…POWER WINDOWS…
TILT STEERING WHEEL…6 WAY HEATED POWER SEATS…
WINDSCREEN…SIMPLY OUTSTANDING! PRISTINE!
“COOL-T”
PLEASE NOTE: ALL WAGONMASTER MODIFICATIONS TO THIS T-BIRD MAY BE EASILY REMOVED BY BUYER, WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.
Now Leon has quite a reputation selling the Grand Wagoneers and other Jeeps, but with the supply of Grand Wagoneers drying up, this might be a new venture for the dealership. Why not take a look at the listing here!
Jeff Glucker
If this was a different blog that I frequent, I'd say Crack Pipe. According to Auto Trader, for less money I have a choice of a few pristine 2004 T-Birds in my area with around 10,000 miles on the odo but without the horrible pasted-on mods. Not that I'm exactly planning to rush out and buy one.
While the finest '57 T-Birds go for considerably more money than this, if you have $25k to throw at a T-Bird, you can certainly find a very nice driver, and it wouldn't make you a douche. It can't keep you from being a douche, but it wouldn't be the car that made you one.
The finest '04 T-Birds don't typically bring this kind of money, so one has to assume that the seller think that the modifications actually add value. The seller is wrong. At least he's forthcoming about the reversibility of the mods, but why pay a premium for something that you'd have to remove?
I agree completely… work that needs to be done to a car is a point to negotiate down price– always. I don't care how minor it is.. my astro came with spare parts to repair a few issues. the parts were all there.. (one of those things was windshield wipers… i mean.. come on… it generally takes longer to make sure you have the right ones in the store than it does to install them) i talked her down another 550 from what my initial offer was.. no excuse for laziness.. then i looked around inside the car… she hadn't bothered to have it cleaned, or clean it herself.. (and it was her child hauler….) right there.. another hundred fifty bucks off the price because it needed to be fully detailed…
i think it was her first time selling a car….
"Texas Classy"? Now there's a phrase that you don't hear very often.
I would associate the phrase with something like this.
<img src="http://www.mitzenmacher.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/big-texan3.jpg">
<img src="http://www.remarkablecars.com/main/chevrolet/chevrolet-00189-2.jpg" width="800" height="400" />
Retro. Ur doin' it wrong.
Recently, here in TX, I saw a similar car. Black, with a '61 C2 front and rear end, but based on an early C4. No cove, though. The front end looked kinda melted (the bumperettes didn't quite fit). Fail.
I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.
Wow, that T-Bird is ugly.
Paint it black and put a flamethrower in the continental kit and you got yurself a BATMOBILE.
It doesn't look terrible, considering how bad it could have been. Still, if I'm getting a retro-Bird, it'll be as cheap as possible so I can mess around with it a little (especially if I can find a wrecked S-Type R).