1997ThunderbirdLXV6
PostWhore

One of the Thunderbirds I had back in the 2000s was gold with the green interior. Seeing this interior reminded me of just how much they made everything green. I think even the steering wheel. Was green overkill. Of all the Thunderbirds I owned I had that one the least amount of time.This one is filthy. They wanted to replace the window (new one laying on back seat)...but then they said Nah...
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I absolutely loathe black interiors. Which is why I don't like so many modern interiors. It just says we didn't care, black is fine,...
There are very few exceptions among modern cars. Maverick comes to mind with its blue interior.
Especially the carpet looks so much better in lighter colors.
I will admit that some colors age better than others. The grey MN12 interiors seem to age worse, with the carpets often showing brownish wear. But the Prairie Tan or Saddle interiors often age flawlessly.
When they removed all the interior accents with the MN12 refresh, all we were left with was just plastic. At least the Thunderbird still had the blackened cockpit trim panels. The Cougar was left with more monochrome and the driver side dashboard looks like a toy in certain colors.
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The wood kits for cars of that era were pretty bad all around. The interiors of cars from back then had too many curves for some of the wood kit pieces to not look completely ridiculous or impossible. Worst of all was the adhesive.@Irv
Wood kits are awful indeed! I think the problem is that they are so 2-dimensional, i.e., flat. The MN12 kits are horrible. Plus there are so many pieces.
The wood pieces in my car are definitely an acquired taste. They break up the monotony in my opinion. I couldn't really imagine the interior without it anymore.
I would have done it for the entire ovoid panel. I also prefer the satin finish that Volvo uses on their wood accents more than the glossy ones that are everywhere else.
All that red in the Cougar makes it look a much more cozy place to be. Being a Mercury that was probably the interior design goal. Looks similar to early 90's Grand Marquis, inside they were an ocean of a mono color that is pleasing to the elderly.
IMO it looks good and adds to the coolness of having an older car.
All that red in the Cougar makes it look a much more cozy place to be. Being a Mercury that was probably the interior design goal. Looks similar to early 90's Grand Marquis, inside they were an ocean of a mono color that is pleasing to the elderly.
IMO it looks good and adds to the coolness of having an older car.
in 94 with the single dash shape they just split the color palate so Tbirds had black and Cougars had them matched
If there was a wood piece that had a leading edge with the same angle as the ovoid, it would look more like it was stock. But I actually like that asymmetrical piece more than a strip. The bottom edge of that piece contours nicely, but the leading edge again kind of does its own thing.Well, I had limited resources to work with, and I do prefer the glossy finish. Early on I was experimenting with a maple finish from Jaguar, but I couldn't make it fit in a way I liked.
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If there was a wood piece that had a leading edge with the same angle as the ovoid, it would look more like it was stock. But I actually like that asymmetrical piece more than a strip. The bottom edge of that piece contours nicely, but the leading edge again kind of does its own thing.
To be fair, I think the wood on the refreshed Mark VIII doors looks a little out of place too even though the contours on it are pretty good relative to its visual boundaries.
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I prefer the pre-refresh Mark VIII door's wood accents, but the post-refresh door card has nicer lines and textures overall rather than an imprint mold for 60% of the door's width.
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The dash is dark enough where the black barely contrasts. I knew someone who put black bezels in a saddle interior and it just made it look busy
Derp, I think you're right. Thanks for nothing, Google Image Search.@Irv
That first gen Mark VIII strip is factory?! I've never seen that on any of them.
The second gen piece was somewhat my inspiration: putting the piece on top of the faux suede which has foam underneath, thereby producing that slight bulging effect all around it.
I don't know, but I wish they kept it going. I'm not a tan interior guy but I do really like that saddle two tone a lotBut apart from that...why did they bother with Saddle for just one year, then introduce Light Prairie Tan for the last year. Seems like a waste of resources for colors which are so similar.