High mile 2004

[Jesseg]

Hello I'm new to the thunderbird retro. I'm looking at a 2004 silver bird with 157k miles for $5500 as a daily driver. Any issues i should look for? Is this a good price? Is 157k to many miles? I have zero experience with the 3.9 v8 and I'm a little scared of the miles. This is at a used car lot

[merlot4]

Welcome to TBN, Jesse! I'm sure more knowledgeable members will chip in, but this might help for a start:

IMHO this is a fair number of miles, although with care it should be good for 200K. At this stage, things can/will break down from age, if nothing else, so be aware of that.

The first thing to do is to have a trusted mechanic -not theirs, look over the car, and give the report to you -make sure to check for stored error messages . The obvious things you can check for: radio; CD; windows; switches, top; A/C; condition and age of tires; the age of the spare that you will likely have to replace; the age and condition of the battery -it should be vented. Considering where you are, checking for rust is a good idea. Last, check the how to fix it part of this forum to see other things that may have happened. The engine is pretty stout, but keep in mind that this is a 20 year old car and Ford doesn't stock all/many of the parts; they're out there, but not always easy to find. Last, the three computers in the car, as in any modern one, can cease working correctly, make sure everything is working as it should be.

As an alternative, consider spending a bit more and getting one from one from the members here that's been well cared for, has fewer miles, and a repair history.

Here's a site that can also provide an interesting look at the Thunderbird.
https://portholeauthority.com/

I hope this helps until others add their wisdom.

[007Cruiser]

Well done, Richard. Welcome to the ‘Nest Jesse.
Lots of good people here to help you out.

[BillyL]

Does the car have a carfax report and/or a owner's documented maintenance history? Is the title clean and original? If not, I would walk away. Too many used cars, including T-Birds out there that has been wrecked and repaired, flooded and cleaned, etc. The high miles is concerning, but condition and history is everything. Even a low milage 2004 car can be a lemon due to aging of parts if not properly maintained over the years. There are some good buys out there, you can also check out the Facebook thunderbird site. Be patient and keep looking. Good luck!

[BLACK BEAUTY]

All good advice Jesse. My car has 119K and I'm the second owner. A carfax would likely tell how many owners...too many is not good.. Welcome how did you find us?

[Jesseg]

Going to look at this car in person Saturday. Made an appointment with the local ford dealer to get inspection that day. Car is at a smaller lot. Posted pictures from ad

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Jesse for not much more$$ you could get a better car

[007Cruiser]

Hard to say from a picture but I would personally pick out a different color. To me the point of a Thunderbird is to stand out find something that will be noticed in a crowd. But that’s just me.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Silver was never my color, although the first retro I looked at was 04 silver. I didn't think black either, too hard to clean. But with a ceramic coating, much better

[SugarDaddy]

See if you can find online with about 50,000 to 70,000 miles. High mileage cars are somewhat suspect.

Good luck in your search.

[Elky64]

From the wheels, it could be a car with the Premium option. That gets a couple of things but its not too big a deal. Also, when new, the hardtop was optional. Under the hood I see a cold air package that some one put on. I'd crawl under and see if it has Borla exhaust or stock. You should be able to tell from the sound. It's doubtfull a small used car dealer collected the old stock bits. OK tho, since most think the cold air kits are an ok mod.
In my personal opinion, I would not expect much from the dealer because, 1. these cars are 20 years out of date, and 2. the guys aren't familiar with them. If someone could advise you, it would have to be a real mechanic. The dealer could tell you obvious stuff, maybe you ask if they've seen many T-birds......

[Hippie-Dog]

Huh?

[Hippie-Dog]

Miles? seen em sitting in a garage rotted without even getting wet. These are not new birds because there aren't any...

https://www.google.com/search?q=2002+ford+thunderbird

Whoop, there it is...

https://youtu.be/uWcfT0mUVZs

:-)