![]() It's easy to see why the Black Vinyl Insert Molding is seldom seen during these years, since it was priced identically to the more upscale-looking Wide Bright Moldings. "Charlie's Angels" actress Cheryl Ladd did the television ad for the 1977 Thunderbird. The gentleman is Tom Selleck, who also appeared in promotional images for the 1979 Collector's Series Continental Mark V. ![]() On Diamond Jubilee Edition and Heritage Edition, the vinyl moldings always matched the vinyl roof color.Ībove: 1977 Ford Thunderbird with Exterior Decor Group with Dove Grey Wide Vinyl Insert Bodyside Moldings keyed to match the Dove Grey vinyl roof color. Not all paint colors were available to match, however, so there were some restrictions. In most cases, they were keyed to the color of the vinyl roof, if equipped, as shown below, but they could also be keyed to the exterior paint color with the Exterior Decor Group or Tu-Tone Paint Treatment as shown above. These included color-keyed vinyl inserts that really dressed up the exterior of the car. WIDE VINYL INSERT BODY SIDE MOLDINGSĪbove: 1978 Ford Thunderbird with Exterior Decor Group with Wide Vinyl Insert Bodyside Moldings keyed to the Midnight Blue paint finish. This molding was not available with any other trim option that included exterior moldings as part of the option, but could be ordered with the Tu-Tone Paint Treatment, which required either this molding or the one listed next. A black painted insert near the top gave the moldings added definition. This one deletes the rocker moldings and full wheel opening moldings, replacing them with partial wheel lip moldings that were thicker and dressed the car up a bit more. More decorative in appearance than the previous molding, this one really didn't protect the body sides that well when you considered instead of a ding in the paint, you wound up with a ding in the soft bright metal of this molding. WIDE BRIGHT BODY SIDE MOLDINGĪbove: 1979 Ford Thunderbird with optional Wide Bright Bodyside Molding. The standard bright rocker and full wheel opening moldings remained. This molding was not available with any of the decor groups, Tu-Tone Paint, Town Landau, Diamond Jubilee, Heritage, etc., because all of those either featured or required a different type of molding with that option. It consisted of a short molding that ran mid-body behind the front fender louvers to just before the rear wheel arch on the rear fender. This was the first step up, and wasn't available with the Exterior Decor Group, Sports Decor Group, Tu-Tone Paint Treatment, Town Landau, Diamond Jubilee Edition, or Heritage Edition trim packages. BLACK VINYL INSERT BODY SIDE MOLDINGĪbove: 1977 Ford Thunderbird with optional Black Vinyl Insert Bodyside Molding. ![]() Those things were just always expected on a Thunderbird, and that held true for these cars as well. You did get things like brite roof rail, windshield, and rear window moldings, plus a rocker panel molding and full wheel lip opening moldings. The standard Thunderbird of the late seventies came with no body side moldings whatsoever. STANDARDĪbove: 1977 Ford Thunderbird in standard form, with no optional exterior body side moldings. Plus, which options were tied into the various body side moldings. So, here's a detailed explanation of what you got in standard form, and what was available optionally. It was quite a task, and you can be sure it took some time to decide which styles and colors to pick from.Īll of this can be confusing to collectors today, who are interested in authenticating their cars and may not be sure what was available more than three decades ago. And then you had to pick still more options such as exterior body side moldings. Standard interior trim level, decor interior, or luxury interior. Cloth, vinyl, or leather upholstery in multiple colors. Consider the choices available to new T-bird buyers of the time: paint color. That's what it's all about." And while that statement was true in '69, it was also true for the 1977, 1978, and 1979 Thunderbirds. In an advertisement from 1969 for the Thunderbird, the copy said: "Your choice. We clarify the vast array of options available 1977, 1978, and 1979 Ford Thunderbird Bodyside Moldings
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