the 70 T Bird is a car I don't think I have seen before, and when I saw this one, I had no idea it was even a Ford. Looks like a Gran Prix. For a good reason, same designer

Low miles and a 428 if I recall correctly. Cool fade from dark brown to gold. The rootbeer like color is why it has an A&W bear on the shifter console

in the front fascia you can see the large prominent projection resembling a bird or eagle's beak that was in line with long angular lines in the hood. Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, the former GM man now President of Ford, is said to be responsible for this dramatic change. Wikipedia

According to Wagner, Ford's grand plan for the 1970 Ford Thunderbird included an all-new Fairlane/Torino with a self-supporting body and compliant frame similar to the full-size Ford's. Dearborn appears to have also considered a new Thunderbird based on this mid-size platform. That idea certainly would have appealed to Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen, whom Henry Ford II hired as Ford Motor Company CEO in early 1968.

Having served as general manager of Pontiac and then Chevrolet, Bunkie was easily lured away from General Motors when he felt his career there had stalled. At Ford, he questioned the contradiction that the Thunderbird had become: a large but sporty prestige car offered through the company's mass-market division.

He knew that Pontiac was moving the slow-selling Grand Prix to a mid-size platform for 1969, and thought the Thunderbird might benefit from a similar change. Although no designer himself, he kibitzed liberally in the studios, pushing for his trademark "bold nose" front ends (the designers called them "Bunkie Beaks") and massive rear quarters.
He twisted engineering arms to allow stationary sheet metal ahead of the engine hood -- an idea favored at General Motors for design flexibility but previously banned by Ford engineers, who saw only extra seams to go awry during assembly.

He clashed bitterly with Lee Iacocca, who no doubt believed that he deserved Knudsen's job. After one particularly acerbic conflict in September 1969, Henry Ford II dispatched Knudsen to the unemployment line. But by then, Bunkie had left his mark on the Thunderbird.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1967-1971-ford-thunderbird5.htm

 Why and "E" below the Bird? Cause it wouldn't come off! The strange way that cars were made included casting all the letters in the word Thunderbird, except the center "E" is not separated from the gas tank door. Some designer couldn't bear to see it simple and easy perhaps. Just more "E"s ordered and riveted on.

I found a great tumblr today, perfectly named, and has great content . . Time Wasting Machine.tumblr.com

 I don't know if that above is a Corsair or Mustangf

among the many wow photos, the above airport VW is pretty damn cool. Just another example of the VW being the most utilitarian customized car and van since the model T

Rail gun... German, WW2, and ginormous

I've been trying to get a photo of hood scoops like the above for quite a long time

Poor Jag

terrific set of design studies from the concept cars

all found with great pleasure on http://timewastingmachine.tumblr.com/

The Ridler Award winning Thunderbird by Matt Peace of Torq'D Design Lab, and the Greening Auto Company

Gale Banks twin turbo with around 1150 hp. Ya know, in case it's needed.

possibly the best underhood designed areas I've seen. Equal or better to anything I've seen from Trapanier, Foose, Boyd, etc etc

That is one sweet curved surface

Above seems to nail the shot I wanted... the word, the turbo, the curves...

Marvelous interior. Cows ought to be happy to become steaks and leather, I'd like to think it's the best possible use for them... if you've ever been on a farm or ranch, you might agree they aren't that wonderful in life, and effin great when made into steaks and leather.

Bill loaned me a couple videos... of the 1st Daytona 500, and the 1961 Indy 500, here are some things I found interesting

 here's the coverage that showed how hard ot was for fans to watch the Daytona race when it was on sand

 not very fun

 the #59 was a T Bird, and that is why I enjoy old Nascar, the cars were identifiable as something you could buy at a dealership or used car lot, and take racing yourself

 Helicopters over the corners

 Smokey Yunicks team was in the pits crewing on Firebalkl Roberts' Pontiac

 And these windscreen / airfoils are something I've not seen or noticed before

and in this old film, he wasn't called Richard Petty, he was call Dick Petty. More interesting than that is the nickname painted on the door, "Squirrel Jr". Richard was 22 years old

 He was in the pit row watching other cars race because he'd damaged the engine trying to keep up with the  sedans... they had a 10 mph advantage over his convertible

In the Darlington / Southern 500 he drove this Plymouth

 Dual shocks, and 9 plus leave springs

 above is a kids pedal car from the pre race parade, and it's telling t-birds to get out of it's way

and fueling was very dangerous, on the left of the screen are TWO guys with 50 pound CO2 extinguishers while the guys on the right are holding the fuel nozzle on the gas tank

 and at Indy, helmets were not boring, they had flying eyeballs, or sponsor stickers, or Dean Jeffries pinstriping