Jane and Jerry Kimmell visited an area car dealership to get an oil change and left owning a 2004 Ford Thunderbird.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
HARROD – It just, kind of, happened.
That’s about the best way a couple from Harrod, Jerry and Jane Kimmell, can explain how they became owners of a 2004 Ford Thunderbird.
Jane enjoys telling the story as her 68-year-old husband listens.
“It was around a year and a half ago,” she explains. “We went to get an oil change at Raabe Ford in Delphos. While we were waiting, we walked around in the showroom, just looking to pass the time. Then we saw the Thunderbird. We fell in love with it. The fact it had a Jaguar engine really caught our eye. The next thing we know, we are walking out with purchase papers in hand.”
Jerry said the couple aren’t known for making impulse buying decisions.
“I guess when we do, we do it in a big way,” he said with a laugh.
The base price of a new Thunderbird in 2004 was $36,925. Only 12,000 cars rolled off the assembly line.
The Kimmells’ T-Bird is all original except for the wheels. Painted red, it shouts out at you that this is a sports car with class. Shouting even louder is the 39L Jaguar AJ35 V8 280 engine. The 280-horsepower five-speed automatic can get you where you’re going in a hurry.
Factory performance shows it will:
• Go zero to 60 in 7 seconds.
• Do a quarter mile in 15.2 seconds at a speed of 92.6 miles per hour.
• Reach a top speed of 140 mph.
Kimmell’s car also includes a hard top, but Jane says, “it’s more fun to drive with the top off.”
The Thunderbird drew a crowd at the Allen County Fair car show in August.
“We enjoy the camaraderie of car shows,” Jane said. “It’s a fun thing to do as a couple.”
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