Thanks for that G_R.
I finally managed to have a look at a tribute here in Ireland yesterday.
Yes its plastic as you say, and thankfully the spare wheel is in the boot (trunk).
Both factors make it cheaper to modify for LPG conversion.
I ended up buying the tribute and its being converted at the moment, so I'm looking forward to MPG of somewhere between 45 + 50.

 

I've got a silver one! V6 3litre from 2002.
There are more things wrong with it than are right, but I do kinda love it!!
I just googled how many are registered in the UK, and was surprised to find it was only 102! And 77 are sorned! Maybe that explains why I've never seen one before, or after, mine.
We are exclusive!! Lol

 

Hello from West Sussex, i have a 3l v6 2005, so thought i would just say hello

 

Well hello there captain fish!! Is it just me, or these things as hard to find as rocking horse poop? Whenever I tell people what I drive, they get this blank look on their faces. And people don't understand how I can drive a car with 'american' column stickshift. It just baffles people!! We most definitely are an exclusive group of owners!!

 

Hi Mandie,
your right they are rare, i have yet to drive past another one ( or even a Ford Maverick for that matter ) so i like the exclusivity of the tribute .Drove it up to Lincolnshire and back last week which was a round trip of over 400 miles and i found the car comfortable, love the column shift as well.
Thanks to the forum i have sorted of my airbag light now to sort the EML lol.