1966 Ford Thunderbird

Description

If you wanted the best in personal luxury in 1966, the Ford Thunderbird Town Hardtop was your best choice. The Town Hardtop was new for '66 and is perhaps the most distinctive model of the group, with its one-year-only blanked-out quarter windows that give it a truly unique look. Not readily apparent at first glance, park this one next to any other 'Bird of the period and this trick hardtop will definitely stand out.

This is a rare 'Bird and the look is arguably the best of the mid-60s Ford personal luxury coupes, and it's affordable to boot! It's not a perfect car and could benefit from a dedicated hobbyist, but the basics are excellent and it's definitely worth of additional investments. The paint is an older repaint with some touch-ups, and you might be able to buff it and take it up a notch, and the sheetmetal underneath is quite good thanks to a life in a warm climate. Handsome detailing was a hallmark of the Thunderbird, and you'll be delighted by the features such as the subtle hood dome trim, crisp body lines which becomes slightly more pronounced towards the back of the car, recalling aircraft styling of the period. Chrome is mostly original and showing some age, but it's all there, including the unique hardtop trim pieces, and the restrained styling makes it one of the cleanest cars of the period. And yes, the sequential taillights still work like they should.

Inside, the brilliant black and red bucket seat interior is a very sporting contrast to the white paint, and the Town Hardtop models were loaded with features. Buckets and a console were standard equipment and this one also carries console-mounted power windows, a swing-away steering wheel, and factory A/C. The seats show very minor signs of use, but there are no rips or tears, and the look is very much in tune with the Thunderbird's sporty mission. The gauges are wonderfully stylish in their individual pods under the main speedometer, and the controls for the A/C and heat were definitely inspired by aircraft. Lots of stainless trim, all of which is in decent original condition, adds to the ambience of the Town Hardtop, and the original AM radio remains in the dash, but probably needs an upgrade at this point. The trunk is finished with plush black carpets and carries a full-sized spare..

The engine is Ford's Z-code 390 cubic inch V8. Topped with a 4-barrel carburetor in the Thunderbird, it makes 300 robust horsepower, which makes the big 'Bird feel pretty potent on the road. The only transmission available with the 390 was Ford's indestructible C6 "dual range" automatic, which offered three speeds despite what its name might suggest. Out back there's a 3.0 gear inside the 9-inch housing, making this Thunderbird the ideal partner for long highway cruises where the soft suspension floats along like a hovercraft. The undercarriage is in good original condition and the dual exhaust system has a great V8 burble that works well with the Thunderbird's personality It rides on a set of recent 215/70/15 whitewall radials and wears full wheel covers on 15-inch steel wheels.

Only a Lincoln offered more luxury than the Thunderbird, and with the thundering 428 under the hood, the 'Bird was more than a match for a lot of less sophisticated machinery. An unusual car with an enticing look and lots of potential, this Thunderbird is a great buy. Call today!