I’ve long asserted that the last really special Thunderbird was the 1966 model, which was also the last convertible until 2002. Its excellent resale value accentuated the esteem in which the buying public held the T-Bird.Īnd that brings us to the fourth-generation T-Bird, introduced in 1964. Those jet age taillights, squared off roofline, and angled finlets were bound to make the Thunderbird a sales success. Ford always got its money’s worth when it trimmed the T-Bird.Įven though I’m an avowed Riviera fanatic, I’m still susceptible to the charms of the Bullet Bird, as evidenced by my perusing this ’63 on an Upper Peninsula vacation a few years ago.
Thunderbird interiors were always luxurious and well-styled, with wraparound dashboards and back seats, consoles and buckets, swing-away steering wheels and attractive instrumentation. Perhaps the interior played an even more important role in the T-Bird’s success than its unique styling. The T-Bird’s styling and relative exclusivity in its size bracket created a car that, again, really had no direct competition until this ’63 model came along. The T-Bird had “it.”Īfter the Squarebird came the Bullet Bird, which retained the Thunderbird roofline but introduced styling cues from some old Ford “dream cars,” like the X-100. Some people just have “it,” and so do some cars. Even so, its more compact dimensions and quality build, along with its interesting styling, gave it an undeniable presence. The “Squarebird” had nice proportions, for sure, even if it arguably paled stylistically in comparison to the next two generations. Therefore, one must assume that the Thunderbird’s styling had much to do with its success. Ford, recognizing its own success, even copied the T-Bird’s roofline for certain Galaxie and Falcon models, creating the “Thunderbird look,” a move that could have diluted the image, but probably helped overall sales instead. It looked special, and nobody else had anything like it.įord beat GM to the punch surprisingly often in certain market segments, the T-Bird, Mustang, and LTD being examples of “better ideas” that sent GM scrambling for their drawing boards. When Ford introduced the four-seater ‘Bird for 1958, sales immediately exploded because Ford had made its dream car practical. It was unlike any other Ford or Mercury, and it was luxurious and attractive. Most likely, its popularity stemmed from its attainable distinctiveness. What accounted for this cachet? Why was the T-Bird such a special thing? I like the original look, so I've leaving mine alone.(first posted ) Have you ever considered how odd it is that Ford, that manufacturer of solid, reliable, conservative transportation, produced a true competitor to Cadillac and Lincoln? The T-Bird, at least until the mid-1960s, was a status symbol for the rich and moderately well-off, a thing of beauty that really had a market all to itself until the Riviera came along in 1963 and even then, the T-Bird sold in greater numbers. I think the biggest weight saving could be had in the bumpers and brackets. I am considering leaving off all of the metal fender liner stuff that was up front. There should be some weight savings in the wheels if you still have steel with hubcaps. Power anything was very heavy back in the day. Switch anything you have that is power to manual. It's much thinner and lighter, but protects against noise and heat. The stuff I got I think was from thermotec. I removed a MASSIVE amount of globbed on seam sealer from all over the car.
CUSTOM 65 THUNDERBIRD UPDATE
Update the AC to something newer and Lighter if you have AC. The C6 is lighter and has better parts availability. The Cruise o matic is a decent trans, but it has a cast Iron case and is heavy. cruise control removal if you have it and don't need. Heads, intake, water pump, misc emissions stuff that you don't need. Most of the weight savings you will be able to find are in the engine and trans. but wow! a 5.0?! These cars are 4500+ pounds.
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