1966 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop
In 2024, Hagerty published their bull market list, those cars climbing in the value ranks, vehicles poised for big gains. In that list of 10 cars is the '65-'66 Ford Thunderbird. Hagerty says that the stylistic "Flair birds" are seen as more hip than the '50's birds and attracting a younger audience, and by young they mean people born after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
For consignment, a 1966 Ford Thunderbird hardtop with a title verified 86,640 actual miles in a nice shade of blue and sporting a 390ci under the hood. There's a lot of space age influence in these cars and they present with unique and often one off features not seen in any other cars in the Ford line or anywhere else.
Exterior
Let's start with the Thunderbird on the grille, in typical turquoise fill, and wings that start in a V-shape and spread nearly the width of the grated grille. Dual round headlights fill a metal bezel with a striated texture over a straight chrome bumper in great shape. A slight power bulge on the hood is accentuated by a faux intake and a double row of cowl vents are directly behind. Sapphire Blue covers the car which has a straight shoulder line that has a flare accent above the door handle before continuing to the back. The roof is painted Wimbledon White and waterfalls to a silver trim piece on the B-pillar just under another Thunderbird emblem. In back, a solid light bar runs the width of the car over a blue valance with twin tailpipes peeking underneath. 15-inch wheels wear Thunderbird wheel covers with red centers that match the redline tires surrounding it. The metal trim and other brightwork along with the paint and panel gaps are excellent on this car. Imperfections are limited to some paint runs down low, a paint bubble around the midline, and rust on the rocker panel.
Interior
Nicely sculpted door panels in dark blue include a pleated panel over a smooth armrest sandwiched by a carpeted bottom, all in great shape with attractive hardware and a courtesy light. The vinyl bucket seats in front combine pleat designed uppers with square stitched lowers lined by a metal shell. The driver's seat shows some compression and patina creases but is in good shape. In the back, the interesting 2+2 seats are curved like a steakhouse booth, maintaining the mixed pattern of the front seats and adding more buttons to the square on the lower half of the seat back. The seats are trimmed on top with a polished metal rail and include a pull down armrest in the middle. Thin by today's standards, the two spoke steering wheel shares the narrow column with a slim shifter, all leading the aircraft inspired dash with barrel style gauges where cylinders turn in a window past a needle. The speedometer is composed of three dimensional numbers and a needle that glides past them. Metal trim of the lower dash continues to the right to form the center stack where vents, an AM/FM radio, and A/C levers reside with robust metal controls. Other switches are mounted in a unit under the dash cover and have T-shaped levers that drop down. A metal fronted armrest sits proud in the center just beyond the electric lock toggle which along with the rest of the center console, shows a touch of patina. Thunderbird mats float over the blue loop carpet while the white headliner houses an overhead console. The shelved trunk is covered in gray cloth and clean.
Drivetrain
Opening the hood reveals a 390ci V8 squeezed between prominent shock towers, all in clean and original condition. A 4-barrel carburetor feeds the engine which is rated at 315 horsepower and a C6 3-speed automatic transmission sends power to the Ford 9" rear with 3.00 gears. Our Thunderbird is equipped with power brakes with discs in the front and drums in the back.
Undercarriage
Relatively clean underneath with some of the usual surface rust, some drops on the transmission pan and flywheel cover. A spot of more invasive rust on a belly pan below the floor board and some splatter grease in other areas. Coil springs make up the front suspension while leaf springs carry the rear. The dual exhaust finds stock style mufflers before exiting via downturned pipes in back.
Drive-Ability
Sleek rides with really, really interesting interiors make for an enjoyable place to be. You do feel low in the car but not in a sports car low way. Visibility is great with the exception of that huge decorative B-pillar and fortunately a passenger side mirror is supplied. The 390 delivers good, smooth power and as we pull out of the garage, the transmission shudders, a condition we were able to recreate from a stop on the test loop. Meanwhile, everything that's meant to function on the car does so and our checklist has a bunch of marks in the left column for "yes". While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
The futuristic leanings of this era Thunderbird veers slightly from the common trend of the time to play it straight, simple, and square. This car has curves, asymmetrical interior features, curved back seats, and fender skirts top off the exterior sleekness. Some people like these better than the baby birds, and we can understand why. And we also agree with Hagerty that these have yet to hit the top of the market and still represent a relative bargain in the classic car world. Lock your talons on this one because this bird is ready to fly.
6Y81Z128933
6-1966
Y-Wixom, MI Assy Plant
81-Thunderbird Hardtop
Z-390ci 4bbl V8
128933-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY PLATE
BODY 63C-Thunderbird Tudor Town Hardtop
COLOR GM-Sapphire Blue & Wimbledon White
DATE 13M-December 13th
DSO 23-Philadelphia
AXLE 1-Ford 9" 3.00 Conventional
TRANS 4-C6 Automatic
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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