Vehicle Description
2005 Ford Thunderbird Roadster
Ford began its development of the Thunderbird in the years
following World War II, during which American servicemen had the
opportunity to observe sleek European sports cars. General Motors
built the first American sports car: the Chevrolet Corvette,
released in 1953. The undeniably sleek Corvette's initial engine
performance was relatively underwhelming, but it was gaining lots
of attention from the press and public, and Ford was motivated to
respond, rushing the Thunderbird to the market in 1955. The 1955
Thunderbird was an immediate hit, selling more than 14,000 that
year, (compared to just 700 Corvettes). The success of the
Thunderbird led Chevrolet to continue production of, (and improve
upon), the Corvette, which soon became a tough competitor in the
sports car market.
This retro-themed two-seat Thunderbird shares platforms and
components with the Lincoln LS sedan, but comes wrapped in styling
that's straight out of the mid-1950s. It comes only as a
convertible, but an optional hardtop is offered for when the
weather turns foul, and this car has it. While all 2005
Thunderbirds were badged as Anniversary Edition models only the
1,500 Cashmere painted units were considered Limited Edition. This
1 of 1,500 built units was ordered in November 2004 and delivered
to our consignor on February, 14th 2005 and always dealer serviced.
Now that's a Valentine's Day gift this writer can get on board
with. With 23,262 title verified original miles, this car was
purchased as a show car and has won 1st place awards in nearly
every Ford show it's been in. Add in a custom made Cashmere bra, a
custom made Cashmere boot cover, custom side mirror covers to match
the bra, a custom dash pad, custom headrest covers and custom seat
covers as well as belt covers and we're in winnerterritory. Lest we
forget the binder of receipts, manuals, articles, the window
sticker, some extra decals, and the order forms for the car to
sweeten the deal.
Exterior
Subtle and calming Cashmere with its matching hardtop installed,
all in fine condition, is bathed in the factory applied paint that
is free from rust, dents and scratches with the exceptions of a few
minor stone chips and a notable spiderweb cracking of the paint on
the rear bumper. The grille, all chrome, and mechanicals, (door
handles, trunk actuator etc) are all functioning and looking great
as well, and just for extra pizazz and protection our consignor has
installed a custom made bra and matching mirror covers. The hardtop
has the classic porthole windows in it etched with the Thunderbird
logo and is easy to remove and put back on with two people and the
purchase does include the factory tools. When you want to go
topless you can safely store the hardtop on the included cart.
Overall the design harkens back to the early birds, with the use of
the front quarter venting, similar shaped egg crate style front
grille, and rear round taillights, but gone are the jet age turbine
looking lights. The tan canvas convertible top works perfectly and
is power actuated. This top has a glass rear window and only has a
few spots of staining. For top down good looks, 2 different boot
covers are included with your purchase and you can swap them out
easily depending on your mood. 16 spoke FoMoCo wheels are on all 4
corners and are wrapped in like new 235/50R17 radials, giving even
more of a retro touch to this bird.
Interior
Factory spec Stone tuck and roll insert all leather bucket seats
make up the small but comfy passenger compartment. Luxurious tan
carpet covers the flooring and rear deck behind the seating, plus
for extra protection a black carpeted Thunderbird mat is protecting
the carpet and the rear area with the Thunderbird logo embroidered
on it. The dash contains white analog instrumentation, with a
digital mileage/trip meters. A 6-disc CD player as well as an AM/FM
stereo radio are molded into the center vertical console. 9
speakers of the Audiophile stereo system are on for your listening
pleasure and are peppered about the cabin so the stereo sounds
great even with the top down! An automatic transmission shift lever
topped with a Cashmere retro knob sits between the driver and
passenger. All interior surfaces are immaculate, unmarred and
showing little to no wear. These seats are powered and heated. A
color 3-some makes an appearance on the door panels with the
armrest emulating wings and add a nice touch along with the brushed
insert panel and molded armrest in black with the power window and
lock switches. Rounding out our tour is the custom made Cashmere
dash cover to keep the dash top clean and crack free.
Drivetrain
A 280 horsepower, 3.9-liter V-8 EFI engine drives the rear wheels
via a five-speed automatic transmission. The transmission is a
Select-Shift model and you can shift in automatic mode or just let
the car do it for you. On the back is a 3.58 conventional axle. All
under the hood looks pristine and I couldn't get enough of the
Thunderbird and V8 logos on the engine cover.
Undercarriage
With its factory Cashmere overspray still evident on the tank, this
car has been pampered and does not appear to have seen any foul
weather. Slight corrosion on some aluminum parts along with typical
surface rust on untreated components is evident but the unibody
construction, floor pans and rockers are. An X frame support has
been added on for the added convertible stability. Independent
suspension with McPherson struts and coil springs are on all 4
corners, as are power disc brakes.
Drive-Ability
This car fired right up and ran smoothly, accelerated beautifully,
shifted like you don't even feel it, and offered up bias free panic
stopping. The top worked great, and the stereo is definitely a
bonus even with the top down. The A/C blew cold, and all
convenience functions were working perfectly.
A throwback retro Thunderbird, all nicely presented with a few
snappy custom touches thrown in for good measure. A beautiful
exterior paint, all lovingly cared for by our consignor, who was
not afraid to show this car and bring home the trophies. A splendid
car with its window sticker, a few personal touches that make it
stand out from the crowd, and documentation galore. A hot limited
edition bird from the final year of production which was the lowest
production year of the model. Don't you think it's time for a
little retro in your life.
1FAHP69A45Y105054
1FA-Ford Motor Co USA Passenger Car
H-Active Belts, Front & Side Airbags
P69-Thunderbird Roadster 50th Anniversary
A-3.9L DOHC V8
4-Check Digit
5-2005
Y-Wixom Mi Assy Plant
105054-Sequential Unit Number
DOOR STICKER
EXT PNT G4-Cashmere
INT TRIM PI-Stone Leather
TR S-Select Shift Automatic 5-Speed
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our
showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just
1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The
website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888)
227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come
see the vehicle in person.