Vehicle Description
The Thunderbirds were never really marketed as "sports cars" even
though the original version came pretty close. They did, however,
successfully create a completely new segment of car, the Personal
Luxury Car. More luxurious than a sports car with more room inside,
but not too big, and still with plenty of power to make it fun to
drive. This 1965 T-Bird is a shining example of that focus. Check
it out.
Presented in a beautiful shade of blue with a black vinyl roof,
this car looks great! From the side, you will see a crisp, clean
body line that runs from front to rear along the top edge of the
front fender and door, flowing up and over the door handle and
tapering back down smoothly to the back bumper. It is mirrored by a
complementary line on the bottom edge that cuts across the rear
wheel spats on its way back. A slash of chrome dresses out the
center of the side from behind the front wheel wells on back. From
the front you will see a hood scoop reminiscent of the original
T-Bird with a Thunderbird on the leading edge of the hood. Quad
headlights are underlined by a chrome grill surrounded by a
substantial bumper. Out back, another substantial bumper surrounds
taillights that blink sequentially for turns with another
Thunderbird between them.
Open the door and you will find a sharp looking interior that is
Blue with nice wood grained highlights trimmed out in chrome. The
door panel itself sets the tone with a Thunderbird at the top set
in wood underlined by a bold chrome band separating the wood from
the blue vinyl. The power operated bucket seats are comfortable in
blue vinyl trimmed in chrome with a nice center console and armrest
between them. The big two-spoke steering wheel is unique with its
tilt-away feature that provides lots of space for easy entry and
exit. The dash board is completely stock with a horizontal
speedometer and engine gauges mounted in their own individual pods
underneath it. Wiper, washer and ventilation controls at the top
center look a bit like throttles in a big jet. Wood tone surrounds
the driver starting from the front of the dash, curving around and
down to the center console that contains the original radio and
more unique ventilation controls as well as the power window
switches.
Open the hood and you will find an all original engine bay with a
390 cubic inch engine nestled down inside. A gold air cleaner
assembly as well as gold valve covers dress up the looks a little
bit and there are signs of good regular maintenance with the belts,
hoses and ignition components all in great shape. Underneath, the
dual exhaust system has had the mufflers and tailpipes replaced
fairly recently. The power that 390 makes flows back through a
3-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels mounted on leaf
springs. Up front, coil springs on control arms with a beefy sway
bar work with the power steering to provide good handling, and
front disc brakes assure good stopping power. The rubber meets the
road through 22575R15 white wall tires mounted on steel wheels with
polished Thunderbird hub caps.
Come on down and check out this great looking personal luxury car
from 1965. You may decide to make it your personal luxury car.