Vehicle Description
1960 Ford Thunderbird Coupe
Lay aside everything you've heard in condemnation of the four-seat
1960 Ford Thunderbird - all that stuff about forsaking the sports
car, substituting glitz for function, adding the hated back
seat.
It is all immaterial because it misses the point: Despite its
deviation from the original concept, the first four-seat
Thunderbird was simply a masterpiece of design.
For consignment the timeless design of the 1960 Squarebird,
deviating from the original concept with a back seat...Lions and
Tigers, and Bears...OH MY!! Yes, it has a back bench in addition to
those front buckets. This one has been maintained by an expert in
Thunderbird collecting and has been well kept during its time with
said collector/consigner. This design is timeless, and could be in
your driveway today, and it would look like the contemporary cars
of today, with just a little more embellishment.
Exterior
Corinthian White covers the steel panels of this 52 inch high car,
and it is still a sports car, despite the backseat for you purists.
Low and lean, the design is thought to be the best of all the birds
and this writer would definitely agree. Dual headlights in their
own eyebrow cowl which starts at the hood line and moves upward and
outward to the front quarters. A chrome bezel holds both in place
on either side and this overhang is reminiscent of an actual bird
of prey. A mouth line smiling grille is below, and has an eggcrate
design, all chromed just like the bumper above and below this egg
crate grille nice and mirror like. Gunsight chrome embellishments
sit atop each front quarter and heather chromed fronted scooped
hood glides seamlessly back to the windscreen. Moving rearward
straight steel for the doors which have a bump out trim spear,
which is the actual steel within the door, move towards the rear
wheel well and bumper. Up on top of the rear quarter, is an angled
fin tastefully high enough for the turn of the decade, which frames
owl-like eyes in the form of a horizontal trio of taillights and
wrap around chrome bumper. The trunk lid swoops downward from the
Monte Carlo red hardtop, with a vertical rear glass and Thunderbird
badge on the B pillar. Also, in the hardtop is a working sunroof.
Yes, its 1960 and it is working! Wide whites wrap around 14-inch
Sun Ray style tri color centered wheel covers.
Interior
Jet age styled door panels utilize swooping brushed aluminum coves
and a black vinyl covered door pulls. Also, in the mix is a white
vinyl square stitched with central buttoned panel and some black
smooth vinyl to frame the aluminum swoop and coves. A curved glass
wrap around windshield frames an original dash with dual cowls, one
housing the instrument cluster, and the other the glovebox.
Instruments are all original and clean, with large deep shiny round
bezels in a ribbed aluminum background. This menagerie of the
cluster and glovebox is surrounded by un-cracked and beautiful
padded upper dash material in black vinyl. The front buckets and
rear bench take on a white insert buttoned vinyl pattern, and the
bolsters are smooth black surrounding the white. A center console
is now seen, and it houses the power window toggles, a round
stylish air flow control panel, and in the middle of the two cowls
a chromed radio and speaker with air vents up top. The original
deep-dish steering wheel fronts the dash, black carpet floods the
floors, and noted are white vinyl paneled buttoned side panels next
to the rear bench. A shout out to the trunk which has the correct
plaid vinyl covering and is looking all pristine with black white
wall tire and jack in the center.
Drivetrain
A beautifully restored engine bay houses a rebuilt engine with
chromed valve covers and a chromed air cleaner cover. Black shiny
parts surround this numbers matching 352ci V8 with a single
4-barrel carburetor atop. On back is a Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed
automatic tranny, and a rear axle with a 3.10 gear ratio. All this
sits within a white engine bay and looks near showroom. One
interesting option is the windshield washer pump. A simple vacuum
system moves a wheel against the accessory drive V-belt causing the
pump to run and send fluid to the windshield. Sadly it is not
hooked up.
Undercarriage
Like new with plenty of undercoating, a shiny fuel tank and
exhaust, rust free suspension in the form of independent coil
springs upfront, and leaf springs on the rear. Power drum brakes
are all around.
Drive-Ability
Upon my arrival and after squeezing in (although it is getting
easier because this bird got larger despite its low overall height)
I used the power seat adjustment to get it just right baby bear,
and I was off to the test track! The power steering and radio were
put to the test during my smooth ride. Noted is that the A/C needs
charged and the vacuum operated windshield washers are not hooked
up. This car accelerated beautifully fed by those 4 barrels and
came to an abrupt stop with the power brakes. I did note the horn
was in-operable, and the rear backup lights were not working as
told to me by my observant colleague. A nice cruiser too. You may
elect to change those bias ply tires and performance will be
improved markedly. A brief chat with the consignor enlightened us
that the horn works when pressed in a different location and the
reverse lights only work when the headlamps or parking lights are
on.
All in all, this fave of mine design bird (the square bird) is a
very nice example with beautiful paint, a rebuilt engine, the extra
exterior and engine chrome packages, power windows, brakes and
steering and a working sunroof. Having looks borrowed from birds of
prey (the hawk and the owl) all great running this is a real
beautiful bird in our hallowed halls here at Classic Auto Mall.
VIN DECODE
0Y71Y124539
0-1960
Y-Wixon, MI Assy Plant
71-2 Door Hardtop
Y-352ci V8 4bbl
124539-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY TAG
BODY 63A-2 Door Hardtop
COLOR M-Corinthian White
TRIM 56-Black & White Vinyl
DATE 07A-January 7th Build Date
TRANS 4-Cruise O Matic
AXLE 3-3.10 Gears
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 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.