Vehicle Description
1964 Ford Thunderbird Coupe
From all appearances, the 1964 Thunderbird was all new. But
underneath it all, it really was the same old Bird. The drivetrain
was essentially the same as 1963, and truthfully, there really
wasn't much need to change anything. The Thunderbird 390ci Special
V-8 combined with Ford's Cruise-O-Matic transmission were rock
solid and dependable. With 300 horsepower under the hood, the
T-bird was swift in flight, but not really the fastest car on the
road. Despite this, the 390 moved the Bird with authority and was
quick enough to make people take notice, should the driver desire
to do so.
For consignment, a buttoned up bird with some fab mods to give us
an even more teased version of the beehive hairdo right out of
1964. It retains all its stately suburban cruiser lines but is now
a two tone resto mod-esque Thunderbird that now performs more like
a hawk. Sporting a wild dash which is of the original design, and a
snazzy interior we have a one of a kind rare looking bird. An
"easter egg" if you will right here in our hallowed halls!
Exterior
Looks are what counts in this market, and for this 1964 it has
them. The lines were more square, the features more chiseled, and
the taillamps are bigger than ever before. Gone is the rounded,
rocket ship theme which was replaced by something more reminiscent
of the 1958-1960 Thunderbirds. In front, a massive bumper and
grille with horizontal bars stretches from end to end and retains
the same basic appearance and shape of the previous series. Two
chrome, now painted black, bumper guards are mounted low near the
center, with turn signal indicators mounted near each end. Dual
headlights with red "eyebrows" and we have shades of the Batmobile.
Above, a prominent hood scoop appeared about halfway back. All
bezels are painted black as are window surrounds and other
trimmings. On the sides we see black shiny paint covering the
roofline to the sill line, hood, trunk and now the rectangular tail
lamps, which cover more than half of the width of the shaved rear
bumper. An inset between the lights spells out "THUNDERBIRD'' and
chrome winged emblems are mounted in the center of each lens.
Centered below each tail lamp is a back-up light with ribbed glass
lenses. Fender skirts in red, along with sides of quarters and
rockers are now all red. Snazzy black powder coated Touren 18-inch
wheels with a small red trimming on the edge, are all wrapped with
low profile all season radials.
Interior
The hits just keep on coming as we swing the doors which are now
all in menacing black, even the cranks and actuator. Black is also
covering the beautiful leather bomber styled buckets in front and
bench in the back. The backs of all these smooth seats are
embroidered with a tulip-like flourish pattern adding just a bit of
extra customization. A peppering of red is noted on the dash front
for the futuristic rolling linear bar speedo, and lineup of gauges
in the eyeball style just below. A red steering wheel now fronts
this futuristic yet all original design. Red stripes also race
rearward on the console top, which has a nice padded top to the
long glovebox at the buckets. Eyeball vents are all over this dash,
however they are for the famous airflow these birds were known for,
so it does NOT have AC. Black carpeting floods the floor and above
a tight black headliner is looking down on this futuristic
interior. Welcome to the 21st Century Buck!
Drivetrain
A pop of the scooped hood and a 4.6 liter SOHC V8 with EFI is now
in. Also, on back is a newer 4R70W 4-speed automatic which throws
plenty of power rearward to a Ford 9-inch 3.00 rear axle.
Everything is looking good under this hood!
Undercarriage
Underneath shows some surface rust, a light overall patina has aged
the panels and unibody well. No invasive rust or problems to be
seen under here, just independent front suspension, and leaf spring
rear suspension. Power disc brakes for the front, and power drums
for the rear.
Drive-Ability
A quick fire up and we flew off to the test track. Here it was a
pleasure to drive, and a head turner. Plenty of EFI power for the
4.6 liter and it shifts through the gears like a dream. All
instrumentation and functions were top flite, and you feel like you
are back to the future with the styling. We do note that the
transmission slips a little in reverse and there are no windshield
wipers.
And here's some trivia for you: Ford had originally planned on
debuting the sequential rear turn signals for the 1964 model year
but had to delay it for a year because the new sequential turn
signal flashing sequence had to be voted into motor vehicle laws in
all states before the cars could legally be driven in them. And,
typical of the government, there were a few states that still
hadn't made it legal when the time came to start building the 1964
models! This custom "job" is truly unique and uses the futuristic
styling to its full advantage.
VIN DECODE
4Y83Z146570
4-1964
Y-Wixom, MI Assy Plant
83-Thunderbird 2 Door Hardtop
Z-390ci V8 4bbl
146570-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY TAG
BODY 63A-Thunderbird 2 Door Hardtop
COLOR A-Raven Black
TRIM 55-Red
DATE 31A-January 31st Build
DSO 72-San Jose
AXLE 1-Ford 9" 3.00 Gears
TRANS 4-Cruise O Matic
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.
