Vehicle Description
Mid-60s T-birds, particularly convertibles like this gorgeous 1966
Ford Thunderbird model, are seeing some big gains in the market of
late, and this is the one to own. With a gorgeous high-quality
respray, great preservation, recent maintenance, all the luxury and
comfort options, and a unique color combination, it delivers
personal luxury unlike anything else of the era.
Drawing on both the original Ford "Retractable" hardtops and the
Lincoln Continental 4-door convertibles, this big bullet 'Bird is
the epitome of Ford's high-end products in 1966. This droptop has
been kept stock it's entire life under the tutelage of just 3
owners since new (the 2nd owner had the car from 1969 to 2019), and
the current owner purchased the car in 2019 and had it repainted
and fully serviced for the road. Wearing a gorgeous coat of Code R
Dark Green Metallic paint, it looks a mile long yet incomparably
sleek thanks to that low-slung design. Workmanship is great
throughout and with that much sheetmetal, there are plenty of
places for things to go wrong, yet the guys in charge of the
repaint didn't really miss a thing. Note how well the doors line up
with the quarters, the deep shine that reflects without distortion,
and the total absence of waves that would suggest significant
bodywork underneath. It's by no means a perfect piece, and there
are a few imperfections that can be seen upon closer examination,
although most of them could easily be attended to with a thorough
buff-and-wax. Trim is surprisingly restrained on this lovely
Thunderbird, but details like the fender-mounted turn signal
indicators, faux hood scoop, and the finely detailed egg-crate
grille are all in fine shape.
Black upholstery combined with bright stainless trim makes this
feel like an adult's car in every way. The bucket seats offer
original-style upholstery (if not the actual, original upholstery)
with a wonderful combination of pleats and quilted seating
surfaces, and the rear seat with its famous wrap-around look is
perhaps even more inviting. A ribbon-style speedometer and small
round pods for the auxiliary gauges are an incredible piece of
design, as is the swing-away steering wheel that really makes a
difference in ease of entry. Factory A/C leads the options list,
although it's not currently blowing cold but thankfully with a
top-down cruiser like this, you probably won't need it very often
anyway. And speaking of top down, the insanely complex power top
mechanism on these cars is a ballet of electro-mechanical
automation, with the black vinyl top disappearing completely under
the deck lid with the touch of a button.
Ford's 390 cubic inch Z-code V8 was standard equipment in the 1966
Thunderbird and makes the kind of leisurely torque you need in a
luxury machine like this. Neatly detailed under the hood, it has a
factory-correct look and the reliability you need for a car that is
capable of going cross-country on a whim. The big A/C compressor
dominates the engine bay, but it also has a correct Ford Blue air
cleaner with reproduction '390' decal and a big 4-barrel carburetor
underneath. This early production car uses a C6 3-speed automatic
transmission linked to 3.00 gears in the 9-inch rear, so it just
loafs along at highway speeds without breaking a sweat. A dual
exhaust system gives it a burbly V8 rumble that's got a bit of
muscle car DNA in it, and with power disc brakes becoming standard
equipment in 1965, matching up with the responsive power steering
system, it's a fine road car in every sense of the word.
Right-sized 215/75/15 whitewall radials look right surrounding
those flashy stock hubcaps.
'60s convertibles like this are still somewhat affordable right
now, but it won't be long before these incredible cruisers are
valued up there with their 2-seat siblings. Call today!
