Vehicle Description
2003 Ford Thunderbird Convertible
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. Bathed in Whisper White,
with 57,281 original miles, and according to our consignor with
only 691 made with Whisper White interior accenting, is slightly
rarer than a James Bond edition T-Bird. Add in a set of 21 spoke
chrome FoMoCo wheels, a custom touch on the door panels, chrome
hood scoop bezel, and etched Thunderbird logos on the hardtop
portholes make this a bird of a different feather. Lest we forget
our consignor, the original owner, was in touch with a gentleman at
the Ford Wixom plant who kept him abreast of each step of the car's
assembly and even had our consignor come to the plant to see the
car being built and meet and speak with some of the people
responsible for building these cars.
Exterior
Whisper White with matching hardtop installed, all in fine
condition with the factory applied paint is free from rust, dents
and scratches. The grille, all chrome, and mechanicals, (door
handles, trunk actuator etc) are all functioning and looking great
as well, and just for extra pizazz our consignor added the chrome
hood scoop bezel, only found on special edition cars. 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 but the
purchase does include the factory tools to complete the task solo.
Overall 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 black canvas convertible top works perfectly and is
power actuated. This top has a glass rear window and only has a few
spots of wear. 21 spoke chrome FoMoCo wheels, are on all 4 corners
and are wrapped in like new medium width white wall radials, giving
even more of a retro touch to this bird.
Interior
Two tone black with Whisper White tuck and roll insert all leather
bucket seats make up the small but comfy passenger compartment.
Luxurious black carpet covers the flooring and rear deck behind the
seating. 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 white retro knob sits between the driver and
passenger. All interior surfaces are immaculate, and unmarried,
with the driver's seat showing just a little wear. These seats are
powered and heated. Custom white inserts on the all black door
panels emulate wings and add a nice touch along with the brushed
insert panel and molded armrest in black with the power window and
lock switches.
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
5r55N 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 white 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 convertible compensation stability.
Independent suspension with McPherson struts are on all 4 corners,
as are power disc brakes.
Drive-Ability
This car fires right up and runs smoothly, accelerating
beautifully, shifting like you don't even feel it, and bias free
panic stopping. The top works great, and the stereo is definitely a
bonus even with the top down. A/C blows cold, and all convenience
functions are working perfectly.
A throwback edition Thunderbird, all nicely presented with snappy
custom two-tone interior, and beautiful exterior paint all lovingly
cared for by our consignor, who over the years made many a
wonderful memory in various white Fords. A splendid car with its
window sticker, order form, photos of it being built,
correspondence with Ford tracking the build, and a few personal
touches that make it stand out from the crowd. Rarer than even the
James Bond version and looking just as nice. Don't you think it's
time for a little retro in your life.
VIN DECODE
1FAHP60A63Y100965
1-USA
F-Ford Motor Company
A-Passenger Car
H-Manual Belts, Front & Side Airbags
P60-Thunderbird
A-3.9L DOHC V8 280hp
6-Check Digit
3-2003
Y-Wixom, MI Assy Plant
100965-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 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.