For Sale at Auction: 1963 Ford Thunderbird in New Orleans, Louisiana

This 1963 Ford Thunderbird is one of 37 M-code Sports Roadsters produced by Ford that year. The M in the VIN denotes three 2-barrel carburetors versus the standard Z-code engine with one 4-barrel carburetor, plus numerous other engine and drivetrain modifications. This vehicle was assembled at the Ford plant in Wixom, MI, on November 28, 1962, with an MSRP of $6286.90. The drivetrain consists of a 390ci (6.4-liter) Thunderbird High Performance Super 8 engine with three Holley 2-barrel carburetors, 4.05 inch bore and 3.78-inch stroke, producing 340hp at 5,000 rpm and 430 ft/lbs of torque at 3,200 rpm. It has a 10.5:1 compression ratio, with a hydraulic valve train, a cast-aluminum intake manifold, special cylinder heads (from a Ford 406ci FE V8), a special high-lift, long-duration hydraulic camshaft, dual 2-inch exhaust, a chrome engine dress-up kit, a Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission and a 3.00:1 final drive ratio. Options include leather seats, power windows, tinted glass, windshield washers, seat belts, power seats and air conditioning. It was originally sold by Vanneman Motor Company of Valentine, NE. Sports Roadsters featured special badging, a passenger grab bar, a removable tonneau cover for the rear seats and five Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. It was certified as a senior car by the Vintage Thunderbird Club International in 1999 (scoring 298.5 points out of 300), was certified as authentic by the Vintage Thunderbird Club International in 2014 and was certified as an authentic Sports Roadster by the Thunderbird Sport Roadster Society in 2000. It comes with its gate release and the Ford Build Sheet.