For Sale: 1964 Ford Thunderbird in Bradenton, Florida

1964 Ford Thunderbird �€" Caspian Blue Hardtop with 390 V8, Factory Air, and Solid Undercarriage Why This Car Is Special The 1964 Ford Thunderbird sits at an interesting crossroads in the nameplate's history. It was the final year of the fourth-generation body style that Ford introduced for 1961 �€" a design that moved the Thunderbird decisively away from the two-seat sports car roots of the original 1955-57 cars and toward a four-seat personal luxury formula that Ford had pioneered with the 1958 model. By 1964, Ford had refined that formula to its highest point before a completely new fifth-generation body arrived for 1966. That makes the 1964 model year a mature, sorted-out expression of the design rather than an early experiment with it. The 1964 Thunderbird was offered in three body styles: the Hardtop, the Convertible, and the Landau, which featured a vinyl-covered roof and a decorative S-bar on the C-pillar. Ford built approximately 60,552 Thunderbirds for the 1964 model year across all three body styles, with the Hardtop accounting for the largest share of that production. These cars were positioned as American personal luxury at its most complete �€" loaded with comfort and convenience equipment as standard or near-standard fare at a time when power windows and air conditioning were still genuinely premium items on most other vehicles. This particular 1964 Ford Thunderbird is finished in Caspian Blue, a deep, cool medium-dark blue that pairs naturally with the all-blue vinyl interior. The color combination is cohesive and period-correct, and the car presents as an honest original rather than a freshened-up driver. The undercarriage photos tell an important part of this car's story �€" the floor pans are solid, the framing is intact, and there is no evidence of the kind of structural corrosion that disqualifies so many cars from this era before the conversation even starts. Features List - 390ci 2-barrel V8 engine - 3-speed SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission - Factory air conditioning - Power steering - Power brakes - Power windows - Chrome wire wheels - Whitewall tires - Front bucket seats - Rear bench seat - Center console - AM radio - Dual exhaust - Chrome front and rear bumpers - Solid undercarriage Mechanical Power comes from Ford's 390 cubic inch FE-series V8, fitted here with a 2-barrel carburetor. In 1964 Thunderbird trim, the 390 2V was rated at 300 horsepower. This was the standard engine for the 1964 Thunderbird �€" Ford also offered a 390 4V at 330 horsepower and a higher-output 390 as part of the M-code package, but the 2V configuration in this car is the correct base specification and, for a personal luxury car designed around smooth highway cruising, it is entirely appropriate. The 390 FE is a physically large, torque-rich engine that moves a car like the Thunderbird with authority and without strain. The transmission is Ford's 3-speed SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic, which was the standard automatic pairing for the 390 in 1964. The SelectShift designation indicated that the driver could manually hold individual gears if desired, though the overwhelming majority of owners simply left it in Drive. The combination of the 390 and the Cruise-O-Matic was well-matched to the Thunderbird's character �€" relaxed, smooth, and capable of effortless highway travel. Looking at the undercarriage photos, the floor pans show consistent surface patina without any rot, holes, or structural compromise. The framing is intact on all four corners. The dual exhaust runs the full length of the car and exits cleanly at the rear. The front suspension �€" a conventional upper and lower control arm setup with coil springs �€" appears complete and unmolested. The rear axle and leaf spring arrangement look correct and original. This is not a car that has been hiding problems under fresh undercoating. What you see is honest metal with age on it. Interior The 1964 Thunderbird interior was one of the most driver-focused cockpi