1964 Ford Thunderbird - $12,900 - Orange Village, OH - Nice older cosmetic restoration with all-new mechanicals. Ice cold A/C and loaded with options. Ready to enjoy at a bargain price!
This is a South Carolina car, and as a result it’s super solid and clean underneath. The door tag says it was originally Wimbledon White, and that’s the color of the top today, but somewhere along the line someone fully disassembled it and gave it a coat of what appears to be Arcadian Blue, which was also on the charts for ’64. There are a few signs of use here and there, most notably a dime-sized chip on the leading edge of the front fender that has been touched up, but it really shows quite well overall. The chrome and stainless is mostly original with a few replacement pieces, but the car has a great look overall where nothing stands out as too new or too old, and none of it needs any attention.
This is the original interior color, but within the last two years, both front seats and the rear seat were fitted with new reproduction seat covers and new carpets were installed. The dash, gauges, and center console are original with everything but the clock in working order, and the dash pad is in excellent condition, particularly considering its age. All four windows, both power seats, and the factory A/C all work, with the air conditioning using modern R134a refrigerant, so it’s cheap and easy to service in the future. The original headliner remains in excellent condition with no discoloration or sagging, and all the interior lights work. Finally, a complete set of trunk mats were recently installed, but there are no surprised hiding underneath, as the trunk is solid and clean.
The 300-horsepower 390 cubic inch V8 was completely rebuilt about three years and 2000 miles ago, so it runs beautifully. A slightly upgraded cam was dropped between the cylinder banks, but it still starts easily and idles smoothly, although it now has significantly more mid-range punch. While it was out, it received new engine enamel, the valve covers and original air cleaner were treated to some Thunderbird Gold, and reproduction decals were installed as needed. A fresh dual exhaust system underneath gives it a wonderful, muscular exhaust note that isn’t muscle car aggressive, but rather luxury car impressive. At the same time, the 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission was fully rebuilt and the 9-inch rear with 3.00 gears inside was freshened with new bearings and seals. As I mentioned, this is a southern car, so rust is obviously a non-issue, and there’s undercoating on the chassis that has likely been there since the ‘60s. In addition, the brakes have been recently serviced and it wears fresh 225/75/15 Broadway whitewall radials on the original wheels, which were painted to match the body and fitted with full wheel covers.
Nobody has to know how affordable it really is, and we’ll let your friends, co-workers, and neighbors continue believing that you somehow won the lottery. You may also discover that this is one heck of a great car to drive, too.
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