Our newest ride - a 1968 unrestored survivor car, all original 1968 T-Bird with a 429 Thunderjet under the hood. Has sequential tails, vacuum operated headlights, Everything works except the AC (needs to be converted from R-12), cigarette lighters and one of the rear windows. Its just a neat old car and has won trophies at every car show it's been in. Rides smooth as silk and really makes you appreciate how cars USED to be made. With the exception of the driver's rear quarter, the paint is original, single stage in Presidential Blue. The Landau symbol is original and the vinyl top has been replaced professionally with period-correct material at some point in the past. We would not have known that about the top had the previous owner not told us, it is that well done.
Don't forget to rate it! I know its not modded or hot rodded, but it looks almost show-room quality! That's gotta be worth something!
Here is some interesting information on this year model car, with this powertrain set up, taken from Wikipedia.net:
"The 1968 Thunderbird saw the introduction of the new 385 series big-block 429 cu in (7 L) engines. Like most Ford motors of the time, they were "underrated" at 360 hp (268 kW) for insurance reasons. The Thunderbird motors also got special treatment with wedge style heads, making a significant power increase over their conventional headed brothers. These motors made the cars some of the quickest and fastest ever produced, despite their larger size and heavier body on frame construction...."
This particular car is no where near that on the HP output, but it does need a tune up, new plugs, wires, etc. Its just nice to know its history and potential. *G*
We also get asked a lot: Is that A FOUR DOOR? I didn't know they made the T-birds in 4 doors...They did, for a short time, from 68-71.
"The convertible, increasingly a slow seller, was dropped. Instead, the company introduced a four-door model. The rear doors were hinged on the edge to the rear of the vehicle (suicide doors ), as on the 1960s Lincoln Continental ....."
"...The 1967 design was radically different from what came before. Ford's stylists delivered a radical shape that in many ways anticipated the styling trends of the next five years. A gaping wide "fishmouth" front grille that incorporated hidden headlights was the most obvious new feature. The look was clearly influenced by the intakes on jet fighters such as the F-100 Super Sabre , and was enhanced by the flush-fitting front bumper incorporating the bottom "lip" of the "mouth". The sides were the barrel-like "fuselage" style that was very popular during this period. The belt line kicked up "coke-bottle" style after the rear windows, again a styling trait that would prove ubiquitous. Large C-pillars (and a small "formal" rear window on the 4-door) meant poor rear visibility but were the fashion of the time. The taillights spanned the full width of the car, and featured, as in previous Thunderbird models, sequential turn signals ."
And if you notice what I notice, it seems to resemble a Mercury Cougar:
The new 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III was based on the four-door Thunderbird chassis, and from that point until the late Nineties, Thunderbirds and Continental Marks were generally related cars, the Thunderbird following the Mark's growth to enormity in the 1972 model year. The Mercury Cougar also often shared components. "
I know these aren't lumped into the 'classic T-Bird' catagory, but I really feel like these cars shouldn't be ignored. Sure, this car isn't a 57, which is something people tell us all the time at shows, usually from spectators, (which to me is just plain rude: "If IIII were going to have one, it'd be a 57").
The full Wiki article can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird_(fifth_generation)
