This 1989 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe has a very wordy description attached to it, but it may be deserving of such praise given the mileage is a scant 18,800. The Super Coupe is also equipped with the preferred manual transmission, and given it’s a limited production, high-performance car, it’s encouraging to see it hasn’t been modified. The seller is asking what seems like a reasonable price of $12,985, especially considering what some sellers will try and get for low-mileage specimens. Find it here on craigslist in Sarasota, Florida.
The Thunderbird was obviously geared towards drivers who wanted comfort above all else, but the nameplate was obviously associated with a more performance-oriented lineage as well. The supercharged engine when combined with the five-speed manual makes the Super Coupe a respectable performer out of the box, but it’s more suited to being a high-speed grant tourer than a backroads bruiser. Given the low mileage, it’s not surprising to see the cockpit remains in excellent condition.
The engine bay is spotless, and the supercharged Essex V6 delivers 210 horsepower into 315 lb./ft. of torque. The seller notes that every hose and trim piece, as well as the various fluid tanks and belts, look like new, and indeed they do. The Super Coupe was supposedly only used in the summer months, which is ironic considering the seller’s location is Florida. Perhaps this is a recent transplant from the north, brought to the Sunshine State by a snowbird. The seller reports no mechanical issues or faults. The Mazda-sourced M5R2 5-speed is said to shift through the gears without issue.
The bodywork and paint are in impeccable shape and difficult to discern from new. The Super Coupe got all of the other standard performance upgrades, from a Traction-Lok rear differential to four-wheel disc brakes to a stiffer suspension with adjustable Tokico shocks . This wasn’t just a warmed-over Thunderbird with a special name – this was a legit performer with all the right boxes checked in terms of upgrades. Though they’ve never been massively collectible, examples like this will always be in demand.
Oooo me want!!! Checks all my boxes.. well minus the mouse belts hahaha seems reasonable, tho I wouldn’t want to daily drive not sure about parts availability….
Also nicely written ad!
That’s a beauty and will probably sell quickly. Those passive restraint seat belts could be irritating and dangerous. I remember many times because the shoulder belt automatically deployed I forgot to engage the lap belt. Unfortunately, some people perished in crashes as a result of that. It looks to me like the trunk lid alignment is off from the factory comparing the gap at the bottom of the trunk lid and the bumper on each side.
A very nice car for the money and the 5-speed is sure to attract added interest. Plus, it’s a desirable color that suits this car well. These T-Birds were popular cars along with their Mercury Cougar cousins; it seems everybody had one. Hardly see any of these anymore up here in New England. Like RoughDiamond pointed out, I can’t see this lasting too long, it should sell fairly soon.
I bought an 1989 SC in 2001 for 35 hundred dollars. It was white with maroon interior and was an automatic with 32K on the clock. Mine came with the original window sticker – $24000.00 including the extra cost options. WOW! According to CPI Inflation Calculator that’s a bit over 53K in today’s money. I daily drove it for 2 years and sold it when I got a promotion that came with a company car.
I’d like to have it back in the same condition.
This looks like a very good deal to me.
Also, that 35 hundred in 2001 is about $5430.00 in today’s money so while it was still a good deal it’s not as good as my first posting would indicate.
Jus’ sayn’..
I’ve had a couple of T-Birds, still have a 94, neither were SC’s. They are very nice driving cars though, and with the suspension under them they sure love curvy roads.
This one looks good to me, bet it’s fun to drive.
These things loved front control arms and head gaskets. However, they were (and still are in many ways) very sophisticated vehicles and supremely comfortable long-distance cruisers. GLWTS!
Not even 1 hp per cubic inch from a blown motor – sad, but normal for the era. The previous year (1988) 2.3L Turbo ‘Bird only netted around 175 hp as I recall. The overall package is everything with this generation of American automobiles.
Recalling the loaded ’87 Mustang notchback coupe rental car with the standard 2.3L/ 4 speed auto that seemed peppy to us, considering its 90 hp rating. I’m sure Ford pulled every trick in the book to make its cars seem ‘sportier’ than what they really were.
WHY not put in a 5.0 Mustang V8, what was Ford thinking?
4.9L V8 was available the year prior (1988), rated at only 155 hp. 4.9L in the 1988 Mustang was rated at 225 hp. No V8 offered at all in 1989-1990. 4.9L returned in the 1991 Thunderbird with 200 hp.
As stated, Ford did offer the 5.0 in the 1991 as stated above. However, the intake had to be reconfigured, and the exhaust was somewhat more restrictive as it was a 2-1-2 arrangement. The power levels were revised down to similar levels in the 1993 Mustang’s base 5.0, so ultimately, there’s not much difference between them on the dyno. Only the 1993-95’s Cobra’s 5.0 with the GT40 heads and intake was substantively different in terms of output.
Fun facts: The cam from the 1991 Thunderbird’s V8 made an appearance in the 1993 Cobra’s V8 (same part number). Also, the intake manifold designed to clear the hood on the T-bird was used on the 1994-95 model years in the Mustang. I think the MAF housing was shared between the cars as well.
Nice deal. Everyone that I know that has had one of these speak highly of them, particularly the way they drive surprisingly.
I’ve had a soft spot for these since I was a kid in the 80’s. The 87-88 turbo coupes looked a little more exciting, but these Super coupes were special in their day.
That’s a lot of ductwork under the hood. Were these engines intercooled? Looks like a fun car at a very fair price.
Great cars bought my wife a new SC in 90 it was a black auto. The only thing negative they were known for was to push the head gaskets out. They came with a transferable 60,000 mile warranty with a $100 deductible after the 15,000 bumper to bumper was played out. Sold mine to a neighbor with 33K on the clock and they made two warranty claims one on the ABS system and a head gasket claim nothing else but regular maintenance. They sold it about 5 years ago.