Being of fan of the 1977 to 1979 and the 1980 to 1982 Thunderbirds, it took a while for me to warm up to the 1983 to 1986 Thunderbirds. I believe that is because I felt the Thunderbird was taking a new direction, being more of a sport than a luxury car. Also, its more rounded shape may have had something to do with it. The Cougar of the same era was more to my liking. But I still like Thunderbirds of all eras including this one. Here is a 1985 Ford Thunderbird for sale here on Craigslist in Littleton, Colorado. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ikey H. for letting us know about this one.
This car is described as “very nice, very reliable, and very fun Thunderbird” by the seller. It is all original except for tires (and I’m sure battery and a few other maintenance items). The paint and the body are good with no rust, except for a small spot on the driver’s door with some paint imperfection. The seller is the second owner and has owned the car for about five years.
The interior looks very nice. I’m having trouble determining if the bright spot on the upper driver’s seat is just that, a bright spot in the picture, or if it is a rip. Other than that, the seats look good. It has a dash cover. This Thunderbird also has a newer Alpine stereo with Bluetooth for hands-free operation of a cell phone. The air conditioning and heat work great. Everything works except the power door lock on the passenger side. This car also has the electronic readout for miles per hour. A feature that I think is neat is that the power seat control is easy to see in a small console in the center of the seat, making it easier to use the controls properly.
The engine is a 302 cubic inch V-8 that the seller describes as very fast, fun, and reliable. The seller also describes this car as a “Mustang GT in a Tux!” The car has four new factory shocks, radiator, water pump, and thermostat, power brake booster, and belts. The car does not burn any oil at all and leaks no fluids. This Thunderbird has been driven 112,054 miles. A YouTube video of the car is included in the ad. The seller is asking a reasonable price of $2,500. Are you looking for a Thunderbird of this generation?
When I first saw this I rolled my eyes and thought it was a completely dull, non-descript car. But after spending a few minutes reading I remembered that these cars were pretty fun to drive: decent power, cushy ride. A decent-size two-door to bum around in. So, yeah…maybe.
Great car at a great price. Just wish it was closer to the east coast…
Like many 80’s cars it’s really too new to be a “cool” classic, needs to be parked another 20 years or so.
Here come the “It’s just an old car”, “Would make a nice winter beater for $500” comments
And then the same people complain about yet another red Camaro, Chevelle or Mustang, or basket case Charger. Makes you wonder what’s worthy to them.
Let’s get honest here guys, if you where to change out the headlights to a set with rounded covers that blended into the adjacent panels it looks like it could be something you’d find at a new car dealer today. I’m not a huge fan of the “bellybutton” (everybody has one) muscle cars either but this is just a plain Jane car. As already mentioned, park it awhile.
I thought these cars were really bland back in the day. Back in the ’70s, I had concluded that T-birds had come to look like warmed-over full-size two-door sedans. I saw the ’80s styles as simply a modernization of the same concept. But now, they’re starting to look really good to me. Beauty is in the eye… And beholders do change.
These were really sharp in turbo coupe trim with the turbo 4cyl. Especially in black with a 5 speed and the pre 87 Mustang GT wheels. I like these almost as much as the 87-88 facelift and the 89 SC
I drove several of these on the Ford lot when they were new as I worked for our local Ford dealer in high school. They were nimble and well built I thought. The Lincoln Mark VII it’s super first cousin was my favorite if the group.
I sold one just as nice as this but with a V6 about a year ago. (80K miles) And got $1,700 for it. (even advertised it here with no interest) So The price seems fair to me.
Car is a steal. Fox chassis just like a Mustang. A Mustang in this condition has far less luxury and more than twice the price. A rebuilt 302 would make for a killer sleeper. Just put nice wheels on it.
At $2500 and at the condition and milage it looks like it could be a daily driver to me.
Nice ride. If someone is looking for a dependable daily driver, or wants to wade out a bit into the collector car hobby, without going in too deep, this ‘bird looks like a good candidate at a decent price.
And why does it have to come back in 20 years to gain respect? It may be a bit too recent for some, but it’s not exactly something we see on the road every day. It’s 33 years old.
Think of it this way: In the late nineties, would you have passed up any mid-sixties model for being too new? Probably not.
And the price is pretty reasonable for a sporty, two-door, V8, semi-luxury ride. If it was remotely close to me, I’d be all over it. I had a ’90 this same color back in ’04. Of course it was just a used car at the time, but it was fun to own.
I owned a ’86 Bird, which was the same as this one, but mine had the 3.8 V6. I bought it from Hertz Rent-A-Car and drove it for three years. Sharp car, especially after I repainted it a Mercedes-Benz blue-green metallic with clearcoat. The digital dash started winking and blinking, and I sold it and bought a ’90 Bird–worst mistake I ever made, as by comparison the ’90 was an unreliable dog. I don’t care for the color scheme, but other than that I would love to have this car.
Bought a brand new jet black w/red pin stripe 85 T-bird off the lot from a dealer who convinced me it was better value for the money than a Mustang. Have to admit he was right. Most comfortable car to drive in that I ever owned. Like the above car somehow the t-bird emblem on the steering wheel disappeared within a few months but other than that a very nice car.