Looking back to the period when Ford introduced the Thunderbird Super Coupe in 1989, it was a fun offering for the time, one that combined both a high level of performance with the luxury and size of a T-Bird. The Super Coupe, or SC for short, utilized a 3.8-liter V6 with a supercharger on top, adding some enhanced excitement for the driver while retaining the passenger comfort inside that the Thunderbird was known for. The seller initially bought this 1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe from the family of the original owner to make the car his daily driver, but plans have changed, and it’s now looking for another home. If you’re ready to be owner number three, this cool SC is in Houston, Texas, and can be found here on Facebook Marketplace. All things considered, the asking price of $5,500 sounds in the ballpark, and we’d like to thank Mitchell G. for his tip here!
Opting for the Eaton supercharged variant gave buyers 210 horsepower, up 70 from the base 3.8, with torque also rising nearly a third. At higher RPM, the supercharger provided 12 pounds of boost, making the torque go from 215 on the standard V6 to 315 on the Super Coupe. Some other features on the SC were a Traction-Loc differential, stiffer suspension, and larger wheels than the base Thunderbird. Additional good news is that this one’s also equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, with the seller stating that the car runs great. However, a brake problem needs to be addressed before the car can be on the road, with the part needed for repair estimated to cost less than $300.
This one’s said to have been garage-kept for most of its life and well-maintained, with the seller claiming that the body and paint remain in very good condition. He mentions that there’s no fading outside and that the body is rust-free, although it does appear that the front bumper may have lightly scraped something at some point. However, to have traveled 125k miles, the exterior still seems quite good overall.
The components inside also seem nicely preserved, and it looks like just about everything is power-assisted. Unfortunately, this is from that obnoxious period in auto history when some shoulder belts traveled around the upper edge of the interior when the door was opened, but the beauty of the stick-shift sticking through the console more than compensates for the annoying fabric belt. Hopefully, once the brakes are repaired, this one will be ready to go for the future owner. Have you ever owned or driven a Thunderbird Super Coupe? What are your thoughts on this one?
Ford was really rolling in 90′.
Great trucks, Mustang 5.0s, Lincoln VII, TBirds/Super Coupe, Escort GT, Probe GT.
Agree with Stan. The 90’s were a particularly good time for Ford specialty vehicles. Several models had performance variants.
As for the Super Coupe, these were a nice package. Both styling and performance enhancements. About a decade ago I was tempted to get one; actually test drove a privately owned 1995, dark blue, 5-speed, in Houston. Hmmm. Anyhow, this looks like a pretty good example which may not need major repair. For five grand, could be a fun car which is not commonly seen today.
Thanks Mike.
Did the SuperCoupe move out like your old SHO Bob ? Different power delivery for sure.
I owned a 89 model with the 5 speed. The shocks could be adjusted via a switch on the console; three settings: normal , sport, and rattle-your – teeth. Exceptional cars for the period; good power and handling plus luxury. The motor mounts were fluid and quite expensive to replace. Otherwise, a good driver.
And SHO …
Super Ford mag, Summer ’89 on new hi-po Ford models: Super Coupe or the SHO was the “The $20,000. Question”.
I owned a red ’91 SHO and loved it – the ’90s got off to a long awaited start .
Good call Torino. Love the SHOgun.
Agreed! I had a 89 and 92 SHOmobiles with 5 speeds. Great family ride. 99 SHOV8 with auto sounded great and had solid ride but not as fun.
The 85 and 88 TBirds I had were nice and reliable as a rock. Always looked at the SC ‘birds as executive express rides.
And love to see one in blue – my favorite color! One of these would definitely occupy a spot in my late ’80s/early 90s Ford dream garage. As others noted, Ford was really hitting a lot of home runs at this time in their history.
I had one in red. Then the head gaskets ate themselves at 100K. Pulled the motor cause it also needed new clutch, motor mounts, rings, bearings….oof. Never did get it to run right after that.
Hey All,
I had a black on black leather 5 speed superchicken for about six months almost 15 years ago. Picked it up cheap, fixed a few things, loved it but traded it for an 83 Mercedes 380sec. Big mistake. Timing chain tensioners went on it a few weeks later and I think the previous owner knew it!
I loved that car, it just ate up the freeway with the 5 speed and felt really stable and surefooted. Seats were comfortable too. But the braking system is the weak point. I believe it is called the Teeves Mk2 system, an early abs attempt, IIRC. I think the $300 part mentioned is the accumulator ball. Those were tough to find when I had mine, even used. I can’t imagine it is easier now. Perhaps a conversion to conventional brakes could be done.
Faulty accumulator ball makes for a rock hard brake pedal suddenly whike driving. You can still stop, but suddenly your braking technology regressed to manual brakes. Ups the pucker factor for sure.
That being said, if I had the scratch and the space, I’d pick this thing up in a heartbeat. Looks like a clean example in a great color. I think of that car more often than most ex girlfriends…but that is not atypical for me.
I had one with several back up brake units. That along the Distributor cam sensor and some ign sensor/module.
Completely accurate! They have their quirks, but a savvy owner can keep these on the road for quite a while.
Worked for a Ford dealership back then. One of the quietest cars at speed I ever drove. You could be going 100 and think you were only going 60-70. Road and wind noise was amazingly quiet. Very stable too for a large car, handled quit well.
Question. If it only needs a $300 part to make it road worthy, then why isn’t the seller doing it? Seems like chump change needed to make a $5,900 sale. Me thinks that there may be something more afoot here.
You are both savvy to how car ads are written and correct!
A 5.2L SC Coyote swap & a 6 speed manual would be a great driver. Even a 5.0 Coyote would be fun.
I had an 89 black on black. the brakes were called turbo boost and when my “boost” went leaking there was no where to get a replacement or a kit to fix it, 6 years later the parts to fix it or a rebuilt turbo boost was all over the place, was the best car i owned in my 60 years.