When Ford unveiled its Third Generation Thunderbird, it revealed a car sleeker and more futuristic than its predecessors. The country’s imagination had been captured by the concept of landing on the moon, and the Thunderbird’s rocket-like appearance seemed to reflect that enthusiasm perfectly. Our feature car is a 1963 Thunderbird Landau that presents well for its age. The owner has made one crucial change to the car’s mechanical specifications, leaving the buyer to choose whether to return the car to its factory form or leave it untouched. It is ready for some relaxed summer cruising and is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Port Washington, Wisconsin, bidding has reached $5,600, although this is short of the reserve. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this beauty for us.
Ford enjoyed a reasonably successful sales year for the 1963 Thunderbird, with 63,313 buyers electing to park one in their driveway. This figure was lower than the previous two years, but it still represented a respectable total. Of those, 14,139 buyers selected the Landau version, the same as our feature car. The Landau presents well for its age, finished in Diamond Blue with a Black vinyl top. The seller indicates it is a two-owner classic, and its overall condition and appearance suggest that it has been treated with respect. It has been garage-kept throughout its life, allowing its original paint to remain well preserved. There are no significant marks or defects, and the panels appear equally impressive. The seller makes no mention of rust problems, and none are visible in the supplied photos. The lack of visible corrosion across various aspects of the car allows us to remain cautiously optimistic. The trim looks spotless, the tinted glass shows no evidence of defects, and the narrow whitewall tires add a classy finishing touch to the exterior.
We’ve reached the point where we need to discuss this Thunderbird’s mechanical specifications and a significant change performed by the owner. The engine bay houses a 390ci V8, while the rest of the drivetrain includes a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The listing and VIN indicate that this 390 is an M-Code that should produce 340hp. It achieved this feat courtesy of a “Tri-Power” induction system. However, that setup has made way for a single four-barrel carburetor, which should reduce power output to around 300hp. The car will still be capable of romping through the ¼ mile in 16.4 seconds, although the original specifications would have knocked a ½-second off that figure. The seller doesn’t indicate whether they hold the original carburetors and intake, making that a question worth asking. If not, the buyer may need to search for the right parts. This is unlikely to be cheap because the few secondhand systems I located are listed for around $1,600. That is hardly pocket change, so the buyer may need to consider whether it is worth the expense to pursue this further. Beyond that issue, the car is complete and mechanically sound. It runs and drives smoothly and is ready to be enjoyed by a new owner. The seller states that it has a genuine 67,000 miles on the clock but fails to mention supporting evidence. That would seem to be another question worth asking.
The Thunderbird’s interior presentation and condition are consistent with a car that has been treated with respect. However, the aftermarket slipcovers make it difficult to determine the state of the front seat upholstery. With the remaining trim looking good, we need to hope for the best or be prepared t ask questions on that subject. The wrap on the wheel seems to be the only other addition. The dash looks excellent, as do the console and faux woodgrain trim. The original owner ticked a few boxes on the Order Form to equip the car with desirable options. The buyer receives air conditioning, power windows, and a factory AM/FM radio.
In its current guise, this 1963 Thunderbird Landau has no immediate needs. The loss of its original carburetors and intake is disappointing, and the buyer may feel the desire to locate the correct parts to return the car to its factory specifications. That task need not happen immediately because this classic is ready to be driven and enjoyed as-is. With warmer weather on our doorstep, hitting the road for some relaxed touring sounds tempting. If a correct intake system becomes available, reinstating it would be a great way to spend some hours when the weather turns cold once again. That sounds like a win/win to me.
Nobody? Shame, it is, one of the most beautiful designs. Here’s another “indicator”. Not long ago, every one of these was 5 figures, easy, now look, the current bid is going up by SINGLE DOLLARS,,I mean, really? It’s at like $5,677, I’m almost in shock, FOR THIS? Wow, and to think that rusty, disassembled Scout, the doofus wants the same, I simply can’t be the crazy one here,,on 2nd thought, perhaps what I consider “normal” thinking IS the new crazy. You know, if us “poor” folks can just hang on, we just may be able to afford a beautiful car like this, even though it will take $10 bucks to just GET to the gas station, it may be worth it to pass the long lines at the “charging stations”,,,What a find, and there will be a LOT more, trust me. Dad always told me, buy a snowblower in the summer,,,
Well, I learned something today. I never knew these had tri power. Looks like it was an option for 1962 and 63 only. Personally, I would keep the 4 barrel, but if you’re a purist, good luck.
have had both systems on a 347 ford a modern 4 barrel is better,not as cool but made more on the dyno and ran better with a modern 4 barrel
This might be a great car, but you sure can’t tell from this completely inadequate eBay description.
There’s no good reason for a seller to avoid obvious buyer questions in an auction description. Is there prior rust damage? Exactly what interior work is needed? Do all of the options work? Is the car roadworthy as-is? What happened to the 3×2 set-up? Also, the car is obviously being advertised by a dealer, Vehicle Selling Solutions, but the ad says it’s offered by a “private owner”.
If the actual second owner is paying a consignment dealer to sell his car on eBay, he’s not getting much for his money.
Might be good or not. Never. Buy a car from the rust belt without photos of the undercarriage. I learned the hard way with a 63 thunderbird convertible despite the sellers claim that it was rust free. As a unibody it was significantly unsound due to the extreme corrosion
Every time I see a beautiful car like this with a vinyl top, even if it looks perfect, like the giant cactus loaded with tarantulas, I will always wonder what is underneath.
I’ve always wanted to see Foose or some other car artist build several variations of these. I think they would make a great starting point. They were so Flash Gordon!
Oooohh a M code! Rare indeed. Sourcing a tripower intake will be difficult, as they are completely different than the Galaxy 500 tripowers of that era. You see the T birds were lower than the big galaxy. So the 390 engine and trans were almost sitting level in the engine bay whereas the lump in the Galaxy was angled downwards towards the rear. Ford made the intake on the galaxy ramped or stepped. The Bird intake was perfectly level. So a Galaxy intake would push the big oval air filter up in to the rear of a T- birds hood. Not good! The M codes also had different heads, cam and distributor. Hopefully that has been retained here.