For many, there is only one Ford Thunderbird – the 1955 to 1957 2-seat model that started much of the personal car genre. However, when the car grew in size and added a back seat, sales flourished, and Ford’s bean counters were quite happy with the decision. That includes the “Bullet Bird” era of 1961 to 1963, which saw even higher demand than the “Square Birds” of 1958 to 1960. The seller has a nice 1962 T-Bird that’s had a lot of mechanical work done, making the asking price of $8,000 here on Facebook Marketplace seem quite reasonable. This ‘Bird is available in Panama City Beach, Florida. Our thanks to Rex Kahrs for the cool tip!
The redesign of the 1961 Thunderbird strengthened Ford’s interest in tying products to the Space Race. For example, the Galaxie had debuted in 1959 at the height of folks’ interest in sending men into space. So, the forward-thinking styling of the Bullet Birds seemed right at home. The direction would change again in 1964 when the “Flair Birds” came along, back to the boxy shape that defined the Square Birds of the late 1950s.
This 1962 T-Bird has 83,000 miles whose 390 cubic inch V8 engine has 31,000. That implies the original engine was rebuilt at just 52,000 miles, or this is a replacement motor from another Ford. The car runs and drives, though the seller fails to include an adjective like “well” or “good”. Naturally, the luxury Ford has an automatic transmission, 3-speed no doubt. We’re told the vehicle has never been wrecked, so perhaps the paint is original. As is the interior, which shows some wear on the bucket seats.
A host of new parts comprises a good bit of the seller’s asking price. They include new front-end components, the exhaust, brakes, radiator, water pump, gas tank, fuel pump, carburetor, and much more. Also, the generator is gone in favor of an alternator. So, all of this work has been done so the buyer doesn’t have to. Maybe just do a bit of an interior redo, and you’ll have yourself a nice weekend cruiser. BTW, as a reminder to sellers, you’ll present your wares better with landscape rather than portrait pics.
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