- Seller: Chelsea’s Classic Cars
- Location: Homer, Georgia
- Mileage: 74,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 3Y83Z133621
- Title Status: Missing
- Engine: 390 V8
- Transmission: Automatic
I can measure my life as a progression of favorite Thunderbirds. When I was 16, the two-seaters were hot collectibles, and I couldn’t decide if I was in the ’55 or the ’56 camp (I never did figure that one out). As I entered college, my dream Thunderbird was a ’61, the first of the striking Bullet Birds. About 10 years ago, while on vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I saw a 1963 model for sale and decided that the ’63 was the one for me, and I was right; I bought one in 2018. Therefore, my heart skipped a beat upon seeing this beautiful Thunderbird, now being offered as a Barn Finds Auction from Homer, Georgia. The seller says that it’s a 74,000-mile original, and it’s “straight out of the garage” where it’s sat for over 25 years. A nice, solid example of a classic T-Bird, this is worth a look if you’re in the ’63 T-Bird phase of your life.
The originality begins under the hood with the spring tower and engine compartment sheet metal, which were painted in the car’s exterior color from the factory. Although many think all Ford engines were blue, the 390 was painted black with gold air cleaner and valve covers for 1963; in fact, Ford Blue wasn’t the universal color of Ford engines until 1966. Producing 300 horsepower and 427 lb.-ft. of torque, the 390 was one of Ford’s go-to engines for smooth power, just what the Thunderbird needed, and the one and only transmission available was the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic. Power steering and power brakes were standard equipment on the T-Bird, but air conditioning was an option that this car does not have. That may be disappointing for some of you, but as a man who has worked in the surprisingly cramped engine compartment of a Bullet Bird, I can say with authority that maintenance and repairs will be much easier without it. Furthermore, I like starting with a nice, original car; even if you have to work out some bugs, at least you’re not dealing with others’ questionable repairs.
The interior also looks original, with a dash pad that appears to be uncracked (they’re commonly cracked around the speaker grille). That is a bigger deal than it sounds like, because the late-1962 and 1963 dash pad is not directly interchangeable with the earlier version, and it is not reproduced. The manually operated windows are nice because of their simplicity; I’ve spent many hours getting the power windows in mine to operate correctly. The switches alone are not cheap, and let’s not even get started with the motors themselves. The ’63 has a standard swing-away steering wheel that sometimes needs a little service, but all the parts are available from Thunderbird suppliers. This one might be in good shape due to the car’s relatively low mileage.
Because the 1958 to 1966 T-Birds were unibody cars, having a look underneath should be first on your list, and this one shows no significant rust at all. For those who don’t know, unibody Thunderbirds use coil spring front suspension and rear leaf springs, replacements for which are readily available in the aftermarket.
Unibody Thunderbirds are quiet and smooth collector cars that still turn heads today, but they’re surprisingly affordable. Parts are readily available from suppliers such as Bird Nest in Oregon, Pat Wilson’s Thunderbird in New Jersey, and others. If you’ve always liked Bullet Birds, this is a straight and solid example of a car that was, in Ford’s words, unique in all the world, so bid now if you’ve been dreaming of a T-Bird your whole life.
Bid On This Auction
JCblk bid $3,500.00 2025-03-11 13:00:24
PMD1965 bid $2,000.00 2025-03-05 11:50:26
I think Paul Drake drove one of these on “Perry Mason”
What a gorgeous Bullet ‘Bird. GLWTA
I was never a big fan of the bullet Birds but this one changed my mind. The condition is unbelievable. You could eat off that engine.
Eat off the engine? I must be looking at a different picture than you are.
These are wonderful drivers and ours was incredibly reliable. I will always miss ours, turquoise over turquoise and nicely restored.
My first car was a $300 ’67 Mink colored Thunderbird with the suicide doors back in ’79. Its ride was smooth as silk and very comfortable. Of course, being only 20 years old, I totaled the front end a few months later on an icy road and it ended up in someone’s front yard. Had to sell it for less than I paid to tow truck driver to tow it away. Boy, do I miss the pillowy ride of that car.
Imagine seeing one of these for the first time. Must have knocked your socks off.
I am by no means a FoMoCo fan, but I will be the first to admit that there some Fords that I am pretty darn fond of, and some Birds fall in that category. This one looks like a nice car, and I would think that a fairly large car such as this would still scoot right along with that 390.
Missing title? This is a dealership, that doesn’t sound right.
I hadn’t noticed that it was being offered by a dealership. I agree with Wademo, that raises some serious questions.
How could the title be missing if there is an original sales slip and personal letter from Ford? You are right. Something doesn’t add up. Unless the car was repossessed or stolen, perhaps?
Georgia doesn’t require titles for cars built prior to 1985, so the car is being sold with a bill of sale only. Here’s more info from the State of Georgia: https://dor.georgia.gov/title-not-required-or-optional-titles. The car is being sold with a bill of sale. Be sure to contact your local DMV about their process for getting it titled in your State.
What is the original color name and code?
Nice looking bird…no AC, no pwr windows, no thanks.