- Seller: Robert M
- Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin
- Mileage: 78,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 6Y6Y87Z158914
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 390 V8
- Transmission: FMX Automatic
It is fair to say that this 1966 Ford Thunderbird Landau has dodged a bullet. The owner rescued it a few months ago when it was destined to head to the scrapyard. It has strong family connections and a rebuilt V8 under the hood. It needs an enthusiastic buyer who can return this classic to its former glory. With the owner unable to tackle the build, he has listed this Thunderbird exclusively with us at Barn Finds Auctions.
The family connections with this Thunderbird stretch back to 1985, when the owner’s grandfather purchased the car as a project. He pulled the engine and dispatched it for a rebuild, but the restoration stalled before the engine found its way under the hood. The new owner faces the challenge of completing the restoration, but it appears it should be fairly straightforward. Stripping away the tired Sauterne Gold paint and the shredded Black vinyl top will be the first task. Still, it will cost a hands-on new owner a little beyond the price of the abrasive material. The panels sport minor bumps and bruises. There is accumulated surface corrosion requiring attention, but the new owner won’t face spending a fortune on replacement steel. Most trim should respond well to a high-quality polish, and the glass looks suitable for its age.
Ford equipped the ’66 Thunderbird with its 390ci V8 as the entry-level engine. Few buyers felt the need to upgrade to the optional engine because the 390 delivered an already healthy 315hp and 427 ft/lbs of torque. A three-speed automatic transmission handles shifting duties, while the T-Bird cements its luxury credentials with power-assisted steering and front disc brakes. The owner’s grandfather treated this 390 to a rebuild, and it recently found its way back under the hood. The owner rebuilt the original carburetor and coaxed the V8 back to life using an external fuel source. A video of the engine running is included below. However, the car features a new fuel tank, so hooking everything back up shouldn’t be challenging. He replaced the brake lines, hoses, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, and every front suspension component. The winning bidder will still need to bolt the transmission back in, install a new exhaust, and perform sundry small tasks. None of these are complicated and shouldn’t present many obstacles in a home workshop.
When the winning bidder turns their attention to the Thunderbird’s interior, Job One will probably be to treat everything to a deep clean. The Parchment and Ivy Gold upholstered surfaces appear free from wear and distress, and the only obvious fault is minor damage on the driver’s door trim. However, with everything given a good scrub with a high-quality cleaning product, the survivor-grade presentation should be within reach. There will be the usual array of small tasks for the buyer to tackle, including connecting various hoses and wires so that the air conditioning, gauges, and cruise control function as they should. The owner worked through the vehicle’s remaining creature comforts and accessories, confirming that the interior lights, driver’s power seat, power antenna, vent windows, and the passenger-side power window function as they should. The driver’s window won’t play ball, but he believes the switch might be the culprit. Once again, this aspect will cost more time than money, which is always welcome news with any project build.
Ford created the Personal Luxury Car market segment with the Thunderbird, and the badge would remain a staple of the company’s product range for over forty years. This 1966 model has an interesting past, and the indications are it could be an ideal and affordable alternative for enthusiasts seeking a first or a hands-on restoration project. Some tasks might require a professional touch, but many could be tackled in a home workshop with rudimentary tools. It is worth scrolling through the image gallery because you will see how much it offers. If you have been searching for something special, you might have struck (Sauterne) Gold with this T-Bird.
Bid On This Auction
Anders bid $900.00 2024-08-19 10:29:40
OnTheBrink bid $800.00 2024-08-19 08:51:03- Anders bid $600.00 2024-08-18 02:20:51
kunder bid $500.00 2024-08-17 16:49:44- Anders bid $200.00 2024-08-17 11:50:44
Had one for most of the 90’s. Very smooth and a great minimal plastic interior.
Mine was the same color with a black inside – 40yrs ago I was in my 20’s but working under the dash and over the fender is most likely why I see a chiropractor…..sold it as soon as I could……good luck to the new owner….
Hold on a sec. The (new) owner rescued it from a trip to the scrapyard a few month ago, when “The owner’s grandfather treated this 390 to a rebuild, and it recently found its way back under the hood. The owner rebuilt the original carburetor and coaxed the V8 back to life”, it’s got a new gas tank and a few other new items? Why would all that work/money be sent to the scrapyard? Am I not reading this correctly? Sounds kinda suspicious to me . . .
I am extremely happy with the way barn find brought color to this add. Not happy with the trolls downgrading everybody’s ad. After he passed away the car just sat like it always did for years prior. Guys would stop over see him messing with the car and they would stick around and grab a beer from the cooler lend a hand. Just because I wasn’t there when it got put in. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Factory cruise control car too. Nice car to build.
Also appears to have Power Door Locks, according to what printed on that switch on the console
Nice project car. Looks reasonably clean on the bottom side for a Wisconsin car.
Not sure how it was started without the transmission in the car. The starter bolts to the front of the transmission ?
Look again at the pictures. It’s got an FMX bellhousing on the back of the block
After looking at the serial number on the side of the transmission I was able to look it up and it’s a FX 3-speed automatic for 65 and 66 Thunderbird only
C6 transmission has one piece case with bellhousing integral. Also, Texas license plates in Wisconsin?
Thunderbird was bought in ’85 in rockton Texas brought to Wisconsin sat in the garage ever since. The transmission I thought was a C6 now I know it was a c4. I urge all of you to look at the pictures and the videos I believe every inch of this car has been photographed straightforward nothing suspicious clean title
I’m from Texas and never heard of Rockton. I tried looking it up on Google Maps and Google never heard of it either. Spelling error???
Thanks for looking at the Thunderbird. The Texas tag is the one that was on the car when he bought it in 1985. I was told it was a C6 transmission but thanks to the experts here I realize it’s a C4. The last time I remember the engine was sitting on an engine stand behind the car up against the wall. When I took possession of the car that’s when I saw the motor made it into the car. He had buddies that would stop over grab a beer out of the fridge and they would talk and work on the car many years it just never got finished. Working on this car almost every day for 2 months now I’ve learned so much and how incredibly ahead of its time this Thunderbird really was there should be pictures from front to back and I can’t think barn finds enough for their incredible job and putting some color on the ad
Wow thanks for pointing that out Mark You’re absolutely right rowlett Texas 75088. I’ve been working in Illinois in rockton for the last month. And you’re right The Thunderbird has power windows door locks power quarter windows maybe they’re called wing windows door locks cruise control. This is a very solid Texas car just happens to be sitting in a garage in Wisconsin
08/14/24….OMG Robert, I am going through a similar situation with my grandparent’s 2003 Lincoln Town Car! My grandparents passed away back in 2012 and as oldest grandson I was “elected” by the estate and my mom to fly back to Michigan to clean out my grandparent’s home to prep it to sell (I live at the beach in Los Angeles) …. talk about a trip back in time to my memories of childhood! Gramps was a home builder in his youth and my mom & dad had him build my parent’s first new home back in the Sumer/Fall of 1970. When I went into my grandparent’s bedroom and opened Gramp’s dresser drawer I discovered a set of keys to every car my grandparents ever owned including the original window sticker! After getting through the overwhelming feelings from childhood that I was going to get in serious trouble for being in my grandparent’s bedroom AND in Gramp’s dresser, I was able to spread out all Gramp’s historical “car stuff” on my grandparents’ bed. He had saved a lot of paper work AND the “spare” set of keys to every car he had purchased for he and grams starting with a 1953 Ford. He typically purchased a new car every 6-years and ALWAYS paid cash for for any new car he purchased (his construction/home building business became very successful!). In 1961 (a little “more” than his future car buying habit of every 6-years), he purchased his first Thunderbird. It was an all beige 1961. I have a few pictures of him standing next to it in my grandparent’s driveway (he built the house in 1955 I believe and he and grams lived in the rest of their lives). His next T-Bird was a 1967 T-Bird. I can vividly remember being with them and sitting in the back seat (hands in a “prayer at church” position in my lap, feet properly placed on the floor, AND not speaking unless spoken to when they purchased a new set of China at a jewelry store. I can still remember quickly looking out the rear window and seeing the jewelry store porter using a hand truck to wheel out the boxes China and place them in the T-bird’s trunk. That set of China is now in my China cabinet! Cannot remember how I was able to transport such a large set of heavy items on my eventual flight from Michigan all the way back to Los Angeles back in 2013! It took me almost a year to finally clear out my grandparents’ home to prep for selling! The “clearing out” included gramps extensive grouping/collection of radio control model airplanes his “hobby” for over 30-years…. many having 8-foot wing spans! One plane was a replica of a DC-3 (one of the first larger passenger planes in the world), that I also have a photo of disembarking from as a passenger along with my parents. I was only about a year old and my parents had flown back to Michigan from CA to show me off to my grandparents and the rest of the relatives. Pops was stationed in 29-Palms Marine Base at the time. My parents ended up buying a used 1956/57 Buick Century and driving back to California…. and of course, I have a photo of myself and standing on the driver’s seat hanging out the open driver’s door…. the photo makes the car look brand new! I have absolutely no doubt where my love of all thing’s cars came from…. thanks Pops (hope you are doing well up there with “they man”) in addition to growing up as a child in the State of Michigan where “all things car” were used to be the “capital” of the car manufacturing business! As a 10–11-year-old I got to help my Pop’s 18–19-year-old employees “pump gas” at the gas station Pop’s had…. this was back in the day when a customer could not pump their own gas. As a 10–11-year-old I thought that was just the coolest thing getting to help those older guys working for my Pops. For those moments I was not a little kid anymore!
…. Gramps & Gram’s next Thunderbird was a HUGE 1973 Thunderbird. . off white with a brown vinyl top and white interior leather seating. I do not remember too much of this one nor did I (and have not since) found any photos of it in my or family photo albums. However, I do vividly remember them coming directly from the Ford Dealership to my dad’s Corvair (my first car after restoration) repair shop where I worked throughout high school. When the next 6-years elapse it came time for Gramps & Grams to purchase a new car. Thats when they decided (Gramps had done great in life) upgrade to Lincolns (Gramps was a Ford man his entire life). Their first Lincoln was an incredibly beautiful 1979 Lincoln Mark V in Jubilee Gold with a creme colored leather interior. Grams was still driving in those days. It also happens to be when I was probably 18/19 years old myself and unknowingly started my life long career in shopping center mgmt./ architecture and design coordination. My first shopping center was minuets from my grandparents’ home. I, to this day as an old guy that has survived a terminal cancer diagnosis exactly 20-years ago this year along with several other life threating illnesses over those last 20-years can still remember Grams driving down the shopping center’s back drive in that beautiful Lincoln Mark V wear her “Jackie O” sunglasses and coming to the shopping center to take me and my maintenance staff to breakfast at one of the shopping center’s sit-down restaurants once a week! Of course, my maintenance guys all referred to her as “grandma” vs. Mrs. Tsioutsias” Yup, gramps was a tall dark and handsome Chicago born Greek man with ethics and standards through the roof! He was the inspiration for me and my ethics and standard for how to live and business! My grandparent’s next car was when they were now aging pretty good so their next car purchase was a 1989 Lincoln Town Car. Which of course was a beautiful car and I do have several photos documenting it. Thats all about I remember of this grandparent’s car. Their final/last car purchase was a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. When they passed away in 2012 it had only 14,000 miles on it. Since I had flown into small town Michigan where I grew up only minutes from my grandparents, I used the 2003 Lincoln to get around while I was there and staying with my mom in Saginaw the city nearby. After I completed the task of clearing out my grandparents’ home to put it up for sale, I rented a local storage garage and placed the 2003 Lincoln in it along with waaay too many other “memory lane” items with the intent of transporting all of it out here to my home here at the beach in Los Angeles. Here we are in 2024 and what I had not realized/remembered due to major health issues I had managed to put almost 10,000 miles on the car myself during the one month or more time I was there and prior to placing it in storage. Well as the saying goes “the best laid plans of mice and men…. this now old guy’s health is deteriorating to the point that the ole 2003 grandparent’s Lincoln is never going to be a California girl. Fortunately, my long-drawn-out story ends on a happy note! one of my younger sisters and her husband just happen to be Florida “Car People”. The sister flew up to Michigan this past week to spend time and celebrate my mom on her 86th Birthday…. (which my mom still has the brain and memory capacity of a 40-year-old if not younger!). Well, the transport/shipping truck picked up the ole girl (the 2003 Lincoln not my mom) on my mom’s 86th birthday. My sister then took DOM (dear old mom) out to breakfast to help celebrate her birthday! At least one of DOM’s children had the health to fly back to Michigan and help her celebrate a monumental birthday AND ensure the last big symbol of my grandparents is preserved in yet another garage…..of course this time at an actual residence where it can be admire daily…..well may weekly since it’s going to be covered and protected with a car cover as if it had a front row parking space at the Peterson Auto Museum here in Los Angeles! Teasing my sister who has a memory like DOM (me and my siblings are all in our 60’s with myself getting a little too close to that 70 mark if I should by a miracle live that long!) and who’s home garages are not air conditioned that Florida’s humidity hopefully does not get anywhere close to the damages that good ole Michigan’s salty roads in the Winter months. SOOO, as you and readers can tell if they gotten through my rambling, I am currently assessing my life and trying to “relive” my youth via an extensive collection of old photos that I thankfully too since my teens…. way back in those 35 mm photo taking days! Seems so much easier to do than “scrolling” through a digital screen that I only consider my phone to answer phone calls vs. all those things the younger generation can and does on their phones…… tragically many losing the ability to learn how to interact with other humans…. and not just the old guy in the room! SOOO, once again I can reflect on my life and Truely lament on my love of all thing’s cars since childhood. They have been an enduring part of my life because anyone of any age and “life experience” can tell you “The love of your life might not last as long as you” for one reason or another. As a “seasoned” adult I cannot explain enough to younger generations how critical it is to have passions in life! Weather its cars, helping fellow human beings that are homeless regardless to the circumstance that tragically got them there, and the most important thing in life is family if circumstance granted you one and or friends that only you can cultivate throughout your life. Just remember even some of them come and go either to raising their own families or the tragedies of life and loss.
So, Robert, hopefully this old man fellow “Robert” has not bored you to tears with my love of life and cars…. and if I were a healthy younger man we quite possibly would be walking around and inspecting your well documented Thunderbird!
All the best with your sale/auction results!
Robert Miller
It’s sad All these comments about I had one brother had My brother’s cousin sisters fiance’s boyfriend had one thanks for hijacking the auction for me dealt with suspicious dealt with why would a car have a Texas plate in Wisconsin All these people they had no intention of buying anything have now scared away anybody that was thinking about a sweet project. Instead of this going to somebody that might put it back on the road probably going to pull the engine take it to Jefferson swap meet in Wisconsin if it doesn’t sell I’ll just scrap the thing and yes I would do something like that All these people that have the potential of doing something great with the car to turn around and off you $100 I’d rather throw it on a trailer drive across the scale and watch them crush it.
That car looks really solid if bought reasonably would be a nice car to build.
With the exception of sanding and painting, I calculated approximately 320 hours to assemble This car. If the bid goes over $2000, I don’t see a profit at all.
With the exception of sanding and painting, I’d estimate 320 labor hours. I hope the bid stays low
I’ve noticed no rear side windows. What exactly body style is this?
66 Ford Thunderbird Landau power windows power wing windows power antenna cruise control AC power seat. And your observation of 300 hours give or take not bad to be end up driving your project in 10 days personally I like the paint the way it is I was going to buy that clear coat you wipe so it would highlight the patina and give it that gloss new look. I saw a guy selling that 4100 four barrel carburetor on eBay for $3,000 and just think that was just rebuilt the second week of June.
It’s a shame that barn finds work extremely hard to put these auctions together. To have these experts chime in and cast deception.Tx tag in Wi, the engine mysteriously finding its way into the car and the other expert putting a price on something that he doesn’t even know what he’s bidding on “I noticed it didn’t have a side window” WTF. Finding a car 38 years old with the build sheet even is unheard of.
Sorry about the remarks, Robert. I bought my 65 Buick skylark convertible for $8000. I totally rebuilt the car with a few modifications for safety reasand performance. I have had the car for about 6 years. And I would like to sell it, but I probably won’t get the money back from what I put into it. When I saw your t bird I have thoughts about my car and how much time it took me to make it beautiful again. I think your T bird is awesome, but I’ve never seen one that did not have rear Side glass windows. Therefore I did not know what the body style was. I too, Would like to see this car of yours rebuilt.