- Seller: Ken G
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Mileage: 214,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 1FABP64W8HH223010
- Title Status: Clean
UPDATE – The seller has added photos of the extra sunroof assembly, glass, shades, lift arms, and motors that are also included in the sale of the car.
UPDATE – The seller has provided a CarFax for the car, which we’ve added to the photo gallery or you can view it here: CARFAX Vehicle History Report for this 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo.
If you wanted a more luxurious and comfortable version of the ’80s Mustang SVO, the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was the car for you. Being based on the same chassis as the Mustang meant you got similar performance but with a better-appointed interior and more space. This example has been in the care of the same owner since 2005 and has done considerable amounts of work during their ownership. They have enjoyed it, but it’s time to find a new home for it, so they have listed it here as a Barn Finds Auction! It’s currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada and is ready to drive.
This Thunderbird has covered an impressive number of miles, the seller believes it’s currently at 214k miles, but it’s in surprisingly good condition for the mileage. The paint is really the only area that could use attention, as the clear coat has failed on the top half of the car. Thankfully, you could drive and enjoy this car without fixing the paint, but a fresh paint job would definitely make it look great again.
The interior has held up very well for this kind of mileage. The Recaro-style seats show minimal wear, with their biggest issue being color fade. The rest of the soft materials look to be in good shape, even the carpets look to be in decent condition. There’s a mat on the top of the dash, so there might be some cracks hiding under it, but what can be seen looks good. The seller notes that they have already replaced the headliner and that an aftermarket Alpine stereo has been installed (it’s connected to the factory amplifier/EQ and works well). They also had to bypass the Amp gauge when they installed a 3g PA Performance 130 amp alternator. A new heater core was also installed to ensure there aren’t any coolant leaks and the AC system has been recharged with R12.
Here’s the real star of the show, the 2.3-liter Turbocharge 4-cylinder engine. For ’87, Ford added the intercooler from the Mustang SVO to the Turbo Coupe, bringing power up to 190 horsepower. The original engine was removed from the car at around 175k miles, when the auxiliary shaft and distributor gear failed. The original engine is still with the car, but available separately and will need some work. The current engine is a rebuilt SVO engine and has a few upgrades to give it some extra power. It’s currently equipped with a Boport Stage 3 head with a Boport 2.1 cam, a ported E6 exhaust manifold, ported and gutted intake manifold and a manual boost controller (this work was done when the car was showing 194k miles). The engine fires right up and seems to run very nicely, as seen in the driving video below.
To ensure this T-Bird can make sure of turbocharged power, the front end has been rebuilt with new lower control arms and bushings, Moog ball joints, Moog coil springs, rebuilt rack, and replaced front shock mounts. It still retains it’s adjustable PRC shocks which are said to work well on the firm setting but are a little floaty when put on auto mode. It’s currently wearing a set of Michelin tires which have seen about 3,500 miles of use since being installed.
The seller admits there are a few small issues, but everything works and there aren’t any warning lights showing on the dash. Problem areas include a touchy power antenna and a slow sunroof. Also, the wiper motor was been replaced but there may be an issue with the governor. Those are all common issues for these cars and the fixes are documented if you are so inclined to fix them. They aren’t issues that will keep from from driving and enjoying the car though, so we would recommend just fixing them when time and funds allow.
The exterior cosmetics could definitely benefit from some attention, but this seems to be a well-sorted driver that’s ready to be enjoyed as is. It looks like it could be a fun car to have, so be sure to bid and leave any questions you might have in the comments below!
Bid On This Auction
- TurboTroy bid $2,900.00 2023-10-11 09:59:05
- Andrew bid $2,800.00 2023-10-11 09:58:28
- TurboTroy bid $2,700.00 2023-10-11 09:43:41
- drew231v6 bid $2,600.00 2023-10-10 17:06:32
- TurboTroy bid $2,500.00 2023-10-10 07:12:26
- VegasDaveB bid $2,400.00 2023-10-08 15:14:41
- TurboTroy bid $2,250.00 2023-10-08 09:43:54
- Carcrazyscott bid $2,000.00 2023-10-07 08:52:54
- RoadTripRevivals bid $1,150.00 2023-10-06 19:45:23
- Oldskool55f100 bid $1,050.00 2023-10-06 12:34:12
- Jinetenc bid $950.00 2023-10-05 14:40:24
- TurboTroy bid $750.00 2023-10-03 09:58:34
- Hellonwheels bid $500.00 2023-10-03 09:47:48
- Yasiel bid $250.00 2023-10-02 22:56:33
Good looking cars. 👌 Fun 5sp. RWD😎
2 doors,rear wheel drive and a 5-speed manual to boot! That Turbo Coupe makes me feel nostalgic back when Ford’s aerodynamic or “jellybean” styling was filtering down into the entire car lineup. My personal favorite was my 1986 Ford Tempo GL coupe,which was a special order that I had purchased at a used car lot. Instead of the regular 2.3 HSC(High Swirl Combustion) 4 cylinder engine mine had the HSO(High Specific Output) version,which had a horsepower increase,from 86 to 100. And it was a 5-speed manual,very rare even back then. It also had the luggage rack on the trunklid and two-tone paint (red on top,grey on the bottom). Best $1200 I ever spent back then. Whoever buys that Turbo Coupe should repaint and spruce it up a little.
I always wanted one of these. Does that color combo seem odd though? Burgundy exterior with what is that, teal? And gray? Or is that just a real dirty white?
Totally sun faded black, turned to a blue / teal.
The interior color is called “raven”. it was originally a dark slate colored gray velour and was prone to fade easily in the sun to a bluish color as seen here.
We owned one. We liked the looks of it, and possibly the ride… but that’s where it ended.
The Nevada sun is extremely hard on cars who spend their entire lives outdoors. This car is an excellent example of that. It’s too bad on this Thunderbird, it was a very good looking car when new.
Not knocking the owner or the car; I’m amused by the write-up … Starts off sounding like ‘it just needs a paint job,’ then evolves into ‘it’s had a lot of work done and could use a lot more. Not surprising for 200K + (sounds like the odo is busted / unreliable). They are / were great cars, though … and it does appear to be in running shape. Whatever bot wrote this did the owner a favor. Could be a well-bought, fun car for the right price; or a nice project for restoration. At least it should be rust-free.
Regarding your comment about the odo being busted/unreliable…
Please look at the carfax report posted so you can verify mileage yearly. The speedometer was replaced to correct a bouncing needle at ~212k miles with one at ~46k miles in 2021 as shown in the report and is at ~49k now.
Not sure what your comment about needing a lot more work came from or what you consider a lot of work? Besides paint, the car is mechanically in very good condition and runs/drives quite well as shown in the videos.
Thanks for the clarification. It looks you you have done a good job of keeping this Turbo Coupe alive and well. They are great cars! Good luck with
finding a new home.
I will be available to answer any questions or provide any additional information. Will be interesting to see how this works out. Thanks in advance for your bids and comments. I did forward the carfax to the person handling the auction and it hopefully will be posted soon.
Hi Ken.. would you trust this car to make the roughly 500 mile drive up to the Reno area? I have a friend who is interested and we’d want to drive it back up here if so. I‘m not asking for a guarantee or anything, just asking if you’d trust it to make the drive. Thanks.
I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere actually. Reno should be no trouble at all as the car runs and drives very well. Cruises straight and smoothly on the highway… tires were just rotated and balanced and have less than 4,000 miles on them. Recent (less than 500 miles) maintenance included oil & filter, NGK plugs, Motorcraft cap & rotor and K&N air filter service.
Hello again.. Last question, if I were to win the auction, would I be able to come down and pay for the car with cash, and load it on my trailer to bring it home? I’m in the Reno area and would be able to make it down some time within the next week at the longest. Thanks!
Of course
Just registered.. we’ll see how this plays out in the morning!
If ever there was a BF car that deserved a “Poppy’s Patina” feature video, it’s this Thunderbird. Surprised it wasn’t photographed soaked in water to give it a luster. As far as that velour upholstery….I guess live with it until it turns to dust. Or, re-dye?
How much are they asking for it
It’s an auction. You have to bid.
“A/C has been recharged with new R-12”? No such thing as new R-12, somebody’s bootlegging freon. Lol. I still have a few cans from back in the day. Love these Birds, but I still prefer a 302
I suppose I should have used the word fresh rather than new. There are still lots of cans of R-12 floating around that haven’t ever been used. The seller still has several cans of R-12, which is what they used to recharge the system. They sent in a photo of the remaining cans, so you can see that it’s in fact R-12.
Some of us still have stockpiles of R-12 that we’ve hung on to specifically for cars like this and older. Nothing beats a proper R-12 system in terms of A/C.
I freshened up my ‘72 Lincoln Continental A/C some years ago, with a new compressor, hoses, seals, etc.. The maiden test drive with the restored A/C system was on a humid 108° afternoon, and after about 15 miles on the freeway I had to raise the temperature because it was getting too damn cold inside the car! I’ve never seen an R-134a retrofit system do that.
Not sure why they wrote that, it is the “old” R12, have 4 cans left ;)
Me too, they’re fairly valuable, hang on to’em
Actually went out and checked… have 7 cans but this is my last R12 car. Maybe I’ll get another in the future?
You and your photo tell the truth, sir! Good luck with the sale. My mom had the Cougar version of this with an automatic. She said it was the best driving car she’d ever owned. Granted, prior to it we’d been giving her secondhand Corvair, Sunbird or Skylarks to drive that we’d rebuilt in our driveway.
Added extra sunroof parts (sunroof assembly, glass, shades, lift arms, and motors) that are also included in the sale of the car.
Have some parts collected over the years that will also go along with the car.
– 2 Intrument Clusters
– 2 Steering Column Upper/LowerTrim w/Collars
– 3 Auto Climate Dash Control Modules
– 2 Window Motors (Left & Right)
– 3 Console Lids
– 2 VAM to Turbo Hoses
– Factory Amp
– Factory EQ
– Auto Dim Mirror (car already has one installed)
– Motorcraft Wire Set
– Console Plate For PS/PW
– Fog Light
– Sunroof Console w/Lights & Sunroof Switch
– Motocraft TFI Module
– Fuel Door Lock Solenoid
– System Sentry
– Thermostat Housing
– Several 90* Heater Hoses
Picture of various heater hoses
Also an ignition switch in the heater hose box and some brake hardware
reserve is off!!!
The reserve is off so the high bid will buy it!
As the auction nears the end, be aware that bids made in the last 2 minutes will extend the auction by 2 minutes so sniping isn’t a valid strategy but does make it interesting to watch! Waiting until the last few seconds may cause your bid to not register in time so you may want to bid a little earlier than the last 10 seconds. Good luck to all the bidders, you will certainly enjoy this car and has plenty of untapped potential!
30 minutes left… this tbird is going to a new home today… or whenever the winner comes to get it ;)
Tick – Toc, Tic – Toc…
Be sure to refresh your browser, especially if you are high bidder as I wouldn’t reply on the site auto updating any new bids promptly, especially in the final minutes!
Good luck to all bidders and thanks for your interest!
I’ll contact the winner once I receive the contact info