One of my favorite Thunderbirds is the 1965 Special Landau, which wore Ford’s new “Emberglo” paint. Emberglo was clearly a ripoff of Chrysler’s “Turbine Bronze,” but Ford must have felt that Chrysler had one coming; after all, the Turbine Car has more than a bit of influence from Ford’s popular personal car. Be that as it may, the T-Bird looked pretty good in Emberglo, and it became available on other Fords (and T-Birds) for 1966. The 1966 T-Bird was the last of a three-year styling cycle of “Flair Birds,” and I prefer this basic hardtop over the upscale Town Landau with its wide C-pillar. If you agree with me, this project located in Norwalk, Connecticut, is for sale on eBay for $6,400 or best offer.

The seller says that the ‘Bird “runs and drives but needs work”; what work is needed is not expressed. The 1966 model was the last of the unibody T-Birds (until 1980), and it might be one of the best in terms of roadability; it has front disc brakes and a newer-style steering gear than models built before 1965. The 428 was optional for the first time in ’66, but this car has the standard 390 four barrel, which was given a 15-horsepower increase to 315. Depending on when this car was built, it could have either the old Cruise-O-Matic or the new C6 automatic transmission.

Like the rest of the car, the trunk is presentable but could use some elbow grease. New trunk weatherstripping and trim will be a good start, but you may want to wait until you decide if you’re going to give it a new coat of Emberglo before applying the weatherstrip adhesive.

One of the best parts about Emberglo T-Birds and Lincolns was the available matching Emberglo interior. Highlights of this ’66 include the standard Swing-Away steering wheel, power windows, power driver’s seat, and air conditioning. A commonly needed repair on Swing Away cars is the shifter assembly; after 60 years, things tend to get sloppy in the steering column, and it becomes a dance with both hands to get the car started while jiggling the shifter. It can also be dangerous; T-Birds of this era have been known to drop into reverse without warning. The advertisement doesn’t mention if it needs repairs or not, but don’t be surprised. Also, check out the GT-350 floor mats – wishful thinking?

This T-Bird has a “straight clean body,” but it’s in a tough spot in terms of condition. With peeling clearcoat, it doesn’t have the kind of patina some prefer in an old car (and T-Birds aren’t great patina cars anyway), but it’s also in good enough shape that you could probably drive it as it sits (with a little work, as the seller says). So where does this T-Bird sit in the market? Do you give it a new paint job right away, clean it up while you drive it, or just leave it as is? Let us know in the comments.