The factory upgraded Ford Thunderbirds from across multiple model generations are very much under-appreciated at the market. Any time a large manufacturer like Ford decides to put some resources behind a performance car built in limited quantities is a moment enthusiasts should pay attention to, as those models tend to become quite sought after. Is a 1990 Ford Thunderbird SC like this one here on eBay such a car? Bidding is getting closer to the Buy-It-Now of $11,995.
Personally, I love this generation of the Thunderbird. I thought it was easily the best looking “modern” version of Ford’s classic coupe. But the likelihood of it appreciating much further is a 50/50 scenario in my mind, as some of Ford’s limited production performance models haven’t moved much value-wise. One of my favorite cars of the 1990s was the powerful Ford Contour SVT, but that remains a car you can pick up for well under $5,000 in most cases.
The previous generation Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is another model from Ford Motor Company that I’d love to own; I’ve come very close a few times to pulling the trigger on one of those turbocharged two-doors. But if I had the choice, I’d lean towards this one, as the styling is far more contemporary and the whine of a supercharger is a hard sound to ignore. Coupled with a torquey V6 under the hood, I suspect this era of the hopped-up Thunderbird will yield a far more satisfying drive.
The seller reports mileage of just 31,000, so this car is a bit of a specimen. The silver paint isn’t tremendously exciting but it is clean; the maroon cloth interior was practically standard equipment across most domestic lineups in the 80s and 90s. The seller reports this Thunderbird has been southern-owned so there’s no rust to speak of, and while the ultimate version of one of these is an example equipped with the elusive 5-speed, just finding an SC in good shape like this one is an accomplishment.
This is a great car that has everything you could want in a classic. Low mileage, excellent condition in and out as well as decent performance. I think it’s a bargain at the $12,000 price. If I was looking for a ’90s T-bird, this would definitely be the one I’d want.
I agree with Jeff’s write-up. These were attractive and respectable T-Bird models, and this one looks to be an excellent example for not much money. I’m fine with the dark red interior, if for no other reason that it isn’t black or gray. If I was in the market I think I would hold out for a manual transmission. Nice car which would be easy to live with.
Beware of the manual SC! I am a manual fan and in my 80th year still drive a manual which gets harder and harder to find. As a Lincoln Mercury dealer when the SC and XR7 were introduced I was anxious to drive the first one I ordered, which of course was a 5-speed. The power was great, but on the interstate, I actually had to downshift on the gentle little hills of Pennsylvania frequently. You see, Ford put a 2.7 axle ratio in the manual versions of this car, making them a dog in spite of the power. The automatic version had a 3.23 ratio delivering sparkling performance. There were no options with either transmission.
Nice looking car looks clean looking at it on my tablet when you blow up the picture of the odometer it looks like a 1 in front of the 3 but it could be light refraction on the camera
This is a genuine 31000 mile car..you know how I know? No..I do not know the vehicle or owner personally. Just look at the driver seatback outer bolster. On most of these-and the leather seats were far worse, BTW-the bolster gets shredded when more than 60K are on the clock. This car is a gem, and it is already gone.
The way to tell if the mileage is genuine, on cars with the mechanical odometer, is the numbers will not line up properly if the odo has rolled over or someone has tampered with it.
This is the car the Turbo Coupe only dreamed of being. The buy-it-now seems very reasonable too.
Some specifications…
Not too shabby for 33 years ago.
From Hagerty dot com….
The SC was also a techno wonder. Its 3.8-liter V-6, an offshoot of Ford’s Windsor small-block V-8, used a Roots-type Eaton supercharger, intercooler and computer-controlled distributorless ignition. With 12-psi maximum boost, output was 210 hp at 4000 rpm and 315 lb-ft of torque at 2600 rpm.
From Fastest Laps dot com…..
Car type Coupe
Curb weight 1632 kg (3598 lbs)
Introduced 1993
Origin country United States
Views 11.9k
Submitted by johnrichardson
Performance
0 – 100 kph 7.0 s
0 – 60 mph 6.9 s
Top speed 224 kph (139 mph)
Powertrain specs
Engine type 6 Cylinder 24 Valve SOHC Supercharged
Displacement 3.8 l (232 ci)
Power 238 ps (235 bhp / 175 kw)
Torque 447 Nm (330 lb-ft)
Power / liter 63 ps (62 hp)
Power / weight 146 ps (144 bhp) / t
Torque / weight 274 Nm (202 lb-ft) / t
Transmission 5 speed Manual
Layout front engine, rear wheel drive
Considering that this T Bird was on the Fox platform it’s a shame that the supercharged V6 wasn’t an option in the Mustang or the Mark VII LSC…
This one is a clean bargain!
Not a fox. Actually has one of the best suspensions Ford ever designed.
You have to love these to own one. I’ve owned many and currently have 2 95’s. An auto and a 5-speed.
MN-12 platform with IRS.
The brake booster and cam sensor were horrendously unpredictable
These loved to pop head gaskets.
Seller pulled it from EBay. Probably realized they could get more for it that they were asking.
Keep an eye out, it might show back up with a higher firm price and not an auction.
I had a 5-speed SC Thunderbird for a while. It was a hoot to drive but sold it to some dude who, I found out later, turned it into a roundy-rounder dirt track car.
Crying shame, that.