Purists were upset when Ford changed the concept of the 1955-57 Thunderbird from a 2-seater to a 4-seater in the personal luxury car market. That set the stage for a plethora of competitors to come forward in the 1960s and 1970s. Sales of the car would triple over the next three years, validating Ford’s strategic decision. This 1960 convertible project is one where a bunch of work was done years ago and then the effort went dormant. Requiring extensive reassembly, this Ford can be found in Monroe, Michigan and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500 (reduced from $4,000).
Ford sold more than 92,000 T-Birds in model year 1960 which was its best year through 1976. That was a far cry from the 55,000 sold in all of 1955, 1956, and 1957. The car was mostly unchanged from the 1958/59 models and the car would stay in three-year redesign cycles for many years. The seller has a ‘60 convertible which was one of about 11,000 built that year, yet when was the last time you saw one? And this one is going to require a lot of vision and elbow grease to get back on the road.
These cars were nicknamed the “Squarebirds” for obvious reasons. The generation was powered by a 352 cubic inch V8 in the beginning and a 430 engine would emerge by 1960 (we assume that’s the motor in the seller’s project). A 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission would be its likely companion. The seller says the body, engine, transmission, and carburetor were all rebuilt some time ago, so the question is will any of that have to redone again (from the condition of the car today, a “yes” is probable).
But all of the Ford’s various parts should still be there somewhere in the barn. That includes part of the interior if you can see it anywhere in the photos. The seller thought the car was sold previously, but that didn’t happen, so the asking price dropped by $500 to get it gone. We’re also told the floor pans have been redone, but they look pretty rusty again now. If you like puzzles, this one should challenge you. BTW, if you have to have a 30-hp diesel tractor, that might work as a trade. This tip was brought our way by Barn Finder “JimA”.
Oh boy.
Don’t think all those leaves and junk got there while in a barn. Why mess with this when there are cars out there you can buy for less than what it will cost to put it back on the road. “New floors but rusty”…..?
… “all of the Ford’s various parts should still be there somewhere in the barn.” Except for the ones which aren’t. I wonder how long since the previous work was done (decades?). I’m hoping there is someone who would enjoy the challenge of getting this T-Bird back on the road.
I like Bobs key word used here…. Challenge. Thats one very polite way of putting it. But on a chance that someone else restored one like this and knows the inns and outs of a ’60 TBird, they’d know whats missing and what needs to be done or perhaps a parts car at this point?
Throw in the 6×6 and the ladder, and we’ll talk turkey. Better yet, I’ll buy the barn and leave the car.
This should be FREE to a good home
Again, put a parts car price on it and let ‘er go.
A NASCAR tribute would be the most logical build here, but to fully restore this would definitely be a labor of love.
Plan on starting from scratch. Body interior mechanical electrical glass replacement? Without bare naked eye inspection i don’t see any rust in typically rust prone areas.
A 1960 T Bird is one of my bucket list cars. And this one would have been on my radar if I’d seen it 30 years ago. But, I tried a “puzzle” car like this once before. Then realized I had neither the talent, patience, and most all, ready cash to complete it
Those floors look like they were new……in 1960.
Okay, so the car’s in Monroe, Michigan. Hey, Mr. Seller, R & M Recycling on Dixie Highway in Monroe offers a car pickup service. Just sayin’!
Love all the T birds lately. The “bullet” birds are my favorites.
Geez, comedians give it a break. Serious feedback appreciated!
Not again: there are 7 responders with good advice, only a few responded with wit, many of us like the witty responses.
Wind, I do appreciate your need for wit! However, would you mind at the very least to get a upgrade regarding said wit..since you seriously require it! Believe it or not serious buyers on here are looking for serious feedback, regarding said vehicles….Thank you!
You got the serious feedback, Paul is right , Nascar Convertible Series clone.
You had better be in love with this car, because you’ll never get out of it what you’ll have to put into it to get it back on the road. You’d be much better off starting out with a complete car that somebody else dumped a bunch of money into first. I’ve done plenty of ’58-’66 Thunderbirds over the years. If you’re not doing a lot of the labor yourself, you’re going to be dumping big $$$ into this.