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Frank Sinatra’s 1965 Ford Thunderbird?

Update 3/4/20 – This T-Bird has popped back up here on eBay with the $1k price drop. Will that be enough to find it a new home though?

From 12/4/19 – Here at Barn Finds, we’ve previously written about cars claimed to have been owned at one time or another by famous people.  Some with documented provenance, some without.  The seller of this ’65 Thunderbird declares that the car was purchased by “Ol’ Blue Eyes” (Frank Sinatra) himself for his daughter, Nancy.  The car is offered at the BIN price of $5,999 here on eBay and is located in Roy, Washington, where, according to the seller, local people know all about its history. Let’s do some sleuthing!

According to the seller, he bought the T-Bird from a guy who bought it at an estate sale who was told the car had been bought by Frank for Nancy.  Whew!  But wait, there’s even more “proof”!  A friend of the seller who is a police officer confirmed the story and told him the car was bought by the late crooner, so it must be true!  Too much sarcasm on my part?  The seller has attempted to verify the authenticity of the car’s Sinatra ownership but claims he’s been unable to contact Nancy.  But have no fear as I may have a solution to that problem.  There is a link here on Nancy Sinatra’s website where fans are invited to “talk to Nancy”.  Who knows, if contacted perhaps she’d take the time to confirm or deny the seller’s story?  Does anyone want to take a stab at it?

The seller hasn’t been able to verify his claim but does provide a registration certificate with the last name”Sinatra” written on it (mysteriously, the first name on the certificate is unreadable ). You can make out the last name near the stamp on the left. They also claim that it might have been purchased by an assistant and reference other documents that don’t appear in the auction photo gallery.

The aforementioned registration certificate shows a transfer of ownership in 1967 from someone with the last name of Sinatra whose address was in Los Angeles, California to a person in Puyallup, Washington.  If the car was, in fact, Nancy’s, she didn’t hold on to it for very long.  The seller claims someone spray-canned the exterior with red primer before he purchased it in 2004.  A Marti Report is included with the sale which documents the car’s original Midnight Turquoise paint.  Judging by the photos, the interior appears authentic although a replacement carpet and headliner are needed.

The original Ford V8 390 is mated to an automatic transmission and, according to the seller, will start “with a little effort and move under its own power.”  That sounds a bit vague coming from someone who’s owned the car for 15 years.  As is often the case with old cars, someone lost the original air cleaner assembly. I’m not sure how that happens, especially when the car could have been owned by a celebrity… Anyway, do you think the Sinatra story adds any value to this rough little T-Bird?

Comments

  1. Avatar al8apex

    how much do they pay for scrap metal in that neck of the woods?

    although I have seen the seats, front and rear, go for some good money, so maybe part it out 1st, then scrap the rest …

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Will Fox

    I think I can safely guarantee WITHOUT PROOF that `ol blue eyes never purchased this car for his daughter Nancy. And the name, “Sinatra” could be Ethyl Sinatra for all anyone knows. (sniff, sniff..) smell that? Yea, me too….
    I think it’s called “ulbay itshay”. And man does it STINK.

    Like 13
    • Avatar Don Diego

      Will…My untrained eye viewing (Googled) Sinatra signatures sees
      nothing similar, except maybe “Ethyl’s”.

      Like 1
  3. Avatar Bob McK

    Pass on this one. Not worth the cost to get it titled.

    Like 3
  4. Avatar Del

    Google Nancy Sinatra autograph and you’ll see she doesn’t sign her last name anything like the one in that doc. Also, even if Frank had actually purchased that car to Nancy there’s no added value there since he never owned or driven it himself.

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Classic Steel

    well as for Mr. Blue eyes..
    unless we see a picture with the car or a full document of ownership its just one of the many with the last name.

    I suggest TV non reality exhibit A. Jon Voyts car and George C.

    https://youtu.be/bhJoYN-s1Y4

    Otherwise I can get an album much cheaper to hear…. .

    Fly me to the moon
    Let me play among the stars
    Let me see what spring is like
    On a-Jupiter and Mars
    In other words, hold my hand
    In other words, baby, kiss me
    Fill my heart with song
    And let me sing for ever more
    You are all I long for
    All I worship and adore
    In other words, please be true
    In other words, I love you
    Fly me to the moon
    Let me play among the stars
    Let me see what spring is like
    On a-Jupiter and Mars
    In other words, hold my hand
    In other words, baby, kiss me
    Fill my heart with song
    Let me sing for ever more
    You are all I long for
    All I worship and adore
    In other words, please be true
    In other words, in other words

    Like 7
  6. Avatar Fred w

    Seller should go into politics

    Like 12
  7. Avatar Ike Onick

    I’d want to see Angie Dickinson’s panties in the glovebox prior to placing a bid.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Will Fox

      Not her panties today; Lord no. Maybe the ones she wore about 1960 in “Ocean’s Eleven”. Yowsa!

      Like 5
  8. Avatar Ike Onick

    Sorry, Perry sent him to Fresno this afternoon.

    Like 5
  9. Avatar Beave

    This is a POS I have a 1966 Landau with 38000 miles + it has a 428 and Fac AC I will let go for 14000 OBO!!

    Like 6
    • Avatar Beaver

      And I will drive it to you anywhere in the lower 48

      Like 3
  10. Avatar Will Fox

    Is there a guard dog chained to the bumper?

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Andrew Franks

    First, all the celebrity nonsense should be ignored. Next, the car isn’t a $5000.00 car so try it at $3000.00, paint it in the original color, don’t buy it if it doesn’t have A/C, you’ll spend slightly North of six grand and have a very nice driver.

    Like 4
  12. Avatar David G

    Just the fact that it doesn’t have A/C would pretty much guarantee it was not purchased by or for the Sinatras. Should be easy enough to verify by checking with Nancy.

    Like 3
  13. Avatar Frank

    Now, if they’d found a boot in the car, well perhaps, but I see nothing to make me think this is anything but salesmanship…of the worst kind!

    Like 6
  14. Avatar PatrickM

    Wow! This is a rough crowd, today. LOL. I agree, not a Frank and Nancy car. Story is too loose…no confirmations. Now, the car: Not for me. Basically, I really like these T-birds. But, this one needs SOOO much work done to it. If, and only if, I were to start bidding, I would not go over $1,000.00. (That’s a period after the price.) No underside pics, either. (A pet peeve of mine.) I keep going back to some simple traits to follow: If ya wanna sell it, ya gotta show it…and be honest. How close is that fishing hole, anyway? Lots of Carp in it. I realize this is Barn Finds but…

    Like 7
  15. Avatar stillrunners

    Just watched – Spin Out – last night……Nancy’s hard to beat…..but that Ann Margret in Viva Las Vegas….watch it and see where Daisy got her shorts….oh I’ll pass on the car….owned a 1966 and maybe why I have back troubles !

    Like 2
  16. Avatar Greg W

    Look closer people !!
    The dash has the vents for factory air con and the gate release shows air con.
    The compressor and brackets are missing.
    The air cleaner base is in the trunk.
    Documentation on Sinatra history is missing !!

    Like 4
  17. Avatar Doc

    This maybe was given to daughter Tina rather than Nancy. Nancy already had a 57 t bird given to her by Frank…she kept the 57 until 1976….

    Like 1
  18. Avatar davew833

    Actually I think it belonged to John Voight…

    Like 5
    • Avatar Classic Steel

      Now now this was my car.

      My name is Frank “Sentra” like Nissan aka former Datsun 😂 the “A” is just silent … Just be Careful now as I have a chewed pencil ✏️ Inside the glovebox to prove it 😉

      Like 4
  19. Avatar Tim

    I’ve lived in Olympia for 30 years and (despite the claims on ebay) never heard
    about this car. Seems sketchy at best.

    Like 1
  20. Avatar Jerry Landis

    Would FS buy a car without A/C ? Just sayin’ !

    Like 2
  21. Avatar Little_Cars

    The provenance (emphasis on “prove”) does not exist for this car to draw any more attention than any other squarebird in fair condition. Frank had more than one daughter. At some point this car may have fallen into her stewardship but who cares now, in 2020? It’s just a rough bird in a hideous color combo that would require buckets of moolah to get right. You want the air to work? Forget the original compressor, get a Vintage Aire kit and use the existing plumbing to cool the passenger cabin. Then, call whichever daughter is still alive and tell her you restored her old car. She probably won’t care either.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar john martin

    My last name is Martin. Can I sell my car and say it belonged to Dean?

    Like 0
  23. Avatar PatrickM

    Still here? And still too much money. Owner is not paying attention. Still need more pics, too. Still a pet peeve of mine. Still always will be.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Bonnie Lalicker

    Ok all you haters: My husband was trying to sell this car. He did a lot of research and was just going by the info he found and was told. Quit being so rude. If you knew my husband you would not be calling him names. He is the nicest and most sincere person you will ever meet. Most of you sound like you have nothing to do but put other people down. You all need to get a life.

    Like 0

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