In the annals of underappreciated 90s-era cars and trucks, the Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe should be among the top ten of two-door domestics. The supercharged two door is a sleeper right now, with values still fairly deflated compared to other sporting models from the era. This Thunderbird SC is made all the more desirable thanks to being fitted with the 5-speed manual. Find it here on eBay with bids to $3,550 and the reserve unmet.
The Thunderbird has been an American mainstay for many years, with a household name that is synonymous with big-body two-door styling and endless comfort for its passengers. You could cruise for days in practically any era of the Thunderbird you wished in absolute comfort. The later generations like this one tried to change the narrative about the car being used by your grandparents or leisure-suit wearing tough guys on the Vegas strip.
A supercharged V6 paired to a 5-speed manual was certainly one way to do it, and the seller’s car comes with is desirable combination. Although the ownership chain shows that he is the fifth registered owner, he claims that the 4th and 5th owners are one in the same since he transferred the registration to his business. The listing notes the longtime original owner opted to have the whole car repainted after a minor fender bender, and accordingly, the paint still looks great.
Now, this SC has a few things going for it beyond the 5-speed: it also has this killer red cloth interior. You forget how awesome these cockpits were, especially that SC-specific steering wheel. The analog gauge cluster is a nice reminder of how simple things used to be; the automatic seat belts, not so much. The seller spells out a long list of recent improvements, including new tires, brakes, motor mounts, power steering pump and line, spark plugs and wires, water pump, thermostat and gaskets for upper intake, as well as the supercharger gaskets. This looks like a tidy specimen, but it may be premature to be expecting it to clear a high reserve.
Good write-up Jeff. I agree, this was an attractive package for its day. Decent performance, available manual transmission, styling upgrades. The red interior is a nice change from today’s offerings. Prices are quite reasonable for a modern-ish collectible car that isn’t seen much anymore.
The bidding is up to $4550 now with reserve still not met. This car has been listed on FB marketplace for a very long time at 6k, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the reserve isn’t too much further away (maybe 5k or 5,500?).
Ford killed these cars in the planning stage. The automatic got a 3.2 axle ratio and the 5 speed got a 2.7 ratio with no options, I know, I ordered the first ones. Jumped in the first one and took off a little better than a Tempo.
I bought 1986 TurboTbird new. Then a few months later I read Ford was going to offer a supercharged V6. I traded the 86 in on an 89 SuperCoupe. Both had the 5spd. I would say the handling and ride were better in the Turbo. However, if Ford built a Tempo that could almost keep up with either one of those cars, I bought the wrong car(s). No, they weren’t screamers and there was little you could affordably do to improve their performce (back then) but a Tempo?
C’mon . . .
(unless there were some 8sec 0-60 Tempo’s out there???)
https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/1989-ford-thunderbird-super-coupe/
SC had independent rear suspension and 7.1 sec. to 60 mph were common; this test much faster.
Do not think you were driving the SC.
1992 Tempo GLS was a quick little thing. Ford stuffed the 3.0 V6 in them. I found an autopian article that said high 7s for 0-60 but I dunno. I used to work at ADESA back in the day and Ford used to make some fun cars back then.
Contemporary road tests had the Super Coupe in the low 7s to 60 MPH on the way to a quarter-mile in the mid-15s. Next time, maybe take your foot off the brake.
That is absolutely true but, contemporary tests had the TurboCoupe at 8-8.5, which I personally find hard to believe a Tempo could keep up with.
I was comparing throttle response and initial acceleration thinking nothing of actual 0 to 60 or 1/4 mile times, but you guys had a good time with my Tempo remark, so I can laugh with you.
The best looking T Bird IMHO, and other than the Bordello Red interior with the ridiculous automated Marquis De Sade shoulder belts, one of their best attempts to bring the model full circle. More of a driver reconnect than any since the early ‘60’s, it was a moon shot but with in part trying to satisfy the Federal MPG regs the rear end gear ratio was, at best, sorely lacking.
The 1st time I saw the BMW 850CSi I thought “Did the designer for the new T Bird get hired to draw the 850CSi?”
I know, I know-heresy!! But it said something about the T Bird. These were more enjoyable than many Detroit offerings of the time for a full size sedan.
Why wouldn’t you give $6,000 for this car? It would make a great daily driver if nothing else and this car is far from a daily driver this is really sweet. I would really like to own this one. Minnesota is kind of a ways for me to go but who knows? We’ll see
Found this listing late. Too much discussion for what I feel is simple: This car at this price is at least a good buy, maybe not a slam dunk. I dint realize the listing was old and I raced to find the location only to see it had sold. *Sad face*
Contour SVT, Taurus SHO were comparable, but this car was faster and more comfortable. I’m not sure why it isn’t being grabbed at this price. I’d love to have it and might just throw in a bid.
This car shows to be in great shape and it’s ready to drive. Pretty nice for a car this age.
Seller would be wise to clean that cheap air filter(Hot Air Intake).
Agreed.
Hot Air not a plus, neither are the aftermarket resonators.
However,the SC is an awesome car and this looks to be a nice one at a bargain cost.
I just realized that the car might be what you were talking about is up north in Minneapolis or something not you but I’ve owned and the turbo coupe both and I can tell you unless you are extremely good driver when it comes to rear wheel drive and snow and slippery roads I’m going sideways you don’t want this car if you live in bad weather unless you’re parking it until the snow is gone because I would suggest a novice will end up totaling the car partly with the turbo truck because it’s weighed a little too much in the rear when it starts to slide something I’ve trained to do since the mid ’70s and to control that was not very possible because of the way the turbo coupe was weighted so if you weren’t able to control the slide before the ass of the car caught up and passed you as you look left and right from the driver seat It was going to now slide straight backwards whatever direction it wanted and nothing I was ever able to do would change that other than hold the brakes and the steering wheel and hope you stop before you hit something lol NOT what I’d call very skill oriented Now I can’t save it with no tires made a hell of a difference at that point with steel studded snow tires I could make that turbo coupe go through anything including a blizzard out of New York when the post office was closed down because of the snow HOWEVER going west thru snow covered mountains in West Virginia from the coast to Ohio is very much a pain and if you were not a skilled driver on rear wheel drive and I DO MEAN SKILLED… And then the odds were you were probably going to plant the car somewhere on the side of the road or the center and hopefully you get out of it without getting hurt or totaling the car like keeping it on that road if you didn’t know and have a lot of skill and practice in rear wheel drive and snow number one in that particular car on top of it number two because the way it was balanced or not balance would be better way but it’s….
Steve, easy solution to driving a rear wheel drive car in the winter – snow tires and ballast over the rear axle.
I sold my 2013 Charger to my 20 year old nephew last fall. He had never driven a RWD car, is not really a “car guy”, and I thought that I would have to give him some training, but ended up he didn’t need any. I did point out that he needed to turn off traction control if he ever got stuck and needed to gain some wheel movement to get out of the situation.
NH winters are not easy, either. If you live in these type of climates and have to drive in it, you adapt your skills. You are just as bound to get into trouble with an AWD, FWD, 4WD if you don’t know what you are doing. In fact, the only time I got into an accident due to weather was in an AWD Audi. Nothing you can do when you hit sheer ice.
Plus proper RWD configuration 🔥
By standards of the day, performance was back at Ford in 1989…Mustang 5.0, SHO, Thunderbird SC, and even the Probe GT. Little did we know that we were about to enter the age of the SUV and the Explorer.
Working at a Ford/Mercury store in the mid ’80s to early ’90s. I was able to drive all the “fun Fords”. I really felt that the Super Coupe was a much more sophisticated T-Bird and I like driving them even though they felt heavy compared to the Turbo ‘Birds. Our dealer ship had arranged to have Bill Elliot come to the dealership to sign autographs AND drive a T-Bird around at the local paved oval track that night. At the time there were no T-Birds available. Our dealership was sold out and it was the time between the old “bird and the new “bird/ What to do? Ford Motor sent us an R&D “old ‘Bird for him to drive. It was well thrashed and there was barely any tread left on the tires. But HOLY COW, what an animal it was. Faster than any production Mustang that’s for sure! I was so surprised by the car driving to the track I almost wrecked it! (I stood on the loud pedal and that car launched so hard I had a hard time stopping at the traffic light! (It didn’t help that it was raining and the car had bald tires!) Bill Elliot has a good time with the car. He was doing laps with local VIPs in the rain, spinning the car a couple of times while in the corners and then accelerating hard down the straights to then again loop the car a couple of times while also going around the corners. Everyone was very impressed. I wanted to drive the “bird a couple of more times (in the dry) but the transporter showed up the next day in the morning to take the car back to Dearborn. And yes, there was no VIN tag on the car.
TorinoSCJ69, regardless, unless the dealerships were selling supercharged V6, 5spd Thunderbirds that weren’t SC, you are sadly mistaken. The original point of my comment (if you read) was a counterpoint to the comment that the SC was only a little better/faster than a Tempo.
As stated, I personally enjoyed the ride and handling of the Turbo bird more than the SC. The Turbo bird ran 8.0-8.5. If the Tempo could not keep up with that, how could it come near the faster SC? Apologies if I made this difficult to understand. I often comment thinking the audience knows what I know and often leave out pertinent details.
You are crazy to compare an SC to a Tenpo. There’s no comparison whatsoever. The SC is easily the superior car by miles, yes it’s heavier than the older Turbo Coupe, but rides and handles light years ahead of the old TC. I’ve owned many 87 to 90 Model TC and SC. So tons of experience here. I still hadn’t an 89 SC 5 speed and a 94 SC auto. Fantastic cars that were easy ahead of their time for back then. GM and Mopar had nothing close in overall quality
Tell that to Thomas H Piercy above.
Regarding the ride and handling, that was my personal opinion. I owned both a new 86 Turbo bird and a new 89 SC. They were both great cars. I just preferred the Turbo over the SC. Doesn’t make either one of us wrong.
We were looking for a car, dealer had a 91 SC and a 92 Thunderbird Sport with the 5.0 V8. Drove both, both were fast, same price. I chose the Sport because I was afraid of the blower going out on the SC and costing me a fortune to fix. Loved that car, kept it until my kids got too long legged for the back seats. Replaced it with an 93 Explorer. Nowhere near as much fun, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.