It seems that as time passes and the inevitable thinning of the availability of collectible cars happens, later-model collectibles are catching enthusiasts’ attention. Such is the case with the 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe seen here on craigslist and available in Litchfield County, CT. The price is nowhere near punishing, with the advertised asking number at $15,900 for a car that appears to be in pristine shape, probably because it has spent its life in North Carolina. Rocco B is the sharp-eyed finder of this beauty.
Owning/collecting a car like this makes sense on so many levels. It’s sporty and likely fun to drive with a 5-speed on board. It’s all complete and cared for. It has some factory options which jazz it up, including a two-tone interior, lower body fascias, and a full slide-back sunroof. And assuming you could get it for a thousand or two less than asking, you’d be in a unique and desirable ride for under $15K. How could you ever get hurt at that number? You shouldn’t have to spend much more money to have a lot of fun. How many miles will the engine go? The 55K traversed so far doesn’t seem to put it at a point where you’d have to worry about the wear cycle. Change the oil on a time basis, rather than a miles basis, and you should be good for 100K or more.
You might have forgotten this two-year-only offering, the Turbo Coupe existing in 1987 and 1988 as part of the ninth generation of T-Birds (1983-88), but if you think back to your NASCAR history, you can resurrect memories of Bill Elliott in the number 9 Coors/Melling Thunderbird—the red one—winning the 1988 series championship. Of course, he was running a mighty V8, and not the 2.3-litre turbocharged engine this particular example uses for motivation. Speaking of Elliott, his 1987 version of this car set a never-to-be-equaled record of 212.809 mph in qualifying at Talladega. The series has slowed their cars since then using aero drag and intake restrictions to that nobody goes sailing out of the track to their, and spectators’, peril. Alan Kulwicki also drove a Thunderbird in this era, of course.
1987, 1988, that brings up a point. This car is labelled with each of these years as its year of origin in the craigslist ad. (The rubber rear window trim seems to indicate a 1988, but please, Barn Finds experts, weigh in on this one.) Maybe a technicality, but buyer beware—compare title and paperwork to door tags, cowl tags, and other identifiers. While we’re on the question of accuracy, what would I like the ad to state explicitly? That the paint is original, with no accident damage or other prior repairs. And maybe that the A/C is in working order. After all, summer’s coming, and if I bought this unique piece of recent automotive history, I’d be anxious to get it in gear and drive it.
Super nice car. These Turbo Coupes were well-done. Attractive styling, looks great in silver. I’d prefer no body kit, but if the car is as clean as it appears, it would be fine. Manual transmission is a plus. Not ridiculously expensive.
The NASCAR reference is fitting. Back from when there was at least a hint of the connection to factory cars. An era I don’t think we will see again.
Good job Brian.
These were beautiful cars, the plastic ground effects ruin the cars lines. These have been featured in this site in the past and typically don’t bring what this seeker is asking, that will change one day. Just like the late-1980’s Mustang GT’s with their cladding the interest and prices lag behind the same year 5.0 LX siblings.
Steve R
Nice find in very good condition. Good garage mate for a Taurus SHO. I sent in a tip a few days ago for one these that wasn’t as nice as the subject. Curious to see if anyone writes up the Jeep FC with camper body tip I sent in.