1966 FORD TBIRD THUNDERBIRD CONVERTIBLE INTERNATIONAL TROPHY WINNER MANY OPTIONS

1966 FORD TBIRD THUNDERBIRD CONVERTIBLE INTERNATIONAL TROPHY WINNER MANY OPTIONS  

BACKGROUND:  THIS  1966 THUNDERBIRD IS OWNED BY A PAST VINTAGE THUNDERBIRD CLUB INTERNATIONAL (ATLANTA CHAPTER) PRESIDENT.   It has received two International Meet 2nd Place Awards and is an ideal example of a "Show & Drive" Classic.   Many thousands of dollars have been invested to make the car extremely roadworthy (it was driven to EACH International Event where it won awards) and the top was completely restored by an expert in top restoration - with ALL new relays.

It is NOT for everyone…this is for discriminating collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate high originality and "turn-the-key-and-enjoy" drive-ability.

PLEASE NOTE: To illustrate the overall quality and high originality of this classic Thunderbird. there are well over 100 images.   The first 30+ images are intended to give an overall view of the extraordinary quality. documentation. and attention to detail that was lavished on the car.   The rest of the images are intended for serious prospective buyers…and show more detail than any other eBay automotive listings we have seen.   BUT. to see ALL of the images. you MUST place your cursor on an image - allow plenty of time for all images to download - and then scroll slowly ALL the way to the bottom.   CAUTION:  if you use the scroller to the FAR RIGHT of your screen or the "Click to view image album" feature. you will NOT see all the images.

2. 70 TRANSACTIONS WITH HAPPY PEOPLE!  As of the date of this listing. we've had 2. 70 transactions (both buying and selling) on eBay without a single complaint. One of the keys to our selling success is the use of LARGER and MORE images than you will likely see in ANY other eBay listing. so you can CLEARLY see what you are getting.

QUESTIONS?  Please call Jim Murphy at 706-429-7924 if you have any questions that this description or the pictures at right do not answer for you.

WORLD STANDARD BUILD QUALITY. in 1966. the Lincoln Continental was considered by many automotive writers to be the world's finest production car.   The exceedingly high production standards - including a rigorous test drive for EVERY car - was undertaken in the ONLY plant in the world commissioned to build the car: Ford's famed Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom. Michigan.   The plant built Lincoln Continentals and ONLY ONE OTHER CAR. the Ford Thunderbird!  And. ALL the 1964-1966 Thunderbirds were - like the Lincolns - ONLY built in Wixom.   Quality control was the best in the industry. and 50 years later it still shows.   In sum. this car was designed. engineered. and built by largely the same teams responsible for the Lincoln Continental.

INVESTMENT POTENTIAL. on this 1966 Thunderbird will be very high.   This is the final year of what many consider to be the true Classic Thunderbird era (1955-1966).   It is also the last year of the 1964-introduced body that won Motor Trend's Car of the Year Award for 1964.   Finally. it is the RAREST year for a Thunderbird convertible ever produced: just 5049. less than ANY year of the 1955-1957 2-seater TBirds. and less than any year of the recent "retro" Birds".

This car's place in history as one of the finest and most significant cars of the 1960s (both then and now) is secure.   Secondly. very very few cars that are nearly 50 years old have the very high body integrity that this example does.  

The most desirable cars of the 1950s are already well into six-digits (e. g. a 1954 Buick Skylark owner recently was asking $180. 00 for his car).   The next decade poised for massive appreciation is the 1960s. primarily because the cars of the 1970s suffered so much under Federal bumper and emissions standards that they were not very good cars even when new (comparative to their 1960s counterparts).

ALREADY. THIS THUNDERBIRD IS VALUED AT UP TO $40. 00 in the NADA Classic Car Guide. and it is poised for substantial future appreciation.

FAMED SWING-AWAY STEERING WHEEL & SEQUENTIAL TAIL-LIGHTS. made Thunderbird "Unique in all the world. and influenced car design to this very day.   Case in point. just recently. Ford began featuring the SAME sequential light design on new Ford Mustangs.

HIGHLY OPTIONED WITH MANY RARE FEATURES. the rarest option is the FACTORY Stereo 8-Track with front/back door-mounted speakers.   This was very advanced in 1966. and among the first factory stereo tape-equipped cars in the world.   Best of all. the internal electronics of the radio (originally AM-only) have been artfully replaced with modern advanced electronics providing 21st century radio performance for BOTH AM and FM while maintaining the correct original "look" of the radio. And yes. the 8-Track works too!

The reclining passenger's seat option - with extendable headrest - is so rare that many Thunderbird enthusiasts do not know that the option even existed.   The seat will tilt-back at any angle you wish. up to a full recline position.

The Safety Convenience Panel Option - below the clock and vent controls - has Power Door Locks. Emergency Flasher. Door Ajar Light. and Low Fuel Light!

The Power windows ALL work. and the six-way Driver's Power Seat rounds out the list of impressive options.

SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS MADE FOR RELIABILITY AND ENJOYMENT. because the objective was to "Show & Drive" the car to International Meets (including Charleston and Houston) the car had to be reliable.   Anything that the car needed to be thoroughly enjoyable and operable was done. including New or Rebuilt:  Engine & Transmission. Suspension. Brakes. Top Pump & Relays  w/Cylinders/Limit Switches-as needed (Note: "Emergency" deck-lid open switch added and conveniently placed in center console glove-box). Exhaust. Fuel Sending Unit. Harmonic Balancer. "Quartzed" Clock. Exhaust System. Electronic Sequencer for the famed Sequential Tail-lights. and Tires.

DRIVE REPORT. I have owned 1964-1966 series Thunderbirds since my father gave me my first car (a 1964 Thunderbird hardtop) in 1972.   Of ALL the Thunderbirds that I have owned and driven. this 1966 is the smoothest. most powerful. "tightest". and most confident that I've driven.   The ONLY other Thunderbird of this vintage that could match it in drive-ability was a 25. 00 original mile car that I had the pleasure of driving in Florida.

VIN# DECODING: 6Y85Z117285 decodes as follows. 6 (1966) Y (Wixom Assembly Plant) 85 (Convertible) Z (390 4BBL 315 HP V8) 117285 (Production Serial Number).

DATAPLATE DECODING:  BODY: 76A (Convertible). COLOR: E (Silver Mink Metallic). TRIM: 51 (Silver Blue). DATE: 28K (October 28. 1965 Production). DSO: 35 (Lansing). AXLE: 01 (3. 00) . TRANS: 8 (Cruise-O-Matic).

PAYMENT DETAILS:  Payment is due within 5 days of auction's end via Bank to Bank Wire Transfer. Vehicle will be released to the new owner immediately upon full clearance of payment to seller's Bank.

INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS are welcome. but MUST adhere to the Payment Details above and also make all arrangements for pick-up and importation of the vehicle into the Buyer's country.   We will store the car free of charge for a reasonable period of time while transportation is arranged for the car.

ABOUT ME:  I am an avid car enthusiast.   After retiring from 30 years of sales and marketing in a Global 100 company. I formed Murphy Endeavors. LLC and began buying and selling classic cars as a collector and for friends and clients.   This beautiful 1966 Thunderbird belongs to a fellow VTCI (Vintage Thunderbird Club International) member and friend.

Please note (as of 3-12-2014) that I have had 2. 70 eBay transactions with 100% Positive Feedback.   I have sold classic cars to happy eBay customers in Sweden. Switzerland. France. Australia. Russia. Canada. Japan. and throughout the United States.

IMPORTANT FINAL REMARKS & CONDITIONS OF SALE. the Buyer will receive a Notarized Bill of Sale and the Georgia-issued (clear) Title and Registration document.

Though significant dollar investments have been made to make the car a reliable road performer…it remains a 50 year-old vehicle with 50 year-old technology.   Therefore. the sale is strictly on an as-is and final basis with no warranty or liability expressed or implied.

The odometer reading of 53. 97 seems consistent with the physical condition of the car. but due to the mechanical limitations of 5-digit mechanical odometers. the mileage cannot be verified with certainty.

QUESTIONS?  Please call Jim Murphy at 706-429-7924 if you have any questions that this description or the pictures at right do not answer for you.

PLEASE BE SURE TO REVIEW ALL THE IMAGES AT RIGHT. as they supplement the description with important information.

 

Payment

I accept the following forms of payment: Please see description write-up for Payment Terms




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