#1963 ford thunderbird coupe windows#

I now had to move on to other “new” old car issues. I’m not sure why a car with a clean engine compartment and an obviously new engine (judging by the smell of combustion the whole way home, I was the guy breaking it in) had worn out ancillary equipment, but no matter. As of now (and I’ve only been able to put a couple hundred miles on the car so far), the only problem is a finicky cold start that I’ll have to work through. I replaced the whole distributor with a new one from the parts store, set the timing, and enjoyed a smooth running 390. The advance mechanism was sticky, the points cam had a mile of axial play, and the points were filthy. The other problem was the distributor: it was simply worn out. Finally, I replaced a leaky secondary diaphragm. I also changed the carburetor lid and choke mechanism for an improved system from a ’66 model Autolite 4100. The carburetor wasn’t much of a problem the power valve was loose, which caused fuel to leak from the float bowl into the intake manifold. My first job upon getting the car situated was to get it running well.

Knowing my car count and storage situation, I offered a dollar amount I wasn’t sure the owner would take, mentally prepared for either eventuality, and ended up driving the car two hours home with my wife following in her car.

#1963 ford thunderbird coupe windows#

It had old tires, it wouldn’t idle without surging, the idle mixture screws were unresponsive, none of the power windows worked correctly, the shifter and swing-away steering wheel were in desperate need of help, and the power seat didn’t work. It had a completely rebuilt engine and transmission (as settled by my borescope’s images of freshly finished cylinder bores), a nice interior, older paint, a rust-free undercarriage, and an entirely new brake system.Ī few problems, of course, were immediately obvious as well. Therefore, when I spotted this ’63 in Hemmings, and it was a mere two hours away, and it was painted in a nice ’62 color (Acapulco Blue), and it seemed so ready made for a guy like me, how could I NOT call about it? A nice ex-schoolteacher lady was selling it to settle her late uncle’s estate, and this was the last car to go. I didn’t buy that one, but I didn’t forget it either. As a 19-year-old college student, I daydreamed of a silver 1961 Hardtop, but over the years that aspiration grew a few hashmarks on the doors and changed into a 1963 model, and a 1963 model it has remained for about six years, ever since my wife caught me looking over a ’63 for sale in Escanaba, Michigan. In this case, I’ve actually wanted a Bullet Bird for 23 years. Of course, that manifestation was almost always the direct result of my actively looking for them, but why split hairs when there is a Thunderbird to introduce?

In truth, most of the cars I have bought had been part of the plan months or years in advance, manifesting themselves at the exact moment when I was least inclined to resist them. Check out the sales pitch below.Owning seven old cars has painted me as a man with no impulse control, but that’s a little unfair. Prices ranged from $4500 to $5500, right in Buick Riviera territory and edging into the Cadillac realm. Now the Thunderbird was a full-blown luxury car in every sense, but for buyers who had no need or want for a traditional large sedan.īack to 1963: This was the final year of the 1961-63 Bullet Bird series, distinguished by its hockey-stick character line shooting through the front fender and door, accented with three hashtag chrome gadgets. In just a few more years the four-door 1967 T-Bird would be introduced, the convertible would be dropped, and the transformation was complete. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Landau Coupe that debuted in 1962, with its optional padded vinyl roof and faux top irons. First up on the screen is the original two-seat roadster of 1955-57, then the four-place 1958 T-Bird that launched the personal luxury car category, then the dramatically styled 1961 Bullet Bird, and finally the 1963 Landau Coupe.Īnd all the while, we can see the Thunderbird steadily marching toward the luxury side of the sport-luxury junction. This Ford television spot from 1963 (below) takes the retrospective approach to telling the Thunderbird story. Check out the ultra-luxurious 1963 Ford Thunderbird Landau in this original Ford Motor Company promo.