2003 Ford Thunderbird

Convertible

3.9L 242Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Automatic

1FAHP60A33Y111714

Clear

Gasoline

There is no hidden "pro/con" list in this description. Nowhere in here is any buried "problem" with the vehicle. I wouldn't make you dig for that. This is a flamboyant, but honest listing that takes time to educate and poke fun at what it takes to sell a car. If that's not your thing, just read the condition description and look at the gallery pictures. :) For sale is a 2003 Ford Thunderbird. See? That wasn't so hard. Now we can talk about it our way, because all the boring people are gone: Bought locally right out of the showroom, this Thunderbird has seen a great life in EasternNorth Carolina. Smooth roads, casual traffic, and great weather combined with afinished and climate controlled garage have kept it clean and beautiful. It has been a one-owner vehicle for nearly all of it's life, and a familiar sight around townand on winding roads, always bringing a smile along for the ride. It's a car that becomes whatever you want it to be; a pleasant top-back cruiser duringcool spring and autumn evenings, a warm and dry place to be in the winter, a coolbreeze in the shade when summer comes along, and when you want to go fast... ...when you want to go fast it shrinks right around you to become something else entirely.Controlled. Comfortable. Safe. Sexy... It's that sly little grin you had in school whenyou worked up the courage to ask, and you finally had a date. You told your parents you'd be back at 10... This is the car that sneaks back into the window at 2am and gets away with it. What do you want in a car? Everything. Explore this Thunderbird in the short sections below, and be sure to read the notes at the end to find some VERY important information, and why you want THIS Thunderbird, and not many others on the market. If all you do here is have a laugh and readthose points, you've improved your chances of buying a safe and quiet car dramatically. I'm sure there are other Thunderbirds out there that have been updated by Ford to eliminate factory defects, but here's one you know is safe! Ask any questions you'd like; I will respond quickly. Also, feel free to use that Best Offer option. I consider them all. You aren't going to offend me. I enjoy them. :) Now, on to the description: The condition is great: 1: Exterior: The paintwork sparkles, and the chrome drips with reflective class. Very deep reflections. You won't find any rust, and the wheels are in fine, show-worthy condition. Honestly, there isn't much more to say on that point. View the gallery above, as not every picture in there is included in the body of this text. The exterior hasn't been fluffed. This is an honestly gorgeous vehicle from any angle. Easily top of it's class. What you see here is one of the best on the market. 2: Interior: The interior is immaculate, showing only reasonable seat bolster wear. The warm glow you see on the seats in the pictures is simply sunlight reflecting from the rear-view mirror. As you can see, it's clean, factory fresh, no-nonsense interior. No snotty goop on the trim to make it all glossy, no damaging silicone-impregnated slime on the leather, no "air freshener", and no editing to hide anything. This is what an interior SHOULD look like. If you're looking at a car, and the interior is any more shiny than this, that's not clean... That's nasty. This interior is wonderfully clean, the way it ought to be. It has never been dyed or otherwise cosmetically altered! I know people try to hide seat bolster wear. I don't. I'll tell you now, only reasonable creasing is present, and mild wear with no cracks. When you see pictures of an interior that don't show this angle, the photographer is hiding that driver side bolster. It's a deplorable and deceptive practice, and I personally won't stand for it. Every last one of them knows they're doing it, and it's frustrating when trying to buy a car with a leather interior because of that. If they don't hide it, they dye the seats or edit the photograph. Either way it's not fair to the buyer. So, here you go. This is the fearsome angle nobody wants you to see: 3: Electronics: Everything works as new. One thing people fail to mention in regard to these vehicles is the exceptional factory sound system. It really is very, very good. Another great point in the Thunderbird's favor is the simple control scheme. This is a very well equipped design, but created with the driver in mind. You won't need to study a manual to learn how to operate a Thunderbird; not even to adjust the clock. The lighting is subtle and adjustable. It's very pleasant. Not only does everything in here work, but there are no worn-through buttons. Many cars of this vintage suffer back-lit buttons that have been rubbed through or polished over time. You won't find that here. And yes, this is (aside from mild cropping and resizing) an unedited photograph of the dashboard of the very Thunderbird you're about to buy, taken outdoors using the vehicle's own interior lighting. I got the cool black background by parking it on a hill at night. Pretty neat, eh? Get in this Thunderbird at night, and this is precisely what you will see. You'll be sitting in this photograph. 4: Function: It drives well. The shock absorbers are firm and controlled, the bushings are tight, and the engine is glorious. Everything works perfectly fine. That's what you need to know. Describing a car as "runs strong" means nothing. That really bugs me in advertisements. Horses run strong; not cars. This car runs properly. That's what matters. If anything was wrong with it in this regard, I'd tell you. You hear this a thousand times, and probably don't care, but the tires are new Michelins with less than 500 miles on them. Wow... Don't I sound like everyone else on Ebay right now... I'll have to wash my keyboard out with soap. On that point, be sure to check the "Important Notes" section below to learn of an absolutely critical fault with most Thunderbirds, and why this one doesn't have it! It just may save you from buying a dangerous vehicle! You can point this Thunderbird at the horizon and drive until the sun sets, enjoy a twilight shower before the clouds clear, and then drop the top and feel the crisp night atmosphere in your hair as the stars roll by above you; all cocooned in the luxurious comfort of a vehicle that wraps you in warm blanket of climate control that keeps the chill away, even when the canvas has been furled to let the road carry you away into adventure. I couldn't think of a way to picture performance, so here's a road: 5: Engine bay: Have a look at that picture. This is indeed as it appears in person. Walk up, pop the hood, and that's what you'll see! It has the air of a clean, well-maintained power plant. This is how engines are supposed to look. Nobody has sprayed it with lacquer or rubbed it with goop. It's just plain clean and honest. That's what you want to see when you're looking for a car. If it sparkles or looks wet, they're hiding something. Period. 5: Convertible top: Yeah... Here's the business end of the deal, right? Good news! There are NO LEAKS! The seals have been treated properly, and are in great condition. The power operation is smooth as new, with no cavitation in the piston oil, and no air ingress causing that notchy foolishness you'll find on other offerings. This is just as smooth as it was when it was in the showroom. The fabric is in great condition, minus a few creases from extended hard-top use. Those will smooth out over time, and indeed have already started to do so since I removed the hard top for photography. ...And yes, I know I got a bit overzealous with the sunset illumination during this photo session. I realize I might seem perfect on the surface, but even I make mistakes and turn out an under-lit convertible top picture every now and again. Actually, I screwed up the whole shoot, but when you're as super-great as I am, you can get away with some hiccups here and there. :) Remember, in the gallery at the top of the listing more pictures are available. 7: Hard Top: It's gorgeous. It installs and removes quickly and smoothly, and is in excellent condition, from the headliner right down to the seals. Absolutely stunning! It installs and removes very easily with one included dummy-proof tool and two tool-less latches. It even comes with a safe vertical stand for storage, with a strap to prevent tipping. It's equipped with wonderful casters that allow you to roll it around very easily, but also lock it in place for further safety. You might want to skip down to the "Important Notes" section for a bit now again, because there's something this Thunderbird has in that regard that most others don't, and it's something that makes a massive difference in cruising quality when the hard top is installed, and since most people will use the hard top most of the time, you're really going to want to consider that point incredibly carefully. Trust me, it matters... 8: Mileage: The quoted figure will change a few miles here and there, because letting a car sit is foolish. It's had a good combination of mild small-town driving, some mid-sized town excursions, and plenty of long country roads. It's been driven carefully, but more importantly, it's actually been driven. You want something that's been on the road; not something that's been stuck in a garage. Parking a car for extended periods to use on the "the occasional summer day" is very abusive. All in all, this is THE Thunderbird to buy today. Period. Here are some important notes to consider when buying any car, with a focus on some specific Thunderbird points. READ THIS, and you'll know why you want this Thunderbird, and no other. A: Original service bulletin. This Thunderbird has been updated per Ford Article No. 04-10-1. This was done at a Genuine Ford Dealership with Genuine Ford parts. The Thunderbird, Lincoln LS, Aviator, and a number of derivative vehicles were equipped when new with a faulty power steering rack. This presents itself as a squeaking or scrubbing feeling or noise that seems to come directly from behind the steering wheel. This is NOT the result of some squeaky bushing or piece of plastic within the steering column or dash, regardless of what the seller might attempt to tell you. This is a mechanical fault in the steering rack itself which, if left alone or treated with the step one fluid flush and additives, will eventually result in a gradual failure of the power steering system. When you're out there test driving cars, pay attention, and keep an ear out for that noise. If you hear it, you're $2,000 away from reliable steering! Do not buy any Thunderbird with those symptoms! ANY questionable feeling or sound that seems to come from the steering wheel, no matter how small, indicates this problem. This update is not a recall, it cannot be done for free, and the replacement parts must come from a dealership in order to receive the updated designs. Most Thunderbirds have never received this replacement. It has been corrected on this Thunderbird, and it's been corrected properly. You'll have no issues here! Take it out and drive without a care in the world. :) B: Spotting deceptive and damaging engine detailing. Let me tell you something about those shiny engine bays you see in advertisements: That's gooey, nasty, sprayed-on lacquer, and not only does it look terrible and attract filth, it turns irreparably yellow over time and cracks, as well as accelerates aluminum oxidation, leading to little white spots everywhere. You'll find none of that nonsense here. NONE. C: Spotting deceptive and damaging interior detailing: The leather has been conditioned properly over time with Leatherique, and the trim likewise appropriately. Leatherique is an all natural and distinctly... Biological treatment that renews the oils within leather, and leaves it in new-car condition. It's actually good for your skin, believe it or not, and meant to be used regularly. Let me make something PERFECTLY clear: This is the only genuine leather conditioner on the market today. If you're using anything else on your leather, you're making a terrible mistake! You won't find any snotty, shiny nonsense inside; just a wonderful, new-car finish on everything, and supple upholstery that will stand the test of time. I know how to treat a car. There are average people, and then there are people like me who actually know how to keep a car in beautiful and long-lasting condition. I'm the latter. I don't fluff interiors or slather them in Armorall. That's terrible. Don't do that. Don't buy that. D: Hard top stability. IMPORTANT NOTE: There's a special bushing/spacer that's missing on almost all Thunderbirds because of careless removal. Without that, the hard top rattles quite a bit. This Thunderbird has a brand new unit in there, straight from the dealership, just in case, and includes a spare. As a result, you'll only have factory levels of movement and cowl shake. Don't let those terms worry you. All convertibles suffer these effects, but with the proper factory parts, they are minimized. Let me tell you a secret: Most Thunderbird enthusiasts have broken those parts and have no Earthly idea why their tops make so much noise. Don't believe me? Just ask Google, and enjoy the flustered masses... I know I did. So, don't forget to ask other sellers if their top rattles... Enjoy the excuses and confusion. E: The nature of mileage: Here's something most people don't know: When people tell you a car's had all highway miles, that is false information. How, exactly, did they get it to the highway, if that's the only place it's been driven? More importantly, if we were to foolishly assume the vehicle was, let's say, air-lifted to the highway every day, how do you think it was used? I'll tell you: Commuting in rush hour traffic... You're essentially being told it's been abused it's entire life. A good mix of all around use is preferable, and this car has it. When viewing the history report Ebay provides for free, notice the gradual and linear accumulation of miles on this vehicle. The mileage is incredibly low, but it hasn't been stuck in a garage rotting; it's been kept warm and running over the years, which is a very good sign of proper care and treatment. Driving is, after all, a form of maintenance. Beware of low mileage vehicles without that regular accumulation. On to the nature of the vehicle itself: Okay, so just what is this thing, anyway? Where did it come from, and why is it so darn good? Ford wanted to resurrect an iconic brand (and attempt to make the world forget about it's last attempt), but they weren't sure precisely how to go about it. They needed smooth, controlled dynamics, a comfortable and yet dialed in ride quality, and power, tons of power; Power that was tamed with a smooth, linear torque curve for everyday cruising but always ready to misbehave on command, and jerk you back into your seat like a rocket! It just so happened that Ford owned Jaguar at the time, and Jaguar was producing a wonderfully performing car with a terrible aesthetic issue. I mean, the S-Type is universally considered an ugly car, but the platform, engine, and overall dynamics were just short of legendary. Pity the owners never played with them, but you saw those folks... It's not exactly surprising, is it? Well, Ford went to town on the poor S-Type; stripping it down to the bits that mattered, and then went over all of them with a fine-tooth reliability comb. The result was the best of America and Britain combined, and we all know that's worked wonderfully in the past... Well, in the past century or so. The revolutionary war wasn't exactly a high point of cooperation. The result was the "Retrobird", the car you're viewing now; the 2003 Ford Thunderbird. All that makes a Jaguar just a little bit naughty, with all that makes a great American cruiser. This was truly a return to what made the Thunderbird a hit when it was first released! So, just what are you about to buy, here? Well, it's perhaps the best cruiser ever built! Here's the important stuff: Viewing: I STRONGLY encourage viewing, and I'm just short of requiring it. I don't require it, though, because it's just impractical for out of state or international buyers, but ask any questions you have before you buy the vehicle or make an offer. Request pictures, information; whatever you think you might need! This isn't some Ebay trinket, it's a motor vehicle, and you and your family need to verify that's it's what you want, and that you know it's safe. The best way to do that is schedule a test-drive. We've got some beautiful roads out here, and very great restaurants. Make a day of it; have a vacation. Enjoy yourself! Payment: Payment will be required within seven days of purchase. A $500 deposit is required within 48 hours of checkout. Shipping: The buyer is responsible for shipping, if shipping is required, though I'll do my best to make it easy on this end. Returns: No returns are accepted. It's a car, not a blender. That said, on Ebay, you are protected from buying a vehicle that has issues not mentioned in the advertisement. You're safe here when buying a car. On Nov-18-15 at 12:36:28 PST, seller added the following information: 26 page official Ford service history available via PDF. These are all scanned dealership orders and receipts. In other words, the good stuff.