1965 Ford Thunderbird

Hardtop

6.4L 6391CC 390Cu. In. V8 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Automatic

5Y83Z110539

Clear

Gasoline

1965 Thunderbird hardtop bought around 1999. Kept in indoor storage since 2005 at commercial warehouse catering to car enthusiasts. Taken out of storage last year, taken to mechanic for safety checks. Brakes, ignition, cooling system inspected; distributor replaced, recommended carburetor tuning. Prior to placement in storage, the following was done: Seat covers, headliner, carpet replaced. Engine had valve job, timing chain and gears replaced and new oil pump (worn drive). Brake job all wheels including pads, linings, brake hardware and caliper rebuild (front disc brakes), several lines replaced, upgraded to dual master cylinder for safety purposes (master cylinder replaced after taking out of storage. Differential rebuilt, new axle bearings and all seals replaced. Power steering box rebuilt. Tires with less than 300 miles since new but have been on for 10 years now, no cracking and hold air. Power driver seat works. All power windows, including vent wings work with exception of left rear; motor works but drive apparently broken or not connected (had been working until taken out of storage). Missing lockout switch on power window control panel. Original paint color code was pale yellow; repainted white at some time. Paint job looks to have been very good quality but has a dozen or so parking lot chips along body lines and door/hood edges. One known rust damage area on left side roof sail panel (see photo). Chrome has some pitting on trim pieces and there is some checking on bumpers . Door panels have cracks in the arm rest and handle areas and were covered with carpet pieces which I removed; I did not attempt to remove the adhesive that was used (the yellow color in the photos). The dash panel, steering wheel center cover has several vinyl cracks. The kick panels in the foot wells are cracked. Custom fit digital radio with remote (trunk) CD changer and 2 channel power amp. 6 speakers mounted but entire system needs rewiring and new speakers though it currently works (needs an alternator noise suppressor as it hums on start up then goes away for the most part). Engine (and car) runs down the road nicely. There is a perceptible miss at idle that seems to be a vacuum leak or maybe in the ignition system. My predecessor put on an Edelbrock carburetor which may need some adjustment (runs rich at idle) which might help (which is what the mechanic suggested but I never got it to the carb shop). Personally, I would rebuild the engine though compression check is within spec and vacuum gauge shows good vacuum and no fluctuations. I do know there is a vacuum leak in the power brake booster as I can hear a slight change when the brake is applied (less than $200 part at O'Reilly) but a pain to work under the dash to remove the retaining nuts). The front transmission seal and the power steering pump leak over time (figured those would wait until I rebuilt the engine). There is some glued on heat insulation on the hood so needs the insulation blanket replaced. Electrical is OK except left hood mounted turn indicator does not flash (burned out bulb?); however, the turn signals themselves work fine (including the rear sequential). Gas gauge seemed a bit erratic (off then on but the low fuel light never comes on) so the sending unit was replaced (have not filled tank since then so can't confirm a full fix). Set of hub caps but not correct for the year. The rear vent vacuum switch on the console has a leak when in the open (? forget which) position (I may have a spare). A/C needs recharging but worked before the heads were removed for the valve job (never replaced the belt; have it as well). Cooling system in great shape and has never overheated. Some suspension components have been replaced (idler arm, shocks, bushings, stabilizer links; all motorcraft parts as that was what was recommended by the restoration supply folks. I did not spend a lot of time with the car up in the air so the only area I would want to look at more closely is the fuel tank itself but I see no obvious rust area or leaks but then these things rust from the inside...just a cautionary note for the future. I have always liked these cars with the airplane cockpit layout and the rear deck and lights. The 390 FE engine is massive and powerful. It cruises nicely and with disk brakes stops well...a great improvement over the 1964 model. The car has had a lot of work done on it and a number of parts replaced...at least $4-5k in parts and $3K for the steering box and differential rebuilds (those were $1.5K alone) and time at the mechanic's shop. Even the clock works (original repaired 10+ years ago). I, myself, have not managed to get any work done on it in 10 years and it is a shame to let it die an abandoned life. It just seems I will never get to it. I have a number of spare parts (vacuum door locks, PS rebuild kits, extra passenger manifold (they tended to crack so I got an extra)), belts, assorted gaskets, felt strips for the doors, some weather stripping and spare parts from junk yard (including a tum signal motor and relay assembly; condition unknown). I have tried to mention everything I can think of, especially those items that require attention or inspection before significant driving. I believe in stopping before accelerating which is why I would pull the tires and inspect all brakes for any leaks and get the booster replaced though I have put about a hundred cautious miles on it in the last few months as I started to sort out the storage issues and gain knowledge of the car's current state. California black plates, titled, registered and insured and recently operated. Registration expires 10 Jul. Please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks!On Jul-04-15 at 16:34:25 PDT, seller added the following information: UPDATE PLEASE READ I drove the car yesterday under varying conditions and while I don't want to disagree with the mechanic who checked it over when I took it out of storage, I DO think there is an engine problem (bad bearing???). So, please assume the engine needs a rebuild (as I stated was my intention) and bid accordingly. I also washed the car and removed the pin striping along the top body line and created additional paint chips. In addition, I noticed small areas along the felt lines that need attention. I think they can all be retouched if the color remains white. I have a few pictures if desired. For those who placed a bid, please consider retracting or revising your bid...I want no unhappy customers. However, I did pick the asking price assuming an engine rebuild so it shall remain. Thank you...and please ask any questions...more than happy to respond!