1966 Ford Thunderbird

Landau Coupe

390 Cu. In. V8 - 310 HP

Automatic

6Y87Z142101

Clear

Gasoline

1966 Ford Landau Thunderbird 390 CID-315 HP V8 VIN: 6Y87Z14210 “Welcome to the Jet Age!” was Ford’s slogan for the all-new Flair Bird body style of these great boulevard cruisers when they first appeared on the scene in the fall of ‘64. I was ten years old then and can still remember the first time I encountered one in a paper route customer’s driveway. It was absolutely the most stunning, futuristic car ever seen and I was smitten on the spot. It became the highpoint of my day just to study and admire that coupe while delivering the Seattle Times. My Dad was an under-paid Junior High Science teacher with six kids, so our family putted around in a 1958 VW Microbus. I knew my folks would NEVER have a car this cool or powerful (though I’ve come to appreciate vintage VWs now, too). During the past 42 years we’ve owned dozens of T-birds and I find that nostalgia colors my memories ever more fondly for this mid-sixties body-style. It still makes my heart beat faster just to look at one! The 1964 model marked the beginning of the venerable 390 cubic inch V8 in Thunderbirds and our ‘66 has the “Z” code (315 HP) version with factory four-barrel Carb & Dual Exhaust. This generation also saw the first use of a transistorized ignition system. My driver’s door data plate specifies that this car was built at the Wixom plant in February and delivered through the Seattle DSO to a local dealer here in town. I believe it has been here ever since. It came with 3.00:1 rear-end gears, and had one of the last great Cruise-O-Matic Transmissions installed from the factory along with monstrous 11-inch brakes. It still wears the factory color (Ivy Green Metallic) and the trim code specifies the black interior. The interior of the 1964-66 T-bird was gorgeous and very well-conceived combining just the right amount of vinyl, leather, brushed stainless steel, chrome and switches everywhere. Buyers had made such an issue out of the lack of storage space in previous model years that Ford engineers came up with the “Deep Well” trunk by relocating the fuel filler and moving the gas tank forward to a safer position above the rear axle. This gave 11.5 cubic feet of space – enough for about a half dozen plus sets of golf clubs! Here’s how the door data plate letters and numbers break down: Body: 63D – 2 door Landau Special build quarter vinyl roof Color: R – Ivy Green Metallic Trim: Z6 – Black Vinyl Date: 08B – February, 1966 DSO: 74 - Seattle District Sales Office Axle: 1 - 3.0 Trans: 4 - 3 Speed Overdrive Automatic Please contact me directly with any questions or to make an offer. My name is Mark Thompson and my direct phone number is 206/914-1173. You’re welcome and encouraged to set a meeting time for an inspect of the car at my Auburn, WA warehouse. Here’s a little background on this exceptional ride: On January 25, 1966 Mrs. Germaine Winkler stopped into Howard Motor Company here in Seattle and bought this Thunderbird new off the showroom floor (I have all the original paperwork and reams of receipts to pass on to you). Though the window sticker read $5,063.68, Mrs. Winkler was a hard bargainer paying an even $4,520 including tax and license fees. She would own the car for the next 27 years, passing it on through her will to a Seattle relative on December 30, 1993. He would keep the family heirloom for eight years, continuing to carefully maintain and watch over it here locally. In June, 2007 Jim Garcia acquired the T-bird. A dedicated Northwest Thunderbird enthusiast, he’d been searching for the right local ‘64-66 model to restore and instantly recognized the provenance after going over the records and appraising the vehicle’s condition. He then spent thousands replacing and upgrading many mechanical components as detailed below. CONDITION: The grillwork, trim and exterior chrome are just about as nice as you’ll find on an original car. That’s the original vinyl landau top and it is in great shape! You aren’t any rips, tears or loose patches. No UV “tiger claw shredding” and no shrinkage either. The wheels still wear their factory wheel covers and I love the fact that the original fender skirts were added to the sleek body shape when Mrs. Winkler bought the car. Rust? Please, cars here in the Pacific Northwest hate body rust and you’ll find little evidence of anything here! Yes, we get a bit of drizzly rain, but hardly ever any snow so our winter roads are never salted. And since it has spent its entire life in the area and has obviously been garaged most of the time, feel free to climb over, under and around this Bird - I know you’ll come up smiling. With its great looks and aggressive stance this boulevard cruiser always turns heads EVERYWHERE we go - and is it ever fun to tool around in! Please take another good look at the interior pictures. The original headliner is in great condition and you’ll see the rare-optioned overhead console there as well. The black loop carpet is also factory and covered by Thunderbird carpet mats. I would suggest replacing it sometime down the road as it’s a bit worn under those mats. The original black vinyl upholstery on both the front and rear seats is in exceptional shape with only a seam split on the driver’s cushion. All of the door panels are original. You’ll be quite impressed with the condition of the dash gauges, faux wood trim, the brushed stainless and all the interior chrome. It’s mostly as clear and bright as the day this rig left the plant more than 46 years ago! The stock AM radio works though the antennae is missing. The swing-away steering wheel stays locked into a stationary position for driving and tilts away if the driver’s door is open. Mechanically the engine is in great shape. Mr. Garcia passed along receipts for the following replacements and upgrades: Engine – New timing chain set & cover, new custom headers mated to 2 ½” aluminized front pipes with flowmaster mufflers, New Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and Holley “street Avenger” carb, a chromed alternator, new starter motor, Pertronics ignition, Blaster coil and high-pressure fuel pump added Rear end: New differential ring and pinion. Changed from 389 to 355 gears. New axel bearings & seals, New rear wheel cylinders. New rear leaf springs & shackles, Center pin plates and pins were fabricated for the diff. Complete front end – New Redhead steering box, new upper & lower ball joints, bushings, coil springs & insulators, upper & lower control arms, idler arm & brackets, Sensa-trac gas shock absorbers and a front sway bar kit. The alignment was checked and set. I had my mechanic do a quick once over last week and even after sitting in our storage warehouse for a few days at a time it has never failed to start right up at the first few cranks! It warms up, idles and runs out just fine. The Automatic transmission shifts and drives through all the gears properly, including reverse. All four 15-inch radial tires appear to have at least 80% remaining tread and even wear patterns. Please check the photos over closely and call with me with any questions BEFORE you place a bid! You’re encouraged to inspect the vehicle at our premises on weekdays, so please stop by or send your representative early to be sure you don't miss this one. If you’re new to eBay and have a feedback rating of five or fewer transactions (or any negative feedback) please contact me before placing a bid. If I don’t hear from you first, your bid may be cancelled. Additionally, I reserve the right to end the auction early if the Thunderbird is no longer available for sale or an acceptable offer has been agreed to before the auction is scheduled to end. A nonrefundable $500 deposit is due from the winning bidder within 48 hours of the auction’s end. We accept PAYPAL, but only for the $500 deposit (because of the high fees they charge). The balance is due by cash or certified funds within five days unless prior arrangements have been made with us. Remember, you are bidding to buy and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract! You’re not bidding to hold, inspect or then later come test-drive the car! Please stop by and do this ahead of time. Note to Bidders: Rest assured, we will NEVER “shill” or falsely "bump-up" an auction (a violation of Ebay rules and Federal Law) and we will NEVER, EVER solicit a “Second Chance Offer” from ANY Bidder! Please feel free to contact me directly thru Ebay’s system or, as outlined above, call 206/914-1173 anytime. My name is MARK THOMPSON. VEHICLE SHIPPING OR PICKUP: Although we’re happy to work with any shipper you choose, you’re also welcome to do what a growing number of our buyers from as far away as Alaska, the mid-west, New York, Florida, Canada and even the Mexican Baja have done – fly in to Seattle (we’ll pick you up at Sea-Tac International just a few miles away) and then drive this classic home the same day. I’ll have it gassed up and ready to go! Personally, I prefer to mostly trailer my collector cars home, but everyone’s different and a summer road trip would be great fun! If you decide to ship the car there are many transport companies to choose from. Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS) is eBay's prefered transporter. lately their quotes have been coming in about 10-20% BELOW most everyone else, so I'd check with them first. Alternatively, the U-Ship.com website is a good place to get multiple bids. Be sure and give the company our 98002 Zipcode (Auburn, WA) as the pick-up location. All costs of transport to the purchaser’s location are the responsibility of the purchaser and I’m happy to work with whomever you choose to make getting the T-bird to you as easy as possible. I’m more than happy to store it in our warehouse for up to two weeks after the auction, assuming full payment has been received. After this period I charge $15/day storage. Additional Terms and Requirements: The Buyer will be responsible for meeting the Licensing Requirements in their state of residence. If you live here in Washington State, we’ll need to collect the required 9.5% state sales tax and any registration fees. Be advized that, as a 42 year old collector car, this Thunderbird may have or develop issues at any moment. I can't guarantee that every physical flaw or internal defect has been uncovered or described. Because of this it is being sold as-is, where-is with no warranty expressed or implied. Please don't have unreasonable expectations. Having said this, I DO have faith in the overall condition of the car as I have observed and driven it. I honestly wouldn't hesitate to take this boulavard cruiser on a long-distance road trip today! The State of Washington shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes with the venue exclusively in King County. The final contract signed between both buyer and seller shall be binding. The final signed contract and terms thereof shall govern the sale. All disputes arising out of or relating to this auction, any negotiations, the signed agreement, or to the breach, enforcement or interpretation thereof, shall be resolved by binding arbitration in Washington, in accordance with the terms contained in the final sale agreement and under the laws of the State of Washington. Whew! Don’t you just love legalese? On Aug-11-12 at 21:26:53 PDT, seller added the following information: NOTE: I forgot to mention that two of the four electric window switches are very finiky. Probably just a good cleaning of the contacts after removal from the center console will do the trick, but I just haven't gotton to it yet. --Mark