1965 Ford Thunderbird

Coupe

390 CID V-8

Three Speed Dual Range Automatic

5Y83Z151554

Clear

Gasoline

1965 Ford Thunderbird 390 CID-315 HP V8 VIN: 5Y83Z151554 “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 an old Volkswagen Microbus. I knew my folks would NEVER have a car this cool or powerful (though I’ve come to appreciate vintage VWs now, too). Over the 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 ‘65 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 on March 12, 1965 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 has the ever-reliable three speed dual range automatic transmission installed from the factory along with monstrous 11-inch brakes. It still wears the rare original factory color (Pastel Yellow) and the trim code specifies the beige vinyl interior. The insides of the 1964-66 T-bird were gorgeous and very well-conceived combining just the right amount of brushed stainless steel, chrome, vinyl 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: 63A – 2 door Hardtop Color: G – Pastel Yellow Trim: 54 – Beige Vinyl Date: 12C – March 12, 1965 DSO: 74 - Seattle District Sales Office Axle: 1 - 3.0 Trans: 4 - 3 Speed dual Range 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: CONDITION: The grillwork, trim and exterior chrome are just about as nice as you’ll find. The wheels still wear their factory wheel covers and I love the fact that fender skirts were ordered with the car. A quality respray was done to the factory color sometime in the past. No UV-induced “tiger claw” shredding or observed bubbling beneath the original vinyl top that has many years of service left. Rust? Please, cars here in the Pacific Northwest hate body rust and you’ll find NOTHING here to cause concern! 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 vinyl upholstery on both the front and rear seats is in exceptional shape with only a seam split on the side of the driver’s cushion. Both door panels are original. Their brushed stainless and most of the vinyl areas are excellent but show some wear near the pull handle as shown. The original headliner is in great condition with only a small tear by the rear window. I had to look twice when the car first arrived to be sure the light copper loop carpet was factory. My only suggestion is a light shampooing that would make it look almost like new. You’ll be quite impressed with the condition of the dash gauges, the brushed stainless and all the interior chrome. It’s as clear and bright as the day this rig left the Wixom plant almost 48 years ago! The stock AM radio works fine. Mechanically the drive train appears in great shape. I had my mechanic do a quick once over a few weeks back and even after sitting in our storage warehouse for a few days at a time it never fails 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. Please check the photos over closely and call me with any questions BEFORE you place a bid! You’re encouraged to inspect the T-bird at my Auburn, WA warehouse, 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. The balance is due by cash or certified funds within seven days unless prior arrangements have been made with me. 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). 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 TRANSPORT/PICKUP: If you decide to have the car shipped, there are numerous vehicle transport companies to choose from although most of our buyers use Ebay endorsed Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS). Lately their quotes have been coming in a bit BELOW most everyone else, so I'd check with them first. Call my rep, Janice, at (800) 826-1083 ext. 5096. Give her my account number (2362642) and she'll be able to tell you the exact cost. Alternatively, the U-Ship.com website is a good place to get multiple bids. Be sure to give the company our 98002 Zip Code (Auburn, WA) as the pick-up location. I'm available to meet their driver most any day and time but Sunday. All costs of transport 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. If you decide to fly in to Seattle-Tacoma International I'm happy to pick you up there. My warehouse is only a few miles from the airport and you can road trip home. I’m also more than happy to store the T-bird for up to two weeks after the auction ends, assuming full payment has been received. After this period I charge $15/day storage. Please be mindful that, as a nearly five decades old collector car, the T-bird may have or could develop issues I'm unaware of at any moment and is sold "as-is, where-is". I can't guarantee every physical flaw or internal defect has been uncovered or described, though I do my best! Please don't have unrealistic expectations. Having said all that, I DO have faith in the overall condition of the car as I've observed and driven it. I honestly wouldn't hesitate to take it on a long-distance road trip today! On Feb-14-13 at 21:17:30 PST, seller added the following information: mbclassic store