1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop With the country club set, this four seater Bird went over like a keg of brandy in a prison camp. And by mid 1959 there were so many Thunderbirds cruising up and down country lanes and through estate gates that a guy from Mars might have thought, 'So this is what they get in those Crackerjacks boxes!'. Never within my memory has an out and out specialty car sold so well as this four place 'Bird. As a prestige item it left a healthy dent in the Cadillac shinbone. Mechanics Illustrated, July 1960, 1960 Squarebird review For consignment, a 1960 Ford Thunderbird hardtop with a title verified 84,114 actual miles. 92,843 Thunderbirds were produced in 1960, the final year of the successful second generation which sold about 200,000 in the three years between 1958 and 1960. This example has been owned by our consignor for 26 years, always garaged and never intentionally driven in the rain. Exterior Raven Black coats our car like a fountain pen in an ink vat while its toothed grille and bumper grin widely as sculpted eyebrows over dual headlights complete the face of the car. The hood scoop remains from the previous generation although contoured more with the flat hood. In profile, this stunning car presents canted A-pillars that surround a wraparound windshield and a wide, regal C-pillar that is adorned with the ever present Thunderbird icon. Nine trim bars pull your eyes to the rear quarter and torpedo body line implies forward momentum. Out back, fins flank a triple tail light panel with a sculpted trunk lid that follows the contours of the panels, and dips in the center where another Thunderbird spreads its wings, all over a sculpted chrome bumper. 16-inch polished American Racing Torque Thrust wheels on staggered size tires help create a raked stance. Imperfections include various scratches, scuffs, inclusions, and bubbling in lower areas. Interior It's always a treat when the designer brings some of the exterior design cues to the interior and in this case, the torpedo facing forward on the door is pointed backwards on the door panel in gleaming metal surrounded by black vinyl, with some patina on the driver's armrest. Low back leather bucket seats occupy the front with some very slight wear on the driver's seat but overall the fronts and rear 2+2 are in nice shape. A black steering wheel is in nice great condition and is accompanied by an added tachometer and oil pressure gauge. The grooved metal panel behind the gauges also shines and the gauges remain clear while an updated AM/FM/Cassette radio is in the above the levers embedded in a circular vent panel. Black loop carpet covers the floor and a hot foot gas pedal replaces the stock version. The perforated black headliner shows a touch of looseness but is intact and the large, flat trunk is covered with a carpet remnant with a patina floor underneath. Drivetrain Flip the hood forward and reveal the rebuilt 352ci V8 under it, with a mild Isky cam, a Holley 4-barrel carburetor and an Edelbrock intake. Behind it, a rebuilt Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission routing power to the Ford 9 axle with 3.10 gears. Power brakes and power steering are on board as well as an electric auxiliary fan. Undercarriage General driver quality underneath with typical surface rust and patina and just a touch of oil film on the pans. Wilwood supplies the power front disc and it's backed by power drums on the rear wheels and the brakes were completely redone in 2020. Dual exhaust runs through glasspack style mufflers before exiting through straight pipes in back and suspension consists of coil springs in front and leaf springs in back. Drive-Ability We take off in this black bird and glide over the test loop where the car provides good power, a comfortable cockpit, and braking that's on point. We note the engine loading up on occasion as well as wipers and a clock that are not working. It's a fantastic cruiser and all other functi