Mustang was already Ford’s superstar in 1965, especially as the 1964 1/2 model was selling like hotcakes, and the carmaker was prepared for the first refresh as part of the next model year. But Thunderbird continued to be a head-turning machine, especially thanks to the more luxurious touch that it brought to the market.
Fortunately for all car aficionados (not just for wealthy collectors), an unrestored Thunderbird is right here in front of your eyes, allowing everybody to admire a car that hasn’t received too many fixes throughout all these years.
This 1965 Ford Thunderbird was found in a carport where it’s been sitting since 1988. It was discovered as part of an estate sale, and a quick inspection revealed things that you wouldn’t normally expect on a car this old.
The vehicle has never been restored, though it did receive a repaint at some point. It’s unclear how professional it was, but you can always go check out the car in person before bidding online.
It exhibits occasional signs of rust, but the car doesn’t by any means look as bad as you’d expect a car sitting for close to four decades to look. The floors and the trunk have no idea what rust actually means, so at some level, this T-Bird managed to pass the test of time with flying colors.
Equipped with power steering, power brakes, and the factory AM/FM radio, this Thunderbird requires the typical refresh that a good mechanic would give to a car sitting for so long. New fluids, new brakes, and so on are a must if you want to get it back on the road.
Now let’s talk engines. This Thunderbird comes with a 390 under the hood, but here’s the thing. The seller says they “heard” the V8 running, but it seems to work only with gas poured into the carburetor right now. This probably means that a new tank would be required, but you can check this out in person when you see the car live. The good news is the engine is still alive, as four decades of sitting could easily lead to a powerplant getting stuck.
Given that the Thunderbird wasn’t necessarily the most successful Ford during the ’60s, the car is fairly affordable, and eBay seller rpmlrls seems quite realistic. They expect to get $7,500 for this solid T-Bird, but the Make Offer button has also been enabled in case someone has another deal in mind.
At this point, the car is parked in Virginia. It comes with a lot of documentation, including inspection receipts from 1978 to 1988 before the car was eventually parked by its owner. The odometer indicates a little over 86,000 miles (close to 138,500 km).