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FOR SALE: 1965 FOrd Thunderbird hardtop, 16,538 original miles!


Matt Harwood

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Another special car from a very remarkable collection, this time a 1965 Thunderbird showing just over 16,000 original miles. With a single repaint, excellent original interior and padded roof, and a spotless undercarriage, it's a great survivor for preservation class competition. 1965 was a good year for Thunderbirds as they finally received disc brakes, which made them some of the best performing cars on the road. This one also includes factory A/C that blows ice cold and power windows, all of which are fully functional. The repaint was done several years ago, although I can't see any reason why as there's no evidence of rust or damage anywhere on the car. The padded roof, however, is original and in great shape, and all the chrome remains shiny. 1965 was also the first year for sequential taillights, and they do work like they should.

The blue interior is very well preserved, with only the driver's seat showing wear in the form of slightly crushed cushions. Otherwise, it's excellent in every way, from the carpets to the headliner, and even the woodgrained appliques are not faded. The instruments are all fully functional with bright markings, and as I said, the A/C blows cold thanks to a recent service and R134a upgrade. The back seat is ultra cool, with those wrap-around seat backs that almost look like some kind of '60s lounge furniture. In back, the trunk still carries all its original mats and covers, plus a full jack assembly and spare tire, with no surprises underneath. This is a solid southern car with no rust.

The engine is the X-code 390 with a 4-barrel carburetor and a new dual exhaust system that sounds downright awesome. The engine bay isn't detailed, but could easily be taken to show levels with just a deep cleaning. All the decals and factory paint on the block are impressively preserved, and the little stuff like the reproduction battery make it look right. It starts quickly and easily, idles beautifully, and is remarkably agile around town. 3.00 gears out back make it a fantastic high-speed cruiser so if you like road trips, there are few finer steeds. The disc brakes also included special 15-inch steel wheels which are designed to clear the calipers, and they now wear fresh Bridgestone whitewall radials. The underbody was undercoated many years ago, but there's absolutely no evidence of rust or damage under there, and the mechanicals are in first-rate condition. There's nothing like the feel of an original car, and this one rides and drives, well, like it has 16,000 miles on it. Extremely nice.

While 2-seat 'Birds have cooled off, the '60s 4-seaters are heating up, and if you're looking for this year's Hershey HPOF candidate, this is it. Asking $19,900 and we're always happy to discuss offers. Thanks for looking!

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