Richard Douglass Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Has anyone seen this option ,makes a convertible into a 2 seater,ran into this 63 Thunderbird in Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Check out Mac's they sell reproductions of this tonneau cover. A local collector used to have a Thunderbird with the same option. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Douglass Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 According to the owner of the car this was a factory option installed by the dealer, back seat is still there ,just remove the panel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Everytime I saw Fred's car I always thought of it as the Bat Mobile option, I know wrong make but just has that look 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Douglass Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 That's exactly what I thought of when I saw this car!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 "Sport Roadster" option included the tonneau cover and wire wheels, skirts deleted for clearance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I do not see the passenger assist bar (was it on the door ?) which sounds like a dealer or local install. Is easy to just add the cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 As with most rare cars and options from the 1960s, there are far more T-Bird Sport Roadsters today than Ford ever built... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 factory model in '62 and '63; dealer-installed kit in '64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Not a special option, but a separate model called the Sport Roadster. However, the various parts were available over-the-counter at the dealer and there are many reproduction parts out there as well. '62 and '63 Sport Roadsters are easy to identify because they have a separate model number and a different VIN, but the '61s are problematic if the replica is done well. This is a '63 that is not a real Sport Roadster but has most of the components with the exception of the grab handle on the passenger side and it's wearing skirts, which means the wheels are repros (the originals didn't fit under the factory skirts). The tonneau is removable and there's a full back seat underneath. It doesn't affect top operation, either. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 5 hours ago, joe_padavano said: As with most rare cars and options from the 1960s, there are far more T-Bird Sport Roadsters today than Ford ever built... That occurs to me every time I see the hundreds of '60's era GTO's for sale nowadays...and relatively few LeMans 2 door hardtops. When I was in elementary school in the 1960's it was strangely the inverse of that. 😁 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I first learned of this set up when I got the AMT kit that includes it. What purpose does it serve? I don't see the appeal but perhaps I don't have enough information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, Billy Kingsley said: I first learned of this set up when I got the AMT kit that includes it. What purpose does it serve? I don't see the appeal but perhaps I don't have enough information. It looks cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I suspected that might have been the case. It's not my style, but I can understand that reason! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 1 minute ago, Billy Kingsley said: I suspected that might have been the case. It's not my style, but I can understand that reason! I like them without this option, a neighbor had a 63 t-bird convertible that I thought was the coolest thing on four wheels. Then he dropped a few places when another neighbor got a 63 Impala SS. As a Chevy guy, the Impala became the new top cool car in the neighbor hood. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 ref GTOs: There are several undocumented ways to tell but with billing cards available from Jim, it is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I think there are also a LOT more 1970-'71 B and E-body Mopars running around in one of the five 'Hi-Impact' paint colors than were originally painted that way!! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 15 minutes ago, 8E45E said: I think there are also a LOT more 1970-'71 B and E-body Mopars running around in one of the five 'Hi-Impact' paint colors than were originally painted that way!! Craig Funny how when something gets popular, more of them than were ever made show up for sale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 and tripower GTOs. BTW note on my billing card that the am radio and 8-track cost more than the four speed transmission. The high prices for the very good Delco radios spawned a whole aftermarket industry. GM responded with oddball shaft and dial configurations. Wasn't SEMA formed to sue GM to provide standardized radios ? My '78 Sunbird had a "radio accommodation package" ($25) that contained everything but the radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 3 hours ago, padgett said: and tripower GTOs. BTW note on my billing card that the am radio and 8-track cost more than the four speed transmission. The high prices for the very good Delco radios spawned a whole aftermarket industry. GM responded with oddball shaft and dial configurations. Wasn't SEMA formed to sue GM to provide standardized radios ? My '78 Sunbird had a "radio accommodation package" ($25) that contained everything but the radio. Good one! The only country that had a standard for radio fitment, as far as I know, is Germany, with its DIN specification. I've never heard of such a thing as SEMA, or any other aftermarket organization trying to sue an automaker to standardize a car radio size. I remember the first Chev Citations had a vertical-format radio ala AMC, and some 1980's Firebirds had an optional AM/FM/cassette freestanding radio that swivelled on a post on the console. I do have a Delco radio that came out of an Opel Kadett that is a DIN size. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 (edited) On 1/5/2020 at 2:37 PM, Billy Kingsley said: I suspected that might have been the case. It's not my style, but I can understand that reason! Are you about to start a family, and need all four seats? In 1963, the two-seat 'bird was still on many people's minds and a small segment did want to see a revival of a two-seater, which was why this package was offered. (Budd actually built a concept in 1963, which was basically an update of the 1957 T-bird with trimmed down fins and a flat windshield.) Craig Edited January 7, 2020 by 8E45E Added photo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Well SEMA was formed in 1963 and I remember the radio issue in the early 70s so not why it was formed. Think the 66 T'bird had the first 8-track and FM radios appeared in the 60s. Late 60s was when the FM-stereo became popular and I have an under dash FM-ST/8-track that was in my '70 Buick GS also a '69 Akai reel-reel and 8-track recorder. (what happens when you live in the same place for many years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 I do know one thing that was standardized across the board in 1963 were transistorized car radios, and that was the SAE, not SEMA. There were a couple of exceptions, including 1963 Ford compacts and intermediates in certain markets still having tube radios available, but that was to use up leftover stock from the year previous. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 4 hours ago, 8E45E said: Good one! The only country that had a standard for radio fitment, as far as I know, is Germany, with its DIN specification. I've never heard of such a thing as SEMA, or any other aftermarket organization trying to sue an automaker to standardize a car radio size. I remember the first Chev Citations had a vertical-format radio ala AMC, and some 1980's Firebirds had an optional AM/FM/cassette freestanding radio that swivelled on a post on the console. I do have a Delco radio that came out of an Opel Kadett that is a DIN size. Craig An 81 Citation hatch was our family daily driver from 1990-97, and if we turned the radio on, the car would shut off. Doubt it was that way when new but it was like that the entire time we had it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) On 1/5/2020 at 8:56 AM, Matt Harwood said: Not a special option, but a separate model called the Sport Roadster. However, the various parts were available over-the-counter at the dealer and there are many reproduction parts out there as well. '62 and '63 Sport Roadsters are easy to identify because they have a separate model number and a different VIN, but the '61s are problematic if the replica is done well. This is a '63 that is not a real Sport Roadster but has most of the components with the exception of the grab handle on the passenger side and it's wearing skirts, which means the wheels are repros (the originals didn't fit under the factory skirts). The tonneau is removable and there's a full back seat underneath. It doesn't affect top operation, either. They mentioned the difficulty of identifying a genuine Sports Roadster from a clone as far back as 1973. Edited January 7, 2020 by 8E45E (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 13 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said: An 81 Citation hatch was our family daily driver from 1990-97, and if we turned the radio on, the car would shut off. Doubt it was that way when new but it was like that the entire time we had it. The car had to reserve its power for motion rather than music😀. Actually at one time I was looking at the Citation X-11 as my next possible new car. I didn’t like the torque steer from the FWD so I eventually bought a Camaro Z28 in 1983. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 minute ago, TerryB said: The car had to reserve its power for motion rather than music😀. It might have been the music itself that turned the car off. After all, it WAS the height of the disco era. Craig 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezestaak2000 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 a possible explaination could be that ford was still hanging onto the idea that the thunderbird was a corvette competitor ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 hour ago, cheezestaak2000 said: a possible explaination could be that ford was still hanging onto the idea that the thunderbird was a corvette competitor ? Henry went all the way and chased (and passed at LeMans) Ferrari, not a lowly Corvette, and responded with the GT-40. Today, you can buy your own Ford GT: https://www.ford.ca/performance/gt/ Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 9 hours ago, 8E45E said: It might have been the music itself that turned the car off. After all, it WAS the height of the disco era. Craig Ah yes, the first “smart car”! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 14 hours ago, TerryB said: Ah yes, the first “smart car”! And it if had the optional 8-track, it automatically ate every garbage $3.99 K-tel tape cartridge? Craig 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Think 66 was first T'bird to have an 8-track. In south Florida the cheap rollers melted. Repaired some with Lear-Siegler rollers AFAIR. Used to use fingernail to tell if roller was OK before insertion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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