Introduced as a sporty two-seat roadster in 1954, the Ford Thunderbird morphed into a larger, heavier four-seat automobile in 1958. And even though it moved away from the sports car segment dominated by the Chevrolet Corvette, the Thunderbird remained popular for decades.
As a result, the Thunderbird is not a rare classic. Except for the first-gen model, which is far more desirable and expensive, all the other versions from the 1950s and 1960s are relatively easy to find and still somewhat affordable when in excellent condition. On the flip side, quite a few of these Thunderbirds are rotting away in junkyards and barns as we speak.
The 1966 T-Bird you see here is one of those cars. It wasn't abandoned in a junkyard, and it wasn't found in a barn either, but it spent quite a few decades parked between trees in someone's backyard. And judging by the license place, this Ford hasn't been driven on public roads since 1976. Yup, believe it or not, this classic was laid to rest after only 10 years on the road.
While cars that have been sitting for almost 50 years rarely get a second chance (unless they're super-rare and valuable), this Thunderbird got lucky and was taken home by YouTube's "Halfass Kustoms." He managed to get it running and driving again.
The big-block V8 engine under the hood didn't take too long to fire up, which is surprising for a car that sat for 46 years. But perhaps the previous owner gave it a few squirts of gas from time to time to prevent it from getting stuck. Whatever the case, the mill runs surprisingly well, and it seems like it could become road-worthy again with just a bit of work.
I can't say the same about the entire car, though. It needs new brakes, but, more importantly, it needs new floor panels. The rust holes are just too big to ignore, and I bet this T-Bird hides more surprises like that in some areas. Still, it's quite fantastic that it still runs and drives after so many years, and hopefully, it will get a much-deserved restoration.
This luxury car is part of the third-generation Thunderbird, which was made from 1964 to 1966. Introduced with a 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8 good for 300 horsepower, the Thunderbird got an optional 428-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 rated at 345 horses in 1966. The third-gen T-Bird sold 236,613 units over three model years.
But that's enough history for today. See this 1966 land yacht come back to life in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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