![]() It was a really well equipped car, with power windows, locks, A/C and the big engine. This being 85, it wasn’t ever as buttoned up as it could have been today. ![]() She bought it at an auction in the San Fernando valley and had the infamous “Nick’s T-Bird” re-do the interior and fix some of the small issues. My mom, never one to be conventional, somehow ended up with a turquoise 1960 thunderbird. In the end, My aunt walked out with a first gen Nissan Pulsar that lasted with her for almost 15 years. She also drove a couple F bodies but didn’t like them. She looked at the base model Prelude (That one I remember because when my mom expressed doubt about the 4 cylinder engine the salesman gave my mom a cock and bull story about all the big rigs on the road having 4 cylinder engines). I was only 10 so I don’t know the exact guidelines that were set out, but I do remember my mom looking at the GM “J” bodies (the T-Type sky hawk was the one that stood out to the 10 year old me). When I was growing up in 1985 our family’s patriarch, my grandfather, decided to buy a “new car” for his 2 daughters. Still, I’m glad that some of these Jet Age flights of fancy survive, so we can see how it was. The future, as it looked in the early 1960s, was a lot cooler than what we ended up with, but we’re a lot cleaner and safer than we were back then. They’re also slow, poor-handling, and take forever to stop, at least by modern standards. They violate every single safety and environmental regulation in the book. Sadly, you just can’t style cars like these anymore. Even the horribly-out-of-place ’80s-style American Racing wheels can’t mess it up too badly, though it’s crying out for slotted mags or Cragars instead. I’m not much of a fan of red cars, but I am a fan of Virgil Exner’s designs, and this is a good one. Outside, it’s shiny and straight, and almost certainly repainted. But honestly, unless a car is a serious collectible, if it needs work, you might as well make it your own. It doesn’t look bad – except maybe that steering wheel – but it’s nothing like what Dodge would have put in there originally. The interior has been redone, and it looks like a “Tijuana”-type deal. The engine isn’t the only non-original thing in this car. It runs and drives well, and has had recent carb work, and all new brakes. Wherever it came from, it’s coupled to a Torqueflite automatic with push-button operation. Chances are this was a replacement engine from a later car Slant Sixes weren’t exactly rare, nor valuable. Also, it has a PCV valve, which wasn’t required until 1968. I don’t think this is the original engine, however in ’62 the engine should be painted orange. The Valiant and Lancer introduced to the world one of Chrysler’s most legendary engines: the Slant Six. In 1963, when the second-generation A-body was introduced, Dodge’s version changed to a different, better-known pointy-themed name: the Dart. Chrysler’s Dodge division, not wanting to be left out, introduced their own version of the Valiant, called the Lancer. Ford introduced the Falcon, Chevy brought out the Corvair, and Chrysler threw its hat in the ring with the A-body Valiant, originally a standalone nameplate, but moved over to Plymouth in 1961. Operational status: Runs and drives greatġ960 was a big year for small cars in America. The windshield wiper motor is also out, and needs rebuilding. The compressor was removed at some point it sounds like it’s included, but if you want AC in this car, you’re probably better off installing a modern system. Everything works inside, except the air conditioner. The driver’s seat upholstery and the headliner could use some work, but everything else looks all right. It’s all original, as far as anyone can tell, and in good condition. Its original owner used it to tow a boat it’s strictly a weekend cruiser these days. It runs and drives great, according to the seller, and has covered only 51,000 miles over the course of three owners. This one is backed by a three-speed “Cruise-O-Matic” automatic transmission, which suits the car’s big lazy character. The ’60 Thunderbird’s standard engine was Ford’s 352 cubic inch FE V8, putting out a nice round 300 gross horsepower. Sales took off in the second generation, and the T-Bird remained a four-seater until the 2002 revival model.Ī big car needs a big engine. It did all right, but Ford thought it would do better with a back seat – and they were right. Ford’s Thunderbird started out as a two-seat convertible with a removable hard top, intended as a more luxurious competitor to Chevy’s spartan first-generation Corvette.
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