Car of the Week: 1966 Ford Thunderbird

dodgechargerfan

dodgechargerfan

In a 55 gallon drum, floating down river, and
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Bob Potter has tried to get rid of his 1966 Ford Thunderbird a few times over the years. For some reason, he was never all that sentimental about the car, and even though he bought it new in the fall of 1965 and the car has followed him all over the country, he was never determined to keep it for good.

At one point, he couldn’t even get $1,000 for the wonderfullly preserved “Jet Bird.” Heck, he couldn’t even give it away — at least not permanently — to his own daughter.

Sentiments can change, however, and these days Bob and his wife Donna are having more fun than ever with their handsome Ford, and they realize now how much they would have regretted losing it. “Now, we wouldn’t even consider selling it!” Bob laughs. “We like the car too much.”

It’s doubtful there is another 1966 Thunderbird anywhere that has been more well-traveled than the Potters’ car. It has lived all around the United States, moving with the couple through every job change and relocation. “I worked for defense contractors for 35 years, so we moved a lot,” Bob said. “When we moved to the house we’re in now [in Deming, N.M.], I think it was our 34th move since we’ve been married. But somehow or another we’ve kept that car all the while.”

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You cannot scrape the ugly off any T-Bird built from 1958 to 1983... not surprising he got stuck with it.
 
:D

There is a guy that lives across the street where I'm working that has one. His is completely restored, the former owner paid $29k, dumped in another $12k and sold it to this guy for $23,000 cash. Very ugly car, but it is a 4 barrel convertible, all in that era were 390's I've been told.
 
The 428 Police Interceptor was available as an option for a few years. A co-worker of mine in the late '80s had a mint '69 hardtop with a 429, yellow with a black top and interior... it was like Ford designers scratched their chins and said, "How can we make this car even uglier?" for 1969. It was big, ugly, heavy and handled like a dump truck, but at least it was slow. :D
 
I think they kept that body style until '68. I'm not sure. The guy that bought my Imperial has a '67 with a 428PI that looks like this car... which is to say, butt ugly.
 
I rather like the body style.

But then I also own a VW Beetle, so pay me no mind. :)

We had a customer several years ago that had a Black with red interior '65 'Bird. A Los Angeles car up until he bought it in the early 90s.
One repaint, extremely nice underneath, 390 four barrel. He let me drive it for several weekends and I have to say it was one of the smoothest cars of that era that I've ever driven. Not so much on the power, but it rode, steered and stopped beautifully. It was REALLY hard on gas, though.
 
ive got nothing against the "glamour" birds....but..if anyone happens across that style tail panel ion a wrecker..do me a favor ..take it apart and grab the inner tail lights...i need more and they are NOT repopped

and when i say inner i mean remove the tail light lense and you will see the nipple lenses under it
 
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