Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Love Watt. My hero.

The man in the van with a bass in his hand

 

[KaraQ]

Beautiful. What motor was in yours.

It had several over its life, iirc it started out in '69 with a 318. Somebody had a big block in at some point for drag racing....

By the time I got it, it had another 318, from a THP police interceptor according to the guy we bought it from (I think, my dad checked once, according to the block/head stamps? it was bored maybe 30 over w/360 heads from the factory? Memory from 30-ish years ago... ).

Eventually, it got progressively bigger motors (I know! Engines! ), and had a 440 from a New Yorker when I finally got rid of it in....'98? I think.

I spent a lot of time, energy, & $$ tinkering (big surprise there ) over the years, fixing all the little nit-picky stuff damaged or removed by previous owners



If I ever get rich-ish, and have a place for it, I'd like to get another

But red, obviously

 

[KaraQ]

Nice! Gotta love Mopar styling...a friend in HS had a metallic green one with the black vinyl top ........looked like it wanted to eat you (no ahems please) from the rear view mirror...ones with Hemis go for a pretty penny these days, he had a 340 I believe..

Yeah, I got told that a few times

Mine had a mostly blacked out grill, & one of the fiberglass 6-pack hoods most of its life. Very menacing-looking in the mirror when it's bearing down on you from behind (I viewed the speed limit as more of a recommendation back then....)

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

This is what I learned to drive in. Dad's 1960 T-Bird (same color)

It had the 352 Police Interceptor Engine, 360 Hp. Man that thing could fly.

 

[JIO]

This is what I learned to drive in. Dad's 1960 T-Bird (same color)
View attachment 4150179

It had the 352 Police Interceptor Engine, 360 Hp. Man that thing could fly.

my fave T-bird

 

[GBassNorth]

I thought, since there's a lot of talk about 1st/high school cars, I'd join in the nostalgia-talk

This isn't my actual car, no digital pics of it (and the film ones are....maybe (probably) in my storage unit? But this is mostly close, but prettier than mine was. It was one of the "too loud" cars that I drove for years. Loved that car!


1969 Dodge Coronet:

View attachment 4149974

Love that car! One of my friends in HS had one with a 440 magnum in it. He was hard to beat in straight line stop light racing. However, he soon found out that it wasn't the best setup for canyon runs. He and I and a few other buddies used to race from Los Gatos to Scotts Valley on highway 17 (@Chucky Stiletti knows the area well). My 1965 Mustang with a hopped up 289 (put out about 350hp) frequently did quite well against the big blocks that couldn't corner or brake as well.

Looking back on it, it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever did. Doing 90mph and coming up on a blind corner where there might be an 18 wheeler hauling sand up the grade at 20mph was more than hair raising. Could have easily killed myself and others. Thankfully I outgrew my adolescence before I hurt somebody or myself. It's race tracks only now.

 

[BklynKen]

THUNDERBIRD

 

[GBassNorth]

my fave T-bird
View attachment 4150226

Yummm. Last of the really great Birds. A bit more menacing looking than the sweet but cream puff port hole birds of the late 50's.

 

[PillO]

I thought, since there's a lot of talk about 1st/high school cars, I'd join in the nostalgia-talk

This isn't my actual car, no digital pics of it (and the film ones are....maybe (probably) in my storage unit? But this is mostly close, but prettier than mine was. It was one of the "too loud" cars that I drove for years. Loved that car!


1969 Dodge Coronet:

View attachment 4149974

That was a really cool car. At least it was for the era in which I went to high school (early 80s).

 

[JIO]

Yummm. Last of the really great Birds. A bit more menacing looking than the sweet but cream puff port hole birds of the late 50's.

The red rocket -

 

[MCF]

Love that car! One of my friends in HS had one with a 440 magnum in it. He was hard to beat in straight line stop light racing. However, he soon found out that it wasn't the best setup for canyon runs. He and I and a few other buddies used to race from Los Gatos to Scotts Valley on highway 17 (@Chucky Stiletti knows the area well). My 1965 Mustang with a hopped up 289 (put out about 350hp) frequently did quite well against the big blocks that couldn't corner or brake as well.

Looking back on it, it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever did. Doing 90mph and coming up on a blind corner where there might be an 18 wheeler hauling sand up the grade at 20mph was more than hair raising. Could have easily killed myself and others. Thankfully I outgrew my adolescence before I hurt somebody or myself. It's race tracks only now.

Kinda like the time I got the ‘59 544 to 100. My girlfriend was pretty scared.

 

[MCF]

Treated “my precious” to her annual Sunday spa day. Frets polished, board cleaned and F1ed, strings (smooth as a baby’s behind Cobalt flats) cleaned and all over polish. I love this Thunderbird!

 

[KaraQ]

my fave T-bird
View attachment 4150226

What's not to love about a red Thunderbird?
I've got two white ones that'll be about that same color before too long

Love that car! One of my friends in HS had one with a 440 magnum in it. He was hard to beat in straight line stop light racing. However, he soon found out that it wasn't the best setup for canyon runs. He and I and a few other buddies used to race from Los Gatos to Scotts Valley on highway 17 (@Chucky Stiletti knows the area well). My 1965 Mustang with a hopped up 289 (put out about 350hp) frequently did quite well against the big blocks that couldn't corner or brake as well.

Looking back on it, it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever did. Doing 90mph and coming up on a blind corner where there might be an 18 wheeler hauling sand up the grade at 20mph was more than hair raising. Could have easily killed myself and others. Thankfully I outgrew my adolescence before I hurt somebody or myself. It's race tracks only now.

I know what you mean, having grown up in the mountains of East TN.
(un?)Fortunately, we also had a few, somewhat lightly traveled, 4-lane US highways & Interstates. 120+ in one of those old (worn-out) at the time 20 yr old tanks == I'm alive how, exactly?

That was a really cool car. At least it was for the era in which I went to high school (early 80s).

I was late '80s, graduated '90. That was my second car, the first I paid for myself. Got it about 6 weeks before my 18th birthday...

Even now, I think it's just such a beautiful design, from any angle. It's what drew me to it in the first place

 

[Engle]

I had one of these in high school.
View attachment 4149778

I too had the ice scraper, but, on a curved windshield it doesn't do much good.

The real trick was to dress warmly and open those little side windows. They could keep the inside of the windshield from frosting up (but keep occupants chilled) until you had some meager heat going.

And if it were terribly cold and you didn't care about gas mileage, then there was a auxiliary heater than burned gas. Under the back seat near the battery if memory serves.

I was going to ask about the wheels, but that’s not your car is it?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

It had several over its life, iirc it started out in '69 with a 318. Somebody had a big block in at some point for drag racing....

By the time I got it, it had another 318, from a THP police interceptor according to the guy we bought it from (I think, my dad checked once, according to the block/head stamps? it was bored maybe 30 over w/360 heads from the factory? Memory from 30-ish years ago... ).

Eventually, it got progressively bigger motors (I know! Engines! ), and had a 440 from a New Yorker when I finally got rid of it in....'98? I think.

I spent a lot of time, energy, & $$ tinkering (big surprise there ) over the years, fixing all the little nit-picky stuff damaged or removed by previous owners



If I ever get rich-ish, and have a place for it, I'd like to get another

But red, obviously

Yeah, I got told that a few times

Mine had a mostly blacked out grill, & one of the fiberglass 6-pack hoods most of its life. Very menacing-looking in the mirror when it's bearing down on you from behind (I viewed the speed limit as more of a recommendation back then....)

SOOOOOOO Glad you found us!!!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Love that car! One of my friends in HS had one with a 440 magnum in it. He was hard to beat in straight line stop light racing. However, he soon found out that it wasn't the best setup for canyon runs. He and I and a few other buddies used to race from Los Gatos to Scotts Valley on highway 17 (@Chucky Stiletti knows the area well). My 1965 Mustang with a hopped up 289 (put out about 350hp) frequently did quite well against the big blocks that couldn't corner or brake as well.

Looking back on it, it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever did. Doing 90mph and coming up on a blind corner where there might be an 18 wheeler hauling sand up the grade at 20mph was more than hair raising. Could have easily killed myself and others. Thankfully I outgrew my adolescence before I hurt somebody or myself. It's race tracks only now.

but sounds like one heck of a good time!
FUN stretch in this...

 

[PillO]

I was going to ask about the wheels, but that’s not your car is it?

No. Mine was yellow and I don't think I have any pictures. I used the trunk in the back (it had the "pancake engine" so there was a trunk in back in addition to the one in front) to carry my case of beer. We would go out to my car at lunch and drink.

 

[D.M.N.]

my fave T-bird
View attachment 4150226

That's the model that I have, although it's a '62 so there's a small difference in the grill and side decorations. 390 V8, Sport Roadster, can't remember off the top of my head if it's the M code or not.

 

[TBird1958]

Treated “my precious” to her annual Sunday spa day. Frets polished, board cleaned and F1ed, strings (smooth as a baby’s behind Cobalt flats) cleaned and all over polish. I love this Thunderbird!
View attachment 4150295

I'll see your clean and beautifully maintained fret board and raise you with this skanky mess

 

[MCF]

I'll see your clean and beautifully maintained fret board and raise you with this skanky mess

View attachment 4150659

Ha! To each their own. I don’t put much stock in mojo.