1960 Ford Thunderbird Coupe

Lay aside everything you've heard in condemnation of the four-seat 1960 Ford Thunderbird -- all that stuff about forsaking the sports car, substituting glitz for function, adding the hated back seat.
It is all immaterial because it misses the point: Despite its deviation from the original concept, the first four-seat Thunderbird was simply a masterpiece of design.

For consignment the timeless design of the 1960 Squarebird, deviating from the original concept with a back seat...Lions and Tigers, and Bears...OH MY!! Yes, it has a back bench in addition to those front buckets. This one has been maintained by an expert in Thunderbird collecting and has been well kept during its time with said collector/consigner. This design is timeless, and could be in your driveway today, and it would look like the contemporary cars of today, with just a little more embellishment.

Exterior
Corinthian White covers the steel panels of this 52 inch high car, and it is still a sports car, despite the backseat for you purists. Low and lean, the design is thought to be the best of all the birds and this writer would definitely agree. Dual headlights in their own eyebrow cowl which starts at the hood line and moves upward and outward to the front quarters. A chrome bezel holds both in place on either side and this overhang is reminiscent of an actual bird of prey. A mouth line smiling grille is below, and has an eggcrate design, all chromed just like the bumper above and below this egg crate grille nice and mirror like. Gunsight chrome embellishments sit atop each front quarter and heather chromed fronted scooped hood glides seamlessly back to the windscreen. Moving rearward straight steel for the doors which have a bump out trim spear, which is the actual steel within the door, move towards the rear wheel well and bumper. Up on top of the rear quarter, is an angled fin tastefully high enough for the turn of the decade, which frames owl-like eyes in the form of a horizontal trio of taillights and wrap around chrome bumper. The trunk lid swoops downward from the Monte Carlo red hardtop, with a vertical rear glass and Thunderbird badge on the B pillar. Also, in the hardtop is a working sunroof. Yes, its 1960 and it is working! Wide whites wrap around 14-inch Sun Ray style tri color centered wheel covers.

Interior
Jet age styled door panels utilize swooping brushed aluminum coves and a black vinyl covered door pulls. Also, in the mix is a white vinyl square stitched with central buttoned panel and some black smooth vinyl to frame the aluminum swoop and coves. A curved glass wrap around windshield frames an original dash with dual cowls, one housing the instrument cluster, and the other the glovebox. Instruments are all original and clean, with large deep shiny round bezels in a ribbed aluminum background. This menagerie of the cluster and glovebox is surrounded by un-cracked and beautiful padded upper dash material in black vinyl. The front buckets and rear bench take on a white insert buttoned vinyl pattern, and the bolsters are smooth black surrounding the white. A center console is now seen, and it houses the power window toggles, a round stylish air flow control panel, and in the middle of the two cowls a chromed radio and speaker with air vents up top. The original deep-dish steering wheel fronts the dash, black carpet floods the floors, and noted are white vinyl paneled buttoned side panels next to the rear bench. A shout out to the trunk which has the correct plaid vinyl covering and is looking all pristine with black white wall tire and jack in the center.

Drivetrain
A beautifully restored engine bay houses a rebuilt engine with chromed valve covers and a chromed air cleaner cover. Black shiny parts surround this numbers matching 352ci V8 with a single 4-barrel carburetor atop. On back is a Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic tranny, and a rear axle with a 3.10 gear ratio. All this sits within a white engine bay and looks near showroom. One interesting option is the windshield washer pump. A simple vacuum system moves a wheel against the accessory drive V-belt causing the pump to run and send fluid to the windshield. Sadly it is not hooked up.

Undercarriage
Like new with plenty of undercoating, a shiny fuel tank and exhaust, rust free suspension in the form of independent coil springs upfront, and leaf springs on the rear. Power drum brakes are all around.

Drive-Ability
Upon my arrival and after squeezing in (although it is getting easier because this bird got larger despite its low overall height) I used the power seat adjustment to get it just right baby bear, and I was off to the test track! The power steering and radio were put to the test during my smooth ride. Noted is that the A/C needs charged and the vacuum operated windshield washers are not hooked up. This car accelerated beautifully fed by those 4 barrels and came to an abrupt stop with the power brakes. I did note the horn was in-operable, and the rear backup lights were not working as told to me by my observant colleague. A nice cruiser too. You may elect to change those bias ply tires and performance will be improved markedly. A brief chat with the consignor enlightened us that the horn works when pressed in a different location and the reverse lights only work when the headlamps or parking lights are on.

All in all, this fave of mine design bird (the square bird) is a very nice example with beautiful paint, a rebuilt engine, the extra exterior and engine chrome packages, power windows, brakes and steering and a working sunroof. Having looks borrowed from birds of prey (the hawk and the owl) all great running this is a real beautiful bird in our hallowed halls here at Classic Auto Mall.

VIN DECODE
0Y71Y124539
0-1960
Y-Wixon, MI Assy Plant
71-2 Door Hardtop
Y-352ci V8 4bbl
124539-Sequential Unit Number

WARRANTY TAG
BODY 63A-2 Door Hardtop
COLOR M-Corinthian White
TRIM 56-Black & White Vinyl
DATE 07A-January 7th Build Date
TRANS 4-Cruise O Matic
AXLE 3-3.10 Gears

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.