I feel a touch of cynicism on that front, so I’ll take his word for it. However, he states that a fresh battery and some new cables should see the V8 roar back into life. The owner does say that it doesn’t currently run. For all of that, it would seem that the engine must turn freely. No part of the engine has been spared, and even the firewall is showing signs of corrosion. I know that the owner claims the Thunderbird to be a rust-free vehicle, but there is a lot more surface corrosion present than I would have expected. I looked at this photo of the Thunderbird’s 390ci V8 engine, and immediately felt pangs of dread. In keeping with its luxury roots, the Thunderbird does come equipped with power windows, along with factory air conditioning. Once again, none of this work is cheap, but it is an expense that should be a one-time-only experience. A trim kit will cost somewhere in the vicinity of $2,200, and this is without considering replacing some of the damaged metal trim pieces. A full retrim is going to be on the cards, and this is not going to be a cheap experience. The result is an interior that is pretty dilapidated. He says that the shredded top means that a variety of critters have found their way into the vehicle over the years. The owner is quite candid about the condition of the Thunderbird’s interior. The trim and chrome seem acceptable for a driver-quality restoration, while there are no obvious issues with the tinted glass. The saving grace is that this is work that should only need to be performed once, and the top will only require basic maintenance once it is functioning correctly. A hose set would set the new owner back $250, while the pump motor will leave little change from $350. You would have to hope that the power mechanism can be revived because parts are not that cheap. The top itself will cost anywhere from $350 upward. It seems that the power function for the top is inoperative, so this will need to be inspected and repaired or replaced. The Convertible top is also pretty shredded, and a replacement will be required. It will undoubtedly benefit from some cosmetic restoration work to address the myriad of minor dings, dents, and chips that the vehicle now wears. That doesn’t mean that a quick wash and polish will see this classic returned to the road. The car appears to be complete, and the owner does claim that it is solid and rust-free. It isn’t clear why the second owner chose to park the vehicle immediately after purchase, but it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. It was sold to its original owner by a dealership in San Jose and resided in that area until it went into a barn in Lathrop, California. After all of these years, this classic still wears its original black plates. The Corinthian White Thunderbird appears to have spent its entire life in California. This has pushed things along to $5,700 in a No Reserve auction. A total of 56 bids have been submitted at the time of writing. This is a classic that has generated plenty of interest since it was listed for sale. The Thunderbird is listed for sale here on eBay. However, this time it needs to go to the home of a new owner. In 2019 it made its way to its current resting place in the same area. It sat unused and unloved in the barn until the 1990s and was then moved to a warehouse in Oakland, California. He then sold it, and the second owner proceeded to park it in a barn immediately. The original owner used the vehicle regularly until 1974. This 1963 Thunderbird Convertible has led an interesting life.
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