1960 Ford Thunderbird 85836 Miles Palm Springs Rose Hardtop 352 cubic inch V8 A

1960 Ford Thunderbird -- Description

One thing we’ve learned in this business is that most guys aren't quite ready to step up to a pink car. That's really too bad, because our experiences with pink cars has been 100% positive and much of it is due to the color. People LOVE pink cars, as long as they’re the right car and the right pink. Pink Corvette? Not so much. But something with a set of tailfins and a bunch of chrome like this Thunderbird? Yeah,... that’s a car that stands out without being loud about it, and which makes people fall in love without rightly knowing why. White? Boring. Light blue? Meh. Red? Seen it too many times to count. If you have the vision and the confidence to own a car whose original color is code V Palm Springs Rose, you're going to get a great one when you put this Thunderbird in your garage. This awesome ‘Bird comes from the collection of a very particular guy who simply wanted everything to work properly, so it does—and we have an inch-thick stack of receipts (all neatly bound, labeled, and organized by date) showing that no stone was left unturned on this car. The paint job is probably 10 or 15 years old and I don't really think the car has ever been totally disassembled, but it sure feels right. The finish has a nice soft shine that's totally appropriate and you'll never feel shy about taking it to a show. Not perfect, but nice enough to be welcome anywhere it goes. It says Golden Motors on the trunk lid and I tracked them down in South Carolina; the condition of the sheetmetal bears out a warm weather life for this car. No rust repairs, no rot, no bondo, just good factory sheetmetal that has probably never been totally blown apart. The chrome and stainless trim is largely original and in good condition with no signs of distress--only the little fender-top emblems are showing their age with some light spalling in the plastic lenses. It's quite nice throughout. Also note the crisply rendered taillight surrounds and bright red lenses, which look especially vivid against the Palm Springs Rose paint. There’s no pitting in the usual spots like the mirrors, which appear to have been re-chromed, and the trim at the base of the C-pillar is equally nice. Like I said, not perfect but very, very good. We believe the code 76 gray and black interior has been restored—it's just too nice to be 60 years old. The carpets have certainly been replaced and if the seat covers and door panels were restored they did it right because the materials and patterns are correct. The interior plastics are excellent, including the steering wheel and knobs, which have been recently replaced, and the bright plated dash panels are not pitted, which is a common problem. Everything works, and I mean everything: gauges, lights, clock, and even the factory A/C blows cold. Actually, I misspoke (miswrote?); the aftermarket ammeter under the dash doesn't seem to be hooked up since they converted the electrical system to an alternator. But it does make good oil pressure and the factory AM radio pulls in stations loud and clear through the speaker mounted in the center console—THAT'S just plain cool. Seat belts were added at some point, the weather seals are supple, and it closes up tight with no squeaks or rattles inside. There are also recent Thunderbird-logo rubber floor mats to keep things tidy. In back, the trunk is finished correctly with a new mat set and a new full-sized spare that’s never been used. The engine is a Y-code 352 cubic inch V8 with 300 horsepower, which was the base engine on the Thunderbird. There will surely be guys who scoff that it's not a 430, but the way these cars are driven you'll never know the difference anyway—what, you're going drag racing? The 352 was rebuilt in 2007 (about 13,000 miles ago) with .030 oversize pistons, and all the other stuff inside is brand new. The radiator was replaced, the transmission was rebuilt, a new torque converter was installed, and all the other stuff you need to make it run properly was done along the way. It's impeccably smooth and beautifully tuned so it starts almost instantly and even when it's ice cold the idle is smooth enough that you almost think it has stalled. More recent work includes a new thermostat, A/C compressor rebuilt and converted to R134a, added an alternator and dual master cylinder with booster, rebuilt brakes, new harmonic balancer, Pertronix ignition, new gas tank, new shocks, new exhaust system, rebuilt power steering gear, and a new antenna, plus regular maintenance stuff like bulbs and filters. The car comes with detailed receipts dating back to the '80s and an extensive work summary showing EVERYTHING that has been done to this car since 1989. I mean, NOBODY documents a car like this. Each time he washed and waxed the car he made a note of the date. He installed a decal on the coil and made a note of the date. Nice, right? On the road, this Thunderbird runs great, tracks straight, rides smooth, and stops true. Shifts from the Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission are smooth and crisp and with 3.10 gears in back, it’s a superlative highway car that eats up miles effortlessly. Despite what you may have heard about these cars being prone to overheating, this one stays cool even with the A/C cranking on a hot day. The engine is neatly detailed with correct finishes (yes, the air cleaner is supposed to be white and the valve covers yellow), but experts will quickly spot the modern power dual master cylinder that’s a smart safety upgrade. The undercarriage is clean if not detailed for show and there is exactly zero evidence of patches, repairs, or rot—that's especially critical on these cars, which are uni-body construction. There’s a newer exhaust system that sounds suitably muscular with an X-pipe, and a new gas tank hangs out back. It sits on stock wheels and hubcaps with new 215/75/14 wide whitewall radials that look and handle great thanks to a recent alignment. That huge stack of receipts, detailed service history, plus a factory service manual and owner's manual, as well as several boxes full of spare parts (including the original generator) are all included. This is a superior car owned by one of the most meticulous guys I've ever met. He wanted it right and he spent way more than the asking price to make it so. The color combination is fantastic for a flashy machine like this and this 'Bird will stand out at any event because of it. It's an absolute pleasure to drive and there's nothing left for a new owner to do but get in and enjoy—someone else already did the hard work for you. Given that well-sorted cars are so scarce and nasty surprises are common, this Thunderbird delivers all out of proportion to its sticker price. If you're man enough for a pink car this 'Bird will delight you, and just in case you can't tell, we REALLY like it. Call today!