Life on a budget does not have to suck. You are not relegated to some early 1990’s FWD turd that not only can’t get out of it’s own way but was so neglected over the years that it lost all of the economic benefits as well. You just have to be willing to step outside of the normal scene in order to find a car that you can be proud of, and in the case of this 1979 Ford Thunderbird, you can be proud of what your $1800 buys you.
The seventh-generation Thunderbird was the same car as the Ford LTD II, which was mechanically the same as the Ford Torino of 1972. Make no mistake, these ‘Birds are boulevard bruisers, but they were also one of the most successful generations of T-bird, selling nearly a million examples in three years. This particular Thunderbird hails from the Colorado Springs area and appears to be a well-loved example that was dutifully taken care of over the years. This is a 351W/C6 car, and it has only 104,000-ish miles on the clock, which the seller claims are highway miles, and I’m leaning towards believing it. The red interior isn’t for everybody, but it is a nice change from black and gray. It’s a dead-on stocker, but sometimes unmolested is for the best when it comes to a used car, and here it’s a gold mine.
Certainly the big ‘Bird could use some new rolling stock and some upgraded brakes that can handle the heft, and the 351 could use some performance pieces here and there, but overall this is a minimum-investment kind of car. And that’s always a good score.
To see the Craigslist ad for this 1979 Thunderbird, CLICK HERE
If Colorado Springs wasn’t so far away and I haven’t vowed to never set foot in Colorado again I go get it.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the land yacht T-Birds. Had a 76 with a 460/c6 back in high school and had a blast with it.
totally different world though… the older T-birds/ Mark cars had some semblance of style to their 22 feet of road crushing mass. Sure they rode smooth, they flattened out small imperfections in the road! You didn’t have to have a purple velvet hat or a pregnant sister giving birth in the back seat to drive the older ones… This car is everything wrong with a Torino factored up by 1000 pounds and amplified by excruciatingly bad assembly standards of the late 70’s.
I still have a ’74 Mark IV so that’s my basis for comparison. 🙂
Mighty fine Thunderchicken. I don’t even mind overlooking the whorehouse red interior.
Ever since watching The Crow, I’ve wanted one of those with a Rootes blower through the hood.
YES. Thunderbird or early Mark IV, I don’t care…but yes.
Ever since I saw these rolling birth control devices for the first time I’ve wanted to take a french curve template and beat the designers to death with it.
Sorry.. I’ll shut up now. I sound like Speedy talking about the LS.
yes please! daddy likey…
Wowzers that is nice for the price! Has me wondering if there’s a hidden mechanical issue though.
For that price mechanical problems can be overlooked. They can be fixed.
Domestic car from 1979? What problems could it possibly have?! BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
🙂
secretly, I love the T-tops and Miami Vice radar arch pillar. NOT. 🙂 I guess it shows that this a real back runner on my list of cars. I won’t pick on you if you buy it. Really.
Is it just me thinking “Huggy Bear” or local crack dealer car? Hated them with a passion then, and I don’t think I’ve mellowed with age. I love pretty much every car ever made if for no other reason than it would keep me from walking but those are on my fugly list right next to a Yugo. Every single one of those I see in this town is running on at least a 22″ rim with bass shaking the trim off of it, variable venturi fuel leak device making my eyes bleed. Sorry man, I can’t get there from here. I’d drive a four door Granada first.
Somebody needs to get a side picture to see if it’s actually longer than the truck in the driveway.
The correct street name for that interior is “Porno Red”
Source: Fox owner with “Scarlet Red” interior.