| 1965 ICONIC FORD THUNDERBIRD HARDTOP…100+ IMAGES SOUTHERN CAR – Sold through New Orleans District Sales Office 11/64 UNIQUE IN ALL THE WORLD - THEN and NOW! GENERAL BACKGROUND...The 1964-1966 Thunderbirds were far more successful in the marketplace than their 1955-1957 (2-seater) predecessors. By 1965, Ford had really polished its gem with the 4-seat with console personal luxury form factorthat took the premium coupe world by storm. GM responded directly with their Riviera…which sold well at times, but far behind the Thunderbird. Even high-end makes like BMW, Mercedes, & Bentley ALL have premium coupes to this day - which owe their layout to the 1958-1966 Thunderbirds! It is difficult to think of a more influential American car. So its place in history is secure, and will only be more appreciated in the years to come.Get yours now before they are "re-discovered" and get priced out of reach! Also, these cars are famous for their much higher than normal build and assembly quality. This was because the engineering and assembly of the car was shared with Lincoln...and T'Birds of this era were built ONLY in the Wixom Assembly Plant, right alongside Lincolns. THIS CAR's HISTORY...as current President of VTCI's (Vintage Thunderbird Club International) metro Atlanta Chapter, I get to see a lot of T'Birds. I have owned them since 1972. This 1965 Hardtop is a real rarity...a car that did not require a complete "restoration". It was obviously in a favorable climate for decades...likely since new. The body and undercarriage are remarkably solid. I have listed this car for a good friend - a previous President of our club who bought it from a fellow longtime member. It was remarkably well-kept, but deserved its new paint(with all horizontal surfaces professionally wet-sanded and polished), new carpet, a bit of chrome re-plating, some interior re-dyeing, and limited mechanical work...but NOT a total"tear-down and re-assembly"which would have been overkill on a car with this much intact Ford-build originality. The result, is what I would call a "show and drive" classic. Good enough to win consistently at local shows, and something that would score respectably even in an International Convention - such as the one held last September here in Atlanta by VTCI - but that is not socrazy nice (e.g. like those VTCI 300-point scoring $100,000+ restorations)that you can't enjoy the fun of driving it. Overall...a very nice classic that is FAR above the average 1964-1966 Thunderbird example you will find available. VIN #5Y83Z122112 DECODING INFORMATION...5(1965),Y(Wixom Assembly Plant),8(Hardtop),Z(390 cid V8),122112(Assembly sequence number) DATAPLATE DECODING...63A(Hardtop Body),4(Frost Turquoise exterior color),27 (Turquoise Vinyl Trim),06L(November 6, 1964 final assembly date),64 (New Orleans District Sales Office), 1 (3.25 Rear Axle Ratio), 4(3-Speed Dual-Range Automatic Transmission) JUNE 2018 NADA PRICE RANGE w/Factory A/C...$15,840(Avg) to$21,890(High) LOCATION: Cumming, GA (40 miles north of Atlanta) EXCELLENT INVESTMENT –NADA values are definitely on the rise, and the historical importance of the first4-seater/console/personal luxury form factorpopularized by these cars is being re-discovered in the marketplace. THE FIRST 12 PICTURESwill give you a general overview of this very fine looking T'Bird, but if you are seriously interested...please be sure to look at ALL 100+ images because we want you to see EVERYTHING. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING...TO SEE ALL THE IMAGES:There are over 100 images that will show the car in great detail. BUT, to see ALL of the images, you MUST place your cursor DIRECTLY ON an image...and then scroll gently ALL the way to the bottom (be sure to allow time for all the images to load).CAUTION: If you use the scroll bar to the FAR right of your screen - OR, the "Click to View Image Album" feature - you will NOT be able to see all the images!
Over 3,000 TRANSACTIONS WITH HAPPY PEOPLE!As of the date of this listing, we've had over 3,000 transactions (both BuyingandSelling) on eBay without a single complaint. One of the keys to our success is to showlargerandmoreimages than almost any other eBay listing...so you canclearlysee what you are getting. We also give a very detailed description of the car...not just a couple sentences like many listings. QUESTIONS?...after reviewing ALL the images and reading the entire description, please call Jim Murphy if you have any questions: 706-429-7924
IMPERFECTIONS -NO car is perfect.This car is very nice and - quite frankly - is an “attention getter” both on the road and at shows. Everyone wants to take a look and reminisce about the 1960s. However, as mentioned earlier, this car was in unusually nice original condition...so the decision was madenotto do a total "take apart and re-assembly". It seemed far wiser to leave the good work that "Henry" afforded the car at Wixom Assembly to remain. So, cosmetics like paint, some chrome, carpet, etc. were addressed...and mechanical work was done where needed so that the car could be enjoyably driven. But there is a "patina" of originality remaining, that most collectors actually seek and appreciate. So please look at ALL the images - the vast majority will illustrate how very nice the car is, but others -by intention- will show imperfections. Please make special note of the final images as they show examples of some imperfections of the type that you should expect. And, you may find additional ones despite our best efforts to show everything of significance that we found.Likewise – please carefully read the following “Operational Report”.
OPERATIONAL REPORT –NOTE: all operational comments reflect the condition of the car when inspected on the day photographed for this eBay listing.This is a detailed report, but it is always possible for performance of a particular facet of the car to change between now and the time of sale, and it is always possible that something has been over-looked despite our efforts to describe the car as completely as possible as follows… The car drives nice, with smooth engine and transmission performance. Many items have been replaced, including: New Tires, New Gas Tank & Sending Unit, New Battery, New Solid-State Sequencer (for the famed Sequential Tail-lights), Fuel Pump, and Oil Pump. Working Items: All the factory gauges work – with the possible exception of the Fuel Gauge, which enthusiastically swings way past Full (we are attempting to remedy this, but cannot guarantee it). The overhead console Map Lights work fine if manually switched on - but do not come on as the door is opened along with the other courtesy lights (as all other 1965s that I’ve seen). Radio works.Vacuum-operated rear vent (for flow-through ventilation) works.Driver’s Power Seat works.Those marvelous sequential rear turn signals work (the New Electronic Sequencer Control that has been installed is much more reliable than the original motor-driven mechanical unit). All power windows work – but sometimes you need to “help” the rear quarter windows a bit (due mostly to new rubber that has been installed that likely needs to “break-in” a bit).The Swing-away steering wheel binds a bit when being “swung over”.Rear roof panel courtesy lamps work fine, but the driver’s side lamp attachment clips may need adjustment as the lamp fixture sometimes comes loose. NON-working items: These items are not operational: Horn, Air-Conditioner (compressor is there but not all other components in the system are complete), Vacuum Door Locks (they “try” to work but do not fully actuate), Seat-Belt warning lamp, Lighter, Clock, and Emergency Brake (does not “hold” down or release automatically).Finally, none of the optional “convenience panel warning lamps” below the map lights work reliably (very common!). ODOMETER NOTE...at the time of listing, the odometer indicated 36,506 miles. Due to the design limitations of the odometer, there is no way to verify actual miles with certainty – and we make no guarantees as to actual mileage. However, due to the unusually high degree of impressive originality that exists, we do believe that it might be possible for this to be the actual mileage. FENDER SKIRT NOTE...the fender skirts originally had their rubber strip moldings stapled to them!Ford must have had one heck of a stapler to accomplish this!Lacking such equipment to install the new rubber to the skirts, they were glued – and could be re-glued by the new owner for a closer-to-original appearance on the car. PAYMENT DETAILS: Payment is due within 2-business days of auction's end via Bank to Bank wire transfer. INTERNATIONAL BIDDERSare welcome, but MUST adhere to the SAME Payment Terms detailed above and also make all arrangements for the pick-up and importation of the Vehicle into the Buyer's country.
ABOUT ME:I am an avid Classic Car enthusiast. After retiring from 30 years of Sales & Marketing in a Global 100 company, I began buying and selling Classic Cars and Collectibles as a collector, and also market collectible/investment vehicles for friends, fellow enthusiasts, and other clientele. This beautiful T'Bird is owned by a good friend and past President of our local T'Bird Club(Atlanta Chapter of Vintage Thunderbird Club International).
Please Note: as of this date, we have had over 3,000 eBay transactions with 100% Positive Feedback...this includes the sale of many Classic Cars to Buyers all over the world, including Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Australia, Russia, Canada, Japan and throughout the United States.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT & FINAL REMARKS:A Bill of Sale and the Georgia Vehicle Registration will be provided to the Buyer.NOTE: the State of Georgia does not require auto titles for vehicles of model year 1986 or earlier. Instead, the registration card has a "Non-Title" notation and also serves as the owner’s legal proof of ownership. Rest assured that every state must respect all other state motor vehicle laws, and that the car can be successfully registered and insured in any state.
This Vehicle is sold strictly as-shown and on a final as-is basis without any warranties expressed or implied due to age. All classic cars (even the most expensive) will require continual maintenance, service, and repair - often without warning. We have presented the car accurately to the best of our ability,but oversights are possible. Therefore -beforethe auction's end - bidders are welcome to examine the vehicle in person. All sales are final. Please be sure to review ALL the images and ALL the captions because they relate important information too! QUESTIONS?...after reviewing ALL the images and reading the entire description, please call Jim Murphy if you have any questions: 706-429-7924
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