1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster

This 1962 Ford Thunderbird roadster is finished in silver over a black interior and is paired by a 390ci V8 paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission.  The car was sold new and spent most of its life in southern Illinois until being relocated to Texas by the current owner. It underwent a concourse level restoration that was finished in 2004 and subsequently shown at multiple shows, earning first place or best in class honors each time.  Equipment includes reupholstered bucket seats, stainless steel exhaust, and sports roadster tonneau cover.  This Thunderbird is now offered with a partial build sheet, original sales invoice, and restoration receipts, on a clear Texas title in the seller’s name. 

The car is finished in Silver Mink Metallic with a power-operated black convertible top.  It underwent a full concourse-level restoration that began in 1999 and completed in 2004, at the time the car had 52k documented miles. It went on the show circuit after completion in 2004, where it took Best in Show in the driven category and Senior First Place overall with a score of 298 points out of 300 at the 2004 Vintage Thunderbird Club International meet in Hannibal, Missouri. Additionally, it took Best in Show in the driven category and First Place overall at the 2005 Vintage Thunderbird Club International regional meet in Indianapolis, Indiana, followed by a Formal Senior Award in 2005 from the Thunderbird Club scoring of 348.5 points out of 350. The car has not been shown since 2005 and has been garage kept since the initial restoration.

The car is is equipped with Kelsey Hayes wire wheels . The tires are Hankook Optimo white stripe radial tires, measuring 215-75 all around, and were installed one year ago. The car has a stainless-steel exhaust system.  The braking system consists of power-assisted drums on all four corners.

The interior is fitted with bucket seats upholstered in black vinyl, with matching black carpet, door panels, dash, and center console. Corrugated silver trim wraps around the cabin, starting on the door panels and running across the dash face and down into the center console. Features include power windows, tilt-away steering wheel, and radio with a center-mounted dash speaker.

Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer, flanked by gauges for coolant temperature and fuel level to the left and an analog clock to the right.  The five-digit odometer reads 59k miles, of which about 1k miles have been added by the seller over three years of ownership. 

The car is powered by its original 390ci V8 engine was factory rated at 300 horsepower when new.  Rebuilt during the restoration, the car retains all the correct components and hardware. The engine bay as fully prepped and painted at that time, and all parts were painted or re-plated in the factory-correct finish.  A 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission with auxiliary cooler backs the engine and was rebuilt at the same time. The most recent service includes an oil change that was performed in September 2020. 

Additional photos showing the underside are provided in the gallery. During the restoration the underside of the car was prepped and painted, while all other components were repainted or re-plated in the factory-correct finish. A stainless steel exhaust has been installed as well.

The sale includes receipts and invoices from the restoration as well as an original dealer sales invoice and a partial build sheet.  In addition, the car comes with judging sheets from the various Thunderbird events where it was shown.