Personally, I probably would have fitted new covers to the seats before fitting them to the car, because it really does look odd. However, the seats look to be finished in Chestnut Brown and Beige, which wasn’t a combination available in 1963. The fact that it is fitted with red carpet makes sense in this context, along with the other red interior trim items. The car looks like it started out life finished in Rangoon Red (judging by the paint in the door closes). This is where things go a little strange for me. The only mechanical issue that he identifies is an exhaust leak at the manifold which will need to be fixed. He is so confident in this fact that he suggests that the new owner could drive it home. The owner says that the Thunderbird starts, runs, and drives well. The Thunderbird is fitted with a 390ci V8 engine, a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The Thunderbird was available in 1963 with optional wire wheels, and while this car is fitted with wire wheels, they are non-genuine. I’m surprised that these weren’t removed during the restoration, or perhaps they have just been reattached for the photos, so I’m not sure what’s going on there. The car certainly looks nice and straight, but I did notice that the majority of the chrome trim and badges are still on the car.

The owner says that 90% of the bodywork on the Thunderbird is complete and that the car is in primer. It is located in Orland Park, Illinois, and is being sold with a clean title. If you are looking for a Thunderbird project car, then you will find this one listed for sale here on Craigslist.

There is, however, one aspect of the car that is a little bit odd, and we’ll get to that later. Here at Barn Finds, we’ve seen a few Thunderbirds that are in need of total restoration, but the owner of this car has already started the process, and it will be up to the new owner to complete it.

1963 ford thunderbird convertible value