Featured Car for July 11, 2024
Owned by Mike Collins, London, Ontario
Mike has had this Thunderbird for about about 10 years. Prior to purchasing the car, it was restored by RM Auto Restoration, who imported the car from the US.
This example is a two-door, 4 seat convertible in its original Rangoon Red, a colour unique to ’65. The wrap-around rear bench seat is covered by a light fibreglass tonneau cover which can be easily removed. The tonneau was a factory option until ’64, when it became a dealer-installed option until ’66. This is the first model year for sequential turn signals which were invented in ’64 but delayed until ’65 due to US vehicle lighting regulations.
The convertible top is stowed in the trunk – the trunklid opens electrically in a single piece, hinged at the back of the car, then the fabric top folds down and disappears beneath the trunklid.
A feature unique to the Thunderbird is the “Tilt-Away” steering column, which can be moved out of the way to the right when entering and exiting the car.
The car has a 390 cu. in. (6.4 L) FE V8 engine with a 4 bbl Autolite carburetor, which produces 300 hp, coupled to a 3-speed Ford C4 automatic transmission. As this was marketed as a personal luxury car, it was fitted with a dual exhaust – dual resonators and mufflers – and a softly sprung suspension.
Since he has owned it, Mike has had the car rewired to correct some electrical gremlins, and new pulleys installed, replacing incorrect ones that had been on the car for years.