[Ghetto Jet]

I've been seriously considering buying this 64 Thunderbird. It's owned by a friend of the family. Seventeen years ago this car was immaculate. I've have a picture with me in it as a baby. I can't find that old picture, this is what it looks like now. There are more in my gallery.

The owner let it sit outside for ten years before he sent it to a guy he knew who restores Thunderbirds, after seven years the guy hasn't done a thing to it and he didn't plan to. Last Saturday when I showed up at work it was parked in the corner of the shop parking lot. The guy who was suposed to restore it brought it back after it was in a flood. The water didn't get above the tops of the seats. The owner wants nothing to do with the car and I know it will just continue to rust away.

It has a 390 and 57,000 original miles. The bottom of the car is in great shape, the passenger side is the bad side as far as rust goes. It has all it's chrome, trim, interior parts ect. It's not missing any parts. There's no real rust in the doors, non in the fenders, hood, trunk or roof.

There is no price yet, I wouldn't go more than $350 even though it's worth more.







There are 5 more in my gallery.

What do guys think? Am I crazy? or should I snatch it up and start working on it?

It's calls my name when I walk past it, I know I can bring it back to what it was 17 years ago.

Mike

[poncho62]

If you can get it for $350, it's a steal. It will however need a ton of work if it was in water up to the seats...The interior is probably shot, engine will need rebuilt, trans and rear too.

What does it smell like...............musty?

[Ghetto Jet]

Actually the engine didn't get water logged. You might be right about the trans, the rear I should be able to just drain the fluid out.

Oh yea needs new carpet and foam in the seats. And a few other things in the interior without a doubt.

Poncho pictures of your Pontiac before and after are inspirational for me right now. lol

[willys36@aol.com]

A better question is why WOULDN'T you buy it?!? That is a very clean looking car and it may take some cosmetic work but if it is in as good mechanical condition as you think, it would be a great investment. I can tell you form experience that if those valve covers are as clean as they look they alone would go on ebaY for $50-$100!! The dash and gages would go for $100. Point is, if it turns out to be a total bomb, you could part it out for several times the $350 price.

[killerformula]

I wouldn't get it unless you have a place to care for it. Even if it has to be outside, find a way to cover it (don't use a car cover, it needs to breathe. Get rid of one of your other cars if you're going to get this thing too.

Also realize if you buy this car the first thing you need to do is tear it down. Get the seats, carpet out. Get all the trim off of it, take care of as much rust as you can. Try to get a peak and see what the inner fenders are doing, these things can rot from the inside out. I would take off all the panels I could, patch up any problems with the inners and use that inner body panel sealant you can buy at any autobody supply store (its like rust proofing).

Make sure the drain plugs for the body panels are not plugged, looks like at least one is in the right rear.

If you have time, money and space to prep it to SIT for a while, go for it. Sell the green caprice, your parents will love you for it!

K

[4 Jaw Chuck]

Rescue that poor bird, she needs some love. Go as high as $750 if necessary, it's worth it.

[onebadmerc]

I would jump on that one before it gets away, $350 is not alot of money. If you don't fix it, the parts alone are worth more than $350.

[tbirdscott]

Originally posted by 4 Jaw Chuck
Rescue that poor bird, she needs some love. Go as high as $750 if necessary, it's worth it.

^What he said^ if you dont you will be kicking your *** for not snatching it. does the engine run? If it does I wouldn't think twice about giving him 800-850, but thats just me

[crazy larry]

get it. there is no such thing as brand loyalty when it comes to kool and bargain.

[ChevelleSS_LS6]

Keep the Caprice as a driver. Ya gotta get to work somehow, plus the dark green and "big boxy coupe" styling is different from the little half-sphere Hondas and stuff scurrying around these days. If you can get a good deal, sell the Caprice and get something with better fuel mileage, like the aforementioned Honda, or go American and get a '90s Grand Am or Saturn (make sure it's a twin cam, singles are slow; I drove both), or Cavalier, etc.

I'd buy it. The 390 is a good engine, my birth/real/whatever dad had one in a old truck. He got 9mpg (he pissed Greenpeace, WWF, and Save the Mosquitoes foundation off every day when he had that thing) empty, or towing a heavy load. That thing had a couple of holes in the floor, rust or shifter, dunno, but I remember watching the road go by when I was little.

[Restore60s]

Current NADA Collectors car value places the 64 T-bird with a 390 in driveable condition needing to be restored at $7,200. Fully restored value at $21,675. If this one does not run it's still worth $2,500. NADA collector car values are not always correct but they do give you a strong starting point they are not that far off on most cars.
Might be the perfect sidline venture for you.
There is a used car dealer that has one, does not run, needs interior & paint, has the break away steering wheel and it's listed at $1,700.

[Ghetto Jet]

Thank you everyone, thats what I needed to hear. I have a spot in the garage for the T-Bird. First things first I have to buy it. Then the seats come out and that thick wet carpeting gets put in the trash. I'll get it dried out. I'll see how well it runs. Then let the fun begin.

I should get rid of a car, but this is what I'll do. My little brother gets his license in February. He doesn't have a car so I'll just give him the keys to the green Caprice. I figure if he's driving something that he knows has a huge sentimental value to me maybe he will be more cautious driving than he would if he just got handed some beater that he doesn't like.

Biggest obstacle: My Parents. My mom likes all the car stuff that's always going on at the house so she said yes it was ok to bring another car home. My Dad on the other hand kind of laughed, shook his head and said "you really should stick with what you've got." I'll take that as a yes.

Originally posted by 4 Jaw Chuck
Rescue that poor bird, she needs some love. Go as high as $750 if necessary, it's worth it.

Thanks for the dollar value tip Chuck, Restore60s, tbirdscott, and willys36@aol.com.

[53LEDSLED]

do it, thats a good deal. check this one out

[helrazr3]

i'm always one for treading where only fools will go so i say do it

[killerformula]

Originally posted by 53LEDSLED
do it, thats a good deal. check this one out

That aint a car. Thats a tank.

K