1962 Thunderbird Convertible Sports Roadster Survivor
History on the car:
This car has spent its whole life right here around Nashville, TN. With a pretty cool history to boot! The original owner of the car was Frances Preston from Preston Motors (a Lincoln Mercury dealership) in 62 (her husband owned the dealership) who was the president at BMI Music in the 1960s. She was one of the first female executives in the music industry and very well known and respected at that time in Nashville. There is no telling the stars who might have gone for a ride in this beautiful bird! The second owner was Al Mason, whom was the father of another family which I’m also friends with. He was a car collector and Ford guy. He pampered the car, always keeping it inside, and taking it out mostly for car shows or parades. The car was with him until he passed and his family sold it to the current owners, who purchased the car in 2014. After the current owners purchased the car, it underwent a much needed overhaul of all the mechanical and some electrical systems of the car, where it had sat for so many years not being driven. Lots of work, by local folks that I personally know and trust to be some of the best to do restoration work and Ford experts if there ever were any. A short list of things done to the car in the years 2014-2016 were, the motor was freshened up, the transmission was rebuilt, the carburetor was rebuilt, points and plugs changed, brakes were redone all around, radiator redone, usual maintenance things all done where needed, and all original FoMoCo parts were used anytime it was possible. The motor and under the hood is as nice and clean as the pictures show. Lots of work done here. On top of all of that, the top mechanism was upgraded to a new system that uses a new motor and new relays to make it function better than it did when new. This system for the top was very expensive but the current owners wanted the car to be completely function as it should be so they could enjoy it. They achieved their goal and now someone else is going to reap the benefits of it! What an amazing automobile!!
Walk around video of the car: https://youtu.be/8FK1zmW5_fE
Video of the top going up: https://youtu.be/izkJTuLkUQY
Video of the top going down: https://youtu.be/PUVQIpzpzBU
Drivetrain:
The Thunderbird has it’s original 390 V8 with 300hp and it runs great with zero issues. Automatic 3 Speed transmission was rebuilt and shifts nice and smooth. The power brakes are all new and work as they should. The power steering makes driving this beauty a dream, not to mention the car has the famous Swing Away Steering Column, for ease of getting in and out of the car! The car has its original 20 gallon fuel tank. The car currently shows 43451 original miles, unbelievable!! That being said, the car is cross posted for sale and this is subject to change as we show to potential buyers wanting to go for a ride, etc.
Bottom line, the car runs and drives amazingly. It is obvious the work that has been put into getting this beautiful survivor back up to a condition to be enjoyed!
The body:
The Corinthian White body on this car shows to be incredibly solid with no issues rust issues. Not surprising since we can track it was kept inside what we believe to be its whole life. We believe it too still be wearing its original paint. It’s possible it may have had a touch up here or there on something but it’s not obvious if it was done and we can’t tell it. The chrome looks really good, and shows that it was kept inside thought out the years.
Interior:
The Tbird has beautiful, original, red interior with factory low profile bucket seats.
Original interior, looks great, back seat and carpet look just as good if not better than front.
As you can see, the car has the beautiful wrap around tunnel console, between its bucket seats. Also noticeable is the fiberglass Sports Roadster cover, which allows the car to appear as a 2 seater. This of course can be taken off to reveal the back seat and allow others to ride. Underneath the cover you will find the original back seat and carpet to be as nice as the front if not nicer.
The top:
The power top on the car works great. As mentioned above, the motor and relays/solenoids have all been replaced with more modern components that are designed to do exactly what they are doing now. This work was done by Larry Reeves of Reeves Custom Classics in Westmoreland, TN. This was a super expense endeavor, but well worth the investment made to make this car what it should be again and even better! The convertible top itself was a newer/replaced top, from some years ago, and I believe it has been kept put down in the trunk, pretty much since it was installed many years ago. I have knowledge of how it was stored with both the current owners and the last owner that allows me to know this. That being said, it’s white, and might have a little dirt, or even a spot here or there on it, but all is all would clean up just fine if you desired to have it up. There may be a small wear spot from being folded up, this is pretty common with these types of tops. I also have video of the top being put up and back down. Still amazes me that they could put out a production car at that time with that kind of engineering and technology!
Wheels/Tires:
Original 14 inch Kelsey wire-spoke wheels wrapped in new 215/75-R14 whitewall Coker Tires.
Trunk:
The trunk is super clean, I wish I’d thought to get more pictures of it, but everything in it is really nice, especially all of the top assembly, as it’s noticeable the change from paint to all the hardware which is nicely painted etc. The trunk also houses the spare tire in it’s factory mounted position.
The owner:
The owners are close friends, they are family to our family, and I’ve known them for a long time. They do not have to sell the car, but feel it’s a good time to sell down some of the collection of classics they have enjoyed owning for many years. He is very meticulous, and takes care of his things, but especially his cars. I’m assisting in selling the car, as I do this periodically for close friends as I want to help them and have done my share of doing this over the years. I too am a car guy/Ford guy, a pastor (24 Church), husband, father of 7, and own my own business as well called Hot Rod Arcade. Feel free to look me up, I’m not hard to find.
Payment:
Payment can be made in cash, or wire transfer from your bank to his. A $2000 non refundable down payment is expected within 48 hours of the sale of the car, this can be done with a cashiers check from a reputable bank or postal money order, and sent via FedEx or other carrier of your choice. Full payment must be received before the car is released.
Shipping:
We are glad to work with whomever you choose to ship the car, or you can come pick it up yourself. Either way, the buyer is responsible for shipping and all costs associated with it.
See for yourself/Questions about the car:
If you are interested in seeing the car in person, I’m glad to set up a time to met up with potential buyers and the owner. Please feel free to reach out. I’m very familiar with the car and also glad to answer any questions you may have, and if I cannot, I will get with the owner for whatever answers you need to help with making an informed decision on the purchase of the car. We do recommend seeing the car in person before purchasing, if at all possible.
I do have more pictures and even some video of the car being started and moved around. Glad to share whatever I can to assist you.
Thank you for looking, let me know however we can help!
See for yourself/Questions about the car:
If you are interested in seeing the car in person, I’m glad to set up a time to met up with potential buyers and the owner. Please feel free to reach out. I’m very familiar with the car and also glad to answer any questions you may have, and if I cannot, I will get with the owner for whatever answers you need to help with making an informed decision on the purchase of the car. We do recommend seeing the car in person before purchasing, if at all possible.
I do have more pictures and even some video of the car being started and moved around. Glad to share whatever I can to assist you.
Thank you for looking, let me know however we can help!
