![]() We’d like to think that they simply wrote down a bunch of cool words, dropped them into a hat and then picked out two at random. We can imagine it now – the marketing gurus at Ford sitting around the boardroom table at head office brainstorming names for the company’s new 429 cubic inch powerplant. They love it, and so do we, which is why we love this car and its ‘Thunder Jet’ V8. No, what we are referring to is the naming conventions they choose to utilise.įirebird, Demon, Charger, Barracuda, Hellcat – all great sounding names the Americans have given to various hunks of metal over the years. And we’re not talking about exhaust notes here, that’s an article in itself. Not only do those crazy cats across the pond like a big, eight-cylinder engine but they also have a penchant for making them sound awesome. One such behemoth was the 7.0-litre big-block that Ford offered in their fifth-generation Thunderbird in 1969. Don't hold that against the proprietor – the car looks stunning with the non-original wheel covers.V8 engines come in myriad sizes from the wee 2.0-litre found in the Ferrari 208 GT4 to the monster lumps the big American auto-makers were churning out at the height of the muscle car wars of the sixties. The only out-of-time – but definitely not out-of-place – addition to this otherwise survivor Thunderbird Landau is the hubcap set (that came from a 1970 model). The post-factory installment is factory correct, thanks to a junkyard donor. However, the automobile was built to be fitted with the option if the owner so desired, and the man who currently enjoys this lovely Bird has done just that. Interestingly, the car in this story – discovered by none other than Lou Costabile, the classic Sharing information about a classic car YouTubing detective – did not come with air conditioning (the manual temperature control cost a hefty $427). Also, the power antenna, the tilt-away steering wheel, the push-button trunk lid, and the Convenience Check Group (the four warning lights mounted between the sun visors in the headliner) were only a few of Ford's amenities. An appropriately luxurious Thunderbird would likely outgun a lowly Mustang price tag in options alone.īut the driver and passengers were well pampered – look at the rear lounge seat that wraps around the back of the cabin. For a proper comparison, use the entry-level Mustang as a yardstick. These five options alone would add another $1,500 to the $4,964 base price of the '69 T-Bird Landau. I'll give you five reasons for this simile: the $499.22 automatic climate control (SelectAire Conditioner was the official sales brochure name) the $453.30 Electric Sunroof (introduced in 1969) the 6-way power bucket seats (driver's and passenger's) - $197.78 the Sure-Track brake control system - $194.31 and the AM/FM Stereo Radio - $150.29. The T-Bird kept its 'luxury' status to high standards – particularly after moving up in the Ford hierarchy, cramming Lincoln with its demeanor. Listen to the V8 roar in the video – it's the best treatment for Golden Age nostalgia in this electric-obsessed era. Sure, it wasn't a regular at the track since the three-speed automatic was the only transmission available. When summoned, the 360 hp (365 PS) and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) would quickly shame arrogant muscle cars without as much as batting an eyelid. The '69 Thunderbird wasn't a plush churchgoer or casual grocery-getter.
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