http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Thunderbird-1987-FORD-THUNDERBIRD-25-550-ORIGINAL-MILES_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6240QQitemZ4580003229QQrdZ1
i JUST SAW THIS CAR ON EBAY THE INTERIOR ITS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION FOR WHAT THE PHOTOS SHOW
Nice find - from the outside it looks almost like mine did when I bought it. Strange to see those hubcaps on a V8 car with moderate options, though - those things were usually only found on base, no-option cars.
look again...crank windows, single drivers side mirror...only option seems to be the 5.0
i saved a pic, and brightened it, it doesnt have a rear window defroster, has the buttstuffog dash clock, am/fm radio, no cruise control
it does have the lighting package that includes the auto lights, and the curb lights, but no illuminated entry
very odd car...probably a lightweight
That woman was like 78 when she bought that car.
can somebody tell me WHY its always seems its these "base" cars that are found with low mileage like this....its annoying
I hadn't even noticed the crank windows and single mirror - I was going by this in the auction text:
I had just assumed with all that it would have PW,PL, cruise, tilt, etc.
Now that's REALLY strange, for a car to have a 5.0, power seat, lighting group, lighted mirrors, and A/C but no power windows and locks or cruise! Add the fairly rare tan interior at that, and Ford sure built 'em strange, didn't they? I would bet that car is one of probably only one or two to have been built in that configuration, and is likely the only one to survive. I would kill to own it, just because it's unique.
My base 5.0 car has manual seats, non-lighted visors (I added lighted ones), premium sound, A/C, cruise and windows/locks, and I though it was about the most basic configuration that could be had in a 5.0 car. Strangely enough, it also has a rear sway bar and 10" drums...
These cars and their strange configurations never cease to amaze me, especially in this day and age where you have to buy complete option packages instead of picking and choosing (want leather? Gotta have a sunroof. A/C? Gotta have windows/locks. Alloy wheels? Gotta have the handling package. V8? Gotta load that sucker up first.)
And Shame302 - my base car only had 47k miles on it when I bought it two and a half years ago (now has about 65k) :tg:
id love to get ahold of one of those cars, none of the electronics, manual seats, manual mirror, manual locks, no a/c, no cruise, none of that, because that would be an awesome car to mod
On the Base model EVERYTHING was optional... which includes...
power windows
power seat(s)
power mirrors
cruse controll
tilt wheel
power locks
interval W/S wipers
system sentry
leather wrapped steering wheel
premium sound(with or without EQ)
illuminated entry
two tone paint
The A/C and tint glass are std, as were the pie pan hubcaps..
They also had thinner 16 ounce carpet vs the 24 ounce of all the other models.
l
My base option car has 10" drums with a sway bar and its a V6. But everything else is run of the mill options. I've never seen one of the right side mirror deletes on any car but I have seen no power anything. I've never seen any car around here with low miles.
What a strange car. I don't think I've ever seen those wheel covers before.
It's pretty beat-up for such low mileage, don't you think? Missing trim, rust everywhere (even though it was garage-kept).
Odd...
Look at this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1986-Mercury-Cougar-65k-Miles-Priced-to-Sell_W0QQitemZ4580023687QQcategoryZ6339QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Wheel covers, crank windows, etc..
What kind of headlight covers are those? Very cool.
Actually a couple months ago there was a white '88 TC that was on Ebay...had all of 23,000 miles on it.....it was all original except for the battery and was flawless....it looked like a brand new car inside and out. Guy had all the paperwork for it too including the window sticker. I actually got a little satisfaction out of that one when it ended. Why? I've gotten lots of heat :flame: either through retarded posts, bashing PMs and e-mails from members of the NATO board who piss and moan about how I modded my TC...especially the engine swap. They loathe guys like me for "murdering" a TC (their words) and how I should have my ass kicked (yeah...some idiot said that to me). A majoity of them seem to have this collective pipe dream that these cars are gonna be collector items and fetch good money so guys like me who own TC's should all leave the cars be and not mod them (which I find odd because if you truly believe your stock TC is gonna be worth bucks, you should encourage me to "wreck" my car....in theory making yours worth more!). A lot them on the board expected the TC I mentioned to fetch some good money. In the end it fetched a little over $7,500....hardly big bucks, especially considering the condition of the car and mileage.
Too bad I missed that one, would have been a good swap canadate for a 347... :D
Eventually the really nice original TC will be somewhat collectable, but thats probably another 10 years down the road(after all the rusty POS that are dying are finally in their grave). Anyway it won't make any difference to me, I'll be too $%#* senile to know what a TC is(probably swear mine came with the V8)....
i think those were the ones that they had a recall for
I was eye-balling that one too...it looks very clean.
I have a set of those headlight covers somewhere. They were clear acrylic but had an optional white pinstriping kit you could apply to them if you wanted to. Can't remember the brand...I'm sure they were hot stuff when the cars were new. I used to see a load of 'em back in tha day.
And nobody mentioned that both of those auctions are from my home state of Ohio. They're each a little over an hour away from me. Hey, ho, way to go Ohio!
That actually would explain the rust on the first one though. ;)
And the original owner's age would explain the couple ses here and there...... :giggle:
still both pretty clean cars. though man, that first one has NOTHING on it. i kinda like all the electric do dads.. too bad its not a 4 eye.
The first T-bird reminds me a LOT of my old '84 Cougar. Those are the only two cars I've seen with passenger mirror deletes.
i think its rediculous, ignorant, and a shame. there will always be purists no matter what your doing but take in to consideration the turbo coupe was a production vehicle, built in relitivally high production numbers. they may be dying out but they are not all THAT rare. as far as swapping a V8 into one, i see it as an improvement in some ways althought i think both the 5.0 HO and the 2.3 are 2 of a handfull of fords best ever engines.
your car was a pretty well wrecked turbo coupe before it ever saw a V8 if im not mistaken. the turbo coupe guys should be happy you salvaged and saved it instead of destroying it. Honestly, i truely belive its a number of the "purists" that are basically jelous. forget the SCV8 you have, you car is one of the most cleanest and tastfully done up tbirds out there. i can only think of a handfull that come close at all.
how come you cant find guys crying about others that swap out that 3.8 in favor for a V8? where are these guys when that haapnes? further more, if they were purists to that form than why are they changing/modding there cars as well? i just dont see why its such a big deal to them. why cant they just take pride in their cars and respect and enjoy what others are doing. ive seen plenty of stuff on other peoples cars that i dont agree with but its not my car...
I wonder what the purists are gonna have to say to Chuck when he does his swap... :rollin:
The thing is....the Tbird is not a TC....it's a look-alike. It was an old plain-Jane 5.0/AOD car ;)
Now the '84 XR-7 on the other hand....will NOT be getting a 2.3T put back into it :rollin:
Personally I've got nothing against the purists at all....all I ask is respect me for what I do since it is MY car. I don't go around telling TC guys to "dump that sucky 2.3 with a hairdryer on it for a real motor" .....it's their car....do what they like. I got plenty of respect for guys that mod the 2.3 and make V8 power and salute them for doing so but when these guys start flaming me for "taking the easy way out" ( yeah...swapping an EEC controlled 5.0 into a TC is "EASY"...NOT!!!!) and wrecking my car is just plain ignorant. I lived with the 2.3 for a long time (12 years)...it just didn't do it for me anymore and the aftermarket for that motor is virtually non-existant nowadays.
Bottom line is I built it for me and I'm happy as hell with it and if the feedback I get from car shows, cruise nights and fellow T-Bird and Ford enthusiasts is any indication, overwhelmingly more people love what I've done to it than despise it.
I think they have some potential to be a collectible but I think the market will be tiny as it's a small group of people who dig these cars....tiny markets generally keep the value low. Looking at cars that get the money today is stuff that was popular back in it's heyday and the T-Bird TC will never be considered a hot sales item by Ford...in fact it was considered a failure.....people weren't and still aren't into the whole small engine/turbo thing...especially in a big car. Most people I used to hear commenting on the T-Bird TC's all in general loved the looks and packaging but hated the 2.3 turbo motor...."if only Ford put a V8 in it" was all too common a statement about the car.
A good example is the SVO Mustang (another sales failure from Ford's perspective) All the purists figured it would be the Mustang collectible of the 80's due to low production numbers and 20 years later they don't get money at all....most V8 GT's and LX's in similiar condition still fetch more money with ease.
Frankly, the whole concept of holding off on what you do to a car because of how it will affect it's potential future value is retarded IMO. These guys who claim to love the thing so much who cares about that stuff? Drive it, mod it, whatever.....just enjoy the thing. I myself could care less because I'll never sell my TC....the only potential future owner that will ever get the keys to my Bird will be my son.
agreed 100%
i honestly think the only ones that will have any real value at all will be the ones with no mile and stored its whole life in new condition and kept a virgin. im sure there are a few out there and thats what will make them valuable 10-20 more years down the road. the fact that its in original condition with no miles and there just arent any left around otherwise. its certainly not gonna be these daily or weekend driven/raced around modded turbo coups ect.
take the tbird in the auction. rare, low miles etc...i know i wouldnt give someone much more for it than i would any other tbird or cougar in stock condition. im sure there arent too many other guys that would.
look at erics car. its practically a one off but its not going to have any serious value to a collector because its not original. he built it for himself and i think thats the only reason to build a car...to enjoy.
Actually...I just had it appraised this past May and it has quite a bit of value. Attemting to disassociate myself with my own car and looking objectively, I can say with certainty that it is probably the most valuable Fox-chassis Cougar in existence, in America at least. I've never heard of another Fox Cougar that's worth more, anyway. However, when you look at Glenn (Hawk's) car, it has just as much done to it, if not more. His was wrecked beyond belief in the first place too, so that's a testimony to the craftsmanship behind it. It's certainly just as valuable IMO. The two cars are valuable
for different reasons but they're still the only ones like themselves.
Value is a perception that is influenced by many factors. We can sit here and second-guess values all day but that doesn't mean it's accurate. Actual real-world value can only be determined by appraisers and automotive experts. And in the long run (as in, future worth) that's what's going to help our body style. So long as we can perpetuate the species we'll be fine.
eric, you don't count. your car is so far beyond a stock cougar.. it's like saying some of those super modded '34 fords are still a '34 ford sedan. Your's is awesome, I can't believe a cougar would ever be that amazing as a show car, but it is hard to compare that to a 500$ car from some grandma, at least untill you sink in 30 times what you paid into it... :P
Value is not an issue with me anyway. I do not intend to sell my car, ever. It is paid for and lien free, and will remain that way, so debt will never force me to sell it.
For this reason I will dive into the car with reckless abandon when it comes to modifying it. When I installed the overhead console, for example, I took my utility knife and cut into the headliner will no regrets. I happlily hacked the consolette off the front seat when I installed a full console. I gleefully restored and installed the ten-hole rims knowing full well that no 87-88 T-Bird ever sported 'em. And when I do finally do the T5/HO upgrade I will do so without a care in the world. Now I'm not saying that I will do just about anything to my car - I would never do anything to destroy its essence, but I'm certainly not concerned about destroying its value by adding 75 horsepower, a stickshift, and a TC REAR. And if I could find a Mark VIII or SC for parts I wouldn't think twice about a DOHC or SCV6 swap.
It is, after all, my ed car and I will do with it what I like.
That being said, I really don't see these cars appreciating in value all that much. They will increase slightly, but never as much as, say, a Monte Carlo SS or Hurst/Olds 442. Our cars were not really desirable to most people in the 80's, they were less so in the 90's, and even less so in the 2000's. I can't see them suddenly becoming more desirable in the future. If you don't believe me, try selling your car for what YOU think it's worth. I guarantee that unless another T-Bird/Cougar enthusiast stumbles across it you won't get your asking price. The general public just doesn't have much appetite for a 150-horsepower, 3800 pound mushmobile. They don't see these cars like we do.
i guess what i meant was...typically its the all original, untouched cars that go for huge amounts of money. if you had say an original untouched boss 302 compared to say a regular fastback done over to emulate one. or take the original boss and say someone did all kinds of silly mods...? wouldnt that hurt the value?
its easy to see the money, craftsmanship and time that went into both of your cars. i dunno, maybe you could sell them for what you have into them. they certianly are very unique cars. i think typically though, as specially in the mustang comunity you cant expect that. how many times do you see fox mustangs with 20k plus into them sell for under 10? like you said, its hard to guess value. you could add up reciepts and say you have so much into it but its worth only what someone is willing to pay for it. ive seen it go the other way too. ive seen some rather un remarkable cars sell for remarkable sums of money...anyway, i think i kind of went off on a tangent all together. all i meant to get at was, screw the purists. its too bad for them if they are so narrow minded about that stuff.
30 times?! Keep going.... ;)
I have always been a huge proponent of modding a Cougar or T-Bird to your heart's desire, and I always will be. There was nothing wrong with stock. But there was some unacknowledged option that came with these cars, the option that gets the modding idea into your head, and after that it's all over. And you can see from the replies, from the photos posted, from all the comments, and from the general consensus, that everyone seems to have had this same option. :)
I like
my cars modded. But I really, really enjoy seeing a stock one at shows. This past July I went to the CCOA Nats East in VA. The 1983-88 Stock class had 3 of the most gorgeous, detailed, clean and original Cougars I have ever seen in my life (and remember, I sat in Cougars on the showroom floor when they were new). It was so cool, in fact, that the three owners and I sat across from our cars in the shade, and giggled our asses off as we watched everyone voting (People's Choice) just scramble between the cars, trying to figure out which one was the "best". In the end, did it matter? For trophies, sure, but for the propogation of the species it was even more important. This was a national Cougar show, put on by other goofy Cougar owners. Our class was recognized as
THE toughest class to judge that day. The other classes included all the early cars, the XR7's, the XR7-G's, the convertibles, the Eliminators, and the Boss cars, not to mention all the other customs.
Now, what do you think stuck out in everyone else's minds? The fact that we had 3 cars show up, or that we had 3 of the cleanest cars
at the entire event show up? We put a perception in the minds of others that not only are our cars worthy of celebration, but that we can hang with--and beat--the best of the crowd. And that is something about which I'm most proud. We changed minds and perceptions that day. That is much more valuable than any trophy.
The difference is, from the general public's point of view, these cars weren't great performers in stock condition. And to a certain extent they are right. However, if they take the time to compare our cars against virtually any other car from the 1980's, they should be able to see the difference. They hold up extraordinarily well. They have a great track record, aspirit, and a soul. What they didn't have was a blistering performance model from the factory. Performance (XR7, Turbo Coupe), yes--blistering, no. And that's what people seem to want now. Hell, leave it to Ford to put 14" hubcaps on a V8 rear-drive car, then water down the power output! Fact is, one way or another, if you want these cars to be faster or better you're going to have to modify something. And some people just don't want to do that. These are some of the only cars I've ever seen that can be anything to anyone. We recognize this and tolerate it. It's up to us, though, to change perceptions. And those perceptions will directly relate to value. Everything affects everything, all is one, it is all a big circle.
i was trying to be nice about the amount of money in that car of yours :P it is prolly much much higher.. but, man it is one hot car. (just needs to be faster now!! heheh)
just so sad that I don't have a 'bird to tear apart anymore.. *sigh* soon...
And isnt that why we do what we do? I roll around on friday and saturday nights flaunting my car, reving and parking with people. Why do I do it? Because my dick feels bigger? well...maybe...but no. I do it to say "hey look, i have a thunderbird, and its worth something, it can be as fast if not faster than you, its cleaner than your car, and my car is worth something."
I dont want to take my car to shows to fish for compliments, win trophys, get a kiss on the cheek, and all the other associated with car shows, i want to go out there, get the "check it out, a thunderbird" kinda looks, and make people realize that its not a beater, its not "just an old car", that its not some old luxury car they had back when they had kids and needed something bigger but didnt want a 4 door. I want them to see the effort and pride i put into this car that theyd normally overlook.
Thats what its all about for me, not the money, not the awards, the praise, but its all about the car, and the feeling i get from doing what i do, and seeing someone look at it from the outside. Positive or negative attention, the impression was left in the persons mind, and thats all that counts.
That's it, its for the fun of it and I enjoy the attention the car gets.
I've recieved tons of compliments on it. I've gotton complimented from when I was at a show, putting gas in it, and from my aunts neighbors. I've also recieved negative comments that 90% of the time are at car shows. Classic car guys just don't appreciate them.
There's also that wow factor. Just to see someone do a double take when I go roaring by in a personal luxury car that is supposed to be quiet and smooth. There is a feeling I get when I'm cruising in the Cougar that's unlike anything else. As indescribable as it is, it's there and it's great.
Most people don't see these as performance cars but as that slow v-6(sorry 3.8 owners), dented and rusted beater they picked up from some old woman or man for $500. They see tham as basic transportation only, nothing special.
We may have to modify our cars to be strong performers but nearly everyone else does too,.When you hit the local cruise-in, you don't see many if any cars that are factory stock. So who are they to judge us that our cars weren't as good performance wise as they should have been from the factory. Eric hit the nail on the head. Our cars are worthy of celebration and can hang with--and beat--the best of the crowd. My car is by no means the fastest nor the cleanest. It has it's flaws but I consider it a hell of a lot better than every run of the mill first generation Camaro I see with a 350 because it's different and unexpected.
Think about what we're all doing. Were helping revive a time in the 80's when there was a renaissance in the auto industry. The first effort towards performance after the 70's gas crunch. With heavy emissions controls and striving to produce safer, more economical cars, these are part of what the U.S automakers produced. A fight against the foreign auto makers and a style unlike anything seen before.
I'm glad to be a part of it.
Shows and trophies are all that, but nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, compares to an eight year boy coming up to you when you're out working on the car and saying "That's some nice car, mister!", which has happened to me a couple of times.
I've also gotten into the car when it was in a parking lot and overheard the teens nearby saying "That's the fast one. It's a Police Interceptor" :rollin:That incident alone made my putting that PI emblem on the back worth it (and to think I originally only put it there to piss off a co-worker that was a cop wannabe, to show off that I had the emblem and he didn't. He almost had a heart attack when he saw the RCMP door emblem stuck to the side of my tool box :giggle:
I've actually never entered my car into a show because it ain't show ready yet. The tear in the seat was the biggest thing that prevented me before (finally fixed), but now it's the paint. That poor ol' 18 year old paint (October is the car's 18th birthday in fact) is just looking too hazy to enter into a show.
ive gotten that once, a kid was walking up the street with him mom, saw me working on my red bird, and yells "Nice Tbird!", i said thanks and waved, and sat and thought "this car is probably 10 years older than he is...how does he know what it is", it was very cool
My paint is kind of cruddy in spots, it has minor rust, my drivers seat has a tear, it has cracks in the dash(not for long though). My car isn't considered show quality by even the worst standards but I still enjoy showing it when I have time.
I like to see who sticks their nose up at it or who walks by ignoring its existance. The most memorable was when a kid all but 7 years old walked up to it, peeked inside and yelled "dad, look at this white one!" The father promptly responded by saying "that's a cougar, get over here" as he headed to the orange 350 camaro a couple cars down from me.
It's also great when you see people actually looking at it and admiring what you have done to an "ordinary" car. Who knows, this body cougar could have meant something to someone at a point in time. For instance, I had an old man (late70's) come over and look at my car. After a few minutes of looking the thing over, he smiled at me and said "I used to have one of these. It's very nice".
I am along the same lines as TBird232ci and 5.0willgo. Starting when I was seven years old in '84 up until I discovered Eric's site in '99, I thought I was the only one who liked the '83-'88 Cougars. I heard jokes and ridicule starting in '94 with the purchase of my first car, 87 Cougar LS. And guess what, I STILL hear it to this day from the testosterone-filled minds of those who appreciate nothing other than trendy belly-button cars. When I am talking to someone or a group of people about cars and the question comes up about what cars each of us owns, I am the only one who gets the blank stares after I correct them and say, "no, I don't have a '67-73, mine are from the 80s."
Just like what I think Eric said, these Fox cars were marketed in such a way that the general public associated them as mild and uninspiring. I have sometimes thought of it as this:
The Mustang was marketed to the 20's and 30's (sporty, quick, affordable)
The Turbo Coupe was marketed to the 30's and 40's (quick, sporty, stylish)
The Thunderbird and Cougar were marketed to the mid-40's and up (stylish image-conscience on a budget)
The Mark 7 was marketed to the mid-40's and up with money (stylish luxury)
Whether or not that is actually the case, I have no idea but I think the way these cats were originally pitched and the customer base who bought them, led people to their current perceptions.
Now you Turbo Coupe people, from what I have seen, have seemed to be more generally accepted and respected among the masses.
Us '83-'88 Cougar-folk though, ha, a whole 'nother story.
So, what does that mean? At least to me it means that we have to represent these cars that much better to overcome those old impressions.
I enjoy the reactions I get on the road not because it inflates my head, but because after all of these years being the outcast and enjoying an "old person's car," that same "old person's car" today is causing people to turn around and look through their back windows, wave the thumbs up, and even holler out on the road, "kickass car!" "what kind of car is that?!" "WTF IS THAT!" etc, etc.
Eat your heart out, trendies :flip:
One of the best compliments I ever got at a car show:
"After seeing this car, you've totally changed my perception of Thunderbirds and their potential.....and I'm a die-hard Ford guy. Your car is nothing short of amazing to me"
:D
Glenn...
at the time i had an idea of what could be done to a tbird. i remember the first time i saw yours though. your car is the one that blew me away in amazement, and got me hooked for life. its also how i found coolcats and the old board from what i remember. im very greatfull for it all....
the first car i ever drove when i was looking for my first car was a turbo coupe. i was hooked from then. befor then i never realy noticed the tbird and i certainly didnt know anything about them. the cougars always stood out for me though. i remember driving around with my family and noticing the rear windows and how cool they were. i remember telling my dad about the turbo coupe i drove and the..."you like that...realy?" look and comment i got was priceless. hes not a car guy at all and was supprised id be interested in a pepea car. sadly, it was out of my price range at the time. loving the body style i found my first car, an 87 base model with the mighty 3.8. i honestly thought to myself that, the 4 cyl was fast the V6 has got to be better. thats what started it all for me. ive had my nose in car stuff ever since.
my sport looks like any other tbird. i was flirting with an old gf with her bf there. she asked what i drove and showed her. he went on about how they had no sack and there was no way it had a V8. i remember the look on his face, sitting in the passenger seat of hey dodge shadow when i fired it up with the flow masters and put in gear. i just winked an him. she laughed and i left. not so quietly too....people never expect anything from these cars...its great. i like being different...
Yea I can relate to that... My sister was telling a neighbor Kirk(my nephew) had gone to the drag strip with me in my race car. Neighbor replied.."yea it sure sounds like a race car, but doesn't look like one"...
I've never gotten anything but positive comments about my Bird at shows. I always get looks as I rumble into the show. People come over and say "wow I didn't know that any of these still existed in good condition" or "that's a beautiful car" and that was from a guy with a 63 Thunderbird Sports Roadster :D . I've even had a guy ask to buy it when I was pumping gas. He wanted to give me $5,000 for it! Needless to say I said no. But it does help when your car looks like this: