The 1981 Thunderbird

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The 1981 Thunderbird

March 31, 2006, 11:40:36 PM

here it is

the front:

left front-check out the rust:

the rear:

right front:

gauge cluster-sorry for the glare:

the dash:

through the window:

another of the interior:

I kinda like the interior, except for the red seat belts and dash

I finally nailed him down on the price, if he can find the title, (and he DOES have it, just doesn't know where) I more than likely will own it.
I would have got some pics of the engine, but used up the film before I got to it.

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #1 – April 01, 2006, 12:35:51 AM

still has the hood ornament, what options doesnt it have? I see pw, pdl, ps, ac, tilt, od, "leather", cruise, interior lights, am/fm cassette or 8 track?, does it have illuminated entry? digital or buttstuffog clock? Looks like a smokers car

I had to use fast orange to get the tar off the interior of my 80. That fender rust is average for around here, check behind the rear wheels especially the passenger side for rust and the usuall place under the battery tray. Otherwise looks pretty good.

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #2 – April 01, 2006, 02:09:47 AM

Early 80's T-birds and Cougars are teh hawtness. I remember seeing an '80 XR7 at the junkyard that was black with orange stripes and either red or orange seats, leather. Digital dash and electronic 8-track!

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #3 – April 01, 2006, 02:39:17 AM

I remember someone (was it you) that had a pic of one similar on here once...
Looked perty bad-ass.

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #4 – April 01, 2006, 04:07:18 AM

I never got a pic of it. I think Chuck W has one that he bought for like $200 and it had the orange Recaro's in it maybe?

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #5 – April 01, 2006, 04:54:20 AM

$100 actually

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showpost.php?p=7576&postcount=21

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #6 – April 01, 2006, 05:23:55 AM

yeah, it was Chuck's, I remember those Recaros, lol

btw I didn't pay attention to whether or not it was cassette or 8 track, and the clock is buttstuffog

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #7 – April 01, 2006, 10:58:12 AM

hey guys,
back in maybe '85 or '86 my parents bought a used '81 town landau in very good condition. it was a brick red with orange/red cloth interior. i always thought it was a cool car even back then. i can't remember much about it except it was very clean. it had a very py aftermarket cassette deck in it that was almost worthless. i can't remember if it had power locks and windows or not. what i do remember was the poor 255 under the hood. it was very wimpy. i'm not sure if they even put 302's in those cars in '81. for some reason, for one model year, the 255 was it. i think even the '81 mustang gt got a 255. i would love to still have the car 20 years later. you really don't see the '80/'82 square-bodies anymore. they make the '83/'86 four-eyes look downright plentiful. i think they would make a great sleeper car. anyway, nice find. do her up right.

fordman3

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #8 – April 01, 2006, 08:22:12 PM

Yeah I still have mine. It's still sitting in storage.....
Wish I had room here to work on it right now, but the '83 gets the heated space.

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #9 – April 01, 2006, 09:11:46 PM

Yeah, the '81 I'm probably goinmg to get for sure has a 302...:D

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #10 – April 01, 2006, 11:07:06 PM

The '80 XR-7 does as well...but that will be coming out as a matter of course....:hick:

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #11 – April 01, 2006, 11:33:13 PM

Makes me wonder what the geniuses at Ford were smoking when they decided to use that 255 v8 thing, instead of the 302, those coupla three years...
Were they trying to phase out the good ole 5.0?
Or was it simply because of the gas crunch, and OPEC making North America their little bitch?

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #12 – April 01, 2006, 11:50:12 PM

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek

Were they trying to phase out the good ole 5.0?
Or was it simply because of the gas crunch

Yes

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #13 – April 02, 2006, 04:14:53 AM

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek

Makes me wonder what the geniuses at Ford were smoking when they decided to use that 255 v8 thing, instead of the 302, those coupla three years...
Were they trying to phase out the good ole 5.0?

heres some info on how and why

The 1981 Thunderbird

Reply #14 – April 02, 2006, 04:39:14 AM

all that money, and time spent on engineering, wasted...hmmm.
Well, we all know now that on occasion Ford really dropped the ball, at least that time they didn't drop the 5.0 altogether.
I guess at the time, they must have thought that the oil hike was gonna last forever...if only they could see what today is like!