1963 Ford Thunderbird convertible top operation

[@saifonlawrence2044]

T Birds from 60 to 65 were ultra sweet !

[@AllenManor]

My Dad had a 1965 T-Bird with essentially the same mechanism for the top to go down. He took the car on a business trip and when he arrived at the hotel he couldn't open the trunk to get his suitcase out. There was no manual system for popping the trunk either. He had to track down an electronics repairman to bypass the problem just to get the trunk open. He loved the car but this experience really soured his feelings toward the car and he rarely drove it for the remaining 30 years -- it just sat in his garage. I shared this anecdote with a man who restored T-Birds as a hobby and he said, "Without question the system Ford designed for the convertible is the most complicated wiring I have ever seen. It's a nightmare to diagnose and repair."

[@b4804514]

No the Mercedes sl500 has way more pumps and failure points and costs thousands to repair to say nothing of spraying oil all over the driver when it fails

[@kevinhurst3709]

One of my favorite cars of all time.

[@loveisall5520]

The cool think about the Sports Roadster package was that you could put your luggage under that back seat tonneau. I had an uncle back then (I was a child) who had a red one and he did that since the trunk was taken up with the top. Smart like the original owner here, it also had a/c!

[@user-re2ny1lz4c]

Один из самых известных авто сша- тандерберд !

[@robertpetricko4846]

Truly a Legend and Bsd Ass looking Car. Loved it then and Now

[@charles1964]

When I was in middle school my sisters boyfriends father had one Exactly like that, same color with the landau cover too. It was pretty impressive...

[@fredericksmith4038]

I love those styles of Thunderbirds,I had a 61 and two 62's converts.all full power

[@annarborboymichigan]

I think so cool ,too. (from japan)

[@jamesbraun7709]

I'm a MOPAR guy but always did like the 63 Bird and the tannau cover was the pits .

[@DSRQ1]

A beautiful example from the era. Really like the color that shouts fun in the sun. 👍

[@jds1212]

Yes indeed!

[@sharksport01]

Black interior in the sun? Ouch.

[@DSRQ1]

@@sharksport01 I live in florida, we drive convertibles Nov-March. Top up when parked, sun is never a problem.

[@solemandd67]

I think they are pretty cool, especially the '66. I believe by then Ford had switched to rear glass. Still you must travel lightly and pray mightily that all its top motors will function flawlessly if your ever caught in a sudden summer shower with the top down. I think finding one with factory AC would be ideal.

[@caribman10]

(1) That's not the stock exhaust system but boy does it sound good (2) The top mechanism is an engineering masterpiece and a nightmare all in one (3) Yes, storing the top eliminates any useable trunk space (4) And yes, don't forget to unzip the rear window before you store the top, and finally (5) Make sure you aren't adding any passengers before mounting the Sports Roadster cap.

[@guidedmeditation2396]

This is so cool. I think if I had one I would wear it out the first week. I had a friend with a family member that had an old Lincoln 4dr Assassination convertible and it was so cool to see it in action. Pretty impressive engineering for the time. We put the top up then down then up then down etc until we had to put the car on a battery charger.

[@jamesbateman7313]

Those were the cars I remember that were worth owning. All we have today is junk !

[@michaelwinkelman7165]

My dad had one of these all black red interior I remember it well.

[@williamsteinhour4876]

That is impressive!!! I recently acquired a hard top but this looks much cooler. :-)

[@HarborLockRoad]

I did this with my 69 mustang ragtop. Built the roadster backseat cover myself.

[@peterhodges6684]

Way ahead of it's time!!! Very cool !!!

[@stuartaustin7134]

Best part of the video was the dog at the end.

[@kenmetzker3403]

We have a car same year and color at Horald's Upholstery on Billings,Montana that I will be putting a new top on as soon as we get the top to operate up and down properly nice car by the way

[@asicomovienes892]

I pay the amount of $1600.00 Dlrs back in 2017 for one of them with only 87000 miles it was hardly used on the road in very good shape every single piece on the car originals the only times in the shop it was for maintenance, every time of service is in the originals documents, that's my treasure since 2017

[@tiagosouza5823]

Uma verdadeira joia da indústria automobilística! Carro emblematico

[@Serge_QC]

Magnifique ! Serge du Québec

[@dipling.pitzler7650]

Best car interior and exterior ever!The big question is though how Ford went from this to the glamour Bird and then to the Mustang SUV?

[@OGTripleTriple]

Looks awesome but it sounded like that guy Jones from Police Academy doing the sound effects.

[@darciofragoso5269]

Muito lindo tentei comprar um desse Não deu certo em 1965 Era o mais lindo na Época e continua sendo Gostei de ver esse Parabéns

[@34Packardphaeton]

These T-Bird convertibles shared similar engineering with the '60s Lincoln converts, only the Lincoln had electric motors in the windshield header, which unlocked or locked the top to the header.. automatically...... and the Lincoln had the additional complexity of four doors... with automatic rear door window glass lowering or raising.

[@65T-bird]

I bought a 65 hardtop when I was 14 love the 390 4 barrel in it with the fat man steering wheel

[@misstara9838]

That is so beautiful

[@aloysiusbelisarius9992]

Same method of operation as the 'vert version of the Lincoln of that year. Actually, I didn't know that. I knew there were some parallels between those two cars, but seeing the 'vert top in operation is cool.

[@jonathanmorrisey5771]

SIDEBAR.....the 1957-59 Ford Skyliner [retractable hardtop] was was actually designed for the Continental Mark II. Corporate decided it was too costly to put on such a low-volume car. Another engineering masterpiece and nightmare in one system.

[@aloysiusbelisarius9992]

@@jonathanmorrisey5771 Yes, I remember the history of that. You're right about it being a nightmare when it malfunctions, which I'm sure a lot of newbies with rich aunts and no car experience learn the hard way with all the Lincoln 'verts they keep snatching up. Then what do they do? They try hitting up experts on those cars for free advice. I H8 newbies with 'verts.

[@smooth4u2touch]

Awesome!

[@asteverino8569]

Beautiful mechanical , relay ballet.

[@vincentbearinger2242]

Now that is ingenuity you don't get that from playing video games

[@alejandrodelaluz8183]

Los autos de antaño de lujo son y eran maravillosos los fabricantes ponian tanto empeño y detalles qué parecían de FANTASÍA Y EN AMERICA SÓLO LAS TRES GRANDES HACÍAN LA COMPETENCIA CHEVROLET ,FORD Y CRISLER , HOY EN DIA TIENEN BASTANTE COMPETENCIA SIN EMBARGO YA NO LOS CONSTRUYEN COMO ANTES DE ALTASIMA CALIDAD Y METALES MUY FUERTES TENIAN CHASIS Y MUCHO CROMO EN Las DEFENSAS BUENO ESA ES MI OPINIÓN SALUDOS

[@joaquimtourinho6017]

That's awesome 👍👍

[@mikerilling6515]

That never gets old 😂

[@cbobadilla72]

The dog at the end!

[@user-fq4zg6xj2r]

かっこいい♪車先進国のアメリカの懐かしい車、ブリキのオモチャでも有った様な！豊かな国、憧れの国の象徴です。

[@kerrykelaher2607]

Iconic classic car 🚗

[@southpawtx]

Everyone wants this beauty. Probably a 390?

[@8050neil]

Fanastic

[@STARDRIVE]

A Chevy convertible from the same vintage had about the same trunk space as a sedan. Hard to imagine some folks opted for this mechanism.

[@tedoychorizo6434]

Wao! I love it😍😍😍

[@danielsmith699]

Cool

[@enriquerodriguezmoreno4017]

Hermoso Auto 😍 lo venden 😍 ahun estará disponible 😍? Les mando un cordial saludo y un fuerte abrazo desde Coacalco Edo Mex 😀 MÉXICO 😃.

[@onkcuf]

S m o o t h. Ez too!

[@SOU6900]

How does this system work? Electronically?

[@brotherandrew3393]

This thing had no space for luggage?

[@MrMarineMaster]

What a beauty!! ❤❤❤

[@horaciolopez1865]

Qqqq chulada una verdadera joya

[@zongihangi11]

What is the point of mechanization if you have to intervene manually? The real convenience is when you only have to press the button.

[@TOPDadAlpha]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@Garth2011]

Back when engineers were worth a darn.

[@robertsullivan4773]

Great for its day but that plastic window and all trunk space that gets sucked up.

[@valdickmauriciomauricio2707]

Meu amigo tem um bem conservado o dele é amarelo aqui em manaus am

[@CorvetteStingray1969]

What an awesome video… Beautiful car!!

[@pablogomes4112]

E eu achando que a Mercedes que tinha inventado isso no lançamento da SLK em 1996.

[@butchvick660]

A work of art

[@bruceschorr3926]

Another reminder of being young and dumb and you know the rest we scrapped one in the 70s so we could party white over red and we just did a ring and valve job the a month later sold the 390 and scrapped the body wtf were we thinking

[@Beechboy68]

Y hod mother ,i,a had owned ofthetunderbir in1981😊

[@steverector6850]

Is it busted

[@hani60pk]

ٰIs this a diesel car?

[@jds1212]

No

[@randallfrank5682]

A beautiful car, but an uncharacteristically loud exhaust system for a T-Bird. It looks to me like you do not have a trunk if you go topless in this car. Neither do you have a back seat to store luggage. Better travel light.

[@permadifauza5251]

☺️ double radars on rear , good for ukraine 👍

[@ralfschrader7486]

Schönes Auto, aber zu gross für Deutschlands Strassen-leider

[@Beechboy68]

But no con vertjb,e it was rehukar

[@chuckweber7402]

Sweet 😋 🧁

[@agostinopresutti6865]

E gli eventuali bagagli-

[@deomaharaj404]

All that engineering and hand zipper.🙄

[@michaelwills3311]

One of fords not so better ideas.

[@judymarlene3414]

What a beautiful car…..so impressive what Detroit could engineer back then…..and just look at the ugly plastic egg shaped nondescript cars they force feed us today.

[@8050neil]

Fanastic