1982 Ford thunderbird

Today on what it’s like 1982 ( 9th generation thunderbird) tour the car buttons switches and knobs
CORRECTION this car is RWD not FWD this car sends power to the rear wheels
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[@michaelrecker5464]

They were decidedly not front wheel drive. I drove one through several midwestern winters.

[@What.its.like.]

www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@stanmarcusgtv]

@@What.its.like. Your source is wrong - this gen Thunderbird is rear wheel drive like every other FOX platform model

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah I should have cross referenced it.. wasn’t sure if it was FWD to compete with olds Toronado or Chrysler K car.. I’ll see if I can fix that part in the video sport for the misinformation I hate saying wrong information

[@timstrobel9220]

Yeah...def rwd...all cars built off of the fox platform were rwd

[@eeengineer8851]

Agree for sure!!!!! I owned the next gen '84-'86 on the same chassis and worked on them a lot. Same underpinnings as a Fairmont and Mustang and RWD.

[@johnclayton5062]

My first car was a Thunderbird which my Grandmother passed down to me when I graduated high school. Many great memories. There is one thing, though. These cars were rear-wheel not front-wheel drive.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for that correction I didn’t cross reference that information got the information from here 1st source that popped up on google search www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@jasonnaimie5465]

thank the owner for me. i have all ways what a closer look at the 1980 to 1981 t birds. great video

[@petervitti9]

I ve always liked the 1980 - 82 thunderbird. I bet they will be popular one day !

[@What.its.like.]

All the ingredients are there it’s rare they wasn’t thought of as collectibles so they isn’t any out there

[@tigre7739]

Eye in the Sky by Alan Parsons project I remember when this generation t-bird came out I saw it first I think in the magazines, I remember the 1980 silver anniversary edition ad, I thought it was a nice looking car in the interior looks very plush in those models.

[@What.its.like.]

You got it =)

[@tigre7739]

@@What.its.like. 😎

[@TheSpritz0]

I remember these just coming out (I was 15 and car crazy!!) to us back then they looked very futuristic!! I have to say ANOTHER popular car with our generation was the Dodge Mirada!

[@What.its.like.]

I really wanna start getting into more 70s and 80s cars as well =)

[@TheSpritz0]

@@What.its.like. Some really amazing ones (you would probably love to test drive them as well) are the 1975 Plymouth Road Runner, the Dodge Magnum (1978+1979) and my favorite the Dodge Mirada 1980-1983... The Mercury Cougars are GREAT from this time as well, all through the 1980's!

[@mkshffr4936]

That straight six was a great engine, solid as a rock.

[@What.its.like.]

Small v8 255

[@mkshffr4936]

​@@What.its.like.No fan of the small V8. The 302 was a great engine but that I-6 ran forever and was very easy to service. I had one in an 81 Fairmont. It was no race car engine (although a determined enthusiast can get a fair amount out of it) but it was immensely practical.

[@johngreen2457]

I’m sure you know by now, but the 1983, like all T-Birds ever built, was Rear Wheel Drive (RWD). Thanks!

[@What.its.like.]

I tried correcting it in the video but I can’t edit it unless I have a desktop computer I was wrong to not cross reference the information that I got

[@tomkitchen9457]

I love this particular bird. Smaller but still boxy.

[@DSP1968]

I'm glad to see you featuring this car, Jay. This particular example is in pretty good shape. I knew these cars when they were new. They were quite a change from what came before in a time when the US was suffering through a recession. They did everything they need to do but the style is a bit too blocky for most peoples' tastes. I actually drove a loaded '82 Town Landau with the V-8 and the MIchelin TRX tire/handling package. It was quite the handler and much better than I would have guessed. The 1980 models were "thrifted" a bit too much to keep the price down which I think contributed to the poor sales, a situation which was rectified somewhat in 1981 and 1982.

[@What.its.like.]

=)

[@ProtoType99468]

🚔🚖 I drove my 82 302 4bbl (lil upgrade) from OK to huntington beach in 22 hours only stopping for gas, coke & choco , smooth ride and i was confident I could fix near anything on my own 🔧

[@davidhouse3683]

Had a rental back in 1982, but was actually a Cougar.. same basic package. Drove well for rental.

[@leightonfarms4962]

Tidy Bird. They are aging well!

[@What.its.like.]

When is the last time you saw one in good shape?? This is the only one I’ve ever saw from this era even the 9th gen are rare

[@leightonfarms4962]

@@What.its.like. maybe this generation of Bird is worth hoarding,

[@JoeyJr702]

Never see these on the road anymore, but I still see 7th generation Thunderbirds from time to time.

[@What.its.like.]

Totally agree I never saw one of these in person until I got the invite to review this one =) this car gets a lot of crap but I still think that this car is better than the 450 SL Mercedes that car is complete crap.. Not just one piece it is the whole pile

[@JoeyJr702]

@@What.its.like. lol. Not a fan of Mercedes either. I just found a '79 Thunderbird in white w/ white leather and blue carpet & dash, with 58k miles today. It has a power moonroof and all power options with sport dash and top decor group on ebay, in excellent shape, but too far from me. Not too pricey either. I'd love own it.

[@What.its.like.]

That car sounds awesome =) I’m a car guy and I’ve been a car guy for a long time but I never got into Mercedes BMW or rang/Land Rover just don’t make sense to me if given the choice to spend $100k which would be bonkers for me to spend that on one car I’d rather have 10 $10,000 cars over 1 100,000 car honestly probably would rather have 10 cars at $5,000.. I just never got into over priced expensive cars. But honestly the car concept I can’t wrap my brain around is the hot rod concept.. hot rods are the stupidest concept ever conceived. Let’s take the biggest engine and put it in a remanufactured fixer glass body that sort of resembles (almost to the point of a Chinese knock off car). Cut the roof off make new windshield but only making it 4 inches tall so one can’t see where they are going after market (1980s gm chevy hideous power steering column which takes up more space than original column) so let’s recap big engine with big cam so it shakes itself apart at every red light windshield so small that can’t see where your going.. they are fast but can see out of them make as much sense as screen door on submarine but that’s just my opinion lol

[@JoeyJr702]

@@What.its.like. Definitely not a hot rodder either. I prefer nice, stock well-kept unmolested vehicles. Lol, I personally can't stand loud exhausts either. After market noisy exhausts are especially obnoxious,IMO. If I want to fly I'll buy a ticket for a plane ride. The only thing I dislike about the Thunderbird I found is they installed a newer audio system and altered the dash. I'd have to restore it back to original and possibly hide a newer audio system with remote control in the glove box.

[@markw208]

Also, that car is in better than average shape. Other than the sagging headliner it looks only a few years old. My compliments to the owner 👍

[@What.its.like.]

I can’t recall seeing a better looking one

[@nwragsdale]

The 80-82 Thunderbird/Cougar was a holdover body style between the 79 large fox platform to the redesigned 83 aerobird. It was shrunk to meet the CAFE ratings that became effective in 80-81 model years. Like the 77-78 Buick Riviera to holdover until the 79 front drive Riviera.

[@trudygreer2491]

The '79 T-Bird was built on the '72 Torino platform..

[@paulhudson231]

Had a 1980 with the 302 and AOD. Lots of low end and good for hole shots, but the motor was severely emissions choked like almost everything else. With the AOD it could run all day at 80 MPH. Put almost 300K miles on it. Original motor lasted 158K and the first transmission 235K. Mostly highway use. Had a very good factory stereo and amp for the time. The 200 six was a credit option but was a dog in this car. Enormous trunk; I miss that.

[@alexlail7481]

I'm sure people are attacking you about the Fwd vs. Rwd issue, so i won't pile on 🙂 that one....the straight 6 listed would have been a 1 barrel carburetor due to the engine design.... the head and intake are cast as one piece (to save money) with only a mount for a 1 barrel on the 'small' inline six (144, 170, 200, 250 cubic inch engine). However ford did make a two piece version of the head and intake for a two barrel but they never used it in North America. Only Australia ( where it was developed) and a few in South America. It would've been nice if the did though. It came from the 60s falcon and the last engine from that family line was the inline six Barra engine used in Australian falcon until 2016 but theirs evolved significantly from the US variant. The US version was almost indistinguishable from it's late 50s development til it's mid 80s end there was however a variant in the US made into a 4 cylinder by removing the center cylinders from the casting molds of the 200 (3.3l) used from the mid 80s until the 90s the 2.3 & 2.5 HSC didn'tgetmuch respect either....Also the 255 is essentially a de-evolved 302 engine block, which is funny considering the 1st to engines in that family were a 221 and 260 cubic inch versions. The external block was almost identical to the 302 version but the bore got bigger and the stroke got longer. Also that engine uses a unique round port intake and head which isn't compatible with anything else even though the block is essentially a 302 engine also the crank was lighten to reduce weight and since it is compatible with the rest of that family of blocks is sought after by some racing groups.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for all the sight www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx That’s where I got most of the specs

[@jas4925]

Song us eye in the sky by Alan parsons band. I was 8 in 1982

[@Radiowild]

I knew someone who had a 1980 T-Bird. It was an OK car with a 302 V-8. As with cars of this era it was highly "smogged" up so it was prone to problems. I can't imagine having a T-Bird with a 6 cylinder. It's like having a Coupe DeVille with 3 on the tree.

[@What.its.like.]

I agree I didn’t drive this car but rode in it and for it being one of the “worst cars” as some say it rides better than a lot of cars they make now 255 was smooth

[@glennso47]

Some older Cadillac cars did have manual transmission. My grandfather had a 1939 Cadillac with a 3 speed manual transmission. One of my uncles inherited it when my grandfather died in 1954 and drove it until the wheels fell off.

[@OceanJoe-cy8rx]

Had a 1980 Town Landau model, 302V8, leather seats, all power, cream color with a half roof kind of butterscotch to match interior, sounds ugly, but a great looking car, though the front end a bit boxy. Smooth quiet ride, a great compact luxury car, wish I still had it. Flaws: electronic carb frequently out of whack, low ceiling, top speed 85. Had all digital dash, keyless entry, though the 1980 is the same body style as the 82, it was not a front wheel drive car, I think the host is in error. These cars rarely get much love, not enough folks ever got to drive them. Decent mileage and handling, but seen as the 1979 with both ends chopped off. The 1979s were hideous giants IMO but broke sales records as affordable pimpmobiles.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Jay, the designer at Ford that put the horn on the turn signal stalk must have been sniffing glue when they came up with that!!! 80 to 82, sadly was the worst of the malaise era for the Ford Motor Company. Thanks for sharing the review of this Thunderbird!!! 👍👍🙂

[@dsan2509]

Horn on stalk was a European influence. My 78 Fairmount has the same thing

[@trudygreer2491]

Also, I believe it was supposed to be a safety thing, as not having to take your hand off the steering wheel to honk..

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah it was a super weird choice if I remember correct the Lincoln mark VI also has that horn feature as well

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. I have to say that having the horn somewhere other than the steering wheel is a new one on me. I’d never heard of that before. 🤔

[@billolsen4360]

@@dsan2509 We had 78 Fairmonts as fleet cars at the phone company. I remember Fords and Citroens had the horn on the turn signal stalk, the only similarity between the two makes.

[@deanstevenson6527]

I saw my first in New Zealand outside my local supermarket.White Heritage. The details in these cars are highly underated because they weren't long door Fairmont Futura Sport Coupés, but happend to look like it, sadly.

[@What.its.like.]

It’s a different car from that era and a lot of them were just thrown away that’s the only one I’ve even seen I haven’t seen one before or since

[@traviscook9578]

I had an '81with a 302 in it. Speedo might have only went to 85 but I had it past that more than once. Absolutely loved it! Unfortunately it got sandwiched and bent the frame so insurance Co totaled it. 😪

[@What.its.like.]

The owner was saying the 302 got axed in 1982 for The sake of fuel economy

[@trudygreer2491]

Nice to hear someone's great memories of this car.. I really get tired of people's disparaging comments of this, (and esp. Mustang II) when I'm sure most of them have had no direct contact with either.. this gen T-Bird may not have sold well, but the economy was not exactly flying high those years. And as for the "underpowered" Mustang II, it was not invented nor intended to compete with the Corvette, (although that's what current car's become) but just a sporty, fun, and inexpensive car. Worst car ever? Sold almost half a million units its first year.. So anyway, thanks for your memory!

[@nickdemichele4203]

Amazing it only went 2years crazy they new items a mistake!I did like though almost my 1st car!

[@joshuas8258]

It’s not a bad car for the era and by no means a bad looking car but it’s depressing to see how things declined after the last great Thunderbird in 1966

[@What.its.like.]

Totally agree just a former shell of what it used to be but it rode nice

[@lunarpking]

Hey, 67-69 was a pretty great time for these cars too. The bigger engines made them into a kind of luxury sports car. Frankly they have an appeal of their own to their looks in my eyes. I wouldn’t turn down a 57 or anything from 60-69.

[@andregonsalvez9244]

Great video and review ! My favorite Thunderbirds were from the mid to late 70s and mid to late 80s .

[@What.its.like.]

=) there is one in the back room at jk galleria going to review that one next week I think maybe compare it to a Lincoln mark V

[@andregonsalvez9244]

@@What.its.like. I live in Canada otherwise I would have considered you reviewing my 1981 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan .

[@daveridgeway2639]

Hi J, theses cars where NOT front wheel drive! No Fox body Fords where front wheel drive (FWD) All Fox Body cars where rear wheel drive (RWD) The blank idiot light (or warning lamp) on the instrument cluster was for a future provision for a Check Engine Lamp. The front seats where called "Flight Bench Seats" (like commercial airliner seats) The 255 CID small block V8 was supposed achieve better fuel economy than it's older brother the 302 CID small block V8, but it did not do so. The 1980-1982 Ford Thunderbirds AND the 1980-1982 Mercury Cougars, where essentially the same car (the Thunderbird with hidden headlamps) and they both sold "sipo" The Ford Motor Company lost money on these cars. Please reply. Dave...

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for that correction and all the added information

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

I mean .. yeah your definitely right and trust me im _sure_ ur not the only one that noticed....but seriously, what did u want or expect him to "reply"🤷‍♂️

[@daveridgeway2639]

@@averyparticularsetofskills I am 63 years old and I was a ASE Master Certified Technician at two Ford dealerships and two Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. I was just stating FACT. Customers where better off with a Ford Fairmont Futura or a Mercury Zephyr Z-7. The Thunderbird and Cougar had softer suspension springs, more sound insulation and more standard features then Futura and/or Zephyr Z-7. All Fox-Body Fords have 90% interchangeable parts, including sheet metal, glass, and the instrument panel assembly, or "dashboard" you might say. The Mercury Zephyr Z-7, sold zippo! I can tell you more! Please reply. Dave...

[@michaeltaylor1603]

These were "baby" birds to me. While I did not hate them, the 9th generation also small had a lovely rounded look. The Cougar was also VERY distinct. Also during that era, eventual sagging headliners.

[@What.its.like.]

I’ve never saw the cougar in person

[@dmandman9]

​@@What.its.like.My brother had a 1980 Cougar XR7with a 302 that was almost identical to the Thunderbird. It wasn't a bad car. But it wasn't anything that would stand out either. The 1980-1982 T Bird/Cougar XR7 were basically gussied up Fairmounts and performed like it. Again, not bad but otherwise unremarkable. They seemed to disappear quickly once their run was up. The 1983 was on a similar platform. But the execution was much better in my opinion. By the way, the 255 engine came and went fairly quickly. And rightly so. It was just a smaller bore, underpowered version of the 302 which wasn't exactly a powerhouse back then.

[@dmandman9]

​@@What.its.like.They were fairly popular back then. But they quickly disappeared once that body style was no longer produced

[@dmandman9]

I believe that sagging headliners were a trait of virtually all American cars of that era. In addition to repairing them correctly, people had all kinds of ingenious ways of dealing with them from multiple thumbtacks to ripping them out altogether 😅

[@elizabethcherry920]

You oops, the thunderbird was rear drive,they were never front driven

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah that was a mistake I should have cross referenced that which I didn’t motor was in there normal should have been the other factor thank you for the correction

[@mkernen]

Correction - fox platform was all rear wheel drive..

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for that correction this is where I got the information from I need to figure out a way to edit that out of the video. www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@mkernen]

@@What.its.like. No sweat! I see what you mean, they have it wrong - never been an FWD Bird!😁

[@markw208]

Alan Parsons Project - Eye In The Sky (Sirius . . Eye In The Sky)

[@What.its.like.]

You got it but someone got there first good 2nd

[@markw208]

@@What.its.like. , Oh well. I still have the LP and CD

[@What.its.like.]

Great song =)

[@markw208]

Futura is pronounced “few-CHUR-a”. I had a Falcon Futura long ago

[@What.its.like.]

I’m dyslexic I couldn’t say both of those names right I could either fairmont or Futura but couldn’t see them together perfect

[@trudygreer2491]

Ironically the Falcon model was pronounced Few-toor-a..

[@maddywendall2980]

Just another example of many American cars shrinking and looking less than for the money compared to the former models

[@wallyfronzaglio372]

The Alan Parsons project eye in the sky

[@What.its.like.]

=)

[@elizabethcherry920]

I was close it's Alan parsons song is eye in the sky, I love the song that is why I knew it

[@What.its.like.]

It’s a great song =) love the music under the lyrics

[@mkernen]

Eye in the Sky - Allen Parson's Project

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah buddy =)

[@sking2173]

This car is a rebadged Fairymount. But it was a shame to besmirch the Thunderbird name this way. It’s kind like having the Mustang Mach-e … When the Fox platform was introduced, Ford updated the front suspension utilizing a modified McPherson strut design and employing rack and pinion steering, á la Pinto/Mustang II. The cars drove well, but the Fairymount was decidedly an economy car. And gussying-up an economy car and calling it a Thunderbird is sacrilege …

[@waspstinger01]

Eye in the Sky by Alan Parsons Project. 1982.

[@What.its.like.]

You got it

[@14xx78]

If you ever come to the greater Detroit area, I have a 1948 Plymouth sedan that I would be happy to let you film

[@What.its.like.]

I would love to do that car I’ll let you know if I ever go to Detroit I don’t plan on going there anytime in the near future but you never know =)

[@billolsen4360]

Those had a beautiful rear end with that fastback styling!

[@maryrafuse3851]

The only 1981 I like is the Heritage version in black. These were not front drive cars. They were basically a re badged car and had lots of pieces from the Ford parts bin. I knew this car when new, rear wheel drive.

[@stephencannon3140]

Alan Parsons Project….eye in the sky!

[@What.its.like.]

Great song =)

[@stephencannon3140]

@@What.its.like. I guess the top 40 countdown on SiriusXM 80’s on 8 are paying off after all!

[@davidjohnson4550]

Eye in the sky

[@624radicalham]

My favorite Thunderbird. My neighbor had a brand new one 1981 with the digital dash and as a kid I looked at the digital speedometer like if it was a space ship. What a waste that you didn't do a nice long pov drive of this rare car. What were you thinking? I hope you get around to driving it for us. The best car drives on KZbin simply hold the phone with one hand and drive the car. Do it! lol

[@What.its.like.]

We didn’t drive far.. I didn’t want to put the owner out..

[@624radicalham]

@@What.its.like. Oh ... I thought it was your car. My bad. I thought you owned this classic beast and just decided not to film the drive. We're grateful for the video and you have a great channel that I just newly discovered. Rock on!

[@What.its.like.]

It’s all good some cars I get to drive some I get to ride in some just get reviewed.., I’m glad you dig this channel I definitely enjoy doing this =)

[@craigjorgensen4637]

They shouldn’t have put the Thunderbird name on those! Hardly a T bird!

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Those were some slow ass cars. MAN!

[@deanberg4033]

NOT once of the Blue Ovals best efforts

[@allenwayne2033]

Recognize the song, early 80's I think but don't remember the title or artist. Something about "I can read your mind?" About the car: these were a disgrace to the Thunderbird name. They should have been named "Granada Brougham". This one in particular is a very basic model. The saddest days for a storied name.

[@What.its.like.]

Ford likes to do that with names just like now with the mustang Mach E early 80s was confusing conflicting time in the automotive world it’s the only time I can think of besides maybe the 70s late 70s where a corvette and a Lincoln have the same power.. I raced my friend who had a Camaro 1983 Camaro it wasn’t had a V8 it wasn’t anything spectacular I raised him with my 88 Lincoln town car completely destroy him.. the look on his face when I passed him.. was priceless

[@aaronwilliams6989]

1955-97 and 2002-05.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

There has never been a front wheel drive Thunderbird.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for that correction this is where I got the information from www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@2011joser]

I encourage you to make more videos but you should be more careful with your research. A big part of the audience for videos on cars like these are folks who actually drove , rode in, or owned one. Getting a basic fact like the driven wheels on a platform that included mustangs is a glaring mistake. In the time it came out, this car was as convincing as a Thunderbird as K car Chrysler Imperials were a few years later. They are very rare because they were not loved enough to keep running. They have value in that they kept the Thunderbird name alive for the much better next generation.

[@What.its.like.]

This is where I got the specs www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx I should have checked other sources as well it’s RWD and this source is Notorious for getting stuff slightly off same source said that a 4 cylinder was in the full sized bel air

[@danielulz1640]

​@@What.its.like. well, I guess that you can X that source off of your list. The Internet is the greatest source of misinformation ever devised by the mind of man.

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah I’ll have to go back to cross referencing.. sorry for the mistake I hate giving the wrong information

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

NO power , NO center console , NO power windows , NO support in the seats , No sporting feel , NO room. YOU do get a dash from the ''randomly stacked hi-fi equipment'' school of thought and a plethora of Thunderbird logos on everything all wrapped up in a brick like 2 door sedan body. Not a car of note , not surprised it isn't in your collectable book Jay ..I'm sure the owner has a proper car though . Probably doesn't like me much ...LOL

[@What.its.like.]

But it rides nice and it’s different.. and unique because these cars wasn’t saved.. so seeing one is rare

[@mkshffr4936]

The early Fox bodies were very roomy for their size, especially with the bench seats. Later models lose room due to door/body shape and center consoles which take up space otherwise dedicated to the occupants.

[@L4sleeko]

Nice review, cool car but I do not like that horn button! 😁

[@What.its.like.]

That’s a weird feature

[@danielulz1640]

The fox body platform was rear wheel drive, NOT front wheel drive.

[@What.its.like.]

www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx Yeah if I use the source or continue to use the source I’m gonna have to cross reference it because this isn’t the first mistake this source is also the source that said the four-cylinder was in the Belair full-size car

[@elizabethcherry920]

The bands actual name The Alan Parsons Project, but it's close

[@elizabethcherry920]

You want to hear a great song from The Alan Parsons Project, it's called Games people play. Awesome tune

[@jamesdesmidt447]

The T-bird was never a front wheel drive.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for that correction source was wrong I’ll have to get to a desk top and fix that ...

[@aaronwilliams6989]

The Thunderbird was never front wheel drive in any generation.

[@What.its.like.]

This is where I got the information www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@garlandaustin3489]

these models were real wheel drive not front wheel drive

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for that correction This is where I got the information www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@maddywendall2980]

Eye in the Sky 1981?

[@What.its.like.]

You got it =)

[@davidjohnson4550]

Engine light that might not be used.

[@lkmsl]

I don't believe it is front wheel drive .

[@What.its.like.]

www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx I cross-referenced it after the fact it’s RWD

[@jasonnaimie5465]

they are back wheel drive not front wheel.

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah this is where I got the information from going to do an episode on how many times people give false information because everybody has gotten something wrong even Hemmings motor trend all of them get things wrong too from time to time as well as this channel www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

😅 1:07 - 1:14 ....smh

[@SnifBelch]

Sorry but no Ford Thunderbird has EVER been a front wheel drive.

[@What.its.like.]

I got the information from this source which is proven to be wrong bunch of times but I didn’t know that back then I wish I could correct that in the video after wards www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@Tigerfire75]

1955 to 2000 huh? Why then is there a 2005 Thunderbird

[@NickTwisp80]

Ah yes, the worst Ford idea ever....the horn stalk. How many Ford drivers in the 1980s desperately pounded on the steering wheel hub trying to get the horn to blow? Drove a company car Ford Escort back then and even after I learned about the dreaded horn stalk, I sometimes forgot, once in an emergency situation which could have caused an accident.

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah it’s a weird horn placement I was wondering what the thought process was

[@Stevenimich]

Hey! Would you venture into Dayton area? I actually have a 1981 Mercury Cougar XR7 with the same body style! It's in pristine condition. It had the original whitewall tires when I bought it. It has 33,900 miles. Check out my channel.

[@What.its.like.]

I haven’t been to Daytona Beach Florida for years actually since I was just a kid but would love to. Maybe we can set something up next year I really wanted to go to the Amelia island but it wasn’t in the cards this year, but hopefully next year I could go and if that’s the case maybe we could set something up next year because I’m not entirely sure but I don’t think Daytona Beach is that far away from there Send me the link to your channel I will definitely check it out =)

[@Stevenimich]

@@What.its.like. youtube.com/@Stevenimich. Actually, I live in Dayton, Ohio, not Daytona Beach, Florida. LOL!

[@JClark-34695]

An awkward car. The rear window had too much of a slope to be formal, but not enough slope to be sporty. And the tail lights were WAAAY too big.

[@nickdemichele4203]

Please please please correct!There has never been a fwd thunderbird that's blasphemy!!!

[@What.its.like.]

This is where the information came from I can’t figure out a way to fix it www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@joeseeking3572]

Quite possibly THE worst model year T-bird ever. Though it gets a strong run for the money from a base trim 77-79 'bird which actually drove sloppy, but didn't look quite as bad, and you could sort of pretend it was a luxury ride in Towne Landau or above trim. Only decent year this gen was 1980 with the 302 and TRX wheel/tire option. Looked terrible, but the best actual performance since the early 70's. 0-60 in 11 seconds or so. FWD? There was never a FWD t-brid.

[@What.its.like.]

Still weighs less and better 0-60 time than a 450 sl Mercedes

[@mkshffr4936]

Like the Mustang II these were not bad cars especially given the realities of the time but they didn't fulfill the expectations based on previous models. That was par for the course in the early 80s.

[@MrDamien1963]

Thunderbird was never FWD. They were always RWD. They did for a short period offer a 4 cylinder turbo engine, and discontinued the v8 for a few years. This narrator has no idea what he's talking about.

[@What.its.like.]

This is where I got the specs source was wrong I was wrong not to cross reference (googles top search result) www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@mikesirois5908]

82 Thunderbird, front wheel drive? Make sure you have your facts straight before uploading your video.

[@What.its.like.]

It’s only as good as the information provided if the information provided is wrong then the video will be wrong as well this is where I got the information from top link on google search www.conceptcarz.com/s20893/ford-thunderbird.aspx

[@mikesirois5908]

@@What.its.like. just looked at link you gave me. I recommend you don’t use their data again in the future. Who knows what other info they got wrong.

[@What.its.like.]

It’s like that every source So it’s hard to decipher what is facts and what is fiction that is the hardest thing about doing classic cars.. some cars are really cut and dry and others the information is all over the place, I try and cross reference as well don’t use all information from one source

[@CORVAIRWILD]

Mah-Laise... 1st

[@CORVAIRWILD]

No sound

[@What.its.like.]

Try it again back out and try it again

[@stanmarcusgtv]

"The Complete Book of Collectible Cars" - maybe this car isn't in there because the author doesn't rate this a collectible car, not because the book isn't complete. Probably the worst TBird model ever, no Thunder and maybe just a bird w/ a "T" instead

[@What.its.like.]

Perhaps there are other cars that should be i there that’s not that book there isn’t any wagons... well very few wagons international kB series should be in the very important pre war post war truck that sold just about as well as Chevy did if I remember correctly they out sold Chevy a couple years I need to find more books with pros and cons and some more insight

[@automatedelectronics6062]

The most useless T-bird Ford ever made. A Ford Fairmont coupe in disguise. Laughably underpowered. A total joke. In case you didn't notice the headliner is shot and hanging down. A totally worthless car and an embarrassment to anyone who owns one. The previous generation, based on a Ford Torino, was so out of place. All T-birds from the first one to the last one before switching to the Torino body, shared a platform with Lincoln. After the 1980-82 embarrassing years, the T-bird returned to the Lincoln Mark platform and used it to the end of that generation. Then, when it returned for it's final run, in a 2-seater like the original T-bird , although it could run circles around a 1955 T-bird, it was known to be underpowered. Based on the Jaguar "S" Type/Lincoln LS, with retro T-bird styling, it wasn't given the more powerful engine that the Jaguar "S" used. Again, the T-bird became an underpowered impractical car and it never sold in the quantities which Ford expected. Maybe if they had found a way to shoehorn in the 32 valve V8 that the Lincoln Marks used, more people might have been interested. Going with retro styling isn't always a winner. Ford didn't learn anything from the Cadillac Allante or Chrysler TC failures.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for the insight.. still rode nice all things considered

[@bobmccurdy8881]

Haters got to hate

[@sking2173]

So a two-seat ‘55 T-bird share a platform with the Lincoln ? What you been smoking, boy ?? T-Birds weren’t related to the Lincoln Mark series until the ‘69 Mark III was based on the 5th generation Thunderbird. You are right that it was blasphemy to call a fancied-up Fairymount a Thunderbird …

[@automatedelectronics6062]

@@sking2173 You better take your blinders off. The T-birds over their history had more than a few things in common. The 1955 T-bird and Conitnental Mk II shared a chassis, but had been shortened for the T-Bird. Both had "Y" block engines, the T-Bird a 292 V8 and the Mk II a 368 V8. Both cars used the same large-case cast-iron automatic transmission. No other Ford-branded car used the Lincoln a/t. Because of the T-birds shortened chassis and the Lincoln automatic, the only way to remove it from the car was to pull the engine with it or disassemble it in the car. The Ford cast-iron automatics loaded from the rear and all the parts came out the back. The last one I did a few years ago was a '56 T-bird with a 312 V8. The a/t needed to be resealed buy some idiot had painted the engine Chevy orange. The engine was mechanically original but it probably got repainted when the whole car was repainted. The engine had some leaks, so I pulled it and the a/t together. I have also done mechanical restorations on the MK II's. I noticed the similarities between the 1st gen T-Birds and the MK II's. I read about the similarities of the cars later in a book about Ford history. The Lincoln and T-bird relationship continued with the "Square-Birds". Why do you think that you could get a Lincoln 430 V8 in them? No other Ford-branded car did. It wasn't so obvious with the 3rd gen T-birds, but they still used the Lincoln a/t. For the 4th generation, the Lincoln/T-bird relationship was more obvious, especially with the suicide 4-doors. The chassis were unmistakably similar to the Lincolns. Then the next T-bird shared it's chassis with the MK III. Eventually, the body differences were in the nose and tail end. I worked professional in auto repair for over 40 years and have worked on every generation of T-birds and Continental Mk II-Mk VIII. Have you worked on all generations of these cars like I have?

[@sking2173]

@@automatedelectronics6062 - You are taking a lot of independent facts (and some errors) and coming up with invalid conclusions. You say the ‘55 T-bird and the MarkII used Y-blocks. Well please tell me what other V-8 engines were used in FoMoCo cars sold from ‘55-‘57 ? Your point is irrelevant. ---- You made a point that the “Lincoln a/t” loaded from the back. Well guy, so did all of those Ford-O-Matic, Merc-O-Matic, Turbo-Drive (Lincoln), FX, MX, FMX boxes because they were ALL based on Borg Warner designed boxes - and ALL loaded from the rear … Along with the Borg Warner cast iron boxes used by AMC/Jeep (M8,M10,M11,M12), including about a gazillion mail Jeeps and other postal vehicles, Checker Cabs in the 60’s, International Scouts, etc.,etc. That rear-loading “Lincoln a/t” isn’t sounding so special now, is it? This from Hemings: “The Ford-O-Matic was manufactured in three different case sizes. It was initially offered in both small-case from 1951-'60 and medium-case from 1951-'68 (often referred to as the Merc-O-Matic); large-case versions were also used in 1958-'65 Lincolns. Large-case units were 107⁄8 inches from 1958-'60 and 115⁄8 inches long from 1961 to 1965. They can be found in 1958 Edsels; 1958-'60 Mercurys and Lincolns; 430 V-8 equipped Thunderbirds, and 1961-'65 Lincolns.” ------ You state that the Gen-3 ‘Bird still used the “Lincoln a/t”. Well, the Gen-3 used the MX transmission, which was the large case cast iron automatic, but the MX wasn’t exclusive to Lincoln and T-Bird. “The larger MX was destined for use in the powerful V8 vehicles from Lincoln, Mercury, and higher-end Ford cars.” Again, you’re drawing an exclusive link between Lincoln and T-burr where none exists. ------- But just for fun, let’s use your logic to establish another inter-model relationship. - The ‘69 Lincoln Continental and ‘70 Ford Torino are both unibody construction… - The ‘69 Continental and ‘70 Torino can both be equipped with the Ford “385-series” engine… - The ‘69 Continental and the ‘70 Ford Torino with the 385-series engine are both equipped with the C-6 transmission. Well gosh-golly, your logic has just shown us that the Lincoln Continental and the Ford Torino are built on the same platform !! Let me ask you again, what have you been smoking? BTW, yes, as a young man, I was a mechanic, employed at a shop specializing in automatic transmission service and repair. Edit: You also stated that the Lincoln/4th-generation T-bird similarity was apparent because of the ‘Bird’s suicide doors. The 4th-Gen Thunderbirds were from ‘64-‘66. The suicide doors didn’t arrive until the 5th-Gen ‘Bird, from which point the T-bird and Lincoln Mark III were related.

[@glennso47]

But does it have coat hooks? Does the radio work okay? 🫤

[@glennso47]

My response to this car-->🥱😴

[@What.its.like.]

Going to feature all cars this car is no exception.. it rides better than some new cars

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. just wondering if you press the turn signal lever to sound the horn, what happens when you press the center of the steering wheel? Do the turn signals activate? 😬🥴

[@What.its.like.]

No it didn’t do that

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. Thanks to the Good Lord for that! 😬

[@mkshffr4936]

Kind of like a Model A pickup. Just got the job done without a lot of fuss.