80-82 Thunderbird & Cougar - Were these cars that BAD?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

If you are a Thunderbird fan. Check out the Thunderbird Playlist. We have video for every year Thunderbird ever produced. Click the link for the playlist here ---- > kzbin.info/aero/PLz2M3b_orpr2eZoFKtONmqB3B3k1UAAkq

[@Morgorn1]

In November 1979, after a drunk driver had rear-ended and totaled my '70 Lincoln Continental, I went in search of a new car. At a Ford dealership in Tulsa, all the 1980 models were on the front lots - and I hated them. The Thunderbird looked like a gussied up Ford Fairmont Futura. On the back lot, I found a dark blue '79 T-Bird, brand new but damaged in transit with a bent rear bumper. I bought the '79 T-Bird, after stipulating that the dealership correct the rear bumper. That car turned out to be one of my favorite cars - wish I still had it.

[@TheSpritz0]

@@Morgorn1 My Lieutenant Colonel in the Army had a 1982 and had me do plenty of tasks for him picking up supplies and shopping on weekends, they drove far nicer and more substantial than a Fairmont. Back then I could have never afforded one so I felt GREAT doing these tasks and saying hello to girls at various shops!!😁

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sounds like a good call

[@geraldscott4302]

The '77-'79 Thunderbirds will be remembered forever, and are already highly sought after by collectors. The '80-'82 models have been completely forgotten. Aside from it's gorgeous looks, the '77-'79 models were body on frame cars, while the later models weren't even decent unibody cars. The Fox platform is the worst design Ford ever came up with. The whole chassis is made out of the same super thin metal as the body. It doesn't even have full length frame rails. The Fox platform flexed like a wet noodle. It had virtually no structural integrity at all.

[@ATLcentury334]

These model year Thunderbirds and Cougars were beautiful. My mother had wanted a Cougar for a while. She forgave my dad for coming home with a new 1975 Country Squire Wagon, when for their anniversary, after dinner he took her to a Mercury dealer. The 4 door version caught their eye. He put a deposit down on the new 77 4 door Cougar Brougham. They brought the brochure home and let me pick the color and wheel covers. I picked chocolate brown interior and exterior. I also picked wire caps for the wheels. My folks had to wait about 4 months for delivery since A plan orders were last in production. When dad drove the new Cougar in the drive way, it really was a beautiful car. He always got compliments on it, even 6 years later when he gave it to me. I drove it for 4 years. Now the car is considered rare, I still wish I had it.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

That Dented Bumper was the reason that car was still there , Ford was selling those Seventh Gen. T Birds and Cougars so fast because for the price you had a luxury car with every option even the T top roof was available.

[@KYoss68]

I actually drove one of these as a mechanic's loaner and I liked it a lot, it had a lot of potential but the engine/transmission were choked nearly to death by emissions requirements.

[@dennisleporte2327]

YES absolutely I had an 81' T -bird I always thought it had more potiential but never lived up to it lol

[@3653-w2s]

My dad had a 1981 Thunderbird. Great car!

[@retrodad6515]

My dad had one (Silver Anniversary) used . I drove to school for a few years. I loved the cars cool options, it ran great and was easy to drive. Its only drawback was the plush seats meant my head touched the roof while I was driving and at the time the unusually sized wheels (tires were expensive). My only regret was the original owner didn't change the oil regularly and I cleaned the sludge with kerosene without thinking about the oil pickup. At the time I couldn't drop the pan (had to drop the steering rack) to clean it so we ended up selling it to someone who knew how and he was going to power up the 302 as well.

[@ejd1984]

I remember when these came out. My grandmother had a '79 Futura V8 at the time, and to me as a 15yo teen, the Thunderbird and Cougar just seemed to me a gussied up Fairmount. In retrospect, these were just intended as purposefully half-baked placeholder cars until the Aero's were introduced. Though maybe it would have been more impactful if Ford had skipped this generation, let the T-Bird and Cougar remain dormant for two years, then...........

[@juan2300]

A friend of mine bought the '80 T-Bird yellow with a dark tan landau top and traded it for a teal green 1985 LTD sedan which had the exact same dash as the T-Bird and his retired parents had his and hers '82 Ford EXP's. They were happy with these cars.

[@OLDS98]

I know people who owned these models. I rode in a loaded Cougar XR7 with digital gauges and keyless entry decades ago from this generation. I preferred the looks of the Cougar to the Thunderbird. They were under powered. The 302 V8 got upgrades years later. The aero Bird and Cougar arrived on time in 1983. Ford never looked back. These cars had too much Fox car look and parts. You could see it. The buyers were not slow. It is interesting as GM cars did not have digital gauges in its cars to that degree yet, but it was coming. That keyless entry showed up on the Buick Riviera when it was downsized in 1986. Thank you for the footage as well. This is a lot of effort in a video.

[@garyv2196]

I had an 83 T-bird eventually just about everything broke, there was no check engine light so you had to check every sensor individually, that sucks after several years I was lucky to get 10 miles per gallon. I sold it for 300 dollars.

[@jimlubinski4731]

The 1983 was exactly the same car as the 1980-82. The only difference was the sheet metal. I owned a 1980 Silver Anniversary Thunderbird and loved it. When the T-Bird and Cougar went aero, I went to Pontiac.

[@matthewq4b]

@@jimlubinski4731 They were NOT exactly the same car. They shared the basic design of the Fox platform but that is where it ended. All the base dimensions were different and almost no parts were shared.

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

@@matthewq4b They were Damn near the same car, ive owned them myself and worked on every aspect of them.... aside from the wheel base itself and the sheet metal, mechanically they had the same engines and transmissions, steering, Brakes, are identical they are all the same FOX body Chassis.....the sheet metal was different . but rest assured Mechanically they are twins, i have pictures beside me from back in the day that prove my point, as i have restored these cars back in the late 1990's

[@matthewq4b]

@@bestoflincolnmotorcompany hey share the same design and being mechanically twins is not the same as bring EXACTLY the same car as you stated. and more than the Foxes used those Engines Transmissions Steering racks and brakes those are common parts across many applications... nice try at that. I have been modifying Fox's for over 40 years. Not to mention the fact that I spent over 45 years with Ford in powertrain engineering. SO quit with the BS...

[@ChadQuick270W]

As with the Mustang II in September 1973, the Thunderbird out in September 1979 was released at the right time. Both coming out when an OPEC oil embargo hit the USA. Great video as always here. Thanks much.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and the kind words

[@moelll]

There is only one correction that I would have to point out in your video. The AOD did not use an electronic overdrive. It's a purely mechanical transmission. It utilize a throttle valve cable to determine shift smoothness and shift points. It use a mechanical overdrive in which an input shaft was directly splined into the torque converter giving you a direct connection between the transmission and engine.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the information. I will make a mistake or two in every video. There's too much information that I need to throw together in too short of a window. If I get 98% of it correct I'm happy. I can't go back and edit a video once it's published so i have to live with it.

[@CoondawgPD]

We had a 1979 Thunderbird. Maroon with a moon roof. I absolutely loved that car. It had the sport rims. When my grandmother would drop me off to school she’d let me crank the radio. All the kids called her rock n roll grandma. That car was almost as smooth a ride as a Mk iv…..almost.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Rock on!

[@southernights]

I was just a kid at the time, but I thought they were beautiful!

[@johnlyle1127]

I always thought these cars got an unfair bad rap. I didn't like the previous generation based on the 72 Torino which was big on the outside, small on the inside. My parents had an 81 and it definitely had the luxury of previous Birds. It had nice handling and driving feel. Three things impressed me. First, the interior had good room despite being downsized. Next the trunk had a lot of usable capacity something that got good use during the ownership of the car. And finally it got really good highway gas mileage something you would not expect from a car this luxurious. It should be remembered that these cars were sold at a time when the economy was in recession which of course hurt sales. The car also had a good quality feel and was reliable. So maybe it had lower sales but it was a good car that deserved better.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can’t disagree with the state of the economy. Interest rate were at an all time high as well

[@3653-w2s]

I owned a 1972 Gran Torino Sport. 351c. Ran like a scalded dog. Best year before they had to put those ugly 5 mph crash bumpers on the front end. The body styles got worse throughout the 70s imo.

[@matthewq4b]

The interiors of these cars were ANYTHING but roomy. They were cramped and and with the over stuffed seats there was little to room in them, and the rear seats were nearly useless...

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

A blacked out '80-82 T-bird would be a great Ford version of a Grand National with a 3.5 EcoBoost swapped in. Somebody get on it!

[@michaelbergschneider2446]

The 1980 to 1982 T-Bird brings back a memory for me. I was 11 years old and we went on a family vacation in SanFrancisco. We ran into a neighbor from home at the airport. He was there without his family because he was traveling for business. He said I’m getting a rental car so I’ll take you to your hotel. My family didn’t get a rental because we stayed downtown and walked everywhere. The rental was a brand new downsized Ford Thunderbird. And I thought it was the coolest car ever! I remember thinking the full width tail lights were so cool and the overall look and styling was awesome. The ride to downtown was smooth and luxurious. And I remember when we were unloading the car, I could not even hear the engine running it was so quiet.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is appreciated

[@milfordcivic6755]

These were Ford's K-car platform. The Granada, LTD and Marquis were all Fox body as well

[@keithwiebe1787]

I worked at a Ford dealership in mid 80s and we got a Kcar in for trade and had to work on something on the dash. First time I ever seen a screw that held the trim on just screwed into plastic without a metal "nut" behind it. Boy, I thought that was cheap.

[@jdel2315]

Yeah, I think these cars were rock bottom...Fairmont, Futura, Ltd, cougar, very poorly built cars. Horrible crash test ratings

[@willielenton6620]

I loved those cars I wish I could find one.

[@jimlubinski4731]

They are out there. I found one a few years ago.

[@scottbrown7415]

Look behind warehouses and strip clubs! They were frequently abandoned when they either quit running or the digital dash clusters crapped out. You should be able to buy half a dozen of them for the price of one clapped out Mustang.

[@frankdeboer1347]

They should've never included the 3.3 in-line 6. It was too slow in the lighter Fairmont and would've been awful in the Thunderbird. I would buy one of these today if it existed, but when the 83s came out they were so much more impressive.

[@scottkempton6085]

I was selling Fords when these were introduced. I remember that we had a blue and silver one on the showroom floor; it had a piece of chrome trim about 2" wide running down the side of the car that hid the seam between the two colors. As wide as that piece of trim was to hide flaws, there was STILL overspray of each color on each color. Truly dismal times in the automotive world. And nowadays, there are lots of folks who are fans of the Fox body Mustangs, and these crappy Thunderbirds and Cougars are all I can think of when somebody says they like the Fox body Mustang.

[@dennisleporte2327]

I got a used 81' T -Bird when I was about 21 so it was about 7yrs old at that point. It was black with red interior. It was pretty enough you could say but the styling was pretty milque toast. I replaced the electronic mod twice. Got left stranded lol. Wasn't much on speed despite the engine lower curb weight. I was ALWAYS having issues with the cooling system. Eventually rust was the enemy , which was just as well because I was ready to move on to something else lol

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience

[@petertornabeni602]

I always look forward to seeing what you’ve got next. Great behind the scenes work Tony

[@bobhill3941]

Well said, I love his work for the same reason. Professional and informative.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Awesome, thank you! It is appreciated

[@19chucki74]

I actually like the boxy styling of the 1980-83 Thunderbird and Cougar, it has much potential, but the newly established emissions standards did them in, in terms of performance. Would love to get one and engine swap it with either a 2.7L twin turbo V6, or maybe the CJ5E turbo four from the current Mustang. It'd be a great improvement.

[@save16thave]

I love these videos. I've never met an old Ford or Merc that I didn't appreciate.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the watching!

[@chrisowen5497]

I saw my old car in the thumbnail and had to watch. Mine was an 81 “base” model T bird with that 255 cid engine. The car rode and drove good, but weak in the power dept. I didn’t find it boring, but it was slow. My fondest memory was driving it to work one day during a storm and realizing that I was driving towards a tornado. Thank God I saw it and stopped in time, but the hail that was hitting my car was huge (about baseball size). Sounded like my car was being beaten to death. Afterwards, I couldn’t find a single dent. 😳

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[@Cadillac61]

I’ll be honest, I’m a huge fan of the Ford fairmont the simplicity of these cars always attracts me. I would not be embarrassed with either of these and would easily choose either over anything Ford makes today (except the mustang). They are far more reliable and are like luxury versions of the Fairmont(1978).

[@bhodges00]

My dad was a huge Thunderbird fan. We had a 59 and every ten years after that he buy a new one. We skip this model year and my dad bought the next model which had a better style than the 1980. Thanks for the memories.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@Lazloweber]

Yes they mention the digital warning lights in the commercial. You will appreciate that warm Christmas tree glow when the oil light comes on

[@jasonrodgers9063]

It was called "Malaise Era" for a REASON!!

[@davidredfearn664]

The Cougar I had was equipped with the 5.0. The fuel pump started pumping gas into the crank case. The cam was grounded down to round on two cylinders before the oil light came on. I had an 82 model T- Bird that I bought wrecked for $200.00. I fixed it and drove it for about five years. It was the v6 model and one of the best cars I've ever owned.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience

[@charlesdalton985]

I think it was Car and Driver (around 80 or 81) that published a list of cars that could "Double the Double Nickel". Being the early 80s, it was a very short list. Yet - there was the Thunderbird. These model years weren't striking, but they were good looking in their own right. And when the aero T-Bird arrived, it wasn't an immediate hit. Most preferred the Cougar for the rear window treatment. In any event, well done, thanks for sharing.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and for your comment

[@infieldm.i.s.5132]

My dad had a 1982 Thunderbird which was handed down to my brother & had well over 300,000 miles on it when he wrecked it. My mom is now 84 & that is still her favorite car they ever owned.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@jimcarney7174]

I bought one, an ‘81 T-Bird just like the one with the girl in the commercial. Two Tone Town Landau w/all Heritage options and the 302/2bbl. and tuned radial suspension. It was pretty pricy for the time but I loved mine. It was extremely comfortable and handled great. The 302 was so smogged down with low compression…. But that was true with all the engines of that time. I remember the there were complaints about the all digital dash and first out warning instrumentation, but I never had an issue with mine. The sound deadening option was fantastic, and the premium sound system was okay for the time too, but not nearly as good as the systems of today. Overall anyone that ever rode in it or drove it was impressed as well. In the long run, the body and paint held up extremely well, had mine 6 years and sold it. Continued to see it around town for several years and it held up very well. I never had a wrench put to it except routine maintenance.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience

[@rpsmith2990]

Time has made me a harsher critic of Thunderbirds past the 1976 model year. It took a while for something really good to come of the Thunderbird after Ford decided to compete directly with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. If you think about it, the 1980 Thunderbird stood a bit further apart from the Fairmont than the previous generation did from the LTD II. That generation shared the LTD II's dash, and at least a couple of its seating options. The same can't be said for the 1980-82 models. While the Turbo Coupe was a car I would have loved to have back in the day (and still would have fun with today), what I see now is that a fair bit of glamour was traded for large sales volumes.

[@Thecommish777]

I purchased a 1980 T Bird as my very first new car at age of 18. I loved the looks. Because I was young, I liked that it was smaller than the previous gen. It was loaded with options and the car was a total chick magnet as well. It rode nice, handled well but with the 255ci 4.2 it was a dog. Which I did not really mind much because I was after luxury and style. Bad news was the 4.2 in my car must have bad been on a Friday after a 12 beer lunch. It constantly ran hot. The Dealer never could figure it out but, as I was young, I am not sure they tried very hard. Eventually, the engine caught fire and the dealer would not warranty it so, it sat 6 months while I was making payments until my buddy wrecked his 1976 Mustang II Cobra and that 302 went into my T-bird at the corner Mobil Station garage where a friend of mine's dad worked. It ran great until I paid it off and traded it in on a 1984 Mustang GT. I got a good trade too because I "forgot" to mention the engine swap. :) I guess I got even with that dealer.

[@cmoore7700]

I actually liked these cars as the previous models were very large on the outside but small on the inside . After watching your video, I see what you mean if the badges were removed,they all look similar. Well about this same era Chrysler would put out the K car variants and there were so many of them that they took the idea to new heights. Thanks for the memory and Stay well

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and for sharing your thoughts

[@brunowilimek2046]

I owned a 1980 Tbird that came with the 4.2 V8 and 3 speed automatic. It was a nice riding car, but gutless. Since it was more than 10 years old when I got it, it was due for a complete makeover. It ended up with a new paint job, I removed the half vinyl top, concealed headlight doors which were replaced by the chrome headlight trim from a 1980 Crown Victoria. I added a nice wing to the trunklid, complete with a third brake lamp, the tired engine was replaced with a rebuilt 5.0 with a Holley four barrel carb, Edelbrock manifold, MAC headers and dual exhaust. The original rear axle was replaced with a limited slip unit with a better gear ratio. 15 inch aluminum wheels from a later Tbird shod with 50 series Goodyear Gatorback tires meant it handled like a sports car. The bottom spring coil of the front springs was broken, so I just removed it, which only dropped the front end very slightly. I put cargo coils in the rear. I added an extra digit to the odometer so it would read past 99,000 miles. The front bench seat was replaced with a pair of bucket seats from a 1971 Mustang. All this work was done by myself on a budget except for the paint which I had a friend who had a body shop do in exchange for some mechanical work. The car was a lot of fun to drive and would bury the 80 mph speedometer. I took it to the track and driving it conservatively, did low 16 second passes. With a few more runs, I could have gotten it into the 15’s, but it started to rain. It had a fairly large trunk that my bicycle fit in. I drove it for a few years, then sold it as I moved on to another project.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@Ronn-p3r]

I Totally remember those digital dash clusters..they were cool looking for the time period. Nice work again Tony

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks 👍

[@Ronn-p3r]

Knew of a guy looking for one those old digital clusters...he said he never did find one.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@Ronn-p3r That would be a difficult find for sure.

[@JeffKing310]

Your channel is a lot of fun and has great content. Thanks!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

thank you! I appreciate that!

[@mrbreeze5556]

Tony, another great review! Another issue that probably limited sales was the interest rates on car loans at the time. My wife bought a new Escort in 1982 and the best rate we could get at our credit Union was 18%. That had to affect the buying public!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you and I absolutely agree on the rates

[@SGTJDerek]

I'm no Ford fan but I did like these. Almost impossible to find today.

[@jimlubinski4731]

Appreciate the video. I loved these cars, especially the Thunderbird. No car in 1980 had adequate power. Sales were down at GM and Chrysler, too. Slow sales were due to people not being accustomed to these cars in a smaller size and a moderately severe recession. I bought a Thunderbird (Silver Anniversary) in 1980 and loved the styling. Styling is subjective. I absolutely hated the aero styled ones, although for me it worked for the Taurus and Sable. I now own another Silver Anniversary Thunderbird and people who were not directed to hate it seem to find it very attractive. Surprisingly it seems to be the very young who appreciate it the most.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your opinion. It is appreciated and styling is certainly subjective.

[@pathunter7003]

Yea, folks did not like the appearance of the new models, going from a huge bloated vehicle to a much smaller one. What this interviewer did not bring up is the fact that the states was in a pretty nasty recession starting in 1980 and through 1983, so of course the sales were way down. I was a young guy during that period of time, things were tough, not many job offerings

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Younger people can appreciate what we older generations came to take for granted and eventually lost. They've never experienced such cars.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@pathunter7003 I remember. You had to know someone to get a job at McDonald’s. Still other cars fared much better than either of these cars and 83 wasn’t that much better economically and 83 Thunderbird sold quite well.

[@arnesahlen2704]

I get it all, but my used base '80 T-Bird I loved! Next owner a Cambodian refugee, who'd had no hope of a car until we sponsored him out of home horrors to Canada🇨🇦. Supreme luxury for him!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Awesome thanks for sharing your experience!

[@Vickyvee97]

My first car was a 80 Thunderbird with a 5.0. I loved that car, my exstep father sold it before I could get my license. 😢

[@The_Fancave]

I'm sure I will receive some flak for this, but I LOVE those old, squared off road barges. They were comfortable, and had great visibility. I was having flashbacks of my 84 Buick Regal, 87 Chrysler 5th Ave, and 91 Mercury Grand Marquis. The Fox Body wagons are one of my favorite automotive designs, like the Cougar wagon at 7:17. I've yet to own one though. Great video!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

No flak from me. I appreciate you sharing your opinion and thanks for watching!

[@rstel6295]

40 years on and I'm still attracted to the 1st "Fox" Birds/Cougars. Wedged in a difficult historic spot (in hindsight) between the last of the super sucessful "Big Birds" for the 7th Gen (although none of us considered the LTD 2 based cars "big" at the time), and the game changing "Aero Birds" starting in 83. But at its core, it's not a fundamentally "bad" car and bridged the transition into the "Fox" era for the personal luxury car segment. Discounting the core body design coming from the Fox Fairmont/Zephyr, they did pave the way for frankly "cool things" coming for that segment. As in the Aero Bird (Especially Turbo-Coupe) and Mark 7 and the Fox Connie in 84. The biggest downside and detractor bluntly, was the powertrain. AOD was in its infancy and well the bulk being equipped with 4.2 (which all references should be expunged from Windsor history and any portion of the earth having traces of it salted and burned). It would be throwing money down a black hole never to be recovered but, all things considered. I wouldn't say no to a resto of a solid Bird of that era (Sorry and nothing against the Cougar stablemate but, I think the bird carries the lines better and carries the tail light design of the 7th gen well). Throw a litany of modern Fox suspension/chassis goodies at it. And, a Coyote swap (or at a minimum moderately warmed SEFI Windsor/GT-40P heads, shorties, last 5.0 production stuff). Backed with a nice AODE for a Windsor or 6/10R80 for the Coyote and a 8.8 with a 3:27 or 3:55 and you'd have something in my mind at least. Along the same lines as "modernizing/resto-modding" one of the magical LTD LX's. Cool video and thanks for shedding some light on these

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment. I hope you understand that I need to note the 4.2 as it happened and I am attempting to document the history of the cars. Cheers.

[@rstel6295]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Completely understood and the 4.2 comment was a bit of good natured sarcasm... that line of the tree exists and you got to document it! Although funny and interesting 4.2 side story that shocked me years later. I grew up in one of those typical NJ burbs just outside of NYC. FoMoCo obsessed, I mean my parents brought me home from hospital in their 68 GT-350. Great automotive youth filled with Side Oiler FE's, Bosses, CJ's all sorts of Blue Oval dreams. Learned to drive "stick" in my Dad's 289 Cobra..couldn't have asked for a better automotive Childhood. My old man knew Carroll and was good friends with Andy Houtton of DST. Even got my first Fox in 86 when the SEFI was introduced new just before I left to for the Military (although selling my 66 K code I had been working on since 14 years old not the best choice in hindsight). A few blocks over from our house someone gets a new red 82 GT. I always admired the car from afar as I would walk to school. Years pass, life, marriage, even working for Ford for almost a decade. Get a call from my mother who is friends with the neighbor where this 82 lives, and lets me know "remember that red mustang you talked about in High School, well Diane told me they are selling it". Mid/late 2000's, I'm 4-Eye obsessed by now. 79 Pace, 2 20th cars (2.3 and 5.0), helping my Son restore an 85 4bbl car (Capri) and on and on. Sight unseen in a snowstorm, we're off with a trailer to make the couple hundred mile journey.. I mean the 82... "Boss is back"... that red car with the cladding, the TRX's, T-Top's.. oh my... It's beat these years later, finish is chalk, some usual fox hatch rust but, the core is still there. Just pay the money, grab the title and they told me it "runs" (wouldn't have cared). Open the door, slide into that 82 checkered seat pattern (not as radical as the 79 Pace Recaro pattern but, still cool). Go to turn the key.... oh no...wtf.... there is no 3rd pedal...what the hell is this "T" looking thing in the console... no-no-no 82 GT is a "5.0 HO" with SROD only---everyone knows that. I panic, open the hood, oh no the fender badges lie.. its a 4.2 with a C-5.. Unbeknownst to me and a wake up as I thought I was a walking encyclopedia of worthless Fox info, you could actually "GT" a GLX in 82. Like the mythical "SS" moniker they were going to use in 82 since Chevy had let the SS/Super Sport trademark lapse in 81 (there are E1XX and E2XX Engineering drawings showing the badging), 82 history isn't as cut and dried as everyone thinks it is! In hindsight on that one, I should have held on to it and Marti'd it that's a story I'd love to figure out. But, got it home, crushed drove it behind the barn with the other unloved spares. "Thinned the heard" shortly thereafter of the 4 eye collection to focus more on modulars and that one went first.. Again great channel, enjoy your content

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@rstel6295 Thank you for sharing your love of all thing Fox! I'm proud that folks such as yourself watch the channel.

[@manthony225]

80-82 was the frumpy bridge between the 70's barges and the 80's aero look.

[@tomcat630]

1980 model year was a low point in sales for the whole industry, due to recession, gas crisis, and high interest rates.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

This is true however things were not that much better in 79 and Ford sold three times as many Thunderbirds.

[@toddbonin6926]

For starters, let me be clear. I am a Ford man, and Thunderbirds and Cougars are my favorite cars … until this generation. My dad bought me a car for college. I got to choose it. It was down to either an ‘81 Thunderbird (silver … with a red interior, I think) or an ‘81 Grand Prix (two-tone green with a green interior). The cars cost the same. After test-driving both of them and sleeping on it, I chose the Grand Prix. There really was no contest. It was prettier and better proportioned. It rode much better and felt like a quality car. AND, I was turning over a ‘78 Fairmont Futura, which was the worst car I ever drove. The Thunderbird felt much too much like the Fairmont. Was the Grand Prix a great car? Nope. It was as awful as all early 80s American cars were. But, I have no doubt that I got more enjoyment out of it than I would have from the Thunderbird. Glad Ford got back on track later in the decade. Love this channel!!!

[@save16thave]

What a great choice for a college car. T-bird or Grand Prix. Your dad must have been a great guy.

[@toddbonin6926]

@@save16thave my dad was the best, and I miss him every day.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your opinion

[@Smarty1171]

@@toddbonin6926 this gen was pure junk. We couldn’t keep them out of the service bays.

[@keithwiebe1787]

I needed to buy my son a car his Sr year in high school (graduated in 2008). Mustangs too expensive and Thunderbirds I saw were trash (and still wanted 3k). Ended up driving 3 hr to Oklahoma City and getting a low mileage 93 Lincoln Mark Viii for something like 2400. Been a great car and still using it for bad weather driving. Has way over 200k miles on it (odometer broke). I got 315k on my 96 Mark Viii before I sold it and it was running great. So much better cars than this earlier junk.

[@maryrafuse2297]

Many folks were disappointed in the 1980 model contrasting it with the 77-79 model. I think these T-Birds and Cougar XR-7's look much better now then at the time of introduction. Sadly as already expressed they looked so much like the Ford Fairmont Futura, the public was expecting a more original replacement car. The wheel openings were the dead giveaway. Now forgetting about the Ford Fairmont Futura these cars appear quite stylish, especially with the optional paint jobs. Today the public is so sick of the sameness of SUV's and this personal luxury car might sell very well. It would be interesting to test this car with a focus group made up of people not alive in 1980.

[@Stevenimich]

I currently own an '81 Cougar XR7 and I take it to car shows and these cars turn heads! LOL! So, they're now being appreciated cause of the nostalgia.

[@jimlubinski4731]

Funny you would mention that. I have a 1980 Silver Anniversary T-Bird and it's always a big hit with the youngest drivers.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would love to see a return of the personal luxury car however I think I have almost exactly that with my 22 Mustang

[@jimlubinski4731]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Actually, it almost seems that the Mustang has taken over what was the Thunderbird spot for many years. I love the new Mustang, but it's in the price range formerly occupied by Thunderbird, almost a halo brand.

[@tomcat630]

My father's friends didn't like the 1977 T-Bird, since they loved the big 72-76's. But it was a huge hit.

[@GrampaTanis]

I had an 80' T -Bird.dropped an older 302 in it......Loved that car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That would be helpful 😉

[@dj33036]

As a Thunderbird enthusiast I was appalled when these cars were introduced, and in my opinion the Aero Birds were not an exception.

[@kevincostello3856]

Exactly couldn't agree more. I look at these " supposed" Tbirds ,then I take a drive in my 73 T-Bird with a 429 4bbl and life makes sense again so to speak. I do remember these cars though as a kid. Takes me back

[@mattskustomkreations]

The aero birds looked awesome and revitalized the make. These box birds and cats are an embarrassment that should not be acknowledged.

[@Stevenimich]

@@mattskustomkreations I have to disagree with you. LOL! I have currently, a 1981 Mercury Cougar XR7 with original 34K in great shape and it turns heads at car shows. These cars are now getting their last laugh (in a way) as more and more people are really loving their 80's looks. I've also owned two 1980 T-Birds as well.

[@jimlubinski4731]

We all have different opinions. I loved all T-Birds until 1983. I was appalled at those! I did like what they did in 1989, though, when the proportioning was better.

[@jimlubinski4731]

@@mattskustomkreations You and I have the exact opposite opinion. I thought the aero birds were an embarrassment and quit buying Thunderbirds until the next generation.

[@gregeldridge9815]

The only thing wrong with them was the wheels set in to deep. Put a set of’87 or later mustang get wheels on them and they looked awesome. Had a 1980 t bird town landau with the 4.2 and loved it

[@bikeaddictbp]

All of the Fairmont variations - of which this is one! - looked like the wheels were too far in with the body hanging too far out over them. Fairmont was a full new vehicle in 1978 with all new suspension, so I've no idea why Ford didn't make the track wider to sort this out from the beginning.

[@nolarobert]

My Uncle Charles owned a 1980 edition of the T-Bird. I remember thinking how small it looked compared to the other cars on the road. It was the first car I had seen a digital dash on and that did look futuristic and cool. The seats were plush and comfortable. I was tall for my age and it didn't have the legroom I needed when I sat in the backseat. I have a positive view of this generation of Thunderbird because of my Uncle Charles. I'm sure that view would have been different if I had been able to drive his car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

I actually like to Ford Fairmont but I never did care for this version.

[@leonardgilbreath9004]

When I saw the 80 tbirds I was definitely not impressed to me it reminded me of the 67 tbirds and what a boat they looked like.

[@mbenz64]

I thought these versions were attractive, but it was a new decade and they were basically downsized versions of the big selling 77-78's they replaced. The rear end was too big and awkward looking, from the back it looked like a box on table legs. It's amazing how fast they were replaced in 1983!

[@charlesferguson-p5k]

I had a good friend that was gifted one of T birds new for graduating high school and i got drive it and like all new cars, it was ten times nicer than my hand me down 1974 pinto wagon. The T bird got impressive gas mileage and rode smooth, two things that could not be said about the pinto i was driving.

[@campbejk1]

My parents bought a slightly used ‘81 Thunderbird, circa 1983. It was probably the worst car they ever had quality-wise. My father got rid of it for a used ‘82 Cutlass a few years later, the shortest time of ownership of any car they had from 1976 onward by far. It ate power steering pumps and alternators at a frightening clip, and at one point the gas tank just dropped off. The Fox platform itself wasn’t a bad move (1983 and on versions would succeed on it, it was well engineered at heart), but attempting to make really “blocky” styling (something Ford design chief at the time Gene Bordinat was fond of) just didn’t make it possible to make these stand out from their cheaper linemates. Ford should have made these only with the top powerplant options (302 or even 351 with overdrive auto), made them all quite. luxurious, and made sure they built whatever quality they had at the time into them. The 200-cid sixes were a joke. You might as well get a Fairmont at that point.

[@JayMcK-yj8ht]

I remember Erin Gray from TV show Buck Roger’s in the 25 th century , Thunder Bird look nicer .

[@HemiChrysler]

no apostrophe because no ownership

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Who wouldn’t remember that white spandex jumpsuit? 😉

[@quad5186]

Just saw her on an episode of Rockford Files - with blonde hair!

[@sfoonsfo]

The problem is exactly what you described - they looked too much like a Farimont, Zephyr. Surprisingly Ford seemed to have forgotten the Lincoln Versailles. You can only guzy up a design to a point. In terms of looks, I actually did like the look of the Cougar's front end. It did carry a lot of the Lincolns of the day. In all fairness (looking forward to your 4 door review of Fox body Cougar), they were the best equipped Fox body.

[@Charlesrook1686]

These are extremely rare now a days. I see one every couple years in the Junkyard here in California. The last 1982 Thunderbird I saw actually had factory recaro seats ( extremely rare) . I pulled and took them home for 100 bucks.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Nice deal thanks for sharing

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

wow extremely rare, ive driving these cars for years and seen 12 different versions of the 1980-82's and never seen the recaro model' truly the rarest option on these cars, good catch!!

[@drno-xc1yt]

This generation T-Bird always struck me as strange. The squarish good looks of the 1977-79 Birds just did not translate well onto a smaller platform - these cars look like a weirdly shrunk version of the previous generation car. A relative of mine had a 1980 T-Bird with the 255 V8, and my god that thing was slow. If you were climbing a steep hill with the A/C on, then 0-60 was...unlikely.

[@OathTaker3]

My Mom was given a loaded 80 T-Bird in 82 (5.0} & I remember the digital dash & thinking how cool it was, then a few days later she traded it in & got the 79 Mustang (2.3) & it stayed in the family ending with me & must say it ended up being the best automotive decision she ever made because we all know that an 80 T-Bird would never had gone 495.000+ miles without any rebuilds or engine repairs like that 4 cylinder Mustang did for us. That's as nice of a comment I could make about this generation T-Bird, great video though.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and 495K is quite impressive!

[@OathTaker3]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I traded it for a 79 LTD II 2dr with 70,000 miles from a kid selling it for $850.⁰⁰! That's how nice we kept that Mustang up all those years, it still chirped 3rd gear when I traded it. I should've went for the million, maybe Ford would have given me a new one.😁

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

my 1981 T-bird went 650,000 miles, but the electronics definatley did not hold up, it ate power window motors like no tomorrow and various other electronics, and some mechanical parts as well, but the 5,0 held up and the transmission

[@ricksand6477]

Were they that BAD? Hell, look at 'em!

[@rasichap]

It looks awful from every angle. An assault on the eyes.

[@dmgscalemodels2825]

I owned an 80 Thunderbird. Mine had the 200 Cubic inch 6 cylinder. It was a nice ride, but it couldnt get out of its own way. BTW it was built on the Fairmont platform.

[@RobinWhidden]

These cars were works of art in previous iterations, at this point they were blocks with no style to speak of, how often do you see these restored or even on the road?

[@jimlubinski4731]

Well, you would see mine. I missed my 1980 Silver Anniversary T-Bird so much that I bought another one a couple of years ago.

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

@@jimlubinski4731 yeah the Silver is the Best of these cars, as good as they could be!!!!!

[@RobinWhidden]

@@jimlubinski4731 good on you bro! I’ve been looking for my unicorn 70 cougar for nearly a decade, I had 71,73,74,and 83 cougars, I miss luxury and power, congrats and best of luck From fla

[@jimlubinski4731]

@@RobinWhidden I have a Cougar, too, a 1968! And I'm also in Florida.

[@mrpoohbearlvr]

If they weren't so horribly underpowered they weren't that bad, I liked the Thunderbird, lov d the cushy plush seats! Yes it looked like a gussied up Fairmont, but it was a decent ride, cool dashboard and the BIG birds were gone, so couldn't get a new one of those.

[@trainglen22]

I liked the Cougar over the T-bird from this generation.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I’m glad you’re here. They needed a defender. Thank you for your comment

[@deanstevenson6527]

I loved ❤ this video. The 104.6" Aero Bird and 108.4 inch wheelbase Lincoln Hash VII carried all the 80-82 Big Fox Chassis engineering underneath, including it's dash board turret.Although the 80-82 108.4 wheel baseT-Bird and XR-7 Foxes didn't sell, Ford got every ounce of engineering mileage back in the next 5 years of the Aero Bird and XR-7, and the next 6 years of the LSC/ VII platform. They were all variants from these hated Fairmont- Zephyr base coupes. I love your great summaries. Exceptionally good! 🥝✔️

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you very much for the kind words. It is truly appreciated.

[@viciouspoodle5543]

I always thought it was tacky that Ford didn't conceal the windshield wiper blades! Not even on the Lincoln Continental that came out on this Fairmont chassis.

[@johnmcmullen456]

In the fall of 1980 I was a young guy in the first year of my career so not making big bucks, but needing reliable transportation for my job. I thought the new, smaller Thunderbird was a welcome but overdue downsizing but couldn't justify the price difference over a leftover similarly sized 1st generation 1980 Granada coupe I bought with a reasonable discount. Considering the success of the 1978 downsizing of the Thunderbird's & Cougar's Monte Carlo and Grand Prix competition I was surprised they didn't sell better. After a couple raises I became the proud owner of a new 1984 Turbocoupe with the 5 speed manual. It was really awesome.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience and I think you made out pretty well waiting on the 84 Turbo Coupe.

[@BobGeogeo]

Now at age 44, with the right attitude they could be cougars 🙃

[@chadakoin1]

I had a used 2 door Fairmont back in the 80's. Inline 6. Not fast, but fun and indestructible.

[@MrDpbazan1955]

The 80-82 Tbird & Couga were the absolute nadir of USA cars. However they did inspire the prez of fomoco to ask his designers: these cars really what you'd like to be doing? No! They said. And come '83 models the same Fox platform saw a beautiful restyle

[@kennethsouthard6042]

I don't think anything was really wrong with these cars, other than the 255 V8 that nobody wanted. I'm thinking these cars might have gotten caught between their styling and tech generationally. While The styling may have appeared to the previous generation buyers, the technology did not and while the technology appeared to younger generations, the styling did not. Overall, I think GM offered a more appealing package and more variety with their redesigned G bodies.

[@keithwiebe1787]

Worked as a mechanic at Ford dealership from aprox 86 to 97 and independent after that. I can say that I never really worked on any of these that I remember. I know one person who owned one. Certainly won't see one on the road now.

[@uraswami8077]

Coming from someone who was tasked with selling them new, yes they were that bad. However, due to the EPA requirements for emissions and CAFE that were too far ahead of the technology of the day, most cars by nearly every manufacturer were pretty poor performing. What the TBird and Cougar were, was hideous and rough riding. The car was a Fairmont box, rebadged and trimmed up. Thankfully, the 1983 Thunderbird/ XR7s were pretty much everything that Ford had aimed for and missed with the 1980-1982. Modern and stylish, aerodynamic, great ride and handling, and became massive sales hits.

[@utuBrV1oI]

Big mistake gettin rid of the HIDDEN WIPERS, racing mirrors, & frameless side glass.

[@ProtoType99468]

my 81 T-Bird was 500 ducks in '93, leaking trans, oil burning 4.9 * put my 302 hecho en mexico in it w/naturally aspirated 4bbl Holley and a 4 speed overdrive 80 something model. didnt have to worry about emissions in okla though I did take to CA one time

[@seand2711]

I would drive either one of those today. Prefer the previous model years, but still a nice looking vehicle.

[@robertpendergrass7996]

81 thunderbird actually never had enough power to get on the highway from ramp very underpowered. Also had a problem consuming coolant fluid which later I found out was connected to the manual fuel pump like a water jacket gasket drip That would cause the radiator coolant fluid to always below. Took years to figure that out but all in all it was a pretty great car

[@macattack1481]

I was a passenger in one of these. I found the seats uncomfortable for drives longer than an hour. This one had the velour seats.

[@LincolnRay]

The introduction of the 79 LTD/Marquis, 80 Lincolns and 80 Thunderbird Cougars, were simply a product of poor timing in the marketplace. The Iranian hostage situation, along with the second gas shortage in 6 years took its toll on all car manufacturers, but hit Ford especially hard - because of the great sales successes of the 77-79 models of Thunderbird, Cougar, Lincoln Continental, Mark V and the heavy 78 LTD/Marquis. High fuel prices, skyrocketing interest rates didn’t help either. But the writing was on the wall, that Ford Mercury and Lincoln were nearing the end of its self-mandated three shoebox styling philosophy. But as times got better in late 82, the big Panther platform cars were getting more refined styling-wise, and would continue on to great sales successes through the rest of the 80’s and 90’s.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

No argument here. Thank you for your comment.

[@glennstiller7616]

Had an 81 Cougar with the digital gauges and Recaro seats and 5.0. Yes it was underpowered but that could be (and was) fixed. I really liked it and would buy one now if I could find an example in good shape. In my market those good shape cars are bringing ridiculous money, so it might be a while before I can get one.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I have not seen one of these for sale in years and I would have assume a nice one would fetch decent price. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@alfredbisson9997]

Bought the 81 XR7 for the wife new in New Hampshire loaded, My son still has it on the road with a few upgrades.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience

[@burningblue1254]

I had an 81 tbird with the 302 and I loved it. Leather interior etc.

[@oakleaves8370]

US car sales were down 20% in 1980 across all brands compared to 1979. Buyers were still very wary of buying cars with high fuel usage. Unlucky for any car maker trying to sell anything big or fun during this period.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The economy was in rough shape then however the sales number for this car were down over 40% and this car got much better fuel mileage than the car that it replaced.

[@sombra6153]

Them being Fox bodies makes them potential sleepers - if you can find one.

[@thewiseguy3529]

I like these rides. Thunderbird and Cougar both.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your opinion

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

had a 1981 Thunderbird with the 5.0 and 4 speed AOD transmission, it had power windows although they were not the greatest as the window mechanisms were made of plastic and required to be fixed every 3 years, owned that car for 7 years and it had 650,000 miles on it by then, the body itself did not rust but it did become flexible, on rough roads you could acually see the fenders lift up and down,, and parking on a hill or angle, the doors and trunk could be difficult to open and close...keep in mind it had extremely high miles on it, the 5.0 and transmissions were quite good, athough the car went through 6 Rack a pinion steering racks, 4 power steering pumps, 5 brake boosters, 4 master cylinders,3 alternators, as the top of the cars most major annoyances. also the cars ride a bit strange they all have a odd wiggle to them over bumps ive driven 5 of them.... the best feature on the thunderbird was the hidden headlamps and the full width tail lights were eye catching,,,the rear wheel wells are the ugliest part of all the 1980-82s,,, really made it look like fairmont.

[@ms8596]

Interesting to go back and see "period" features, and how bad the industry was. 115 HP? 0 to 60 in 10 minutes. 😂

[@steveyoung9750]

Hold on. Why do you think that was? Do you think the engineers just forgot how to do anything?

[@bikeaddictbp]

This generation of Tbirds were designed after the 1973 fuel crunch, and launch roughly coincided with the 1979 fuel crunch, and that's on top of the industry not having yet figured out how to deal with emission standards ... no fuel injection yet. Fuel economy was a big deal. I spotted 2.79 axle ratio in the specs. The 255 / 4.2 litre V8 was a quick reaction to the fuel crisis; that plus the tall axle ratio plus emissions-strangling isn't going to give blistering acceleration! But, everyone was in the same boat. Emission strangled Slant Six or 318 Mopars weren't quick, either.

[@1aikane]

A friend of mine had the TBird like this. He liked it. These are never seen on the road or even at car shows.

[@PlayingInVestapol]

I owned a used 1980 Ford Thunderbird. Worst car I ever had. It lived up the slogan "FORD Fit Or Repair Daily". But it did good power and takeoff.

[@leitheparsons1186]

My uncle bought an 80 Tbird to relive his 69 Tbird. As a 12 year old I thought it was great looking car in black and silver. It was loaded and those electronics failed quickly. He kept it 3 1/2 years and never bought an American car again. He did keep the 69 Tbird and my cousin inherited it.

[@bestoflincolnmotorcompany]

Yeah i owned a 1980 Cougar XR-7 , drove for 3 years , was black with a red interior, no AC , no power windows, it handled decent, the 4.2 V8 w/ 3 speed automatic trans was adaquate , it got around 20 mpg on the highway, was not a fan of the flimsy door panels which you'd have to continuosly tighten the screws on it or the door panels would rattle off , the cars also had alot of dash rattles which were hard to fix, and God forbid you would have to change the heater core....it is a nightmare i did it on 2 of these cars, you have to take the entire dash out and parts are fragile, The Main mechanical parts are indentical to a Fox Mustang, over time these cars become annoying to live with, as the unit body was not fully developed in my opinon, to weak for long term durability. also owned a 1981 Thunderbird with the 5.0 and 4 speed AOD transmission, it had power windows although they were not the greatest as the window mechanisms were made of plastic and required to be fixed every 3 years, owned that car for 7 years and it had 650,000 miles on it by then, the body itself did not rust but it did become flexible, on rough roads you could acually see the fenders lift up and down,, and parking on a hill or angle, the doors and trunk could be difficult to open and close...keep in mind it had extremely high miles on it, the 5.0 and transmissions were quite good, athought i went through 6 Rack a pinion steering racks as it was the cars most major annoyance. also the cars ride a bit strange they have a odd wiggle to them over bumps.... the best feature on the thunderbird was the hidden headlamps and the full width tail lights were eye catching,,,the rear wheel wells are the ugliest part of all the 1980-82s,,, really made it look like fairmont.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience with these cars. It is appreciated.

[@ronbrock6153]

These looked ok in 1980, but as soon as GM released the 81 midsize models they looked years out of date.

[@brianmoore6306]

I liked both of these cars. I know the public turned their backs on them, but I liked them. Still do! Though I admit they looked great when new...it doesn't seem as if the quality of the materials was up to par for a Thunderbird/Cougar. The materials looked cheap and would not stand up over time. The V6 engines had zero power!

[@12345682900]

I knew a girl who was given a new 1981 for her birthday. It was a generous gift for sure, but man-oh-man we razzed her endlessly...... as I recall, by 1984, the car was gone.

[@markchapmon8670]

As a side note, this era Thunderbird was the car that Kenny Rogers (playing a stock car racer) drove in the movie Six Pack back when these cars were still current in the Ford lineup. I personally like this era T-Bird.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I forgot all about the movie until I read your comment. Thanks for watching

[@12345682900]

1/4 mile time of 20 seconds @ 67 mph. YIKES!!!!! 😬😬😬🙄🙄

[@keithwiebe1787]

My 73 Ranchero with 302 stock would do 0-60 in 12 seconds. My 83 Ranger Diesel had 59 mpg and top speed of 83mph. Now I cruise with my 22 Maverick Hybrid at over 80 mph and better fuel mileage at that speed than I ever got driving 60 mph in the diesel.