1972 Ford Thunderbird: The Full Story of the Luxurious "Bland Bird" T-Bird

[@jamestamu83]

You hurt my feelings! We had a 1972 T-Bird with the 460 CI engine. It was our favorite car of all time! I wouldn't call it "bland" at all. So smooth, quiet, and powerful. It was a good looking and distinctive car too. You didn't see too many on the road. Not as prestigious as a Mark IV, but it certainly shared a lot of design elements. Wish we still had it! Got about 12-13 MPG as I recall.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Ir Oldsmobiles. Then it didn't work. Stay with the 88.

[@davidclaycomb5496]

Loved my ‘72!

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

@zacharybarker7189 Salary range please? Start looking as we speak thanks!

[@deanstevenson6527]

@@jamestamu83 The extra 31 cubic inches gave an extra 12 hp at 224 hp net. The 460 gave a 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds and 17.8 second standing 1/4 miles. We know the 1972 460 was exactly 64 hp down on the 288 hp net the 1970 429 T bird produced, quoted as 360 hp gross in the brochure. The 70 T bird was 2 seconds quicker to 60 mph and over the standing 1/4 mile, as fast as the best 1972 Mustang HO 351 4V. Ford really knew how to clip the talons of the Thunderbird.

[@donsims1941]

Absolutely a friends Mom had a white one with a 460 and I'm not sure what rear end but it might not have been quick off the line but the top end as far as we could find was unlimited 😂

[@keniacobelli1618]

Drove a '74 Thunderbird, loved it! Traded it in for a brand new Givenchy Mark V in '79

[@michaelwhite2823]

@@keniacobelli1618 ooh Ghee Von shee with the front canopy half vinyl roof?

[@bobpierce115]

You have really good taste in Lincoln's. The '77-'79 Mark V's were/are my favorite models ever of the Lincoln.

[@keniacobelli1618]

@@michaelwhite2823 Yep... that's the one...but! Mine was special ordered and had the landau roof on the rear in white

[@keniacobelli1618]

@michaelwhite2823 yes! That's the way it was supposed to be... but the dealer I purchased it from had the factory deviat and put a white landau top on the rear plus they upgraded the interior to the luxury package which is MUCH better

[@61rampy65]

My mom had a 74 T-Bird to replace her 72 LTD. I remember thinking it would handle like a boat, but I was impressed with its road manners were much better than expected. She had the 460, which still had lots of power and torque, noticeably more than the 400 of her 72. T-Birds went from sporty luxury to almost-a Lincoln luxury with the 72 T-Bird, but mom's car was a great car. She traded it on a 77 T-Bird, which turned out to be one of the best cars she ever owned.

[@mjmorrill081]

I own a 1973 Thunderbird with a 460 cubic inch V8, and that exact interior. I need a couple of those buttons! When I was a kid and I sat in the back of that I felt like I was king of the world. I love the interior of my 73. And speaking of horsepower that car will go way faster than the handling characteristics will allow.

[@alantrimble2881]

That’s not case of too much power. It’s a case of poor handling. Fords of that era rode wonderfully, but handled poorly.

[@arevee9429]

That is very true about the handling - even when it was new and well-maintained. As a teenager, I tested that out in my dad's '73 many times.

[@mjmorrill081]

@arevee9429 possibly while it was parked? Lol!

[@Gljin40509]

The 1972 Thunderbird I owned back in the early 1970`s is still to this day,my favorite car that I have ever owned...so quiet and luxurious.

[@Vader1957]

My dad had a new 72 Tbird. It was medium blue with a dark blue vinyl top. It was a 460 and had a blue cloth bucket seat interior. It did have a console but the shifter was still on the column. It was the first car our family owned with radial tires. They always looked low on air. I got my license in 73 and drove this car a few times. It felt huge. I still have one of the painted hubcaps hanging in my garage from that car.

[@Northside-B2B]

Great presentation on the 1972 Thunderbird Adam! My dad bought a 72 brand new and I went to the dealer with him to pick it up. It was burgundy red with black roof and interior and I absolutely loved that car. I have been a Thunderbird guy my whole life and always loved the 1970, 71, and 72 birds the best. Today I own TWO 1972 Thunderbirds, a 79K mile original in Medium Blue Metallic with a white roof and navy blue cloth interior, 429 with power windows, power seats both sides, cruise control, Air Conditioning (non auto), tilt steering and AM/FM. It also has optional aluminum wheels from a 1974 Thunderbird. I drive this car regularly in the summer and absolutely love it. My other 1972 Thunderbird is a 13K ORIGINAL one owner miles car in white with white roof and white leather interior and equipped with every single option available other than the sunroof. 460 4V, AC auto temp control, leather interior, power windows, power door locks, power seats both sides with passenger recliner, cruise control, tilt steering, very rare Suretrac braking option, AM 8 Track stereo, power antenna, turbine wheel covers and still has its ORIGINAL Michelin X Radial tires on it! As far as I can tell, the only thing that is not original is the battery and the oil and air filters although the fluids have been changed. Every one of the options work great and the AC still blows cold. The drivers seat and door panels are perfect and look like they were never touched. This is the most original and lowest mileage not to mention highest optioned 1972 Thunderbird I have ever come across in my 34 years of car collecting. The Marti Report shows the original cost was $7,713.63 which was a lot of money in 1972. The ride is just as nice as the Mk IV in my opinion having had 2 Mk IV's over the years. Anyway keep up the great videos sir! I always look forward to what you will be presenting next!

[@TroyStout-z8k]

Sounds like Adam needs to feature your cars…

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

My 73 T Bird had a big AC compressor that turned the car into a rolling meat locker on hot summer days. The new Expedition I have now has a AC that is just about worthless on hot summer days. Old cars are better when it comes to AC systems. 😊

[@williamdavis8161]

My Dad loved tbirds. Had a '69, '73, & 3 different aero birds. Close as i got was a stray black kitten i named Tbird. Finally had a black Tbird!

[@MarkWG]

😂

[@phillittle9321]

I had a triple black 1970 Thunderbird Sport Coupe. It was an ex Ford product development test car that I bought from a Ford engineer. The car was used for NVH testing - sound deadening materials, window seals, etc. As a result it had been disassembled and reassembled to very tight tolerances. It was extremely quiet at highway speeds. Unfortunately, Michigan winters weren't kind to it. My current Thunderbird is a 2002 11th generation retro Bird, which we really enjoy. Certainly not a family car, but loads of fun on a warm, sunny day.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, It may have changed in size and focus over the years but at least Ford had the common decency to keep the Thunderbird REAR WHEEL DRIVE through every generation. 🥳🥳 That's a lot more that can be said for flagship models from certain other Detroit automakers who shall remain nameless at this time. 🤨

[@turnne]

@@loveisall5520 RWD drive based cars offer more balanced handling

[@turnne]

@@loveisall5520 I dont have a channel...Are you trying to make some assumption by some extremely junior level homework? Its amazing what people on the internet will assume based on extremely limited knowledge of who owns and uses the account etc etc isnt it?

[@turnne]

@@loveisall5520 False...you want a 50/50 weight distribution for optimum handling You do realize that right? What cars have traditionally been known to have the neutral handling characteristics?...LOL RWD cars On the luxury size of the best of the best ..on a world stage ..How many cars have been front wheel drive based? I am thinking ZERO

[@turnne]

EXACTLY!!...RWD are the bast handling cars..Everyone knows that

[@HQdefault64]

I’ve driven both rwd and fwd, the oldest of which being a 92 caprice and a 68 toronado, and I feel like for average chill driving the difference is really hard to tell.

[@hurstbear]

Thank you for sharing this interesting video. My late mom had a 74 then a 76 Thunderbird and loved them both. I like the 76 as it was the cream and gold edition and looked more like a Mark IV. They rode so amazing. Appreciate the nostalgia factor.

[@chippoz]

Learned how to drive on my Mom’s ‘73 T Bird. Was an awesome car! 460 with 4 bbl. Recently purchased a ‘74 TBird for nostalgic purposes. Huge car!

[@BrianLarson1326]

I grew up on Montego's and a Monterey Breezeway in the family. Later on, the old man bought a sunrise red T Bird, with white interior, WOW. We all loved that car. Thanks again, for the trip down memory lane.

[@budmatto9205]

I always liked the 72 Thunderbirds and Mark IV's, before the visual curse of the 5 mph bumpers.

[@pcno2832]

I didn't mind the 5 MPH bumpers on some cars, particularly the ones that wrapped all the way back to the wheel openings. But on most Ford products, they did look like add-ons.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

The '72 MKIV is my favorite precisely because of the totally exposed grill, in '73 that beautiful grill was chopped in half with that hideous 5-mph bumper! Whoever pushed those bumpers on the auto industry should've done prison time! 🤣

[@dionrau5580]

Those bumpers ruined everything.

[@not4one918]

Totally agree, but always thought the front of the 72 bird would have looked more distinctive without the horizontal bumper bar across center grille...seeing the full grill with its all its horizontal slats would have added some needed presence and distinctiveness in my view. That said, bumper regs in 72 may have required the bar, I recall the 71 Mark IV having an unprotected grill, while the 72 had a horizontal bar of some kind?

[@davehunt6176]

Hated the ‘73 bumpers. Hated the ‘74s even more.

[@michaelsullivan2361]

I know that the “Bunkie Fords” get a lot of hate, but I really like the 71 & 72 Galaxie/LTD’s. The Mark IV is beautiful as well. The T-Birds aren’t bad either.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

I also thought the '71-'72 was "peak" LTD/Galaxie - especially the '71 LTD with those beautiful wall-to-wall taillights - very well done!

[@machpodfan]

@@TomSnyder-gx5ru Ditto here!

[@wolfwagonc1727]

There’s one of my dream cars right there. When I was in grade 7 in 1993 I looked in a National Geographic magazine and saw the ad for that car and fell in love with it immediately.

[@davidgold5961]

How many years, the first advertisement in the back of National Geographic after the articles with naked African women in them would be an ad for the Ford Thunderbird.

[@cheftomsd]

I loved the Ford turbine wheel covers of this era. I bought some for my '70 LTD which really dressed it up.

[@BXXification]

Thanks for touching on the curved A pillars. Unique in all of the Auto World. Great front seats too, and pretty amazing sound systems too.

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I put a new Sony AM FM stereo Cassette deck in my 73 T Bird and it sounded great. A guy at a car stereo shop listened to it and wanted to know what kind of speakers it had because it sounded so good. I told him that they were the stock speakers that came with the car. He said it was impossible for stock speakers to sound that good. So I removed one of them from the rear deck and said see it is a stock Ford speaker from 1973. He did not know what to say.😊

[@komradkolonel]

I know there are Thunderbird fans that don't like this generation but I have fond memories of them. They were big cars with a smooth ride and ice cold A/C. Now the 1980-82 "Box Bird," aka the "Thundermont," or the "Fairbird," that's a different story. A friend of mine had one of those with the 200 straight six and even though the interior was nice it was just dangerously underpowered. The higher torque 250 would have made a big difference.

[@TruthNTime]

Adam, I know you love Mercury's from the 1970's, because of their build quality and ride comfort. Do you know of the 1970 Mercury Marauder 429 X-100 Coupe? Would love to see you do a video about Mercury's unique luxury muscle coupe!

[@coreyjones1518]

That would be fun, but good luck finding one.

[@georgeballow7028]

Been asking Adam to get one for a while now. My dad took me to the Mercury dealer in Hudson NY to see the ‘69 X-100 in the showroom. The salesman was Supra young man would be interested.

[@coreyjones1518]

@@georgeballow7028 My brother's girlfriend's mom bought one. It was just unbelievable, such a beautiful car.

[@gregt8638]

Thanks for posting another great video, Adam! I was having a dull evening and then I spotted this new posting. It got me excited and I really enjoyed it too! Greg T in California

[@RareClassicCars]

I appreciate it, Greg!

[@neilouellette3004]

Back in high school my girlfriend had a 1974 Thunderbird loaded. That was a mint T-Bird and road real nice. Great car.

[@houstontexas4658]

Parent's had a 74 Gold Thunderbird with the 460 engine. The front hood on that thing went on for miles it seems! What a great road trip car that thing was.

[@ScottALaFollette]

Another enjoyable episode. Reminded me of things I had forgotten while learning new things. Thanks.

[@kc0lif]

i had 1977 & 1976. i like 1972 t bird. also liked 1970-1971 4 door t birds.

[@issyparrish]

First commenter Mr. Wade. Have you ever thought of doing some episodes of cars you had years ago that you regret parting with?

[@danielulz1640]

You neglected to mention that the Mark IV and the concurrent Thunderbird shared the entire door, inner structure and outer skin. Excellent episode though, as always.

[@soyounoat2814]

I love the long hood Fords. I had the opportunity some years ago to buy a 1972 Bird that was triple black and had low miles. Due to a lack of indoor or covered storage (necessary for western Washington rain season) I passed on it. And still regret it.

[@kevinkepley4714]

Had a 73. 460, burgundy, white Landon top, opera windows, white leather interior. Cylinder # 7 was dead, but it still ran great

[@adamsneidelmann8976]

I love the style of these old thunder chickens. Next classic will be this, unless it costs me my marriage 😂.

[@paulfrantizek102]

The Ford power steering pumps of that era weren't just noisy, they were big heavy things.

[@MurrayLewis-k4v]

Had a '73 'Bird, 460 engine. Pretty good performer. Fully optioned out. Liked the car a lot. The opera window was indeed welcomed, but still needed the passenger side mirror.

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I had people ask me if my 73 Bird top was chopped. I said no that is way they were made at the factory. It did look kind of like it was chopped. I liked the little opera window. Gave the car a bit of extra class.

[@MarinCipollina]

Thanks for this one, Adam.. Many manufacturers had problems during the decade of the 1970s, I consider it a nadir of sorts for many US auto designs. Between the onslaught of regulations that came into play along with what were frequently conflicting emissions and gasoline mileage imperatives, the US manufacturers certainly had their hands full.

[@HAL-dm1eh]

Maybe in the coming few years we can finally put those regulation agencies in their place.

[@dj33036]

@@HAL-dm1eh Or maybe not.

[@20CentMotors]

I remember reading a car magazine... it might have been Automobile Quarterly... how a designer from another manufacturer got an early preview of the Fords and marveled over the "twisted A pillar", as the Ford designer made special point of it to him. They put a twist in the pillar is how he described it.

[@Ascotman]

One of the most luxurious cars from the early 1970's!

[@maxr4448]

I parents bought a '74 Gold Package 'Bird. Everyone loved it. Rode like you were in a boat. It had the 460.

[@grimchuckles9484]

I owned a 66 T-Bird..what a difference 6 years makes. The 66 had style n panache

[@Paramount531]

My inlaws used to have a gorgeous 65. That was a work of art!

[@bobpierce115]

@@Paramount531 Totally agree. The '65 was just a gentle refinement of the '64, the main difference being the sexy sequential taillights. I didn't like the '66 as well from the front end, or the taillights. Also the model without the quarter window. Having said that, it was the 3rd year in the 4th gen's styling cycle and they "needed" to change it a little more. What's cool about the '66, is that while mainly still a 4th gen, it previewed the 5th with that roofline option and lights across the rear. As a collector car, it's a really good choice for someone who likes both the 4th and 5th gens, and gets both elements in the '66.

[@bobpierce115]

You're right. Another thing was the proportions. The '66 may have been the last model that was ultra-sleek like that. The '67-'69 largely did too, but starting in '70, they seemed to have had more of the standard (LTD/Galaxie) Ford proportions.

[@gregdelagrange8573]

I've always liked the 72 Thunderbirds. The grille looks to be modeled after the 36 Cord or 42 Continental. I currently have a 70 Thunderbird coupe and wouldn't mind getting a 72.

[@joeseeking3572]

As a car crazed little kid, I really liked this gen T-bird. Probably because it was unaffordable for anyone in my split-level just made it to middle class (by the skin of their house payment teeth) neighborhood. There were families with big wagons & full size sedans, but we had like one Lincoln Continental 4dr in the entire 150 house development, and nobody had something so uselessly extravagant. Moms needed a big car to get the kids around, but Dad just needed something for work - in my case yes, it was a full size sedan, but that was a company issued 71 Galaxie 500. The Bird was $$$ for an essentially 2 passenger car. Today, I really only like the 72 for its grille/taillights (ok maybe the 73), but then such unimaginable (optional but generally fitted) luxuries as a reclining seat, power windows/seats/locks - and eventually sunroof were all beyond our grasp or my hopes - so all desirable & impressive. Later on, I flatly refused to believe it was a (kind of) Torino and instead saw it as a baby Mark IV (same thing) and ate up the ads that told me it was 'sporty'! By 76, when the Creme/Gold edition came out with forged aluminum wheels, I probably knew the jig was up - yet I still liked that look, and felt betrayed by the 1977s (not a 'real Thunderbird' - then again, maybe neither was this - as looking back, it had none of the distinction in time of its predecessors). I still have deluxe brochures for this entire gen. In 72 and 73 at least, you could in fact get buckets and console - again - 'sporty'

[@Cadillac61]

My favorite T-birds are the 55,61,64,71,76,77 and the 88. Side note,I’m always astounded that Chevy passed on the Riviera imagine a 1963 Monte Carlo. Adam another great video!!

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

When I was in high school 1968 a friend of mine had a 61 T Bird. It got the name of Rototiller. We drove the Rototiller around a lot in 67-68. How it got the name is one time we got it stuck in the mud and it rototilled its way out of the mud for a mile and made it out without getting bogged down. Hence the name Rototiller.🥲

[@mjmorrill081]

@@Cadillac61 a 76 T-Bird? At least pick the most handsome of that style of T-Bird which is the 1973

[@Cadillac61]

@ nooooo I feel the 5mph bumper in the front and regular bumper in the rear throw off the balance in side view. The 76 had everything available but the kitchen sink and in side view looked well balanced. I always like the “lipstick “ option I believe was white exterior with red interior and half vinyl top.

[@mjmorrill081]

@Cadillac61 sorry, I can't agree the 76 tail lamps were not as attractive, and the coffin on the back never made any sense.

[@juliansanchez7266]

Hi Adam I still own my 1st car ,a 1972 Thunderbird. I also have a 1974 Lincoln MKIV . YOU ARE CORRECT the quarter window move back very little. BUT the Thunderbird, without opera window retracts all the way into the "C" pillar

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

My 73 Bird had the opera window and the rear window would only go open about halfway which was ok as I never opened it much anyway. I never used the moon roof but it did not leak in the 12 years I owned it which I was grateful for.

[@dcole9589]

The wheel covers on the 72 T-BIRD are reminiscent of the 69 Continental Mark III wheel covers. I owned a 69 Continental Mark III.

[@dcole9589]

Funny thing, I remember hitting a bump in the road driving thru a green light. The front passenger side wheel cover on the Mark came off and flew thru the intersection like a projectile. Scared the Hell out of me. Thankfully no vehicle was hit. Those wheel covers had some weight. Lol

[@MyHumanWreckage]

I love all Thunderbirds, all years. Each generation and version had a unique personality. I’d love Ford to bring back the Thunderbird as a nice, sporty coupe or sedan, but I know they won’t.

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

No, the chances of ever seeing another T Bird again in production is close to zero. It is government approved plastic boxes with three cylinder engines from now on.

[@Napier363]

The 87-89 Thunderbird turbo coupes were really sweet rides. There’s one for sale on BAT right now.

[@okc557]

My favorite era of birds

[@williamsauve6058]

Please do a video on a four door thunderbird. Love from Canada

[@alexanderspenser4960]

Love the back stories you provide. Did any one get along The Deuce? Had a friend who had both the Mark and the Bird. The back seat was tight. They both rode smooth and quiet.

[@Sundancer268]

My 64 Galaxie 500 XL Convertible had the gas filler behind the license plate if I remember correctly. I loved it, you didn't have to jockey for a pump on the correct side of the vehicle, just pull into any open pump and start filling up.

[@douglasrizzo9210]

Wonderful job, Adam! The 72-76 Thunderbirds were my all time favorites. Just "because" I guess! There's just something about that big, bad, '76 Thunderbird, that I love. The steering wheel and instrument pod would become color keyed for 1973, and the optional color keyed seat belts would, for '74. Oddly, the RH mirror would remain an option until 1983! Bucket seats and a full length console were still around, but were optional in '72 and '73, making those cars a rare find, and, particularly collectible. While the 429 4V was standard, the mighty 460 was optional, with the 429 bowing out for 1973, leaving the 460 as the sole powerplant. Dual exhaust, previously standard, was now found on the options list, and many cars were so equipped. The feature car has the rear defrost, a feature becoming increasingly popular as the years went on. This car also has the luxury wheel cover option, and the Mahogany Starfire paint. Great work featuring my all time favorite generation of Thunderbird!

[@Alan-lv9rw]

My favorite T-Bird.

[@chriseaton2730]

Stylingwise, 55-56 Thunderbirds without the continental kit are my favorite then the 68-69 four door.

[@portsboy1]

I gotta say my mother drove several tbirds and loved em

[@duncanssinclairyoutu]

Adam, those seats are actually looking a lot like the Eames Lounge chair

[@justflooreit4me1]

The most beautiful car in the world. In my opinion.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Adam. I thank you for confirming what I knew and suspected of this era of Thunderbird. It shared a lot with Lincoln Mark series and it became quite luxurious and you could see it as well. Then did this again years later in the 1980's up until the end as well. You see it on the Fox body cars and the 1990's and 2000's models too. This happened even with the Lincoln LS and Thunderbird. It was a formula they used. I used to wonder why Mercury did not get a version. I now understand and things changed in 1977. The interior looks like the furniture back then. It is interesting they used GM parts. I now understand how this car competed against Oldsmobile Toronado back then.

[@20CentMotors]

my family tried out a new 74 or 75 T-bird. My mother drove it, she couldn't see out of it and the dark interior made her feel claustrophobic. We suddenly had a lowered sense of awe at Mark IVs knowing how similar they were. It wasn't just a no sale situation, it was a heck no!

[@stepheneickhoff4953]

9:15 Landau bar looks like it belongs on a hearse.

[@robk9685]

Always hated those too. Ford was always kinda tacky compared to the competition though.

[@Chris-v4z]

Neighbors had a navy blue one w the body colored wheel caps. I was a little kid.

[@theturtle2121]

I had a 1966 T Bird… boy do I miss it😊

[@fob1xxl]

I owned a 1969 THUNDERBIRD LANDAU COUPE. DARK GRAY METALLIC/BLACK INTERIOR AND ROOF. I LOVED THIS CAR. MY FAVORITE FULL SIZE DESIGN. AS A TWO SEATER, I only liked the 1957. The 1962 full size blew me away with the tail lights! Of course, I was only 17 ! I also owned a 1984 MARK VII AND A 1990 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL "SIGNATURE" SERIES. LOVED ALL OF THEM !

[@dmandman9]

To be honest, the Tecumsah compressors worked perfectly even in hot and humid Florida. But they were fairly noisy , and you could feel the vibration. I always believed that was the reason for them using the GM compressor.

[@MarkWG]

It was the reason.

[@ThomasThedford]

Night and day difference between the York/Techumseh and the Harrison A6. I have a 77 Ranchero and a same year Chevelle, for contemporaries, there's a world of difference in powertrain refinement in the Chevy over the Ford. that compressor is a very noticable in the Ford, the GM compressor is only noticable from the drag on the engine output. Both cool equally as well in N. Texas summers. Power steering pumps, the Saginaw pump does it thing quietly, the Ford TRW pump is quiet as well, just bulky. the C3 pump they went to in 78 is noisy. Materials quality, I'll have to give it to Ford, they had better interior materials.

[@Porsche996driver]

Interesting story about @graft the beak and make it look like a Pontiac!” It did look wide and low but I’m sure they had plenty of other design ideas! Amazing those hoods are so HUMUNGOUS - remember the old term “luxobarge” it really fit ha. Thanks for the review Ed!

[@Sedan57Chevy]

The Mark IV's design was so unique... it's kind of amazing how much of that design (especially side profile) stayed the same on this gen T-Bird. I think the 72 was by far the most attractive of this generation. I absolutely adore how chintzy the landau bar is on these cars, along with the 4 door 67-71 cars. I also really love the full width taillights on the 72. I probably would've gone for the TBird this year instead of the Mark IV. I also think the interior on these was pretty sweet! A wraparound back seat would've been cool, but by this point, the back seat was more vestigial than an actual usable space. The front seat occupants were obviously the only focus. Now we just need a followup on the succeding 77-79 generation, which have to be another one of my favorite designs of the 70s.

[@F9FCJ429]

Thanks for the memories, Adam: 460 cubic inches and my 16 year old judgment, what could possibly go wrong! I had this car as my very first. It was 1980. Gas was high and getting higher. And I scored a clean 71K mile 72 for $1000! 72 was the last year the 460 really ran well from the factory. By 73 the cam timing was retarded 8 degrees for smog, killing the throttle response. It would pull to 120 in a hurry, way too fast for both me and the BarcaLounger suspension tuning. But I sure had fun with that machine! I’m not sure the story behind the car in your photos, but they definitely had color keyed steering wheels and columns. My 72 was brown to match the interior and my 75 was blue to match its interior. I’d say somebody replaced this one from another out of a junkyard for some reason. A stretched version of the Torino chassis was chosen for both Mark IV and T-Bird duty because at the time it was Ford‘s most advanced rear wheel drive platform. That’s right out of the book: “The Thunderbird Story; Personal Luxury” by Richard Langsworth. Seems right, 72 was the year the Torino got an all new platform.

[@catsandmusicandmorecats9146]

I had a 72 Tbird with the 429 engine, in that 'lovely' brown color with the landau roof... you can call it bland all you want, it had a hell of a lot more character than a lot of cars, then and now. Especially now... Whether driving from Buffalo to the NYC area to come home for the mid-year college break, slaloming uphill in the Buffalo slush and snow, looking out the side windows as well as the windshield, hoping that it didn't get stuck in the snow - having the front end of a Continental grafted on to the rear end of a Mustang (or so it seemed) leaving no weight in the rear, requiring some serious weight in the back for snow traction.. and despite the age of it and the rust, it was a great car. After I tuned it, it got up and went far faster than a car that size had any right to. It was comfortable on a long drive, didn't wander, and when the engine was destroyed by a snapped timing chain, I took the chairs and back seat out and made them dorm furniture! :D By then it was 15 or 16 years old. Bland? Not hardly. I loved it, warts and all. I did hate the landau roof tho, I won't lie. It was pretty ratty by the time I picked the car up for $600. And the rear quarter blind spots were bad. But ya got used to it. Was wild to see a car on your video that looked exactly like mine. :D

[@ericbarnett6771]

I can't unsee that A-Pillar once it was mentioned.

[@jerrystaley1563]

If you think that the 1972 Thunderbird was hard to see out of, you should try either the 1969 4-door Landau Tbird or the truly horrendous blindspot in a 1969 Town Landau Tbird. Without even a rear quarter window and passenger-side outside mirror, lane changes require diligent planning.

[@stephenwallace2291]

My parents had a 73 Thunderbird, same color and interior. It had the 429 engine and had a passenger side mirror. It was a weird option car, AM radio but had leather and the alligator vinyl top. No cornering lights. It was a great car, rust killed it.

[@marko7843]

Adam, I was thinking exactly what you said at 12:00... All through the 60s the Thunderbird interiors were so unique and clever that they put the Lincolns to shame! As you show, the 1972+ had a Mark IV dash with rounded pods instead of square, and the ultimate knife in the heart was the 1977 downsized Bird, that had beautiful and VERY popular exteriors, but with a yuchh dash... (Oh, and I think if they were going to separate the radio and climate controls, I'd prefer to have the passenger be able to reach the temperature lever instead of my radio station! 😁)

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I bought my 73 T bird in 1984 from a Ford dealer used car lot. The salesman kept trying to sell me an Oldsmobile. I said no I want that blue T Bird. So that is what I bought. I drove it 12 years. I wish I still had it today.😑

[@jeffpurtell5676]

Interesting to note the brake pedal is hidden in the 1971 as well. My '74 Mark IV went through a number of brake light switches.

[@roger628]

Little known fact. Early sales literature lists a 400 CID engine standard with the 429 optional, For years, I simply assumed there was a last minute change of heart and none were ever built. However, on a now defunct (and highly missed) site called Automotive Mileposts, there was a Marti report that indicates 2006 '72 T-Birds had the 400. One turned up on another site, but I forget the name of it. It was almost 20 years ago.

[@thewiseguy3529]

The boats with the 460ci will do 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and 135 mph all day long. That is some feat for such an huge old car. I love old Fords- LIncolns -Mercury Fun stuff 🇺🇲

[@AlexanderWaylon]

I enjoyed the video. This car is very much a cookie cutter in the finest Detroit sense. It now were near as pretty as the 67-69 cars but that’s a nice car. I like the grille texture it makes the car look light, clean.

[@jeffreyconstance6435]

I love the “Beak Birds”. Much more character IMHO. My mom didn’t agree and got a 1971 LTD Brougham Coupe. My Dad had taken her car for service and came home with a new 1972 Thunderbird. My Dad had just taken a job at a Ford Dealership as service manager and brought the T-Bird home thinking my Mom would love it. I remember my mom saying “ Please tell me you didn’t trade my car for that…! “ My Dad was shocked and said no I didn’t but what is wrong with it? My mom says it is just plainly ugly.

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

The power steering pump whine was back for the '80s Fords.

[@JohnAnderson-hr4qc]

Mustang and Cougar had the same brake pedal switch. They would loosen up and brake lights didn't work. My mom's 67 Cougar, and a friends 68 Mustang had the same issue

[@althunder4269]

I like the 90s T-Birds with the independent rear suspension.

[@rrice1705]

I have one! People give them grief for their weight, but they're an absolute pleasure to take down a highway or country road.

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I owned a 73 T Bird from 1984 to 1996. A daily driver. It was a great car. Smooth ride with plenty of power. I would not call it bland at all. It was blue with a white vinal top, blue interior. A very pretty car inside and out. Traded it in on a 1995 T Bird. Which was ok but nothing like the 73. Should have kept the Big Bird.🤨

[@sprague49]

I'm a big fan of the 1967-1971 4-door T-Birds with suicide doors, a la Continentals. Hopefully Adam will treat us to their own video someday. I can't help but wonder about the internal deliberations leading Ford to offer this variant.

[@sooverit5529]

He can't stand them. He actually shudders when mentioning them in a recent video.

[@stanrix]

I have 2 fords from the 1980s. One has the ford steering pump and yes! It does make a sound the whole time.

[@jimmyaber5920]

I have shut up the normal growl on several of my old 70s to 90s Fords with Pentosin CHF 11s power steering fluid. I suction and fill 3 to 4 times to get the percentage of new fluid high that it goes quiet. The Pentosin fluid has something that suppresses foaming (not foamimg you always see) and that is the noise source.

[@DirectLinden]

Great video, as always! Thanks for doing these.

[@anthonydavis5993]

I love that mustard colored one... I had a model of one as a kid.

[@pcno2832]

Big overhang was common enough in the 1970s that people got used to it, up to a point, but there are a few cars, including the 1972-1977 Thunderbirds, 1972-1979 Mark IV and V, the 1977-1979 Thunderbird/LTD II and the 1981-1983 Imperial coup, on which it's hard to look at the car without cringing at the big box-full-of-air ahead of the engine. Even when I was a kid in 1972 I thought these cars looked bloated, especially compared to mid-1960s Thunderbirds. They were made for parades, or college party photos with 6 or 8 people siting on the hood and fenders, with the bumper 3" off the ground.

[@rome288]

I always thought that these cars with the wheels inset so much would look really nice with extra wide tires that come out to the edge of the fenders… no need for a wide body flare kit. The AMC matador is probably the most extreme wide body with narrow track.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

When these came out '72, everyone pretty well knew you were getting a MKIV with less gingerbread at lower price. I personally liked them myself, especially the '72-'73 that had the "good" taillights - those 5-mph bumper standards ruined a lot of good styling, front and back!

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

In a snowstorm I backed my 73 Bird into a power pole. The rear bumper bent in but did not hurt the body. I got one from a salvage yard to replace it. The rear bumper looked nice but not very strong like the front bumper.

[@stephenbacks3100]

I remember changing the brake light switch on my 72 Pinto. Luckily, I was much younger and more limber at the time, as it had the same placement.

[@GreyRockOne]

The 72 Mark IV and the 72 Thunderbird (72 only) are my favorite. It wasn't until 1994-1997 when I liked the T-Bird again, especially the new interior dash design and the addition of the 4.7 V8. No other models or years interest me.

[@mattskustomkreations]

The ‘72 Mark IV and 80s Mark VII are my favorite Lincolns.

[@theconciergerecommends3981]

I usually always agree with your amazing reviews, but the 72-76 Thunderbirds and Marks were very beautiful cars. The landau bar is a very nice touch as an alternative to the Mark's opera window, and continued the TBird tradition for one more model... but you're right, after that, it was time to retire it. I had a 78, but it wasn't built nearly as well as these... due to Ford wanting a price decrease.

[@charlesdalton985]

I like the HVAC controls on the driver's side. BUT - centered was handy during the late 70s. It was convenient to ask your passenger to turn the AC off so you could merge onto the highway. And as far as Ford using the GM air conditioning system - Roll Royce did for years as well. If it's good enough for Roll Royce.......... Thank you as always - greatly enjoy your insights.

[@MUUKOW3]

Why would one turn off the AC to merge on the freeway? Usually that's when you roll up the windows and turn it on.

[@charlesdalton985]

@ Simply put, with the rather anemic HP of the day, you needed to reduce the parasitic loss of power the air conditioning system caused to accelerate up to highway speed. Yes, you would then turn it back on once up to speed.

[@MUUKOW3]

@charlesdalton985 I don't remember it bring that bad unless you were driving Datsun with 60hp.

[@charlesdalton985]

@@MUUKOW3 79 Fairmont and an 81 Omni sure needed it.

[@johnandrus3901]

Very nice! I liked the 'Birds', even the Bird Beak ones. I did notice that the cream-colored one had a trim piece missing. Just an observation, as it was a well-preserved example. The Ford coupes of that era all had that small rear side window, which seemed to be a styling cue, throughout all brands in the Ford family. Maybe it was a cost issue, using that window throughout their line-up. The visibility was pretty limited, really. We had a 1971 Galaxie coupe and that window was basically for show. I took my driver's test in that car. We had to parallel park for our test and since I had learned in that car, it was a breeze. All of my Mustangs, a '99, '03 and '12. have better visibility with their tops up than that Galaxie. Either way, the T-Bird was a cool car. I had some friends, whose families had them. They were nice to ride in, even in the back seat. An excellent video, as always.

[@MrBrianbusch]

This particular unit is nice

[@MrBrianbusch]

Dad had the equivalent year Toronado which handled like a go cart compared to the T-birds and LTDS

[@TheodoreWeiser]

I drove a 73 TBird right after highschool. It was nice and soooo insulated. I kinda wish i could have gottem my hands on a Mark IV, I liked the looks better than the TBird

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I liked the rear of my 73 T Bird. It reminded me of the Plymouth GTX.

[@ThomasHill-q3c]

The 1972 Thunderbird, while a bit plain, isn't a bad-looking car, slylewise. From the front, it strongly resembles the 1968 full-size Oldsmobiles. It's a big improvement over the 1970-'71 Bird in any case. All of those 1972-'76, and 1977-'79 T-Birds, Marks, Torinos, Montegos and Cougars had the same basic side profile. The coupe versions of the latter three appear to have a strong, cookie-cutter styling approach. The 1955-'57 T-Birds are legendary, and the 1961-'66 models are also hard to beat as luxury-sport cars.

[@tommywatterson5276]

I grew up as a toddler and up in the 50's with the T-Bird. My favorite of all is the 61- 63. I liked them all up until they started downsizing them in their winding down years.

[@arnesahlen2704]

That's a Ford steering wheel too. I sat behind one for 2.5 years in my '72 Country Squire wagon.

[@PatrickWilson-w5s]

Same here! There are many common parts with the 72 country squire broughm edition like we had. Steering wheel is one, but break and gas pedals, the think the whole doors inside panels and outside door sheet metal and door window frames is my guess. The front windshield looks the same to me as well. The recessed door handles too. As compared to the Lincoln’s that send to keep those old fashioned protruding door handles which remained on Lincoln’s until the late 70’s I believe.

[@BradHellman-s8k]

Love these videos! Would love to know the story of the Ford Elite.

[@GlennManchester]

They were decent dependable cars back then

[@hiitsstillme]

Thanks Adam! At least the '72 didn't have those hideous tacked-on bumpers that we'd see in years to come. Overall a nice car, but just a bit too big for our liking.

[@issyparrish]

Mr. Wade, never heard of kinked A pillar before. Have any other autos used this design feature to your knowledge?

[@issyparrish]

BTW, your knowledge and insight into car designs is EPIC