Bringing a 1966 Thunderbird Back to Life...

by Larry Santy April 1, 2022

We don't just print vintage cars on t-shirts here at VGA, sometimes we bust our knuckles on them too.

Today, a friend of mine and I rescued a 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible from a bitter demise. Long story short, it's been sitting stagnant for the last ten years and was to be either hauled away by someone who could resurrect it, or sent to the scrap yard, never to hit the open road again.

This is going to be a labor of love and I wanted to take the opportunity to chronicle its rebirth. The engine doesn't run (yet) but its got pretty solid bones and body. We're not sure if the motor for the rag top works. It was making noise but we didn't want to chance it getting stuck midway and have it towed open.

The AM radio worked and instruments on the dash were lighting up once a new battery was installed, so looks like the electrical is pretty sound so far.

Based on the rust and bubbling we saw, looks like the rear trunk panel will have to be replaced entirely, but the rest is pretty clean. It's got power windows, seats, and telescoping radio antenna. The black vinyl interior is in pretty good shape considering how it was stored, but the rag top will definitely need to be replaced.

The original owner bought it in New York, so the entire bottom was sprayed with a pretty thick undercoat to protect it from rust. Also no plates or title, so that will make for a fun trip to the DMV, but when someone offers you a FREE '66 Thunderbird, you take it!

We'll keep you posted on our progress!