3RD Gen Thunderbird, the Bullet Bird!
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2022
- We take a look around a gorgeous 61 Thunderbird and get to the bottom of some starting issues.
#thunderbird #fordthunderbird #3rdgeneration #customcars #utg #protouring #classiccars @UncleTonysGarage #kapwing #hotrod 
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Gorgeous looking car in and out - love the door handle idea!
The door handles are cool!!! So clean!!
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 Yeah - that's what really impresses me; it's not just a neat design, it's so incredibly simple and clean. Wish we saw more of that on modern vehicles.
Beautiful car. From the video, that looks like an incredibly smooth paint job - like glass.
It is a very nice paint job!!!
I can't figure why these gorgeous cars don't command much higher prices in the classic car market! Nice concise video that explained and resolved an interesting electrical issue with the steering column!
Thanks man!! It's a hard one to explain, people want what they want I guess....
Probably because Ford sold a lot of those second generation T Birds and it could be that a relatively high number are still out there to be had. Compare that to 1960’s Mopars, 62-64 Mopars were considered ugly, and they were by no means luxurious back then, Polara, Dart, Fury, Savoy…production numbers were lower so not as many out there now compared to T Birds, prices reflect that.
The parts for the column are available because that was a very common problem back then. My uncle ran himself over once when he put the car in park and ran around the back while the engine was running, he was pinned against the wall until my aunt came out and freed him.
Ughh, I know that feeling......
Thanks for sharing the story. My son's Thunderbird is a 66 and I had no idea there was such a problem with them. I'm curious have you shared a story somewhere else before? If not then I guess I did read about it and it happened to somebody else. I guess I thought it was an isolated incident. Thanks again for sharing
Must have been a few stories that didn't end so well, including wives seizing the opportunity...
@@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525 mine is lurching occasionally out of park. Time to replace that indent.
@@bunning63 HEY! It’s just a bit of torque. We had a few drinks, and I guess a foot slipped or something. Besides, what we do in our garage ain’t nobody’s business but our own. Now are ya gonna help me get him in the trunk or not? #60s #thunderbird
You sure are knowledgeable! As your sister I do get the 61 reference!
He’s one of those guys that rests his left foot on the brake pedal. My dad drove that way and swore up and down that he wasn’t actually pressing the pedal. Of course, he was. And, many times I had occasion to be behind him and those brake lights never went off. 😂
It's something I tend do when I'm I driving an unfamiliar car, just a split second closer to the brake pedal. I don't do it in my own car....
I much appreciate you showing us this impressive coup. Love the doorhandle detail . Cheers Kiwi.
Cheers mate!
had a customer back in the 70ties that had one...old woman...kept try;n 2 make it "narrower" every time she pulled it in tp her garage..🤭..always remembered the column....!..only car like it..i think?...u know your history Kiwi..!..🙂...amazed the parts were available 4 it..!..amazing nowadays....!..thanks 4 the trip down memory lane KiwI...!..😁
Thanks man and thanks for watching!!
The 3rd Gen Bullet Bird is by far my favorite Thunderbird. I had a '62 Roadster and I miss it dearly, never should have sold that one. I have my eyes on a '63 hard top coupe now and I do believe I'll make it mine in the spring. She's a beaut, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!! It's cool that people are watching videos I made over a year ago😎
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 good content is always worth watching regardless of when it was posted. Keep content about these old classics coming.
My first car was a very low mileage 64 T-Bird bought from my grandmother. Very unique car. The ford really flexed on the competition with the 4th gen interior. Very similar to the 3rd gen but just more lol. Btw, it was very common for most models with the column shift C6s to drive away in reverse on their own! Interestingly, sliding the column over locked the shifter, so it was dual function...
Yes I noticed that, this one was so worn in the shifter it would drop out anywhere😬
You get to work with all the best cars.
Loved all the early T-Birds.
Always plenty of variety!
I sure do love the older automobiles. Late 40's to early 70's. I had a '69 Riviera. The category was often referred to as "personal sport luxury" cars.
Wow just a beautiful car mate, love all that stainless trim, the bucket seats are killer and that door handle, how simple is that but yet very functional and how cool is that steering wheel..
There's a lot to like!!
Got one up the street from me completely restored by a real nice old timer. If he’s still got it in a year or so I’m gonna buy it off him. If not I’m looking into another “bullet bird” as this is my dream car outside my 69 Mustang Fastback my dad left me. It’s been lowered and been given a lot of love.
Cool story, thanks for sharing and watching!
'61 is a very sweet year for the T-Bird cool video and car thanks Kiwi Classics and customs!
Your most welcome, thanks for watching!!
Beautiful Car
Agreed, thanks for watching
Kiwi thanks for this video what a beautiful car as an owner of a black 62 Ford Thunderbird I really do love the third generation Thunderbird mine is out of commission at the moment ( not getting spark for some reason ) when you took this one on a test drive and I heard that engine humming it literally brought tears to my eyes I miss driving my 62 thanks again for the video!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!!
I almost bought one of those- a '61 T-Bird- as a teenager in 1983. It wasn't running, and was 150 bucks. I kick myself to this day...
Yeah if we only knew then what we know now.......
Dang that is one stunning car!
Yes it is!
She’s a beauty. Noticed the beautiful paint immediately. Loved the trivia. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
That steering wheel option is killer ! I know some mustangs had it. If I wasn’t a Mopar guy I would want a 60 to 65 Ford product!
Well at least you seem happy having settled for a Mopar.........😂🤣. Says the guy who owns two of them😉
I've never personally cared for the "torpedo" 'Birds but, to each their own. I'm sure that there are many people who wouldn't agree with my tastes in vehicles either, especially the fact that, even though I don't own one, I've actually always liked the Mustang II lol! I'm just glad that I'm not alone in enjoying keeping classics like this on the road.
Ring Brothers did a Mustang ll. As you can imagine it looked really good
What a looker this T-Bird is.
Yea she is!
Not much of a ford guy, but this model t-bird... just beautiful.
Yeah it is!!
Nice 👍👍
Cheers mate
Around 40 years ago a coworker of mine had a ‘62 or ‘63 with a 427 that had been modified. It hauled ass for being on the heavy side compared to a Mustang. A real tire burner.
Sounds like a fun car👍😎
The "Swing-Away" wheel was an Option starting in 1961.
More cars were Ordered/Built with it than the Standard "Fixed" Steering Wheel.
It then became Standard for 1962.
I have a '61 (bought it 2007) and the major reason for buying it was Parts availability.
You can get every part needed to restore one form multiple Suppliers.
The FIRST parts to replace are the "Shift Detent Plate" AND the Column Shifter.
The end of the Shifter (inside Column) wears out and the Shifter will drop out of Park an go into Reverse.
Interesting, I guess the collapsible steering column put an end to it.....
Love that red paint job. I’m surprised the second gen Tbirds don’t have more collector draw 🤔
It's seems it's only the 55-6-7 birds that are really valued. Beats me why....
Beautiful car and features...not sure any modern cars can offer a tilt away steering and stainless steel door handles ... the color is what buys me outright 👌👌👌
Yup, she's a very cool car!!!
That's the perfect color combination for Gentlemen's hotrods. My '66 Olds Starfire was originally red with a white interior, before it got painted over in white.
Ford always manufactured their larger vehicles unnecessarily overweight. That Thunderbird featured is as heavy as a typical full-sized GM car. In which case, a 427 would have been more fitting, for moving it appropriately.
If they would have put the shifter on the console, where it belonged in the first place, the worn out column shifter would have never become an issue.
It isn't so much of a big car. It's more like a heavy one for its size
Have to agree with here!!
Sweet T-Bird! While the first gen might've been the prettiest and most iconic, I think Ford did a really great job pivoting to the four seater personal luxury market, keeping the cars unique and quite attractive through the 60s, especially with the bulletin bird. The next gen has my favorite interior, but I don't think there's a classic thunderbird I don't like!
Agreed, I had a 67 4door T Bird when I was 18. Not the coolest of T Birds but it was the shit in NewZealand back in 1980😎😎😂
That is a wild car. The steering column deal is insane haha
Yes it is!!
Always like these birds, when they came out in 61, it was a Very Good Year... Same Year I Came in to the World! HA ha, I'd love to get one of these with the halibrands or some torq thrusts!
Me too!!
In 61 and 62 only there were three versions of the 390, making 300HP, 375HP and 410HP. The 410 used 3x2 Holley carbs on an aluminum intake. You could special order dual quads with an aluminum intake, a very rare beast in its original casting.
Thanks for sharing that info👍👍
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 by 1963 you could special order a 427 in its second incarnation for Lincoln’s, mercy’s, and fords. With 2/4/6/8 valves and a cruisomatic/. Borg/warner 3 speed manual (w/wo OD) /4 on the floor manual. Then the light body Thunderbolts blew away the competition 1963 1/2-4 and that ended stock-car 427s.
...Nice option was the 401hp 390ci with triple Holleys...and a beautiful finned aluminum air cleaner , also used on the 406 and 427.....( '61 Secretary of Defense was Robert McNamara )
That would have been nice!!!
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 ...I believe it was only available with a 4 speed manual or Borg warner T85 3speed w/overdrive.....Not avalaible with an automatic....John (west coast, Can.)
Wow you have such beautiful cars coming in to your shop! Thank you for this video and I love to go with your test drives!! That car looks like a mild custom with the Candy Apple Red paint with a white interior, beautiful!!! Back in the early 70s my dads daily driver was a 64 Galaxie 500 fastback with a 289. He had this swing away steering wheel also. The car was a bench seat model with the shifter on the column. I don't know if it's rare on this base model 64 Ford he had? I enjoy your channel very much and always look forward to all your future videos👍🏁
Glad your enjoying them, thanks for watching!!
That's what I drive Kiwi! Mine is a 62.
Cool!! Great cruiser!👍😎
This is the only T bird that I like, even more than the original 1957.
I like the 57's but I don't really fit in them...
👍
I wondered where you went to Kiwi, was starting to get concerned.
That Thunderduck is just gorgeous. Someone spent a pretty penny on that!
This is my favorite youtube channel by far. Lots of Fords lately, and that suits me.
Really looking forward to another 67 427 vid.
Yeah it's been one of those forgettable weeks... Still, it cant be sunshine and rainbows all the time. Old cars will fight you sometimes, the trick is not letting them win😉😎
Gorgeous paint job on that Thunderbird (and gorgeous car in general)!
I heard Kev got released...how they only sentenced him to community service after what he did is beyond me...
Yeah he does have to wear a ankle bracket now though....😉
Hmmm... I wonder who was Born in 1961 ? ...Cheers Mate !🍻
👍😎😁
careful kiwi we lost 2 of those birds to electrical fires ,never a issue with either one but 1 started by ammeter and 2nd windshield wiper motor
Talking to a Hagerty agent the biggest cause of total loss' on classic cars is fire!!!
Always liked the look of these t-birds. For such a beautiful luxury car, there is no legroom in the back.
It's not bad if both people up front are 5'2"😁😂
It was marketed as more of a 2+2. A sports luxury car for a family.
No I couldn't afford a new one.
@@hotrodray6802 sounds about right!
Back in the day (in the USA) Ford had a "Better Idea" which was their old catch phrase, and often used a Large Lightbulb in their Adverts stating as much. And this T-Bird just emphasizes that point. although- "Better" is a subjective term -lol.
Lol, indeed, some would have you believe the Tesla is a better idea........
But Ford scared off a lot of enthusiasts with their "better ideas". Too many changes year to year. I like all old car makes but, heck, it's very hard to distinguish one type Ford engine from another let alone get the correct part for it even when you know exactly what it is. The first car I drove as a 16 yr old teen was my mom's '65 LTD two door hardtop 289. I loved it. I put a thermostat in it. I was proud. My first car repair.
Awesome colour. Clearly Ford in the US is not like here in NZ where even common items for an 07 XR6 its 'we can't supply' when they're still clearly available in Australia...
You can pretty much buy any part for an early mustang here!
💯🇺🇸
sounded like the glass on the inside of the door was loose when you shut it.
I just watched it and your right! It sounded bad on camera but not in real life.... strange🤔
Steering column tilt problems with the ford truck is turn signals and 4way flashers pulls the wires from the harness
The more complicated they get the more issues can crop up. I'm just glad I don't need a computer to work on em...😎😎
That colour is gorgeous. Do you know it's name? Candy apple red or...?
It's a candy apple red.
Those flexible flywheels are dangerous. And so bloody heavy. Scrap those and it will be a top car. Seems a good resto and the paint is great. Though the color is maybe too much for a 1961 car. Obviously the owner loves it and that is the most important thing.
As for a big car? It is nearly a compact!!
In the past I never liked any Ford from this era [except Mustangs] but they have all grown on me being around them often. I am in Adelaide SA and we seem to have a range of T birds and Galaxies
Flexible flywheels??
FWI The 390 engine was the standard and only engine offered in all three years of the bullet bird. Larger engines didn't come along until the next generation.
I believe that they are unibody also.
👍😎
Dad had a 61
Very nice, candy apple red?
Yes it's candy apple red. Looks awesome in the sun
There should have been a fastback option for the 3rd gen T-birds.
That would have been cool! Your gonna love the cougar fastback...
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 I forgot Ford or someone working for Ford did make a fastback T-bird with the 3rd gen. Used it on the car show circuit. It's very nice looking. Pictures on the web. Thanks
Little more electrical that motor sounds like a washing machine we just took a 63 T-Bird and put a 98 Mercury engine trans and suspension in the car I wheel disc brakes police package wiring and the gauges upgraded everything.
A 4.6 mod motor?
..can you drive it with the steering wheel swung over, from the Passenger seat?🖐️😃
It has to be in park to release the column and then it won't come out of park till you swing it back into the straight ahead position.
lovely car, what would that be worth in the states, in Europe they go for from17-25k
Not a big demand for them here, maybe 15-20k for a really nice one
'61 / 61 😬 (must've had your b-day already)
You got it!😉
Another fantastic car. Fabulous inside and out. The Thunderbird taking off in reverse was that just a one-year problem? Or common say throughout the 60s ? We have my son 64 Thunderbird.
61 thru 63 for sure it's a problem and probably other years too. Actually the problem is really with the owners, like with this car the owner knew that it had a habit of dropping out of park for a year or more. Bit it wasn't a "big" problem he would always be carful and use the brake and he got away with it. Problem is it's that one time your busy or distracted, short on time and you forget to be carful. The car takes off and if your lucky takes out your garage door,if your not it really hurts someone! If you know your car has an issue fix it or get it fixed. Putting it off will not gain you anything and actually put you and your car at risk! Rant over...😁
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 no sir I wouldn't call about a rant. It's Sunday morning let's call it a sermon haha. But it is valid point. I'll check out my son's t-bird but it's been MOTH b a l l e d. I only spelled it out because my more intelligent phone than I did not understand the term and I didn't want to type it in I guess. I talk to text like most. But man that was a beautiful car. Wine burgundy color whatever you want to call it. My wife I love that color in that pristine white interior. Glad the owner decided to get it fixed. My son's car is good for being an old relic. And we did pick it up off the estate of the original owner still got the name tag they used to put on the dash. You know where Ford thinks the new owner for ordering the car and put your name on it.
How cool is that!!
My mom and dad bought a 63 Thunderbird. I remember the steering moved over. Our car had a skirts for the rear wheels, you had to take them off to change the rear tires. I noticed that red car doesn't have them. Did skirts come on all 3rd gen models? Was it an option?
Honestly I'm not sure if it was an option or not. I suspect it was. What a great memory for you! Thanks for watching!
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160
Was the important year you mentioned happen to be 1961 the year you were born?
Give the man a prize!!😁😎
@@kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160 👍
Reasonable price, and parts availability. What more could you want?
Exactly !!
..youhave a Kiwi bird in there?😳
Well yeah!!😉😎
Off the shelf parts for a 61' T-Bird.
You won't find that with a Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar.
Your right there!
390's no Slouch
Stump pullers!!
I told you, that bird needs a chup bro
😁😎👍
Issat OEM COLOR?? FORD COLOR
No it's a Candy apple Red.
So it was the "FLAVOR/COLOR OF THE WEEK?" 67 mustang in my GRANDPA'S GARAGE WAS COLORED A SIMILAR RED ... FUNNY THOUGHT THOUGH, didn't this color start with CHEVY ...
@@mohawk2185 I always assumed it was a color created in the custom car world......
It is a possibility.. ASK ROBBY LAYTON ON YOU TUBE
It’s when cars were cars . Not lap top rubbish 👍🏻🇦🇺🏴
I have to agree!
Are you trying to tell us you are 61. 🤣
😁😎