It sure did. I remember my History teacher had his brand new 83 TBird. It was sharp and the first hint at thier aerodynamic look of the Taurus for 86. Aircraft style door seals, the look was perfect.
This and ones like these were the design epitome of what a 'car' was, remember all the diecast toys, they were almost like this. This boxy design needs to make a comeback, you rock 83 Thunderbird!
Yup his voice as been in my ears since I was 15 years old back in the mid 80's. He has followed us Gen X'rs from our teen years all the way into our middle age and beyond. Amazing that over 40 years later he is still not only with us but still doing the same thing.
I bought an '83 5.0L car with 93K last May for $500. It's my summer daily-driver. Quiet, powerful-enough, and comfy. The CFI still functions flawlessly, AC works, and the AOD transmission is perfect. Great car!
A this point, we're better off with older cars, these new cars are expensive crap that break down after 3 months. I have a 95 buick roadmaster lt1 and it's powerful and comfy and the ac is icy cold 🥶 😎
Bought a 84 cougar in 94 for 900 that had custom rims that costed like 2k at the time. Drove it for 3 years till I totaled it. It was about time for a new car anyways cause I never changed the oil. Sold the car for like 250 for scrap and the rims for 500... rinse and repeat. I had never paid over 2k for a vehicle except in the n past 10 years. But always wished I would of kept the first car I ever bought and just drove it all my life. Miss that 71 dodge dart with no brakes I paid 300 for in 93... that drove... bought a 2019 Hyundai for 22k in 2019. It got vandalized and costed 9k to fix. Then three months later the motor was knocking. Got rid of it and just bought an old Ford truck for 3k and still going after 5 years...
Just be prepared to do things like fuel lines or the tank, and the catalytic converters. All the rubber trim on the car as well. When you take a car that is 40 something years old with only 90,000 mi on it and then you start driving it daily it's going to start having problems. Maybe not at first but eventually. Just be prepared to put a few more Grand into it.
@hankwilliams-hx9ww my next car will be older. I'm tired of newer vehicles and expensive hard to solve problems. I'd take any old car I used to have over these newer ones and regret treating them as disposable.
@KartKing4ever I could probably at least somewhat agree. I think it's been about give or take around several years since my great uncle drove the car. Yet he hasn't really considered selling it off still. If the car ain't used in some years it can be still an interest to someone who wants to buy it & get some work done being restored & etc.
@@joemcdonough7509 as I mentioned, the car belongs to my great uncle. At this point he's probably going to leave it to his sons if not one of them. Besides I won't hold my breath he would have even a small amount of consideration to sell the car.
These cars were everywhere. The Turbo Coupe with the manual tranny was the best version of this car. It handled amazing. I had the 86' LSC and it is still a top 5 favorite of mine all these years later.
Some people call this car ugly. They have never taken a look at GM, Chrysler or foreign automaker's 1983 lineup apparently. And stop crying about the power. None of you were around when it was new. Those who bought it new had no complaints. Torque trumps horsepower. Small wheels, lightweight body & an extra gear in the transmission means it doesn't need alot of power especially when speed limits were 55mph.
@@anthonyrowland9072The G bodies were decent but they don't look proportionately correct. They're too short. Ford Lincoln-Mercury stretched the Thunderbird, Cougar and Mark VII properly.
Hmmm I was around when this was new, 19 in fact. We as motorheads laughed at first but a speed shop had 2 and they geared the rear end better and put a small cam in with polished and ported heads and dual exhaust... Quite impressive I must say. Heck my 1983 GT Mustang with its tremec 5 speed is still a joy to drive to this very day although as I am about to be 60 I don't push the envelope like I used to... Lol... Keep those insurance rates down.
@@randallbates9020 With a body that can be taken apart and put back together tightly with a screwdriver and 130hp on tap insurance was definitely cheap on these lol. I remember asking my insurance carrier a long time ago why is my insurance on my Taurus GL cheap and so expensive on my Taurus SHO. Same body basically. They said the horsepower difference. Idek want to know how high insurance is on new cars today.
My great uncle (Dad's Uncle) has his 1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with manual transmission in the garage to this day since getting the car brand new. This Thunderbird possesses only 14,000 miles & still got the original tires.
I had and loved a (bought used) base-level 1980 Thunderbird, but I remember the amazement with this new design's début. Together the two eras symbolized past and future.
What a radical car for ‘83, especially compared to the dowdy previous gen which looked like a 70’s T-Bird that was left in the dryer for too long. A lot of people credit the Taurus for Ford US’s Aero revamp but this was 3 years ahead of that. Would love to have one of these or its Mercury or Lincoln cousin.
Mock if you must, but with marijuana sales on the rise and on the verge of becoming more mainstream, I'm confident that the ashtray is due 4 a comeback
I remember when these came out, and they generated quite a buzz everywhere. Whether you loved them or hated them, the T Bird ( and later the Taurus) forced a revolution in car design for the Big Three that reverberated well into the 90s. You can still see elements of the design that still are present in modern cars today.
I agree,the Cougars roof rear styling in my opinion didn't do that car any favors,I think the cougar could have been a good looking car if they would have used the Thunderbirds roof.I think Ford made a good move with the styling of the T-Bird,it was bold and with a look that was far from common at the time.
My mother bought a brand new1985 Turbo Coupe 5 speed and loved it so much she kept it until 1996. All I remember is that is was amazing on gas and my friends loved riding in it on the rare occasion she'd pick me up after school.
This new Thunderbird was quite a big deal in 1983! They borrowed a bit of the 635 design and 3 engine choices including a Turbo 4! And that suspension was really tight like a Mustang. This car carried Ford in a new technical and design direction until the ‘90s! Thanks John! ✨
My favorite generation of the Thunderbird. Those Aerobirds were a big step forward in the auto industry and are said to have been the prime vehicle that led to the successful Taurus/Sable.
I have an 84 T-Bird. 5.0 loaded, digital dash, power rear antenna, LED headlights and no rust anywhere. 17,000 miles. A real head turner today and fun to drive.
I've been a Ford man since 1966 when my oldest brother brought home a new Mustang, maybe even before that. I had this thing for big Country Squire and Colony Park wagons, and ever since I was old enough to notice cars, at 5 years old I have loved the styling of the 1959 model year Fords. Both sedans and wagons, the 59 Fords have been in my top 5 all-time favorites. Depending on what I happen to be into, my top 5 is kinda fluid, but it always includes the 59s, oh, and the 1969 Mach Is. I actually owned one for over 35 years and I wish I still had it. I love everything about the 69 Mach I. Sometimes I would just sit and stare at it, from every angle, and that includes the interior too. Then there's the Thunderbirds. There are things I love about every generation. I owned a 1970, a 2 door fastback, 428 4 barrel carburetor that could only get 8 mpg, with a tail wind. From it's Bunkie beak,it's ultra cool taillights with sequential turn indicators and it's fantastic interior, in my opinion the best word to describe it is gorgeous, but not a good car to own during the 1973 oil crisis. At the time, I still had the Mach I, needless to say I spent way too much time in gas lines. I also love the 74 through 76 "glamor birds. They are the same car as the Lincoln Mark IVs.Yes they are huge, but very beautiful. In 1984 I came very close to buying a 84 TurboCoupe, but at the time I was an IBM Customer Engineer which was a field position and my territory was West Los Angeles, one of the most heaviest and traffic areas in L.A. and the TurboCoupe only came with a manual transmission. That would not be a good fit for a car with a clutch so I went with an 84 Mustang with an automatic transmission. It was a black on black hatchback, and it had a 4.6 V8. I drove the wheels off of that little Stang, it turned out to be a good territory car. Today I'm retired and I have a 2008 Explorer, 4.0 V6. My first car that isn't a V8 and I love it. It's my second Explorer, my first was a 97 Eddie Bauer with the 5.0 V8. It was black with medium prerrie leather interior. It had the 15 inch chrome factory wheels. I had all the gold Eddie Bauer trim painted black and it was always the best looking Explorer around. I got compliments about how it looked and the great sounding exhaust of the 5.0. I loved that Explorer. It was very reliable and comfortable, it had every available option including ATC. It had over 200,000 trouble free miles on it when it was jacked from in front of my house and I never saw it again. So, after reading this article on the 83 Thunderbird, I definitely felt a stirring. Maybe I should try to find one. Thanks for a great review!,
I loved mine! Only thing this car was missing was a proper 5.0L under the hood. The TBI 5.0 was weak sauce. Overall, this was a very nice auto, and great on the highway
Perhaps not fast but still a great engine. To be honest I’ll take the weak understressed engine. I have a 1994 F150 with the 5.0 and it’s got 320,000 and still going strong, whereas my Dads 2012 King Ranch blew the engine at 95,000 despite him babying it and changed the oil at 4,000 miles. It actually cracked 4 pistons. He specifically got that over the 3.5 ecoboost because people told him it would be more reliable
@@RobertSmith-le8wp Copy that. The 302 is practically bulletproof and totally reliable. Ford missed the market by not offering a H.O. Mustang 5.0L version of that engine in the T-bird in a higher trim level. My only other gripe with the car was the rims (just like the T-bird in the video) were difficult to keep clean because brake dust accumulated in the tiny nooks and crannies. Some 16" alloy Mustang rims would alleviate that tho
First time I ever heard of this car was when I saw it at the 1982 International car show in San Francisco. It was the first true aerodynamic passenger sedan in the USA. One feature was getting rid of rain gutters on doors and using a technology used on aircraft instead to keep rain from getting in. It would have had aerodynamic clear covers over the headlights too but DOT rules didn't allow it at the time. It was so refreshing compared to the square bricks already on the road.
Many of the features touted as revolutionary on the 86 Taurus were found here first. A great reminder of that. Doors integrated with roof design and aerodynamic styling.
This model was quite the dramatic improvement over the 1980-82 Thunderbird. Its styling was unique and modern, yet it still carried heritage cues from previous models. Also, it helped pave the way for more aerodynamic cars in the U.S. over the next several years.
In the early 90's we had a 85 Cougar V6 with automatic and 88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 5 speed manual. I didn't like either one of them. They were my bf's cars. I had a 89 Mazda 626 LX 5speed that lasted 277k miles while those other two only made it to about 120k miles before bigger problems. And my Mazda didn't even die, I traded it in and one of Kim K's bf's bought it.
I owned 3 Turbo Coupes, '83, '86 and '87...all were great cars! I especially liked the '87 with 195 HP intercooled turbo. Put over 225K miles on it with no major issues and would've gone further but got rear-ended one day. I loved these cars!
I loved my 86 turbo coupe. That 4 cylinder would smoke many v8 chevys. Lowest rear end gear ratio of any production car at the time, might still be for all i know. This body style still holds the track record at Talladega set in 1987 by Bill Elliott.
3:00 ''doors curve nicely into the roof'' Especially effective so that a bank of snow falls on your seat cause you just wanted your snow brush which is inside,
@@cabaneencac5168 Ya know, I never thought of it before but I bet that vacuum cleaner would work in a pinch? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm going to try it this winter just for 💩's and giggles 🤣
I was born in 1962. Owned 34 .vehicles. Many Fords. 4 crown vics. Had a 1988 Thunderbird 5.0 and 1987 Mercury Cougar. They were beautiful cars and rode like a dream. God I miss the old days so much. Love this RUclips series. Thank you so much for the memories.
My father had a year old Thunerbird every year from 1959 to 1982. ( He represented a Ford dealer who ordered a new black, fully loaded one and he got his old one ) He didn't like the '83 and switched to Porsche.
i had two 84 cougars, one with the V6 and one with the 302 V8. Very comfortable however the footwells were quite narrow. I then had a 94 and it was much more comfortable and roomy inside than the 84s. Still, I really loved the era of 2 door personal luxury coupes, since i also had 2 Cutlass Supremes, an 84 and an 87. I miss that era.
@bluemax2491 Ford Needs To Bring Back The Thunderbird Because The Mustang Is Getting Dominated By The Chevrolet Camaro And The Chevrolet Corvette And It Is Because Of Suv And Crossover It Is Because Of Suv's And Truck's
@moejr1974 The Mustang Is Outselling The Camaro But The Corvette Is Outselling The Mustang And That Is Why Ford Needs To Bring Back The Thunderbird When Ford Has Introduced The Thunderbird It Has Outselled The Corvette And Sense Then Ford Has Dominated Chevrolet
Just because the Mustang outsells the Camaro doesn't mean it's better. Mustang has always outsold Camaro but it wasn't always better. Mustangs are for female drivers Camaros are for men. Tell me I'm wrong? Lmao
No man has ever complained about the last two recent generation Camaros being too hard to get in and out of and crying they can't see over the dash or out of the side windows. Only women cry about such silly things. And Camaros don't spin out of the line like Mustangs do.
Well designed car, especially for the era. Except, I suppose, for that rear-wheel hop. Honestly 21 MPG overall for this performance (relative to the day and age of course), seems pretty decent. Sticker price in 2024 dollars also feels reasonable at $42,000.
It got stellar mpg because it can only burn so much fuel at 130hp. High torque low rpm does wonders for mpg. That's a concept people can't seem to grasp today. Everything is all about horsepower and 0 to 60 smh lol
21 MPG is extremely low. I would average that doing pizza deliveries in my thunderbird. Freeway is pretty close to 28mpg at 65mph and 25ish at 75mph. Few times driving long highway roads with 55mph speed limits, I touched on 35mpg a few times over an entire tank.
It's interesting that this T-bird's styling is something of a predecessor to what would eventually come with the Taurus. Gotta say, the later versions with the flush headlights look a lot better. Also, dig the void set for showing off the interior. I think MW should go back to presenting cars that way. Forget parking the car in a field, how does it look when parked in the void??
The front end diving and rear end lifting a foot into the air when braking isn't because the rear end is "light" its because of the prehistoric suspension design. There is no consideration for anti-lift/dive, so the torque of the brakes causes the rear end to lift. You see the same thing when they brake torque it before launching. Modern suspension is lightyears better in this regard.
This was a typical 80’s car, no thought put into the end user, it was what Ford told the public what they wanted. Of course the push for cleaner exhausts and additional crash standards didn’t help the situation at all.
That 130hp 302 will outlast anything they got today. And it doesn't have to rev to 5,000rpm to get going neither. You won't find a small block today that gets 21mpg with MotorWeek's lead footed test drivers lol.
It got stellar mpg because it can only burn so much fuel at 130hp. High torque low rpm does wonders for mpg. That's a concept people can't seem to grasp today. Everything is all about horsepower and 0 to 60
That car was so damned good looking. And it absolutely *dominated* NASCAR. So much so, NASCAR hobbled them half way through the season. Chevy was still using boxy Monte Carlos, and simply couldn't keep up. And we can't have that, now can we?
Not a fan of these cars at the time. But I'd love to have one now. There hasn't been a decent car built since the 90s. Not a good car since the 80s. And not a great car since the 60s
Dude....it's a four speed in an era we're 3 speeds were highly popular. It has 130hp and a 💩 ton of torque. The torque is what pushed it down the track. And it got 21mpg during their testing. From a large small block with a power sapping accessory drive system + belt driven cooling fan. That said, the performance was excellent. You wanna go faster try its big brother that wears a tux, Lincoln Mark VII LSC with the Hight Output 302. Now that baby will FLY!
Sister had one the v8 leaked oil every where on it stayed in shop. Paint was fair at best,it was that wine color like promo , after a year it really wouldn't Polish up clear was gone. Just saying.
This car looked so futuristic at the time. Still has nice lines today!
It sure did. I remember my History teacher had his brand new 83 TBird. It was sharp and the first hint at thier aerodynamic look of the Taurus for 86. Aircraft style door seals, the look was perfect.
@@michaelhungate7506 Those aircraft style door seals were a big deal for Ford Lincoln-Mercury. Most vehicles adopted that later on.
This and ones like these were the design epitome of what a 'car' was, remember all the diecast toys, they were almost like this.
This boxy design needs to make a comeback, you rock 83 Thunderbird!
....and yes I would go back to the 80's if I could. : )
@@KenanTurkiye I really like the 2nd generation of this body style too
John Davis, *I'm* glad *you're* with us.
Yup his voice as been in my ears since I was 15 years old back in the mid 80's. He has followed us Gen X'rs from our teen years all the way into our middle age and beyond. Amazing that over 40 years later he is still not only with us but still doing the same thing.
I bought an '83 5.0L car with 93K last May for $500. It's my summer daily-driver. Quiet, powerful-enough, and comfy. The CFI still functions flawlessly, AC works, and the AOD transmission is perfect.
Great car!
A this point, we're better off with older cars, these new cars are expensive crap that break down after 3 months. I have a 95 buick roadmaster lt1 and it's powerful and comfy and the ac is icy cold 🥶 😎
Bought a 84 cougar in 94 for 900 that had custom rims that costed like 2k at the time. Drove it for 3 years till I totaled it. It was about time for a new car anyways cause I never changed the oil. Sold the car for like 250 for scrap and the rims for 500... rinse and repeat. I had never paid over 2k for a vehicle except in the n past 10 years. But always wished I would of kept the first car I ever bought and just drove it all my life. Miss that 71 dodge dart with no brakes I paid 300 for in 93... that drove... bought a 2019 Hyundai for 22k in 2019. It got vandalized and costed 9k to fix. Then three months later the motor was knocking. Got rid of it and just bought an old Ford truck for 3k and still going after 5 years...
Just be prepared to do things like fuel lines or the tank, and the catalytic converters. All the rubber trim on the car as well. When you take a car that is 40 something years old with only 90,000 mi on it and then you start driving it daily it's going to start having problems. Maybe not at first but eventually. Just be prepared to put a few more Grand into it.
@hankwilliams-hx9ww my next car will be older. I'm tired of newer vehicles and expensive hard to solve problems. I'd take any old car I used to have over these newer ones and regret treating them as disposable.
@hankwilliams-hx9ww the thing with most older cars is that they are more easier to fix than the newer cars and parts are cheaper
My dad's uncle still has his 83 Thunderbird in the garage. It's hardly been driven since he bought it brand new & still has the original tires.
Of all of the cars to save like that, doing that with one of these was definitely a waste.
@KartKing4ever I could probably at least somewhat agree. I think it's been about give or take around several years since my great uncle drove the car. Yet he hasn't really considered selling it off still. If the car ain't used in some years it can be still an interest to someone who wants to buy it & get some work done being restored & etc.
You should reach out to Doug Demuro! He'd want to drive that and make a video.
@@joemcdonough7509 as I mentioned, the car belongs to my great uncle. At this point he's probably going to leave it to his sons if not one of them. Besides I won't hold my breath he would have even a small amount of consideration to sell the car.
Why live vicariously through your father's relatives?
These cars were everywhere. The Turbo Coupe with the manual tranny was the best version of this car. It handled amazing. I had the 86' LSC and it is still a top 5 favorite of mine all these years later.
There is a kid in our town who has an 83 Thunderbird that his Dad bought new. His end goal is to completely restore it. It's a cool looking car still.
If it's the V6, he should pull that time bomb and put a 5.0 in it. Easy swap.
Growing up in New York I can tell you this was the vehicle of choice for any Bronx pimp
I always liked the studio glamour shot sequences of the early episodes.
Some people call this car ugly. They have never taken a look at GM, Chrysler or foreign automaker's 1983 lineup apparently. And stop crying about the power. None of you were around when it was new. Those who bought it new had no complaints. Torque trumps horsepower. Small wheels, lightweight body & an extra gear in the transmission means it doesn't need alot of power especially when speed limits were 55mph.
Exactly. You look at the 83/84 Chrysler K cars and the difference is night and day.
@@akshonclipPeople love the GM G-bodies but I always thought they looked corny. The new Thunderbird looked like a modern car, not a 70s holdover.
@@anthonyrowland9072The G bodies were decent but they don't look proportionately correct. They're too short. Ford Lincoln-Mercury stretched the Thunderbird, Cougar and Mark VII properly.
Hmmm I was around when this was new, 19 in fact. We as motorheads laughed at first but a speed shop had 2 and they geared the rear end better and put a small cam in with polished and ported heads and dual exhaust... Quite impressive I must say. Heck my 1983 GT Mustang with its tremec 5 speed is still a joy to drive to this very day although as I am about to be 60 I don't push the envelope like I used to... Lol... Keep those insurance rates down.
@@randallbates9020 With a body that can be taken apart and put back together tightly with a screwdriver and 130hp on tap insurance was definitely cheap on these lol. I remember asking my insurance carrier a long time ago why is my insurance on my Taurus GL cheap and so expensive on my Taurus SHO. Same body basically. They said the horsepower difference. Idek want to know how high insurance is on new cars today.
Loved that T bird generation....the 80s were the best
Got my 83 Heritage 5.0 in my garage. Love these cars!
My great uncle (Dad's Uncle) has his 1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with manual transmission in the garage to this day since getting the car brand new. This Thunderbird possesses only 14,000 miles & still got the original tires.
I had and loved a (bought used) base-level 1980 Thunderbird, but I remember the amazement with this new design's début. Together the two eras symbolized past and future.
What a radical car for ‘83, especially compared to the dowdy previous gen which looked like a 70’s T-Bird that was left in the dryer for too long. A lot of people credit the Taurus for Ford US’s Aero revamp but this was 3 years ahead of that. Would love to have one of these or its Mercury or Lincoln cousin.
Tbird/Cougar & Tempo/Topaz set the stage for Taurus/Sable to bring us modern day aerodynamics as we know it.
Agreed. The T-Bird was the first real aero design out the gate in that era.
I would also credit the European Ford Sierra for the aero trend as well. It was sold as the Merkur XR4TI in the U.S.
@@donaldwilson2620 Right, but not in 1983 in US.
We weren't a Ford family but they killed it with the thunderbird and the taurus in the 80s.
Thank goodness it had an ashtray in the back; you wouldn't want your kids ashing their cigarettes on the carpet
Lol
Mock if you must, but with marijuana sales on the rise and on the verge of becoming more mainstream, I'm confident that the ashtray is due 4 a comeback
This was back when adults rode in backseat.
@@blairbrown4812That’s like saying car manufacturers should install beer holders. Ffs 🤦♂️
@@akshonclipthat’s not a bad idea.
I remember when these came out, and they generated quite a buzz everywhere. Whether you loved them or hated them, the T Bird ( and later the Taurus) forced a revolution in car design for the Big Three that reverberated well into the 90s. You can still see elements of the design that still are present in modern cars today.
It's hard to believe that such a beautiful & clean design is now 41 years old!!!!! Still looks just as modern today as it did back then.
I agree,the Cougars roof rear styling in my opinion didn't do that car any favors,I think the cougar could have been a good looking car if they would have used the Thunderbirds roof.I think Ford made a good move with the styling of the T-Bird,it was bold and with a look that was far from common at the time.
As much as I like the TBird I dislike the Cougar, the rear roof and windows are awful.
@@JK-dp3lpthe mercury cougar outsold the thunder bird this body style from 83-88.
My mother bought a brand new1985 Turbo Coupe 5 speed and loved it so much she kept it until 1996. All I remember is that is was amazing on gas and my friends loved riding in it on the rare occasion she'd pick me up after school.
The early turbo coupes without intercooler were reasonably quick cars, mid-8 to 60 and mid-16 in the 1/4-mile were nothing to sneeze at back then.
@@justme307 Those cars had a lot of boost!
This new Thunderbird was quite a big deal in 1983! They borrowed a bit of the 635 design and 3 engine choices including a Turbo 4! And that suspension was really tight like a Mustang. This car carried Ford in a new technical and design direction until the ‘90s! Thanks John! ✨
My favorite generation of the Thunderbird. Those Aerobirds were a big step forward in the auto industry and are said to have been the prime vehicle that led to the successful Taurus/Sable.
The Sable had the lexan light bar!
I have an 84 T-Bird. 5.0 loaded, digital dash, power rear antenna, LED headlights and no rust anywhere. 17,000 miles. A real head turner today and fun to drive.
My mom bought a brand new one in ‘84 and my grandma drove it for a while when I was a kid. Still remember those heavy ass doors lol
This car looked futuristic back in the 80s.
My parents have one exactly the same color, same wheels except I believe it was called heritage, fully equipped
The worlds fastest racecar. Bill Elliott really helped NASCAR expand with his exploits in the Coors T-Bird
Bob Glidden did well with his T-bird in Pro Stock in the early '80s
"Awesome Bill from Dawsonville!" (Georgia).
Just think how fast it would be with a real race car driver!
G
This body style allowed Bill Elliott to set an all time qualifying speed over 212mph
I've been a Ford man since 1966 when my oldest brother brought home a new Mustang, maybe even before that. I had this thing for big Country Squire and Colony Park wagons, and ever since I was old enough to notice cars, at 5 years old I have loved the styling of the 1959 model year Fords. Both sedans and wagons, the 59 Fords have been in my top 5 all-time favorites. Depending on what I happen to be into, my top 5 is kinda fluid, but it always includes the 59s, oh, and the 1969 Mach Is. I actually owned one for over 35 years and I wish I still had it. I love everything about the 69 Mach I. Sometimes I would just sit and stare at it, from every angle, and that includes the interior too. Then there's the Thunderbirds. There are things I love about every generation. I owned a 1970, a 2 door fastback, 428 4 barrel carburetor that could only get 8 mpg, with a tail wind. From it's Bunkie beak,it's ultra cool taillights with sequential turn indicators and it's fantastic interior, in my opinion the best word to describe it is gorgeous, but not a good car to own during the 1973 oil crisis. At the time, I still had the Mach I, needless to say I spent way too much time in gas lines. I also love the 74 through 76 "glamor birds. They are the same car as the Lincoln Mark IVs.Yes they are huge, but very beautiful. In 1984 I came very close to buying a 84 TurboCoupe, but at the time I was an IBM Customer Engineer which was a field position and my territory was West Los Angeles, one of the most heaviest and traffic areas in L.A. and the TurboCoupe only came with a manual transmission. That would not be a good fit for a car with a clutch so I went with an 84 Mustang with an automatic transmission. It was a black on black hatchback, and it had a 4.6 V8. I drove the wheels off of that little Stang, it turned out to be a good territory car. Today I'm retired and I have a 2008 Explorer, 4.0 V6. My first car that isn't a V8 and I love it. It's my second Explorer, my first was a 97 Eddie Bauer with the 5.0 V8. It was black with medium prerrie leather interior. It had the 15 inch chrome factory wheels. I had all the gold Eddie Bauer trim painted black and it was always the best looking Explorer around. I got compliments about how it looked and the great sounding exhaust of the 5.0. I loved that Explorer. It was very reliable and comfortable, it had every available option including ATC. It had over 200,000 trouble free miles on it when it was jacked from in front of my house and I never saw it again. So, after reading this article on the 83 Thunderbird, I definitely felt a stirring. Maybe I should try to find one. Thanks for a great review!,
10 years ahead of its time. Ford was very innovative in the 80”s.
Love these 80's retro reviews.
2:15
LOVE that musac 🎶🎵😚
I knew I wasn't the only one! Time for a J&B on the rocks and a cigarette in the lounge🎵🎶🎵
I loved mine! Only thing this car was missing was a proper 5.0L under the hood. The TBI 5.0 was weak sauce. Overall, this was a very nice auto, and great on the highway
Perhaps not fast but still a great engine. To be honest I’ll take the weak understressed engine. I have a 1994 F150 with the 5.0 and it’s got 320,000 and still going strong, whereas my Dads 2012 King Ranch blew the engine at 95,000 despite him babying it and changed the oil at 4,000 miles. It actually cracked 4 pistons. He specifically got that over the 3.5 ecoboost because people told him it would be more reliable
@@RobertSmith-le8wp
Copy that. The 302 is practically bulletproof and totally reliable. Ford missed the market by not offering a H.O. Mustang 5.0L version of that engine in the T-bird in a higher trim level.
My only other gripe with the car was the rims (just like the T-bird in the video) were difficult to keep clean because brake dust accumulated in the tiny nooks and crannies. Some 16" alloy Mustang rims would alleviate that tho
Nobody complained about it back then and if you ordered one new you wouldn't complain either.
I remember how sensational these cars looked back in the day. Can't believe that was more than 40 years ago today.
0:10
This was probably around the time that we start to see the John Davis that we know and love today.
Yup the show started in 1981 I believe and the show and Jon as host still with us 43 years later. And Pat Goss as well until he passed 2 years ago.
First time I ever heard of this car was when I saw it at the 1982 International car show in San Francisco. It was the first true aerodynamic passenger sedan in the USA. One feature was getting rid of rain gutters on doors and using a technology used on aircraft instead to keep rain from getting in. It would have had aerodynamic clear covers over the headlights too but DOT rules didn't allow it at the time. It was so refreshing compared to the square bricks already on the road.
Many of the features touted as revolutionary on the 86 Taurus were found here first. A great reminder of that. Doors integrated with roof design and aerodynamic styling.
This model was quite the dramatic improvement over the 1980-82 Thunderbird. Its styling was unique and modern, yet it still carried heritage cues from previous models. Also, it helped pave the way for more aerodynamic cars in the U.S. over the next several years.
Thought this generation Thunderbird/Cougar is an exception, aerodynamic cars look so soulless and cringy. Boxy is better.
Beautiful car, specially the sport model with the 5.0 engine
Had one with the eight for a few months where I worked at the time. Liked it no issues, cool car back then....
My neighbor across the street still daily drives her 1984 T-bird.
Top class car back in the day. Beautiful styling with new inovations especially the 84 Cougar digital dash. Solidly built.
My family had one one these this the V8. What an amazing & fun car it was.
In the early 90's we had a 85 Cougar V6 with automatic and 88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 5 speed manual. I didn't like either one of them. They were my bf's cars. I had a 89 Mazda 626 LX 5speed that lasted 277k miles while those other two only made it to about 120k miles before bigger problems. And my Mazda didn't even die, I traded it in and one of Kim K's bf's bought it.
6:03 I love the ABS built into the chassis instead of a separate unit
I had an 83 or 85 5.0 in teal green. Great car
These are getting so rare!
They've been rare, since about 1990
Junkyards were full of them in 1990
I owned 3 Turbo Coupes, '83, '86 and '87...all were great cars! I especially liked the '87 with 195 HP intercooled turbo. Put over 225K miles on it with no major issues and would've gone further but got rear-ended one day. I loved these cars!
Such a sweet ride!
I swear every single time I see one of these pop up. I watch it right away. The retro soundtrack!!
The test driver in the slalom test was definitely throwing his ENTIRE body into those turns
Absolutely beautiful Thunderbird! I love the '83-'88 Aero Birds as much as the '80-'82 boxy Birds.
Wow! Nice time capsule! Love the retro review videos! Great job!
That's the most aggressive slalom testing I've ever seen from Motor Week and that T-Bird really held its own.
I loved my 86 turbo coupe. That 4 cylinder would smoke many v8 chevys. Lowest rear end gear ratio of any production car at the time, might still be for all i know. This body style still holds the track record at Talladega set in 1987 by Bill Elliott.
3:00 ''doors curve nicely into the roof'' Especially effective so that a bank of snow falls on your seat cause you just wanted your snow brush which is inside,
Use a broom 🧹
@@FuckTrumpFuckYouIfYouVoted4Him ...also in the car
@@cabaneencac5168 talking about the one in your house lol
@@FuckTrumpFuckYouIfYouVoted4Him only have a hoover in the house
@@cabaneencac5168 Ya know, I never thought of it before but I bet that vacuum cleaner would work in a pinch? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm going to try it this winter just for 💩's and giggles 🤣
My grandparents had two of these. One gold and one white.
This guy has been reviewing cars longer than I've been alive.
I remember Valine driving one on Knots landing
Loved this car. Wanted my parents to buy one, but they went with a LTD Crown Vic.
Oh spread your wings and fly again sweet sweet Ford Thunderbird
I was born in 1962. Owned 34 .vehicles. Many Fords. 4 crown vics. Had a 1988 Thunderbird 5.0 and 1987 Mercury Cougar. They were beautiful cars and rode like a dream. God I miss the old days so much. Love this RUclips series. Thank you so much for the memories.
My father had a year old Thunerbird every year from 1959 to 1982. ( He represented a Ford dealer who ordered a new black, fully loaded one and he got his old one ) He didn't like the '83 and switched to Porsche.
You miss being young
i had two 84 cougars, one with the V6 and one with the 302 V8. Very comfortable however the footwells were quite narrow. I then had a 94 and it was much more comfortable and roomy inside than the 84s. Still, I really loved the era of 2 door personal luxury coupes, since i also had 2 Cutlass Supremes, an 84 and an 87. I miss that era.
The 87 -88 is the best looking one with their grill less facia and flush windows & headlight
The Thunderbird was one of my favorite cars from Ford, sadly it met its fate in 2005
After 97, it was nothing more than a toy nobody wanted.
The last one wasn't a Thunderbird. It, and the Lincoln LS, were Jaguars that nobody asked for.
6:20 What is happening to the rear wheels?
Are you serious? It's called wheel lockup. It's called hard braking. No anti lock brakes.
my grandma had one and STILL swears it was the best car she ever had
It ate up the NASCAR circuit within its debut; look what it did for Stroker Ace.
Ford Needs To Bring Back The Thunderbird Not The Thunderbird Retro Roadster But The Thunderbird Look From 1983
@bluemax2491 Ford Needs To Bring Back The Thunderbird Because The Mustang Is Getting Dominated By The Chevrolet Camaro And The Chevrolet Corvette And It Is Because Of Suv And Crossover It Is Because Of Suv's And Truck's
@@rushbroussard5399 Mustang is outselling the Camaro
@moejr1974 The Mustang Is Outselling The Camaro But The Corvette Is Outselling The Mustang And That Is Why Ford Needs To Bring Back The Thunderbird When Ford Has Introduced The Thunderbird It Has Outselled The Corvette And Sense Then Ford Has Dominated Chevrolet
Just because the Mustang outsells the Camaro doesn't mean it's better. Mustang has always outsold Camaro but it wasn't always better. Mustangs are for female drivers Camaros are for men. Tell me I'm wrong? Lmao
No man has ever complained about the last two recent generation Camaros being too hard to get in and out of and crying they can't see over the dash or out of the side windows. Only women cry about such silly things. And Camaros don't spin out of the line like Mustangs do.
Well designed car, especially for the era. Except, I suppose, for that rear-wheel hop. Honestly 21 MPG overall for this performance (relative to the day and age of course), seems pretty decent. Sticker price in 2024 dollars also feels reasonable at $42,000.
It got stellar mpg because it can only burn so much fuel at 130hp. High torque low rpm does wonders for mpg. That's a concept people can't seem to grasp today. Everything is all about horsepower and 0 to 60 smh lol
21 MPG is extremely low. I would average that doing pizza deliveries in my thunderbird. Freeway is pretty close to 28mpg at 65mph and 25ish at 75mph.
Few times driving long highway roads with 55mph speed limits, I touched on 35mpg a few times over an entire tank.
I still want one
I had the 83 with the V6. Gutless off the line but it did cruise the freeway well.
130hp V8 in 1983! Yikes! Emissions regulations castrated these machines! Amazing style for the time.
“Not much chrome here”. Full length chrome body strip continues around front and rear bumpers, chrome grill, chrome window surrounds. Lolol
I had a 1984 and loved it. 3.8 V6 would go forever. I traded mine with at least 170,000 miles!
Not bad for a ford LOL
For an 80’s American car, that’s a lot of mileage.
My mom had a '68 Cougar. I wanted a Cougar when I became of age, but that model had a hard ending.
The one luxury coupe that got updated for the 80s and sold well (along with the Cougar.)
And Mark VII....the Tbird that wears a tux ❤
One of my favorites. To bad the test track wasn't wet .
Almost bought one in 1984. However the best deal was 3 years at 11 percent.
Bela máquina até hoje sou aqui do Brasil abraços
I liked these cars
It's interesting that this T-bird's styling is something of a predecessor to what would eventually come with the Taurus. Gotta say, the later versions with the flush headlights look a lot better.
Also, dig the void set for showing off the interior. I think MW should go back to presenting cars that way. Forget parking the car in a field, how does it look when parked in the void??
I'm betting the void set was filmed by Ford and given to them.
Where an I get one with missles behind the grille. IYKYK
Did they say that V8 only had like 130hp? That's disgustingly bad
We may have still been intentionally neutering engines back then due to regulations. Maybe. Definitely did it throughout the 70's.
Laterally the cyber truck of 1983. Better early review then the Hagerty cyber truck review.
My first car.
The front end diving and rear end lifting a foot into the air when braking isn't because the rear end is "light" its because of the prehistoric suspension design. There is no consideration for anti-lift/dive, so the torque of the brakes causes the rear end to lift. You see the same thing when they brake torque it before launching. Modern suspension is lightyears better in this regard.
So nice of Ford to include a fuel gauge.
This was a typical 80’s car, no thought put into the end user, it was what Ford told the public what they wanted. Of course the push for cleaner exhausts and additional crash standards didn’t help the situation at all.
Damn 130hp from a 5.0 V8... oh how things have changed
That was an improvement over the 4.2L V-8 that put out 115 HP.
That 130hp 302 will outlast anything they got today. And it doesn't have to rev to 5,000rpm to get going neither. You won't find a small block today that gets 21mpg with MotorWeek's lead footed test drivers lol.
A beautiful car!!
Amazing what 40 years does to MPG and performance....
It got stellar mpg because it can only burn so much fuel at 130hp. High torque low rpm does wonders for mpg. That's a concept people can't seem to grasp today. Everything is all about horsepower and 0 to 60
That car was so damned good looking. And it absolutely *dominated* NASCAR. So much so, NASCAR hobbled them half way through the season. Chevy was still using boxy Monte Carlos, and simply couldn't keep up. And we can't have that, now can we?
Not a fan of these cars at the time. But I'd love to have one now. There hasn't been a decent car built since the 90s. Not a good car since the 80s. And not a great car since the 60s
That transmission is murdering that ET. It still trapped 83mph but ran 18.3...
Dude....it's a four speed in an era we're 3 speeds were highly popular. It has 130hp and a 💩 ton of torque. The torque is what pushed it down the track. And it got 21mpg during their testing. From a large small block with a power sapping accessory drive system + belt driven cooling fan. That said, the performance was excellent. You wanna go faster try its big brother that wears a tux, Lincoln Mark VII LSC with the Hight Output 302. Now that baby will FLY!
@@FuckTrumpFuckYouIfYouVoted4HimMy old 2bbl 307 truck only trapped 77 but it ran a 17.7 lol
I’d buy it if it was available today.
Ford also sold a leather members only jacket with a thunderbird logo.
6:03 Very good design, but not so good chassis i think.
Give it up for wood tone interior , and the synth jams . Competent simple car ...
Sister had one the v8 leaked oil every where on it stayed in shop. Paint was fair at best,it was that wine color like promo , after a year it really wouldn't Polish up clear was gone. Just saying.
6:19 That 140 ft sign looked like it fainted lol
As if it thought it would get plowed into.
@@justme307 right right lol
Too bad they didn't have those awesome colored crystal Tbird hood onaments they had in the late 70s.
That’s so funny. 130hp is what a 1-litre churns out these days…
I had an '84 Thunderbird turbo coupe briefly back in 2011. I shouldn't have sold it..