My dad and mom back in the day had a sliver 87 automatic and in 1993 my family and I was in a violent car wreck, someone ran us off the highway and we hit a sewer grate and caused the car to flip . My mother was life flighted with broken up knee caps . And rest of us was ok , truly a miracle. Older brother and younger sister was in back seat with me, and I was just 4 years old at the time . I remember bits and pieces of it. God and his angles was with us that day .
I had one of these. It was my favorite car that I ever owned. Fast as a V8, gas mileage of a four banger, comfortable as a luxury car, handled like a sport car, seats 4 comfortably, large trunk, and fun with the 5 speed. IT HAD IT ALL!
Yeah, my wife's 2018 Fusion has a touch to illuminate row of side by side numbers on the driver's door sill. Washing the car with a high pressure water sprayer will illuminate the row of lights too!
My dad bought a black on red leather 87 in 88. It was his pride and joy, and I would go to his house and wash and clean it for him, as I had as a teenager on all the vehicles in my household. After he passed, in 97, my mom stored the car at her mother’s. After about a year, I asked if I could buy it from her, and instead, she GAVE it to me. It had 106K on it, and I commuted in that car for years, and eventually (regrettably) sold it to an enthusiast, at 357K miles. I did timing belts, and had to do a head gasket once, and at almost 300K, the cylinder cross hatching was STILL there. These were VERY special cars in the day, and Ford stepped up with components. World Class T5 5 speed, 8.8 limited slip, 4 wheel discs, quad shocks, I wish there was support for these. I’d happily have another. This car will bring big dollars, and I would be a player. Love your statement about the seller not taking trades for your garbage. THAT needs to be mentioned more often.
I have an 88 turbocoupe, other than replacement body panels being difficult to find, everything else is still available and there's companies like stinger performance that make a plug n play obd2 ecu to make tuning more better and efficient, other than that it's all mustangs parts underneath with a few variances here and there with parts like lower control arms are same as 94 95 stangs...great cars
Well as I'm the last comment from 2 years ago, I will update. I met a woman who I've been with about 1 1/2 years now. I told her about the car I built back in the day and showed her a couple pics. She found one that is an 88 T-coupe with a 5 speed deep in the UP of MI. Its got 140k on it and even the electronic suspension still works perfect. But its NOT rusted. She bought it to surprise me for father's day and holy hell was I surprised. I drove this car back to my house 5 hours and I was like a kid again. Going to build it even better than the last one I had. I've got a lot better budget, tools and experience than I did 20 years ago when the last one got wrecked. It was wrecked by an ex while I was in AK working. I have the best woman ever.
Had to show this at work to some friends today on break. They worked on the lines that made the red carpet and the trunk trim. At that point, the parts were hand cut after being molded to shape. They loved seeing their work still on the road.
I bought an '87 T-bird LX with a 6 cylinder new. Brought both of my sons home from the hospital as newborns in it. It was a great, reliable comfortable car but, oh man, I wanted that Turbo Coupe. Couldn't afford it, though.
Drove a friend's brand new Turbo Coupe in real time back in the day. Strong and refined, a perfect cross country touring car. The gentleman's Mustang SVO, featuring the same motor and transmission, slightly de-rated, I believe. In this era, Ford was on top of it's game in a big way.
In '87 I worked at the local Ford Dealership. The '88 Thunderbird came out. A local Race Car Driver came to buy one. I caught him and his wife on the lot. We go for a test drive. He SCARED the TOTAL HELL out of me and his wife. But man, could he drive!! And yes, he bought the car. That had to be one of the most FUN test drives I ever went on.
Love these Aero Birds! Used to see these all the time in NYC. The 80s were the era of the Personal Coupe (Thunderbird, Cougar, Monte Carlo, Cutlass Supreme, Regal...And the Grand Prix) All Fantastic cars.
My uncle had a 1983 Cougar, same body style/platform as this car. Ford really hit its stride in the '80s after stumbling badly in the Malaise Era. Absolutely love those Turbo 2.3L Limas! From the TurboCoupe to the SVO Mustang to the XR4Ti, it was an amazing engine.
Bought a new '86 Turbo Coupe after buying an 83 Monte Carlo SS (worst car ever) , then a new one in 1988. My 88 has 260K miles and runs great, the 86 has 130K.Still own them! Very well built. Chevy's quality in the 80's was awful, though had nice style.
I had that exact car about twenty years back. Bought it with 40k on it. Amazing car for the era quite quick and a great cruiser. It won MotorTrend car of the year in 87, but '88 was the year to have as Ford allowed full boost in all 5 forward gears, and it had 8.8 posi. It was a special car. Mine got 25mpg around town, and it was the MOST aerodynamic car of the era. Ford engineers said a 5hp briggs would keep it at 55mph on a flat hwy it had such low drag coefficient. It would pull almost a full G on the skid pad too which was unheard of for such a large car. The auto dampening struts actually worked and worked well! It was a great ride, I miss mine.
Back in the early 1980's, I wrote a weekly automotive column for a local suburban newspaper. The Big 3 were great at the time with press cars for review. Got a call from Ford one day wanting me to go with a couple of engineers to test drive their new Turbo T-Bird. They let me drive, and were extremely proud of the fact that the car had zero turbo lag. I was encouraged at the next red light to give it the beans when the light turned green. The light turned, I sidestepped the clutch and nailed the gas, and all four connecting rods and the crank left via the oil pan. The engineers turned an ashen color and mumbled about not having all the bugs out yet. I told them to call me back when they did, but they never called, lol.
@Yippee Skippy it was indeed. Although the top of the line Pinto engine. There was massive turbo lag, but it still had one of the loudest and best sounding stock turbos ever, at least the 1983 and 1984 models. They would really whistle loudly spooling up and down. I think it was the first generation Garrett T3 turbo. They changed it 1985 and made it quieter, and not nearly as cool sounding.
Full of shit. Those 2.3 are iron block and heads. They're near indestructible. I owned one of these, an 85 SVO mustang and 4 Merkur XR4TI all with this engine and never blew one up and I beat the hell out of all of them.
@@Z06ified my 86 and 87 Merkur XR4TIs had really loud turbos as well. Same engine minus the intercooler. Made about 175hp and 210 ftlb. With a 2.5" downpipe back exhaust it really made the turbo loud. They did have lag though. But once you hit 3200 and it came on you better be holding on !
That is just an amazing sight to see a car more than 30 years old that is in that great of factory condition! Props to whoever owned it all these years.
In 1988 I was a senior in high school and remember these cars well. I loved the styling and remember this car was named car of the year by Motor Trend magazine.
A 1988 red T-Bird! All I can think of is Bill Elliott! My dad bought an '88 (knowing they were being redesigned for '89) after Elliott won the 1988 Winston Cup....
I remember driving a brand new one (automatic) with all those options from San Jose to LA. Friends father worked for Ford, so he always had the latest. It was a great hwy car, and had a lot of power for its day. Fun ride.
Brings back memories. Always loved me some Thunderbird. Had an 85 TC 5spd, then 3 SC, 89 5 spd, 91 auto then a 94 5 spd. Last had some performance and suspension mods. Not a drag strip queen or a canyon carver but she would hold her own in those areas. Shined on the highway, nice stable ride.
Thanks for the walk around wizard. I just got one of these cars that has been sitting in a garage for the last 18 years. Its not as nice as this one but it does have potential.
We had one of these. The same color and same year. The only difference was a gray interior. The one thing that people don't realize about these cars is that it was one of the first ABS brake cars on the road. The car really handled well and you could basically turn the wheel as hard as you wanted and it would stay flat and planted. We ended up shipping it off to Texas to my wife's sister, because she loved it so much, so we gave it to her when we bought another car. The only problem I had with it was a timing belt and water pump. Other than that, it was a good car, slightly ahead of its time.
THE ONLY THING wrong with vehicles in the 80's was the emission BS stemming off the early 70's....Where performance cars had the frame, suspension and trans to handle big power yet they had GIANT displacement engines with little to NO Horsepower and Torque! LOL - The ONLY thing I would change!
Awesome car and great survivor. I owned two predecessors but closely related to this car: a 1983 Turbo Coupe, and a 1985 Turbo Coupe. The 1985 was almost the same color as this car. Medium Canyon Red Metallic, if I recall. The interior was charcoal, but the interior looked almost the same as this car. The main differences between the 1985 and 1988, was the addition of the intercooler and another 45 HP from it, the hood scoops for the intercooler, the nose and headlights, wheels, rear taillights, and the adjustable suspension. I’m not sure if this car had it, or you just missed it, but the rear suspension had a unique setup with a horizontally mounted shock, in addition to the traditional vertically mounted shock. Quadra shock suspension I think they called it, and it was unique to the 1980’s Turbo Coupes. The Mustang GT and SVO may have had it too, and possibly the Lincoln Mark VII LSC, as they were all on the same Fox platform. But it was a pretty unique setup, and I’ve never seen it since. Great cars, and I miss mine. The 1983 the most, as it was my first car, and the first of the turbo T-birds.
I quit smoking so l could buy a 1989 T. Bird. It was an automatic . a beautiful dark blue and blue interior. Must say it was mighty fine on road trips. My husband at the time let his girlfriend drive it and she wrapped it around a telephone pole. So now they are both gone. I told the salesman l did not want a car that.talks to you. That was the new thing back in the day. I freaked out while driving the first time at night because the rear view mirror had a sensor in it that moved and made a sound . when a car with the lights on pulled up behind you it would move to a darker mode so their lights wouldn't blind you. Lol l jumped when it happened .
I was driving in Wisconsin in 1988 when I saw a turbo T Bird blasting down a country road passing everything sometimes leaving the road to drive on the gravel. I said “who does this guy think he is Mario “. When he passed me his personal plate said “AJFOYt”. He was coming from a farm that he owned. His road skills were incredible.
I would love that car. I sold those new. That was my first job that car drove great. I had a Fiero GT V6 every 4000 miles. I made 58 k my first year in the business. 200 horsepower was a lot back then. That car was so easy to work on. I can't remember one car coming back for any warranty work. Thanks wizard
Back in the day my neighbor who was a private pilot for hire had a blue one just like this and he loved loved loved that thing,,,, it was beautiful.. He drove the crap out of it and put a lot of miles on it with no problems..
@@pissoff234 a, b, c, d, e, F 'n A? Lighten up, dude. If you hate T-Birds so much, why are you here? Maybe you could find happiness with others of your maturity level on box live, with all the other foul-mouthed 13 year old brats.
That little 2.3 turbo motor was fun. I had one out of a '88 turbo coupe that came out of a rolled thunder bird and I bought a 1993 Ranger with a blown motor. Put the turbo motor into the Ranger. It was a surprisingly easy swap, but man that was a fun truck having a 5-speed behind that turbo motor.
I believe the 5spd were more common than the auto. I owned 6, all are msnuals. Ford sold a 5.0 tbird but it was only auto. Only had175hp if I'm not mistaken. Mine is collecting dust in my garage. Not sure if I'm going to rebuild the 4 or swap a 5.0
I had an ‘87 with the 302 auto. No lie, it got 32 mpg on the highway with the a/c going. Loved the interior too, just like this. Sometimes wish I never let it go!
I had a black 86 5 spd.in college used. Loved it but totaled it after they were 12 years old not many around and those had them kept them and held onto it for 2 yrs thinking i was gonna fix it but never did frame was bent. Still miss it was fun to drive but very solid-only trouble i had when was when the timing belt was replaced wrong and cracked the exhaust manifold but had replaced the manifold and retimed motor by a vac guage against timing marks and it ran like a top. Had great sounds system too. Found one 5 yrs later in Georgia, a retired guy couldn't drive anymore and it sold before I bought the plan ticket. A great car too, with the manual in 2nd gear you could get peak boast in it. It could do well on gas without jumping on the turbo. It made MT's car of the year in 87 for a reason, you drive it for long trip with great heat, comfort and radio [ and the Equalizer readout bumping up to the top with the high notes and base]all night long with 5 people. A lot of memories with the TC.
A friend of mine had one of these in high school ca. 2003, he absolutely loved it and it was still a pretty cool car at the time, but, I remember the shifter was really, really worn out, you could hardly tell what gear you were it, it just flopped around vaguely. He wrecked it speeding on a back road, lost control hopping over a railroad crossing and plowed straight into a telephone pole. Cracked the Thunderbird badge on the front perfectly in half, I mean perfect 50-50, couldn't have cut it neater if you measured, he kept that piece as a souvenir
I always loved these. I had bought one of these with a blown motor really cheap back in the late 80s early 90s. I decided to build it up as a track pro stock style car. I got a full race chassis for it, used a 460 I had salvaged from a 71 Continental I totally rebuilt for the track. I got about 80% of the work done on the project when someone I knew offered me a Shelby Daytona turn key kit car on a Datsun 280 donor vehicle. Had a really well done 302. I forget the brand name of the kit but at the time it was one of the best on the market. Even trade and I couldn't say no. Ever since I have been searching for a Turbo Coupe in decent shape just to restore.
One of my favorite cars. Jack Rousch built several of these for Bob Bondurant Driving School at Sears point raceway for their instructors. They were equipped with HO 5.0 motors and the 5 speed manual tranny,very fun car.
I owned the identical car to this back in 2003. I painted it viper blue with a rainbow metallic clear. Mirror tinted everything but the windshield. Lifted the rear end with air shocks to take 245 width tires and ran 225 up front. Had a hurst shifter on the trans to shorten the throws with a T-handle for a grip. This thing would set you back in your seat when you hammered it in second gear and the turbo spooled. Loved the hell out of that car. If you are looking for a full size car that fits a full-size man and is fun to drive this is the car. A lot of fox-body stuff fits too. Beat a few Mustangs with this car back in the day. Drove it to NY from WI and back with my kid and it had 130k on it at the time. Wish I could buy this car.
So funny. One of the first generation of production turbos starting in late 70’s that left a great automotive mark in history. I had friends who owned. Car still brings a smiles. Especially tbirds that did not have the snot beat out of them.
I used to have a 1984 Ford Mustang SVO ... it was the same Lima 2.3 liter 4 cylinder turbo. It also had an intercooler but it had a different intake manifold and smaller fuel injectors. The modifications for that engine are phenomenally fun.
Pull a vacuum on the cap to purge the air out of the system while running turning full lock. I used to make the power steering whisper quiet that way. If you turn the wheel or move the rack after the engine is off it somehow pulls air into the system.
My sister had one almost exactly like this one only in automatic as her first car in in 94, and man was it still a sweet ride at the time. glad to see one in such great shape. 👍
I owned one of these in 1999, grey 1988 turbo coupe 5 spd and that car taught me how to shift fast! was a fun car but wasn't reliable enough, just had high mileage issues.. 170 or 190k on odometer, I just remember they were high.. That car would get out and move pretty good from a stop and brakes worked real well, cool car!
Yeah I was wandering about that. I would like a response for that from Wizard. I mean there are at least 2 opportunities to catch that mistake and nothing was done about this.
Anyone who lived thru 1980’s Fords knows the poor quality, my dad bought an 86 with the 3.8 liter v6. Head gasket blew at 40k and exhaust rotted out after 2 years also had electrical gremlins fixed under warranty. Another example why the big 3 gave away their US market share.
I saw this comment and looked very closely. The ‘holes’ are an illusion. Those are raised spots of burnt undercoating. Not indented holes. The spot light on the camera or his flashlight would have show into the ‘holes’. They don’t.
Pretty amazing condition for a 33 year old car. They seem almost forgotten now, and it's rare to see one on the road, but they were amazing vehicles for their time.
I've had a lot of experience with these cars. One I bought new, and when a friend totaled it in a wreck a few years later, I bought another one. Some things you need to watch for if you are buying one of these cars, check the warning lights when you start the car. The anti-lock brake system on the Turbo Coupe is a frequent source of problems, and as it was unique to this model, it is very hard to find replacement parts. Like other Fords of this era, the TFI module can cause the car to unexpectedly stall, not restart, but then start and run fine an hour later. The next issue is the design of the turbo cylinder head, which is another part unique to the Turbo cars. The head is prone to cracking between the valve seats, and this can cause the car to overheat. Many people think this issue is a bad head gasket, but it is almost always a cracked cylinder head. Next, the controls to the factory stereo are iffy, the switch in the EQ unit can work erratically, it will work when you push the power button, but the sound goes bad after you take your finger off, a piece of paper or card squeezed under the switch will hold it in the proper place for it to work. When working, the factory sound system is very nice. These are good-driving cars, they pull hard for a 2.3 liter, but are very economical on gas. They handle well, and if the ABS is working properly, the Turbo Coupe has the best brakes of any Ford vehicle in that era. These cars come with a limited slip differential, like the 5.0 Mustang, but with a 3.73 gear ratio (the 4 cylinder winds higher than the V8). You can bump up the performance with a larger exhaust. The turbo breaks up the exhaust noise, if it is legal in your state, you can remove the cat and mufflers, the car won't be too loud. The air-to-air intercooler sits right on top of the exhaust side of the engine, and tends to heat intake air more than it cools it. Better heat shielding above the exhaust, under the intercooler makes it work better. And you can modify the vacuum control to the waste gate to bump up the boost. But keep in mind that this car is heavy, and the engine, despite its turbo, is small, and can only push so much. If you remove all the bells and whistles (ABS motor, window motors, seat motors, antenna motor, AC compressor, the various switches and control units for the numerous car systems, and swap in the Garrett turbo, computer, air meter, and knock sensor from the 86 SVO Mustang, this car would be a blast on the track.
Euroasian Bob sounds like a few Motor Vehicle Dealers I knew when I sold Advertising to those guys. Dealers like Bob had the best relationships with the New Car Dealers that refused to sell old cars in their Yards, they Wholesaled cars like this to their Friends. Bob probably has a lot of New Car Dealers as Friends. I'm an Aussie...😁👍🤘
@@muhumads yes, and some are better at it than others... that would be Dealers like Bob... THAT particular networking is really difficult. After all, there is big dollar involved.
This car got driven aprox 454 miles a YEAR! Let that sink in. When I was in Jr High(1988) there was a clinic across the street and a lady Dr. had one in white(pearl?) also with the 5spd. I always loved the styling of this car. Watching this video just took me back to 1988!
Wow, Wizard. I am trying to remember the last time I saw an 80s or even a 90s T-Bird. Back in the day, the Super Coupes were such cool cars. Thanks for sharing that amazing car
I still have my 88 Turbo Coupe. She has 159k on her and still gets 31 mpg highway. Everything works and is a driver. Love the car. That one is immaculate.
My first car was an 88 turbo thunderbird, maroon and gray interior. It had 80,000 miles in 2002, I ended up getting T-boned and destroyed the car! I have always been a Chevy guy but this T-Bird was an absolute beast!!!! I loved every single second in this car!!!
The better mustang. And my 90' thunderbird's automatic lights worked amazing. It'd turn off the highbeams when you entered a town. It'd turn them off AS SOON as a cars headlights were seen, quicker than I could do it. Plus you had cornering lights. They were awesome cars.
@@alb12345672 Yeah. The next gen cars were great. Ind rear susp and pneumatic ride control. Rack and pinion instead of the ball box. 4-wheal ABS disc brakes.They also shaved off a few hundred pounds, even with the bigger v6. It's too bad the SC is forgotten, yet the Buick Grand National is remembered as a supercar. My friend had a T-Type (Grand Nat clone) It was so dated.
@@Kewrock Yeah I remember being on a used car lot back around '03-'04 looking at a '91 Mercury Cougar XR-7 5.0 and a '90 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo and I was impressed by some of the tech that was in the Cougar. The Toronado had some impressive features too like that old touchscreen radio they came with back then, but the Cougar had a few more "wow" gimmicks. Ended buying the Toronado though because I hated the motorized seatbelts in the Cougar.
I owned this exact car back in 1992 that I purchased with 34000 miles on it. I enjoyed that car better than any vehicle that I've purchased since then. Only modifications that I made was, I installed a K&N air filter system and flowmaster mufflers on it. It was a very powerful car for a 4-cylinder, and I could travel 500 miles on 1/2 tank of gas. I do admit also that I've smoked several V-8's with that 4-cylinder. That was a very nice presentation of the vehicle on your show and I'd love to own it.
What a gem! I forgot that Ford already had practice doing a 2.3L eco from back in the day. The red L should have a key pad as well - I didn't realize that Ford was doing in the 80s too.
Ford has always had lots of experience with turbo engines. They did rally alot and the RS500 in the BTCC with the 2.0 Cosworth turbo engine that made 550bhp in race trim. In the 80s that was impressive.
Oh my god!! I want that T-bird now! IMO it is the absolute greatest year, make, and model Thunderbird. Especially that color. In fact, it should be put in an automotive museum because of how perfect it is. Seeing that iconic fascia reminds me of Bob Glidden and his Thunderbird funny car dominating the NHRA. What a sensation Ford achieved in '87/'88.👌🏻
You only live once. Do what you have to and get it. Get you a loan if need be and store in a rented garage. Or buy a beat one cheep and do it up if that car gets you in that way then get one. I have 2 foxbodys and 2 S10 they may be in stage's of repair but I don't have to look and wish but never have
I had my 88 TC for 7 years. Black with gray interior. Gorgeous car. Added some small bolt-ons to make it a little quicker. Also a FMS 140 Speedo. Lots of parking lot compliments. Should have kept it...Let her go at 80K miles
I’m the original owner of an 86 turbo coupe five speed in medium charcoal metallic. It has 40k miles on it and was my first new car!I have had it in storage since 1990. It is wearing its first replacement Goodyear gator back tires from then LOL
Truly a beautiful car not to mention well preserved Nice to see stock audio unit instead of putting some garbage aftermarket crap in there I wonder if some grandkids sold it as they can’t appreciate proper car
I'm going to try this one last time. The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on RUclips and I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just walking around. Maybe if this post gets enough thumbs up The Car Wizards and Mrs Wizards will make such a video for us.
Beautiful car! My first new car was a 1984 Thunderbird TC 5 speed but I got tired of changing gears and traded it in and bought a new Mustang GT automatic loaded, I loved both cars to death.
One of my all time favorite cars! This car was way better looking than the car that followed it. Ford got the Thunderbird just right. They botched it IMHO with the MN12 1989 to 1997 model. Regarding the keypads, you're mistaken. Ford STILL uses that system. The F150 and Super Dutys use them, and so do many other late model Fords such as the Fusion, Edge, etc.
This is a time capsule. Just wow I love the Thunderbird Turbo Coupes, my uncle had one, same color in and out, also an 88 and 5 speed. He traded in back in the late 90s.
This is also the kind of car that Tyler would buy, make one video on, and we’d never hear about it again. Just like he did with that Lincoln Mark VIII.
@@michaelday6987 He would turn it into crap from doing burn outs! This car deserves the same kind of treatment that has helped it stay factory fresh, not to someone who makes money from the most clicks on RUclips from destroying it. Let's see how far you can drive it with no oil in the engine or let's increase the boost to way beyond what the engine block is capable of surviving!
These are my favorite Thunderbirds. They're basically SVO Mustangs with a larger back seat and trunk. Still very fast with the right performance parts. Great find👍
My Grandfather had an ‘87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Black with a red leather interior. I miss that car. We live in Canada however my grandfathers car was an American car, everything was in miles and gallons instead of kilometres and litres. I turned 16 in ‘87 and was the only person other than him who was allowed to drive the car. I still remember hitting 125 miles per hour before remembering that it was miles/hour not kilometres/hour. It road like it was on rails, so steady and felt planted.
I love this era of T-birds. I had an '86 SVO that had that same power train. There is a small connector that you need to watch out for on the distributor that adjusts timing based on the position of the fuel grade selector switch. I loved the great low end torque of the four cylinder and the turbo would spool up with the car just flat taking off. I'd buy this car if I could!
I owned an '86 Turbo Coupe back in the day. Even though mine was an automatic and used a less powerful version of the same engine (around 150 hp), you could still feel it pull you back into the driver's seat pretty hard whenever the boost kicked in.
My dad and mom back in the day had a sliver 87 automatic and in 1993 my family and I was in a violent car wreck, someone ran us off the highway and we hit a sewer grate and caused the car to flip .
My mother was life flighted with broken up knee caps . And rest of us was ok , truly a miracle.
Older brother and younger sister was in back seat with me, and I was just 4 years old at the time . I remember bits and pieces of it.
God and his angles was with us that day .
This is the kind of car where you want to meet the owner and personally thank them for taking such good care of their car.
I had one of these. It was my favorite car that I ever owned. Fast as a V8, gas mileage of a four banger, comfortable as a luxury car, handled like a sport car, seats 4 comfortably, large trunk, and fun with the 5 speed. IT HAD IT ALL!
I had a black 87 with red interior. Loved it.
Those were fast cars
Had an '85, nicest car I ever owned.
And with a 22 gallon tank, you could go forever!
@@u2mister17 Me Too !
Sleeperdude would be in heaven!
Ford still does the keypad like that but it’s built into the door sill and hidden unless you push your finger near it. Very cool!
on my F-150 they're still just stuck on to the door lol
My wife's 2020 Expedition has this... they're capacitive buttons that light up when you touch the handle.
Yeah, my wife's 2018 Fusion has a touch to illuminate row of side by side numbers on the driver's door sill. Washing the car with a high pressure water sprayer will illuminate the row of lights too!
Came here to make sure someone else commented this.
Actually only Lincoln's have that now
My dad bought a black on red leather 87 in 88. It was his pride and joy, and I would go to his house and wash and clean it for him, as I had as a teenager on all the vehicles in my household. After he passed, in 97, my mom stored the car at her mother’s. After about a year, I asked if I could buy it from her, and instead, she GAVE it to me. It had 106K on it, and I commuted in that car for years, and eventually (regrettably) sold it to an enthusiast, at 357K miles. I did timing belts, and had to do a head gasket once, and at almost 300K, the cylinder cross hatching was STILL there. These were VERY special cars in the day, and Ford stepped up with components. World Class T5 5 speed, 8.8 limited slip, 4 wheel discs, quad shocks, I wish there was support for these. I’d happily have another. This car will bring big dollars, and I would be a player.
Love your statement about the seller not taking trades for your garbage. THAT needs to be mentioned more often.
I have an 88 turbocoupe, other than replacement body panels being difficult to find, everything else is still available and there's companies like stinger performance that make a plug n play obd2 ecu to make tuning more better and efficient, other than that it's all mustangs parts underneath with a few variances here and there with parts like lower control arms are same as 94 95 stangs...great cars
I absolutely love these 80s Thunderbirds. What a beauty these cars were amazing in their time.
Still are!
Well as I'm the last comment from 2 years ago, I will update. I met a woman who I've been with about 1 1/2 years now. I told her about the car I built back in the day and showed her a couple pics. She found one that is an 88 T-coupe with a 5 speed deep in the UP of MI. Its got 140k on it and even the electronic suspension still works perfect. But its NOT rusted. She bought it to surprise me for father's day and holy hell was I surprised. I drove this car back to my house 5 hours and I was like a kid again. Going to build it even better than the last one I had. I've got a lot better budget, tools and experience than I did 20 years ago when the last one got wrecked. It was wrecked by an ex while I was in AK working.
I have the best woman ever.
Had to show this at work to some friends today on break. They worked on the lines that made the red carpet and the trunk trim. At that point, the parts were hand cut after being molded to shape. They loved seeing their work still on the road.
I bought an '87 T-bird LX with a 6 cylinder new. Brought both of my sons home from the hospital as newborns in it. It was a great, reliable comfortable car but, oh man, I wanted that Turbo Coupe. Couldn't afford it, though.
Drove a friend's brand new Turbo Coupe in real time back in the day. Strong and refined, a perfect cross country touring car. The gentleman's Mustang SVO, featuring the same motor and transmission, slightly de-rated, I believe. In this era, Ford was on top of it's game in a big way.
I had a 1984 Mustang SVO.
*its.
@@paulparoma ok mr pedantic!
Man I would love a SVO or Turbo coupe
@@thatguyjai cool dude
This car looks better than anything on the road today.
Idk bout that but each to its own.
The sticker on the fan cowling looks new, that's the craziest part.
In '87 I worked at the local Ford Dealership. The '88 Thunderbird came out. A local Race Car Driver came to buy one. I caught him and his wife on the lot. We go for a test drive. He SCARED the TOTAL HELL out of me and his wife. But man, could he drive!! And yes, he bought the car. That had to be one of the most FUN test drives I ever went on.
Great story!
Love these Aero Birds! Used to see these all the time in NYC. The 80s were the era of the Personal Coupe (Thunderbird, Cougar, Monte Carlo, Cutlass Supreme, Regal...And the Grand Prix) All Fantastic cars.
Mark Vii
My uncle had a 1983 Cougar, same body style/platform as this car. Ford really hit its stride in the '80s after stumbling badly in the Malaise Era.
Absolutely love those Turbo 2.3L Limas! From the TurboCoupe to the SVO Mustang to the XR4Ti, it was an amazing engine.
Always loved these turbo coupes. This one is a great example.
Bought a new '86 Turbo Coupe after buying an 83 Monte Carlo SS (worst car ever) , then a new one in 1988. My 88 has 260K miles and runs great, the 86 has 130K.Still own them! Very well built. Chevy's quality in the 80's was awful, though had nice style.
I had that exact car about twenty years back. Bought it with 40k on it. Amazing car for the era quite quick and a great cruiser. It won MotorTrend car of the year in 87, but '88 was the year to have as Ford allowed full boost in all 5 forward gears, and it had 8.8 posi. It was a special car. Mine got 25mpg around town, and it was the MOST aerodynamic car of the era. Ford engineers said a 5hp briggs would keep it at 55mph on a flat hwy it had such low drag coefficient. It would pull almost a full G on the skid pad too which was unheard of for such a large car. The auto dampening struts actually worked and worked well! It was a great ride, I miss mine.
Back in the early 1980's, I wrote a weekly automotive column for a local suburban newspaper. The Big 3 were great at the time with press cars for review. Got a call from Ford one day wanting me to go with a couple of engineers to test drive their new Turbo T-Bird. They let me drive, and were extremely proud of the fact that the car had zero turbo lag. I was encouraged at the next red light to give it the beans when the light turned green. The light turned, I sidestepped the clutch and nailed the gas, and all four connecting rods and the crank left via the oil pan. The engineers turned an ashen color and mumbled about not having all the bugs out yet. I told them to call me back when they did, but they never called, lol.
This is story is too specific to be made up
@@wheretheredferngrows14 yeah but there really was ZERO turbo lag.
@Yippee Skippy it was indeed. Although the top of the line Pinto engine. There was massive turbo lag, but it still had one of the loudest and best sounding stock turbos ever, at least the 1983 and 1984 models. They would really whistle loudly spooling up and down. I think it was the first generation Garrett T3 turbo. They changed it 1985 and made it quieter, and not nearly as cool sounding.
Full of shit. Those 2.3 are iron block and heads. They're near indestructible. I owned one of these, an 85 SVO mustang and 4 Merkur XR4TI all with this engine and never blew one up and I beat the hell out of all of them.
@@Z06ified my 86 and 87 Merkur XR4TIs had really loud turbos as well. Same engine minus the intercooler. Made about 175hp and 210 ftlb. With a 2.5" downpipe back exhaust it really made the turbo loud. They did have lag though. But once you hit 3200 and it came on you better be holding on !
Ford's keyless entry pad has been and is still very much alive. Had one on my 95 Crown Vic, 96 Explorer, 07 Edge, and 17 F150...
That is just an amazing sight to see a car more than 30 years old that is in that great of factory condition! Props to whoever owned it all these years.
Woah ! Awesome condition! I remember those back in the days ! I think it was " sport car of the year "
back then .
In 1988 I was a senior in high school and remember these cars well. I loved the styling and remember this car was named car of the year by Motor Trend magazine.
My 87 had a little sticker in the back quarter window with car of the year on it.
A 1988 red T-Bird! All I can think of is Bill Elliott! My dad bought an '88 (knowing they were being redesigned for '89) after Elliott won the 1988 Winston Cup....
These Thunderbird Turbo Coupes are really cool. I had a 88 Mark Vll with the 5.0 HO engine, I got 300,000 miles before it died 😐
that is the first 1980s ford radio that i have seen actually with a working crystal display
One of my 80's favorites! I graduated HS in '89...this was one of the hot cars of the era.
I graduated in '90. And I had a classmate that drove one as well.
Same brother 89 in the house.
I had an 88 TC manual for a few years. The previous owner upgraded the turbo and a couple of other parts. Definitely one of the best cars I’ve owned.
I remember driving a brand new one (automatic) with all those options from San Jose to LA. Friends father worked for Ford, so he always had the latest. It was a great hwy car, and had a lot of power for its day. Fun ride.
These look much better to me than the fox body mustangs of the era.
Brings back memories. Always loved me some Thunderbird. Had an 85 TC 5spd, then 3 SC, 89 5 spd, 91 auto then a 94 5 spd. Last had some performance and suspension mods. Not a drag strip queen or a canyon carver but she would hold her own in those areas. Shined on the highway, nice stable ride.
Thanks for the walk around wizard. I just got one of these cars that has been sitting in a garage for the last 18 years. Its not as nice as this one but it does have potential.
At 11:27 it sure looks like there are holes in the exhaust.
Great video!
I noticed that too.
It's undercoating.
@Yippee Skippy yeah holes galore in the pipes.
I noticed that too. It is definitely rust holes. Not undercoating
The holes could be drip holes.
We had one of these. The same color and same year. The only difference was a gray interior. The one thing that people don't realize about these cars is that it was one of the first ABS brake cars on the road. The car really handled well and you could basically turn the wheel as hard as you wanted and it would stay flat and planted. We ended up shipping it off to Texas to my wife's sister, because she loved it so much, so we gave it to her when we bought another car. The only problem I had with it was a timing belt and water pump. Other than that, it was a good car, slightly ahead of its time.
The 80's were definitely a cool time to grow up in!
THE ONLY THING wrong with vehicles in the 80's was the emission BS stemming off the early 70's....Where performance cars had the frame, suspension and trans to handle big power yet they had GIANT displacement engines with little to NO Horsepower and Torque! LOL - The ONLY thing I would change!
Class of 87’. I consider myself lucky.
@@mikenormandy9250 That's right. Some '80s designs were pretty good and well-adapted from the '70s!
Awesome car and great survivor. I owned two predecessors but closely related to this car: a 1983 Turbo Coupe, and a 1985 Turbo Coupe. The 1985 was almost the same color as this car. Medium Canyon Red Metallic, if I recall. The interior was charcoal, but the interior looked almost the same as this car. The main differences between the 1985 and 1988, was the addition of the intercooler and another 45 HP from it, the hood scoops for the intercooler, the nose and headlights, wheels, rear taillights, and the adjustable suspension. I’m not sure if this car had it, or you just missed it, but the rear suspension had a unique setup with a horizontally mounted shock, in addition to the traditional vertically mounted shock. Quadra shock suspension I think they called it, and it was unique to the 1980’s Turbo Coupes. The Mustang GT and SVO may have had it too, and possibly the Lincoln Mark VII LSC, as they were all on the same Fox platform. But it was a pretty unique setup, and I’ve never seen it since. Great cars, and I miss mine. The 1983 the most, as it was my first car, and the first of the turbo T-birds.
This is a staggeringly cool car and the condition is just… perfect. Cleanest car you have had in yet. Great video.
I bought one of these brand new rather than a 5.0 Mustang. I looooooved it!
MT's Car of the Year I believe
I quit smoking so l could buy a 1989 T. Bird. It was an automatic . a beautiful dark blue and blue interior. Must say it was mighty fine on road trips. My husband at the time let his girlfriend drive it and she wrapped it around a telephone pole. So now they are both gone. I told the salesman l did not want a car that.talks to you. That was the new thing back in the day. I freaked out while driving the first time at night because the rear view mirror had a sensor in it that moved and made a sound . when a car with the lights on pulled up behind you it would move to a darker mode so their lights wouldn't blind you. Lol l jumped when it happened .
The door is ajar
I was driving in Wisconsin in 1988 when I saw a turbo T Bird blasting down a country road passing everything sometimes leaving the road to drive on the gravel. I said “who does this guy think he is Mario “. When he passed me his personal plate said “AJFOYt”. He was coming from a farm that he owned. His road skills were incredible.
I would love that car. I sold those new. That was my first job that car drove great. I had a Fiero GT V6 every 4000 miles. I made 58 k my first year in the business. 200 horsepower was a lot back then. That car was so easy to work on. I can't remember one car coming back for any warranty work. Thanks wizard
Back in the day my neighbor who was a private pilot for hire had a blue one just like this and he loved loved loved that thing,,,, it was beautiful..
He drove the crap out of it and put a lot of miles on it with no problems..
I have the X4ti that shared the same engine. Now I want a Turbocoupe and an SVO REAL BAD now because of this video. Thanks Car WIzard
I want that Merkur
I had a Mustang SVO.
Just put 16bit tbird ecu in, fmic, boost contoller, t5, into the xr. Lighter. If you only want to drag race then fox body.
@@pissoff234 a, b, c, d, e, F 'n A? Lighten up, dude. If you hate T-Birds so much, why are you here? Maybe you could find happiness with others of your maturity level on box live, with all the other foul-mouthed 13 year old brats.
Not a Ford guy but I have always liked those vehicles.
That little 2.3 turbo motor was fun. I had one out of a '88 turbo coupe that came out of a rolled thunder bird and I bought a 1993 Ranger with a blown motor. Put the turbo motor into the Ranger. It was a surprisingly easy swap, but man that was a fun truck having a 5-speed behind that turbo motor.
My friend also swapped a 2.3 turbo 5 speed into an older Ranger. Truck was a blast lol
I love the Turbo series of Fords - XR4Ti, Mustang SVO and the T-Bird! Easy to work on and fun to drive!
You must like the modern turbos as well
This highly optioned Thunderbird easily satisfies my 80s button fetish. Manual Turbo Coupes were rare even when new and were highly desirable
No doubt. Especially if you could bolt them to a V 8 Ford engine.
I believe the 5spd were more common than the auto. I owned 6, all are msnuals. Ford sold a 5.0 tbird but it was only auto. Only had175hp if I'm not mistaken. Mine is collecting dust in my garage. Not sure if I'm going to rebuild the 4 or swap a 5.0
I had an ‘87 with the 302 auto. No lie, it got 32 mpg on the highway with the a/c going. Loved the interior too, just like this. Sometimes wish I never let it go!
Beautiful car! My older brother's buddy had one when they were in High School and I fell in love with it!
Lol you C O U L D own this one!
I had a black 86 5 spd.in college used. Loved it but totaled it after they were 12 years old not many around and those had them kept them and held onto it for 2 yrs thinking i was gonna fix it but never did frame was bent. Still miss it was fun to drive but very solid-only trouble i had when was when the timing belt was replaced wrong and cracked the exhaust manifold but had replaced the manifold and retimed motor by a vac guage against timing marks and it ran like a top. Had great sounds system too. Found one 5 yrs later in Georgia, a retired guy couldn't drive anymore and it sold before I bought the plan ticket. A great car too, with the manual in 2nd gear you could get peak boast in it. It could do well on gas without jumping on the turbo. It made MT's car of the year in 87 for a reason, you drive it for long trip with great heat, comfort and radio [ and the Equalizer readout bumping up to the top with the high notes and base]all night long with 5 people. A lot of memories with the TC.
A friend of mine had one of these in high school ca. 2003, he absolutely loved it and it was still a pretty cool car at the time, but, I remember the shifter was really, really worn out, you could hardly tell what gear you were it, it just flopped around vaguely. He wrecked it speeding on a back road, lost control hopping over a railroad crossing and plowed straight into a telephone pole. Cracked the Thunderbird badge on the front perfectly in half, I mean perfect 50-50, couldn't have cut it neater if you measured, he kept that piece as a souvenir
I always loved these. I had bought one of these with a blown motor really cheap back in the late 80s early 90s. I decided to build it up as a track pro stock style car. I got a full race chassis for it, used a 460 I had salvaged from a 71 Continental I totally rebuilt for the track. I got about 80% of the work done on the project when someone I knew offered me a Shelby Daytona turn key kit car on a Datsun 280 donor vehicle. Had a really well done 302. I forget the brand name of the kit but at the time it was one of the best on the market. Even trade and I couldn't say no. Ever since I have been searching for a Turbo Coupe in decent shape just to restore.
You’re right. There’s almost none left in this condition. I’ve been through many of these cars and this one is almost perfect.
One of my favorite cars. Jack Rousch built several of these for Bob Bondurant Driving School at Sears point raceway for their instructors. They were equipped with HO 5.0 motors and the 5 speed manual tranny,very fun car.
V8 5peed Dang ! If only ford would have offered from factory for the average consumer.
I owned the identical car to this back in 2003. I painted it viper blue with a rainbow metallic clear. Mirror tinted everything but the windshield. Lifted the rear end with air shocks to take 245 width tires and ran 225 up front. Had a hurst shifter on the trans to shorten the throws with a T-handle for a grip. This thing would set you back in your seat when you hammered it in second gear and the turbo spooled. Loved the hell out of that car. If you are looking for a full size car that fits a full-size man and is fun to drive this is the car. A lot of fox-body stuff fits too. Beat a few Mustangs with this car back in the day. Drove it to NY from WI and back with my kid and it had 130k on it at the time. Wish I could buy this car.
So funny. One of the first generation of production turbos starting in late 70’s that left a great automotive mark in history.
I had friends who owned. Car still brings a smiles. Especially tbirds that did not have the snot beat out of them.
I used to have a 1984 Ford Mustang SVO ... it was the same Lima 2.3 liter 4 cylinder turbo. It also had an intercooler but it had a different intake manifold and smaller fuel injectors. The modifications for that engine are phenomenally fun.
Hey, Wizard … just an FYI, but Ford still uses the keypads (not necessarily on top of the door handle), old school is still current school!
Cool thing is. That front won't "rust out" because it's a composite.
Love that Tbird! My favorite car of all time (87-88 turbo). Absolutely beautiful. Design still great today.
Pull a vacuum on the cap to purge the air out of the system while running turning full lock. I used to make the power steering whisper quiet that way. If you turn the wheel or move the rack after the engine is off it somehow pulls air into the system.
Great tip!
I miss the velour interiors of the 80's, that stuff was plush man
And the “Bordello Red” color!
Not missing them. Have it right here! Lol.
Why, don't you like all that black plastic on the door cards in modern cars? And generic black interiors? C'mon, man!
@@paulparoma right?!?
@@euroasianbob9268 Indeed.
A guy on our softball team has a deep blue one with that pinstripe. Cool old rigs!
My sister had one almost exactly like this one only in automatic as her first car in in 94, and man was it still a sweet ride at the time. glad to see one in such great shape. 👍
I owned one of these in 1999, grey 1988 turbo coupe 5 spd and that car taught me how to shift fast! was a fun car but wasn't reliable enough, just had high mileage issues.. 170 or 190k on odometer, I just remember they were high.. That car would get out and move pretty good from a stop and brakes worked real well, cool car!
Wizard: "Exhaust isn't rusty and rotted."
Camera: Immediately focuses on a ton of rust holes in the exhaust.
Yeah I was wandering about that. I would like a response for that from Wizard. I mean there are at least 2 opportunities to catch that mistake and nothing was done about this.
Yup, that would've failed inspection here in MD. Can't have holes in the exhaust.
I thought I was the only one to catch that
Anyone who lived thru 1980’s Fords knows the poor quality, my dad bought an 86 with the 3.8 liter v6. Head gasket blew at 40k and exhaust rotted out after 2 years also had electrical gremlins fixed under warranty. Another example why the big 3 gave away their US market share.
I saw this comment and looked very closely. The ‘holes’ are an illusion. Those are raised spots of burnt undercoating. Not indented holes. The spot light on the camera or his flashlight would have show into the ‘holes’. They don’t.
I was a 20s-something when this was new - now I know it was a great car back in the day
Pretty amazing condition for a 33 year old car. They seem almost forgotten now, and it's rare to see one on the road, but they were amazing vehicles for their time.
I've had a lot of experience with these cars. One I bought new, and when a friend totaled it in a wreck a few years later, I bought another one. Some things you need to watch for if you are buying one of these cars, check the warning lights when you start the car. The anti-lock brake system on the Turbo Coupe is a frequent source of problems, and as it was unique to this model, it is very hard to find replacement parts. Like other Fords of this era, the TFI module can cause the car to unexpectedly stall, not restart, but then start and run fine an hour later. The next issue is the design of the turbo cylinder head, which is another part unique to the Turbo cars. The head is prone to cracking between the valve seats, and this can cause the car to overheat. Many people think this issue is a bad head gasket, but it is almost always a cracked cylinder head. Next, the controls to the factory stereo are iffy, the switch in the EQ unit can work erratically, it will work when you push the power button, but the sound goes bad after you take your finger off, a piece of paper or card squeezed under the switch will hold it in the proper place for it to work. When working, the factory sound system is very nice.
These are good-driving cars, they pull hard for a 2.3 liter, but are very economical on gas. They handle well, and if the ABS is working properly, the Turbo Coupe has the best brakes of any Ford vehicle in that era. These cars come with a limited slip differential, like the 5.0 Mustang, but with a 3.73 gear ratio (the 4 cylinder winds higher than the V8). You can bump up the performance with a larger exhaust. The turbo breaks up the exhaust noise, if it is legal in your state, you can remove the cat and mufflers, the car won't be too loud. The air-to-air intercooler sits right on top of the exhaust side of the engine, and tends to heat intake air more than it cools it. Better heat shielding above the exhaust, under the intercooler makes it work better. And you can modify the vacuum control to the waste gate to bump up the boost.
But keep in mind that this car is heavy, and the engine, despite its turbo, is small, and can only push so much. If you remove all the bells and whistles (ABS motor, window motors, seat motors, antenna motor, AC compressor, the various switches and control units for the numerous car systems, and swap in the Garrett turbo, computer, air meter, and knock sensor from the 86 SVO Mustang, this car would be a blast on the track.
Euroasian Bob sounds like a few Motor Vehicle Dealers I knew when I sold Advertising to those guys.
Dealers like Bob had the best relationships with the New Car Dealers that refused to sell old cars in their Yards, they Wholesaled cars like this to their Friends. Bob probably has a lot of New Car Dealers as Friends.
I'm an Aussie...😁👍🤘
😁
That is how it works tho in new car and used car with dealers
@@muhumads yes, and some are better at it than others... that would be Dealers like Bob... THAT particular networking is really difficult. After all, there is big dollar involved.
This car got driven aprox 454 miles a YEAR! Let that sink in. When I was in Jr High(1988) there was a clinic across the street and a lady Dr. had one in white(pearl?) also with the 5spd. I always loved the styling of this car. Watching this video just took me back to 1988!
Wow, Wizard. I am trying to remember the last time I saw an 80s or even a 90s T-Bird. Back in the day, the Super Coupes were such cool cars. Thanks for sharing that amazing car
I saw a 90's t-bird on the road just a few months back.....but it was in baaaaad shape.
I still have my 88 Turbo Coupe. She has 159k on her and still gets 31 mpg highway. Everything works and is a driver. Love the car. That one is immaculate.
Those fox birds drove fantastic, i had one best driving car i ever had.
My first car was an 88 turbo thunderbird, maroon and gray interior. It had 80,000 miles in 2002, I ended up getting T-boned and destroyed the car! I have always been a Chevy guy but this T-Bird was an absolute beast!!!!
I loved every single second in this car!!!
The better mustang. And my 90' thunderbird's automatic lights worked amazing. It'd turn off the highbeams when you entered a town. It'd turn them off AS SOON as a cars headlights were seen, quicker than I could do it. Plus you had cornering lights. They were awesome cars.
The 90 T-Birds were completely different from this. The 90 was a car of the future, this was a dinosaur.
@@Kewrock 90s Tbirds had IRS like a brand new mustang.
I miss cornering lights
@@alb12345672 Yeah. The next gen cars were great. Ind rear susp and pneumatic ride control. Rack and pinion instead of the ball box. 4-wheal ABS disc brakes.They also shaved off a few hundred pounds, even with the bigger v6. It's too bad the SC is forgotten, yet the Buick Grand National is remembered as a supercar. My friend had a T-Type (Grand Nat clone) It was so dated.
@@Kewrock Yeah I remember being on a used car lot back around '03-'04 looking at a '91 Mercury Cougar XR-7 5.0 and a '90 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo and I was impressed by some of the tech that was in the Cougar. The Toronado had some impressive features too like that old touchscreen radio they came with back then, but the Cougar had a few more "wow" gimmicks. Ended buying the Toronado though because I hated the motorized seatbelts in the Cougar.
I owned this exact car back in 1992 that I purchased with 34000 miles on it. I enjoyed that car better than any vehicle that I've purchased since then. Only modifications that I made was, I installed a K&N air filter system and flowmaster mufflers on it. It was a very powerful car for a 4-cylinder, and I could travel 500 miles on 1/2 tank of gas. I do admit also that I've smoked several V-8's with that 4-cylinder. That was a very nice presentation of the vehicle on your show and I'd love to own it.
Saw this in the background of one of your other videos. Glad you're featuring it!
What a gem! I forgot that Ford already had practice doing a 2.3L eco from back in the day. The red L should have a key pad as well - I didn't realize that Ford was doing in the 80s too.
Ford has always had lots of experience with turbo engines. They did rally alot and the RS500 in the BTCC with the 2.0 Cosworth turbo engine that made 550bhp in race trim. In the 80s that was impressive.
Oh my god!! I want that T-bird now! IMO it is the absolute greatest year, make, and model Thunderbird. Especially that color. In fact, it should be put in an automotive museum because of how perfect it is. Seeing that iconic fascia reminds me of Bob Glidden and his Thunderbird funny car dominating the NHRA. What a sensation Ford achieved in '87/'88.👌🏻
You only live once. Do what you have to and get it. Get you a loan if need be and store in a rented garage. Or buy a beat one cheep and do it up if that car gets you in that way then get one. I have 2 foxbodys and 2 S10 they may be in stage's of repair but I don't have to look and wish but never have
I had my 88 TC for 7 years. Black with gray interior. Gorgeous car. Added some small bolt-ons to make it a little quicker. Also a FMS 140 Speedo. Lots of parking lot compliments. Should have kept it...Let her go at 80K miles
This is now one of my favorite episodes. I love the Merkur Scorpio episode too
Cool name
Love that hair though.
I loved my XR4TI, wish I could find a super clean one.
I’m the original owner of an 86 turbo coupe five speed in medium charcoal metallic. It has 40k miles on it and was my first new car!I have had it in storage since 1990. It is wearing its first replacement Goodyear gator back tires from then LOL
Always loved this body style!!
What a beautiful car!! ...and I usually don't even care for Ford products. Thanks for the view. It was great.
Ford still offers the keypad entry, except is hidden in the C pillar. Had the same car in blue. Awesome!
I added a 1989 keyless entry pad and module to my T-Bird but instead of cutting the door I mounted the pad in a very well-hidden spot **wink**
Truly a beautiful car not to mention well preserved
Nice to see stock audio unit instead of putting some garbage aftermarket crap in there
I wonder if some grandkids sold it as they can’t appreciate proper car
I'm going to try this one last time. The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on RUclips and I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just walking around. Maybe if this post gets enough thumbs up The Car Wizards and Mrs Wizards will make such a video for us.
He can use "Walk" by Pantera
@@jonathanryan2915 Excellent choice! Wizards likes Pantera, too!
I've still got a small matchbox model of one of these which I had new as a kid back in the 80's Great looking car 👍
1988 was a great year for Ford: fox body, thunderbird turbo, Taurus SHO…
Beautiful car! My first new car was a 1984 Thunderbird TC 5 speed but I got tired of changing gears and traded it in and bought a new Mustang GT automatic loaded, I loved both cars to death.
One of my all time favorite cars! This car was way better looking than the car that followed it. Ford got the Thunderbird just right. They botched it IMHO with the MN12 1989 to 1997 model.
Regarding the keypads, you're mistaken. Ford STILL uses that system. The F150 and Super Dutys use them, and so do many other late model Fords such as the Fusion, Edge, etc.
This is a time capsule. Just wow
I love the Thunderbird Turbo Coupes, my uncle had one, same color in and out, also an 88 and 5 speed. He traded in back in the late 90s.
I tried to talk my dad into buying one of these new in '86. He ended up buying a Merkur XR4Ti instead. Good choice too.
Thank you, for taking me back
I would say it's a perfect Hoovie car, but it's TOO perfect to be a Hoovie car.
Don't worry. He'll just take it to the track...
If Hoovie starts buying cars like this Car Wizard will go bankrupt.
This is also the kind of car that Tyler would buy, make one video on, and we’d never hear about it again. Just like he did with that Lincoln Mark VIII.
@@97I30T he mentioned in one video that he sold the Mark Viii.
@@michaelday6987 He would turn it into crap from doing burn outs! This car deserves the same kind of treatment that has helped it stay factory fresh, not to someone who makes money from the most clicks on RUclips from destroying it. Let's see how far you can drive it with no oil in the engine or let's increase the boost to way beyond what the engine block is capable of surviving!
My 2018 focus had the keypad it was on the door piller had to touch it to show up but ford still uses the raised one like this on the bronco
These are my favorite Thunderbirds.
They're basically SVO Mustangs with a larger back seat and trunk. Still very fast with the right performance parts. Great find👍
My Grandfather had an ‘87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Black with a red leather interior. I miss that car. We live in Canada however my grandfathers car was an American car, everything was in miles and gallons instead of kilometres and litres. I turned 16 in ‘87 and was the only person other than him who was allowed to drive the car. I still remember hitting 125 miles per hour before remembering that it was miles/hour not kilometres/hour. It road like it was on rails, so steady and felt planted.
I love this era of T-birds. I had an '86 SVO that had that same power train. There is a small connector that you need to watch out for on the distributor that adjusts timing based on the position of the fuel grade selector switch. I loved the great low end torque of the four cylinder and the turbo would spool up with the car just flat taking off. I'd buy this car if I could!
I owned an '86 Turbo Coupe back in the day. Even though mine was an automatic and used a less powerful version of the same engine (around 150 hp), you could still feel it pull you back into the driver's seat pretty hard whenever the boost kicked in.
That is just in such supreme condition.