The thunderbird badge falling off of the seat when you closed the door is the most malaise era thing in existence lmao
@nrkeks2347
Жыл бұрын
Not to mention the erectile dysfunctional power antenna lmfao
@bobroberts2371
Жыл бұрын
These cars started to fall apart / not work in the mid 80's so this one has survived pretty well.
@anusername8350
Жыл бұрын
@@bobroberts2371you mean 1980 right? Moment the 70s died they all had catastrophic electric failures or dissolved
@craig0769
Жыл бұрын
The tail lamp lense fall off my 79 Thunderbird after leaving the casino. I was surprised I didn’t get pulled over.
@tompastian3447
Жыл бұрын
Stuff falling off wasn't limited to the malaise era, or to Ford. On my 2004 Marquis, the lower door trim is falling off, and has the consistency of play dough. I bought this car new, and never took it to a car wash. I've always washed it myself, using only water... no soaps or special cleaners. Mechanically it's a great car, though it takes a dealer to occasionally reprogram the main computer, and finding a Ford dealer that will do it. Pines Lincoln Mercury does reprogram Ford Computers. If you ever change your plugs and coils, there's a good chance you will need to have the dealer reprogram the main computer after you change plugs and coils. Coil connections also have to be checked as well as vacuum tubes.
@DSP1968
Жыл бұрын
Hey, Ed. Glad to see you feature this car, and to see that at least one DJE made it across the Pond. I think you weren't fair when picking on it for things that didn't work -- that is due to a lack of proper maintenance, not to poor quality. (It is 45 years old!) One thing you failed to mention what a stir this newly downsized Thunderbird caused in the market -- over 3 years, they sold almost 1,000,000 of them! And the 302 was standard (except in California where I live), with the 351 and 400 optional (no 400 for '79). Overall, this car looks to be in good to very good condition from an appearance point of view. Also, in American FoMoCo parlance, a sunroof has a metal panel, a moonroof has a glass panel. Having said all of that, I am glad that you saw the value of this car to the original owners -- the ride and quietness. This was among Ford's best that year, and I would be happy to have one if I had the room, ersatz wood and all.
@judgegixxer
Жыл бұрын
I remember those everywhere in the late 70's. Also in the 80's all rusted out with different color doors, broken tailights, vinyl tops tearing off, chrome trim missing, sagged out springs and blowing blue smoke. Good show as usual Ed.
@christopherkraft1327
Жыл бұрын
Great video Ed, especially the commercial!! My dad bought a Diamond Jubilee Edition Thunderbird when he retired & back in 1978 this was the ultimate T Bird, very posh for the era. You're correct, by today's standards it's not much more than a polished turd, but back in the seventies it was the bees knees!!! Thanks for sharing this fun video!!! 👍👍🙂
@williamdixon1992
Жыл бұрын
Compared to the clown cars we see on the road today the 78 Thunderbird really stands out in front. I wish the styling and quality would return.
@benjaminkamben4908
Жыл бұрын
After dedicating enough time to watch every single one of your videos it's nice to see a face attached to the speaking voice that I always hear narrate these videos. I like that you got a grand example of a malaise era car to show us in person rather than just talking about it using stock footage and whatever else on the internet you could find. I am a huge fan of your channel. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos. They are very enjoyable to watch.
@fastEdCanuck
Жыл бұрын
My father had a 78 Bird from new for a few years. Nice car, no issues with it that I recall.
@dindog22
Жыл бұрын
when I was a kid I thought that style of Thunderbird was the epitome of luxury
@blurglide
Жыл бұрын
This is an "Egg Crate" grille, rather than "waterfall". Waterfall focuses on the vertical elements while egg crate is pretty much a grid.
@Michistrasse97
Жыл бұрын
Great work as always. Loving the hybrid review/history format!
@tedlym.3390
Жыл бұрын
This was a wonderful presentation. I just won second place in class with my 2002 Inspiration Yellow Thunderbird at the Water Wonderland Thunderbird Club's All Thunderbird Show today. Thank you,
@RSTBKT
Жыл бұрын
that mark 5 is gorgeous, hopefully you can review one of those!
@drno-xc1yt
Жыл бұрын
The 1977-79 T-Birds were huge sellers in part because by moving these cars onto the smaller Torino/Cougar platform, Ford was able to drop the price drastically relative to the 72-76 models. That said, I don't quite understand who the market was for the Diamond Jubilee edition - all that extra bling made the T-Bird almost as expensive as the Lincoln Mark V. Even with the 400, these were not race cars, but the performance was decent by late 70s standards. I had one of these Birds with the 351, and that was plenty of get up and go - in these cars, you were supposed to get where you were going in a reasonably stylish package in comfort, and these cars delivered exactly that.
@ljphoenix4341
Жыл бұрын
Ed describing the car as "Like a nice, fat pigeon" greatly amuses me. For Ed to be able to have such a dry sense of humor, and understand sarcasm so well, when English isn't even his first language, I applaud this man.
@TorquilMcLeod
Жыл бұрын
It's fun seeing this, especially a model with all the options, as my Grandma had a 1978 Thunderbird but it was the base model with a 302 V8, bench seat, and AM radio.
@F40PH-2CAT
Жыл бұрын
My aunt had one of these used to take it to the beach every summer love this car
@photonforce08
Жыл бұрын
thank you for reviewing this auto, ed
@jons.6216
Жыл бұрын
I've rarely seen very many Thunderbirds beyond 1970-71 around in my neighborhood explorations! Maybe they just haven't held up!
@jcumpston7449
Жыл бұрын
We had a 1979 Thunderbird, Heritage Edition, when I was a kid, in the early 1990s. It was a lot like this car, but burgundy. It had a real leather interior. The moon roof and cruise control worked, but not the AC or clock. When in top shape, you almost couldn't tell when it was running. I still remember the first time I opened the door at night, and all of the interior lights came on. It was like a living room on wheels. Everything in the trunk was carpeted: the underside of the lid, the full-size spare tire. For an adult it probably was more comfortable than the back seat. That was a great car. And from what I was told, it had about 175k miles on it when it was finally retired to the junkyard.
@matttravers5764
Жыл бұрын
You're actually driving a Torino, Torino Elite, Montego, Cougar, LTD 2 aaaand a T-Bird...... 😂 Typical 70's badge engineering. I have to admit though that I love these cars having been a teenager in that time period. Great presentation as always!
@marcelosandoval2130
Жыл бұрын
The 76 & 77 model years were used by "John Bosley" in Charlie's Angels. Great and funny video, Ed.
@jamier1124
11 ай бұрын
I grew up loving the big 2-door luxury coupes. I remember really liking the 1978 Thunderbird, but what I wanted was a Mark V. A couple of years ago I found a 1977 Mark V for sale near my home in Southern California. It was beautiful. All grey inside and out with turbine wheels. I went to take a look and when I sat down in the driver seat I could not believe how cheap it looked with fake plastic everywhere. I was crushed. I don't know if I'll ever be able to reconcile that. Love your videos by the way. Keep them going!
@kevincoleman1226
Жыл бұрын
I owned two 1960 Thunderbirds and three 1963 Thunderbirds. The 1978 Thunderbird is NOT a true T-bird. It is a wannabe. Ed, I love your videos.
@radioguy1620
9 ай бұрын
It should really be called a Disco Bird as this was its era and fit the bill perfectly.This Car, the Monte Carlo, Olds Cutlass two door and a few others. It has to look good coming out of a dance club at 3 am and get you home safe. thats about it, and if you took it out tonight it would still do that job well.
@MichaelOKeefe2009
Жыл бұрын
Back in 2003, Ford celebrated it's 100th anniversary with a modernized version of the GT40. Back in 1978, Ford celebrated it's 75th anniversary with...this rather mundane luxury land yacht.
@kennedymcgovern5413
9 ай бұрын
My aunt and uncle had that exact car. I was 8 years old. They were so proud of it. To everyone else, there was nothi ng unusual about it. This was the way cars were designed in that day. Later, in the mid 80s, my step mother had a Mercury Cougar (which was the exact same car as the mid 80s T-bird). They got a lot better looking in the 80s.
@henriyoung3895
Жыл бұрын
Love your reviews Ed. Just a note, the American car magazines (Rags) called the American cars power steering, "Novacaine Steering".
@alanrogers7090
Жыл бұрын
If 1978 was seventy-five years of Ford automobiles, then they started in 1903, the same year that the Wright Brothers first flew.
@dirkbonesteel
Жыл бұрын
That era car often understated HP because of insurance penalties for the driver. The 69-72 think it was 351C an extreme case of this. It had canted valve and was designed for racing. Anything negative you hear about it is probably because of the low performance 3561M an emissions / generally screwed engine that looks identical. They also are measured differently then the 60s cars. 60s numbers where measured off the crank. Now it's measured at the rear wheels. I had a 79, they were one of the beast cars of the era..
@tommywatterson5276
Жыл бұрын
Great looking car and put together well too. Traditional T Bird.
@toomuch884
Ай бұрын
I have a '79 Town Landau convertible, one of 100 produced for the '79 model year by Ford and American Custom Coachworks. Black with black ragtop and red interior. 351M. Less than 30K original miles. All original except the "wearables". Everything works as it should. What an absolute blast to own and drive!!
@AeroGuy07
Жыл бұрын
I could be wrong, but I believe that's called an egg crate grill, not a waterfall grill.
@agostinodibella9939
Жыл бұрын
Ed, it’s hilarious counting the T Bird logos. Where there any on the keys?😊
@JeannineDobson
Жыл бұрын
Love Thunderbirds! These were the cool cars back when I was in high school. The floaty-bloaty boats! But that throaty big ol' V-8 doesn't sound right. There's an exhaust leak or a miss in one of the cylinders. Please remember that this car was designed during a period of tacky, bloated excess so it's perfect for its era. And also the callback to reality that American carmakers needed. My 6 cylinder 1989 T-Bird was smaller, better handling, less plasticky, and had more horsepower than the 1978. It was also a blast to drive because it wasn't a floaty-bloaty boat! Man, I miss that car.
@BA-gn3qb
9 ай бұрын
Now you need to drive an 1988 Thunderbird LX with the 5.0 liter engine. Mine would hit 120 mph easy, and lasted 242,000 miles. 😊
@tony8074
Жыл бұрын
The ad was the icing on the cake 😂.
@Hazdazos
Жыл бұрын
Ed needs to drive my '64 Riviera if he's ever in the US. Over a decade older than this T-bird but without all the awful 70s era stuff. It's sad how cars got so much worse, not better, at the end of the 60s.
@winthropthurlow3020
Жыл бұрын
The biggest problem with the '78 Thunderbird (and there are A LOT of problems) is that its styling is virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the Ford lineup (see, e.g., LTD, LTD II, Lincoln Continental, etc.). The appeal of a personal luxury car is that its owner stood out. The previous generations of Thunderbirds are examples of this: like 'em or hate 'em, you couldn't confuse a Thunderbird with any other car. They lost this in the '70s. Ford may have sold a lot of them, but the late '70s Thunderbirds were the beginning of the end.
@captlazer5509
Жыл бұрын
Agree the Thunderbirds lost their unique styling in the 70's, but it wasn't the end. The Thunderbird model continued, Ford trying to bring the sportiness back in the 1980s Thunderbirds. And of course, the last edition tried to harken back to the original mid 50's design. Love them or loathe them. The Thunderbird name stuck around for 6 decades.
@winthropthurlow3020
Жыл бұрын
@@captlazer5509 True enough, it certainly had staying power. When I say the '78 was the beginning of the end, I mean that it was the end of anything that made the Thunderbird unique and worthy of interest. In my view, the last generation was the worst - that whole retro trend (including the New Beetle, the Plymouth PT Cruiser, the Chevy HHR, etc.) was just design laziness at its worst.
@captlazer5509
Жыл бұрын
@winthropthurlow3020 to me, it depends on the quality, handling, and cost. For example, the recent Chrysler Challenger more than lives up to its past. The 2002 to 2005 Thunderbirds are not my thing but having driven one, it wasn't rattling, it's a decent cruiser, and for the price its a great deal on open air motoring.
@benvenis9758
3 ай бұрын
I love this! I drive a 1964 ford thunderbird also nicknamed the "flairbirds" and i can say also my car has 21 thunderbird logos on the car and inscriptions 😆
@MrSloika
Жыл бұрын
I was born and raised in the US but I've been to Europe many times. I was really surprised to see how popular American road boats are with collectors in places like Germany, Netherlands the Scandinavian countries. How do these cars get to Europe? They were never offered for sale in the Euro car market when they were new.
@vincedibona4687
Жыл бұрын
A long boat ride, that’s how.
@dennis885600
Жыл бұрын
They get imported via boat. Costs about 2k to get it shipped. Before covid it was cheaper to get them in the US than to buy them here.
@MrSloika
Жыл бұрын
@@dennis885600 I mean how do you buy one of these cars in Europe? eBay and then arrange to have the car shipped? Sounds really risky. Travel to the US , find/buy a car and then have it shipped? Expensive.
@TheInstructor66
Жыл бұрын
They where offered here in Norway. At least in 1980, according to a list i have. But i think you had to order it. Never saw one in the shops around that time.
@terminallygray
Жыл бұрын
They get there the same friggin way Skyline R32's & R33's get to the states.Derpy derpy, derp-derp.
@OnionChoppingNinja
Жыл бұрын
7:09 That one goes on the Ed's auto review out of context video
@STho205
Жыл бұрын
Herb Tarlik ordered these cars. It is a salesman car. The best execution of this car was the 1978 Cougar. Leather, better interior, more sporty gauge placement, better looking roof, exposed headlights. The Cordova was to me the best looking 1975 to 79 midsize middleman executive car. Once the square lights came the styling didn't fit anymore. For land yachts the 1965 Caddy is hard to beat at the original price. The Lincoln with suicide rear doors was a bit more stately, but the Caddy drove better...less soft boatish
@justinheffernan1
Жыл бұрын
I found one of these complete in a Junkyard in 2011. Bonus I found a Mark V bill Blass and collector's series the same week!
@charlie_nolan
Жыл бұрын
I really want one of these 70s T-birds some day, I have the exact same sad land yacht car tastes as you
@davidszelinski5021
Жыл бұрын
I can picture Carl post after washing his pride and joy raising the hood then racing the engine recklessly to blow out the carbon
@welleffitthen
Жыл бұрын
Great review as always. I thought the 78-79 tbirds also had t-tops as options. Just an opinion but I always felt the 75-76 models were nicer looking, but for late 70s these were still very nice looking cars. Certainly looked better than the 80-82 tbirds/cougars after this, just saying. I knew a few people who owned these back then, usually loyal to Ford's that despite some questionable issues with the car generally were glad they owned one. And yes the styling was nicer than most offerings now. Even without any badges you knew what you were looking at.
@joermnyc
Жыл бұрын
Wow, you got a Jay Leno…’s closet cameo. I was thinking, “hey the headlight covers work!” But then everything else doesn’t.😂
@Nicontrast
Жыл бұрын
I hope eventually you can get over your experience with the bacon slices in the burger.
@abpsd73
Жыл бұрын
One thing I always thought was odd on the jubilee editions was the delete of the rear side windows. My father had a 79 bird, nearly everything as far as trim and styling in that car was the same as the "jubilee" so most of it was just marketing and badging.
@socalltd
Жыл бұрын
For '79 that was a Heritage Edition T Bird.
@michaelogden5958
Жыл бұрын
I never "got" the allure of the T-Birds, and I was a 70s kid into all things cars.
@michaelblair5566
11 ай бұрын
First car I ever remember was my grandmother's 1972 Cadillac Sedan Deville.
@davek9378
11 ай бұрын
I’m jealous, my ‘79 didn’t have cruise control...but it was pretty trouble free. Only thing I can remember fixing was the drive shaft bearings - and the huge, plastic rear tail light covers would fall off after the adhesive failed.
@curtvona4891
Жыл бұрын
Does Ed, stand for E.D.?
@kc0lif
Жыл бұрын
i like those big thunderbirds with real wood. friend of mine parents had a thunderbird like that. i had 1976 & 1977 thunderbird & 1979 lincoln mk5.
@mkshffr4936
Жыл бұрын
I would take one. That was my era.
@Romiman1
Жыл бұрын
14:11 Oh yes. This is, what I miss so hardly in modern cars...
@stevenmiller2837
Жыл бұрын
I had a Turbo Coupe and then a Super Coupe. By the way, we call the gear selection display a "prindle," pronounced prin dull. It comes from an episode of I Love Lucy where she reads the display and pronounces it as written.
@hagerty1952
Жыл бұрын
5:55 That's not a "waterfall" grille, it's an "eggcrate" grille. 14:30 Your description of the acceleration reminds me of Car and Driver's description of the Volvo 144 back in the late '70's: "Volvos don't accelerate, they gather momentum."
@michaelcherry8952
Жыл бұрын
My favourite era of the T-Bird is the 1961-1963 "Bullet Birds". The late 50s "Square Birds" were too big and just weird in the styling. The late 60s and 70s Birds were again big, clunky and boring. The 61-63 T-Birds were sporty and quite futuristic looking. If you had the bucks, the roadster option for the convertible looks very cool, although it makes the rear deck look like you could land a plane on it!. It also reduces the trunk space. That being said, it wasn't something you would use to haul home renovation supplies in, so the lack of trunk space wasn't necessarily a thing. The driver's position makes you feel like you're in the cockpit of a fighter plane (or a spaceship) and the go-go power was there for the asking. Of course, being a "personal luxury" automobile, no manual transmission was available, which kind of sucks. The design of the interior kind of precluded a floor shift, but European makes like Citroen and Peugeot managed to have 4-speed column shifts, so I can see a 4 on the tree (or possibly a three with overdrive). Sadly, the corporate concept of "personal luxury" seems to have assumed a driver too lazy or stupid to do their own shifting.
@JanetWinans
Жыл бұрын
i loved mine,everything worked!!!
@kcm732
Жыл бұрын
Id really love to hear you tell the full and comprehensive story of the ford and firestone debacle in the 90's
@SeanGavin-rf5vd
Жыл бұрын
And across the pond Ford had the fast and nimble Capri.
@houseofno
Жыл бұрын
If you wanted lounge lizard luxury you bought one of these. Real luxury buyers went to Lincoln. Not being too hard on this car because it was in fact my first car. A base model T bird.
@glennledrew8347
Жыл бұрын
Ed, After stressing the ages it would take to do a walk-around (5 minutes to just get from the front to the door), for your logo counting tour you should have carried a rucksack with lunch, and paused for a sandwich at the halfway point. 😅
@RichardinNC1
Жыл бұрын
Not really a Ford fan, but I liked the late 60s Thunderbird. Instead, I owned a 1975 Cordoba in the early 80s. It had much better handling than the TBird or Grand Prix of the era. I did own a 1990 Thunderbird Super Coupe, a very nice car but with electrical gremlins.
@jamesmancuso3666
Жыл бұрын
@EAR I just have to ask why you call this a waterfall grill? It is an egg crate grill (chrome lines crossing horizontal and vertical). The Lincoln used a waterfall grill (chrome vertical lines) like the Rolls
@joellamoureux7914
Жыл бұрын
One thing Ed this car in standard form hadanother large window behind the opera window. They were absolutely awful looking like that. Our 78 was not a reliable car either. The t tops leaked which caused other problems. It was just so pretty you couldn't help but love it. And my mom was 32 or so when she got it so it wasn't for old men at the time.
@gw4690
Жыл бұрын
But wait Ed, no logo under the hood, in the trunk, on the floor mats, in the glove box, on the ashtrays? BTW here in Merika, we exchanged ashtrays for cup holders sometime in the 80"s.
@RoadRunnergarage8570
Жыл бұрын
I'm hoping to build a model kit of a 77-79 T Bird someday...
@quincyq-radio6300
Жыл бұрын
Very cool 😎
@WayneTheBoatGuy
Жыл бұрын
I've always considered these to be the gaudiest, ugliest, most audacious 1970s monster. I called them Thunder-Boats. It's good that there's some preserved for... well, just so it's here for people to see.
@adrianmonk4440
Жыл бұрын
You can say ANYTHING you want about American manufacturers. The Truth is PHYSICS. In my friend's 2 door, '71 to '73 Thunderbird, the Unsprung (Body) to Sprung (Suspension, includes tires & wheels, springs, arms, etc.) weight ratio Was Amazing. Such that Randy & I could barrel down unpaved, washboard country roads with the car barely noticing. I DEFY EUROPEAN PRODUCT, pre-active or air-suspension, to have that capability !! !! !!
@markparent3323
Жыл бұрын
That looks exactly like my grandfather's Mercury Grand Marquis only a little shorter.
@BlueSkyScholar
Жыл бұрын
The weirdest of these was the convertible, having lived through this era I only remember seeing 2, was told they were cars and concepts customs like the camaro convertibles.
@drewwho4512
Жыл бұрын
Hilarious! Relaxed motoring. A term that applies for sure.
@DJL78
Жыл бұрын
My Dad had one of these with a T-top.
@The_R-n-I_Guy
Жыл бұрын
😂Fat Pigeon 😂 that's hilarious 😂
@markmeachen6927
Жыл бұрын
You never mentioned the padded vinyl landau roof (with covered windows underneath) that made that minuscule rear seat all the more claustrophobic! Tiny opera window clogged with thunderbirds, padded loose pillow look velour seats made you feel invisible in a car accident. Very disco.
@mikojarvinen6273
Жыл бұрын
The “downsized” 1978 Thunderbird is much longer than my 1961 Bulletbird. 5.5m vs 5.25m. I wonder where the length went? My rear seats are at least as spacious and so is the trunk.
@tompastian3447
Жыл бұрын
I"ve got no problem with all the T bird logos. The T Bird logo is a great looking logo. I can tell you a few things most people don't know about these Ford intermediates, which were framed from 72 to 79, not unibody. It's almost impossible to find the rear forward upper control arm bushing. One place I found on the internet apparently will manufacture these after you place the order, but they want $100.00 for a single bushing, which sold years ago at NAPA for $13.00. As far as I know, the other bushings front and rear and suspension replacement parts are all still available. The power steering gear box on these cars have limited life spans, but in most cases can be rebuilt. NAPA may carry them, but I met a guy who rebuilds power steering gear boxes, and I keep extra rebuilt boxes on hand, should one leak. The cruise control can be repaired. The factory Ford repair manual has a full procedure to trace down what is failing. It may be a problem with the computer which mounts on the steering column under the dash. One thing I found out about that computer box, I was having a problem with the cruise control slowly increasing speed. I took apart the computer box, and found there is a small dial that you can adjust which will adjust the control, just takes a small straight blade screw driver and a slight turn. The horn pad on all these intermediates with cruise control are cheap crap. I would love it if some company would make an aftermarket replacement horn pad and applicay for the cruise controlled steering wheels. These pads deteriorate with age and exposure to the sun. Behind the front grill you should see what looks like an electric eye. This is supposed to sense a vehicle in front of you if your too close and your cruise control is engaged. It's supposed to disengage the cruise control. There's almost nothing you can do as far as I know to increase MPGs. You can do things to reduce weight in front, and make the car run a little cooler. If you don't have to worry about state inspections, you can remove the material inside the catalytic converter on your exhaust pipes, reducing engine temperature. Edelbrock makes an aluminum intake manifold which will reduce the front end weight. Summit racing sells aluminum water pumps that will fit the 400 and the 351 modified engines. Some Ford intermediates had Windsor engines. Edelbrock also makes aftermarket carbs for these manifolds. Your Jubilee T-bird should have a reclining front passenger seat. The split bench seats on these intermediate vehicles are quite good. However, if you go for a re upholstery job in the future, I'd suggest going with the vinyl material in the color to match your interior, rather than the cloth. The roof is subject to rusting around the rear windows. For what ever reason, there is more leg room in the rear of the four door and wagon models, even with the front seat all the way back. You should also have the interior ceiling light with map lights on each side. This is a good quality light, better than on newer Ford's and Mercurys. Those wheels you have were the top of the line, and being aluminum were much lighter weight than the steel wheels. Some T-birds had steel wheels with a fake poly plastic mag insert. They looked good but I had a full set of these for a while, and they were just not balanced, just had too much wobble and were quite heavy. While the 77 - 79 Ford and Mercury intermediates all shared the same front fender, the Bird had it's own front fender with a slight crease near the top edge, and a side vent insert. The front part of your interior is a great design, especially the way the dash board angles forward. This gives you a more spacious front seat area. I own a 2004 Marquis, and there's a protrusion in the middle of the dash that goes from door to door. It is right in the way of your knee when you get in the car. Entry into your T-bird is excellent. You should also have a lighted vanity mirror in the passenger sun visor.
@solidbreed9767
Жыл бұрын
Could I restore a 1979 Ford Thunderbird Heritage??
@tompastian3447
Жыл бұрын
@@solidbreed9767 That depends on the condition of the vehicle. That model was only available in 79. You need to provide a lot more information about the vehicle you want to restore, it's overall condition, and to what extent you want to restore it. www.google.com/search?q=79+ford+thunderbird+heritage+photos&sca_esv=567185982&sxsrf=AM9HkKlQQpzjELVroHvIQxAbLgBba_XCLw%3A1695276271906&source=hp&ei=79wLZcHoNMytqtsPtaSs8AI&iflsig=AO6bgOgAAAAAZQvq_9ORCPPo4-BBXyHtXAWKPhqBkRCj&oq=79+Ford+Thunderbird+%22Heritage%22%2C+photo&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IiU3OSBGb3JkIFRodW5kZXJiaXJkICJIZXJpdGFnZSIsIHBob3RvKgIIADIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSLdCUABYAHAAeACQAQCYAfABoAHwAaoBAzItMbgBAcgBAPgBAvgBAQ&sclient=gws-wiz
@solidbreed9767
Жыл бұрын
@@tompastian3447 It’s been outside for years so of course I would want to repaint it & mechanically it would need a lot of work
@tompastian3447
Жыл бұрын
@@solidbreed9767 First thing to do is get the car covered. Don't use a regular car cover. Don't use the cheap tarps they sell at Home Depot, or tarps made of cloth. If there are any companies in your area that make tarps, have one custom made from the vinyl material like they use to tent homes. This will last a lot longer, and as long as the car is dry when you put the tarp on, it won't sweat. Some parts you may need will be hard to find, like temperature control switches, vacuum motors for various vents, etc. IF there is a company in your area that specializes in auto air condition repair, they may be able to get some of these parts from aftermarket sources. Engine rebuilders are getting harder to find. I looked around my area and found several went out of business. Engine and drive train parts should all be available after market. I just spent about 3,000 plus on suspension on my Cougar wagon, and had the engine rebuilt on the other. I can give you advise and references in the future on what you might need. I 've found exactly what you'll need to replace your rear bearings, what to do if a rear axle is scored where the seal has caused wear. There is a solution to that problem, and a couple of companies will make you a new axle if you need it. I've had that done.
@Mr6384
Жыл бұрын
Ed, is this your car? I have the same car with the exception of the cassette player! Equipped the way ours came, it is 1/19 out of 18,990
@tstahler5420
Жыл бұрын
I'd take that T-Bird over the s*it boxes built today.
@tubaman66
Жыл бұрын
Here in the UK a Diamond Jubilee celebrates 60 years. Trust the Americans to do it bigger by making it 75!
@MustangsTrainsMowers
Жыл бұрын
That would have been a great mobsters car.
@andyjay729
Жыл бұрын
14:22 ...So in other words, the perfect makeout car.
@jamesnichols819
4 ай бұрын
I had a 1978 Town Landau T Bird. I really loved owning it. Rode and drove great. Had it until 1993 where the shop I was having some work done on it caught on. End result no more T Bird. If that had not happened I would still have today. The host is dogging the car because of what is not working but consider the age.
@smellsuperb1
Жыл бұрын
The ineptitude of the US auto industry to make these huge engines run clean perfectly sums up the "malaise era", and as Ed stated is where so much money was wasted that could have been better spent on more quality interior appointments. A 400ci making 160hp is criminal. I have a 4-cyl 2020 Passat that gets 175hp. And it's a 2.0. One third the size with better emissions and faster on the highway.
@Cheezwizzz
Жыл бұрын
And he’ll have fun fun fun ‘til his daddy takes his T-bird away!!
@Fljeff7
Жыл бұрын
A classic discotech cruiser that has a valet parking at studio 54
@70sleftover
Жыл бұрын
I still can't get past the term "downsized" when it comes to the LTD II and Thunderbird in 1977. They looked bigger to me as a kid back then. The Torino definitely looked smaller. That long hood seemed so excessive even then, and behind the wheel, steering that "boat" was like nothing you'd experience in today's vehicles (on land, at least!).
@peterbockholm3176
Жыл бұрын
The Volvo 740-series, there's several reasons to hate it but what really pisses me off is the height of the doors. They are perfect to rest you arms upon, if you are 2,3 meters long. For me being a modest 1,73 they are in level with my shoulders. This is a betrayal to humanity.
@jonathansparks3386
Жыл бұрын
That’s how the mob determined whether the car was acceptable or not on how many bodies you could stack up in the trunk
@MrGlenferd
Жыл бұрын
My brother in law bought one of thse. Had it for a long time. I think he atill has the plaque.
@tocarules
Жыл бұрын
The best thing about this land yacht was its ability to obfuscate those wonderful little rattles. Only this genre of car could convince the owner to accomplish acrobatics like hanging out the door at speed, or having a friend drive while you're hunkering down in the trunk locating that loose bolt thanks to the factory's QC Friday brigade. Only videos like this can slap you silly that not everything back then was butterflies and rainbows. However today is basically just snowflakes and rainbows.
@dadtype2339
Жыл бұрын
Hi Edward, Greetings from NC USA. I'd like to see what you would come up with, Plymouth Prowler. ❤ Love your Channel and always a thumbs up from me! Thanks.
@kdawg8292
9 ай бұрын
I have a 1/64 diecast model of this car, same color and wheels
@jkleylein
Жыл бұрын
Last of the Aircraft Carriers.
@AndrewDederer
Жыл бұрын
Ah, all those wonderful electronic gadgets, that stopped working somewhere short of 100K miles (probably near 70K). BUT, the car at least still runs, unlike say modern BMWs..
@ojbarberena7090
Жыл бұрын
Lol. That was a great review
@VAspeed3
Жыл бұрын
Good taste and the '70's really don't go together anywhere.
@adrianmonk4440
Жыл бұрын
HOW TRUE !!!
@alexmercer8042
Жыл бұрын
Well obviously. In the 70s you don't carry passengers in the rear seat. You carry them in the trunk. Duh. They even have velour to feel comfy. Not that they felt anything by that point
@NeurodivergentSuperiority
Жыл бұрын
The "rear seat"? It's called the sexy seat!
@vincedibona4687
Жыл бұрын
I am thoroughly enjoying the anti-PC language happening here. 🤣👍🏻😉
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