1964 Ford Z Code Thunderbird

1964 Ford Z Code Thunderbird

After the Bullet Bird came the Flair Bird in the Ford Thunderbird lineage. What we have here at MotoeXotica Classic Cars is a rare Z-code Thunderbird, with the 390 CID V-8 engine from Jasper Engines that has about 650 miles on it since built and this car was owned by the same owner since 1981!

Built in Ford's Wixom, Michigan's factory on March 9, 1964, (VIN code 09C) this car was delivered to the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area (DSO code 71). It is dressed in Brittany Blue Metallic (code Q). The paint and trim are in overall excellent condition, the body is straight and solid, the car's glass panels are clear and crack-free and the car's lights look great.

The engine bay is extremely tidy, the chrome front and massive chrome rear ring bumpers look fantastic. This Bird rolls on Cordovan Radial CR-40 steel belted radials, size 225/75R15 at all four corners. Each tire is mounted to a steel wheel topped with a factory wheel cover. The tires and wheel covers are in very good order.

Under that hood with the power dome is a Jasper build of Ford's 390 CID V-8 engine (VIN code Z) with about 650 miles on it, a 10.1:1 compression ratio and it breathes via dual exhausts. Backing up this motor is Ford's Cruise-O-Matic MX three-speed automatic transmission (code 4) and 3.00:1 rear end (code 1). Driver convenience features include sideview remote mirror, power steering, power brakes and power windows and air conditioning. New parts include the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel filter and rebuilt carburetor, brakes, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, shoes and turned drums. The car also has a new water pump, heater core and thermostat, along with a recent oil change, new oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, new drive belts, hoses and coolant.

Inside, the car's blue vinyl interior (code 52) is in overall excellent condition. The car has a new, white headliner and new carpet. The front bucket seats and rear demi-buckets are in overall very good order. There's a small blemish visible at the top of the driver's side seatback. The original, "Swing-Away" two-spoke steering wheel is present. The wheel, interior door panels and dashboard are all in similar, excellent order but the rear windows are inoperable. The brushed aluminum center console looks great and a factory pushbutton AM radio rounds out the interior.

The fourth generation of the Ford Thunderbird was a large personal luxury car produced by Ford. This generation of the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off, "formal" look, which was mostly evident when viewing the car from the side or rear. Hinting at its roots in the previous generation Thunderbird that it evolved from, the new model retained a similar grille design with quad headlights and a 113.2-inch wheelbase. As before, the new Thunderbird continued to be offered in hardtop, convertible and Landau versions.

The Thunderbird's sporty image had by that time become only that: the standard 390-cubic-inch V-8 engine needed nearly 11 seconds to push the heavy T-bird to 60 mph. The softly sprung suspension allowed considerable body lean, wallow and float on curves and bumps.

The revised model was initially offered as a hardtop, convertible, Sports Roadster with dealer-installed tonneau cover and wire wheels, and Landau with vinyl roof, simulated landau irons and wood grain interior appointments. Total 1964 sales were excellent: 92,465, up nearly 50 percent from the previous year but with only 50 Sports Roadster kits were sold from the factory. The 1964 Thunderbird was the only car of this generation to have the word 'Thunderbird' spelled out on the front hood instead of a chrome Thunderbird emblem.

Competition to this Thunderbird in 1964 included other founding members of the personal luxury class - Buick's Riviera and Pontiac's Grand Prix.

Documentation includes two copies of the original owner's manual, an original copy of the 1964 Ford Shop Manual and the car's original build sheet plus assorted other documents.

If you remember seeing these Flair Birds when you were young, this is an opportunity to own the car you liked all those years ago. If you're a Ford or Thunderbird collector, you should make a point to check this car out. If you simply seek a timeless classic car that will ferry you, the missus and the grandkids to the local ice cream parlor or to spend a day cruising in, this is the car for you. All of you should stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today!

VIN: 4Y83Z160070

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 71,815 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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