which to buy and old bird or new?

[Thunderdogs]

I'm turning 55 and want to buy a bird for the weekend or special
occasions. Have been shopping 62 thru 66 birds but have not
driven one. Want to know what year between 62 and 66 was
the best handeling? Love the chrome on the 62 & 63 , Love
the interior of 64-66. I love the 03 and 04 bird however they
are getting out of my price unless i get used.
Which car would be best to have in the garage? Houston Tx
p.s. I like a two seater however a backseat could be used
sometimes.

[Sam]

Honest answer????
GET A NEW ONE!!!!!:nono:
There aren't many shops anymore that know how to work on older cars, and you can't find anyone to rebuild, or set, a carberator!:puzzled: Heck, I haven't used that word in so long, I forgot how to spell it!:puzzled:
The '61-'63 cars were easier to work on than the '64-'66 cars, and they got worse after that!:sad:
When I had my 1967, (two years before I had my 1962), my girlfriends father, was a mechanic at the local Ford dealership, and he told me he'd rather work on three regular Fords, than ONE T-Bird!:sad:
They were a mechanics nightmare!:moreek: Vacume hoses out the ying yang, and AM-FM radios that weighed 75lbs!:moreek:
They're pretty, but by the time you buy a NEALLY nice one, paying cash for it, and paying for rare, hard to find parts, and looking for mechanics.
BUY A NEW ONE!:nono: Even if you have to finance part of it! You'll get a NEW car, with a warranty, with all the modern conveniences, safty features,(for your grandkids), etc!:biggrin:
And you know, I think the last I heard Freon was up to $46.00 a can?:puzzled:

[DMIR.T-Bird]

bpirtle,
I agree with Kevin. alkthough the engine and components doesn't intimidate me too much ( I used to love workin on my '77 with my dad); I think this new (mine's 02) car is so unique. i get treated by most people like I'm driving a classic (in some ways I am!); yet all the peace of mind and comfort of a modern cruiser.

I do plan to get a 77 again, but for the time, I am EXTATIC to have my 02. ( I like the folks on this website too.....Mountains of knowledge and experience....stick around, every so often the old cars and and "good 'ol times" come up)

One thing is for sure...Whichever you chose is bound to be a winner!
Regards,
Lee

[joelja]

In my opinion, a new one.

To answer the question best FOR YOU, drive an old one and then drive a new one.

What you will find is that the old one's drive much worse than you remember....sloppy steering with a huge steering wheel, imprecise braking, etc. For a fun weekend car, there is nothing like the new one , in my opinion.

Add tot hat the hassle for working on an old car and the potential breakdowns in the middle of nowhere as you take a leisurely weekend cruise, and the question answers itself, in my opinion.

I went throught he same question years ago. I love the 1957 TBird...drove a restored one...did not esjoy the way it drove.

Then I waited years and years for Ford to do what they finally did.

These are obviously just my opinions. i am not knocking the 1955-1966 Tbirds. On the contrary, I love the way they look and their style. They are just not for me, at this point.

[clifford]

I have owned my first real toy (third car rarely driven) for over 15 years.
It is a 69 DeVille convertible all original, which honestly got more looks and praise from other drivers than my 02 bird.
But as for as comfort, reliability, and safety you can’t beat a new bird.
No back seats have been a small draw back.

For sale 69 DeVille convertible all original
2nd owner, $ 5,500 or best offer

[MATBird]

I had a '56 BIRD for many years and when the new birds were announced back a few years ago I decided it was time for new ride.
I wanted latest in technology and mechanics but the 'retro' look. TBIRD did that for me and I haven't had a single regret.
Remember, that old iron needs a lot of attention the older it gets, so think long and hard.
Good luck

[DavidA]

The reliability of an old one is almost nil. The ride is, to put it mildly, like a boat on rolling waves. The new one has it all -- looks, power, ride, handling AND reliability. Get a new one. It's also under warranty where the old one will jsut cost you a fortune.:rolleyes: :puzzled:

[Bill Brown]

The 62 and 63 came in a roaster variant with a hard tonneau that converted 4 seats to 2 seats. This might help with one of your concerns.

[Brad]

Up until 6 months ago I used your model of having a daily driver and a summer "fun" car.

Life is short, buy the T-bird, and drive it everyday (think of the money you will save on insurance for multiple vehicles).

The hardtop makes it practical to drive in the winter (I drove it through a snowy chicago winter last year with no problems other than keeping the salt off).

If you need to haul lots of ppl, buy a mini-van and leave it parked on the street, I've got a wife and 3 young kids, and have never had any problems with driving a 2-seater, we never need more than one vehicle at a time to get everyone somewhere.

I've driven the bird 12,000 miles in 6 months, and I love it, my long commute is often the highlight of my busy day.

I bought mine new, but with what has happened with the value, I kind of wish I had waited and bought a slightly used one.

If you're not going to take my advice and drive it everyday, then it really doesn't matter whether you buy new or used, 20th or 21st century models, although investment wise an older one is the way to go. I think your decision should be based on how many miles you intend to drive the vehicle, and which car is gonna put a big smile on your face evertime you put the light on in the garage, and which one will make you later second guess your decision. Go with your heart on this one and never look back, you will be glad you did!

[Bill Brown]

Brad; Amen.

[Paul]

Jim:
Perfect way to express that funny feeling: "I don't know about this".
Guess that's what leads to what's called "buyers remorse".

That "I don't know about this" feeling was never there with this new Bird. After six months of ownership, I still get up some evenings and go to the garage just to look at the car sitting there.
Try and put a price on that!
Paul

[SteelCityTBirds]

Alright. I'll be the devil's advocate here and point out some good points about owning the old ones.:nuts: First off, you are right about the style of the 61-63's. In my heavily biased opinion, that is the best looking generation of Thunderbirds. They just look cool.

You mentioned that you liked the interiors of the 64-66's. I'm not as familiar with the differences in the interior between the two generations. I know the later has the "wrap-around" back seat but the 61-63's have all that aluminum and chrome.:thumbsup: Another thing with the interior, the new Birds are a bit tight inside if you are 6'2" or taller. I'm 6'4" and can barely drive my Mom's '02. Barely that is, it can be done.

Performance is a non-issue. Apples and oranges. The old T-Birds were not intended to be sporty. Although you can do a lot to imporve the handling - update the suspension (shocks, springs, beefier sway bars, better wheels/tires...blah, blah, blah...money, money, money). The 390FE in the 61-6?'s is a powerful engine. You can, with not that much $$$, get well over 400 HP out of a 390. You can also stroke it out to a 428. You can also do a front disk brake conversion fairly easily. But, be careful. You don't want to turn the car into something it's not. Do what you will but it will still weigh a ton (or two).

As far as reliability goes, we all know any car can break down at any time. Sure, an older car is more likely to have a problem but it isn't like you are going to by a '62 and leave from the guy's house and head out on a 500 mile roadtrip. You will know the condition of the car you buy and you will act accordingly.

Then there is the cost. You should be able to find a 61-63 convertible (not a Sports Roadster) from anywhere between $10-$20K. If you had to re-work the engine and paint you are still looking at around $25K worst case. Whatever else it needs can be done later on.

No mater what you decide to do, you will turn heads in any Thunderbird. I was at a cruse in last weekend with about 400 cars. 55-57 Chevys everywhere. Camaros by the dozens. Heards of Mustangs. THREE T-Birds - 1 '57 and 2 '62's. If you want a great weekend getaway car, go new. If you enjoy restoring a piece of art/history and want to cruise the hometown, go old. Either way, you will have a blast! :biggrin:

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[BirdsAndBugs]

My wife and I considered both the old Thunderbirds as well as the new Thunderbirds in our purchase decision too. For us, the new T-Bird made the most sense even though we love vintage automobiles.

I'm 39 and I've been extremely active in the restoration and showing of some beautiful classic cars since I was first able to afford to do so about 5 years ago. Since that time, I owned/restored a 1969 Beetle (still have it), a 1963 Beetle that was one of the "Herbie the Love Bug" movie cars, and a vintage 1925 Ford Model T Runabout Roadster. This past spring I was starting to get a little bored with the car show scene and just wanted to spend more time enjoying the cars rather than just maintaining them. As a result I sold Herbie and the Model T. As I was contemplating another "special" car to satisfy my automotive interests, I decided this time I wanted a car that my wife could enjoy and be comfortable driving as well. That meant an automatic transmission and not too large a vehicle. We both loved and were interested in the Thunderbirds but only the 55-57 models really filled the requirements we had set. I liked the 60-66 models real well too but my wife would not have been comfortable driving that large a car. However when we started pricing them out, good quality restored 55-57 model T-Birds were selling for $40,000 or more and even rough examples were in the low $20,000 range. Then in April we were at a local classic car show. One of the Ford dealers had a Desert Sky blue T-Bird as well as some other new cars on display as well. It was the first opportunity I had to really check out the car up close and I was hooked.

I thought about it for a month and decided to go for the new one. It was a beautiful car that was very reminiscent of the original baby T-Birds. The fact that it is a modern car was a big selling point for us too as we wanted to be able to take more out of town road trips which can at times be a scary proposition in a vintage vehicle due to the lack of available parts and service. With the new Thunderbird, parts and service were as close as any Ford dealer.

I'm happy with my choice on the new 2003 Thunderbird. I also know a gentleman who owns a 1955 Thunderbird who absolutely loves his car and takes it around to the various classic car shows in Arizona, Nevada, and California. It's a personal choice really, but one you'll probably enjoy no matter which way you go.
:thumbsup:

[brd4jk]

i was going to buy an old tbird but ..........didnt find one that didnt need alot of work done; so when i was lucky to find raven (the color and interior that i wanted) that someone canceled i jump to the chance.......... dont regret it at all.

the drive of the new one with the ride ac etc............and get the looks with it ..........

GO FOR THE NEW ONE :pbj: :pbj: :pbj:

[BirdsAndBugs]

There are plenty of nice T-Birds out there, but they aren't cheap. The best bet in my opinion, regardless of model year, is a clean well-maintained lower mileage original or an older restoration (5-10 year old resto with a few minor scratches or rock chips but still in great shape overall). They don't get the top dollar that a recent show quality restoration would and often I've found it's cheaper to buy a completed car than it is to restore one on your own.

My recent 1925 Ford Model T was a perfect example. I bought it for $6,500 on eBay, enjoyed it for a while, then sold it for $7,000. The nice thing was that I was able to immediately drive and enjoy it and it would have been near impossible to restore one myself for that low of an investment.

[taflocks]

buy a new one. i have a 55 and it's a pain in the ass hard to get into hard to put up the soft top only starts when she wants to and hardly ever when she is hot.......my 02 starts everytime and i fit in it!