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1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe - Last 22 Years In Garage on 2040-cars

Year:1983 Mileage:76418 Color: Black /
 Charcoal
Location:

Saint Charles, Illinois, United States

Saint Charles, Illinois, United States
Transmission:5-speed manual
Engine:Turbocharged 2.3 litre 4
Vehicle Title:Clear
VIN: 1FABP46W1DH122371 Year: 1983
Exterior Color: Black
Make: Ford
Interior Color: Charcoal
Model: Thunderbird
Trim: Turbo Coupe
Warranty: As is
Drive Type: RWD
Options: Cassette Player
Mileage: 76,418
Safety Features: Driver Airbag
Sub Model: Turbo Coupe
Power Options: Cruise Control
Condition: UsedA vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Seller Notes:"This car has been sitting in a garage for 22 years. It has not been started since 1991, when it ran well, but was parked after springing a coolant leak that I didn't get around to fixing. It suffered hail damage in 1986 that was repaired, but couple of dimples have reappeared. The engine was replaced at 53,146 miles with a factory remanufactured engine after the head gasket failed in the original. The tires are nearly 25 years old, and not safe to drive on."

This car was one of the first Turbo Coupes to be on the road.  The 1983 Thunderbird, with it's very aerodynamic body caught people's eyes.  Halfway into the model year, the Turbo Coupe grabbed their attention with it's turbo-charged motor, 5-speed manual transmission, and limited-slip differential.  All Thunderbirds were nice riding cars.  The Turbo Coupes were nice driving cars.

I bought this car new in Dallas, TX on May 26, 1983.  It is from the very first production run of Turbo Coupes.
Like most of those first Turbo Coupes, it sit and draw traffic into the dealer's showroom.  I blew the plan apart.  I was getting my car fixed when  the Turbo Coupe arrived in a shipment of new cars.  I asked for a test drive before they got it off the truck, and we took a very entertaining ride in the un-prepped bird.  I bought the car on the spot.  Unfortunately, the owner didn't take kindly to losing his traffic draw and fired the salesman.

I couldn't part with the T-bird when I bought my next car.   When it sprang a coolant leak, I parked up against the wall in my garage, meaning to fix it.  It sat there 22 years.  Now we need to move and I can't take it with me.

Warning: This car hasn't been started in 22 years. Please don't try to start it without taking the appropriate steps.

Notes:

I blew the head gasket after 56,000 miles. Instead of replacing the gasket, I replaced the engine with a factory rebuilt.
The car was in a hailstorm in 1996. The damage was repaired, but a couple of dimples reappeared.
The paint on the passenger side of the trunklid is damaged. The rest looks pretty good, especially for a 30 year old car.
The tires are nearly 25 years old. You will not want to try driving on them. 

Fun note: I tried the inflatable lumbar support on the passenger seat and it works.  Didn't try the driver's side.
It still has the original space-saver spare, but I don't know if it will hold air after all these years.
Car includes the original owner's manual.



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Ford announces bevy of recalls, 2 of which are recalls on recalls

Tue, 04 Nov 2014



Ford has announced five separate recalls, affecting 202,000 vehicles built between 2005 and 2014.
It's not been a great couple of weeks for Ford. On October 30, the company announced a 205,000-unit recall, and yesterday, it was revealed that the Ford brand's year-over-year sales were down over 5,000 units while the company itself was down 3,000 units over through October. Now, the company has announced five separate recalls affecting 202,000 vehicles built between 2005 and 2014.

Ford fixing 130k vehicles in three recalls

Wed, Oct 28 2015

Ford is issuing three new safety campaigns that cover a total of 130,801 vehicles in North America, but the company has no reports of accidents, injuries, or fires from any of these issues. The largest of these campaigns covers 128,823 examples of the 2009-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX that are currently registered or originally sold in rust-prone areas of North America, including 110,636 in the US. On these crossovers, "corrosion under the reinforcement brackets where the fuel tank is mounted" can potentially result in a fuel leak. To fix the issue, dealers will inspect the tank and will repair or replace it as necessary. The affected locations are: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin; and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Ford is also recalling 1,906 North American examples of the 2016 Mustang, including 1,900 in the US, because of possible damage to some components during shipping to the factory. On the affected pony cars, "dealers will replace front and rear seat belt assemblies, rear seat buckle assemblies, and child tethers," the company says in its statement. Finally, the smallest campaign is for 72 units of the 2016 Ford E-Series cutaway and chassis cab in North America, including 65 in the US. On these, the trailer brakes don't activate when pressing the brake pedal, and dealers need to update the powertrain control module software. Related Video: FORD ISSUES TWO SAFETY RECALLS AND ONE SAFETY COMPLIANCE RECALL IN NORTH AMERICA DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 28, 2015 – Ford Motor Company is issuing two safety recalls and one safety compliance recall in North America. Ford is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to these conditions. Details are as follows: Ford Motor Company issues safety recall for certain 2009-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles in North America for potential fuel tank issue Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety recall for approximately 129,000 2009-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles in corrosion states and provinces in North America for possible corrosion under the reinforcement brackets where the fuel tank is mounted to the vehicle.

Ford and GM link bonus checks to quality scores

Tue, 29 Apr 2014

The poor first quarter earnings of Ford and General Motors are having an effect all the way up the food chain. Both automakers struggled with recalls in the first three months of the year, and, according to The Detroit News, they have responded by increasing the percentage of bonuses tied to vehicle quality for salaried workers, including top executives.
GM announced that 25 percent of bonuses (up from 10 percent) for all salaried workers would be tied to its vehicle quality standards. The automaker revealed in its financial report that it spent $1.3 billion on recall-related repairs in the first quarter, and net income was down 86 percent.
Ford also increased the quality proportion of bonuses for about 26,000 salaried workers all the way up to CEO Alan Mulally from 10 percent to 20 percent. The company announced in its report that the amount paid out in warranty and recall claims was about $400 million higher than expected in the first quarter. Its net income fell 39 percent from the previous year. "The change reflects how critical quality is to our overall business," said spokesperson Todd Nissen speaking to Autoblog.