Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

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
Advertising:
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.



Auto Services in Illinois

World Class Motor Cars ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers
Address: 1245 Ogden Ave, Warrenville
Phone: (630) 493-1600

Wilkins Hyundai-Mazda ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers
Address: 750 N York St, Elmhurst
Phone: (630) 279-3000

Unibody ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 1891 N Milwaukee Ave, Brookfield
Phone: (773) 235-1334

Turpin Chevrolet Inc ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers
Address: 1048 S Chicago St, Orion
Phone: (309) 944-2173

Tuffy Auto Service Centers ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair
Address: 6574 E Riverside Blvd, Garden-Prairie
Phone: (815) 639-1239

Triple T Car Wash Lube & Detail Center ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Car Wash, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 1905 W Bradley Ave, Champaign
Phone: (217) 352-9200

Auto blog

eBay Find of the Day: 25-station video gaming trailer w/ bonus Ford F-250

Fri, Nov 28 2014

Why, you might be asking yourself, is Autoblog showing me an eBay Motors listing for a 2006 Ford F-250 and a box trailer (with a badly cropped photo to boot)? It's not because we're highly interested in this blue-collar rig, to be sure, but rather because we're interested in throwing the greatest Forza party of all time. Housed in that innocuous white 26-foot trailer is a gamer's delight, with 25 Xbox 360 systems connected up to 25 high-definition monitors and 24 headsets to keep everyone locked into the action (one of the stations is outside the trailer). When connected up to one of two included generators, the setup allows for two-dozen combatants to square off, back-to-back and head-to-head. Sure, the Buy It Now price of $79,000 seems steep considering the trailer will need about ten grand worth of Xbox One or Playstation 4 upgrades in the near future. But that doesn't mean you couldn't squeeze out a few more years of massive multiplayer fun. Check out the listing here, and do let us know if you buy it, we'd love to come over and game. Featured Gallery Video Game Trailer: eBay Find of the Day News Source: eBay Motors Toys/Games Ford Auctions forza motorsport xbox xbox 360 ford f-250 autoblog black

24 Hours of Le Mans live update part two

Sun, Jun 19 2016

We tasked surfing journalist Rory Parker to watch this year's live stream of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. What follows is an experiment to experience the world's greatest endurance race from the perspective of a motorsports novice. Parker lives in Hawaii and can hold his breath longer than he can go without swearing. For Part One, click here. Or you can skip ahead to Part Three here. I write about surfing for a living. If you can call it a living. Basically means I spend my days fucking around and my wife pays for everything. Because she's got a real job that pays well. Brings home the bacon. Very progressive arrangement. Super twenty first century. I run a surf website, beachgrit.com, with two other guys. It's a strange gig. More or less uncensored. Kind of popular. Very good at alienating advertisers. My behavior has cost us a few bucks. I'm terrible at self-censorship. Know there's a line out there, no idea where it lies. I still don't understand any of the technical side. Might as well be astrophysics or something. For contests I do long rambling write ups. They rarely make much sense. Mainly just talk about my life, whatever random thoughts pop into my head. "Can you do something similar for Le Mans?" "Sure, but I know absolutely fuck-all about racing." "That's okay. Just write what you want." "Will do. But you're gonna need to edit my stuff. Probably censor it heavily." So here I am. I spent the last week trying to learn all I can about the sport of endurance racing. But there's only so much you can jam in your head. And I still don't understand any of the technical side. Might as well be astrophysics or something. While I rambled things were happening. Tracy Krohn spun into the gravel on the Forza chicane. #89 is out of the race after an accident I missed. Pegasus racing hit the wall on the Porsche curves. Bashed up front end, in the garage getting fixed. Toyota and Porsche are swapping back and forth in the front three. Ford back in the lead in GTE Pro. #91 Porsche took a stone through the radiator, down two laps. Not good. The wife and I are one of those weird childless couples that spend way too much time caring for the needs of their pet. French bulldog, Mr Eugene Victor Debs. Great little guy. Spent the last four years training him to be obedient and friendly. Nice thing about dogs, when you're sick of dealing with them you can just lock 'em in another room for a few hours. You don't need to worry about paying for college.

Weekly Recap: Ford GT inspires guitar, foosball table, sailboat

Sat, Apr 18 2015

Ford design vice president Moray Callum had just wrapped up a briefing on the interior of the Ford GT last month, but something seemed out of place. He grinned and pointed behind him, "You might be wondering why I have a boat behind me," he said mischievously. It was there because Ford set its designers on a mission to stretch and showcase their talents: design non-automotive objects inspired by the interior of the GT supercar. Callum received quite a response, too. His team produced a guitar, a foosball table (yeah bro!), a racing sailboat, a Wi-Fi speaker and some furniture. As the veteran design chief explained, "It's a really great exercise both to highlight our designers' talents, but also to really see how our design philosophy can work and how you can use it and get a common response back from a worldwide design team." Guitar View 25 Photos The objects have been on display this week at the Salone del Mobile furniture and fashion design fair in Milan, Italy, where Ford has had a presence for three years. There's also a light exhibition that apparently was inspired by the GT, as well. While this might seem a little far-fetched for the automaker, Ford said exhibitions like the Salone del Mobile give its designers another way to be creative and ultimately produce striking interior style. Ford wants this to be a differentiator, as research shows consumers are placing emphasis on the layout and features inside when they're making a decision about buying a new car. It's a little light hearted – but it's also potentially big business. Other News & Notes Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for Buick General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said the Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for a large Buick, though "not yet," Automotive News reported. The underpinnings can accommodate rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and would give Buick the large flagship it lacks. The report jibes with comments Reuss made at a roundtable with Autoblog and other reporters at the New York Auto Show. When asked if Buick had space for a large car on the CT6 chassis, he replied, "Yeah, I think it does. Yeah, I think we do." Buick has revamped its lineup in recent years with attractive crossovers and small and midsize sedans, but hasn't added the proverbial flagship that's yearned for by enthusiasts. Buick surprised industry observers with the stylish Avenir concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year that raised the possibility of a halo sedan.