This 1966 Ford Thunderbird was ordered new via Taiwan Motor Company Ltd. by a US Army major who was stationed in Asia at the time. The car was assembled in the Wixom, Michigan plant on September 14, 1965 before being delivered to Lucas Motor Sales of Burlington, New Jersey, where the major took delivery of the car upon his stateside return. Work by the second owner in 2008 consisted of stripping the exterior and refinishing the car…
This 1966 Ford Thunderbird was ordered new via Taiwan Motor Company Ltd. by a US Army major who was stationed in Asia at the time. The car was assembled in the Wixom, Michigan plant on September 14, 1965 before being delivered to Lucas Motor Sales of Burlington, New Jersey, where the major took delivery of the car upon his stateside return. Work by the second owner in 2008 consisted of stripping the exterior and refinishing the car in its factory-delivered Arcadian Blue, while the white and blue interior was redone. Power comes from a 428ci Q-code V8 paired with a three-speed C6 automatic transmission, and additional equipment includes a powered white convertible top, hubcaps, an AM/FM stereo, and R134a air conditioning. The current owner acquired the car in 2014.
The car was delivered new in Arcadian Blue (F), and in 2008 the exterior was stripped for refinishing. Features include a powered white soft top, chrome-finished trim, rear fender skirts, and an added passenger-side mirror.
Black-finished steel wheels wear Thunderbird-branded hubcaps with red center emblems and were mounted with whitewall tires in 2012. A spare is mounted in the trunk, and a 1⅛” sway bar has been installed. The front brake hoses were replaced approximately eight years ago.
The car received a blue and white pearl vinyl interior with Selectaire air conditioning and a powered driver seat from the factory. The cabin was redone in 2008 with replacement seat foam, front and rear upholstery, carpeting, door panels, and rear trim panels. The floor of the car was stripped at that time and coated with a Lizard Skin liner before being further insulated with FatMat material. An AM/FM stereo with iPod connectivity has been mounted in the factory location, and the air-conditioning system has been converted to use R134a refrigerant.
A two-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of instrumentation that includes a horizontal 120-mph speedometer and four rectangular auxiliary gauges in spherical housings. The five-digit odometer shows just under 77k miles.
The 428ci Q-code V8 was rated at 345 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 462 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm when new. The four-barrel carburetor wears a Ford-stamped tag, and other features include an MSD ignition system, an Edelbrock water pump, a chrome-finished air-cleaner cover and valve covers, ceramic-coated shorty headers, and MagnaFlow mufflers. Work in 2013 and 2014 is said to have included rebuilding the carburetor and replacing the battery, fuel tank, fuel-sending unit, fuel filter, and rear axle shafts.
Power is delivered rearward through a three-speed C6 automatic transmission.