1962 Ford Thunderbird

1962 Ford Thunderbird Custom Roadster Cars have long been used as the canvas for art. The most famous transformations were done by George Barris and Hollywood, but thousands of artisans have taken many cars to the level of show car only, meaning they are so special, so outlandish, so modified, that street driving becomes impossible or even somewhat illegal. Art cars, SEMA displays, prototypes and others are destined to a life on stage and in enclosed trailers being taken, rather than driven to shows. And we're glad they exist! For consignment, one of the wildest rides we've had at Classic Auto Mall, and we've had a Flintstone car so you know that's saying something! A highly aesthetically modified 1962 Ford Thunderbirds that is still recognizable as a Thunderbird, but is a long, long way from its original configuration. It's won numerous Best of Show awards and that's no surprise. Let's get into it... Exterior The smooth lines and glass like finish of this car are striking. The high quality paint is deep and aptly named Antifreeze Green Metallic. And like antifreeze, it does have a glow to it. Every inch of the car has been customized in some way including the front where the busy grille of the original has been cleaned up and the hood edge straightened to form a brow over the headlights. But there's enough here to recognize its origins. Gone are the metal trim pieces riding the top of the fender next to the hood. Everything has been melded in a continuous flow of green and no emblems or trim remains. The formerly round side mirror has been replaced with a body matching angular piece, and the door handles have been shaved. More smoothness has been brought to the taillights which are flat, solid red circles that appear to have a bullet protruding. The car is bumperless, but a spare wheel housing craftily carved into the trunk adds some texture. The wild roof, probably the most dramatic feature of the car, is a flowing stretch of plexiglass supported by a handmade stainless steel frame. This bubble top, which hints of the 60's Batmobile, is removable per the consignor. The roof is open over the body-colored fairings. Rat rod style turbine hubcaps continue the drama and the rears are partially covered with a fender skirts. We note one paint bubble near a body line as the only imperfection. Interior Fixed, fin shaped windows top metal paneled doors that match the body color. A swooping ivory design in leatherette accents the door. The bucket seats are decked out in ivory leather with matching green alligator patterned leather. The steering wheel is an amazing crescent design unlike anything we've seen and at its center is a large chrome jewel. The gauge pod is a stand alone lance shaped sculpture with green snakeskin patterned backing and housing two Dolphin gauges, white faced and red needled. The metal dash spills a center console which waterfalls with a series of metal rods that bend and flow past the seats in the center. This is pure show, there are no buttons, switches, cup holders or anything else on the console. It's simply a work of art. Low pile green carpet covers the floor where we find pedals that have unique metal plates with designs embossed within them. Drivetrain The block and valve covers are painted bright red and the engine bay is very clean. It's where we find a 390ci V8 topped by a 4-barrel carburetor and connected to a Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission. Power is met in the rear where a Ford 9 exists with 3.00 gears. Power drum brakes are supplied front and rear. Undercarriage Essentially driver quality underneath with areas of surface rust, some oil on the rear diff, and some general road grimes. We note two areas of previous patching on the rear unibody. Dual exhaust leaves the engine independently then enters two MagnaFlow mufflers and dumps just before the rear axle under the car. Coil springs are found in the front independent susp