Value of a custom 64 tbird?

ak7an

ak7an

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Joined
Aug 3, 2019
Thunderbird Year
1964
Hi,
New member here, name is Ed and I live in Central Utah. I am looking for some input from Tbird owners.
I am looking at a 1964 Hardtop, it has gone thru a total restore within the last 5 years. It is in no way an original car. I will start with the engine and trans. Engine is a 351 W, stroked, MSD ignition, and MSD Atomic EFI, aluminum intake, headers, chrome alt and valve covers.. really looks top notch and runs awesome. Trans is an AOD modded with additional clutching and shift kit, shifts are quick and solid.
Exterior is in Metallic Ice Blue and is a top notch job, has a few little paint scratches, but overall looks really great. The lettered THUNDERBIRD has been removed from the front of the hood, thunderbird insignia on the front fenders right above the feathers.
Interior is where a lot of customizing has been done, 10 way power seats from a Lincoln, late 70's Early 80's Steering wheel, auto shifter built in to the console (looks like it was done form the factory), and a total interior redo with gray leather on the front seat, that have cloth centers on the seating and center of the seatbacks, rear seats are the same style with hi grade gray vinyl, with the cloth centers in the seating and seatbacks. The AC is a Vintage air kit that has not been finished, needs hoses and a drier. This car is a real eye catcher and runs and drives very well.. It has a few little issues that need attention. The only Gauge that functions is the Alt meter, so I suspect that the CVR needs replaced for the other 3.
The information that I am getting from the broker, is that it was a 80K restoration and customization. It does have Pictures documenting the job, car was totally disassembled and restored..
Oh almost forgot. it has power disc brakes with the dual master cylinder. Stops very smoothly and the brakes function with authority.

My question is to the value. I know that not being original takes away the collector value. So how does one put a value on a Custom like this one.. I can probably get it for 20K, since the owner is wanting to liquidate this one..
Input??
Thanks
Ed
 

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Updated your subject to summarize your post.
 
Wow!! That is a tough one. I know Convertibles go for a lot more then Hardtops. You said it has a solid frame and the Engine and Transmission are all redone. The interior has been modified, but that can be a plus with the extra options of power seats and upgraded amenities. I guess you have to take into consideration that the car is dependable to drive. 20K would be the most in Maryland Market I would go for a hardtop. Ask if you can have one of your trust worthy Mechanics look it over. I have seen a lot of beautiful cars on the surface but underneath nothing but issues. I have a few red flags with instrumentation not working correctly and AC not up to snuff. 80k could be a salesmen lingo. Let me sleep on this issue. There are a lot of knowledgeable Thunderbird enthusiast on this forum that might have a better concept of your issue. They have helped me out considerably. Good Luck ,Dan (Forest Hill, Md)
 
I have looked at many resto mod’s as this car would qualify to be called. Possibly pro touring if it drives more like a modern car. However very seldom do you see a pro touring or resto mod break 40K. They have to be really special and on the caliber of a 69 Camaro, Shelby 68 Mustang etc. 64 Thunderbird coupes no matter how much money they threw at it will probably never break 30K. The real question is what does the owner want for it. If you really love the car then I would suppose somewhere in theLow 20s would be my guess. And That’s high as you can buy a really nice 64 coupe that’s original and low miles for under 20K. Good luck.
 
Maybe $15-20K tops. Someone invested way too much money in this car and no way should they get it back out. And, $15-20K is only if you really really gotta have it, realizing it'll have undisclosed issues that'll cost you to fix.
 
Thanks for all the good info... Actually the broker is going to haul it to my trusted mechanic this week so he can give it a good look over. I thought that was standing tall on the brokers's part. My mechanic is about an hour from their location.

Thats right at where I was.. 15-20 K, depending on what my mechanic reports about it. I know there will be things that will need fixing, but to me thats all part of the experience.. :D..
Thanks again
Ed
BTW it has the KW wire wheels which look new..
 
There is another tbird on that site for $13K and that's more like it. The one you're interested in has been modified to the point a "purist" wouldn't be interested in it. You could spend more on it but will not be able to get it back out if you resell.
 
I fully understand that a "purist" would not want that car.. Thats precisely why I am seeking advice from people in the know. What I am not interested in is a car that needs way more work than I want to do. I don't mind fixing and wrenching on little issues, not doing a lot of restoration work, or rebuilding an engine or transmission. Also know full well that buying any vintage or classic car is not a money making process.. :p:D
 
Then with the car you're looking at, the quality of the components used and the work done will be the decider re: whether more wrenching will be required. Will be difficult for a mechanic new to the car to get a grip on. I suspect you'll be upside down from the get go. Again, $12-13K looks like the ceiling to me. Please send updates!
 
On the plus side, the 351W is a good small block engine and probably weighs 100 lbs less than the 390. And the AOD should reduce the revs when cruising to a more acceptable level compared to the stock cruise-o-matic.
 
After my recent experiences, I would say that I agree with Doug, the ceiling looks like 12-13k. I mean the is beautiful, I love most of it -- and that is the thing - what is worth to you? Do you like all the lincoln badges here and there? What about that limited edition badge -- could be stuck really good on there lol -- seriously, this guy should have just bought a lincoln mark and called it a day - it reminds me of my dad's old friend who had marks, last one I saw of his was an 89 or so Mark VII - it was a cool car. However, this thunderbird is not a mark and while it is a restomod it is modded WAY out there. If you love the changes, work it out - if not - continue to look. As others have pointed out the could be a mechanics nightmare. So many things that could go wrong with the stuff.
Hindsight and all, but I wish I would have waited and had my pick as you can. My car was/is hacked up a bit/lot so I am going to restomod it, but not to this extent. I cannot say that I hate the gear shift and column...eliminates our column issues and I could see a T5 in my future lol. Good luck, just make sure to have a mechanic, a good one - and maybe a body shop look it over REALLY good.
 
s1nemesis1s said:
I cannot say that I hate the gear shift and column...eliminates our column issues and I could see a T5 in my future lol. Good luck, just make sure to have a mechanic, a good one - and maybe a body shop look it over REALLY good.
Click to expand...

With this said, thinking more on it...will the dude share the part info so we can convert our columns over:) Or if you get the car, can you take a bunch of pictures for us? I would love a lincoln column in my car from the 70s or 80s - and that T5 sounds good :) Would love to have some close-up shots of the shifter.
 
s1nemesis1s said:
With this said, thinking more on it...will the dude share the part info so we can convert our columns over:) Or if you get the car, can you take a bunch of pictures for us? I would love a lincoln column in my car from the 70s or 80s - and that T5 sounds good :) Would love to have some close-up shots of the shifter.
Click to expand...

If I am able to pull this off, I can take pictures of the shifter conversion..
Take care
Ed
 
The interior of that car just looks so wrong. God that wheel is awful. Whoever though that should be in there over the original one needs their head examined. Aside from the interior (which just looks completely out of place)the outside looks really good. Seems like a a lot of work for that 351 to push that big car down the road.
 
I agree, mid teens is as far as I would go. Hood lettering removed, 65 grille, 65 rear emblem, interior? I don’t even know what to say about all that. The 65 in my picture couldn’t get out of my garage fast enough for that kind of money. I think it’s one of those cars that will take that right person that has to have it at all cost, unfortunately at the time for it to move on you may be the only person who feels that way. It looks like one that had been on eBay recently and never got anywhere near that price
 
The 351W develops max torque at low rpms. I have one in my Galaxie which weighs just a few hundred pounds less than a Flair bird, but has better throttle response and acceleration.
 
Well I think that is a very nice looking car. The wheel is from a 66 T Bird that had cruise control. He probably modified it and put that cruise control in there from what I see on the consul. Love the floor shifter, too bad ford didn’t think about that. As far as the money it’s whatever someone is willing to pay I guess for a car like that. Looks pretty nice though to me
 
That’s not a 66 cruise wheel, that’s 70s maybe 80s. It’s similar to the wheel in our 76 but that had a t bird emblem in the center. That appears to have been harvested from a late model ford possibly truck line as it’s just the ford emblem. The buttons design and script is similar to what is in my 80 but again there is a thunderbird emblem in the center. I was curious as to what was done with the swing away mechanics or was this just solid mounted.
 
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