1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
The name was not among the thousands proposed, including rejected options such as Apache, the original name of the P-51 Mustang, Falcon, owned by Chrysler at the time, Eagle, Tropicale, Hawaiian, and Thunderbolt. A Ford stylist who had lived in the southwest submitted the Thunderbird name. The word "thunderbird" is a reference to a legendary creature for North American indigenous people. It is considered a supernatural bird of power and strength. Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California also lays claim to being the inspiration for the name of the car. Ernest Breech, a Thunderbird Country Club member, who was the chairman of Ford Motor Company was supposedly deeply involved in the creation of the Thunderbird. Breech asked the Club's permission to name the new model after the Club and the club consented to the use of the name.
For consignment, we offer this nearly perfect, low mileage, 2012 Thunderbird Nationals 1st Place Touring, 2013 AACA Nationals 1st place, 2015 AACA National Sr, 2016 AACA Grand National 1st Sr, and AACA Presentation Award winner that is from a final year of the Fox chassis Thunderbird design. In fact, the redesign was a 2 year only grand hurrah for 1987 and 1988 before the Thunderbird and it's Cougar sibling were moved to the somewhat bloated MN-12 platform. This extremely well documented car, (including every invoice back to when it was new, all dealership paperwork, the original window sticker, has been lovingly cared for by only 2 enthusiast owners, with the first owner holding the title from 1988 until 2022. With a mere 60,287 title verified miles clocked on the odometer and no accidents or history of paintwork on the body, this car is a sure fire time capsule ready to stun the crowds nearly everywhere it goes.
NOTE: Due to varying emissions control devices being removed, please check with your state, county, local or provincial motor vehicle department to verify the ability to legally register this vehicle in your area.
Exterior
Looking like it was just dipped in Medium Gray Metallic, this pristine exterior paint has very few if any faults in the factory applied miles deep finish. The only chrome on this car are the badges, and they are shining brightly. This nicely executed fox bodied design has integrated European inspired headlights, all black trim, dual hood scoops, and a red stripe within the black body side moldings that works its way around the total circumference of the car mid doorline. We certainly cannot forget the twin NACA style scooped hood to feed fresh air to the top mount intercooled for this turbo fyler. A sunroof is noted as are lightly tinted windows and snowflake polished 16-inch aluminum snowflake wheels are seen on all 4 corners. This is a stunning 60,287 mile car exterior-wise and it is hard to find fault!
Interior
Dark charcoal and light gray Raven Soft leather covers the front power bucket seats and rear bench seating complete with a cushy fold down armrest. One needs to look very closely to see any wear or faults in the leather beyond the normal entrance and exit wear on the bolsters. The very same holds true for the carpeting which is flooding the floor and presents very black and very clean. A black console speeds up the center between the buckets and houses the power buttons and toggles for the driver's and passenger's power seat, power windows, and mirrors as well as a stylized leather wrapped shifter. Moving forward and upward we note a System Sentry warning light panel, climate controls, and then the killer factory AM/FM/Cassette stereo with a factory equalizer. The gauge cluster, ride controls, fuel octane mode, exterior lighting, and headlight sentinel sit behind an original very nicely preserved steering wheel. The headliner is nice and tight and shows near perfect as it surrounds the sunroof and the louvered sunroof shade which is intact, a rarity in and of itself. The door panels are near showroom and house the power locks for the doors.
Drivetrain
Sitting proudly in the engine bay, and not to be outshined by the exterior and interior, is the original 2.3ci 4-cylinder EFI engine with intercooler a turbo, putting out a cool 150hp. This mill has been freshly serviced and has had an oil change with Mobil 1 synthetic oil so it's all ready for the new owner. An A4LD 4-speed automatic transmission is attached to the back, and works flawlessly sending power back to the Ford 8.8" rear axle weighing in with a 3.73 ratio and TracLoc capability.
Undercarriage
To sum it up in a word, I'll use original. Nary a hint of any rust or structural issues, and we can also note a 4-link suspension in the rear, and an independent coil spring front suspension. Our consignor notes that the Programmed Ride Control shocks and struts have been replaced with gas shocks and struts, but the 4 originals are included. Of these 4, the front struts are still operational, but the rears need to be rebuilt. A ton of time and effort was put into getting the ride height and stance "just right", and I'd say our consignor hit the mark perfectly! Power disc brakes are all around, and they are controlled by a Teves-2 antilock brake system. A single exhaust system splits to dual mufflers to create a melodious tune but we must note that the catalytic converter has been removed in favor of a straight pipe.
Drive-Ability
This car fired right up and floated like a butterfly to the test track where it stung like a bee. Plenty of power from the 2.3 liters, especially under boost, the 4-speed shifted easily and smoothly, and offered up a low RPM highway cruise. The interior was comfortable and roomy, and all functions were working just fabulously save for the power locks only locking and unlocking from the passenger's door control.
Sitting in this car is like going back in time, and one can reminisce about the good old classic 80's in this very well kept, very nice, example of the 1988 Bird. Loaded with conveniences, mighty powerful and ready to compete with the European sport coupes and sedans of the day, this Fox chassis based bird is worth a look, just hang on tight once the boost comes in!
1FABP64TXJH148368
1FA-Ford Passenger Car USA
B-Active Manual Belts
P64-Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
T-2.3L 140 CUI I4 Intercooled Turbo
X-Check Digit
J-1988
H-Lorain, OH Assy Plant
148368-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
