1989 Ford Thunderbird LX review from North America

An alternator fire.

Passenger-side power-window stopped working.

Factory radio died.

Bad upper-ball joints in front end at time of sale (still the original ones).

I got this car FOR FREE from my parents (theyw ere downsizing) when my piece-o-junk 1986 Dodge Daytona was on its'last legs. The T-Bird had 139K miles on the clock when I got it.

When I got it, I knew it needed brakes and rear shocks - did the work myself. Did my own oil changes and tire rotations. I also replaced the front struts.

I had VERY few surprises with this car. It was quiet, roomy and reliable. Not very powerful, but quiet and got pretty good mileage either in the city or on the highway. Most $ I spent on it was routine maintenance over the 6 years I owned it - tune-ups; transmission servicing, cooling flushes, etc. the interior and paint were still in great shape, even though it was an outdoor (non-garage-kept) car.

When I sold it in March 2006, it had 195K on the original engine and transmission and was 17 model years old. And it still ran and looked great. The buyer was another T-Bird enthusiast, and while the car had a few bugs, I was up-front as to everything I knew about the car, and turned over the car's entire service record at the time of sale.

The buyer was happy to know the car was in as good shape as it could be for a car that was 17 years old, and I was happy in knowing it went to a good owner.