1986 Ford Thunderbird review from North America
"A beautiful lawn ornament in hibernation"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The car began to have problems with heating as soon as we drove it home. The temperature gauge almost hit the high mark and it blew a freeze plug. We bought an expansion plug and it blew it as well. So far it has blown the freeze plug 4 times.
It has a tendency to cut off during slow speeds which causes me to drive with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.
We had the exhaust tested and it showed that we had either a cracked head or a head gasket leak.
We have only had the car for three days. The first day it did well. The second day we began fixing the car. The third day it broke down and smoked really bad. It now sits in my front yard and we are steadily tearing the engine down to locate the problem areas.
Needs a new water pump.
The body is in great shape except from one rust hole above the trunk.
General comments?
I bought my 1986 Thunderbird to replace my 1987 Ford Aero-star Van since the transmission went out. The body is in great shape and looks sharp. It is sporty, and with my personal touches it will soon look even tougher.
Besides having to park the car right after I bought it, the car seems to have won me over already. I hope that the car will win my trust after we breathe life back into it.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 135000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Aerostar |
| Date of Entry | 5th August, 2001 |