1972 Ford Thunderbird review from North America
"The car of cars"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replaced lower ball joints, control arm bushings and tie rod ends when purchased.
Transmission had severe leak and required rebuild.
Replaced other items such as brakes, hoses and belts, water pump, radiator, battery, starter and alternator during ownership.
Body had prematurely rusted and very severely.
Rebuilt engine mysteriously lost a connecting rod one night without warning.
Most performance problems were due to carburetor faults and several rebuilt distributors that seemed to wear quickly.
Windshield wipers had an annoying chatter and fixes lasted only a few months.
General comments?
The epitome of the personal luxury car.
The car was beautifully styled and was a head turner, with its dark green metalic finish and vinyl top that was simulated aligator skin. Very sleek lines and its low cut roof made it appear to have had a custom "chop job"
There was plenty of room for the front passengers, the car was extremely quiet, very smooth ride and the power steering was totally effortless.
The performance was adequate for a 1970 era car with a "smog" engine although older, pre emission controlled models had much better performance.
The car was reliable, started easiest on the coldest Canadian mornings.
Most of the trouble experienced with this car is attributed to the neglect and outright abuse of the previous owners boyfriend. Not much could be done to easily repair the severeley rusted body, and by 1983 it was sent to the scrap yard after giving its engine to my next car.
There were chronic carburetor problems, mainly with blockage and the slightest wear or misalignment of its linkage would render both the choke and secondary stage of the carburetor inoperable. When it worked, the car had exceptional performance. Carburetor problems were finally resolved by retrofitting a Rochester 4 bbl from a GM product. An electronic ignition system for later model versions of the engine was installed and problems caused by the ignition points not holding adjustment were eliminated.
This would be a wonderful nostalgia car to put back into production especially with today's advances in rust resistance and fuel saving technology.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1979 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1983 |
| Engine and transmission | 429 cu.in 4 bbl Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 72000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 133000 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile 98 |
| Date of Entry | 12th February, 2004 |