So, I have loved Thunderbirds since I was about 6-7(I'm now 21)...I am going to be ditching my 99 BMW and attempting to get a 64 Thunderbird( The safest one..IMO out of all the years, and still has classic styling to it).

So I have a few questions(some specifically for the California/Nor cal residents, But others can answer).

I am working to save up off a min wage job, and am Looking for this Tbird to be my daily driver, so I figured I will have about 4-5K saved up by september. How good of a Tbird in that year do you think I can find(i.e, will it run? How terrible would paint be)

I also head that gas mileage on these puppies is between 12-16 MPG(some say as low as 8 on streets and as high as 23 on freeway), My bmw currently gets about 15-17 MPG city, with a average of 23 overall...I Figured it wouldn't be much of a drastic difference, maybe - 2 MPG. So can someone clear that up for me?

And I Expect to take as much care as a college student working a part time min wage job possibly can on my Thunderbird, But how reliable were/are these cars?
*This question is for the Norcal/California residents...How hard will it be to find parts for this model/year?

Thankfully my dad is a mechanic and can help me with anything major(i.e transmission/engine block) But I expect to do the small things(i.e water pump, etc etc).

Yes this will be my only car, though if the break down is serious enough, I can use my moms car/dads pick up/dads suburban which is used for his hunting escapades, haha. (The joys of being a college student)

And what should I look for when making a purchase on a car IN the 4-5 thousand dollar range?.....Am I being a bit to optimistic for a decent looking daily driver that runs? Or am I hitting the sweet spot.?

I know family friends who can strike me good deals on tires/upholstery that may need to be done..So I have the basics covered.
and I realize my time to buy will be in september, but this is a car and not a gaming system and a gargantuan amount of my money will go towards this(Possibly my first act of adulthood...yet!) So sorry if I am asking so many stupid questions...I just don't want to unknowingly do something stupid with a big amount of cash.

Any help would be awesome!

p.s, yay first post

 

My dad always says that these cars are unreliable. But Hey! imma keep a decent tool kit and some extra oil and plugs and duct tape in the back!

Plus, I want to be able to have a adventure in my car, since I am young.

I wanna be able to look at my gf(hopefully future wife) some years down the road and say "remember the time we tried going to the grocery store 2 miles away and the car broke down 7 times?"

I am sure you guys understand what I am yapping on about

 

Dads have a way of being right and with a dad that is a mechanic and has experience in this field, take advantage of all that . Education comes in many different forms. If you have your heart set on that particular make, model and year your off to a good start gathering as much info as you can. At your location parts may be easier to obtain, but those years were a heck of a lot easier to work on than today's cars. LOL

 

well Anyone would agree that the cars break down...That is a given, but he isn't even certified in American cars, and The oldest car I have seen in his shop was a 68 mustang(which he didn't even work on, his employee did)..So he doesn't even work on old Amr. cars. So his opinion on the cars reliability is ultimately mute. I know its my dad and I really shouldn't be a loud mouth too him or anything, but his not wanting me to get the car is because ultimately he doesn't really care for them himself, and he just doesn't want me having one...for whatever reason.

My counter argument has been "a broken water pump for a bmw will cost me 900$...with that I can buy countless replacement parts for a classic car"......He turns and said that the water pump almost never needs to be replaced...Low and behold, 3 days later, my water pump bites the dust and my transmission clutch takes a day on the throne also...total cost? nearly 2 grand(almost the price of most decent looking thunderbirds around here).

So...dad...check mate.

which is why I am here.

so a little info goes a long way here!

 

Do you have a car problem or a dad problem? Or both?

Just curious.

 

a little dash of both, but mainly the car problem.

 

But seriously, I was just answering to the one guy...If anyone has anything informative to say, rather than a question or opinion on the disagreement between my dad and I, please take a shot at it.

 

Alright, serious here:

Find information on classic cars in Hemming's Motor News. Go to the library and get a bunch of copies. The suppliers of T-Bird parts are advertising regularly.
You can enhance the reliability of these old cars by converting the distributors to pointless systems.
If you happen to get a 6V system you may double up 2 6V batteries to get more juice for starting. Or convert to 12 V.
If your engine is that old you need to get an oil that contains enough but not too much ZDDP.
Count on rebuilding the carburetor.
Use ethanol free gasoline.
If you don't insist on keeping it original consider upgrading the brakes.
Get involved with "old car" guys and "old" car guys in your area even though you don't have a T-bird yet. You will need their expertise and connections. They might give you a lead now.

Ford Thunderbird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CTCI - Classic Thunderbird Club International
http://bringatrailer.com/category/american/
http://www.hemmings.com/


.....and I wish my son had a bit of interest in mechanics!

 

aaaoh yea! Bluewind ! wait because now you can find your tools wherever you put them away, but when junior gets into them you will begin to speak a completely foreign language because you won't be able to find that **%(#@) wrench and he won't understand why you're upset because he has no trouble finding it when you put it away.

 

Hanky, next thing I'll do is a DNA test.

I asked him to put on a wheel. He put it on. Inside out - and the lug nuts were on inside out as well.

Something went wrong with those dominant and recessive genes, I suppose. There fore no "himmihergotzagrament wo isch der schraubenschluessel!" in my garage.