1927 Ford Model T Coupe Resto-rod on 2040-cars

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eBay Find of the Day: 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is showroom fresh

There's an ultra-rare Ford Thunderbird for sale on eBay, although it's not quite the T-Bird you're probably thinking. This is a 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, complete with a five-speed manual transmission and just a shade over 13,000 miles on the clock. The condition is said to be mint, and judging by the interior and exterior pictures, we're inclined to believe the seller. The paint is glossy and the interior looks showroom new, while the underbody is stunningly clean for a 36-year-old car.
Underhood sits a 2.3-liter, intercooled and turbocharged four-cylinder (also found in the Mustang SVO) that was producing 190 horsepower when it left the factory. Inside, the five-speed manual transmission adds to the car's rarity. The vehicle's sole owner has been as immaculate with the paperwork as he has with the rest of the car - it's all there, including brochures and other product material.
The eBay auction ends tomorrow at midnight (9:00 PM if you're on America's west coast). Bidding has reached $10,200, and there's still plenty of time to get in on this future classic. The vehicle is located in Millstone Township, NJ.

Ford surges with record 2Q profit

We already knew that the second quarter of 2015 has been good to General Motors. For Ford, though, it's been even better. The Blue Oval saw a net income of $1.9 billion, $800 million more than its larger cross-town rival. Pre-tax profits were even more impressive, at $2.9B. Those figures aren't only more impressive than what GM could conjure up, they improved handily over the same period in 2014. Net profits were up by $574 million, or a staggering 44 percent, while pre-tax profits saw a 10-percent bump over 2014. Ford Credit also had a strong quarter, raking in just over half a billion dollars before taxes. So yeah, Ford calling Q2 "outstanding" in its press release is no exaggeration. The vast majority of Ford's positive Q2 can be attributed to the North American market, which made up $2.6 billion of the company's pre-tax profits. South America, the Middle East, and Europe were all down, although Asia delivered some relief, making $192 million before taxes. Scroll down for the official press brief from Ford. JUL 28, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. FORD REPORTS STRONG SECOND QUARTER RESULTS; PRE-TAX PROFIT $2.9 BILLION; NET INCOME $1.9 BILLION DEARBORN, Mich., July 28, 2015 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: Ford] today reported its 2015 second quarter financial results. View the press release here and visit shareholder.ford.com to view the slide presentation and access the webcast to Ford's second quarter earnings call, which begins at 9 a.m. EDT with Mark Fields, president and chief executive officer, and Bob Shanks, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Highlights Include: Outstanding second quarter; company on track for a breakthrough year Pre-tax profit of $2.9B, up $269M or 10 percent from a year ago excluding last year's special item charges Net income of $1.9B, up $574M or 44 percent from a year ago After-tax earnings per share of 47 cents, up 7 cents from a year ago excluding last year's special item charges Best Automotive quarterly profit since 2000 Wholesale volume up 2 percent, driven by North America and Europe Automotive revenue about equal, with higher net pricing and volume offset by unfavorable translation effects of the strong U.S.

Junkyard Gem: 1973 Mercury Marquis Brougham 4-Door Pillared Hardtop

Ford's Mercury Division debuted the Marquis in the 1967 model year, as a sporty coupe based on a stretched Ford LTD chassis. When the LTD got an update for 1969, so did the Marquis, and production of that generation of the top-of-the-line Mercury continued through 1978 (the Grand Marquis hit streets the following year). The 1969-1978 Marquis was a big, imposing land yacht, and the Brougham version came absolutely loaded with affordable luxury. Today's Junkyard Gem is a Marquis Brougham from the first year of the Malaise Era, found in a Phoenix self-service car graveyard recently. This car appears to have spent decades sitting outdoors in one of the harshest climates in the country, and so it's in rough shape. The vinyl top received the full thermonuclear treatment and is mostly obliterated by now. The interior got thoroughly cooked as well. Still, its original opulence shines through if you use some imagination. What hurts is that this car was packed with most of the good options, including the mighty 460-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 engine with four-barrel carburetor. The price for the 460 was just $76 in this car, or around $548 in today's money. The base engine was a 429 (7.0-liter). Power numbers were way down for 1973 when compared to a couple of years earlier, partly as the result of tightening emissions standards but mostly due to the switch from gross to net power ratings that began midway during 1971 and was completed by the end of 1972. This engine was rated at 202 horsepower and 330 pound-feet. The only transmission available was a three-speed automatic. We can assume that the original buyer of this car and its single-digit fuel economy had a rough time when the OPEC oil embargo hit in the fall of 1973. Believe it or not, air conditioning was not standard equipment on the '73 Marquis Brougham (you had to move up to a Lincoln for that). This one even has the automatic temperature control feature, adding a total of $508 to the cost of this car (about $3,661 in 2023 dollars). That AM/FM/8-track radio—or, in fact, any radio—was an extra-cost option as well, with a price tag of $363 ($2,616 after inflation). The MSRP for the 1973 Marquis Brougham sedan (known as a "pillared hardtop" thanks to the frameless window glass) was $5,072, which comes to $36,555 in today's dollars. Obviously, its out-the-door cost would have been much higher with all the options.