1962 Ford Thunderbird M-code 1 Of 1 In The World 45,000 Original Miles!! on 2040-cars
Ladera Ranch, California, United States
Body Type:Coupe
Engine:390
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller
Number of Cylinders: 8
Model: Thunderbird
Trim: M-CODE
Drive Type: AUTOMATIC
Power Options: Power Windows, Power Seats
Mileage: 44,210
Sub Model: TRUE M-CODE TRI-POWER 1 OF 1 MADE!!
Exterior Color: CORINTHIAN WHITE
Disability Equipped: No
Interior Color: RED VINYL
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
1962 FORD THUNDERBIRD COUPE TRUE M-CODE 390/340 TRI-POWER
THE ONE AND ONLY M-CODE COUPE WITH THE 3.10 REAR END EVER!
-1 OF 1 WITH THE 3.10 REAR END GEAR RATIO - THE ONLY 1962 COUPE EVER!!! THE REST HAD 3.00 RATIO'S
-1 OF 1 EVER DELIVERED TO NEW YORK - THE ONLY M-CODE COUPE EVER!!
-1 OF 1 WITH A DEALER INSTALLED DIXCO 8000 RPM TACH - THE ONLY M-CODE COUPE EVER!!
-1 OF 12 COUPES WITH NO FACTORY AIR IN 1962
-1 OF 4 WITH THE CORINTHIAN WHITE EXTERIOR AND RED VINYL INTERIOR IN 1962
-1 OF 41 1962 M-CODE COUPES EVER REGISTERED IN THE THUNDERBIRD REGISTRY ( #3965)
- 2ND TO THE LAST COUPE BUILT IN 1962 (BUILT ON JULY 30TH 1962)
- BUILT SO LATE FOR THE 1962 MODELS IT CAME WITH THE 1963 DASH AND DOOR PANELS FROM THE FACTORY!!
Only a few of you know how rare these Thunderbirds are with the factory M-Code option. Between January 1962 and January 1963 they made only 200 or so M-Code Thunderbirds in 4 different body styles. The Hardtop Coupe, the Roadster, the Landaus, and the Convertible. This is an incredible find and is fully documented with everything need to prove its authenticity. In my hands are the original build sheet, the original factory invoice, the original dealer invoice, original tax clearance certificate, original owners manual, original wiring diagram manual, and the original data plate and R.O.T. plate.
The history of these M-Code cars are very fascinating. According to The Henry Ford Museum responding to Mr. William A. Wonder (The guru himself) dating back to February 9th 1983 Ford corporate only had figures available for the Sport Roadster versions of the M-Code. The other cars and production numbers have been obtained and documented to the best of anyone's ability through various collections of V.T.C.A newsletters, The Vintage Thunderbird Club of America, Hemmings Motor News, and The Thunderbird Registry. Back in 1962 there was never a road test published on these M-Code cars when new and very rarely is there any reference even made as to the availability of this special option.
Another contributing factor mentioned by The Henry Ford Museum was that many of the M-Code owners may have been disappointed with the performance and were also disappointed in the problems that often associated with multi-carburetor set ups that led to Ford Motor Company replacing the Tri-power set ups 4 single carb version under factory warranty!! This particular car was one of those cars. Compiled by William A. Wonder himself this particular car was purchased by a gentleman for his wife's 50th birthday back on August 20th 1962. It was maintained by the same dealer for the first 41,952 miles until the dealer went out of business. That dealer did remove the tri-power set up under factory warranty. The original owner kept the set up in her garage and sold the car and the home and left the tri-power set up in the garage!! Just left it!! The next owner was able to track down the original tri-power set up from the new owners of the original home the housed this car and reassembled the motor back to its original state.
This car has less than 45,000 original miles since new, a rebuilt motor completed on 4/25/12 with only 42,987 miles shown on the odometer. The tranny was rebuilt on 5/11/12 at 43,111 miles. Also done was the reupholstering of the front seats, new carpet, new floor mats, new door mirrors, refurbished trunk compartment, new paint, wheels repainted, polished exterior trim, and much more. The rear seats are original and are in very nice condition. Rear package tray is also very nice.
The car is in driver quality only. This car with its rarity should receive an extensive restoration and will only go up in value. There are things that need to be address like all the chrome in the interior show wear as does the dash pad. The exterior paint is not top notch by any means but it shows very well at 5-10 feet. There are very minor rust spots between the rear glass and the trunk lid that are under the paint. The headliner seems nice but needs a good clean. The speedo, RPM tach, the radio, and the fuel gauge work well. It starts right up and with a 30 second warm up your ready to go! Runs and drives fantastic! All four power windows go up and down and the power driver seat also works well. The swing away steering column also works like it should. Another issue is that the door panels, rear seat, and the rear package tray need to be dyed to match the new front seats. Since they are original I'm sure 50 plus years have slightly changed the shade of the red. The quarter window frames also need new chrome. There is new weather stripping for the rear bumper, trunk lid, and hood but the door weather stripping needs attention.
I feel I have described this vehicle to the best of my ability and that I encourage an inspection by anyone who is interested in driving a one off 1962 Thunderbird. Please inspect it since I am no expert on classic vehicles but I do love them dearly. I want the new owner to know perfectly what the condition is and that the only way is for him to inspect it prior to bidding. Please know this car is for sale locally and that a chance is present for this car to be sold prior to this auction ending. Happy bidding!!!
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