My dad just bought a triple black 1966 T-Bird convertible. It has the 390 in it now, but he may put the optional 429 engine in it. I know nothing about Fords. Just wondering if this model would be PS allowable? Before I start bugging him to bring it out....
The 428 was the optional engine for that year T-Bird. No HP version, just a plain old 428. The weren't exactly a ball of fire and they also weighed in at around 4,600lbs. I believe the convertible is even heavier. They were, however, very nice cars to drive. My dad loved those cars and had several of them, and I had a `66 Town Landau back in the `70's.
http://www.tbirdranch.com/ Years ago I had a black 66 TBird HT. Had a lot of fun with it. A good place for parts and advice is the Thunderbird Ranch up in Wisc. John Draxler is a real gentleman and expert in these cars. Edit: Forgot to mention my favorite thing about these Birds are the sequential tail lights. I think that's why I bought one to start with!
I have know idea as far as an answer to your question, but I do like those old Birds and would love to see some pics if you have any. Slide away steering wheel was pretty cool too!
Does PS mean power steering? If so all TBirds had standard PS and 66 was the first year for front power disc brakes. Hugh calipers, made it impossible to get after market wheels for them unless you went up to 17 inch size. Here's a white 66 conv, they are really low slung cars for their day. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Clas...1631167?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19c19022bf
I just sold my 66 Tbird with a stock 428ci. Even with that big engine it is slow as molasses just because the car is so heavy. There was also a more rare 428 police intercepter (I think that's what it's called) version of the engine but it only offered a meager 15hp more.
Thanks for all the info. Sorry I called it a 429, that's what he had emailed me. At this time, I have no photos - I had to google search just to find out what these cars even looked like. He just got it home this week, and is supposed to be sending some pics. What I was asking - and I'll leave out the abbreviations - is: Under the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race rules, is a 1966 Thunderbird convertible considered a 'muscle car' and therefore possibly be eligible to participate in the race? I know that sometimes, eligibility is predicated upon which engine option the car has - and that is why I added the information about him considering upgrading to the 428 engine from the current 390. What I'm really wondering is (rhetorically) - why my father, who started me with a Buick fascination with my 69 Riv at 16, and tells wonderful stories from 'back in day' about his 65 GS beating the 'real' muscle cars on the street, and then had a 69 Hemi Charger (real!), and never owned a Ford since I've been alive - what's with the FORD?? I think my race stories have re-lit his race need. He bought this T-Bird and also one of those Dodge trucks with the Viper engine in it. He threatened to take the truck to test and tune to run it against me! Still waiting to see that! What are sequential tail lights and a slide away steering wheel??
Hi Annie, The tailights light up one at a time across the lens starting in the center and moving to the outside. The tilt/fly wheel is a vaccum operated collumn that when the door is opened the collum tilts the wheel up and it moves to the center of the car to allow easier entry. This was later offered in the Mustang and is a neat James Bond type gaget Remember in the mid sizties people wore long top coats and Minks when they went out. Dont want to muss up those behive hairdo's either
Here is a video of the taillights in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_sXCaxQLfw And the slide/swing away steering wheel allows the steering wheel and column to move (I think its like 12")to the right to make getting in and out of the drivers seat easier. Note the position of the steering wheel in this video around the 40 second mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if1ul7ZShAM
The tail lights had three sections, so when you turn on blinkers they would seqence from the center outward rather than all three bulbs on at once. Gave a real cool look from behind. Some modern cars have same principle. The swing away steering wheel could be moved/slid inward about a foot to make getting in and out easier. When in drive it would lock in striaght position, although mine was a little loose so that when I took someone new for a ride, I could slide it over and ask, "you want to drive?" These old cars had a lot of neat quirky things!
That is soooo cool!! (I am easily amused :laugh Were these options or standard features? Did the tail lights only sequence for a turn, or for braking/hazards too? I assume they would be solid then, but assuming always gets me in trouble. If the swing away steering wheel was vacuum operated, was it troublesome like the vacuum operated headlights were on my 69 Riv??
The tilt was I believe standard on all the T birds as was the sequential taillights. They were remarkably trouble free but as with any old car the rubber diaphrams can deteriorate
Tail lights were standard I believe, although a lot of older ones didn't work sequentiallly any more, but fail safe design let them work all together anway. Brakes lighs worked all on. There is an after market electronic kit to replace the original hard wired version for non working ones. The originals used a motor operated mechanical multiple staggered cams to switch the blinker lights on and off. Very expensive to repair, thus the conversion kit came about, similar to electronic ignition replacement stuff.:Comp: The steering wheel was not vacuum operated, at least on 66s. You just pushed and pulled it manually. There is a safety switch involved that will not let the car start if not firmly in driving position. After starting you could move it though. Maybe mine was unique in that aspect.o No: I enjoyed the videos too, brought back memories.
I don't think the T-bird qualifies as a musclecar - not anywhere near it. I love '66s, but for this generation (1964-66), the sequential taillights were standard starting in 1965 and lasted for a few years. Other cars with sequential taillights? First- through third-gen Cougars and the 1969 Imperial (I don't think it had the system in '70).
Why not? Is a 58 Monterey a muscle car? o No: http://www.youtube.com/user/PureStockDrags#p/search/0/YJtxpvSR1iw Granted 14.42 is impressive but from a pure categorical perspective what makes it any different than the above mentioned T-Bird?
