![]() ![]() ![]() Santa Cruz Street Sighting - 1963 Ford Thunderbird.Rental Car Review - 2013 Buick LaCrosse.Danville Street Sighting - 1943 Dodge WC-52.Collector's Corner - Maisto 1955 Volkswagen Type 1.Alameda Street Sighting - 1962 Studebaker Lark.Danville Street Sighting - 1963 Buick Wildcat conv.Alameda Street Sighting - 1957 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.This is a truly magnificent Bird and one of the best specimens of this generation I've found on the street. The left front wheel also needs a lug nut replaced. Virtually all I see missing on this T-Bird is the swiveling keyhole cover on the trunk lid (which should form the head of the bird on the rear badge). The large bird emblem on the hood lacks the bluish plastic insert found on the 1961 car but is otherwise identical. ![]() On this car the center of the bars incorporate a V-shaped aqua bird design encased in clear plastic that replaced the scaled-down version of the hood emblem that decorated the C-pillar on the 1961-62 cars. The decorative landau bars look a little silly, but they were a new feature for 1963 and would remain an option on Thunderbirds for several years. The roof is another interesting styling touch, as it features a curious woodgrain-type texture instead of being smooth metal or padded vinyl. This is an interesting styling move given that it required re-tooling new fenders and doors for 1963 only, but I suppose it was a way of keeping the three-year-old design fresh without altering anything major (or expensive). Three decorative fake vents complete the accent. One of the interesting details about the '63 T-Bird is the hockey-stick-shaped side rib that extends from the front fender point and curves down toward the rear of the door. The tires are Sears branded, with the old logo from the early '80s, leading me to wonder just how old the rolling stock really is. I've seen very few of these equipped this way and I really like the look. This car is a really beautiful example, and unlike the other two Bullet Birds I've photographed, this one rolls on chrome Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels (a factory option) with knock-off hubcaps and thin whitewall tires. ![]()
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