Custom 1963 Ford Thunderbird Clearly Has Your Attention – But What About Your Money?

Credited with starting America’s ‘personal luxury car’ market segment in the 1950s, the Ford Thunderbird is one of the best-known nameplates ever released by the Blue Oval.

Sold uninterruptedly from 1955 to 1997 over 10 generations, the Thunderbird returned for a last hurrah as an 11th-generation between 2002 and 2005. As it turned out, the neo-retro attempt was not very popular and Ford buried the Thunderbird nameplate after the last example rolled off the line.

Needless to say, early generations were and continue to be the most popular, with many of the surviving examples cherished by their current owners. Most of them keep their T-Birds as close to stock as possible, but that’s definitely not the case for this 1963 model.

Watch Also: Regular Car Reviews’ Spin On The 2002 Ford Thunderbird

The owner of the third-gen Thunderbird you see in these pictures found it in stock configuration in Perris, California, where it resided with its second owner since 1965. The sleek, low slung design of the 1963 Thunderbird convinced the current owner to buy it as they decided it was the right car for a custom build.

Whether you agree with that or not (yours truly would have left it stock), there’s no denying the transformation looks spectacular. The project was built over the course of four years by Starlite Rod and Kustom out of Harbor City, California, a company specializing in mild custom builds.

Why did it take so long? Because nearly everything on the car, bar the Thunderbird frame and Ford 390 cu-in (6.4-liter) engine, underwent modifications. The body received a complete repaint in Kiwi Green paired with dark green Freeway Scallops and metal flake, along with fine brush lines. The, T-Bird was also given an Accuair air ride suspension for a lowrider look, enabling a nearly endless adjustability in ride height options from front to rear.

The custom interior was designed and installed by Chuy’s Auto Interior in Carson, California. It features retro dark green seats and carpeting, as well as hints of Kiwi Green and metal flake echoing the exterior styling. A great deal of attention was given to the trunk as well, with the panels and carpeting doing a great job of hiding the air compressors and accumulator tanks for the air suspension.

According to the seller, there are no notable cosmetic flaws in the paint, body, or chrome exterior accessories. In addition, the stock Ford engine is said to run strong, with the original three-speed automatic shifting nicely too.

The car was up for sale at Stratas Auction earlier this month, but failed to find a buyer. If you like it, you can still make an offer for it on the website.