A DIFFERENT VIEWER-SUBMITTED
VINTAGE CAR FEATURED EVERY MONTH
AUGUST/
SEPTEMBER 2002
1966 Ford Thunderbird Town Landau
Owner: Cole Stafford
N O T I C E
Due to my vacation, The Showroom for this month will run two months, through
September. I still need to have additional cars submitted for future publication.
If you have a car, an idea or a particular model you'd like to see here,
please let me know. My E-Mail address is listed at the bottom of the page.
I have cars for several months still, but some of them are being held back
until a particular section of the site is published. Without new cars to
feature, we won't be able to update this section each month. So, send us
your photos and stories! Remember, it doesn't have to be a show car! Daily
drivers and survivors are welcome as well. Thanks, Sheila
The View from Within
Part 2 of a 3 Part Series on
1964-1966 Thunderbird Interior Design Last month we discussed the rear seat accommodations in the 1964-1966 Thunderbirds.
This month, we'll take a look at the Pilot and Co-Pilot areas up front,
both critical in the consideration of which personal luxury car would be
purchased in the mid-sixties. The 1964-1966 Thunderbird interiors were
based on the same front bucket seat/console concept introduced with the
1958 Thunderbird, yet it had evolved into something much more refined.
By the mid-sixties, optional equipment was the big thing on cars, including
luxury cars like the Thunderbird. The base version was considered a well-equipped
car for its day, but very few were actually delivered that way. New comfort
and convenience options were all the rage, and the way they were packaged
was important. While both the 1958-1960 and 1961-1963 Thunderbirds provided
the driver and front passenger with a "compartmented" effect,
by 1964 it was time for a change. The padded instrument panel on earlier
Thunderbirds was designed to provide two very distinct areas, separated
in the middle by the optional radio. This panel blended into the door panels,
providing front occupants with a "wrap around" sensation that
continued to the back seat area. By 1964, this design was no longer efficient
with all the new controls being added for optional equipment, each vying
for a choice location within easy reach of the driver and front passenger.
The console provided additional functionality, and was the traditional
location for heating and air conditioning controls, ash tray, and cigarette
lighter. In 1961, the glove compartment was moved to the console, between
the front seats. The storage area was quite shallow in this series, and
held little more than the owner's manual and a pair of gloves. It was lockable,
convenient, and freed up the area behind the passenger side of the instrument
panel for other components, like the heater fan and duct work. Still, it
was very limited in capacity, and this was an area Thunderbird customers
complained about.
Ford responded promptly to their complaints. For the 1964-1966 series,
the console glove compartment was raised, to serve as an arm rest for front
passengers. The padded top was still lockable, and the storage area concealed
below was much deeper, providing a generous capacity capable of storing
not only the owner's manual and gloves, but the 8-track tapes that would
soon need a place to rest. The lock was cleverly placed on the driver's
side of the console, and the ash tray and cigarette lighter was mounted
at the forward end, concealed below a rotating brushed aluminum panel.
At the rear of the console, just behind the glove box lid, was another
ash tray for rear passengers. While other cars of the era cluttered up
their consoles with tachometers, floor shifters, and ribbed chrome trim
that performed no function, Ford made sure the console in the T-Bird was
attractive and functional, without being cluttered with useless items.
After all, luxury car drivers had little use for floor shifters and tachometers,
but they did require convenient access to other controls.
The higher console of the 1964-1966 Thunderbird swept forward and integrated
with the instrument panel in a totally new way. Instead of splitting at
the instrument panel and wrapping around to meet the door panels on both
sides, it angled to the left, providing a cockpit-type atmosphere for the
driver-only controls. For the first time, a full array of instruments graced
the dash panel on the Thunderbird. Placed just under the linear 120-mph
speedometer, which featured a band that changed colors from white to orange
according to speed, four individual pods housed gauges for oil pressure,
fuel level, engine temperature, and charging amperage. A red high beam
indicator was placed in the center, tucked between the fuel and temperature
gauges. Below the gauges was an uncluttered area, finished in the same
trim that adorned the console. The headlight switch was to the left of
the Swing-Away steering column, and the air conditioner register was to
the right. Matching trim panels attached to the steering column track moved
into place to fill the opening as the standard Swing-Away steering column
was moved.
The section of the console between the front bucket seats was more efficiently
used on the 1964-1966 Thunderbirds than ever before. At the front, controls
for the heater or optional air conditioning were placed just below the
standard radio; making both easily accessible by the driver or passenger.
Below the heater control was the new standard Silent-Flo rear vent control
or the power convertible top switch, depending on body style. At this point,
the console went from an upright angle to a flat plane, and continued straight
back to the raised ash tray/glove compartment assembly between the bucket
seat backs.
Early production '64 models featured a "Fasten Seat Belts" reminder
light mounted about half way back, between the rear vent/top control and
the raised ash tray assembly. Later '64 models would have this light assembly
moved forward, and placed at the forward section of the console, under
the rear vent/top control. It would remain there through the end of 1966
production. Optional power window controls were placed at the rear portion
of the console, just below and slightly ahead of the ash tray/glove box.
The ash tray/cigarette lighter assembly in front of the glove compartment
actually jutted out over the console, leaving a gap between it and the
console itself. This area actually came in handy, as it provided room for
locating and manipulating the buckle part of the front seat belts, which
would invariably fall down between the side of the seat and the console.
The trim on the face of the console itself differed depending on the year
and model of the car. In 1964, all Hardtop and Convertibles came with a
brushed aluminum finish. In 1965 and 1966, this was changed to a textured
grain black panel. Landaus had simulated woodgrain, although the 1966 cars
came with a different type of simulated wood, and the 1965 Special Landaus
also had a unique woodgrain appearance. If the optional speed control was
ordered, the controls for it would be placed on the chrome finish molding
on the driver's side of the console. This included a "pull up"
on/off switch for all three years, and a chrome plated dial for 1964 and
1965. The controls to regulate the speed moved to the steering wheel hub
in 1966, which eliminated the need for the dial on the console.
The "Fasten Seat Belt" reminder light, mentioned earlier, underwent
a few operational changes during the production run. Most 1964 and early
1965 models required that the lens be pressed down to turn off the light
after the car was started. The light would be reset each time the car was
turned off, so this procedure was required on every start up. Many drivers
apparently couldn't be bothered, as some cars today are found with the
plastic lens distorted from excess heat from the bulb below. Ford got the
message, and added a switch to the driver's side seat belt retractor that
automatically extinguished the light when the belt was extended and fastened.
This was still a bit of a problem, as lots of people didn't wear seat belts
in the sixties, so Ford again changed the light during 1966 production
in November, 1965 to add a relay to the circuit that extinguished the light
automatically about 15 seconds after the car was started, regardless of
belt usage.
The 1964-1966 Thunderbirds featured a coved instrument panel that extended
the full width of the interior. "Thunderbird" script appeared
on the panel in front of the passenger. Heavily chromed, this script had
a very distinctive look to it. It was also much larger than previous scripts,
and left no doubt as to the mode of transportation! The front contoured
shell design seats were less bulky than previous T-Bird seats, and they
featured a more body-fitting shape. Most agree they were the most comfortable
seats to date in a Thunderbird. In 1964 and 1965, both seats could be ordered
with a 4-way power adjustment, and a manual passenger side recliner was
also offered as an option. The top section of the reclining seat extended
upward on two chrome rods to provide a head rest for the passenger when
reclined. The reclining passenger seat was a fairly popular option on these
models, and are easy to find today. In 1966, a 6-way power seat adjustment
was offered for either front seat, which allowed tilting of the seat cushion,
in addition to the forward/backward and up/down movement of the seat.
The headlining overhead on Hardtop and Landau models was a perforated vinyl
in 1964 and 1965, and in 1966 as well on the Conventional Hardtop. The
sun visors matched the color of the headliner, except for Convertibles
which all had a black lining on the inside of the top, to match the roof
frame. On Convertibles, the sun visors matched the lighter shade of the
interior. All 1964 Thunderbirds (except Convertibles) used a white headliner
and sun visors. In 1965, the headliner and sun visors matched the lighter
shade of the interior, although white was also used from time to time.
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for this, as cars built at
various times have been documented with white instead of color-keyed headliners
and sun visors. They appear to be the exception to the rule, however.
In 1966, two new "Town" models were introduced. The Town Hardtop
and the Town Landau both featured two piece molded headliners, with a two
piece full-length roof console assembly running down the middle of the
car, from front to back. The forward section of the roof console housed
brackets for the sun visors, as well as warning lights for "Seat Belt",
"Flasher", "Door Ajar", and "Low Fuel". The
flasher light also served as a push-on, push-off switch for the standard
emergency flashers. The original door ajar bulb was designed to flash after
remaining on for a period of time, to call attention to a door not completely
closed. The molded headliners of the Town models generally matched the
lighter interior color, except for cars with dark blue interiors. These
cars used a light blue headliner with a dark blue roof console. In fact,
two shades of light blue have been documented, one being very light, and
almost matching the Algerian Blue exterior color; the other a medium blue,
closer to the Brittany Blue exterior color. The lighter shade of blue is
generally seen on early production 1966 models, with the medium shade on
later production cars. We've also spotted a few Town models with red interiors
over the years that had white molded panels and sun visors with red roof
consoles. The forward section of the roof console had either a black or
woodgrain insert, depending on model, to match the trim on the floor console.
One somewhat rare item not often found still attached to these cars is
the Owner's Dash Nameplate. A gift from Ford, this stainless steel plate
had a silver Thunderbird emblem mounted on its left side. A space to the
right allowed the owner's name to be engraved, and the plate was either
given to the owner to be attached to the car, or the dealer attached the
plate for the owner. A double-sided foam adhesive strip mounted on the
back of the plate allowed it to be removed easily without leaving any holes.
The plate is normally found mounted just above the radio on the console,
but they have also been documented on non-A/C cars in the area of the console
where the air conditioner registers would be. Again, they were centered
above the radio.
Plates like the one pictured above, which has never been engraved, are
very rare. Most of these plates were removed by the original owner when
the car was traded in, or by a subsequent owner of the car. This fact makes
them a very rare and highly desirable accessory to find today, especially
if they haven't been engraved, which allows the current owner to engrave
his or her name on the plate.
In October, we'll wrap up our 1964-1966 Thunderbird Interior Design Series
with a look at a few design mistakes and oversights that were made when
the Interior Studio designed the 1964-1966 Thunderbird interiors. Many
of these goofs give restorers and owners of these cars fits today. Some
of them were also headaches for the original owners as well.
The Showroom at Automotive Mileposts is edited by Sheila Masterson
We'd love to feature your car in The Showroom.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, and criticisms. To provide feedback
or submit a car:
Address: The Showroom at Automotive Mileposts
PMB 819, 8177 S. Harvard Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74137-1600
E-mail: smasterson@automotivemileposts.com
AutomotiveMileposts.com All You Ever Wanted to Know About Classic Luxury Cars
Last month we discussed the rear seat accommodations in the 1964-1966 Thunderbirds.
This month, we'll take a look at the Pilot and Co-Pilot areas up front,
both critical in the consideration of which personal luxury car would be
purchased in the mid-sixties. The 1964-1966 Thunderbird interiors were
based on the same front bucket seat/console concept introduced with the
1958 Thunderbird, yet it had evolved into something much more refined.
Early production '64 models featured a "Fasten Seat Belts" reminder
light mounted about half way back, between the rear vent/top control and
the raised ash tray assembly. Later '64 models would have this light assembly
moved forward, and placed at the forward section of the console, under
the rear vent/top control. It would remain there through the end of 1966
production. Optional power window controls were placed at the rear portion
of the console, just below and slightly ahead of the ash tray/glove box.
The ash tray/cigarette lighter assembly in front of the glove compartment
actually jutted out over the console, leaving a gap between it and the
console itself. This area actually came in handy, as it provided room for
locating and manipulating the buckle part of the front seat belts, which
would invariably fall down between the side of the seat and the console.
The 1964-1966 Thunderbirds featured a coved instrument panel that extended
the full width of the interior. "Thunderbird" script appeared
on the panel in front of the passenger. Heavily chromed, this script had
a very distinctive look to it. It was also much larger than previous scripts,
and left no doubt as to the mode of transportation! The front contoured
shell design seats were less bulky than previous T-Bird seats, and they
featured a more body-fitting shape. Most agree they were the most comfortable
seats to date in a Thunderbird. In 1964 and 1965, both seats could be ordered
with a 4-way power adjustment, and a manual passenger side recliner was
also offered as an option. The top section of the reclining seat extended
upward on two chrome rods to provide a head rest for the passenger when
reclined. The reclining passenger seat was a fairly popular option on these
models, and are easy to find today. In 1966, a 6-way power seat adjustment
was offered for either front seat, which allowed tilting of the seat cushion,
in addition to the forward/backward and up/down movement of the seat.