Me & My Car: 1963 Ford T-bird got $27K paint job after $7K investment

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Nate is an East Bay community papers editor for the Bay Area News Group and East Bay Times. He edits the Hills weekly Alameda Journal, Berkeley Voice, El Cerrito Journal, Montclarion and Piedmonter newspapers; Central Costa County's weekly Concord Transcript and Walnut Creek Journal papers; and East Contra Costa's weekly East County News.

The story of the Ford Thunderbird starts when Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953. I suspect that created some panic at Ford headquarters as Ford and Chevrolet have been intense competitors since Hector was a pup.Me & My Car: Square lights flaunted on ’94 Jeep Wrangler in San Ramon

The third generation was from 1961 to 1963 and is our subject today. It is also a four-seater with sleeker styling, more curves and rounded side panels. With the new styling came some new features, most notably the “swing-away” steering wheel. When the transmission was in the park position, the steering wheel would swing away about 18 inches to the right to let the driver exit the vehicle easily. Adding to the excitement, it was the Indianapolis 500 pace car for 1961.

This issue’s featured vehicle is a third-generation 1963 Ford Thunderbird owned by Mike and Rita Press, of El Cerrito. The couple paid $3,000 for it in 1989, buying the car from a private party in Alameda. “Because of the damage, he took off the factory-side moldings, filled in the holes where the trim was, and body-puttied over them. He painted the car inside and out for $4,000.”“About two years ago in the middle of the night, we heard a bang like someone shot a large-caliber pistol. The battery had exploded. It blew acid all over the engine compartment, both outside fenders, the grill, the hood and the bumper.

 

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