Quite honestly, this extraordinary 1963 Ford Thunderbird hardtop might just be the nicest car in our inventory at any price. With maybe one or two very expensive exceptions, this sparkling frame-off restored RocketBird is flat-out the finest car I’ve represented in a very long time. In the showroom, it stands out like a rock star and the quality is insanely appealing. Even folks who don’t really know much about cars, like the lady in the shop next door who gives dogs haircuts walked in and instantly became enamored with this Acapulco Blue ‘Bird. THAT is the voice of quality speaking to her, and should you take this car home with you, you’ll discover that there are absolutely no disappointments in any way, shape, or form with this one. Frankly, it’s so nice that I’m tempted to keep it for myself.

Most importantly, you need to look past the flashy wheels, because aside from the rolling stock and the stereo system, this car is quite stock. Reinstall the original wheels and hubcaps (unrestored and included with the car) as well as the fender skirts (restored and included), this could very well be a 93-95 point car in judged competition—it’s that nice. It’s a California car purchased by a local fellow who was looking for a project to fill his time. It wasn’t his first build, of course, but the long hours he put in have resulted in what is unquestionably one of the finest RocketBirds anywhere. The warm, west coast sheetmetal is laser straight and he stripped it bare and rebuilt the finish from the steel on up. He reports that there are no patches, no replacement panels, and a ton of block sanding to get the surfaces super straight, so the car shows exceptionally well. The two-stage urethane paint glows with just enough metallic to play in the light and a slivery-blue finish that looks spectacular. There are two or three little nicks from being driven about 6200 miles since it was completed, but this is a very, very impressive car.

All the chrome is likewise refinished and absolutely glitters against that paint job. The stainless trim, particularly the pieces running along the peaks of the fenders that define the RockerBird shape, has been polished to match and the jewelry on this car makes a big statement. The grille is beautifully finished, the emblems are new and lovely to look at, and it even wears little Plexiglas wind deflectors on the vent windows, something I didn’t even know existed until I saw this car. Heck, even the Thunderbird emblem on the nose has red eyes! Obviously, not a single detail was overlooked.

The fully restored bucket seat interior is equally crisp and shows virtually zero signs of use since it was completed. The seats wear new seat covers over fresh foam, so they’re firm and supportive, something you rarely notice until you sit on a restored seat. Of note, the trim on the buckets has been painted rather than chromed, one of the very few deviations from stock and done simply because the pieces were a little too scratched to be successfully chromed and he didn’t know if reproductions were available (they are if you want 100% factory). The tilt-away steering wheel mechanism was rebuilt and unlike many cars with this feature, it starts without fiddling with the shifter. The car has factory power windows and factory-installed A/C that’s ice cold thanks to genuine R12 refrigerant inside. How do we know it was factory-installed? Because it’s the original compressor—have a look and you’ll see that none of the mounting boss holes were drilled or tapped, because that was only on dealer-installed units designed for multiple applications. Nice, right? There’s new carpeting on the floor, reproduction door panels, and a taut headliner overhead, plus lots of sound-deadening materials hidden underneath. As I mentioned, only the AM/FM/iPod stereo with speakers in the door panels and on the rear deck is non-original, but the installation is quite neatly done and the original AM radio is included with the car. All of the instruments were rebuilt and look fantastic, particularly at night when the lighting makes the orange needles glow brightly—even the one on the shift indicator is vivid and clear. The clock is not functioning because he didn’t want it running down the battery when the car was stored, but otherwise everything is fully functional. New weather-stripping throughout means it seals up tightly and the doors close with the most delightful feeling of solidity. The trunk is also properly finished with new mats, a restored jack assembly in its own little compartment, and a full-sized spare, which is one of the four original wheels that comes with the car.

We believe that to be the original Z-code 390 cubic inch V8 under the hood, fully rebuilt to stock specs and running beautifully. The temptation to modify the engine must have been significant during the restoration, but they kept it original and instead focused on details. You’ll note that the paint on the air cleaner and valve covers is more of a dark tan than bright gold, but it was matched using an original sample from under the air cleaner and experts say that’s exactly right. There’s also a Pertronix ignition system inside the distributor, so it lights off almost instantly, even when it’s been sitting for a while. On the road, it pulls smoothly with the most delightful exhaust note from the brand new dual exhaust system. The FMX 3-speed automatic transmission (called the Ford-O-Matic in 1963) shifts crisply and always seems to be in the right gear, and with 3.00 gears out back, this is a superlative highway cruiser. The brakes and suspension were fully rebuilt, so the car feels taut, smooth, buttoned-down, and extremely competent out on the road. The underside is California-bred, so no rust or patches, but it was fully undercoated to help control noise and heat. If you’d like to know what buying a new car in 1963 felt like, one drive in this car will be all the demonstration you need. The flashy chrome Torque Thrust style wheels look pretty darned good and totally transform the ‘Bird’s look, and wear wide 225/45/17 performance radials all around.

There’s a fairly sizable folder of receipts and documentation that accompanies this car and a quick glance at the numbers suggests somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000 was spent just on parts, never mind labor, paint, chrome, upholstery, and other pieces of the restoration. This is an extremely high-quality car whose price might seem ambitious compared to other Bullet ‘Birds, but for something of this quality, it’s a screaming bargain. Call today, because I guarantee it won’t last long!