If you were to think of 1980s cars that had a significant impact for their manufacturers, the 9th generation Ford Thunderbird would probably not come to mind first. But this was the first product of Ford’s aero-style design phase, which included hugely successful models like the Taurus and Sierra. It was also one of the first Fords of its time to be designed to compete with the European sporting coupes such as the VW Scirocco and BMW E30 3-series, as well as the developing flood of Japanese coupes including the Isuzu Impulse, Toyota Celica and Datsun 200SX. While most versions of the Thunderbird were the bland 3.8 liter 110hp V6 or the slightly livelier 140hp 5-liter V8, the hot version to have was the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged Lima engine with a 5-speed manual, good for 155hp and 190 lb.-ft. of torque. Check out this 1986 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe for sale for $2000 in Santa Rosa, CA.
Rusty But Trusty 