33 of 50: Angelina: 1989 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe
Ford tried very hard to compete with the likes of the BMW 6-series when they created the MN12 Thunderbird (and Mercury Cougar twin). Today they may seem hopelessly outdated, but consider that the ’89 T-Bird featured an independent rear and a double-wishbone front suspension, which tends to be the ideal setup for wheel camber control and ultimate cornering grip. For the top of the line Super Coupe (SC) Ford added a screw type supercharger and intercooler to the 3.8L V6 to get 210 hp and 315 lb-ft, along with a Mazda 5-spd manual trans, 4-wheel disc brakes, adjustable shocks, ABS, a limited slip rear diff and a wider wheel/tire combo. The end result was a capable aero-styled offering that may appreciate someday – but for now they are still dirt cheap! Find this 73k-mile 1989 Ford Thunderbird SC here on craigslist in Central Iowa for $6500. Tip from Andy L.
It’s too bad the seller did not include better pictures because this looks to be a really solid example of a unique model. Most of these cars have been used up and scrapped, but this one has only 73k claimed miles on the odo. The interior looks great despite the annoying ’80s Ford feature of automated shoulder belts. With some tuning and modern tires this may actually become a capable GT car that could occasionally make it to the track, but unfortunately it weighs over 3500 lbs so some serious weight loss would be in order before it could really compete with its German counterparts. Best to keep it stock as a curiosity and highway cruiser, we think.
This feature is part of Daily Turismo’s birthday celebration of 50 cars in 24 hours.
Nice item for the list and a good, clean find! These are underrated and very tempting.
A 5-speed Cougar would be the ultimate version, even with goofy styling. The SC engine was only available in the Cougar XR-7 for 1989 and 1990 and very, very few had the MT (under 1,000, supposedly).
Next best would be '94-95 T-Birds, which got a HP bump to 230 and , I think, a bit more torque. For weirdness, find a 1990 35th Anniversary Special T-Bird.
a 1989 that's already 6500 bucks with not-crazy-low mileage? I'd say that's already appreciating.