Nice Price or Crack Pipe: 1989 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe

"LJ909" (lj909) 01/15/2020 at 10:07 • Filed to: Nice Price Or Crack Pipe

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I dont know why but for some reason I was up early this morning watching Motorweek retro review viedoes and came across their review of the ‘89 Thunderbird SC. They voted it one of the best sport coupes you can buy at the time.

So that got me looking for some for sale. Finding none in the entire state of California, I found 8 in the whole country. All are in good shape surprinslgy. But this one example stood out

For sale at a dealer in Plymouth Michigan called !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , they have this ‘89 example with just 37,091 miles on the odo. Its clean as hell. Everything is original and in excellent condition. But the list price? They’re asking $32,900. This is even more than most examples of the last gen retro T-bird that went away in the 00's. What do you guys think? NP or CP?

promoted by the color red > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 10:25

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CP, unless you have some attachment to that particular model. That’s too close to what dealers are asking for a brand-new Mustang GT. 

Arrivederci > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 10:26

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CP, but it’s a classic, so it might eventually get there. A 1991 SC went on BaT with 57k miles at No Reserve and only managed to break $8k, though this one is arguably cleaner.  A couple older Turbo Coupes did a little better.

LJ909 > promoted by the color red 01/15/2020 at 10:29

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Which can be had for even cheaper if you fi nd a dealer wanting to negotiate.

87mgte96zj97xj > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 10:31

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CP..... cloth seats, no CD player

LJ909 > Arrivederci 01/15/2020 at 10:32

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I found one equally clean, same color inside and out, but it had 108k on the odo for $5k at another dealer. Most of the others I found all were $8-9k. So this one is major CP and BaT shows it as well.,

vondon302 > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 10:43

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That dealer is the definition of CP.

CobraJoe > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 10:58

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That’s a very high price, but also a damn clean version of a rare performance model that is only getting rarer.

I doubt it would be a very good investment.  

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 11:04

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That is a big ole CP. This may be the best one out there, but I think it’s still a 10,000 dollar car, at most. They aren’t really that rare, I stumble upon them regularly on Craigslist and Marketplace. Being manual is less common, and being in show room condition it rare, but you can get a decent one for five grand.

Adjusted for inflation the Thunderbird Super Coupe was about $ 40,000 new.(19,800 in 1989 dollars) so they are suggesting that in 21 years this car has only lost 1/5 of its original value.  Yeah nah. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 11:09

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I’m thinking like ten grand. If you know what you’re buying.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 11:09

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It's a CP but if I was wealthy enough for that to be petty cash I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Most TBirds left today are well-worn so this would be a good opportunity to experience how those drove brand new.

LJ909 > vondon302 01/15/2020 at 11:27

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They really are. That do have vehicles that are in good condition. But the prices on them are outrageous. For instance, they have an ‘02 Camaro SS SLP with 18k on the odo for pretty much $30k.

Or a an ‘01 Mustang Bullit with just over 5700 miles. While that is low, they want nearly $37k.

BannedBadBoy > 87mgte96zj97xj 01/15/2020 at 11:46

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I ordered my ‘ 89 S uper coupe with cloth seats be cause I don’t like sliding around on the seat in curves.

LJ909 > CobraJoe 01/15/2020 at 11:47

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It wouldn’ t be a good investment. And while rare and clean as hell, its $12,000 clean, not $33k. I couldn’ t justify paying for this in any timeline. Even if one of the Ford family member drove this themselves, it still wouldn’ t be worth it.

vondon302 > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 11:47

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Ive been there. Nice cars especially some classic drag cars but his prices are crazy. Stays in business tho.

LJ909 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 01/15/2020 at 11:50

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It really is a 10k car at most. Like I mentioned to someone else, I found other examples almost equally as clean for about $10k. I found one, same color inside and out and a manual at another dealer, but it had 108k on the odo and it was $5k. But looking at their inventory, nearly all of what they have is grossly overpriced for no other reason. A friend of mind described their inventory as “hillbilly exotics” and I agree.

Urambo Tauro > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 11:50

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Ooh, very nice! And at mileage that low, there’s a very good chance that the headgaskets are still intact. Major CP though.  

LJ909 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/15/2020 at 11:52

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Right. I would have to lowball him though. $15k max. And I feel like they would take it if it was cash.

But I cant get over how clean this is. And apparently these things were pretty good performers for their day. It was running 6 second 0-60 times 30 years ago, which I would say is pretty decent. I always thought how strange it was though how the SC got the supercharged 3.8 V6 instead of a higher output version of the 5.0 from the Mustang GT.

LJ909 > vondon302 01/15/2020 at 11:58

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Yea the inventory looks to be damn near perfect. I wonder where he gets his cars from. Dont know how hes staying in business though with these prices. Who’s buying them?

vondon302 > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 12:18

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I've often wondered that too.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 12:25

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Because then it would outshine the M ustang. At the time V6s were still kind of considered an “economy” engine so it was probably easier to convince the Ford execs to let them do a hot V6 than to risk losing Mustang GT sales.

i86hotdogs > vondon302 01/15/2020 at 12:38

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My buddy knows the owner there, and always tries to get me to check it out. I agree about the prices. Everything is overpriced. Someone buys those cars apparently, because they are still in business.

87mgte96zj97xj > BannedBadBoy 01/15/2020 at 13:16

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not with the power bolsters hugging your rib cage, you’re locked in there 

vondon302 > i86hotdogs 01/15/2020 at 13:26

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Yeah I see his ads all the time. We were trying to figure out who buys this stuff when we left but obviously somebody does.

It is worth a stop to look. He does have some cool stuff.

CobraJoe > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 14:02

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$12k will get you a well taken care of driver with an aftermarket radio , not a collectors quality “investment” type car.

The only other similarly kept SC I can find on autotrader is a ‘94 with only 8k miles on the odometer listed at $16k, but it is also a much later year and an automatic. The ‘89 was the first year for the SC and a manual, both should add to the collecta bility cred.

But $33k is a crazy price. $20k should be more in line with the mileage and relative value of the car, but it still would need a very particular type of buyer to get it.

12and35 > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 14:05

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Very much crackpipe. Best friend in high school had one that was meticulously maintained by his father before he got it... It was identical with like 60,000 on the clock. He sold it for like 6000 bucks a year or so later. That being said it was REALLY fast for a big old girl.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 14:18

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Crack pipe. A 31 year old turd is still a turd.

Monkey B > LJ909 01/15/2020 at 18:11

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I had a 92 in 98 with 28k on it. Looked like the one pictured with but with leather and an upgraded exhaust. Ran in the low 14's, which at the time was respectable. Excellent highway cruiser, tons of torque and a nice ride. That photo makes me wish I still had it...as with around 10 or 12 others I had.

pip bip - choose Corrour > LJ909 01/16/2020 at 03:51

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CP