The most striking addition to the Sports Roadster was a fiberglass tonneau cover which covered the back seat of the car and created a two seater appearance. In addition, the 1962 model year saw the introduction of the Thunderbird Sports Roadster, a limited production version of the convertible which added 48 spoke Kelsey-Hayes designed wire wheels, special badges to the front fenders and a passenger side grab bar to the front dashboard. This was the beginning of the 1960s/1970s fashion for vinyl roof treatments, and a vinyl roof remained a popular Thunderbird feature for the next 20 years. This special engine code ( VIN engine code M) option was quietly discontinued halfway through the mid 1963 production run.Īlso introduced in 1962 was the Landau model, with a vinyl roof and simulated S-bars on the rear pillars. It used 406 heads as well as the same carburetors that were found on the high performance 406 powered Ford Galaxie, but with a modified version of the intake manifold to allow for proper air flow under the engine. The 1962 model year saw strong sales figures of 78,011 units (including 9,884 convertibles).Ī high performance option for 1962 added " tripower" - three two barrel carburetors - to a higher compression version of the 390 engine. The Chrysler 300G was also a powerful personal luxury car rival during 1961.įor 1961 the listed retail price, before optional equipment, was US$4,170 ($40,836 in 2022 dollars ). In luxury and performance, the third generation Thunderbird briefly saw competition from the Studebaker Avanti, before its production ended in 1963. Model options included air conditioning, power windows, power seats, AM radio, fender skirts, and white wall tires. Several standard features, such as power steering and power brakes, back up lights, and bucket seats, were costly options on most other automobiles of the time. Other innovations include a floating rear view mirror, directly attached to the inside of the windshield. To prevent accidents, this disabled the gear selector until the steering wheel was returned to the center position. With the steering column installed transmission gear selector in the park position the steering wheel would slide approximately 18 inches (460 mm) to the right allowing the driver to exit the vehicle easily. The most distinctive feature of the 1961 to 1963 Thunderbirds was the highly touted 'Swing Away' steering wheel. The Thunderbird for 1961 introduced several firsts for the automotive market. 1961 1961 Ford Thunderbird interior with "Swing-Away" steering wheel Kennedy's inaugural parade, probably aided by the appointment of Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense. The Thunderbird was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car, and featured prominently in US President John F. A new, larger 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE-series V8 was the only engine available (in 1961). Sales were strong, if not quite up to record-breaking 1960, at 73,051 including 10,516 convertibles. It featured new and much sleeker styling (done by Bill Boyer) than the second generation models. Do your parking lights work? That is the red yellow-stripe wire.ĭiagram of the thirteen (heater console bulbs and Lights and Wiper indicator bulbs are not shown) bulbs that run off of the dimmer circuit and the parking lights on the other side of the switch on the red yellow-stripe wire.The third generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car produced by Ford for the 1961 to 1963 model years. However, the easiest bulbs to check are the two in the clock or the shift selector bulb under the panel on the top of the steering column.Īlso, in the diagram labled "R" on the switch (second diagram below) is that the parking lights are connected to the other side of the switch but before the rheostat. Since each bulb is independently grounded, I doubt there is a ground problem and it is unlikely that all 13 bulbs are burned out. If there is no voltage there, then you have a break in the wire somewhere or the connector is corroded or loose. I don't know how hard it is to get to the headlight switch, as I have never done it, but if you can, get to the connector and measure for 12V at the yellow red-stripe wire on the connector. As you can see, the yellow red-stripe wire is what you are interested in. The block in red is the always on strip (brass strip on the back of the fuse box) that provides 12V to the three items above. However, if you say the dome lights are working, then it is not the fuse. With a voltmeter, check each end of the fuse to ground. That fuse, along with Cigar and Clock, have 12V on them all the time. The dimmer is fused by the Dome/Park/Rear 15A fuse in the fuse box that is on the right end.
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