![]() ![]() The good news is that the 4th gen T-Bird is structurally pretty solid, so a little bit of rust through isn't the kiss of death that it might be on lighter cheaper unibody cars. Just in front of the rear wheel is a problem area for this member, I believe, probably because leaky rear windows. The floor pan under the rear seat can rust towards the outer edges on each side to expose structural "boxes" or compartments below, and rust in these areas won't be visible by looking underneath the car (like they would on standard frame/body car like an early 50's Ford sedan, for example.) Also, when the rear interior trim panels (below the rear side windows)are removed, you can see how much rust there is in the structurally critical rocker channels. One of the most inconspicuous areas for rust on my car was under the rear seat and behind the rear interior trim panels.parts that most sellers aren't going to let you tear out for inspection. These are rust issues that (I believe) are largely hidden due to the unibody construction of the car. I was able to put my car up on a lift before buying, and it helped a lot with inspection, but there were some rust issues that I couldn't see from even from the underside of the car (which looked generally ok, aside from the standard deteriorated front floorboards, which have since been replaced.) ![]() If I were to buy another 4th gen T-Bird, my approach would definitely be to assume that there's considerably more rust than I can see, even with a respectable pre-purchase inspection. I have limited experience with Thunderbirds, but my experience as a relative newbie on T-Birds may be relevant to other newbies. Don't mistake the 390/MX powertrain for a Mustang. Someone attempted to give the car some muscle attitude with those wheels. Better to own it as a prized possession and leisure time cruiser. The one exception to the rule is if you spend a tremendous amount of effort and cash ($$$$$) to bring the car up to concours level and enter competitive judging to earn the car a legacy, you could potentially rise to the level of a premier auction site, but don't hold your breath. You'd have a lot of fun and the envy of everyone you meet but, truthfully, the market doesn't value our cars as it should based on quality. A car like this, you'd plan to spend many thousands plus your own hard work and never expect to get your investment back. If you have to pay some "specialist" it will cost you much more than the car is worth from what I can see of it (which is probably the tip of the iceberg) Unless you want to restore it yourself as a hobby walk away. ![]()
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