This 1960 Ford Thunderbird is described as a restoration project waiting for completion, an accurate description from the looks of things. Thanks to reader Jim S. for sending in this great find! It’s located in Paragould, Arkansas and is up for sale here on eBay with an opening bid that’s lower than the cost of the new parts that are included.

As you can see, there are a lot of parts included, as there should be because the body shell is almost bare. It does look like this project has been stalled for quite a while as there’s a thick layer of dust on some things and surface rust has appeared in the trunk floor. I wish whomever disassembled the car had labeled some of these parts. If you’re an expert on this model of Thunderbird, I guess it’s ok, but for someone taking this on that isn’t, the pile of parts is daunting. Supposedly, all the metal work is completed, but I’d want to check to make sure I was happy with the work quality.

According to the ad, the motor, three speed transmission with overdrive and rear end have been professionally rebuilt and are ready for installation. There’s also a new clutch and pressure plate. I’m concerned about the amount of surface rust on the input shaft to the transmission and the dust on the engine; I’m also puzzled that the distributor cap and spark plug wires are installed on an engine that has supposedly been rebuilt–wouldn’t you wait to install those once the engine has been reinstalled in the car?

Without a doubt, one of the major attractions here is the brand new air conditioning system. This can cost almost as much as the opening bid for the car, and certainly would make it more attractive to those of us in warmer climates. I’m glad to see that the hardware bags still look sealed. Other new parts included are an entire four wheel disc brakes system with booster, master cylinder and hoses, power steering complete with tie rods, drag link and and new upper and lower control arms, coil and leaf springs and a gas tank and sending unit.

While I suspect that everything is there for the interior, it looks like most of it will have to be replaced. I’m not sure whether this is the world’s best parts car for a 1960 Thunderbird owner or a project to complete, although I lean towards the latter. What do you think?