Norelco shaver by Thunderbird

AWESOME GREENBIRD ON THE WEST COAST

I was walking around my sisters neighborhood when we encountered this beauty roosting nearby:

This is a 1968 Ford Thunderbird in Lime Gold Poly (this exact color was available on Lincolns under the name Aspen Green). We know it's a '68 because of the 1 year only grill that has small stylized thunderbirds on the headlight doors as opposed to one large one in the middle.

I love this grill! Hidden headlights were all the rage in the late '60s, with GM offering several as well as Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury (not to mention Mopars like the General Lee Charger). These full-width grills look so tough though this one reminds me of an old-school electric shaver.

This being before the safety and emissions regulations of the '70s means that thin bumpers and big engines were the norm. 1968 was the first year for the mighty 429 V8 which made this a very fast car indeed. It breathed through a huge 4 barrel carb and there were no restrictions on exhaust so it was the last gasp of thirsty Detroit iron shamelessly flexing its muscles.

Here's a close-up of one of the stylized thunderbirds scattered about the car. The original hubcaps are great!

Nice to have a matching house and car.

The quarter panel's a bit rumpled but that's about all the damage on this side.

I've always been a fan of the full-width taillights and to me this example is particularly sweet as it's a loop within a loop. The reverse lights are barely discernible within the innermost bar. With the light housing set into that larger opening it really looks like you could fire up the jet engine and launch into space!

It's rare to see a Thunderbird that doesn't have a vinyl roof. The clean body lines are on full display.

A slight crease on the door, some parking-by-feel evidence by the front signal, and some hubcap dents are about as bad as the passenger side gets. It's amazing to be on the West Coast where cars of this vintage still manage to have no rust!

Normally this chrome bird would be floating on an ocean of gaudy vinyl.

The lounge-like interior has a wrap-around backseat! This was a hallmark for the T-bird for many years and makes for such a sweet effect. At first glance I thought that was a pink robe on the seat which would be the most hilarious thing to drive this ride in.

This front corner acquired a hubcap from an early '70s Ford LTD at some point. This was the brief moment in history when the Thunderbird could be ordered with 4 doors. That model is a true rarity as the back sported suicide doors that opened backwards! We'll leave this perfect combination of luxury and brute muscle car power to roost in Oregon for now. Still, this front end is my favorite out of all the 'birds and I'd love to have one someday.