It also has the Kelsey Hayes type wire wheels and white wall tires for a classic look. The seller says it exhibits a “show quality” finish. It was fully optioned with power windows, push button open rear deck, and power convertible top that disappears under the rear trunk lid for a classic smooth styling. The seller also notes that the front and rear bumpers were redone, and it has a new trunk kit, plus a freshly detailed engine compartment. The interior, engine bay, mechanicals and body were redone. The seller notes that it has had a stunning cosmetic restoration. The engine is the 430/350 horsepower J Code backed by a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic, the only transmission Ford allowed with the 430 motor. He describes it as a “highly optioned, numbers matching J code Thunderbird.” The seller says it comes with matching numbers and documentation which proves it has only 41k original miles. The 1959 Ford Thunderbird 430 Convertible is currently advertised by its owner from Coral Springs, Florida. The Big Block 430 ci Thunderbird Special V8 …
It was originally assembled at the Wixom plant on June 17, 1959. There are three owners of this car recorded altogether. The first owner who bought the car at Tasca Ford kept it for 40 years. There were only 1,168 430 J Code big block Thunderbirds produced that year. Some collectors will tell you that the J Code 1959 Ford Thunderbird 430 Convertible is more collectible than the earlier 1955-1957 first generation Birds. The Ford ads back in the day said the ’59 Thunderbird was “the car everyone would love to own.” It was known as the “Thunderbird Special V8” although the engine was adopted from the Lincoln 430 ci motor. And this car is one of the T-Bird convertibles produced by Ford with the 430 big block motor made specially for the Thunderbird to compete in NASCAR that year. It has the iconic Casino Cream exterior, a one year only color. First of all, the seller says it was purchased new from the legendary Tasca Ford in Cranston, Rhode Island. ( Follow this link to view the ad on Cars On .) This rare T-Bird is smothered in provenance and historical significance. Just yesterday a 1959 Ford Thunderbird 430 Convertible was posted for sale on the Cars On Line website by a private seller from Florida.
Though the experiement lasted only one year, the second generation ’59 Thunderbird won six NASCAR Championship races that year with Ford’s Fairlanes turning in eight more wins.
So for a brief moment in history there was Thunder on the Speedway. When Ford Motor Company decided to put a 430 ci Lincoln engine in their popular “Square Bird” they had their eyes on NASCAR competition. The 1959 Ford Thunderbird 430 Convertible comes from Ford Motor Company’s early success in NASCAR. Novemin Classic 1950s Cars, Convertibles, Feature Story
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