Rose’s Red Love Bird

Thunderbirds have been a favorite of Rose for a long time. She has owned five through the years, three of them ‘65's. She owned a ’65 coupe when a fellow Roamin Angel told her about a convertible he had seen in a field in 1992. Although she did not think she would be interested, she went to look and it was love at first sight. It was under a tree, with no hood and a big hole in the convertible top. But Rose saw the potential and bought it. Although it ran in a fashion, the tires had sunk in the ground so much that they had to pull it out with a tractor.

Then the work began. She used the car she was driving and another ’65 she owned as donor cars, giving vital organs to make the convertible  live again. She had it painted red and the black top replaced with a  white one. The interior from one of the donors was dyed red and was used  to replace the weather-ruined original one. Over the years, the 390 CID engine has been replaced with a fresh one, the trans rebuilt, and a computerized controller for the rag top and taillight sequencer installed. Last anniversary, her husband Len gave her chrome wire wheels to dress up his love’s Bird. And Rose loves her Bird more than any other car she has ever owned.

Story and photos by Roamin Angel Ron C. ©2007