HomeAutoHunterAutoHunter Spotlight: 1982 Ford Thunderbird

AutoHunter Spotlight: 1982 Ford Thunderbird

Downsized and ready for a night on the town

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Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this two-owner 1982 Ford Thunderbird Heritage Edition personal-luxury coupe that has been driven little more than 2,000 miles per year since new.

It has been with a long-term owner—the seller’s father—who kept the T-bird covered in a garage. Equipment includes a 4.2-liter V8 paired with an automatic overdrive transmission, 6-way power driver’s seat, an electronic instrument cluster, SelectAire climate control and other power options. This vehicle is offered with the original window sticker, owner’s manual, transmission booklet, service records and CARFAX report that shows a vehicle history free of accidents and damage. Sale includes a clear Virginia title in the seller’s name.

1982 Ford Thunderbird
1982 Ford Thunderbird

This Thunderbird is the Heritage Edition, which was the top trim level for 1982. It is finished in Pastel Vanilla with a matching half-vinyl roof. Like all T-birds of this generation, it features hideaway headlamps with halogen units, bodyside moldings, bright mirror caps and full-width taillights. Additional features include front cornering lamps and rocker panel moldings.

Steel 14-inch wheels with wire wheel covers are wrapped in whitewall tires. A full spare tire can be found in the trunk. Power-assisted front disc brakes, in conjunction with drums in the rear, help bring the Thunderbird to a stop.

Tan door panels, dashboard, carpeting and floor mats complement the padded, cloth split bench seat in front with split rear bucket seats. Amenities include a 6-way power driver’s seat, AM/FM Stereo radio with cassette, tilt steering, keyless entry, tinted glass, power door locks, illuminated visor vanity mirror, cruise control, rear window defroster and power antenna. The seller notes that the SelectAire climate control system works but likely will need repairs.

Instrumentation includes an electronic cluster with digital speedometer, fuel gauge and other readouts. The five-digit mechanical odometer shows 83K miles, which is consistent with the last mileage reading (dated October 2011 on the CARFAX report), though the true mileage on the chassis is unknown. Variable-ratio power rack and pinion steering was standard, but the leather-wrapped steering wheel was originally a $51 option.

The carbureted two-barrel 4.2-liter V8, which was standard on the Heritage Edition Thunderbird, was rated at 115 horsepower when new. It transfers power to the rear wheels via a column-shifted Ford AOD 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Battery is new.

The suspension uses a MacPherson strut setup up front and a four-link live axle out back, plus coil springs at all four corners. More underside images can be seen in the gallery.

This 1982 Thunderbird’s auction ends on August 11, 2022, at 11:20 a.m. (PDT). Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information plus the photo gallery

Diego Rosenberg
Diego Rosenberg
Lead Writer Diego Rosenberg is a native of Wilmington, Delaware and Princeton, New Jersey, giving him plenty of exposure to the charms of Carlisle and Englishtown. Though his first love is Citroen, he fell for muscle cars after being seduced by 1950s finned flyers—in fact, he’s written two books on American muscle. But please don’t think there is a strong American bias because foreign weirdness is never far from his heart. With a penchant for underground music from the 1960-70s, Diego and his family reside in the Southwest.

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