The car was very complete with both original engine & paint, although one of the recent prior owners had the carpet & seats redone. It also had most factory available options including A/C & cruise control.

This 1965 is used frequently by the Pangburns and is recently back on the road following a July 2005 rear-ending by a Dodge 3500 duly pickup. During the accident, the rear inner & outer bumpers were damaged beyond repair and the deck lid was shifted forward. The Thunderbird probably faired better overall in the accident than the Dodge, which had its front cattle guard bent so far back that its hood could not be opened! The replacement inner/outer bumpers came from a 1964 hardtop in NJ and were sandblasted, re-chromed, etc. resulting in a rear clip that is in better condition now than when the car was purchased.

Brian does most work on the car himself and is assisted by his four-year-old twins, Jack & Jeremiah. Aside from “collision repair,” other recent projects include installation of rear shoulder belts to accommodate booster seats for the twins, a middle lap belt to anchor a car seat for their baby brother, Archer, and a relay replacement system for the convertible top.