1966 Thunderbird Convertible w/428 and pilot control

[Clint66]

Does anyone know how many 1966 Thunderbird Convertibles with a 428 and pilot control were built in 1966? Looking at buying one and wondering if it is worth restoring or parting out? Any help would be appreciated.

[jtschug]

Highway pilot is a rare option, but I have not noticed it significantly adding to the value of a restored car. Q-code 428 is a desirable option, but be sure to confirm the VIN.

The answer to “is it worth it”, in terms on dollars is almost always no. It is very hard to restore and flip cars for a profit. People who do that successfully buy a car that has one or two major problems which make the car cheap to buy, then they fix those problems the cheapest way possible and sell them without ever fully restoring the car. Any rust problem at all and the car will never be worth what it takes to properly repair.

However, this is a rare and desirable car, so it has some value. If you like this era T-bird, and you have some mechanical skill, and time and money for a hobby like this, it could be worth it for you as a productive way to spend time. I don’t golf, but I have friends who spend as much or more time and money than I do on my car, and I’m told at times it can be just as frustrating. One thing nobody asks about golf is whether it is “worth it”

[apines]

I have one, so now you know there are at least two out there. 5,049 seems to be the agreed-upon number of 1966 convertibles produced but no one seems to know what percentage were Q-code and not many appear to have had Highway Pilot. Combine that with the fact that some number of vehicles are no longer with us and the number remaining with that combination is probably pretty low. Not that that necessarily makes it any more valuable.

The warning I'd make is that rare features can mean some parts are harder to find. I spent a year looking for the Highway Pilot-specific trim piece that mounts across the center of the steering wheel and almost wound up buying an entire steering column to get it (I did wind up buying the whole wheel).

I still have many, many things to cope with on mine before I can even think about resurrecting Highway Pilot.

-Andrew