1966 Convertible with 428 and tripower

[Svauto]

I have a 1966 T-bird convertible with Q code 428, AC, cruise, dual power seats, wire wheels and the fiberglass roadster top.
The car has also the tripower (six pac) carburetors. I understand these did not come with the tripower from the factory, though it appears
very correct. The car seems to have all options except the 8-track radio. How rare is this thing? California car with no rust.

[jtschug]

Pretty rare.

The tri-power intake and carbs from an M-code roadster were not factory equipment in 1966, and never shipped from Ford with a Q-code 428. However, as you know, they do fit on the engine. There were also years in the mid-to late 1960s when these parts were available over the counter and could be installed at the dealership. A/C could also be dealer installed.

Your car might have an interesting history if you do the research. It would have been pretty expensive with all those options. A good place to start would be the gate release from Marti, to see what it came equipped with from the factory. Then if you can track down when it was modified. Earlier old school modifications are more interesting that newer modifications, but to some extent every modified car is 1 of 1, completely unique.

[Alan H. Tast]

At least 1 out of every 4 (and up to 1 out of every 3) had the 428, so that's hardly rare, but still desirable. Tonneau could be ordered as an add-on from the parts counter but was not advertised as a factory-installed or dealer-available option for 66 - aftermarket reproductions came out in the late 70s-early 80s. 15" wire wheels compatible with the large disc brake calipers and wheel offset were also not available for 65-66 - the Kelsey-Hayes look-alikes are purely an aftermarket item that first started to appear in the 1980s based on demand from enthusiasts.

No multiple carburetor setup was advertised specifically for the Bird after 1963 - the full-size Ford had a dealer-available tripower setup for use with automatic transmissions which was set up with PCV and vacuum pull-off ports, but the stair-step placement of carbs from front to rear for full-size cars created hood clearance issues on the Bird. More than likely a previous owner installed a 62-63 Tbird tripower intake to avoid the hood problem. By 66 Ford was really focused on 2x4 dual quad setups for hipo cars using 427s or Holley 4-barrels on big- and small-blocks.

In short, most everything you listed have been added to the car by previous owners and are not factory-installed. I would not consider the car as 'rare' as much as it is desirable in someone's eyes. Rarity doesn't come into play with aftermarket add-ons - they do increase 'curb appeal' for people who would like to stand out from an original/stock configuration.