1976 Ford Thunderbird Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The era of the 'Big Bird' Thunderbirds came to an end not with a bang, but a whimper. The 1976 Ford Thunderbird saw almost no changes; even the endless game of front-end origami seems to have been on hold, as the car that shipped off the line looked pretty much exactly like the previous year's model.
That was just fine with buyers who wanted the big luxury stylings of the '76 Thunderbird. Its long, long front end; its two-and-a-half tons of Detroit steel; its plush, cozy cabin; its jazzy, chrome-embellished cockpit; all of these appealed to a market segment looking for a certain vision of class. And then there was the comfort factor; the '76 Ford Thunderbird was a real land-yacht, a boat to navigate the highways in style.
You needed plenty of engine to haul that much car around, and the 1976 Thunderbird did not disappoint in that regard. Its 460 cubic inch, 7.5 liter Lincoln V-8 mill put out an impressive 280 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft of torque. That kind of muscle under the hood may have qualified the '76 T-Bird as a classic performance car, but it was hard to see the TBird's sports car roots in this huge sedan.
Even so, the 'Big Birds' might have found a more loyal following if it hadn't been for their drinking problems. They just couldn't stop guzzling fuel; their 8 mpg city, 11 mpg highway fuel efficiency rating scared off a lot of potential buyers in an era of gas shortages and long lines at the pump. With all this in mind, the guys in Dearborn headed back to the drawing board to create another new incarnation of the Thunderbird.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1976 Ford Thunderbird
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by Richard S
Jun 05, 2023
I got my CDL in 1966 I was 16. I began reading Car and Drive when I was 14. I have owned 52 different vehicles so far. This Large, Full-Size car is a combination of Luxury and Sportyness.Jun 05, 2023
by Bill W
Nov 23, 2013
Easy to work on and repair. big trunk space for subs :) 0-60 in about 7 seconds. interior is all plastic so everything squeaks so just turn up the music and you can't hear a thing. Great for first car.Nov 23, 2013
by Tommi V
Feb 21, 2013
this is my summer car. it's got a ford bigblock 460 in it. bored to .030, kg flat top pistons, 9,5:1 compression, edel performer cam + timingset, fully balanced. heads are stock but ported. weiand stealth intake etc. makes about 300 horses and +600 newtonmeters of torque. the car itself is a classic being the last big ford ever made. the next year ford downsized all of their models and the awesome 460cid engine was replaced with 400cid small block in passenger cars. the overall quality of used materials is excellent. it's clear that these sixth gen.t-birds were no longer sportscars but rather personal luxury cars.Feb 21, 2013
User rating:
by Richard S
Jun 05, 2023
I got my CDL in 1966 I was 16. I began reading Car and Drive when I was 14. I have owned 52 different vehicles so far. This Large, Full-Size car is a combination of Luxury and Sportyness.Jun 05, 2023
by Bill W
Nov 23, 2013
Easy to work on and repair. big trunk space for subs :) 0-60 in about 7 seconds. interior is all plastic so everything squeaks so just turn up the music and you can't hear a thing. Great for first car.Nov 23, 2013
by Tommi V
Feb 21, 2013
this is my summer car. it's got a ford bigblock 460 in it. bored to .030, kg flat top pistons, 9,5:1 compression, edel performer cam + timingset, fully balanced. heads are stock but ported. weiand stealth intake etc. makes about 300 horses and +600 newtonmeters of torque. the car itself is a classic being the last big ford ever made. the next year ford downsized all of their models and the awesome 460cid engine was replaced with 400cid small block in passenger cars. the overall quality of used materials is excellent. it's clear that these sixth gen.t-birds were no longer sportscars but rather personal luxury cars.Feb 21, 2013
by Anonymous
Jul 19, 2007
This is my second review of the 76` "Big-Bird" as my first covered both my 65` and 76` Thunderbids.
My 76` T-Bird is a "Dream" to handle, the Exterior and interior are "Superb" for a 31 year old vehicle. From the data gathered to-date I know the car came off the production line in June 1976, the "Last" one being produced on July 9th 1976. My car came from the "Los Angeles" line and has many of the accessories, available at that time, fitted.
The car does handle considerably well, for its size, and the gear box is very smooth when changing up or down the gears. The Braking system has proved to be "Ample" when coming to stop the "Beast" I own at speeds of up to 70mph, our legal limit on the Motorways. Inside there are more than enough "Toys" to play with including the Auto light dimmer, plus Auto lights On, switch. The six (6) way Drivers electric seat helps to make journeys very comfortable, no matter how long the journey may be, and assists in your arriving as "Fresh" as when leaving home.
Music is supplied by a Radio/8track combined system, the original, and the enjoyment from this is helped by being able to choose how many speakers you want to use.
The 460ci engine provides more than enough power for the cars size and weight. I estimate the M.P.G. to be around 15-17mpg on a run along our Motorways, (USA Freeway), and around our Towns/Cities I do not know as I`ve never bothered to check this figure out.
I know drivers of the 76` T-Bird in the U.S.A. will take the way in which this car handles for granted in some ways, due to their having had such lightly operated "Power Steering" for many years. Here in the UK owners of cars, other than American ones, do not really appreciate how "Easy" these cars can be steered and are literaly "Amazed" at seeing such a "Big Car" being driven, or parked, with "Ease".
My 76` Thunderbird was the very First of this mark I ever bought and owned, but it will not be the last I assure you.
"Happy Motoring" to all fellow T-Birders.
JT_Bird (South Wales / UK)
Jul 19, 2007
by Anonymous
Jun 28, 2007
Big Brown Bird was it's name, it belonged to my roommates girl friend. A really nice driving car for the long road trip, well maintained, roomy, decent power, soooft ride.Jun 28, 2007
by Anonymous
Feb 14, 2007
i enjoy driving my 76 tbird. so comfortable, all the toys and a lot of thumbs up from people who remember whenFeb 14, 2007
What users have asked
'76 thunderbird chokes up between 30mph and 40mph
The car runs and accelerates well except when it hits between 30mph and 40mph. It's almost like either the engine chokes up or the transmission won't shift gears properly between 30 and 40. Past 40mph it accelerates fine. What could be the cause?
40 views
how would I obtain details of my "Big-Bird", such as the production date and who ordered the car? I do have a lot of information from the Vin number but this does not include the details I would like to have, including the cars history before it was shipped to the U.K., where I drive it every day.
I bought this car in 2006 and since have discovered, via the VIN, a lot about the car I did`nt know. Would it be possible to find out on what day it came off the production line, who ordered it and to what City/state it went to. Is it also possible to obtain information on the number of owners this car had in the U.S.A., before it was shipped to the U.K.?
173 views
which came first, the 1973 thunderbird or the lincoln mark IV?
was the lincoln based on the thunderbird, or was the thunderbird base on the mark?
253 views
removeal of stainless from rockers?
what is the best was to remove the stainless moldings on the bottem of my 76 project car? i don't wasnt mess thrm up, because after painting, i'm going to reinstall them. i know there are a lot of clips holding them on.
69 views
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