Today's car of the day is Action's 1980 Ford Thunderbird NASCAR stock car (as driven by Neil Bonnett).
1980 saw a new downsized Thunderbird that was an upmarket derivative of the Ford Fairmont sedan with nicer trim. The 1980 Thunderbird was a unibody car, weighing 800 lb (363 kg) less than the 1979 model, and was 17 in. (432 mm) shorter. It was based on the Fox platform, and the lighter weight resulted in better gas mileage.
These cars were not well received by the general public, and sales dropped off dramatically after 1980. The squarish upright lines favored by Ford design vice-president Eugene Bordinat, similar to the popular 1977-79 models, didn't translate well to the smaller platform.
The base engine was a 4.2 L (255 cu in V8), or an optional 140 hp (104 kW) 5.0 L (302 cu in) Windsor V8. A 3.3 L (201 cu in) I6 was offered as a delete option in late built 1980 models and became the standard powerplant in 1981. The 3.8 L (232 cu in) V6 was made available as an option in 1982, and the 4.9 L (302 cu in) Windsor 5.0 V8 was dropped.
The 1980 and 1982 Thunderbirds offered vacuum operated hidden headlamps. Digital instrumentation was also available, along with a variety of trim packages. The 1980 Thunderbird was also among the first cars with a keyless entry keypad available. Recaro bucket seats were optional, and power windows were available.
In 1980, Thunderbird was offered as a "Silver Anniversary Edition" model commemorating the 25th anniversary of the car. The external color scheme was called "Anniversary Glow Silver" and the interior was a silver/gray velour with optional leather available. The standard list of features was very comprehensive including the 302 V-8 as standard, as well as a host of luxury trim and convenience options above what the "Town Landau" model offered. Standard features included a garage door opener and a unique landau roof treatment with unique trim and exterior model designation badging.
For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ford Thunderbird & Neil Bonnett
This is a recent purchase from 69Stang (thanks Ward!). I'm one of the few people that likes this generation Thunderbird. I prefer the '77-'79 'Birds but the '80-'82s are nice too.
Lawrence Neil Bonnett (July 30, 1946 - February 11, 1994) was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder. He was a color commentator in the years up until his death.
Neil Bonnett began his NASCAR career as a protégé of 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison, working on the team's cars. He later became part of the famous "Alabama Gang" that included himself, Red Farmer and the Allison family: father Bobby, brother Donnie and, later, son Davey. He began driving in NASCAR in 1974 and earned his first victory in 1977 at the Capital City 400 in Richmond, Virginia driving for Harry Hyde/Jim Stacy Racing. He had another victory in 1977 at the Los Angeles Times 500, which would be the last Dodge win in NASCAR until 2001. Many in racing circles thought 1978 would be his year to dominate, but troubles with his cars (the new for 78 Dodge Magnum) and financial problems between Hyde and Stacy caused his cars to fail and to drop out of many races. In 1979 he hooked up with the Wood Brothers Racing Team and got his career back on track with three victories. He later won back-to-back World 600s (NASCAR's longest race, now the Coca-Cola 600) and back-to-back Busch Clash (now Bud Shootout) victories in 1983 and '84, including his first in which he did not win a single pole from the previous season, but was selected as a wild card entry.
In 1984, Bonnett joined Junior Johnson's team, becoming a teammate to Darrell Waltrip. In 1985, Bonnett had one of his best seasons, finishing fourth in the points standings while Waltrip went on to win his third championship.
Bonnett participated in International Race of Champions (IROC) during three seasons (1979, 1980, and 1984), and finished second twice.
On April 1, 1990, Neil Bonnett suffered a life-threatening crash during the TranSouth 500 at Darlington, South Carolina when his car hit the water barrels in front of pit road drivers-side first. Left with amnesia and dizziness, Bonnett retired from racing and turned to television, becoming a race color commentator for TNN, CBS Sports, and TBS Sports, and hosting the TV show Winners for TNN.
However, Bonnett still desired to continue racing. In 1992, he began testing cars for good friends Dale Earnhardt and car owner Richard Childress. Cleared to race again in 1993 and upon Earnhardt's suggestion, Childress gave Bonnett a ride for the 1993 DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway which was numbered 31 and sponsored by Mom and Pop's, one of Earnhardt's associate sponsors. But Bonnett's comeback race was marred by a crash in which his car spun, became airborne, and crashed into the spectator fence. Bonnett was uninjured and called the rest of the race from the CBS broadcast booth after being cleared at the infield care center. He would also start the final race of the 1993 season in Atlanta, but he dropped out after just three laps. The reason the team gave for removing the car from the race was a blown engine, however Bonnett was teamed with points leader Dale Earnhardt, and the car was retired to assist Earnhardt in winning the season's championship. Earnhardt needed to maximize his finishing position, and by Bonnett quitting the race he was assured of those three championship points. That would be Bonnett's final cup start of his career.
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