Makes › Ford › Thunderbird › Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1962) · Rare specification
Ford
Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1962)
1962 Sports Roadster with the 390 tri-power M-code V8
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted
- Power
- 254 kW / 345 PSFactory: 340 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Bud Kaufman (Sports Roadster tonneau, appointed by Lee Iacocca)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The M-code was the tri-power 390 engine option on the 1962 Sports Roadster, the third-generation Thunderbird that looked like a two-seater. Only 120 Sports Roadsters were fitted with it, making them among the rarest of that generation.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
No production figures recorded yet.
History
The Sports Roadster arrived for 1962 as a way to bring back the feeling of the first two-seat Thunderbirds. The M-code option replaced the standard 300 hp 390 with a version using three two-barrel carburetors, rated at 340 hp.
The Sports Roadster package cost $650 more than the standard convertible and the M-code engine a further $242.10. Air conditioning was not available with the tri-power engine.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1962).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | M-code1 Independently researched |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | OHV2 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Induction | Three two-barrel carburetors (tri-power)1 Independently researched |
| Power | 254 kW / 345 PSFactory: 340 hp · converted1 Independently researchedBonhams calls the 340 hp rating conservative. |
| Power at | 5,000 rpm1 Independently researched |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Three-speed automatic2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent, coil springs3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Solid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs3 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Four-wheel power-operated drums2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,870 mmFactory: 2,870 mm2 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The engine code M appears in the chassis number (for example 2Y89M147868). The M-code engine has its own cylinder heads, valves and springs, a high-volume oil pump, a special distributor, larger-diameter dual exhaust pipes and three Holley two-barrel carburetors. Sports Roadster features are the fibreglass tonneau cover with headrests over the rear seats, Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels (rear fender shields deleted), a passenger grab bar and special front-fender badges.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1962 Ford Thunderbird M-Code Sports Roadster Level C Mecum Auctions
- A new "M-Code" version of the 390 CI
- triple Holley 2-barrel carburetors
- producing 340 HP at 5,000 RPM
- 340 HP at 5,000 RPM
-
2
1962 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster (London 2014) Level A RM Sotheby's · 2014
- 390-cu.-in. V-8 with three two-barrel carburetors
- 390 cu. in. M-Code OHV V-8 engine
- three-speed automatic transmission
- four-wheel power-operated drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 2,870 mm
-
3
1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster, chassis 2Y89M147868 (lot 209) Level C Bonhams · 2020-03-05
- Independent Front Suspension with Coil Springs
- Solid Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptic Rear Springs
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