Third generation · 'Bullet Bird' · 1961–1963
1963Ford Thunderbird
Sleek, projectile-like styling with a pointed nose and round taillights.
Photo: “1963 Ford Thunderbird (27710255291)” by Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Quick facts
- Engines
- 2offered390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8 (gross) → 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8 (gross)
- Top output
- 340hp390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8 (gross)
Body stylesHardtop (Model 63A) · Convertible (Model 76A) · Landau Hardtop (Model 63B) · Sports Roadster (Model 76B) · Limited Edition Landau (Model 63B)
Start here
What do you need to know?
This page covers the whole 1963 Ford Thunderbird model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.
Complete, source-verified lineup
Find your exact 1963 Thunderbird
Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.
Verified complete for the U.S.-marketHow this lineup was verified
We checked this U.S.-market lineup against period sources for factory body and named-series roster with source-supported engine and transmission combinations; option packages are excluded unless Ford marketed them as distinct models. Every version shown below has its own detail page.
Verified 2026-09-01 from Ford — 1963 Thunderbird AMA passenger-car specification (issued October 22, 1962), Ford — 1963 Thunderbird brochure, Ford — 1963 full-line brochure, revision 63-1 (Limited Edition Landau).
Hardtop (Model 63A), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Hardtop (Model 63A)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Hardtop (Model 63A), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Hardtop (Model 63A)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Convertible (Model 76A), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Convertible (Model 76A)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Convertible (Model 76A), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Convertible (Model 76A)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Landau Hardtop (Model 63B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Landau Hardtop (Model 63B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Landau Hardtop (Model 63B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Landau Hardtop (Model 63B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Sports Roadster (Model 76B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Sports Roadster (Model 76B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Sports Roadster (Model 76B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Sports Roadster (Model 76B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Limited Edition Landau (Model 63B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Limited Edition Landau Hardtop (Model 63B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8, 300 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Limited Edition Landau (Model 63B), 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp, Cruise-O-Matic
- Body
- Limited Edition Landau Hardtop (Model 63B)
- Engine
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8, 340 hp
- Gearbox
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Built
- Regular production
No factory configuration matches those filters.
The 1963 model year
Overview
The 1963 Thunderbird continued as Hardtop, Convertible, Landau Hardtop, and Sports Roadster, with the 300-hp four-barrel 390 standard and the 340-hp three-two-barrel 390 optional across the factory matrix. A midyear Limited Edition Landau added a separately marketed edition while retaining Landau body code 63B.
Specifications
- Engines
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) four-barrel V8 (gross)300 hp
- 390 cu in (6.4-liter) three-two-barrel High-Performance V8 (gross)340 hp
- Transmissions
- Cruise-O-Matic automatic
- Body styles
- Hardtop (Model 63A), Convertible (Model 76A), Landau Hardtop (Model 63B), Sports Roadster (Model 76B), Limited Edition Landau (Model 63B)
Year over year
What changed
- A separately marketed Limited Edition Landau was introduced during the model year.
- The regular four-body range and its standard 300-hp/optional 340-hp 390 V8 matrix continued with automatic transmission only.
Worth knowing
Notable
- Ford's revised full-line brochure identifies the Limited Edition Landau separately, supporting a dedicated configuration page despite its shared 63B body code.
Living with it
Reliability & ownership notes
- Confirm body code, trim, carburetion, and Limited Edition documentation separately; the Limited Edition retained the ordinary Landau 63B body code.
- Do not assume the 340-hp V8 was mandatory Limited Edition equipment: Ford's AMA matrix makes it an all-model option.
Maintenance & service parts
Keep your 1963 Thunderbird on the road
Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.
Service desk
What this car needs & when
Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1963 Ford Thunderbird. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.
- Service topics
- 3
- Factory intervals
- 2
- Fitment-scoped
- 3
- Exact references
- 1
Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.
Engine oil change and minor lubrication
Sourced interval available
Source: Ford — 1963 Thunderbird brochure · Practical dividends page, maintenance paragraph · checked
Major chassis lubrication
Sourced interval available
Source: Ford — 1963 Thunderbird brochure · Practical dividends page, maintenance paragraph · checked
Engine oil filter — catalog fitment
Exact reference available
This manufacturer application record establishes replacement-filter fitment only; it does not establish a service interval.
Baldwin B2
Baldwin B2
Source: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Ford 1963 — Thunderbird application, printed catalog page 672, Lube column · checked
Verified ordering references
- Validated equivalentBaldwin B2
Qty. 1 · Engine lubricating-oil filter · catalog-listed
Cataloged for the 1963 Ford Thunderbird. Confirm VIN, installed engine, and filter housing before ordering.
Catalog: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Ford 1963 — Thunderbird application, printed catalog page 672, Lube column · checked
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