 1962 Thunderbird Roadster Owner: Brett and Jodie Sargent |
 |
|
A
Thunderbird Family Hi, my name is Brett Sargent and this is my Thunderbird story. I guess that I was born into a Thunderbird family. I believe my first exposure to a Thunderbird was in the sixties when my Uncle, Norm Pulliam, had purchased a beautiful white 1961 Thunderbird convertible, it was gorgeous. What a car, it left a long lasting impression on me. Not long after that my father, Jim Sargent, was on a business trip from Spokane, WA to Portland, OR. Anytime my father would take one of these trips he would always take time to look in the back of all the equipment dealerships that he passed. My family has always been in the contracting and construction business, so the trade-ins at these dealerships were often times hidden treasures that the typical passerby would not recognize as anything more than scrap metal. But on this particular trip there was another type of treasure, a 1956 Thunderbird that someone had traded in on a piece of construction equipment. My father immediately went into the dealership and purchased the Thunderbird. After returning to Spokane, the Thunderbird was taken to a local body shop owned by our family friend, Arthur Santa Rosa. The car remained there for approximately 3 years before completion. After the restoration the car looked magnificent and was a beautiful combination of gray body and a raven black hard top and a continental kit. But, after driving the Thunderbird for a short time my mother, Margie, decided that as beautiful as it was, it just wasn't a practical vehicle for our family's everyday needs. So, the Thunderbird was consigned at McCullom Ford on Sprague Avenue in the Spokane Valley. This dealership was less than 5 minutes from our home and the owners were friends of our family as well (the perfect fit). By the time my father got home from dropping off the car at the dealership, the phone was already ringing. The car was sold in less than 5 minutes. This just goes to show that even in the 1960's there was already a large following for the small Thunderbirds. They were obviously something very special. Then in 1969 my parents purchased a now Oxford Gray Thunderbird with a 429 Thunder jet and suicide doors. Wow, how cool for a kid, your own door, plus it swings the other direction. I was hooked from that moment on. |
My uncle, John Pulliam, has also
been a big influence through my Thunderbird life. He lives in
Southern California and in the 1970's was part owner of a body
shop. He always had beautiful collector cars, but my favorite
was a red 1957 Thunderbird. He eventually was convinced by an
auctioneering firm to sell that car at their auction. It sold
for a record auction price, a whopping $8,500.00. At the time
we couldn't imagine how they could possibly get more expensive
(wow, were we in for a surprise). From the 1970's through 2008, between my father and I, we owned thirteen more Thunderbirds. They were all cool, from the little ones to the large ones of the mid 1970's But after all of those, the one I have now is my favorite, my 1962 M Series Roadster. It is one of only 41 known to exist, and has been featured in several magazines as well as the Thunderbird restoration guide (page 134). It was built on January 26, 1962, serial #2Y89M141580, which makes it the second earliest M Roadster ever built. The car has a very interesting history, which makes it even more fun to share and take to shows. It will also be featured in a motion picture called "The Big Bang" scheduled for release in 2010. When I purchased the car it was in good condition, but needed some work to take it to the level that I felt it deserved. Several of my close friends and work mates have put in considerable time and effort to get the car to that condition. For that I would like to say thank you to Dave Hulme, Brian Johnson and Andy Schab for all of their help. This month my wife Jodie and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. As further proof that we are true Thunderbird lovers, I surprised Jodie with an immaculate 2002 black retro bird that she had been wanting since they were introduced. I think that all facts considered, this shows that we are truly Thunderbird people. I believe that when Ford produced the Thunderbird, they built a vehicle with a combination of sportiness, class and luxury that is yet to be equaled to this day and most likely never will be! This story is a very condensed version of my Thunderbird journey. I look forward to meeting you fellow T-Birders at shows and events to share many more fun tales and adventures from my T-Bird history, and maybe make some new memories with fellow Thunderbird enthusiasts. Thank you, Brett Sargent |
 |
 |
|