As the saying goes, every car has a story. And the 1978 Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee we owned for a while has several. Bought as a Valentine’s Day gift in 1978, lovingly cared for through decades of ownership, and later purchased as a gift for another wife, it has been defined as much by the people behind the wheel as the miles it traveled.
I talked a little bit about this car in a previous post, but here’s an update on its background and current whereabouts. The car’s story began in 1978 when Dr. Byron Smith bought it for his wife on Valentine’s Day at Theodore Robins Ford in Costa Mesa, California. Being a special gift, he selected the most loaded model available—finished in blue metallic with a moonroof and a 400-2v engine. Mrs. Smith even had her name engraved on a gold dashboard plaque and her initials set into the pinstriping.
Research suggests the Smiths were a very happy couple who truly loved the car and kept it well into their retirement days. Sadly, after Mrs. Smith passed away, the doctor began to struggle with dementia in his later years, and he accidentally put engine oil into the transmission. The car sat unused from then on.
Fast forward to 2019, my friend Dan from Dan’s Lincoln Parts forwarded me the FB Marketplace ad for the car. As I learned, Dan took his driving test in his father’s 1978 Diamond Jubilee, and originally planned to restore the car rather than part it out. When he decided to sell it, he gave me the first option to buy. For the second time in its history, the car became a gift for a man’s wife, as I purchased it for my wife, Cindy.
Due to COVID-19, I couldn’t find transport from Southern California to our home in Northeast Tennessee. It wasn’t until April 2023 that a friend and I drove across the country in my Silverado to pick it up. We named her “Victoria,” and although the sun had taken a toll on the exterior, the car was all original and had only 86,400 miles.
It was clear Dr. Smith had cared for the car throughout the years; I even found spare parts in the trunk, along with a vinyl top sample he had intended to order.
Once home, I hired mechanics to get the car road-ready, only to find the transmission required a rebuild. Regrettably, I faced serious health challenges that stalled the project further in 2024-2025. By the grace of God, I recovered, and I feel better today than I have in a long time.
Still, after those health challenges and the desire to focus on our other classic—a ’78 Fleetwood—my wife, Cindy, and I made the difficult decision to sell Victoria. We eventually found a father-and-son mechanic team to take over the project. My only conditions were that the car never be used for a demolition derby or parted out; it deserves to be preserved.
Watching the car drive away was difficult, but I recently spoke with the new owner. He and his son have already flushed and fixed up the transmission, and the car is back on the road, shifting through all gears.
And while the “Lido Brougham” era of excess and heavy vinyl roofs isn’t for everyone, this car was a perfect fit for Cindy and me. I am grateful our Diamond Jubilee has gone to a home where it will be truly appreciated, and hopefully it will go back to its former glory.
Related CC reading:
Vintage Reviews: 1977 Ford Thunderbird – A New Kind Of Thunder
Curbside Classic: 1977 Ford Thunderbird – Her Name Was Lola
Nice story…a beautiful car, glad it was saved.
The 1977 Thunderbird and Lincoln Mark V were a rare example of Ford lurching into good taste during the ’70s. Along with the Cougar XR-7, the emphasis was on straight lines, and a kind of muscular grace. The T-Bird added the innovative “tiara” roofline with spacious quarter windows to augment the beveled opera cutouts.
I agree. I never warmed up to the LTD II even though a good friend had one. And many people aren’t big fans of the vinyl covering the rear most windows. But I felt like it separates it from the basic Thunderbird.
Theodore Robin’s Ford in Costa Mesa! I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s with the Robins kids and my parents were friends with their parents. Great family.
This is cool! I planned to send them an email with pictures!
I ordered the Marti deluxe report which included the window sticker.
And because the car spent it’s life out in California it has zero rust.
I can relate to much of this. Not specifically a Thunderbird. So I appreciate the story.
Glad this fine example of this era is being saved.
I have always loved that light silvery-blue color, and that was my favorite part of these when they were new. I am glad you found this one a good home.
The hardest part of this was seeing my wife of 42 years cry when it left.
I don’t like seeing her cry and have tried hard to avoid that for our married life.
But she made the final decision- it was her car.
The men who have it made her a promise- she can drive it when they have it running soundly. That took the edge off.
It’s a typical story that an old car will pass through a series of owners that improve the car during their ownership.Eventually the car gets to a finished state. As an older guy myself, I know that it’s best to concentrate on a single project at a time, as we’ve only got so much energy to go around! I hope the Cadillac is still in fine fettle.
Here’s hoping it gets the love and care it needs .
-Nate
Good on you for realizing your limitations and selling your beloved T-bird. So many old cars get “saved” for later restoration that never happen and they sit and rot. You did right.
Yea, that’s what we both decided too. It wasn’t going to be drivable under our money and age restraints and these two seem to really like this car.
Glad to hear you are in good health, Chip! And keep on writing….
Thank you so much. It was definitely touch and go for a minute. I remember when I was in the ER and the doctor asking if I knew about blood clots in the lungs, which I’d never heard of at all. Then him telling my wife and I that if nothing was done, I had about 10 hours of life. Very sobering.
For those who’ve asked, the Cadillac is a current work in progress.
And it’s been a nightmare. I took it to a mechanic to have a tune up, carb rebuild and timing set/ water pump replacement. Well that turned into him finding that the head gaskets were leaking. Now I have wrenched on a few cars and know that those can be replaced with the engine in the car. However he chose to pull it.
Due to my not feeling well I simply didn’t have the energy to fight.
Currently, it is being worked on by a different shop and I’m prayerful that they will finish up the job not done before.
I’ll post more as time goes on