Son sees his late father's 1978 Thunderbird cleaned for the first time in 40 years and can't believe what he's looking at
Published on Oct 07, 2025 at 3:59 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 07, 2025 at 11:52 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This man had an emotional response after seeing his late dad’s beloved 1978 Ford Thunderbird cleaned up for the first time in 40 years.
Ford introduced the Thunderbird in 1955 and it ran for a whopping 11 generations, until 2005.
In 1978, the Ford Thunderbird was in its seventh generation and was a real head turner.
Unfortunately, this example was turning heads for the wrong reason after four decades parked.
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The 1978 Ford Thunderbird was covered in dirt and grime
This particular model was bought in the mid 1980s but was hardly ever used.
The owner’s son Tim explained that he hadn’t even set eyes on the car since he was about seven years old.
It was only when his dad sadly died early this year that he rediscovered it.
“I think this is like the classic example of you get something, you have ideas and dreams as to what you’re going to do with it, and then life kind of got in the way,” Tim explained to WD Detailing.
With his dad now passed, the family wanted to get the car cleaned up, but faced with such a mammoth task, they called in the experts from WD Detailing.
WD Detailing have plenty of experience when it comes to refreshing long-forgotten cars, having previously given this Corvette its first wash in more than 30 years, and restoring this stunning Jaguar E-Type to its former glory.
This time around, the team arrived to find the poor old 1978 Ford Thunderbird covered in debris, dirt, dust and grime.
Inside was a similar story with the seats and dashboard in serious need of some TLC.
Thankfully, the team wasted no time in whipping the car out of the garage and getting to work with the pressure washer, soap, vacuum cleaner, and a whole host of tools to get it looking tip top once again.
The late owner’s son was overwhelmed when he saw the car
When Tim called in WD Detailing to get the car cleaned up, the team was actually able to get it back up and running again, too.
Seeing the 1978 Ford Thunderbird with gleaming paintwork and back on the road again led to an emotional moment for Tim.
“Look at that. He’s driving it,” a shocked Tim exclaimed when he saw the Ford headed towards him.
“Get out of here. No way.
“I didn’t think that that thing would turn over no matter what you did.”
Taking a closer look at the car, Tim couldn’t believe his eyes and heaped praise on the team for their hard work.
Not only that, but he got to sit inside the car for the first time since he was just seven years old.
You can watch the full satisfying clean up on the WD Detailing YouTube channel here.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
