1982 Ford Thunderbird: The Last Box-Body Year

This record's own dek states plainly that the 5.0 V-8 was dropped for 1982, and that the 4.2 was the only V-8 left in the last box-body year of the eighth generation; this record's own overview repeats that Wikipedia's eighth-generation table gives 45,142 Thunderbirds for 1982 across all bodies and engines, with no body, engine or option split found in a citable source, and this record's own coverage field is marked partial rather than complete for the year.¹

This record's own overview also states that Wikipedia says the 3.3 six became standard for 1982, that a 3.8 V-6 at 112 horsepower was new, and that the 4.2 became the only V-8 after the 5.0 was discontinued; this record's own engines section carries all three entries, the 3.3-liter six marked standard, the 3.8-liter V-6 marked optional with the 112-horsepower rating attached, and the 4.2-liter V-8 marked "optional (only V-8)" in its own availability field.¹

This record's own engines section leaves the 4.2 and 3.3 entries without a ratings array at all, recording only the 3.8's 112-horsepower figure with a "not stated by source" qualifier on its rating basis; none of the three entries carries an induction value, a code, or a production figure, since this record's own text does not state any of those fields for any of the three engines. Each entry is sourced to the same Wikipedia paragraph on 1982 engines rather than to a Ford catalog.¹

This record's own production section carries a single row, the 45,142 whole-line total, sourced to Wikipedia's own production totals table and labeled a whole-line total rather than a performance-configuration count; its own note repeats that no citable split by body style, engine or option was found for the year, leaving that single row as this record's own only production figure for 1982, with no sales figure or trim-level breakdown recorded alongside it.¹

This record's own prices section is empty, and a separate priceNotes field explains why rather than leaving the gap silent: a figure from J.D. Power's live valuation pages was pulled from every page on the site as of September 24, 2026, because those pages "can change without our knowing and we have no way to check them independently," and no replacement source has been found yet; the same note warns that a price elsewhere that looks suspiciously exact may be quoting that same unconfirmed J.D. Power figure rather than confirming it independently, since several sites checked were found doing exactly that.¹

This record's own options, paint, interiors and specifications sections come from Ford's 1982 Thunderbird brochure (form 014-Ann. 8/81), which prints no prices. Its Data Center page gives a 108.4-inch wheelbase, 200.4-inch length, 74.1-inch width, 53.3-inch height, 21.0-gallon tank, room for four passengers and an approximate curb weight of 3,169 pounds without naming the model weighed. Its standard-feature table confirms the 3.3 six and SelectShift automatic as standard on the Thunderbird and Town Landau, and the 3.8 V-6 with Automatic Overdrive as standard on the Heritage, where the six was not available.

This record's own paint section lists the fourteen exterior colors of the brochure's Colors and Trims table, which gives names but no paint codes; Medium Blue, Light Fawn and Medium Vaquero Glow are marked optional. Its interiors section carries the table's ten interior trim colors, each with the exterior paints it could be paired with, from Dark Red to Opal/Vaquero, plus the base car's flight bench in fine-ribbed cloth and vinyl, which the standard-feature table marks unavailable on the Town Landau and Heritage. The same table lists eight vinyl roof colors, from Black to Cordovan.

This record's own options section carries seventy-one entries from the brochure's Options Selector, all without prices: nine radios and sound systems, the Carriage Roof described as a simulated convertible top, five Tu-Tone paint combinations, a Tripminder computer, a Keyless Entry System, a Flip-Up Open-Air Roof, Recaro bucket seats, and the new 3.8 liter V-6 with SelectShift and a new locking torque converter. The selector also says ten Value Option Packages bundled no-extra-charge items. This record's own keyFacts, transmissions, performance, identification, conflicts and unpublished-leads sections remain empty, and the brochure is cited as manufacturer marketing material.