Jump to content

Tell us your T-Bird Story


1957Birdman

Recommended Posts

Anyone interested in early T-Birds has a story to tell. What is yours? Is it the one you owned and sold; the one you missed out on; the one that first got your attention; the biggest job you ever did on one; or is it the one that you restored. Whatever the story, post it here and share it with your fellow T-Bird aficionados.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a story but just trying to get some frustration off my mind. I have a good friend that has a 57 sitting in his garage. It's been there for far to many years. Maybe 20 years now. It apparently has some minor engine problems. I've tried to buy the car a few years back but he says that he is saving it for his retirement project. The car is in very good condition body wise and also the interior. Well, he's been retired now for about 2 years and still no action on the car. I am without a project and would love to have this car. I will be seeing him probably this week so maybe some of you shrewd T-Bird guys can give me a few tips as to how to approach the situation. I've thought of offering him a decent price for it the way it sits but unsure what it may be worth. I'll try to get some pictures of it. He's had this car a very long time but has done nothing with it. I figure it's time someone started to appreciate it.

Thanks for listening.

Ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ron,

Your situation is one that is all too common. The good news is that the car has been kept in a garage, which should mean that you less to deal with than if the car had been kept in a barn. Anyway, you will need to find out some things about the car to determine the value. Is it a C, D, E, or F Bird. You will be able to tell this from the first letter of the VIN number. The F Bird (factory supercharged) is the one that is worth the most, but is in short supply. The E Bird has twin 4 barrel carbs and is in greater supply, but still somewhat rare. The D Bird is the most plentiful (single 4 barrel) and can have either an automatic or overdrive manual transmission. The C Bird is a 292 CID with a 2 barrel carb and 3 spd stick with no o/d and is worth the least.

Take pictures of the car, especially in the engine compartment and underneath to see what things look like. Things to be concerned about are rust under the car, around the wheel wells, etc. The other thing is that a car that hasn't been driven in a long time will probably need new seals or you will probably have more leaks than usual.

In terms of value, does it have both tops? If it is missing a soft top it will cost several thousand dollars to get another top like the one that came with the car. What options does it have? Is it missing any key components. All of these will affect the value. What kind of shape is the engine in? Is it locked up? Figure on at least pulling the heads. The Y Block engines are notorious for getting stuck valves when they aren't used for extended periods.

Personally, I wouln't pay as much for a car that isn't running as I would for a car that is running. So I would figure that into the offer.

As for trying to talk you friend into selling it, that is probably the toughest part. I would try to convince him at this point it would be better for him to sell the car and use the proceeds to buy something that he can drive and enjoy now. Maybe that line of reasoning would work with him.

Regards,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Lew

I'll talk to him tomorrow and see what info I can get. Hopefully I can go over there and look at the car and get some pictures. I'll see what kind of attachment he has to the car if any and I agree that he can get more use out of the money then letting the car slowly rust away.

Thanks for the info and I will keep you posted.

Ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
Guest shar55tb

Hello--

I am a new member just joining this morning. I have a 1955 Thunderbird that I bought in 1997 as "mostly original". I used to watch the owner drive it by my house on his way to the local watering hole. One day we drove by his house and saw it in the front yard with a For Sale sign on it..I grabbed the husbands arm and shouted "Turn around!". I borrowed from my retirement and 4-days later it was mine. :) I still get goosebumps when I sit down fanny first and swing in my legs to get under the wheel.

Since I like "antiques and old things" I didn't restore it---just cleaned it up put some tires on her and drove it for ice cream. Actually the husband did the cleaning and I ate the ice cream. But here is the problem. I think that because it is mostly original and not restored that it would fall into the HPOF class and may be worth more when I have to sell it. He disagrees.

I found your site...joined up... searched the forums, but cannot open the link 2012 judging guidleines that I found in another forum. I realize that this link will not help me set a value but I would like to know if my 'cutest little car' would qualify for one of the HPOF categories. How can I get to these guidelines ? Can you post the web address >

(and Yes, I am looking to sell it for a fair price but that will come later...as will the tears)

Sharon L. Mistretta

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've owned a dozen or more early Birds, but the one that stands out is the first one, of course. Bought it from a good friend in New Orleans in the mid-1970's, sold it to another friend in the mid-1990's, bought it back about 10 or 11 years ago.

While in New Orleans, I wanted a hard top to go with it, the car was that turquoise color. The fellow who sold it to me, Charlie F., and I, drove to Alabama to pick up a top (and of course we drove the '55 Tbird). We got there, I bought the top, and put it on the car, but the top was red! Charlie took one look at this goshawful color combination, and said "David, I think I'll take the bus back to New Orleans!" He didn't, and we got to his house after being in a thunderstorm on the way back. About 2 inches of water in the floor wells, and nothing would do but pull in his garage and dry it out....good memory...

Now the sad part. I had it repainted, got involved in other projects, decided to sell it. And I did, and always regretted it, and also regretted not keeping the buyer's name.

So, if anyone know who has the Thunderbird blue, three speed plain jane 1955, sitting around (no power anything), let me know. One feature it had was being a wonderful driver, the clutch so smooth and the transmission "click"ing so nicely into each gear.

And yes, I know there are a bunch our there, but if someone knows where the car from Virginia with a Louisiana title went......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Sharon,

Welcome to the forum and it sounds like you have a really nice car. The information on HPOF is available here : http://www.aaca.org/images/2012_Judges_Guidelines.pdf

Basically, to show in HPOF it needs to be an unrestored original or have certain feature that are original. Anyway, as for adding to the value, it might or it might not. There are precious few early T-Birds out there that haven't been restored in some way. Usually the restoration is a fresh coat of paint and new seat covers. Everyone wants to think their car is special for whatever reason, but the fact is that they made enough of them that few are really rare. The supercharged D code '57 T-Birds fall into that category. The F code supercharged '57s are also pretty rare and pricey. The cars that bring high prices at auctions are usually those that are over-restored in the extreme. I suggest you just drive and enjoy your car and don't worry about the few extra bucks you might get when you sell it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

This more about the "ancestry" than a particularly notable or fond memory story. I bought my red 1957 Thunderbird from my boss at work about 1.5 years about. He got it at a charity auction for the local children's hospital. He made a very generous donation for the hospital and got the car. It was in good condition but the paint was not. It was not restored until 2010 ( pictures 1957 Thunderbird ). The car was donated to the auction by Ford. I have a copy of the title. I have not been able to get any record on the ownership before that from Ford nor the State. The shop who did the restoration is exceptional. They are a very high end, shop that builds all the Corvette race cars (American LeMans) and other programs for GM. They now have an impressive classic car restoration business going after this TBird being their first. (My boss had a relationship with them and therefore the request to do the Thunderbird.)

Any thoughts on how to trace the lineage of this vehicle? I'm guessing it just stays a mystery.

Thanks

Edited by Detroit57Bird (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your chances of tracing the ownership history are probably nil, especially if the State of Michigan does not maintain any records. Unless documentation came with the car it is almost impossible to trace the history on a 55 year old car. I was able to trace mine back to 1985, but hit a brick wall there when that owner couldn't remember who they bought it from. What you can get is a copy of the original factory invoice if you are a member of CTCI. They are available through the TARTC chapter of CTCI for $50. You can also get good information from the patent plate under the hood. If you want to post that information here I can give you a breakdown of what it means.

By the way, that is a great looking car with a super color combination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest 56Tbird
Hi Ron,

Anyway, you will need to find out some things about the car to determine the value. Is it a C, D, E, or F Bird. You will be able to tell this from the first letter of the VIN number. The F Bird (factory supercharged) is the one that is worth the most, but is in short supply. The E Bird has twin 4 barrel carbs and is in greater supply, but still somewhat rare. The D Bird is the most plentiful (single 4 barrel) and can have either an automatic or overdrive manual transmission. The C Bird is a 292 CID with a 2 barrel carb and 3 spd stick with no o/d and is worth the least.

What about a P?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest 56Tbird

Well, I'm new to the forum. I have always had an admiration for the 55 -57 Tbird, and always wanted one. I was at a big car show in Jefferson Co. Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, and came across this 1956 Bird, and fell in love with it, and bought it. I think this vintage Tbird is just so classy. I'm glad I got it. About a month ago, I was about to buy a 58 Vette, but the deal fell through. It was meant to be that this Tbird would come my way.

I've done some research on these cars, but am looking forwward to learning from those of you who have had them for awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The P code was used in 1955 and 1956. In '55 it indicated a 292 with 4 barrel with any transmission. In 1956 it denoted a 312 CID with 4 barrel carburetor. It was a pretty common engine. Nice car, by the way. You should join CTCI. It is a great resource for the early T-Bird enthusiast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Guest djsyvrud

Just wanted to share the picture of my brothers 57 T Bird, he bought it around 1965 while he was in the service and drove it for a while and then put it in storage around 1970. It has been stored and still is only being brought out very little as he lives out of the country. I drove it in the 90's to my class reunion, drove nice but the power steering seals were leaking other than that ran great. He has it stored in a climate controlled garage. Just an interesting story. I keep aksing him what he's going to do with it but he says he's not going to sell it.post-90004-143139290178_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
Guest skygazer

Two years ago I recovered my Grandmother's 1955 tbird from my cousin. It was a basket case that hadn't run since I took it apart when I was a teenager, 40 years earlier. The car has been in the family, running or not, since 1956.

Grandma died just after my 4th birthday, but I remember riding in the "teebur" with her. I have a blog about the car and the restoration story here.

post-94496-143141957243_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was missing owning an early 'Bird, so a few years ago bought a nice '56, red with both tops, all power, and set up for touring with aftermarket AC and some other goodies. We didn't use it much, so advertised it, no interest and I had little time, as I was travelling.

There's a local dealer with a Toy Store, who buys and sells interesting cars. Went to see him about 6 months ago, named a reasonable price, and he bought the car immediately as it sat on his lot. I caught a ride home.

I later found out that as I left, a woman who was looking at another car on his lot went to him and said "I want that car..." and proceeded to buy it. He "owned" it for about 15 minutes and I'm sure he made fair money on it.

Where was she when I was trying to sell?

Would still love to know where my '55 resides now, if you own it you'd know it, sweet driving car that clicks firmly into gear like no other I've ever driven......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest 89 Maui

I am not a baby bird owner but at the age of three my dad was a Buick mech and he would take me with him on Saturdays and during one month the dealership was on the tour of the '54 "Wildcat concept" which I would sit in and admire. So the beginning of my love for Buicks, however, at the same time my future father-in-law was attending the introduction of the '55 Thunderbird in Detroit and he was given a pen set and a tie-tac which was the wings of the Thunderbird logo. He is no longer with us but I have acquired the tie-tac and really enjoy wearing it and showing it off.

Let me backtrack to when I was dating his daughter. A friend and I worked at a company and we would alternate rides every other week, his car a '55 Tbird. On Friday nights we would grab our bowling balls and jump into the Tbird and drive 50-60-80 miles to any town that had a bowling alley, but everytime we would touch the city limits, of any of the towns, we would get a car full of girls following us. I have never to this day experienced such an effect on girls as that Tbird did. I have always been a family minded guy but with the children and now grandchildred off and on their own, I wanted to get back into automobiles and the first car I started exploring on EBAY was the baby Tbird, but the wife wouldn't approve of spending 20K+ for one. I then looked at other cars and found what I was scratching my _alls for, a personnal luxury car the Buick Reatta as was the 55-57 Tbird and as far back as the '54 Wildcat. I am not in 7th heaven but a deep passion for this car. As the baby Tbirds were not sports cars they were a personnal luxury car. The Buick Reatta was brought out quite similiarly but with the future electronics in it. When I take her out on rides it causes more neck strains than any other car I have owned. It is such an enjoyable car to drive and to work on.

Sorry that I infiltrated your Tbird thread but to me the Tbird was such a big part of my life that I had to tell you my story.

Woody

89 MAUI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi together,

My short introducion to this T-Bird Thread.

Myself are a Buickguy ('38 Buisnesscoupe with a hot 236 cui Straight Eight in it),but my Girl has bought last Year a restored '54 (pre series) Bird with 292 cui Y ,Fordomatic,Powerseats and Powerwindows with original 6 V Electrical.

From Outside Black,the Interior is Red with Wite. Now with a new white Softtop,because the Bird come without any Roof.

The Car was in nice Condition but many small things i have to do on it for a perfect technical Finish.

The Holley makes many Problems,so have changed it to a small Edelbrock ( Of course all the OEM Parts are stored ).

Many Problems with the 6 V Regulator have give some not so nice "Breaks" while driving.

The Fordomatic needs a refreshing,the Therm_Gauge doesnt work correctly,also the new Tanksender.

We will fix the Problems next time each for another.

It runs very good and is licensed the whole Year for driving from Spring to Fall.

I'm the Mechanic (Jens) of that Car and of course she's (Susanne) still only the Driver,but she wanna learn about her Car.

Greetings

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

My story goes like this... I bought a 1955 T-bird in the fall of 1978. Primer gray exterior, red/white seat cover, red dash cover. Had a 289 three speed conversion and upgraded to 12V. Wanted to restore. Swapped the engine & trans for a 292 automatic. Got new glass for the doors. Only chrome missing from the car was the V-8 insignias for the front fenders. (I bought them) The floors and trunk had lots of rust that had been poorly patched. I then took a course in auto body to prepare for the huge task ahead. Well then life & work took precedence. I eventually changed my mind about a proper restoration due to what I learned it would cost ($). I got a new job in CA. I got rid of the engine / trans and other parts I would not need due to the decision of updating the car. I took the rolling chassis to CA. Never had time to work on it there. Moved to SC. Took the rolling chassis there. I had to fix (weld) a bad door post on the drivers side. I started working to replace the floors. I purchased a 1986 Thunderbird and disassembled it to put into my 1955. I put in a 302 automatic and started rewiring the car. I updated the power window motors to 12V. I have moved back to MA and now retired. There was a couple years it was sitting outside and now I have to do the floors again. I have had the car now for 38 years and I have a huge retirement project starting with plans to build a new garage worthy of my cars.

By the way I should mention we also have a 1988 Buick Reatta (should get it on the road in the next few weeks) & a 2011 Dodge Charger MOPAR.

Edited by fordrodsteven (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
Guest Silverbird58

mine is kinda  odd .   Dad bought it home one day . he thought he would move it and make a buck .   But i started working on it in 1978.  a convertible  And it needed everything .                                 A 60 convert.

                                     Engine locked up with 33'k on the mtr and now it shows 43,453 miles .  Dad said i had To agree to red Or he wouldn't pay For the paint job .

                                     I put a 390 in it and it's 63 tranny . it does well .   In late 82 i put a Mcculloch vs57 huffer Above the power steering pump and run a modest 6psi.

                                      the exhaust was opened up to 2.25" all the way back . with formal turn downs . 

                                      It now has disk brakes with  1997 ford ranger 14x6"  aluminum wheels , If you bend the tabs in ALL the way around the cap & its lip too .

                                      the caps knock on and hold well . use a mallet .

                                      top got a new pump and fresh Type F juice .

                                      215x78 -14 coker classics   32 psi is a ton of air .

                                      The other day my  new autolite platinum plugs took a crap . /all Black / i drained the gas into a big bucket for inspection .At 3.5 months the gas

                                        was rotting in the new tank .  it looked light brown . Poured it in the daily beater .  and put new fuel in ,with nos F14y's  maybe just maybe

                                         the fuel isnt hot enough anyway.  At idle (zero boost )  it does well /smooth .   Vacuum advance ( 12370-a )  does as it supposed to in the book .

                                        And is verified  by a clear distributor cap .  a 3/8 tubing is feed into the cap to boost Remind the advance to Do its thing . It does .

                                         So Far So good,  runs strong . feels  350 -375 ish hp  on  pump gas .  might need some 99 av fuel .

                                         Any one looked at the FMr-2 radio conversions from Blankenship  ?  Do they hold up ?

Edited by Silverbird58
forgot (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was nine years old, when I saw my first Thunderbird, a 1956 model.  A local grocery store was giving away a Thunderbird as part of a promotion to attract new customers.  When I saw that shiny, black car perched atop a platform in front of the store, it was love at first sight.  I thought it was the most incredibly beautiful car in the whole universe!  At that precise moment, I vowed to one day own a 1956 Thunderbird.  I had to wait fifty-six years to make my dream a reality, but in 2012, I found my dream car--a Fiesta Red 1956 Thunderbird, after an internet search.  It had been with the same owner for twenty years and came with detailed receipts showing the work that had been done over the past twenty years.  The primary selling point: it was a complete, rust-free car.  Still, it needed some serious TLC, so I took it to a local restoration shop specializing in '55-'57 Thunderbirds.  There it received a professional ground-up restoration to data plate specifications.  The result is an AACA National First Prize in 2015 and a role in a recent Dolly Parton Christmas movie, "Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love."  My wife and I enjoy taking the car out on nice days where it often receives "thumbs-up" from admiring motorists.

DSCN1583_(2).JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish I had a Thunderbird story of 1 I owned, but such is not the case.  However, I have fond memories of a white with red interior & top 1978 Thunderbird a cousin in PA had "back in the day".....

 

 

Cort, www.oldcarsstronghearts.com
pig&cowValves.paceMaker * 1979 CC to 2003 MGM + 81mc

"I don't know if there'll be snow" | Burl Ives | 'Have A Holly Jolly Christmas'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...