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Has the car been painted recently? Has anyone been messing with the electrical and left the headlights disconnected? With so many lights out, my guess is the car has recently been painted and ground wires ( if they were re-attached at all) were screwed down on top of a fresh coat of paint ...

Forget It!!!! I have seen soo many in the junk yards as abandoned projects.

Yes just work Penetrating oil into were the shaft enters and exits the carb body. May take soaking for 10 Minutes, 10 hours , 10 days.

Two gaskets are good. Been there and did that. Also, shave the machined surface of the exhaust manifold to remove any corrosion pits and get 100% flat surface. Any exhaust blow by the gasket will burn a groove in the manifold.

Joe: Other people in other T-Bird Forums have been unable to find one. Don't do a I did and have a welder make one up. He made one like the one shown in the 66 manual and it didn't work because of the bow in the spring and the coil angles. He made up another one with 4 "J" hooks . It worked to...

Easy--You have somebody else's door on your car! Does the Door VIN number match the body stamped VIN numbers?

John Drexler/Thunderbird Ranch Web Page indicates Castillian Gold on both Air Cleaners. Anyone have literature showing different colors on the two Air Cleaners--and hopefully the Manufacturers Paint Number ? Thanks [ 04-19-2002: Message edited by: t-bird-art ]

Also, get the 62 Ford Thunderbird Factory Service Manual. They are on eBay once in a while-cheap.

Radial Tip / Experiece----I have found Radials flip off the hub caps easily on early 6o's Ford and GM . Believe the wheels or hubcaps were not designed for the flexable Radials . I put "Plastic Dip" on the little "grippers" on the back of the hubcaps to keep them on.

Looks like a long walk home down long dusty dirt road !

I just scrape the paint off wires with a fingernail so as not to loose the color codes on the wires. Tedious but worth it. Seems paint doesn't want to stick very well to the wires. [ 04-15-2002: Message edited by: t-bird-art ]

Hate to say it but---- the little turn signal motor in the trunk needs help---a couple of drops of 3-in-1 oil on the shaft where it enters the cream colored cam box. After 35 years+ it is dry as a bone and dragging to the point where the little motor that could- can't turn because of the drag.

P.S.---As with all electrical testing of accessories ALWAYS turn ignition key to ACC position. Never turn the ignition key to "RUN" position and leave it sit there without the engine running.

Small addition: Run gas tank to almost empty THEN remove the sending unit. With the wiring harness connected, manually raise and lower the float while someone watches the fuel guage. Still sits on "E": follow the 24" BLACK wire at the harness connection to where it is screwed to the floor pan...

Add to the above: The case on the relay has to be grounded. There should be a 10" factory BLACK wire running from the relay screwed to the trunk floor with a sheet metal screw. Clean any rust away from the shet metal screw. [ 04-14-2002: Message edited by: t-bird-art ]

Have someone step on the brakes. If only one post on the relay lights up a 12v test light--bad relay. If no posts light the test light, you're not getting voltage from the brake light switch mounted avove the brake pedal under the dash.

Good Grief North. You don't have the picture yet. Crankcase gets smoke from combustion blowing by the rings.Crankcase gasses exit the oil filler tube and crankcase vent tube.

We have all been too quick to rebuild or buy a rebuilt engine in the past- just because "it smoked a lot " and jumped to the conclusion the engine was " tired and worn out". I have driven (2) of the early 60's 390 cu.in. to over 200K and found the rings do not wear out even with that mileage...

There are a dozen or more reasons a Bird or any other car will overheat. In addition to the above mentioned reasons, I add the following: A) In any 35 something year old car, deosits of rust, calcium. and dirt settle to the bottom of the engine block- big time. The crap and corruption itself...

Worn valve seals mentioned above cause oil to be sucked in the cylinders and black smoke out the tail pipe. Again, compression test done properly will show rings permitting blow by into crankcase and out the draft tube and oil input tube. Don't give up yet. Carbon build up around therings will...