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Glinton, 55 TBird steering wheels are unique to that year. I've run across 55 TB's where the steering wheel has been changed over to another Ford model, and in my opinion they just don't look right, and hurt the overall value of the car. Afterall, its the first thing you see when you...

David, To the best of my knowledge, and my 55 was restored by the owner of a smallbird specialist restoration shop, the MC was left unpainted. I have seen guys who have primed the outside of the unit and spray painted it a casting grey. You can get a spray bomb for cast grey at any good...

Dan, I'm glad you found the backup light solution. Sometimes all it takes is to go at it another day. Getting back to your overheating problem, the more I think about your temp readings after I reread all of your posts, I really don't think that your car is running any differently than...

Dan, I don't think we are on the same wavelength. I'll try to clarify a few things, and I apologize if you already knew about the following. The neutral safety switch also operates the backup lights, and there should be (I can't climb under my car to look now, as its in storage and I have...

Dan, I believe we should all get nervous and watch the temp gauge carefully at anything above 195. I can tell from your post that you are doing that, and are as careful in this department as I am. My bird does the same temp ranges that you describe when being driven around town and on the...

Dan, You say that you checked the temp gauge's accuracy. Just how did you do that? My 55's temp gauge started acting erratically a couple of years ago, and like you I replaced the sending unit and now have temp readings that are far too high for comfort, and occasionally move into the...

Go online to Amos Minter.com and search the pictures for all of his TBird listings, 55-57. You may see what you are looking for on the closeups showing the interiors with the doors open.

To trace the gas gauge problem, find the 4 inch round dome shaped cover in the centre of the trunk floor and remove its one screw. Under it is the gas tank sending unit. You may find that the single wire to its lead is corroded and needs cleaning. If that doesn't do it, remove the 8 or 10 screws...

Online go to Hemmings.com and search their Classified section under Ford and then Thunderbird. There are several sources that list bumpers in stock for a 57.

I've had my newly restored 55 for 6 years now and I've always watched that temperature gauge like a hawk when summer arrived. Normally the needle stood straight up, but sitting in traffic, particularly on those days when the outside temperature was in the 90's, I watched it climb all the way to...

There are a lot of variables that jump into the equation. I worked for a restoration shop that specialized in small birds (55-57) and even bought a 55 from the shop that was undergoing restoration and helped to complete the car. A lot of TBirds came through those doors over the years and one...

There is a rod that goes from the back of the outside door unlock push button to the lock assembly. It sounds like yours has come disconnected, or may be bent and may be able to be resurrected. To do the job you will need to take the inside door panel off the car. Be aware that the outside door...

Dan, First off my 55 doesn't have the backup light feature, so I can't talk from experience. But I do know that the wiring on these cars is fairly simple and straightforward. So much so that the electrical manuals for 55-57 TBirds show pictorial hookups for the wiring rather than circuit...

The 55 and 56 jack assembly mounts in the trunk on the driver's side, the 57 on the passenger side in the same manner. The base of the jack assembly has an oblong slot cut into it. This slot in the base fits over the metal tab that sticks out of the floor between the tail light and the rear...

Dan, I should have also added that before you throw the old one away, its fairly easy to open up (very straight forward) and clean and lube up the contacts inside with dielectric (spelled correctly?) grease. As I recall mine was pretty far gone full of rust and goop. Using a spray...

Get the car up in the air and you'll find it on the driver's side of the transmission right where the shifter mechanism goes through the floorboards to the car's interior. As I recall when servicing mine years ago that its fairly easy to get at and change out.

Oops! My mistake. I took my 55 out of storage today in order to get it ready for the driving season and the tire size is a 205/75/15, not the 195/75/15 in my last post. (A mind is a terrible thing to lose!)

Unless you are going to rework the rear tubs and the front suspension you'll be hard pressed to find anything much wider than a 195/75/15 radial that will fit the rear wheel tubs. There will be clearance issues on the front end if you go any wider as well. This was the word I received from Coker...

Jack the front of the car up, or get it on a hoist. Get a long pry bar (2 and a half to 3 feet) and from under the car, right at the firewall on the driver's side, about a foot down from the surface of the hood, you'll see the 3 inch long arm that the hood latching mechanism opens with. Its...

If you want to show the car in a top concours, go the bias ply route. If you want the best bet for a driver, go the radials route. When I first restored my 55 I went with the bias plies and the car tramlined every crack in the road. Two years later I switched to radials and the transformation in...