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Gentlemen, Five years ago starting the 55 was never an issue when the engine was warm or hot. Cold, the starter cranked like a demon, but when the engine was up to temperature it cranked so slowly you'd have thought the battery was just about dead. The issue was definitely not timing. There was...

arussharris, Rebuilding a wheel cylinder involves new rubber cups and seals, but more importantly, the cylinder bore needs polishing with a special tool to remove any corrosion and pitting to prevent future leaks. If yours doesn't move when the brake pedal is pushed, its beyond repair. Trust...

arussharris, You have correctly found the offending side that's not braking. If the car pulls left when you brake, the right side has a problem, and vice versa. I doubt that the hard line to the right side of the car is bad (but it could be). More likely the wheel cylinder on the right side is...

vintagestg, You have drums, so you will have brake shoes not pads. Rotors and calipers have no adjuster. How do you spin the bearings and they don't catch, but they do when the drum is on, when the bearings are mounted in the drum? There is a lot here that doesn't make sense from how you...

saw46, The small bird top is a TWO PERSON job to raise and lower, if you don't want to do any damage to the top or the car. And when lowering it, always be sure to pull the top material folds from out between the top mechanism or you will cut the fabric. As for the tonneau cover, National...

valhalla4771, First, with the questions you're asking, you need to find another local TBird owner or join a small bird club. The old timers there can answer almost any question you might have. Second, that wire could be anything, and most likely was added by some previous owner. The only way...

Gentlemen, As stated, the car is as it rolled from the factory floor. I'll check all of the engine grounds, and maybe add another in some out of site place. Then get some heavier battery cables made up. If that doesn't solve the issue, the starter will get a checkout and overhaul. This is...

Gentlemen, This issue has creeped into my 55 ( entirely stock ) over the last few years. When cold the engine cranks over just fine and fires right up. When warm the darn thing struggles to crank fast enough to fire. Sometimes it will fire after two or three slow revolutions, and sometimes...

paul2748, Don't know about the carpets in your car, but the one put in my 55 some 18 years ago sits freely on the floor and isn't fastened down under the sills. Simply pull it up from under the seats and fold it over the shifter. Undo the bolts on the chrome shifter cover, a screw on the...

tbirdblog, It was a long time ago, but as I recall I put the 55 up on jack stands, crawled underneath and disconnected the switch from the driver's side of the tranny and unclipped its rod assembly from the shift mechanism. Very simple. Then from inside the car, pull up the carpet, remove the...

peter1956, Go to Amos Minter's website (Dallas/Fort Worth). They have used tops and frames of both versions for sale all of the time, right on their web site, with prices.

tbirdblog, Its been a long time, but I seem to remember that if you crawl under the front of the bird, you'll find an 8 inch or so circular inspection plate that you can remove from the stone guard. That allows you to reach up through to get at the fasteners to remove the hood hinge assemblies...

tbirdblog, These dashes were completely assembled before they were installed into the car. To remove the instrument clusters, etc., while still in the car is possible ...BUT... Ive had the one in my 55 out and I can tell you it wasn't any fun. I'm 6' 2'', and lying on my back on the floor...

rusty1, Hill's Thunderbird Center in Ohio has that gravel shield (in fiber glass) and may have the air tube intake as well. They do have used parts for some items advertised in their catalogue. Google "thunderbirdcenter.com"

Colorado T Bird, Remove the deck shelf receptacle and check its condition. Reach in under the shelf and remove the nut that secures it to the rear deck. Try locking it onto the pin to check for burrs or worn recesses that the side pins lock into. If its not the culprit, the pin or the spring...

peter1956, I can't help you on the float issue, but one of our parts suppliers here in North America provides not only a rebuilt 57 carb for $339 USD if you send them your old one. Add another $250 to the price if you don't. As well, they have an aftermarket direct bolt on for the 57 TBird for...

zeke0815, If I had to make a guess, I'd be checking your ignition points. Its quite common for the points to get corroded, or the gap to change with wear, and leave you stranded. Clean and regap your points and see where that gets you. Obviously it could be many things. Pull a spark plug...

GBird, I have the same accessory wire wheel covers on my 55, and yes, they are a pain. Not to mention replacement clips are almost like gold to replace. What I've found that works for me is to use a pair of pliers to close up and reshape the end that fits on the wheel rim. The end tends to...

mrdallas, My 55 died at an intersection and I had it towed to my mechanic. After trying this and trying that, it was discovered that although the points appeared to be opening and the timing was correct, the points weren't opening at all. A simple cleaning of the points and a regap ended hours...

lex446, As I recall, with the ignition on, touch a wire from the single wire connection on the gas gauge sending unit to ground. The gas gauge should go immediately to Full. (don't leave it connected for very long or you chance burning out the gauge) If it does, your problem is the sending...