resto-mod 55 Tee-bird project

[fordrodsteven]

Hi, I have a 1955 Thunderbird that I purchased many many years ago. I am going to do a resto-mod on this car and wondered if anyone on this site might be interested in pics and information as I go along with the project. Heck some of you may even offer up some valuable suggestions to me that will be of use. I had considered going to the AACA site where they have a section for projects and restorations but they seem to get annoyed with people who do not "keep it stock". I don't want to go there and have people "look down their noses" at me for changing the car from stock. I am planning on driving this car and will be making mods that will improve safety , performance and handling. There is a long story that goes with this car and if anyone is interested in me putting it up on this site I will move forward. Please let me know one way or the other.

 

[paul2748]

Go for it. Just keep adding to this entry as you go along. While my 56 is almost all factory, I have added some important items that are not factory, mainly for driveability.

 

[fordrodsteven]

I bought the car in the fall of 1975. Yes! 41 years ago. It was a running / driving vehicle in need of much work when I bought it. It had been modded to a 289 three speed and converted to 12V. It was painted primer gray and the red / white interior was really only a seat cover and dash cover. The floors were in poor condition. The fiberglass porthole hardtop was cracked / patched and the top was cut at the rear window. The hard top is probably scrap. I researched trying to restore the car and realized it was cost prohibitive. I decided I would stick with the mods (and do more) and make it a "driver" that I can enjoy. Now that I'm retired I can work on the car. I think it will take me two years (optimistic) to get it on the road again.
Now I need to figure out how to post pictures on this site.

 

[paul2748]

To load pics from your computer

Click on post reply
Scroll down to "Manage Attachments"
A screen will pop up
Click on "Browse"
Find the pic on your computer, click on it
Click on "open"
The pick will come over if more than one pic, repeat process
When finished, click on "Upload" The pics will come over. You will see the file name in the "Attach Files" (Manage Attachments)
Click on "Submit Reply"

This is for Windows. Not sure if anything different on an Apple system

 

[fordrodsteven]

Thank you Paul. These pics are what it looked like when I bought the car. The floors were many pieces of metal tacked in to cover the rust / holes underneath. Nothing was properly welded / patched. When I drove the car through a puddle my legs would get wet. FYI - data plate shows car was originally white with a black / white interior. I will be putting the car back to that configuration.

 

[fordrodsteven]

These are pics of the exterior when I pulled it from storage in my old garage (before I built the new garage) last year

 

[fordrodsteven]

old garage and new garage. Last week I picked up my new 9,000 pound 2-post lift and a new rottisserie. They will be in some of my future pictures as I work on the car.

 

[edmlynek]

Resto Mods I Have & Will Share Installs

Yes - Have 55 Bird---with (all By Me -all With Full Photos & Text)....4 Wheel Disc Brakes - Billet Wheels - 1962 Cruis-o-matic 3 Speed Auto Trans - '77 Pontiac Cruise Control - Posi In Rear End & Rebuild Tips/photos/text - Electric Wiper Conversion - Alternator Install - Blue Trunder Alum. Intake With 680 Cfm Holley 'street Advenger' Carb - Leather Single Color (black) Seating - Seat-o-matic Memory Seat ('57 Bird Option) (same Seat Frames In All '55 To '57 Birds) - Modern ('68 Gm Cutlass Fuse Box And Wireing Harness ) - Power Locks & Alarm & Trunk Release Off Fob - Power Antenna - Radio Plays Flash Drives, Ipod, Or Trunk Mounted Music Cd Plyr.) - All Stainless Steel Exhaust - Alum. Radiator - 7 Blade Clutch Fan - Electric Fan For Radiator With Settable On/off Temps. - Msd Dist./msd Coil (no Points) - Mini 'console' With Stuart Warner Gauges (oil Psi-amps-water Temp-fuel ) -emergency Flashers - Sun Tech Pro Electronis Tach - Auto Meter 2 5/8 Vacuum Gauge (in Clock Hole) - I Can Put All (or Just What You Want) Of These On A Flash Drive And Send It To You (if You Send Me A 8g Flash Drive... Or I Can Try To Send Text And Photos By E-mail, But Some Stuff Is Very Long And It Doesn't Work Very Well That Way - But It's No Cost To You....) Call If You Have Questions At >>>> 1-706-376-7514 <<<<<< Ed Mlynek In Hartwell,ga.

 

[fordrodsteven]

Hi Ed, Yes I would be interested in seeing your project. I'll get an 8G flash drive and send it to you. I'll call you later to get your address so I can send the drive. Much appreciated!
Steve

 

[edmlynek]

oh- one more thing..you don't figure i'm going to pay the $1.82 postage to send the flash drive back to you, do you? please send a money order for 2 bucks for this, ok?

 

[edmlynek]

And Another Thing---you Said You Wanted My Install Text & Photos Of My 4 Wheel Disc Brakes---well, I Forgot That When I Did This In 2004 - No One Had A 4 Wheel Set-up For Sale And I Had To...'piece It Together From Multiple Vendors...but I Found Out A Month Ago That Now There Is A 4 Wheel Set-up For Sale With Everything You Need To Do It...so My Install Is Really Useless Now....stainless Steel Brakes Co. (i Think) Or Master Power Brakes Has This..call Them And See....and I Spent $2400 For Mine And I Think $2000 Was Quoted For The Same Thing...so Just Go To Them.....and Reider Racing Will Help You With 55'56 Rear End Rebuild And Posi Stuff--again No Need For Any Help From Me.....so All I Have Is Console Gauges To Send You...i Don't Need A Flash Drive Sent To Me For That---i'll Just E-mail You A Bunch Of Photos Of It And You Can Fab It From There....so Don't Send A Flash Drive ...call Me And We Will Discuss All Thse Things....bye.....ed Mlynek

 

[fordrodsteven]

Hi Ed, The flash drive (with return envelope SASE) is already in the mail on its way to you. If you feel that there is really nothing to share I understand. You decide what you want to do. You can either throw the drive away (it was only $5 and I tip more that that when I go out for breakfast with my wife) or if you want you can load a bunch of information on it and share your story. Doesn't matter to me either way.
Thanks, Steve

 

[edmlynek]

Steven--i Put Your Flash Drive In My Mailbox Today (sat 9-24)..they Took It--it's On The Way Back To You..i Put Everything I Had On My Hard Drive On It...so You Have A Lot Of Stuff You Won't Need - But Maybe You Have Friends With 55-57 T-birds And You Can Show Them The Things I Sent...only Thing That I Did Not Send (because I Never Got Around To Put It On My Computer) Was The Dail-a-matic Memory Seat Text & Photos--notice I Have It In My Bird (look Close At The Console Pics And You Will See The Memory 'control Head'....if Someone (you? Guess Not) Does Want The Install Stuff, I Will Put It All On My Desktop And Then It Can Be Put On A Flash Drive And Sent Away...and It Didn't Cost Me $5000+ Like They Want For It...i Modified A Mercury Mem Seat To Work In Any 55-57 Bird For Only $150......too Long A Story How I Did It To Go Into Here.....also, I Have Have Two Copies Of All The Mem Seat Install Text And Photos (40+ Pages) All Printed Out In 2 Ring Binders...i'll Let One Go For $20...(printer Ink Would Cost More Than That To Print It All Out, I'm Sure)....so, Goodbye For Now...you Have My E-mail Address...send Photos Of You And How Your Bird Is Progressing? Please?.....bye...ed Mlynek

 

[fordrodsteven]

Thank you Ed. I'm looking forward to seeing your project and how you did it!

 

[fordrodsteven]

I have been going out to the garage for short times when the temperature gets to be over 50 degrees. That won't happening for much longer. Anyway, I have been scraping the paint and bondo off the car one section at a time. So far I have done both side rear quarters and the doors. I am getting off four or five layers of paint & bondo. I have been getting down to the original snowshoe white color. I have a question.... I have been finding a layer under the white finish that appears to be a "skim coat"? Is that how it was done at the factory? In the spots where I went to bare metal I am not finding a primer (unless it was white). It seems to have this thicker skim coat applied directly to the metal and then a thin layer of what looked to be the original paint. Is that how they were done?

 

[edmlynek]

ok...i am 'doing over' my engine compartment now and i see exactly what you are talking about, i think.....i have a white car, but now the snowshoe white, my white has yellow tint in. it is a one year only '57 color... from the factory, and when i got the car, it had no engine, trans,glass ,interior,wiring, ect... was living 70 miles away from where i got it..i already had a bird with all that was missing, so it was a'swap' (because the frame was tweaked so bad on my car, the bill from the frame shop would have been enormous)... and the guy that sold me the 'bad' car in '71, (it's now 2002) always wanted it back..so now in 2002 had the cash to finally 'fix' a bird 'right'...i called him and said..'you want this car back? let's deal'...he said..fine. i want it AND i just got back from az. with a unhit, unrusted, never wrecked car...and i will swap you for it....so let me 'gut it out' and we will just swap 'bodies'...i said ok..(he said $7500 for his and he will give me $5000 back for the bad frame one...ok..so i said 'as it's still there (in much. - i live in toledo,ohio) can you take it to a GOOD local body shop and just get the eng. compartment done? yes. he says.. he does..and we swap...then, down thru the tears, the paint in the eng. compartment keeps 'flaking off' and like that,, like air was under it or it did not 'stick' well..it's not sticking to the primer--but i have 2 primers here...the first is brown--that is all right..THEN, THERE IS A BLACK (PRIMER??) OVER THE BROWN PRIMER.. it looks original to the car...this was my problem--PAINT WILL JUST NOT ADHERE TO WELL...so, i have to strip the whole compartment to bare metal...do you have this weird black primer on your car like me??? if you do, you will have to strip to bare metal, re-prime and paint it...this is a big job..with all the nooks and crannys..- i'm on 2 weeks and only half done...let me know what you have...bye..ed mlynek in georgia

 

[fordrodsteven]

Hi Ed, I took a closer look at mine. I carefully cleared away material until I got down to metal. Mine is similar to yours. I have a brownish / black layer at the metal and then what looks almost like a "skim" coat then white finish (smooth / shiny) paint. I am going to the local "old Birds" brunch tomorrow and I will be talking with guys who have done a few restorations.

 

[fordrodsteven]

this is a response I got on another Thunderbird web site:
'Body Shop' metal is filthy, with draw compound oil, hand prints, weld flash, etc.

"Ford cars are treated with phosphate to etch and clean steel frames and body assemblies. Phosphate also leaves a black-ish film which protects it for a short time (especially here in the rust belt). Because of the phosphate process Ford never paints on bare steel because paint is porous. That's why some aftermarket paint jobs rust sooner. Ford then used a red (almost rust color) primer before the top coat. Our ovens are set to 250°F. That is far too hot for any plastic, vinyl or soft materials but it does a great job of curing paint in a hurry."

 

[edmlynek]

OK...WHATEVER THE FLAT BLACK STUFF, IT'S GONE ON MY CAR..SANDING DISCS AND AIRCRAFT QUALITY PAINT STRIPPER HAVE REMOVED IT ALL....I WILL NOW..(AS YOU SHOULD TOO) USE A GOOD QUALITY 'ECHING PRIMER' ON YOUR BARE STEEL....I DID THIS WITH MY FIRST BIRD IN 2002...IT'S A SICK LIGHT GREEN COLOR....THEN AFTER I YEAR, SWAPPED CARS WITH ANOTHER DUDE, HE STILL HAS THE 'GREEN CAR', (AS WE CALL IT) AND 14 YEARS LATER IT'S STILL 'GREEN' AND SHOWS NO SIGN OF RUST..--SO IT WORKS....THAT'S ALL I HAVE...HOPE OTHERS ON THE FORUM READ OUR TEXTS AND TAKE HEED TO WHAT WE HAVE SAID..IT WILL DO THEM A LOT OF GOOD....BYE....GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CAR AND (PLEASE?) SEND ME E-MAIL PHOTOS OF THE COMPLETE JOB...I DON'T CARE IF IT TAKES YEARS..(MY FIRST BIRD WAS 'IN BOXES' FOR 32 YEARS BEFORE FINISHED)[email protected]

 

[fordrodsteven]

I have been working on the car a little whenever I get a chance. Along with a few other projects. Any way I have been chemically stripping the paint to get to bare metal then shooting a primer to help stop from forming any rust until I get further along. The car is half done. I also found a couple spots rusted through on the frame so I have purchased a nice '56 frame to replace my rusted '55 frame. I don't have the pictures of the frames at this time I will post them later.