curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

This area is for posting questions/information concerning 1964-66 year Thunderbirds NO FOR SALE POSTINGS

Moderator: redstangbob

Post Reply
severin
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:21 am

curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by severin »

Hi everybody
Just joined the forum...

I have a question about my 65 T'Birds tonneau cover. I bought the car last year from the widow of the original owner who had passed away 2 years earlier. As far as I know, he bought the car new and imported it to Switzerland, or it was imported by a local Ford dealer. The Warranty plate indicates New York as District code (regular production).

The car is well equipped and comes with a tonneau cover that, according to the widow, "has always been there", although she couldn't tell where it came from. What makes me curious is the fact that the cover is different from any other I have seen online. It basically looks similar, but it only has vinyl at a small, rectangular cushion where the head would be. The cushion is screwed to the cover. All the rest is in the cars colour. The thing is old, no doubt, but of course I dont know if it was altered one day in the long life of the car.

As it's a 65 T'Bird I assume that the tonneau is an aftermarket product, but it must be an old one, and I wonder where it came from. Maybe it was especially ordered and produced in Switzerland? I somehow don't think this is very likely. The tonneau is fixed to the car by three srews at the rear end and two more srews to the drive shaft. From underneath I can see fibers, but no number, however, somebody has glued some sort of felt to the tonneau where it sits on the car. I would like to post images, but so far I dont get it how to do it. Sorry!

What makes me more curius is the warranty plate of the car. It states Q3 as trim code, but according to my shop manual, there shouldn't be a letter at this position. Moreover, it has a '4' for transmission, where my manual says should be a '6'.

So: is there anybody out there who could shed some light in the darkness of my cars history? (or explain me how I can post fotos...)

Severin
severin
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:21 am

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by severin »

read before write would help.
My questions about the trim and transmission code have just been resolved :-)
The curiosity about the cover stays...
tbird
Posts: 2586
Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 11:07 pm
Location: Tyndall MB. Canada

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by tbird »

Welcome to the forum.

if you click on the link below or follow the forum further down and you will find a how to on posting pictures.

http://www.vintagethunderbirdclub.net/p ... =3&t=11746
Jim Mills
VTCI # 8071
VTCI 1964-66 Technical Editor
2002 Thunderbird
1965 Convertible
1962 Convertible (in progress)
1959 Ford Retractable HT
Many parts cars
User avatar
Alan H. Tast
Posts: 4214
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Omaha, NE

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by Alan H. Tast »

In 1988 I spent time in Europe meeting with VTCA members and others with T-birds, along with studying architecture. One car in Switzerland - a red '59 convertible - had a tonneau similar to what was described - small headrest cushions on a '64-style cover that had no stainless trim, no vinyl cover over the fairings, and several items added to it like '57/'61'62 fender scripts, '59 roof emblem and a pair of custom-made thumb screws with thumb blades shaped like '58-'59-style "Vee"-birds. I suspect it was made by someone on the Continent and that more than one copy was produced.

Post photos so that we can see what it looks like.
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
severin
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:21 am

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by severin »

Hi guys
Thank you for all the help! Here ist a foto of my cover:

Image
tmjsong1aolcom
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:42 pm
Location: Sun Prairie, Wi

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by tmjsong1aolcom »

This is an aftermarket cover but appears to be nicely done.
Have not seen this one before so do not know the origin.

Let us know if you find the origin.

Tanx
Richard Johnson
58's&64's
Sun Prairie, Wi.
tmjsong1@aol.com
severin
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:21 am

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by severin »

I'll do...
There is just another question about this tonneau... the paint of my car ist old and not good anymore, I need to repaint it one day. Same applies to the tonneau. Now I'm questioning myself what would be better: keep and repaint this tonneau as a kind of oddity of this car, or should I buy one that looks more like those originally produced by Ford '64. costs would be about the same...
jtschug
Posts: 1472
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 1:33 pm

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by jtschug »

If you buy a new tonneau, I think it will come without paint, so I think it will cost more to get another one, as you will need to buy it *and* paint it, whereas if you keep the one you have, it only needs some preparation and paint.
1966 Thunderbird Convertible (Emberglo / White-Emberglo)
Modified 428 - stroked, rollercam, aluminum top end, headers
Livermore, CA
User avatar
Alan H. Tast
Posts: 4214
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Omaha, NE

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by Alan H. Tast »

severin wrote:Hi guys
Thank you for all the help! Here ist a foto of my cover:

Image
This is exactly the kind of cover I was seeing during my visits in 1988. The small padded headrest, lack of trim around the fairings and the shape of the headrest/fairings. Over the years there have been several knock-off versions of the original tonneau that have been made - some of very good quality, some not so much. This is definitely one of the lower-end (i.e. "budget") ones. By the time a person fabricates trim to look like the original cover, cover the fairings and headrests in padding and vinyl upholstery, you'd probably come close to the cost of getting an authentic one, but the shipping/crating charges, customs duties, etc. to get it across the Atlantic Ocean and to central Europe would be expensive.

I also see a Classic Thunderbird Club International-style badge mounted to the upright. Out of curiosity, is it for the Classic Thunderbird Club of Switzerland or another group?
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
severin
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:21 am

Re: curious about origin of 65 tonneau cover

Post by severin »

Dear Alan

Actually I don't know. The previous owner (who had the logo installed) wasn't member of the Classic Thunderbird Club of Switzerland, the people there did not remember the guy or the car. The Logo reads Classic Thunderbird Club International.

Considering your words about the quality of my tonneau, I prefer buying a new one, even though it might be a little more expensive. I would have to completely sand down the old one as the car was painted several times through the years. As part of that, the once beautiful interior was molested with some ugly carpet that was glued to the bordeaux surfaces. So with or without new tonneau I have some work and expenses ahead...

At least mechanically the car is in excellent condition and drives as it must have done back in 1965... so I can enjoy it while I improve its look step by step :-)
Post Reply