Accepting tips to improve my 66 before a Concours d'Elegance

[Inspector]

Hello Raven
Thank you for the info. I am a newer member and was not aware that I could get the rules through the Country Store.

[RAVEN]

Inspector, printed in the SCOOP, there is an order form for the Country Store, and it lists all the Volumes available, depending on your year of car.
The Country Store also offers other items of interest which can be purchased, including Alan Tasts' book on the history of the THUNDERBIRD?

[1966ConvGinger]

Dear members, I haven't forgotten to share with you a few pictures from the car show in Hillsborough. Although my car didn't win any prices in my category: Post War American cars until 1970, I received very positive and encouraging feedback from several of the 7 judges that were scrutinizing my Tbird. Most importantly, Ginger was truly glowing and up to all of the high standards that were to be expected in a concours d'Elegance. It was worth it. Thanks again for all of your support and precise tips to make the car a jewel. Funny enough, the accepting committee selected only one car for each generation from 55 to 66. That was it. Several baby birds, one 58 hardtop, one 63 convertible and my 66 convertible. There were only 200 entries available and over 550 aplicarions were submitted. Since the show was canceled last year, everyone wanted to show their beauties. Again, thank you!.

[kevindeluca66]

It has been quite a while since I've been here but one thing I noticed was that you are missing the staples for the valve covers. You can tell what I am talking about towards the corner of the flange you will see a quarter inch square tab with the valve cover gasket underneath. During assembly the factory used a T-50 or so staple to hold the gasket to the cover. I achieved this look on the car and cut off the"legs of T-50 staple to about 5/16 and pushed them through the gasket.

Congrats on the rest of the correction you have been doing recently.

[kevindeluca66]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vv9tCwYqJLcUfVBZ6

Hopefully the link above works for what I am talking about above

[Scott6T6]

Hey kevinduduca66, You're absolutely correct about the valve cover gaskets being stapled to the valve covers at the factory and I applaud your eye for detail. If I may add to that, the original valve cover gaskets were cork with a silver sealer. Those gasket tabs are visible at each staple location on the valve covers and should be silver as well as stapled.
I'm attaching a couple of photo's of my car showing the staples and silver cork gaskets.
Honestly, I think we've just begun to scratch the surface here in our suggestions for original factory details. I didn't want to overwhelm Luis with too much information. It also depends on how far one wants to go.

Luis, it sounds like you had a good time at the Hillsborough Concourse D' Elegance and I think it's great you were able to showcase your '66 convertible at such an event.

Scott

[kevindeluca66]

Hi Scott, thanks for clearing up some details on the gasket that I wasn't aware of. I got a question about your oil dipstick handle, weren't those painted while installed on the engine and be corporate blue. I'm all about learning everything about a 66

[Scott6T6]

Hello Kevin! Actually, evidence suggests the engines had to be painted without the dipsticks in place because the finish on the dipsticks was phosphate w/oilcoat. No, the dipsticks were not painted.
In addition, if the engines had been painted with the dipstick in place, the top of the dipstick tube would also not have received paint due to the dipstick ferrule covering it. Every original dipstick tube I've seen is painted right up to the tip - further evidence the dipstick could not have been in place when the engines were painted.
Scott

[RAVEN]

Scott, can you prove that every engine was painted this way, including the 64/65 Canadian engines.
When we get this definitive on details, we need to know all the applications for the Concourse field. Do not think it would be an issue, as the time allotted to judging is small, but a tie breaker would be useful for a Best of Show situation.
Another rabbit hole you have put Alan into.

[Alan H. Tast]

Scott, can you prove that every engine was painted this way, including the 64/65 Canadian engines.
When we get this definitive on details, we need to know all the applications for the Concourse field. Do not think it would be an issue, as the time allotted to judging is small, but a tie breaker would be useful for a Best of Show situation.
Another rabbit hole you have put Alan into.

Right now, what with personal issues keeping me from going to Portland for the International this week (I'm now going into 'hell week' with a project due at work midweek AND my mother's estate sale this weekend, which we're conducting ourselves instead of hiring someone to take a 30+% cut), plus going on the road for work all of the following week to St. Louis, I'm going to have to 'go dark' and avoid rabbit holes until mid-August in order to get things done which are more important than T-birds. Regarding oil level indicators, I've been trying to compile info on what was OEM vs replacement for quite some time, including attempting to figure out finishes as shipped out from Final Assembly to dealers. I haven't seen enough unrestored cars yet spanning the '50s and '60s to give an educated opinion, and studying photos of engines at final engine assembly or at the engine drop, or photos in road test articles, hasn't been a focus of mine yet.

[Scott6T6]

Hi Wally.
Well, in my defense Kevin did ask me specifically about the 1966 dipstick and that is what I referred to in my reply.
I don't have time right now to look up the part number, but this tubular design of engine oil dipstick that was standard on all FE engines from 1965 thru '67, was in fact unpainted. It had a phosphate & oil coat finish. I've seen enough of them over the years to make that claim with complete confidence. I must specify this was true of those engines built to completion at the Dearborn engine plant which is where the vast majority of those engines came from.
My exposure to those Canadian engines is just about non-existent and no, I can't and won't make any claim regarding the dipsticks on those engines as to whether they were painted or un-painted, I simply don't know.
I was hoping you folks in the "Great White North" would be able to provide us with more documentation regarding those engines!
In a "tie breaker" on the judging field I would rather look to original headlights, factory spare tires or perhaps original battery cables where we can positively identify the originality of these items without dispute. Like you said the time allotted for judging an engine bay is quite limited anyway.
Perhaps we need to consider devoting at least a half an hour to engine compartments since they are so complex? The more we know the more time it takes to verify it all.

I am including a photo I have of a low mileage, unrestored 1965 Honey Gold Thunderbird's engine compartment. If you zoom in on the photo I think you can clearly see the dipstick is natural or rather phosphate plated. It is not painted black like the engine block.

Another unrelated, but very noteworthy detail seen in this photo is the metal band or crimp clamp on the neck of the power steering pump securing the steel pressure line in the specified position against the neck of the pump. This was a uniquely designed clamp that was made specifically for this application on the Thunderbird. Every new Thunderbird in 1965 & 1966 came with one of these clamps. Today, most are missing, having been discarded over the years by mechanics or previous owners. It's actually pretty unusual to observe one of these clamps still in place today on the neck of the power steering pump in a '65/66 T-bird!

Scott

[Scott6T6]

Here's a shot of the of the original dipstick in a friend of mine's Candy Apple Red 1966 Standard Hardtop. This car is an untouched survivor and one of the most well preserved '66 Thunderbird's I ever seen and trust me, I've seen plenty in my time as well as owned several myself.
I've had the privilege of going over this car from top to bottom. The car sold new through Dominion Motor's in Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada. My friend Bryan bought the Thunderbird from the original owner in 1981 and yes, he still has it.
As you can see, the dipstick is not painted engine color. It remains in near new condition and appears to have a phosphate finish.
This is just one photo I have out of numerous shots of other low mile, unrestored 1966 survivors. 1965 models too.
For the record, they all have unpainted dipsticks.
Scott

[Scott6T6]

Here's a larger version of that same photo in my last post.

[Scott6T6]

Since I bought the subject and this is an under hood detail post, I thought I'd elaborate on the clamp found on the neck of the power steering pumps in 1965/66. It is an interesting detail that I don't think many 1965/'66 owners are probably even aware of because they were often removed and discarded. Most cars seem to be missing this clamp today. The clamp is of a unique design and was clearly made specifically for this application. The 3/8" band of the clamp has a rounded notch taken out of the bottom opposite the "ear". This is so the clamp could conform to fit snugly around the steel pressure fluid line that it wrapped around at that point. Two locking tabs would fit into corresponding rectangular slots in the opposite band of the clamp allowing for some adjustment. Once in place, a crimping pliers was used to squeeze the "ear" of the clamp together, thus securing it tightly into place around the neck of the power steering pump and the steel pressure fluid line. The clamp secured the steel line to the neck of the power steering pump. I've never fully understood the need for the clamp. I have some thoughts as to why it was utilized, but I 'll refrain from speculating here. Whatever the reasoning was behind it, Ford engineers deemed the clamp necessary and consequently I believe every new Thunderbird in '65 & '66 likely came with one.

Used original clamps still locked in place around the necks of old power steering pumps are getting very tough to come by these days. It's a pretty rare little piece!

Scott