Chassis number assistance

[Tonywray]

High school teacher here. Bought a 1957 Thunderbird and am using it as a project car for our Automotive Program. It is completely disassembled as a restoration was begun long ago and abandoned due to the owners death. Data plate is missing but the chassis number is E7FH394888. Original color was Starmist Blue with interior trim being white. Original E Code was dual 4 barrel carbs. Owner that started renovation switched out to single barrel carb.
With the number I have, I would appreciate any information or guidance on how to trace as much of the history of the car as I can. We are trying to take it back to as original as we possibly can.
Thanks, in advance, for any information anyone can provide.

[55blacktie]

Contact CTCI. They might be able to provide a copy of the original factory invoice. I think the cost is about $50; they might waive it, considering it's for a good cause. CTCI might even be willing to donate their CTCI Thunderbird Restoration Details and Specifications Manual. I think Gil Baumgartner would have appreciated the gesture.

I would like to see periodic updates of your restoration progress.

[ward 57]

WOW! what a great project. How were you able to determine as much of the original configuration as you did? Why was the original data plate removed if you have any information. New ones can be reproduced if you have the proper documentation.
If there is any way the previous owner held onto the original intake manifold it would be golden. That conversion was not unusual as a single carb was much less hassle.
It's a shame that shop, home economics and other life skill education has been removed from much of the curriculum. Everybody is born with different skills. We just have to expose them to different disciplines so they can choose their own future and follow their interests if only they were only exposed to them.

[MarkR]

Sounds very familiar, in 2004 I bought a 57 completely disassembled.

You might want to send that VIN to Dave Tulowitzky. He keeps an extensive list of 55-57 bird VIN’s and he may be able to tell you past owners, locations etc.
I would highly recommend joining VTCI and CTCI. For the nominal yearly cost the benefits for you and your students would be enormous.
Great ideas from Blacktie to get the original invoice from CTCI. You need to be a member to do so. I too think we all would enjoy and could answer questions better with pictures. When you have time post a couple of pics as she is right now and then as you make progress and have time.
Dave’s email is Tulobird@aol.com

[Tonywray]

Thanks for the responses. I will make contact. As far as how did we determine specifics? The car is now completely disassembled. We have the number stamped on the frame. We have the engine number and the transmission number. All seem to be correct. We do not know why the data plate was removed. We can tell that the car was originally Starmist Blue because of what we found at disassembly. It was painted white at some point in it's history. We think that the interior was white from the factory because we have stripped the dash to bare metal and white was the only color we encountered.
The body is off of the frame and the kids are going through the mechanicals now. we have ordered, and are ordering, many parts that we have found are missing or deteriorated beyond repair. If everything goes to plan, we should be able to fire up the engine in a couple of weeks.

[Tonywray]

Can anyone provide me with information on how to get in touch with Dave Tulowitzky?

[MarkR]

Dave’s email is Tulobird@aol.com

[ICON 1956]

High school teacher here. Bought a 1957 Thunderbird and am using it as a project car for our Automotive Program. It is completely disassembled as a restoration was begun long ago and abandoned due to the owners death. Data plate is missing but the chassis number is E7FH394888. Original color was Starmist Blue with interior trim being white. Original E Code was dual 4 barrel carbs. Owner that started renovation switched out to single barrel carb.
With the number I have, I would appreciate any information or guidance on how to trace as much of the history of the car as I can. We are trying to take it back to as original as we possibly can.
Thanks, in advance, for any information anyone can provide.

It's great to hear from a new member that's restoring a Bird with his class. Thank you for being a model teacher showing the Gen Z's what a classic is. I would add my 2 cents in this, Put the other carb back on to make this classic bird original E Code.
We all would appreciate pictures step by step if possible showing the progress of the restoration. Also we are here to answer your questions. We have members that restored their birds .

[ICON 1956]

Contact CTCI. They might be able to provide a copy of the original factory invoice. I think the cost is about $50; they might waive it, considering it's for a good cause. CTCI might even be willing to donate their CTCI Thunderbird Restoration Details and Specifications Manual. I think Gil Baumgartner would have appreciated the gesture.

I would like to see periodic updates of your restoration progress.

My friend a member of CTCI had submitted the request for the original invoice for his car through CTCI. He received a photocopy not the original.

[Rusty57]

Tonywray,

Please send me a PM. I have an idea about how we can get technical information to your students.

This is a great project! I know that those of us who are regulars on this forum want them to succeed. We will always be ready to offer our ideas and experiences.

[swatson999]

Contact CTCI. They might be able to provide a copy of the original factory invoice. I think the cost is about $50; they might waive it, considering it's for a good cause. CTCI might even be willing to donate their CTCI Thunderbird Restoration Details and Specifications Manual. I think Gil Baumgartner would have appreciated the gesture.

I would like to see periodic updates of your restoration progress.

My friend a member of CTCI had submitted the request for the original invoice for his car through CTCI. He received a photocopy not the original.

I think I read that this means the original invoice was already sold to a previous owner (they make copies of them when they sell them, so that they can continue to provide the info to future owners). You might be able to ask them to whom they sold it, and see if you can find them.

ETA: Yep...it's on the order form:

The original invoice document will be provided whenever it is available. In some cases, only a photocopy is in the file and it will be sent if necessary

[ICON 1956]

There is an invoice for a 1956 Thunderbird for sale on EBay from Canada
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163810729070

[paul2748]

CTCI, and the people who had these invoices before them, made photocopies of the original invoices before they were sold. CTCI does note this and additional requests for the same car are told only a copy is available to purchasers.

It should be noted that they don't have invoices for every early Bird. Very few 55's and for the rest, certain ones may be missing. Tried to get mine, they said they don't have it.

My friend a member of CTCI had submitted the request for the original invoice for his car through CTCI. He received a photocopy not the original.

[ward 57]

There is an invoice for a 1956 Thunderbird for sale on EBay from Canada
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163810729070

That's very interesting as that car club was a good keeper of those. I just wonder why it isn't with the car? I think it was a club member who worked at Ford and saw them destroying invoices and convinced management to donate them instead to the club she was a member of. I think her name was Lois Eminger. We owe her SO much. Only lost the first of the '55 invoices.

[57thunderchicken]

There is a problem with the vin E7FH394888. Mecum in 2019 had F7FH394888 that was a no sale at $235000. We can’t have an E and an F vin with the same 394888 serial. Can you get a really good pic of frame vin? Either you are mistaken or we have uncovered one or the other as a stolen car