Vintage Thunderbird Club International

Jonboy65, did you ever complete your ignition switch replacement? Did it fix your problem? If not, I have another possible cause for your issue.

JPierson, congratulations on the progress of your restoration! Looking good. If you should happen to need a grille for your '64, I have one in my basement. I haven't seen it in a while, but I think it's in ok shape. Let me know and I can send you some pictures. I think I paid 40 bucks, which is what...

Sorry about your rusted out interior vent drain system. The vent was a cool feature back in the day, but it's led to leakage and (as a result) corrosion problems on some cars that have been exposed to the elements. On my '65, broken rubber tubes led to water seeping into the rear of the interior, an...

With a second drive, I found that my RPM's at 50 MPH are actually more like 1800. The other speeds are about what I said earlier. Thanks for the chart jtschug. Very interesting. My numbers are pretty close to being in line with what is one the chart, but I didn't measure my tire diameter super accur...

Just an update: Yes, it was a tach related problem. The cheapo inductive tack had different modes - one of them for 8 cylinder, but I apparently didn't have it on the correct setting. I never bothered figuring that out because I just went ahead and purchased a legitimate tachometer and put it in the...

Thanks a ton, jtschug. That's a big help. I only have a temporary cheapo inductive tachometer in my car at the moment. The tach readings are very high, but I can't remember what they used to be when I first installed this tach. I do know that my initial readings didn't make me alarmed (as I am now.)...

I believe my car has a 3.25: 1 gear ratio. The code on the data plate for that axle is "4". As I recall, that's supposed to signify a 3.25: 1 gear ratio, though my shop manual doesn't have a code for "4". (I think I got that info on this forum.) I'd like information from someone ...

Hi. Sorry about reviving the old thread, but I wanted to research about tire pressure on these cars, and I'm finding some useful info in the old threads. I took my '65 Landau out for a ride today and later realized that my passenger front tire was at an especially low pressure (has a slow leak.) I s...

I started this thread a couple years ago and another on the same topic in the modified 4th gen forum to get as many perspectives as I could on these conversions. For those not following the other thread, a link is below. FWIW, I didn't use the Jamco conversion, I used the ABS conversion. I suspect w...

Sorry I've been slow with updates, GRNTHNDR and others. I've been so sidetracked with other things that I haven't been able to focus on the T-Bird brake project for a few months now. It doesn't help that I've got a couple of other classic/vintage cars that I work on, too. I haven't addressed getting...

I'm not going to recommend yay or nay on that car. The only thing I'll say is shop around. There are a lot of decent 4th generation cars that are in the ball park of that car's buy it now price. These mid-decade Thunderbirds are one of the last good deals for stylish and iconic American cars of the ...

Good luck with the new old car. I own a '65, not a '66, but this observation likely still applies: What I would be most wary of on 4th gen T-Birds is rust that might be hidden by the unibody type construction of these cars. Putting the car up on a lift and giving the underside a casual look may not ...

Thanks a bunch for the input dgalietti. I've been sidetracked from the Thunderbird and need to get back on it. This gives me some more concrete things to investigate. I'm sure the low pedal issue is fixable.

Johnnytheg, I'm very sorry I didn't follow up on the brake mc conversion and booster from ABS. I don't frequent the modified forum very often, and I've been involved in other things. I DID get the ABS brake conversion installed in my '65 Landau. The MC and booster they sent fit into my engine bay pr...

Yes, your rearched/refurbished springs are likely fine and not the source of the problem. Jtschug brings up a good point about front end issues affecting rear end stance...that's happened to me, too. And when measuring ride height, make sure the air pressure is the same in all tires...Sometimes it's...