Vintage Thunderbird Club International

The discussion about motor speed and overheating when sending 12 volts to a 6 volt device is simple physics. Ohms law defines the relationship among voltage, current, and resistance. When 12 volts is connected to a 6 volt device twice the current is going to the device such as a light bulb or motor....

There is a Facebook Group that seems to have 2 or 3 new listings for baby birds for sale every week. The full name of that group is 55 56 57 Ford Thunderbird Little Early or Baby Birds 1955 1956 1957. Why so long I will never know! I agree that Bring A Trailer is an excellent source of information. ...

Given the “special order” status of this car, would there have been an invoice? Even if there was an invoice I expect that based on the early 1955 production date the invoice for this car would have been destroyed before the special recovery project was able to save the rest of the invoices from 195...

I agree that fitting these panels is not your ordinary body panel fitting and alignment scenario. So this approach might not be applicable. Make the body panels fit and align with one portion of the lock/latch mechanism removed. I learned this from a friend who does excellent body work. You ought to...

You might eliminate some of that angle if you enlarge the front holes where the brackets bolt to the frame. The “side effect” is that this will lower the bumper slightly.

Would a tapered shim between the bumper and the leg of the bracket give you enough rotation?

Unless you are “married” to that particular ‘55 you should strongly considering a “car swap”. As Mark and DynoDon’55 noted there is an appeal/desirability for an OD car. There are a lot fewer of them. Between the total cost of the transplant and the potential reduction in value of your current car, ...

Thanks for the reminder about operating temperature when checking/adjusting a regulator. I currently don’t have access to my ‘57 shop manual. I know that for other classic cars I have worked on the instructions for adjusting a regulator include making the final checks wth the cover installed. There ...

Thanks for sharing those pictures. They unfortunately are an accurate reflection on the level of quality control I frequently see on replacement/reproduction parts. I agree that the limited area of contact will produce overheating due to the amperage levels trying to pass through those points. The a...

We wrapped the collar with a shop rag and used a pair of oil filter pliers to loosen the one on our ‘57. I assume that it had not been loosened for a long time. After it was loose I ran it through the full range of motion and carefully sprayed silicone lubricant under the collar while I rotated it. ...

Great work! Thanks for sharing.

My advice is that you should plan to compare new and old parts to answer the question about the spacer. It is impossible to guess what is in the car now and what the replacement parts will be. On our '57 the mechanic for the prior owner replaced the complete master cylinder assembly. He was not awar...

I agree with the factory recommended bias ply tire pressure as a starting point. Those tires are pretty stiff. You might experiment a little and try adding a few psi to the front or rear or both. I definitely would not go below 22 and would be cautious about going much more than 26. The ride will ge...

Jim’s analysis is very similar to the approach I would use to diagnose this. The fact that you can get a pedal is a strong indicator that there a slow leak either internally or externally. One remote consideration is that something has happened mechanically at either the linkage to the master cylind...

As noted, it is a real trial and error process to properly position a right side mirror on many classic cars. Forget trying to make things symmetrical with the left side. If possible, use a mirror with a convex lens. It will give a larger field of view. Just remember “Objects in the Rear View Mirror...

Why don't you contact Roadster and Wheel Vintiques directly?

I always try to deal with the actual manufacturer of an item especially on technical issues.