Vintage Thunderbird Club International

Hello Will, Welcome and congratulations to the best way of entering the hobby! (It might not be the best though. I started with 1965 Mustang where explanations, documentations end parts are abundant everywhere - for the T-bird a little less) I think this forum is good to ask noob questions, and nobo...

Hello,
Sorry, my '55 has no backup lights.
I bet you can find a bulb that just has the same prongs to connect and it will work.

Have fun!

Bob

Hello bms-3, Yes, front works just as before. I have LEDs only in the back, front unchanged. The reason for using a new flasher is that the traditional flashers use voltage drop and current to switch on-off. Those are different with LED so the "LED-capable" flashers use different methods t...

Guys, here are two things in effect: 1) This is electricity 101. Every permanently connected circuit like your clock and interior light (if your door is open) are just a resistance to ground. It is several hundred Ohms or even kOhms so it will only allow a small current to be drawn when everything i...

Hello Claudine, I never did a service on mine, but it is just dine normally with pan off, filter change and refill. The capacity should be noted in your user manual. I was driving my T-bird in Arizona at 100° heat with no issues. But I didn't have many hills and avoided engine braking (changing in L...

Hello Claudine, The secondaries open by venturi vacuum. It will be impossible to get them to open on an unloaded engine (i.e. stationary car). I found out that my secondaries didn't open when I tried to climb a slight hill at 60..70mph. So find a hill, run it up trying to accelerate to 70mph. If it ...

There is an adjustment screw on top of the steering box. You can tighten it, but if you over tighten it, you will wear out your steering box. Here is how it is done: The top of the steering box has a large hex had cap that hides the screw. The screw is secured by a slotted star-shaped washer. -Unscr...

Sorry, one more thing:
Make sure that the regulator (outer relay) really disconnects when the engine stops turning. Otherwise your battery will drain through the generator in a matter of hours (ask me how I know).

Bob

Kind of, I realized that the ignition runs better when the voltage is higher. When I was running 6.3V or so (I guess from battery), I couldn't get the car to go to 70mph because it would misfire under load (weak ignition). With 6.8V or 7V I could go to 80 (not tested on public roads - I don't speed)...

Ok, First, clean all contact involved (o the regulator and on the generator) then check the wiring for being connected correctly: -see above diagrams regarding color -field and ground wire for the coils should be attached to bolts on the circumference of the generator, the large yellow charge wire a...

Yes, Fuel pump / Wiper vacuum goes on the manifold on the carb foot (this is just straight intake manifold vacuum).
The 1955 intake manifold has a vacuum connection in front of the carb, the 1956 doesn't.

Bob

Hello All, I did this on a different car, but it worked for me: I bought a suction cup wide-angle mirror that I fixed inside on the top of the windshield. Advantages: -can be removed at car shows (it is butt-ugly) -you can try multiple locations -don't have non-original parts permanently installed o...

Hello Soundquest, Multiple part answer below: -Yep, generators do not charge at idle -No, your GEN light should be off when the engine is turning (independent of actual charging!) -6.3V is a normal healthy battery with nothing discharging it, 6.1V is when it has to feed the ignition, but the generat...

Hello Apines, It looks like you have a 1956 manifold, but a 1955 distributor. So technically you can retrofit a complete 1956 choke system. However, you are missing the choke spring housing and the high idle cam and probably some small hardware (I don't really know the '56 choke) - those might be ha...

Hello Apines, I don't know if it is even possible to retrofit the choke. Here is a picture of the 1955 choke: 1955_choke.jpg Here is a picture of a 1956 and 1957 choke: 1956-7_choke.jpg Sorry for the bad quality, my scanner is still broken. As you can see the 1955 choke is a divorced choke sitting o...