Millennial bought a classic (55)

[TNcoupe]

Another millennial here with a 55 T Bird. Before committing to the 12v conversion inspect all the wiring in the car. I too got mine really cheap but it needed a lot of work and is currently undergoing a restomod. In my case a lot of my wiring had been chopped and spliced throughout the years. PW wiring had just been twisted together and electrical taped as was some of the tail light wiring. I made the decision to do a complete rewire of the car. New wiring harnesses are super easy especially if you arent going for concourse resto.

[ICON 1956]

That was wise of you doing the rewiring, considering that the wires are very brittle . Old wires can start a fire .

[yummy]

Thanks for the tip about redoing the electrical, definitely would help eleminate some gremlins in the future. Till then I'll be getting a larger fire extinguisher for the bird. I was chatting with some with a local chapter based in Sacramento, they mentioned an upgraded hood release mod... anybody have experience with that?

They also mentioned another useful mod from another bird owner out of Arizona for the fan spacing / radiator for helping the car not over heat.

Aside from preventing the car from burning down, I want to make the car a fun daily driver. Eventually build up to roadtrips to the lakes and wine country. It will cost a bit to modernize aspects of the car, but I picked it up for $10k so any investment will be easy to recoup.

[ICON 1956]

You can benefit as a daily driver as long you keep up the maintenance, Also keep an eye on the electrical wiring.

[CSPIDY]

Drive the car then fix or mod what Needs done first. Look the car over very carefully and repair any issues before upgrading. The car is 65 years old there will be hidden problems that need sorted. If you enjoy working on old cars it will be a fun time.

[Daddio]

If you're concerned about wiring / fires .. and anyone who still runs with the original wiring probably should .. there is a switch that can be put on the battery that isolates it from the circuitry.
I use mine every time I go to a show, park for a long period of time or put the car in the garage.
The downside is the clock has to reset each time or, as I do, ignore it.
Some also advertise this as a theft deterrent ... as if having to put the transmission in neutral to start it isn't confusing enough for most thieves.

[Haz567]

They also mentioned another useful mod from another bird owner out of Arizona for the fan spacing / radiator for helping the car not over heat.

Can you describe what the mod was to enhance cooling?

[apines]

Can you describe what the mod was to enhance cooling?

I think this is what you’re looking for (I haven’t done it):

https://www.ctci.org/1955-56-57-thunde ... erheating/

[yummy]

How much time would you think it take to swap the electrical harness? Who sells the best product?

[apines]

Can you describe what the mod was to enhance cooling?

I think this is what you’re looking for (I haven’t done it):

https://www.ctci.org/1955-56-57-thunde ... erheating/

Sorry, here's the real link:
https://www.ctci.org/wp-content/uploads ... ooling.pdf

[yummy]

Yep, that’s the owner from Arizona I was referring. Thanks for posting the PDF link

[paul2748]

If there is a local Tbird (or an other old car) club around your area, join it as the member may have a wealth of information you can tap into.

[yummy]

Sharing information like this far more useful than peer to peer. Just like this mod for keeping your baby bird riding cooler. I hope this leads to a few extra sales for the owner who spent so much time perfecting it.

I’m in Gold Country in Nevada City / Grass Valley and have chatted with some awesome club members on Sacramento. Glad to be a new with a fresh perspective.

[Jim G]

What will the COSCO handling kit actually do to the bird? Anybody actually experience this on a 1956 T Bird?

[yummy]

Reduces body roll and flex, will improve you ability to do round a bouts faster and U turns will be less painful.

But I am speaking directly about the heavy duty sway bars