64 Restoration
Moderator: redstangbob
64 Restoration
Around 1986, my grandfather asked me to help restore my late grandmother's 64. He would pass within the year, but I kept the car safe and laid up until it could be done right. We're nearing two years in, and the goal was never to make it a show car, but it's progressing well for its intended use (to drive it!)
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Re: 64 Restoration
Rose Beige iridescent with a Wimbledon White painted roof. Beautiful! I'm a big fan of the two - tone hardtops and Rose Beige is my favorite '64 factory paint color. I'm certain your grandmother would be very pleased. Keep up the good work!
Scott
Scott
Re: 64 Restoration
Thanks, Scott - it's been quite a journey so far - reassembly and interior are all that are left to do. I'll post some highlights over the next few days.
Re: 64 Restoration
Great progress. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the inbetween pictures.
Re: 64 Restoration
Here are a few from the initial teardown - It had developed the pop-in-to-drive issue, which happened when my grandmother was taking it out of the garage one day, which did the driver door and fender. She blamed herself thinking she forgot to put it in park, which devastated her, and either coincided with her declining health overall or played a factor - She was a large and in charge woman her whole life, and often told of throwing a drink in Joe Namath's face when he got a little handsy with her at the Moose Lodge...
Re: 64 Restoration
A sincere thanks to the gent who put the video on youtube about this issue - I bought the detent kit, and the shop even swapped the neutral switch, but I knew that could not have been the whole story with it popping in to gear, and with what we now have in to paint & body on this thing, I didn't want to mess around - Such a tiny bit of wear can cause such a huge problem...
Re: 64 Restoration
What is the thing filled with coffee grounds bolted to the fender apron?
1966 Thunderbird Convertible (Emberglo / White-Emberglo)
Modified 428 - stroked, rollercam, aluminum top end, headers
Livermore, CA
Modified 428 - stroked, rollercam, aluminum top end, headers
Livermore, CA
Re: 64 Restoration
It's been a really long time since I have been under the hood, but I think that was an inline fuel filter. The gunk was the byproduct of a 30 year layup - It was not prepped, so much as the motor failed and it wound up parked as it was that day with half a tank of gas and no coolant.
Re: 64 Restoration
I know about that shift lever issue, part only costs about $100 and easy to install. Had my 1966 conv. at a quality detail shop last year. The gear slipped and my my Bird went into the side of a $200,000 Porsche. No damage to my Bird (I was just sending the front bumper to be re-chromed anyway), sad for the Porsche and detailers insurance issues.
T-Bird Registry #19119
1966 T-Bird convertible
2011 Camaro 2LT
1966 T-Bird convertible
2011 Camaro 2LT
Re: 64 Restoration
Want to say Rose Beige has become one of my favorite Bird colors. Back in 1963 my parents bought a new Heritage Burgundy w / pearl beige interior. Then next door neighbor bought a Rose Beige w / white interior 1964 Bird. I will always remember that Rose Beige color when it was new.
T-Bird Registry #19119
1966 T-Bird convertible
2011 Camaro 2LT
1966 T-Bird convertible
2011 Camaro 2LT
Re: 64 Restoration
I can't believe they saved this block - As best I can tell, the motor mount gave up, the fan met the radiator and the next several minutes culminated in cooked head gaskets what I thought was a stuck engine. I asked for the NACASR mods to be made to the motor (oil galleys), but that may have been lost in translation since I also spec'd it to be stable on pump gas.