1956 Ford Thunderbird

Thunderbird Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

This very original baby Bird was delivered with all the options and then some, and minus one. She has Power Steering, Power Brakes, Power Seats, Power Windows, 312 V8 engine (225hp), Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, engine dress-up kit (fined aluminum valve covers), Town & Country Radio, and here come the “then some”: instead of the optional wire wheel hub caps, it has genuine wire wheels (5), and instead of the hardtop (which it had and was lost in a divorce), it has a brand new Tonneau cover. As to the hardtop, I have had three baby Birds before this one, all with hard tops, and I can speak from experience that you either put the top on and never take it off (so you no longer have a convertible) or you take it off and have no place to safely store it, as it’s always in the way. It takes two strong people to put it on or take it off, and once done, you’d rather avoid the process again. No wonder the industry has abandoned this approach (Corvette, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc.) The Tonneau, on the other hand, snaps on in a minute, can be driven with one side closed for open air driving with the heat on, and adds to the look and fun of the car. This car was mechanically and cosmetically restored over 20 years ago, and the by now some of the work that was done shows. There are raised spots in the paint on the lower sections, not rust bubbles, as they are solid, not flakey. Overall, the car is stunning, and being a white car, you have to look to find these spots. But they are there. The wire wheels shine beautifully, but if you get on your hands and knees there is some slight surface pitting, which we are polishing to improve. They’re an 8-9 on a 10 scale already. And the two grille bullet overriders and two windshield doglegs need to be re-chromed (shown). All the rest of the chrome and stainless is excellent. So the choice boils down to this: you can buy this car that looks and drives like a $60,000. example from 10 feet for a fraction of the price, drive it proudly for years, and only body men and car collectors will notice (I get raves about the car every time I take it out.); or you can repaint it. On the subject of paint: when the car was restored, the color was changed from Sierra Red (many derisively describe it as Campbell’s Tomato Soup Red; Ford dropped the color in ’57 and returned to Torch Red). So part of your paint decision (if or when you do it), would be to keep it White or return to the original Sierra Red. The interior is mint, and Red and White, which looks hot with a White car. Also, the engine is a correct rebuilt 312 Ford V8, and it runs beautifully, smooth, no smoke, no knocks or tapping, etc. It is tastefully equipped with two white-framed auxiliary gauges (oil pressure, which is perfect; and ammeter, which shows proper charging). The brand new battery is heavy duty, commercial grade. The engine compartment is highly correct; even the wiring harness is original. So mechanically, the car needs nothing, and is ready to enjoy. We just went through the entire car, changing all the fluids (new oil and filter, transmission fluid, rear end fluid, brake fluid, new coolant, power steering fluid, etc.) and everything operates as it should, even the windows. The T&C does needs tubes, but it easily slides out and even a core of this radio is worth hundreds. There you have it. A beautiful, presentable car, enjoyable as is, or an outstanding candidate for a quality repaint to make it show quality. Add ten grand to your purchase price for paint (generous) and you’ll still be way ahead of the game. And the kicker is, you can do it whenever you want… if ever! I will be happy to answer questions from serious buyers at 347 585 4200 or michaelfracz@gmail.com Thanks for your interest.