1956 Ford Thunderbird

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

Please Note: I previously listed this car on 12/06. On 12/13, the last day of the auction, an Ebay member bid five times toward the last several minutes of the auction until the reserve of $34,980 was met. This person wanted to pick the car up in Missouri and take it back to Pennsylvania on Sunday, the19th. The day after the auction, I needed to remove the car from the garage to put the hardtop back on and to load it with the items going along with it. I had a difficult time starting it and had assumed it was the nine year old battery. I wanted to replace it with a name brand battery so that the new owner wouldn’t have to worry about a warranty if needed and had to wait until Friday, the 17th for an Interstate Battery to come in. Most people understand that almost every part for a 54 year old car is not available at a moment’s notice and a battery is no exception. With the new battery, the car still wouldn’t start and it was determined to be the fuel pump, even though it had been replaced sometime within the past 18 months. I immediately called the Buyer to explain the situation and that the car would need to be picked up the following week so that I could order a fuel pump and have it installed. He was very upset, said he didn’t want a car with “a bunch of problems because it needed a new battery and now, a second fuel pump and was not going to pick the car up on any day other than Sunday and wanted his deposit returned.” I returned the Buyer’s deposit and the car is now for sale with a “Buy it Now” price equal to the original reserve to a qualified purchaser who appreciates old cars and the commitment it takes to own one. Like the battery, a fuel pump for a 1956 Thunderbird 312 V8 engine can’t be purchased at the local car parts store. It goes without saying that this is the nature of old collector cars, especially when they are rarely driven. Like the battery, good parts are sometimes replaced before the correct problem is found. This car is in excellent condition as described, but now with a brand new battery and the fuel pump will be replaced with it arrives. This doesn’t mean the car has a bunch of problems. No one can guarantee that if you purchase this or any car, that it will start the next day but I do guarantee that it will be in excellent running condition when it is delivered to you, regardless of how many parts I have to replace until the right one is found! During the past twelve years as an EBay Member, I have sold a 1975 Cosworth Vega, 1964 Thunderbird Convertible, 1978 Corvette, 1979 Trans Am and a 2007 Corvette Z06 to other EBay members who were extremely happy with their purchases. I am NOT a Dealer, just a Collector who loves cars. This is the first time I have experienced a situation like this one. Please don’t bid on any old car unless you have an understanding and appreciation of the commitment and patience it takes to maintain one in the condition they were in when they were new. If you see a beautiful old car, especially one that is 54 years old, it’s because .........for 54 years someone understood and felt that it was worth all of the inconvenience to preserve what you see today. This was a special order car and is the only known 1956 Thunderbird to have ever been built by the factory in the color combination of “Thunderbird Green” with a Brown and white interior. Original Equipment and Options include 312 V-8 Thunderbird Engine, Engine Dress Up Kit, White Port-hole Hardtop, White Soft Folding Top, extremely rare factory Tonneau Cover, fender shields, safety package "A," Automatic Transmission, Power Steering, Power Brakes, Power 4-Way Seat, Town & Country Signal Seeking AM Radio, Heater, Defroster, and Back Up Lights The entire 54 year history of this car is known. The original owners had a frame-off restoration that took in excess of 1,000 hours completed in 1989. During this restoration, the color was changed to Pink to match their boat. I purchased the car in 2004 and restored it to the original color of Thunderbird Green in 2008 at a cost of over $17,000. I remained in touch with the original owner's husband until his death in July 2007 at age 92 and have many letters from him that tell wonderful stories about the car, fondly named "Mable" after the original owner. Needless to say, there are no scratches, dents, rust, or bondo and EVERY body panel is original with the exception of the lower portion of the passenger door and only because it was slightly warped from heat used on it during the first restoration. The engine and transmission are original, as are most parts including the teapot carburetor. Original style hubcaps and wire beauty rings have been added but all five of the perfect and original full wheel covers are also included. Included in the sale of the car are the many handwritten letters from the original owner's husband, the original Ford factory Gate release showing the car as being sold to A.T. Hill Motor Co., an IBM data punch order tag given to Mable by A.T. Hill Motor Co., the original Owner's Manual, several insurance cards in the original owner's name, a January 17th, 1990 Newspaper Article from the “Newport News” about the car and it's owners, a copy of the 1960 title when Mable registered the car in her new name after she remarried, an original photo of the car taken prior to its color change to pink (probably from the mid-70's), several photos of Mable with the newly painted Pink T-Bird, several photos of the 1989 restoration, and many photos of the 2008 restoration, the original brown naugahyde tonneau cover dated 1955, original convertible top material (it had never been replaced because they never used it), and several pieces of the original brown interior fabrics. Most of the interior has now been replaced with the exception of the dashboard vinyl. This is a very special 1956 Thunderbird that is very difficult to find with this level of originality and extensive documentation. This car was truly loved for a lifetime.