1955 Ford Thunderbird

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

P5FH211450

Clear

Gasoline

1955 Ford Thunderbird More pictures are posted at www.seay.auto.officelive.com see cars for sale dealer # 8 $ CALL WOW! What a find. There aren't many of these left. The 1955 Ford Thunderbird, manufactured by the US-based Ford Motor Company, was a two-seater vehicle with a detachable fiberglass roof, launched in that same year. Buyers were offered the option of a fabric convertible top. The car had a 193 to 212 horsepower, 292 cubic inch V8 engine. Twin exhausts were provided at the rear of the car above the bumper as was the style in those days. The transmission was either manual or automatic. The car had a 150 miles per hour (mph) speedometer, a tachometer, roll-up windows, and an adjustable steering wheel. As there were no port hole windows, the car had an air functional scoop on the hood. Even though the car had a sporty look, the manufacturers propagated the car as a luxury car for personal use and not as a sports car. The size and shape of the car was designed to get it noticed. However, despite this large size, the car offered a smooth ride with the use of a ball-joint front suspension, the V8 engine too minimizing vibrations. The steering was smooth which made the car maneuverable even on busy roads. The interiors of the car also gave the vehicle an elegant appeal, with comfortable seats and adequate leg-room for even a tall person. The boot of the car was spacious, enabling storage of a large amount of luggage for long trips. The maintenance of the car was simplified through a wide service center network and easy availability of spare parts. Signifying the genesis of the Ford Thunderbirds, which were to have a long successful run in the decades after its launch, the 1955 Thunderbird has been hailed as a collector's vehicle. The naming of the Ford Thunderbird was a difficult process, since over 5,000 entries were entertained. A $250 price was offered to anyone who could come up with a name. The name 'Thunderbird' was submitted by Alden Gibberson, the stylist. The name became official on February 15, 1954. Gibberson never claimed his prize, though he did settle for a new suit and an extra pair of trousers from Saks Fifth Avenue. At the Detroit Auto Show held on February 20th of 1954, the Thunderbird was shown to the public. The first production vehicle came off the line on September 9th of that year. Delivery of the vehicles began on October 22nd with over 4,000 orders taken on its first day of sale. Here is your chance to own a piece of automative history. The car runs and drives but is in need of some restoration. It has been sitting for the last 5 years here in colorado. The car was previously in southern California. Since the car has been in fairly dry climates it is nearly rust free. I did not see any signs of significant rust or cancer on the vehicle. It does have some paint bubbling, check out the photos, but it looks to me as if it was a reaction between the laquer and enamal paints (that is fairly common). This car was restored by a gentlemen who has since passed on. I would estimate that it was a mid 90's restoration. The previous owner purchased the car in 1991 and proceeded to restore the car. It does not appear to have been a frame off professional restoration but it was a decent at home restoration. There is some over spray here and there and some sanding scratches in a couple of places but overall this car shows well. I have had it out in front of my shop and people always stop and ask about it. Some have just had to have a picture or two, it would make a fantastic parade car or weekend driver. Most of the cars options work. The AM radio takes a minute to warm up but works fine. The tach is fairly accurate. The power seat functions normally. The turn signals, headlamps and tail lights work. The clock does not seem to work and I have not been able to get the blower motor to work. The ignition switch does not engage the starter however if you use a jumper wire at the selenoid the starter works fine. If the car sits for a length of time I have had to prime it to get it to run. It does idle smoothly after about 30 seconds or so. The car goes into gear just fine. The brakes do function however they are a bit touchy and the car likes to look up the left front, so I would sudjest going through the brakes before trying to drive it. There are some paint chips, please look over the photos carefully. The bumpers polished up nicely, however there is some pitting in the trim and along some of the chrome. The tires all appear to be in serviceable condition. I have included a new ignition switch with the car but I have not installed it. Some of the seals appear to be a bit on the dry side. the motor does not appear to have any leaks. The transmission may have a small drip, it was low on fluid when I picked the car up but it has not left any spots. There is a couple of small holes in the headliner on the driver's side please look at the photos. I modified a postive ground 6 volt pick up and replaced the points with it. This car was built in Canada and had a dual point set up. Unfortunately the base plate in the distributer was damaged and I was not able to retain the stock points set up, however it could easly be put back to a points set up. I would recommend replacing the distrubuter because I am not certain that my modified pick up will be a long term solution but it runs fine for now and who knows it might be the way to go. I think that I have covered the car well however if you have any questions feel free to give me a call. I am selling this car on behalf of an estate, I will contact the estate with any reasonable offers! Don't miss out on this one!!! If you want to take a look at this one give me a call at 719-651-6484. I am a licensed CO dealer, CO residents may have to pay up to 7.4 % in sales tax at the time of sale on the sale price. I sale all vehicles as is with NO warranty expressed or implied. On Jan-11-12 at 11:32:47 PST, seller added the following information: I forgot to add We do reserve the right to end this auction early, the car is listed locally.