Help with a '65 Thunderbird?
DB
Jim McClain wrote in message <37de0806...@news.thegrid.net>...
>Hi all,
>
>For my 50th birthday, I bought myself a pretty nice '65 Thunderbird.
>It's about a 4, pretty from a short distance and very drivable. It
>needs a major tune-up, emergency brake release repair, throttle seems
>to stick a little, and replacement of some belts and hoses, etc. The
>dash and door panels need to be replaced and some of the exterior
>emblems could be changed. It could use a much better quality paint
>job, but the one it has is only 2 years old.
>
>I don't want to get radical and I do need to do things a little at a
>time. I'd like to beef up the performance -- maybe a new carb and
>intake, definitely a new exhaust system. The price of stock interior
>parts is astronomical, so I will consider different stuff like
>upholstering over the cracks and damage in the dash and door panels.
>I'd like to replace the stock gauges with better mechanicals, add an
>air system to lower the car for shows and raise it for driving (I will
>definitely want to drive the car a lot), do a custom grill and shave
>off the door handles and some of the decorations (I kinda like the
>fake "waste scoops" though). I have considered making the hood scoop
>work, adding power windows and door locks.
>
>I should quit rambling and just ask for some opinions from you. Can
>you help me focus and make some good decisions?
>
> Thanks and good day,
>
> Jim McClain
>
I would just restore it like from the factory.
Who in their right mind would want to remove those cool guages that come
from the factory?
It would be interesting to see if you could make the hood scoupe (I think
there is a small one on the hood already) without changing the apperance
from outside the car. :)
Dan
DB
Jim McClain wrote in message <37dd7d42...@news.thegrid.net>...
>Hi Dan,
>
>>I would just restore it like from the factory.
>
>air conditioning. It's pretty and even very functional, but I want a
>lot more. I'll save all the parts for any future buyer who wants to
>restore it. I won't do any radical modifications that can't be
>reversed anyway.
Not even power windows?!
I guess I would go to a parts yard and get the factory original options I
wanted (done that to my Cuda).
>
>>Who in their right mind would want to remove those cool guages that come
>>from the factory?
>
>Those cool gauges are little more than idiot lights. I can retain some
>of the look by inserting real informative gauges in the stock pods.
>
Boy! your car must be the stripped down model!
I dont ever remember seeing lights in those Tbirds.
That hood scoupe should work out good I would think. :)
Dan
joe_...@my-deja.com
>> this is a base model car with absolutely no options -- not even
>> air conditioning.
That was an era when Ford was offering a lot of mix-and-match options.
Thunderbirds of that generation could be ordered with all the buttons or
almost none or anything in between. As a veteran of epic struggles with
Thunderbird power window mechanisms and the associated electrical system,
I can sympathize with the desire for manual ones! As for AC, somebody on
the vintage-T-bird list stated that only about one in four had factory
air. Not until sometime in the late 60s or early 70s, even on luxury
models, did it become the near-ubiquitous accessory that it is today.
> >Those cool gauges are little more than idiot lights. I can retain some
> >of the look by inserting real informative gauges in the stock pods.
> Boy! your car must be the stripped down model!
> I dont ever remember seeing lights in those Tbirds.
Well, he said "*little more than* idiot lights." The gauges in my '66
aren't really calibrated or marked in great detail. However, I've never
really cared whether my oil pressure is 38 psi or 35; all I care about is
whether the needle is (a) comfortably high and (b) in about the same
place as it was a year or two ago.
> That hood scoupe should work out good I would think. :)
Alas, it's a false scoop, just there for sporty appearance. Air comes in
through a spout in the air cleaner housing, at the ambient temperature
underhood.
Anyway. If you're restoring, customizing, driving around in, or just
considering a Thunderbird, have a look at the Cyber Nest:
http://www.tbird.org/tcn.shtml
Cheers,
--Joe
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
JOHN DURAN
think you are in for a big surprize .These cars were meant to be the way
they are ,so good luck .later
John Duran
66HT
Houston ,TX
In article <37defb7b....@news.thegrid.net>, JimMcClain "at" TheGrid
"dot" net wrote:
> On 14 Sep 1999 04:49:48 PDT, "DB" <gala...@concentric.net> wrote:
>
> >>>Who in their right mind would want to remove those cool guages that come
> >>>from the factory?
> >>
> >>Those cool gauges are little more than idiot lights. I can retain some
> >>of the look by inserting real informative gauges in the stock pods.
> >>
> >Boy! your car must be the stripped down model!
> >I dont ever remember seeing lights in those Tbirds.
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> Sorry for the misunderstanding. "Little more than..." means just a
> little more than or just a little better than, in this case, idiot
> lights -- they aren't idiot lights, they're just one small step up
> from idiot lights. The gas gauge is very inaccurate, the temp gauge
> gives no temperature, the amp gauge and oil pressure gauge don't give
> detailed information at all. There are some gauges that might be
> advantageous along with better versions of the above and can be
> combined in one dial face so I can have good gauges measuring a bigger
> variety of systems all in the original T-Bird instrument pods.
>
> I will have to find a place for a tach though.
JOHN DURAN
Bill B.
> John,
>
> Weren't *all* cars meant to be the way they are -- according to the
> designer? Give me a break. I am modifying my car. Thousands of people
> do it. That may not make it right in your eyes, but it don't make it
> wrong either.
>
> Thanks and good day,
>
> Jim McClain
I meant no disrespect, Sorry if I offended you. I was just trying to
point out that if you do modifications to the dash of the car that
cannot be reversed, you may find it hard to sell if you decide to do so
in the future. The '65 Tbird isn't exactly hot on the list of
hotrodders. It has only got a 390 cid engine and wieghs in at a heafty
4600 lbs. Obviously not a contender for the drag races. It would take a
cool 500 hp to make that car perform even close to a mid 80's 5.0L
mustang.
Anyway, the speedometer/gauge cluster can be removed, the gauges
pulled out of their 'pods' and you should be able to find small gauges
that will fit in the holes. You will most probably not be able to use
the original covers. Also, you will have to replace the oil and water
temp sending units. The dash on this car is a bit of a handfull, and
with that sliding track for the steering column, working under the dash
is a royal pain in the butt. I know, I had a '64 and had to replace the
speedometer. I do agree with you, the gauges are terrible. One never
knows if there is a real problem or if it is a gauge on those cars.
I would suggest a volt meter as opposed to an ammeter, and if you
can wrangle the hose in there, go with a mechanical as opposed to an
electric oil pressure gauge. I have a set of 2" gauges in my
boat, and I'd bet they would fit the holes in the dash of the Tbird.
They are made by VDO. Check out some marine catalogs. they have some
pretty unusual size gauges that one cannot always find through
automotive sources. another place is Summit Racing. Measure the openings
first before you buy. Nothing more irritating then to find out you have
a 2" opening and the gauges are 2 1/8". I guess the reason I came off a
little uppity is that the dash on the 64 - 66 Tbirds was always a
favorite of mine. I guess I forgot that my taste is not always the same
as other peoples. Best of luck with your Tbird!
B.B.