Projects New Daily Driver - Squarebird

Neat car. My dad sold our house when I was a kid and the buyer couldn't come up with some closing cash so they threw in a red 60 T-Bird and a 76 Eldorado. The 'bird was a really nice car!

 

Thanks! I probably average between 25k-30k miles a year between work and everything else. And, yes, it has OD so cruises down the highway nice especially with the 3.00 gear in the 9 inch.

 

Man, Jeff, I sure hate to hear this. Very few things in this world worse than solid, good running, black square birds. Must kill ya to be seen in the thing. Alllllllllmost had Michelle thinking she'd like to drive one last year. Awesome score! Proud for ya!!!!

 

Got the exhaust manifold back together and on and then had to modify the exhaust a little since we didn’t get the pipe lined up perfect. I also changed the oil and got a tire fixed. Driving it to work in the morning for the first time and praying all goes well. The exhaust manifold had to be modified to miss the steering gear box and the previous owner brazed it together with hardly any penetration. That lasted a while but it came apart so I had a guy at work mig weld it together. It should hold fine now.

Before...


After...

 

Made it to work on it's maiden voyage after staying up too late trying to get it all back together last night. I drove it for the first time at night last night and found out the dash lights don't work...another thing I need to fix soon since I leave for work at 5:00 every morning. Thankfully I have one of those fancy smart phone things with an app for a speedometer...just need to know what else is going on with the car going down the road in the dark.

 

I love square Birds....nice score. An uncle had a 60 with Lincoln 3 deuce engine...awesome. I LOVE your avatar too.....56's R GR8 !!!!

 

Oh...so I tried to put the original wheels off my 56 on the car last night, but was then reminded how the center hole in the wheels aren't big enough to fit over the Granada rotor hubs. So, I squelched that idea. However, it did give me some perspective on how much better it can look with some taller tires. The ones on it now are 195-65-15's which are only 25" tall! The ones off my 56 were 205-75-15's which are just a hair over 27" tall and they definitely seem more appropriate in overall height as well as sidewall height. I may just buy a set of tires that size and put them on the smoothies for now until I can do something else. I am just not digging the minitruck tire size on this car now...

 

This sounds a little Urban legend-ish to me. '60 Fords and '59-60 Chevys all have fins that look to be more flight worthy.
They were even racing the Thunderbirds at Daytona at much higher speeds than they could ever be towed. Just sayin'

 

That exhaust manifold looked terrible, Watson’s bird has a leak on the passenger side that I need to fix. Your picture reminded me.

 

Checkout Wheel Vintiques Series 62 at Summit...

 

I have 2 words for the previous welder/brazer......MORE FLUX!!

 

What a neat Daily!

 

And, heat...we first figured there would be too much brass in the cast iron to mig weld it...but there was pretty much none. It all just pealed right off.

I went and checked those out and will likely end up with the Series 64 if I buy new wheels. I am a sucker for the chrome OE wheels as seen on my 56 and my kids 63 C10. I am thinking of trying to go to the Chickasha swap meet this weekend to see if I can't trip across a good deal on some wheels and tires...

 

Sweet! I had a '58 and a '60
These guys were great to me and have EVERY part for the birds, on the self
http://tbirdparts.com/

 

I'm more a fan of the bullet birds and flair birds, but that black is one of the prettiest square birds I've seen.

 

Made a successful trip to and from work, then by the muffler shop so my buddy could weld up that little bit on the top side of the pipe I spliced in that I couldn’t reach, then a few errands, the car wash for a more thorough cleaning, by the friends house I got it from to take him his license tag back (and give him a few bucks for that toll booth I ran through Saturday ), and back home to clean out the interior some and clean the inside of the windows. Seems the more I drive it, the better it runs. I think sitting was one of the hardest things on this car. I am REALLY liking driving this thing and thankful I could get it.

 

Lookin' good!

Devin

 

Thank you for keeping us updated with your progress. Cars were built to drive and to be driven a lot. Kool that you are enjoying the experience...

 

You know I agree with you on the "built to drive and to be driven a lot" Mick! @straykatkustoms

Drove it to work again today and then need to go run some errands this evening including stopping by to show my folks. My mom told me the other day how she would ride in my dad's 59 on the console when they were still in high school and how the power window switches were literally a "pain in the butt"... I think both of them need to go for a ride in this one although I bet she doesn't try sitting on the console now.

 

@guthriesmith I really like your '56.

 

Lol!! How kool, they will enjoy the ride.

 

Thank you! It is definitely a keeper. I have a pretty cool story on how I ended up with it too.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-ride-survivor-1956-ford-fairlane.551669/

 

You do need to keep the cobwebs cleaned out of them regularly.

 

I agree, letting them sit is about the worst thing you can do.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

When you work at a construction equipment manufacturer in rural Oklahoma, most vehicles in the parking lot tend toward farm trucks or similar. So...the Thunderbird kind of stands out a little and has been the topic of discussion the last couple days according to a friend that also happens to be a car guy that works down in the plant. He had to come check it out during lunch after he was told there was a cool old black car out in the parking lot. It didn't take him long to guess whose car it was.

 

I agree. Bob had quite a few sets of those wheels and put them on a number of his cars along with Vogue tires. However, he liked them and they were his cars. In the end that's all that counts.

This car also has the complete interior out of a 90's Super Coupe T-Bird. I mean complete including the dash board. It also has the supercharged V-6 engine and drive train. So it has all the wiring of a 60 T-Bird so that the convertible top works correctly. It also has most of the wiring from the Super Coupe so all the electronics work.

 

Nice ol' Bird, guthrie.
Used to pine over them when I was a youngster.

Local "used car guy" had a white '58 with black interior; he wanted $900 for it back in about '67

The interior theme was kept into the 61, 62 & 63 'Birds as well.
Yeah, there was plenty of room under the hood .....could've put an Allison V-12 in it.

 

Do tell!

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-ride-survivor-1956-ford-fairlane.551669/

 

@guthriesmith that is a great story!!