This past summer ('06) we found a '55 Thunderbird for sale in excellent condition. The price seemed right so it was purchased. The body is in good condition but not great, and has countless sandpaper scratch marks under the paint, like it was sanded with 80 grit then painted. There are also a few very minor waves that need some attention. Since the car was originally black, we decided to undertake the project of getting it back to original condition and original color, and below is the story... Click on the logo to get to the galleries, they will open in a new window.
Body: The first step was to document the body condition, and all the details of trim etc so we could have a reference for reassembly if we had a question. Of course just because thats the way it came, doesnt mean it was right!!
Engine bay: Next up was to document the engine bay. There were a million linkages and wires that needed to be recorded. All pretty straightforward, but since I dont remember what I had for breakfast, it seemed like a good idea. There are also some shots in here of the engine bay cleaned and primered, there will be more of those in the "Painting" section. Note all the overspray in the bay when it was painted white. Also note the torn metal on the drivers side inner fender.
Engine Removal: No sense in doing a restoration and not touching the engine. Besides, to do it right, the engine needs to be removed. OK, actually if you want to do it right the body needs to come off of the frame, but this isnt exactly a vintage Ferrari. The motor ran extremely well beforehand, however did have indications of piston slap in one cylinder and a rounded cam. Being a solid lifter motor, the previous owner probably didnt do proper adjustments and ruined the cam. Leakdown tests were all over the board, but not horrible. 2 cylinders were outside the 10% limit however. The block will be cleaned and machined by Leifert Automotive in Torrington, CT, and assembly and adjustments will be done by us.
Engine Bay Paint: Here are some shots of the primered and finished engine bay. I used a urethane primer, then sanded with 400, then again with 600. Two coats of base color, then two coats of clear. The pictures of the finished clear didnt come out well, still too much fog in the air. Ill open the garage door once it tacks up and air it out. But suffice it to say, it came out beautifully!
Engine Disassembly: More shots of how this thing is put together. There was ZERO ridge on the cylinder walls, it was unbelievable.Very little sludge in the pan and no real surprises. The main bearings showed a little bit of wear, so it was a good time to take it apart.
Motor Rebuild: Heres a few shots of the rebuild while in the shop
Bodywork 101. The body really didnt need a whole lot of major work, just some minor scratch touchups, cracking fiberglass and a couple of bad body lines. Zero rust anywhere though which is the best news. Check out the reflection on the inner fender on that first picture! Go back to some of the old pictures if you want to see what it was beforehand :) Didnt touch some of the ancillary stuff like steering box etc, we can get to that later.
When we got the engine back, we went over it in detail, scraping off the paint where gaskets go etc. Car finally is the right color now and all coats of clear have been sprayed. We hooked up all the under hood stuff before sanding/buffing just in case any scratches from leaning over it appeared. Notice the long curtain of clear plastic around the area in some pictures. Not only did it keep overspray off of everything else, but because it had a static charge, it meant that NO dust wound up on the paint. In fact much of the over spray got attracted to it as well (notice how black it is at the end). Keep that in mind for your next paint job! Much of the under hood 'ugliness' is dust and comes right off. We also gave it its first start today!! Relive the experience here. NOTE: Plug wires will be replaced and routed correctly, and speedo showes movement because the rear wheels are off the ground. (You Tube direct link, streaming)
