Cheap Project? 1955 Ford Thunderbird 390 4-Speed
Ford introduced its Thunderbird (aka T-Bird) in 1955 as a personal luxury car. The first generation (1955-57) of the car is often compared to the early Chevy Corvettes, but they didn’t have much in common besides the seating configuration. The Ford would do well, selling 53,000 copies in three years (16,155 in 1955 alone). The seller’s ’55 T-Bird was his/her father’s project car, but it hasn’t progressed much over the years besides gaining a drivetrain upgrade.
Early T-Birds came with a removable fiberglass top as standard fare, with the soft convertible top being extra. The seller’s rough example doesn’t appear to have either one nor does it have an interior as everything has been picked clean in the passenger compartment. The ’55 T-Bird came with a 292 cubic inch “Y-block” V8 and either a 3-speed manual transmission or an automatic, both floor-shifted. A 390 engine, which is there now. wouldn’t be available in a Thunderbird – or any Ford for that matter – for several more years.
In line with the luxury angle for the T-Bird, the cars came with 4-way power seats, a telescoping steering wheel, and more goodies that separated them from the Corvette which had few extras. The seller’s dad bought this Ford about 50 years ago and it appears he eventually planned to turn it into a race car. That may have been the reason why the Ford now has a Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual transmission paired with the big block.
All the body panels are there, so we assume you could continue forward with some sort of restoration or even make it into a custom rod. The frame was modified earlier, presumably to adjust for the larger engine. No title will come with the deal, so a bill of sale will have to suffice. Located in a dark garage in Pikeville, North Carolina, this vintage set of wheels is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,800. Credit for this great tip goes to Barn Finder Chuck Foster!
Auctions Ending Soon
1981 Chevrolet Silverado K20 4X4Bid Now3 days$4,500
1963 Ford Country Squire WagonBid Now3 days$100
1989 Dodge Daytona ShelbyBid Now3 days$100
1991 Dodge Spirit R/TBid Now3 days$100
Comments
Doesn’t look too bad for the asking, but obtaining a title can be difficult. My son bought a ’72 Honda CB350 in Florida recently with no title. As nice as the bike was, he was looking at twice the $800 he paid to begin the legal process with a bond and attorney. He was able to move on from it without losing.
As for the ’55-57 Thunderbird, I wish Ford continued with the original roadster concept to compete with the Corvette. It would have been so cool to see Ford & Chevy one up each other every few model years over decades. And of course I have a deep admiration for the Mustang v. Camaro rivalry. God bless the USA !
Affordable, but is it worth the money and time to rebuild it?
Southeast of Raleigh on the way to the beach, near Goldsboro off Hwy 70. In my mind, the only way that this is a project is if you plan to resto-mod it…after paying $1200-$1500 for the carcass. IIRC these were not very good cars, with a heavy X frame and mediocre suspension. They were pretty but Ford’s bean counters wanted better sales rather than a signature vehicle (like GMs signature Vette and Dodge’s signature Viper), thus the ’58 transition to 4 seats and much greater sales numbers. Pricey at the time and not practical. I’d like to have seen what Iococca could have done with it.
Plenty out there, prices coming down,other than a ’32 Ford ,not much better than a baby bird hot rod / rat rod. Finishing street racer vette, and this, or it’s twin is next, with whatever big V-8 is laying around .
It’s gone…