1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

1956 Ford Thunderbird Roadster  Some vintage Thunderbirds have all the elements of a quintessential classic car; round headlights, chrome bumpers and accoutrements, exterior design elements that don't function other than for aesthetics, tail fins, simple tail lights, fender skirts, hood scoops.  Then there are things that make the baby birds particularly special; the two seat configuration, a Continental kit, and the most epic of all, the portholes.  For consignment, a classic with all the bells and whistles, a 1956 Ford Thunderbird in Navajo Gray.  It's not a color we see often at Classic Auto Mall, so a little research revealed that only 2.3% of 1956 Thunderbirds were painted Navajo Gray.  It's not the rarest color, but it is the third least common, (behind Sunset Coral and Goldenglow Yellow).  This one's been owned by the same caretaker for 18 years and although in need of some cosmetic TLC, it has some redeeming qualities that warrant a close look.  Exterior Let's get this out of the way, the paint is rough.  It's cracked from stem to stern and even peeling off in many places.  While the symmetrical shapes and patterns in the cracks are interesting, the car will eventually need paint.  That said, the body is straight and provides the perfect candidate for paint restoration.  15-inch wheels present dramatically with Ford hubcaps and whitewall tires, the rear partially obscured by fender skirts.  More positives can be found in the chrome bumpers which are in decent condition as are the lenses of all lights. The body matched case for the spare tire and rear mounted Continental kit are in good condition and really add to the profile of the car.  A Raven Black hardtop sets off the gray and could also use some fresh paint, but the portholes are in place!   Interior The top edge of the driver's door shows a bit of patina but the rest, and the passenger door, are in great shape.  Red is the perfect complement to the gray exterior and appears on the door sandwiching a ribbed aluminum trim piece and surrounded by white vinyl panels.  The bench seat is in good condition and continues the red and white vinyl pattern found on the doors.  Red protrusions and the metal insert on the doors flow seamlessly to the dash and form a continuous design.  The beautiful dash is preceded by a red plastic steering wheel with metal horn ring.  An arching speedometer tops out at 150 mph and is flanked by two round gauges denoting RPM's and time.   An AM radio is in place and looks to be original and the vent controls with sliding knobs are situated further right.  We note some duct tape residue on the glove box but it appears its falling problem has been fixed.  A short shifter sits on the hump and the floor is covered with red loop style carpet which shows some wear.  Drivetrain A 312ci V8 is under the hood and was rated at 215 horsepower from the factory.  It receives fuel from a 4-barrel carburetor and garners forward momentum via a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive sending the spin back to a Dana 44 rear with 3.92 gears.  That's good for some giddy up which is tempered by drum brakes front and rear.  The engine bay is clean and what we would call driver quality with slight patina.  Undercarriage Despite a coat of checked paint, the underside is remarkably clean.  It's darn near flawless under here with no surface rust save for a bit on the mufflers, very little dust, no grease or grime, and plenty of clean, shiny components.  Independent suspension in front is equipped with coil springs while leaf springs hold the tension in the back.  Dual exhaust comes off the manifold and intersects a pair of glasspack style mufflers, then exits in epic fashion through oval ports in the side of the chrome rear bumper.   Drive-Ability We chose top off for this ride and Morgantown's weather cooperated for a short jaunt around the test loop.  The car didn't disappoint with decent acceleration an