Flipping the Bird

[glockmail]

Actually I plan on keeping it.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8533.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8535.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8532.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8537.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8539.jpg

[Nukeman]

Hey Glock, if that's your garage you need to contact a company called 80/20 . They can neaten up your tools for you with better benches and places to store them.... LOL:laugh::beer:


Oh ya very nice project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[glockmail]

I started restoring this 26 years ago. I purchased the car from my father-in-law for $1. He had it for years, not sure if he's the original owner, but his son's took turns abusing it as they came of age. They called it the Batmobile and used to brag how they'd take it into NYC and do donuts in Times Square.

He had every intention of restoring it and collected some parts, mostly sheet metal repair panels. He lost interest so gave it to me in 1986. At this time the car was stored in his barn in Rockland County, NY. The car had no brakes or exhaust, but it did roll.

Back then my daily driver was a 1985 TBird with a 5.0L small block and the trailer towing option. I figured I could tow the old Bird up to my rented garage in Syracuse, NY. The '85 weighed about 3500# and the '64 weighed in at 4400#. No sweat I thought.

I rigged up triangular tow bar and some trailer lights and hauled it out of my father-in-law's yard. I loaded up all the materials that he had already removed or purchased into the old Bird, and armed with maps of the state and my bride as very capable navigator, hauled it down the road.

For anyone familiar with the '85 TBird it was a very capable vehicle. Based on the Mustang "Fox" chassis, extended about 4", it was a light but rigid chassis. But hauling a big ol' FE block car almost 1000# heavier put it to the test.

Any speed above 45mph was out of the question, as the old Bird started to take over and bounce the lighter car around in a nerve wracking manner. My wife plotted a course away from the interstates and after what seemed to be an eternity- its normally a 4 hour drive- we pulled into our apartment driveway.

Vowing never to do that again I plotted my restoration from the running chassis on up. I spent about two years with the car on jacks and me underneath it, cleaning, replacing floor boards, all new suspension and of course, brakes. I got the car running safely just in time to move into our first home located in the southern part of Onondaga County, about 15 miles from our apartment. I drove the Bird into my beautiful 30' x 30' machinery barn and parked it.

Our new house was 18 years old and needed everything done. New kitchen, two new bathrooms, a new roof, new plumbing, gut the basement out and build an office for me and a playroom for my new priority of time: two beautiful children. Plus I had 2 acres of lawn that I used to mow with a '56 International Cub tractor. I got that machine for $1000 in not running condition and had to fix that up so I could cut grass and plow snow.

Also during this time my mother-in-law gave up on her '66 Mustang so I ended up with that project as well. A driver, it had barely survived many northeast winters and was laden with rust nearly as bad as my Bird. Since I've always been a fan of the smaller car that restoration would take precedent over the Bird. But with my career keeping me busy 50 hours/ week, the first priorities of kids and home, both projects languished.

After many hard winters and with our first approaching school age my wife was "done" with upstate NY and we were at the point in our lives to move out of the "starter" home in the country to our dream home in a neighborhood close to good schools. But our friends that we there were paying $10,000 per year in property taxes and I refused to.

So after a year or so of research we made the move to the beautiful Yadkin Valley in the Piedmont of North Carolina. We sold the old house and made a deal with the new owner to store the two cars there for up to nine months. I hired a moving company to take our furniture and since they charged by the pound I loaded up all my heavy tools into the '85, and my four-year-old son sat next to me in the front seat. I loaded our minivan with basic necessities, my wife and baby daughter and after running out of room tied her ironing board to the roof. Looking like a modern version of the Beverly Hillbillies I lead the way with my trunk dragging and headlights searching for airplanes. On the way out of town we stopped to vote against Cuomo for governor then left for good.

We sold the Mustang to my wife's uncle and he, his son and I drove up late the next summer and formed a caravan of three cars back down South.

I had an unused room in our basement so I knocked down the wall between it and the garage to store the Bird. Life being what it is with career and kids there she sat for the last 16 years.

Then a good friend and old neighbor bought the car that she used to drive in High School- a '65 Galaxie 500 Convertible, and my now 17 year old daughter and I helped her drive it home from central Pennsylvania. It's currently stored in the garage at my mountain cabin and two weeks ago I took my wife out to dinner in it along with another couple. We all had a great time and that got my wife's interest in the Bird back along with mine.

I just hired a local guy to complete the portion of the project that I have learned over the years that I simply don't have the aptitude for: the body and paint work.

[glockmail]

I got lots of tools Nuke. My problem is that I think that I can do everything myself. So I have a huge chest of mechanics tools, all kinds of rough carpentry tools, table saw, chop saw, lawn tools, lawn mower, garden tools, roto-tiller, log splitter, electric hedge clipper, chain saw, gas hedge clipper, gas pole saw, a bench grinder, air compressors (I have three), a saws all, pressure washers, extendable brushes to clean second story windows and gutters, ladders...

Several different drills: a basic Milwaukee that I've had for 25 years, then a full size bench press, then a rotary hammer for concrete, a basic cordless, a right angle cordless...

And I've developed a habit of not throwing shit out, so I have bins of spare parts and materials: electrical, plumbing, about 7 or 8 with auto parts, door handles and hinges, low voltage stuff like telephone and audio/ video and computers, paint supplies, sanding, polishing, dozens of little transformers, four or five drawer sets for small nuts, bolts and stuff, coffee cans foll of larger bolts of various sizes, a dozen or so cans of paint from different rooms and projects, stacks of lumber and siding...

I've resolved to do better though to make room for this car when it's done. I used to store crap all over it and that can't happen anymore. Just the other day I took three boxes to Good Will: one of broken electronics (they scrap it for the gold and copper); a box of stripped copper wire, copper tubing and broken brass ornaments, and another of tool steel and high strength bolts.

[Nukeman]

I got lots of tools Nuke. My problem is that I think that I can do everything myself. So I have a huge chest of mechanics tools, all kinds of rough carpentry tools, table saw, chop saw, lawn tools, lawn mower, garden tools, roto-tiller, log splitter, electric hedge clipper, chain saw, gas hedge clipper, gas pole saw, a bench grinder, air compressors (I have three), a saws all, pressure washers, extendable brushes to clean second story windows and gutters, ladders...

Several different drills: a basic Milwaukee that I've had for 25 years, then a full size bench press, then a rotary hammer for concrete, a basic cordless, a right angle cordless...

And I've developed a habit of not throwing shit out, so I have bins of spare parts and materials: electrical, plumbing, about 7 or 8 with auto parts, door handles and hinges, low voltage stuff like telephone and audio/ video and computers, paint supplies, sanding, polishing, dozens of little transformers, four or five drawer sets for small nuts, bolts and stuff, coffee cans foll of larger bolts of various sizes, a dozen or so cans of paint from different rooms and projects, stacks of lumber and siding...

I've resolved to do better though to make room for this car when it's done. I used to store crap all over it and that can't happen anymore. Just the other day I took three boxes to Good Will: one of broken electronics (they scrap it for the gold and copper); a box of stripped copper wire, copper tubing and broken brass ornaments, and another of tool steel and high strength bolts.
Ohh I hear ya, I have a hard time throwing parts out because you never know when you might need it (usually right after I finally get rid of it).

The 80/20 company is neat they have all kinds of things youcan build to organize your stuff.. They say its the life size erector set... Neat stuff.. Can make anything to store anything and organize...

[glockmail]

Hear you on the need it the day after you toss it. Happens all the time.

I'm actually pretty well organized. I've got a bench I made with storage space below ans shelves above, and I bought clear plastic bins with covers that fit them nicely. I've got two tall chrome shelving units on caters that hold tons of stuff, and in the center of the garage I have an old work island from a kitchen restoration, with of course more storage below. That unit has all my work tools: moisture meters, pipe scopes, slide hammer, laser levels, soil augers....

[Nukeman]

Hear you on the need it the day after you toss it. Happens all the time.

I'm actually pretty well organized. I've got a bench I made with storage space below ans shelves above, and I bought clear plastic bins with covers that fit them nicely. I've got two tall chrome shelving units on caters that hold tons of stuff, and in the center of the garage I have an old work island from a kitchen restoration, with of course more storage below. That unit has all my work tools: moisture meters, pipe scopes, slide hammer, laser levels, soil augers....

I'm just messing with you on the storage stuff, my garage is a mess right now.. need to organize before winter kicks in.. Here is a link for the company I told you about. Its actaully a buddies company that make a lot really cool stuff and it assembles easily...

http://8020.net/Workstationintro.asp

[tailfins]

Actually I plan on keeping it.




Does it have the sliding steering column? Thankfully you selected a car with high production. That makes it easier to get parts.

[glockmail]

Yeah, the "swing away" wheel lets you move the wheel over to the right when you have the gear selector in park. It's locked up right now but I'll fix that easily when I change out the detent for the shifter. These old Fords have a habit of shifting out of park by themselves and some guy has made an improved plate for more positive engagement.

The car is pretty basic on options. There's no AC or power seats, windows, etc. I've found that the cloth seats that I have are fairly rare. I can buy new vinyl for $600, all leather for $1600, but the vinyl/ cloth is $1200. I'm debating to go to all leather since its only $400 more, but the "numbers won't match" and I'm concerned that it will reduce the car's value.

Reproduction parts are widely available and fairly inexpensive. For instance the trunk seal rubber is $20, window squeegee and "cat whiskers" are $115, and door seals are $90. Roof ornaments are $40 each. It's just that there are a lot of stuff to replace. You have to replace all the 50 year old rubber, and its too expensive to re-chrome all the small parts. I figure that I have about $2000 in rubber seals and chrome ornaments sitting in two large plastic bins right now.

[gabosaurus]

My dad would love this thread. He has told me that the first car he ever drove was a 1962 bright red T-bird convertible. I looked that up and it was something like this.

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1962-Ford-Thunderbird-red-convertible.jpg

[PostmodernProphet]

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/DSC_8535.jpg

where did you get that huge iPad on the floor!

[aboutime]

T-birds were nice. The very first car I OWNED looked like this, red interior, black convertible top, thin white-walls, posi-traction rear, red racing stripe across the trunk with a 283, stick shift, under the hood.
1966 Chevy SS Impala Convertible
3936

[Abbey Marie]

Hey Glock, if that's your garage you need to contact a company called 80/20 . They can neaten up your tools for you with better benches and places to store them.... LOL:laugh::beer:


Oh ya very nice project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha, I wish our garage looked that clean!

[glockmail]

My dad would love this thread. He has told me that the first car he ever drove was a 1962 bright red T-bird convertible. I looked that up and it was something like this.

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1962-Ford-Thunderbird-red-convertible.jpg

Those were modeled after rockets, and we call them "rocket birds". The rear tail lights are huge and round, like rocket thrusters.

Mine is a '64, and 64-66 were styled after jets. The tail lights are horizontal with three lights in each, which became a style trend for years. Later models featured sequential turn signals for the tails. This feature is on current Mustangs, and I'll probably scavenge the electronics of one to upgrade my project car.

[glockmail]

Update.

I learned my lesson on old gas the hard way.

When I put this Bird to bed years ago I used Stabil in the gas tank; less than 5 gallons in the tank. I'd start the car maybe once/ year by removing the cover on the carburetor and filling the bowl with fresh gas. It would start right up and idle perfectly. After a brief warm-up I'd spray WD-40 down the carb then turn the engine off.

The week before taking the car to the shop I let it idle for a long time while I washed under the hood. Then I washed the car with TSP and took the pictures in the OP. I then worked on the interior, wet-cleaning 25 years of dust. The day that I was going to drive the car to the body shop it started hard and ran terrible, but I got it there. My body guy couldn't start it or move it so I took the carb off and rebuilt it, re-tuned the ignition and that didn't fix the problem. So I took the valve covers off and found 6 bent push rods. It turns out the old gas had deposited so much gunk on the valves that several of them froze up. This necessitates a head re-build and complete engine tear-down, cleaning and re-assembly.

The head work will run $1400, and includes new hardened valve seats and hard alloy valves. I was going to need to do this eventually because I plan on driving it with no-lead gas, but I was hoping to do it in a year or two to spread out the car payments. The block work will run another $650 or so. I could do it myself but now that its at the shop it makes more sense to have my restorer do it.

The machinist we're using is very good and has a 3-4 week waiting list, so the entire project is on hold until that gets done.

[NightTrain]

I'm not sure why you need a complete rebuild? Just head work & lifters would fix the problem, yeah?

[glockmail]

There's just so much crud in the crankcase that it needs to be cleaned out. Plus we're concerned that the shellac that seized the valves could also seize rings, or maybe clog a bearing. I plan on taking trips in this car with my wife, and lending it to my father-in-law for a summer. $650 is cheap insurance to make sure that the car runs flawlessly.

We also removed the gas tank, "cooked" it to remove the crud, coated the inside and powder-coated the outside. I replaced the sending unit and pick-up, as well as the fuel lines.

[NightTrain]

Oh. Probably the best thing, then.

I assumed the lifters seized to the guides due to inactivity.

These days I'm where you are... let a pro do it and call me when it's done!

[glockmail]

This guy's not just a pro but a hobbyist. He works at an auto parts store full time and builds hot rods on the side. Some of these are 800 HP. He loves the 60's cars. He really likes the fact that I did a lot of the grunt work and did it fairly well. He's got a lot of clients who never turned a wrench.

[glockmail]

Here's what the sending unit/ pickup looked like:

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/737_zps09e86f60.jpg

[glockmail]

Completed hood hinge. The original finish is "cadmium gold", which is a cheap finish that the factory used to make them look good in the showroom, but lasted only months. He did this in a powder coat, which should last decades.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/IMAG0130_zps09f09b09.jpg

[NightTrain]

Here's what the sending unit/ pickup looked like:

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t345/Southernmanpics/TBird/737_zps09e86f60.jpg



Whoa! Yeah, tear that baby down.