Recent content by fordrodsteven

sawing it off will not solve the problem. He will still have rusted bolt shank stuck inside the bushing. I had the same issue on my '55 bird. I sprayed penetrant on it each day for about a week. I heated the bolt ends with a Mapp gas torch. It was enough heat. I put a wrench on the bolt head...

If you decide to make one. you should use the gasket as your template for cutting the holes into the new, thicker material. I don't know what materials, tools you have available. Personally, I would use aluminum to make a plate. You will need to be sure to get the bores nice and smooth or it...

According to my parts digest the same pedal arm is used on both standard and automatic shift.

Seems to me that interior and exterior color is the same. I know on my 1955 Thunderbird the whole car, from the factory, is painted inside and out. The engine compartment, interior, and exterior all painted at the same time at the factory. Maybe yours looks like a slightly different shade inside...

I cannot say for sure but I do know the tops will fit all three years the only difference is the rear clamps and clamping plates. As far as I know you could get a hard top and after mid1956 you had to specify whether porthole or non-port hole. Porthole tops were not available before mid 1956...

I don't know the answer to your question but I would assume the answer is "no". If I remember correctly the '57 has a 9" rear end. I guess if you had the parts readily available you could try a fit up. I'm thinking you would have to get parts for a 9" rear to get a good fit up. BTW - same rear...

I'm not sure if they are the same but my 55 Thunderbird has V8 emblems on the fenders. If they are the same you may have some luck finding N.O.S. at one of the Thunderbird suppliers (if N.O.S. is a requiremen)

Man! Last time I worked on a "Y" block was in the late 1970's. LOL. Anyway. My take on your exhaust temps is that one cylinder is firing intermittently or maybe not at all. The temperature you're seeing could be coming form other exhaust gases in the exhaust manifold. Have you tried moving a...

I don't have much experience with "Y" blocks. I am wondering if you might have a vacuum leak in a line or diaphragm somewhere in the system. Do you have a way to do a smoke test to see if there's any leaks? Have you put a dwell meter on the distributor to see if there is any correlation with the...

My thoughts are a broken cam but you said you adjusted the valves. You would have noticed there was no lift on those rear cylinders when you were making adjustments. Therefore I would suspect something in that ignition circuit. Maybe swap some plug wires or plugs to see if the problem moves with...

I picked up a set of buckets from a 1964 Thunderbird. I plan to install them when I put my car back together. They look to me like they will fit just fine. Good thing is that I can buy new covers for them to change them from blue to black. I also like the idea that the seats will have a...

What about possibly 3D printing? Sometimes used for very small runs of parts or even to make a mold for casting something from a metal not so conducive to 3D printing.

I'm doing a modification on my dash. I do not plan on using the clock or the tach. I bought a couple of dual gauges to mount in the holes. I will "black out" the portion of the dash pod that has the Fuel, Water and OIL & GEN lights. My clock in the car will be in the aftermarket radio I will be...

I'm doing a modification on my dash. I do not plan on using the clock or the tach. I bought a couple of dual gauges to mount in the holes. I will "black out" the portion of the dash pod that has the Fuel, Water and OIL & GEN lights. My clock in the car will be in the aftermarket radio I will be...

yes, the 55 & 56 Thunderbird cluster pods are the same as the 55 full size Ford. But as mentioned earlier the gauges are pretty much the same gauges. However. If you need to order any parts you can get them from the Thunderbird suppliers.