Boss is going to look at a '56 T-Bird... HELP!

[Killer]

He came to me as the resident "car guy" in the office, asking me what he should be looking for, in particular, with this car. It's a black '56 with all options except the cabin tonneau cover and... uh, one other option I can't remember offhand. It was a California car, brought to Indiana, fully restored, no rust. Owner is an elderly man whose wife is supposedly dying of cancer, so he has to sell it. He was asking $22k, my boss got him down to $19k so far. He's on his way to go look at it now, I told him I'd call him when I got a response on this forum.

Anything in particular he should look out for? Thanks in advance for any help.

[ 10-09-2003: Message edited by: Killer ]

[nomadbird]

Killer,

I had a nice long epistle in response to you post and accidently hit a key that obliterated it. Here is the short form. Tell your boss to steer clear. Your credibility will be preserved and it'll save you a lot of grief in the long run. Your boss sounds like many others I've known who are disenchanted within weeks after the purchase. T-Bird styling may be timeless, but the underlying technology is still a half century old.

Tom D.

[Killer]

Well, I gave him your input and he's buying the car tomorrow anyway. It won't be a true show car, just a fun weekend cruiser for him.

So, what should I expect him to have to replace first? I'm guessing suspension bushings. I already know that it leaks transmission fluid (the owner told him that up front). It does have a lot of new parts on it, from what he told me... New exhaust, 12v alternator conversion, upgraded ignition... sounds like the previous owner was more interested in keeping it running and "driveable" than keeping it 100% factory stock. (Which is probably a good thing.)

Any suggestions on things he should look out for would be helpful. (I am due for a raise in three weeks... The more I help him, the bigger my kid's college fund will be. ;) )

[nomadbird]

Killer,

Anyone who owns or is interested in the '55-'57 Thunderbirds, should belong to Classic Thunderbird Club International (CTCI). This organization has approximtely 8000 members throughout the world. It is probably the best place to learn what resources are available to the owners of this marque.
http://www.ctci.org

If you would post your location, perhaps we can direct you towards a source of parts and/or service in your locale. You (your boss) should have someone knowledgeable in that marque, give it an inspection and discuss some of the idiosyncrasies of the beast. I am especially uncomfortable with the deviations from original configuration that may be on the car. There is no way these can be intelligently discussed on an Internet Forum. E.G. Couple of months ago, some one asked how to remove a light switch.
Despite the fact that I checked three cars to insure my answer was correct, we couldn't account for the fact his switch was incorrectly installed. Another item on your bosses car is the leaky transmission. If the transmission has to be removed to repair the leaks; is he aware that the usual method of transmission removal requires engine removal as well? Many transmission shops can't be bothered doing this. Many folks under the age of 40 who are neither in the hobby or the automotive field, are at a loss on the procedure for changing the light bulbs with the bayonet base.

Please don't interpret this posting as a "put-down". These are merely my observations and are not meant to discourage the novice. The simple principle is: These old cars bear little commonality with contemporary offerings. Any attempt to identify a half century of product evolution would be a monumental task.

Best of Luck, Tom D.

[Killer]

Tom,
Thanks for the input. The car, my boss and I are all in Indianapolis, Indiana. I already know a guy who does a LOT of custom and restoration work on old Fords (he helped a buddy of mine fully restore his '59 T-Bird). I think I'm going to point the boss in his direction when things start to go wrong. My personal experience is with Camaros, though, not T-Birds.

I'm sure that the link to the CTCI will prove helpful. Thanks again!