Still Like New: 1955 Ford Thunderbird

The one-family owners of this 1955 Ford Thunderbird are saying all the right things, if not detailing their claims very thoroughly, in the ad here on craigslist. On offer: a car that presently does parade duty in Omaha, Nebraska. Thanks for the tip on this pristine gem goes to Pat L. You can possibly drive this T-Bird home if you’re willing to come up with the $29,500 asking price or something in the neighborhood of that number.

So let’s see what’s here, and ponder a little bit what course of action would be wise. This T-Bird is as aquamarine/teal as a car can get, from the top of the removable hard top to the steel wheels to the interior. Only wait—the color is actually Thunderbird Blue, Paint Code 11115 as noted here. Who cares what they label it? It’s stunning (and identified in the ad simply as “blue”). The exterior is said to be never wrecked nor abused, and the car is labeled, “Factory original everything.” If you’re in the game on this one, though, you want to hear the seller say, “That’s the factory paint job,” just to be sure, because as we know, sellers do label repainted cars as original when the color is the same as the born-with hue. On this car, the interior is clean and unmarked, with signs of age in the gauge glass, the (covered) steering wheel, and perhaps on the driver’s seat. Not surprising given the age, and not particularly concerning.

The T-Bird came out in 1955, and that first generation of two-seat roadsters continued on for three years. Sometime in that first year, a family member started a line of succession that leads down to today. If you need proof, the car is said to come with the original bill of sale and all documents, though I’d like some detail as to what is referred to. Service records? Stuff they gave away the afternoon the car was picked up? Later mailings from Ford? If service records, what’s been done to this 56,432-mile car? Anything recent? The engine is the 312-CID V8, stout but apparently known for rear main seal leaks. No word as to whether that’s true of this car, or if a remedy has been attempted. Otherwise, the car is labeled “mechanical[ly] sound.” Does that mean, “Jump in and drive it anywhere, anytime?” Possibly, though those few miles suggest little road trip provenance, at least of late. But that’s where this car’s preservation heritage comes in. So which do you want—sorted at the expense of originality, or unmolested, but not perhaps a Route 66 adventure candidate? By the way, if driving sports cars is your thing, you might be disappointed that this car has an automatic transmission.

“Fantastic survivor with potential,” this one is said to be, and it looks it. There are probably exterior signs of age and wear, but if this car is as untouched as the minimalist description would suggest, then please plan to leave it alone if you buy it. Restoring it would be unnecessary unless there’s more neediness here than there seems to be at first glance. The car is said to have “potential.” How would you define that word if this Thunderbird falls to you?